Chapter 374: Riding the White Horse Far to the Western Palace

The night was cool, a bright moon hung high. In the deep hours, the banks of the Yellow River did not return to stillness. On the contrary, amid the sounds of water, frogs, and insects, lights blazed everywhere, and people came and went like weaving threads. Not only was Pujin transporting troops and supplies through the night while laboring to reorganize the captured main camp, but as the routed soldiers fled far and earlier pleas for aid arrived, the surrounding areas — from Lincheng, the nearest city behind Pujin, to Huayin south of the Wei River, and on to Tongguan — had all gone on full alert under Dong Zhuo’s army, which had already begun mobilizing its grand forces.

Of course, among these, only Lincheng, being far too close, barely managed to learn that very night the news of Zhang Ji’s death and Pujin’s change of hands. The rest, Huayin and Tongguan, still relied mainly on Zhang Ji’s plea for aid and were inevitably half a beat slower.

Of course, this was enough to shake the entire situation.

“Jia Jun! Jia Jun!” Atop the plateau, on the highest point of Tongguan’s gate tower, Lu Bu climbed the tower and, seeing that familiar figure standing there beneath the moon, finally let out a long breath. “I couldn’t find you at your residence, so I knew you would be here… Jia Jun!”

“Wenhou has come to find me because of the urgent military report that Pujin is in peril?” Jia Xu turned back, having naturally guessed the purpose of this visit.

“What else could it be?” Lu Bu was momentarily helpless. “Jia Jun, the situation is urgent. I must ask you to instruct me — what do you think the outcome of this battle at Pujin will be?”

“I don’t know.” Jia Xu’s expression remained as usual; instead, he spread his hands and spoke a plain truth. “Wenhou, you yourself are a commander of troops. Tell me yourself — we only know some scattered information from afar, at most that General Wei has set a feint and decoy formation here while throwing everything at Pujin. What else do we know? Given that, heaven alone knows the outcome.”

Lu Bu raised his head and sighed, then stepped forward and lowered his voice to continue: “Jia Jun, I won’t hide it from you. Right now I’m not worried about what happens at Pujin, but about what I myself should do.”

Jia Xu remained silent.

“Jia Jun.” Seeing this, Lu Bu could not help but grow earnest and anxious. “I know you are a man of Liangzhou, and that the Grand Tutor placed you here with the intent of overseeing me. But I also know you are a rare wise man under heaven, surely able to devise a plan that satisfies both sides, so that neither of us will be caught off guard when events unfold.”

“Wenhou.” Jia Xu spoke quietly. “It’s not that I am unwilling to offer you a plan, nor that I avoid suspicion and refuse to help you. It’s that I truly do not understand your own intent… What exactly are you thinking?”

Lu Bu was slightly taken aback, clearly not catching on.

“For example.” Seeing this, Jia Xu offered a brief explanation. “If Pujin passes through danger unscathed, then everything remains as before, and you, Wenhou, should still be thinking of how to win the Grand Tutor’s trust amid the chaos, correct?”

“Correct.”

“But if Pujin is lost?” Jia Xu continued. “What would Wenhou want then? Would you follow the example of Xu and Zhang, those two generals, and go over to General Wei? Or would you think of how to help Lord Dong hold off General Wei? Can you speak a word of truth to me?”

Lu Bu sighed deeply toward the sky: “I won’t hide it from Jia Jun — my wedded wife and beloved daughter are both in Chang’an. I only wish to preserve myself first, and then consider everything else.”

“In other words, you still intend first to help Lord Dong hold off General Wei?” Jia Xu chuckled softly. “That makes sense, I suppose. Otherwise, Wenhou would not have come to consult me.”

Lu Bu also gave a low, soft laugh.

