Chapter 413: Hard to Wrest the Three Armies' Resolve

In late autumn the breeze is clear, the clouds high and the air crisp; just before the cold sets in, the wild geese are about to fly south.

General of the Guards Gongsun Xun led a host of a hundred thousand to the walls of Handan, yet throughout he never entered this city he knew so intimately, merely encamping south of the city in the great camp that Yuan’s army had left behind in its haste.

And for three days he undertook no superfluous actions — he devised no ingenious stratagems, made no sudden all-or-nothing gambles, and even when the military advisors gathered the army’s commanders, staff officers, and clerks to discuss troop dispositions, he took little part in it… With two hundred thousand men from both sides crammed between two cities barely thirty li apart, what ingenious stratagems could possibly be employed? What space or time was there to employ them?

In a certain sense, the closer a war of this scale draws to battle, the less there is to speak of… and when it reaches the final stage, it is exactly like casting dice — whatever will be, will be.

And at this moment, it is precisely like the moment when both sides grip the dice in hand; since they must be thrown anyway, why insist on sweating into your palm?

In truth, these past few days Gongsun Xun merely toured the camps in every direction, chatting idly with all manner of people about trivial matters.

For instance, with the newly recruited soldiers from the various commanderies of Youzhou, he asked their specific native places and talked of the local scenery and customs; with the former White Horse Volunteers who had left the Volunteers to enter the army and division structures as officers, he asked whether they had started families, and what plans they had if the fighting ceased one day; and with men like Shen Pei, Dong Zhao, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, as well as Pan Zhang, Guo Jia, and even the Qin family, his local in-laws in Handan, and Wei Song, who had been teaching in the city throughout the siege — all these people he had not seen in a long time or was meeting for the first time — he also seized every spare moment to summon them specially, yet never discussed official business, merely chatting about family matters and giving away some personal gifts like weapons, books, and warhorses…

And at noon on the final day — the day before the decisive battle — when Yuan Shao sent the envoy Shi Yi to pay a visit and present gifts, he actually found him in the Penal Auxiliary Camp. At that moment, this General of the Guards was in the very Penal Auxiliary Camp that Dong Zhao had brought — men who had been demoted by the whole army to penal auxiliaries for losing a battle — eating together with those same clan brigands who had once rebelled against him south of Julu Commandery… lunch, the meat and wine extra ration shared by the whole army before battle.

As it happened, Shi Yi’s trip this time was really just a routine formality, meant to satisfy Yuan Benchu’s psychological needs and nothing more. He presented the gifts, reaffirmed the agreement to do battle the following day, ate a bowl of mutton-stuffed dumplings there, then took his leave and departed, laboriously hurrying back to Liangqi City by nightfall.

Everything went smoothly.

However, after he had reported back to Yuan Shao and Chen Gong and returned to his own quarters, preparing to sleep, a colleague suddenly came calling in haste, forcing him to rouse himself despite his exhaustion and rise to receive him… for the visitor was Xi Lü.

Xi Hongyu was a disciple of Zheng Xuan. After Cui Yan left Yuan Shao’s side to serve as Chancellor of Pingyuan, Xi Lü became the leading figure among the Zheng disciples. Moreover, since Wu Anguo of Beihai had previously died on the battlefield, suddenly and inexplicably, by a twist of fate this man had unexpectedly become the representative of the Qingzhou faction at Yuan Shao’s side.

Of course, Qingzhou had been annexed through military coercion. In Yuan Shao’s camp, it was neither valued as highly as Yanzhou, which had been his initial base, nor treated with the special leniency shown to the Hebei commanderies because they faced the front lines. Furthermore, although Qingzhou comprised six commanderies and princedoms, its largest, Pingyuan Commandery, lay north of the Yellow River and was regarded separately, so it inevitably appeared somewhat weak… The so-called Qingzhou faction was, at Yuan Shao’s side, more like a mere appendage of the Yanzhou faction.

Yet these men from Qingzhou had one distinctive trait: because many of their local military officers needed to stay behind to manage the military colonies of surrendered Yellow Turban troops and deal with the Mount Tai bandits — who could never be completely wiped out no matter how hard they were suppressed — the military officers gathered around Yuan Shao were relatively few, consisting mainly of civil officials and advisors. And as it happened, because of the zeitgeist, many of these civil officials and advisors could claim some connection to Zheng Xuan, so the ties among them, from top to bottom and left to right, were quite close, giving them a certain foothold.

And this was precisely the reason Xi Lü had screwed up his courage to seek out Shi Yi this time.

“Since you saw him with your own eyes, Ziyu, may I ask what sort of man the General of the Guards is?” The two sat down in the rear hall, and Xi Lü came straight to the point. “And what do you think of tomorrow’s outcome?”

“On the matter of victory or defeat, a mere bookworm like me who knows nothing of military affairs dares not speak much.” Shi Yi pondered briefly, and without any concealment, replied. “However, from what I saw today, I do feel that the General of the Guards possesses an extraordinary bearing, and is a man who can achieve great things…”

Xi Lü was slightly taken aback. He savored the other’s words for a moment, then hastily pressed further: “In what way is his bearing extraordinary? Ziyu, please elaborate in detail.”

“Brother Hongyu, if I may.” Shi Yi still showed no intention of concealing anything, and began to recount a small incident. “When I arrived beneath the walls of Handan today, I happened upon the northern army slaughtering pigs and sheep for the pre-battle extra ration. And I, as the envoy, took my meal together with the General of the Guards in the Penal Auxiliary Camp…”

“That could indeed be called sharing a meal with the troops,” Xi Lü said, frowning slightly. “But to be frank, Ziyu