“But, Wenhou.” Jia Xu suddenly turned serious. “There is nothing wrong with your resolve to help Lord Dong for the sake of your family. Yet if Pujin truly is lost and the gateway to Guanzhong is thrown wide open, and then General Wei gains the upper hand, what will you do? When he sees me, a man of Xiliang, he likely won’t have much to say. But when he sees you, Wenhou, and asks, ‘With our friendship from humble days and the grace of my recommendation, why did you not come to aid me then?’ — how will you answer?”

“Actually, after seeing the military report tonight, a plan suddenly came to me.” Lu Bu also spoke with gravity. “Not only could it hold General Wei outside the pass, but it might even turn the situation around and achieve an extraordinary feat! That is why I came to find you, Jia Jun, to ask you to examine it with me.”

“So this is the real reason Wenhou intends to aid the Grand Tutor and resist General Wei?” Jia Xu understood in his heart and sighed repeatedly. “Wenhou, please speak freely.”

“Jia Jun, please look.” Lu Bu pulled Jia Xu to the battlements, then pointed at the brightly lit Youzhou Army stronghold below the pass and spoke solemnly. “We now know that such a great stronghold before the pass is nothing but auxiliary troops putting on a show of force. The only truly combat-capable forces within are the two divisions of Xu and Zhang, plus the surrendered troops from Shanxian…”

“Are you still thinking of leaving the pass to attack?” Jia Xu could not help but frown. “Even if it’s only the two divisions of Xu and Zhang plus some surrendered troops, their strength is hardly weak, is it? And the Youzhou Army has its own stronghold — with a mere five thousand men in the pass, how could we achieve a swift victory?”

“We cannot win now, but if Pujin is seized by the Youzhou Army, then tomorrow or the day after, victory may not be impossible!” Lu Bu answered in a raised voice. “Jia Jun, we are speaking on the premise that Pujin is lost, are we not?”

“Correct.”

“Then may I ask, if Pujin is lost, what will General Wei do?”

“…What do you say?”

“He will inevitably cross the river and return to Hedong, then march from Pujin to Lincheng, and from there engage Left General and the others in a decisive battle at the Wei River!”

“That is true. If Pujin falls to the Youzhou Army, this standoff at Tongguan becomes meaningless.” Jia Xu spoke thoughtfully. “Wenhou means to say that when General Wei crosses the river, you will suddenly sally from the pass and strike his rear from behind?”

“Exactly!” Lu Bu answered frankly. “Amid the chaos of battle, strike straight for the enemy commander. My intent is to capture and kill General Wei on the riverbank and settle the greater situation. What does Jia Jun think of this plan?”

“It won’t work!” Jia Xu said bluntly.

“Why?” Lu Fengxian immediately raised his head in defiance. “Jia Jun, in the chaos of battle, taking the head of a chief general is as easy for me as pulling something from a pouch… In my view, this is a battle-winning opportunity that comes once in a thousand years!”

“Wenhou.” Jia Xu frowned, a rare expression for him. “I naturally trust in your martial valor. And if you truly could strike his rear as General Wei crosses the river and leaves the pass, this plan would indeed be feasible… But I ask you, do you think General Wei would place himself in such danger? When it comes to taking a chief general’s head in chaotic battle, you are naturally unmatched in valor, peerless under heaven. But when it comes to battlefield planning, would General Wei lose to you? If you can see this opportunity, can he not?”

Lu Bu tried to speak, then stopped.

“Wenhou.” Jia Xu sighed and spoke with emotion. “You came to ask me for no other reason than that you think I possess some petty cleverness and can judge the situation with certainty — especially after that battle at Xiaopingjin, where my repeated predictions won your trust… But in truth, it’s not that I can divine the future or read the stars to know all under heaven. It’s simply that I am a bit older, understand human hearts a little, and can guess some people’s thoughts — that is all. For instance, back then I guessed that Yuan Benchu harbored intentions of annexing the other lords, and so I concluded that the reinforcements he sent would be too few. Or again, I saw that Wang Kuang was outwardly strong but inwardly cowardly, and so I was certain he would fall for the ruse and act conservatively. And today, since you have come to ask me, I will speak plainly with you as well… I do not think General Wei will expose such a vulnerability!”

“Specifically, what do you mean?” Lu Bu pressed anxiously. “If Pujin is taken by the Youzhou Army, will he not return to Hedong?”

“Perhaps he will still return to Hedong.” Jia Xu pointed unhurriedly at the great camp below the pass. “But have you considered that perhaps General Wei is not even in this camp right now? Perhaps he already left yesterday during the decisive battle? Perhaps from the very beginning there was only a White Horse Banner in the camp, and it was Xu Rong directing the camp the entire time? If that is so, then your plan of striking mid-crossing — would it not be pure fantasy from start to finish?”

Lu Bu was stunned speechless. Jia Xu shook his head and simply turned to leave.

“Jia Jun, you must help me!” Lu Fengxian suddenly seized Jia Wenhe’s sleeve again. “It’s not that I am making trouble out of nothing, nor that I am single-mindedly seeking merit, nor that I disregard the past bond with General Wei. It’s that my position is truly awkward… What Jia Jun said earlier was all too correct. Of the three Northern Army generals, two have surrendered. Among the chief commanders in the army, apart from myself, all are men from Guanxi. Others cannot help but be suspicious. These days I brood day and night, yet day and night I am uneasy. And to make it worse, my family is all in Chang’an, and I live in constant fear that something might go wrong.”

“So, Wenhou is merely seeking a way to preserve himself?” Jia Xu turned back and asked coolly.

“Exactly!”

“You should have said so earlier.” Jia Xu spoke dismissively. “That is simple.”

“Simple?”

“Indeed.” Jia Wenhe answered easily. “If Wenhou wishes to preserve himself, why not lead your own troops and accompany the Left General to reinforce Pujin?”

Lu Bu was momentarily bewildered: “That will suffice?”

“That will suffice.” Jia Xu turned around and replied. “Think about it, Wenhou. If you go with the Left General to Pujin, what else is there to worry about?”

Lu Bu still had not caught on: “Please explain it to me in detail, Jia Jun.”

“First, once Wenhou goes under the Left General’s command, you will no longer be the Regional Commander, and thus will no longer be suspected or feared.” Jia Xu shook his head with a wry smile. “Wasn’t the reason you feared the Grand Tutor’s suspicion precisely because you were the Regional Commander at a critical point like Tongguan?”

Lu Bu nodded slightly.

“Second, by going under the Left General’s command, Wenhou can also act according to circumstances.” Jia Xu continued with a smile. “If the battle at Pujin favors the Grand Tutor, then Wenhou will have a place to display his martial prowess. And if Pujin is a great defeat and the battle turns, there is nothing to be coy about — Wenhou, being at the front line, can always act as circumstances dictate. And when the front line is in chaos, no matter what happens, even if there is temporarily no news, those in the rear will not truly do anything to Wenhou’s family.”

Lu Bu suddenly felt everything become clear, but quickly asked again: “Then may I ask, Jia Jun, if I request to accompany the Left General to Pujin, will the Left General and the Grand Tutor permit it?”

“Why would they not?” Jia Xu continued unhurriedly. “Since Pujin is breached, a great battle is inevitable there — precisely the time for Wenhou to use his martial skill. As for Tongguan here, an old and feeble man like myself is enough to handle it. And earlier, when Xu Rong and Zhang Liao turned traitor, the Grand Tutor did not waver for long, which shows he still trusts you, Wenhou. It’s just that he is now at Meiwu and there is no time to report back; we can only ask the Left General to make the decision… So, if I, as Vice Commander of Tongguan and an old acquaintance from Liangzhou, write a letter to the Left General, the Left General, who is in dire need of men, will have no reason to refuse!”

Lu Bu was deeply moved: “Jia Jun is truly a lifesaver!”

Jia Wenhe smiled bitterly and shook his head: “I, too, am only trying to preserve myself first, and then save whoever I can, one by one… There is no time to lose. Wenhou, go make your preparations. I will write the letter for you overnight and send it out overnight. Tomorrow morning, you can head straight for the Wei River pontoon bridge and rendezvous with the Left General there.”

With these words, the man finally turned and descended the tower.

And Lu Bu, facing Jia Xu’s retreating figure, bowed deeply with clasped hands, reverent and sincerely convinced… After all, having once studied under Cai Bojie as a disciple, Lu Fengxian could never in this life be associated with the words “crude and rude.”

Returning to the present, the next morning, it was exactly as Jia Xu had predicted. As Dong Zhuo’s own younger brother and the de facto overall commander of the Guanzhong defenses, Left General Dong Min, after dispatching Guo Si with cavalry as the vanguard, remained extremely anxious about the Pujin battle situation and indeed did not fully trust Lu Bu. Moreover, with Dong Zhuo at Meiwu and no time to report, he ultimately acted out of expediency in an emergency and approved Jia Xu’s suggestion, summoning Lu Wenhou and appointing him as Vice Commander of the army to proceed together to Pujin.

By noon that day, after Dong Min’s forces and the thousand-odd trusted troops Lu Bu had brought merged and crossed the Wei River, they finally received the dire news sent by Guo Si from the front — they learned that Pujin was already lost. Thereupon, they again urged the entire army to march at double speed, attempting to retake the stronghold before the Youzhou Army could ferry across sufficient troops.

At the same time, probably understanding that the Youzhou Army outside Tongguan would certainly pivot toward this breakthrough at Pujin, Dong Min immediately dispatched riders with urgent orders requiring Li Jue, Li Meng, and Hu Zhen — the three generals — to converge at Shanxian immediately, enter Guanzhong via the Tongguan road, and then join the great battle at Pujin.

Yet, interestingly, a small deviation occurred here — the Youzhou Army’s main camp outside Tongguan showed no sign of moving at all. Not only did Xu Rong and the others not mobilize their troops to cross the river to Hedong and join the Pujin battle, but that ambiguous White Horse Banner still fluttered in the wind beneath the pass.

"My lord!" After waiting another day, that afternoon Xu Rong and Zhang Liao came together to pay their respects to Gongsun Xun, who was fishing. "Once Pujin has been seized and Shanxian lies empty, word should reach the ears of the Guanzhong Army at Hongnong immediately. At that point, as soon as Li Meng, Hu Zhen, and Li Jue make a slight probe, they will know we have few troops here…"

"Can you not hold them off?" Gongsun Xun replied dismissively.

"We subordinates can certainly hold them. If my lord orders us to delay the Hongnong Guanzhong Army from entering the pass here for as long as possible, we are of course willing to exert ourselves to the utmost." Xu Rong spoke with earnest sincerity. "But my lord's person is worth a thousand pieces of gold; there is truly no need to take such risks here. You must cross the river swiftly — that is the best course."

"If I truly mean to cross the river," Gongsun Xun remained unconcerned, "a single small skiff to ferry me to the opposite bank will suffice. There is no need for such urgency."

"But my lord," Zhang Liao also raised his head and remonstrated, "now that Pujin has been taken, the passage into the pass is open, and the fighting there is fierce. If my lord could go in person to oversee the battle, our army's morale would surely soar. Then, routing the enemy, we might even seize Tongguan from within the pass… Why waste time here to no purpose?"

"It is not to no purpose." Gongsun Xun finally sighed. "Still, what you say has merit. Very well then — wait one more day. If by noon tomorrow there is still no movement, I will cross the river alone, go via Hedong to Pujin, while you lead troops to Shanxian and lay an ambush for me. Whether it is Hu Zhen or Li Meng, make them suffer a sharp setback and once again grow suspicious and afraid to move!"

The two generals Zhang and Xu exchanged glances — half resignation, half relief.

The night passed without incident, and another day was spent. By the morning of the twentieth day of the fifth month, although he had agreed with the two generals to cross the river that afternoon, Gongsun Xun still took up his fishing rod, preparing to go north of the main camp to fish… which left people with no choice but to sigh.

But just as he reached his usual spot and set down his camp stool, before he could have Sima Lang and Jia Kui help him bait the hook with earthworms, suddenly there was a commotion behind him. Then Xu Rong, in full armor, came rushing over in person to report: "My lord, an envoy from Tongguan has come to offer surrender!"

Gongsun Xun froze for a moment, then rose directly to his feet. Without even bothering about his fishing rod, he strode swiftly back with Xu Rong.

"Could it be a trick?" Jia Kui was the first to throw down his fishing rod and follow behind, asking as he went — leaving the honest Sima Lang with no choice but to clutch the earthworms and cradle the fishing rod as he trailed after them.

"Trick my ass!" Gongsun Xun answered without turning his head. "I have waited here many days precisely for this moment. Have Zhang Liao lead two thousand troops into the pass first to secure the gate. Xu Rong, gather the main force — the entire army is to follow. The greater situation in Guanzhong will be settled today!"

The men hurriedly relayed the orders. Gongsun Xun did not even wait for Xu Rong's main force. He returned to camp, donned his full armor — the pheasant-tailed helmet and the broken blade, the white horse and the steel lance — then immediately sprang onto his horse and rode forth, leading his contingent into the pass fortress. There, atop the plateau, he met Jia Xu.

Meeting again after a year's separation, Gongsun Xun dismounted and, right there within the pass gate, grasped Jia Xu's hand. He exclaimed with emotion: "I knew it — Wenhe would not betray me!"

"My lord has never betrayed me; how could I betray my lord?" Jia Xu's expression remained unchanged as he answered with composure. These words, however, stirred doubt and uncertainty in Zhang Liao and the other generals who had accompanied Gongsun Xun.

"Wenhe!" Gongsun Xun shook his head slightly, set aside the topic for the moment, and turned to ask with a serious expression: "Regarding the decisive battle at Pujin, is there anything you can teach me?"

"There is!" Jia Xu answered calmly. "I ask my lord to disregard Pujin entirely, and instead drive straight through from here deep into Guanzhong, to settle the greater situation!"

"Attack Chang'an?" Gongsun Xun could not help but frown. "Chang'an is two hundred and forty li from here, and the people's hearts are divided and confused. Is it feasible?"

"It is not feasible." Jia Xu shook his head repeatedly, yet his expression still did not change. "That is why I am not telling my lord to attack Chang'an, but rather asking my lord to strike at Mei Fort, five hundred li from here!"

Gongsun Xun was momentarily puzzled.

"Dong Zhuo is there, with only a few thousand garrison troops!" Jia Xu, unhurried and unflustered, pointed out the crux of the matter. "As long as my lord disregards everything else, races ahead before anyone can react, makes a long-distance raid, and traps Dong Zhuo at Mei Fort, then the greater situation in Guanzhong will be settled beyond any possibility of reversal… In the terms of the chess that comes from my lord's homeland of Liaoxi, this is called 'check in one move'!"

Gongsun Xun suddenly saw the light, yet still seemed unable to grasp certain aspects fully.

First, it was not about Pujin and Dong Min — because the moment Dong Min pulled back to pursue him, he would only allow Lou Gui and Tian Feng to follow up in force. In the end, once he himself had Mei Fort sealed off, the one routed would surely be Dong Min!

Nor was there anything militarily unfeasible about this long-distance raid — because if Jia Xu was not deceiving him, then Xu Rong's five thousand cavalry alone would be enough to seal off Mei Fort. And having reached this point, Jia Xu truly had no reason to deceive him. Moreover, among the surrendered troops in his own hands, it was not only Xu Rong's five thousand cavalry; in fact, counting the surrendered troops from Shanxian, he now had seven thousand cavalry!

Still less was he worried about his rear — because with Tongguan now in hand, he could in turn block off those Dong Zhuo forces at Hongnong. He could even send men right now to seize Wuguan as well!

It was rather…

At this thought, Gongsun Xun's gaze suddenly met Jia Xu's eyes directly: "Wenhe, do the hearts of the people in the Guanzhong region belong to me?"

"On what grounds would they not belong to my lord?" Jia Xu met Gongsun Xun's gaze and answered with a serious expression. "Does my lord still think that battle in Guanzhong back then was fought for nothing? Do you still think it was a waste of time? Had my lord not fought that battle by the Wei River back then, would I be offering up this pass so readily today? Had it not been for that battle by the Wei River, would the defeated troops at Shanxian have been so smoothly reorganized under my lord? Had it not been for that battle by the Wei River, would the officers and men of Tongguan today have surrendered with me so willingly? My lord, in this world there is no effect without a cause… The situation today exists because Dong Zhuo slaughtered excessively and lost the people's hearts of his own accord, and also because the grace and authority my lord displayed back then still remain, bringing about its own fulfillment! Does my lord think Guanzhong still requires bitter fighting? Little do you realize that the battle that decided Guanzhong's allegiance was already fought over a year ago — and it was a great and total victory!"

Gongsun Xun suddenly understood, and his grip involuntarily tightened.

"In short, my lord, do not hesitate!" Jia Xu quickly urged again. "No one along the road will obstruct my lord. On the contrary, they have long been craning their necks in anticipation of you! And once my lord arrives beneath the walls of Mei Fort, even those who have received great favor from Dong Zhuo will only flock to my lord's side one after another!"

Gongsun Xun nodded slowly: "In that case, Wenhe, I leave Tongguan to you!"

Jia Xu bowed and responded: "Not Tongguan alone. I will find a way to maneuver Li Jue somewhat. I ask my lord to leave behind Sima Boda and a few thousand infantry — I will seal off Wuguan as well for my lord!"

Gongsun Xun finally released the other man's hand. He then mounted his horse, and right there within the gate of Tongguan, drew that broken blade given to him by a departed friend. Turning around, he shouted: "Pass down my order! All cavalry in the army are to follow my banner and strike straight west! The enemy is but one man — he is in Mei County!"

His words ended, and without waiting at all, he spurred his horse directly westward — so abruptly that Xu Rong, Zhang Liao, and the others scrambled in alarm to mount and follow. Seven thousand cavalry passed through Tongguan without stopping, driving westward without pause.

—————I am the dividing line of "The Enemy Is at Honnoji"—————

"Bu is brave but without strategy." — Xun You

"At that time, the Grand Ancestor reached Hongnong. His troops were few, and he wished to do battle at Shanxian. His attendants, mindful of Lu Bu's prowess in battle and Jia Xu's talent for sowing chaos at Tongguan behind them, urged caution. The Grand Ancestor replied: 'Wenhe knows me, and I know Wenhe. Now that I am heading east myself, I have no worries behind me.' Later, Xu indeed stopped Bu's plan to strike from the rear, and the Grand Ancestor thereupon took Shanxian. When the Grand Ancestor used decoy troops at Tongguan and his generals secretly seized Pujin, his attendants urged him to cross the river swiftly and go there. The Grand Ancestor spoke again: 'Wenhe is ahead; he will surely not betray me. Within a few days, we can head west.' Three days later, Xu indeed delivered Lu Bu and offered up Tongguan himself." — A New Account of the Tales of the World, Chapter on Recognition and Judgment

PS: Grateful to Big Eagle for the chapter shoutout. At the same time, I'd like to offer up a new book as a sacrifice — The Mage's League of Legends, a story about a WoW mage transported to Valoran. Starts in Zaun, CP is Janna, respects official lore, and does not start off weak… Fellow students interested in LoL can take a look.

Reader group: 931557287. Everyone is welcome to join.

(End of chapter)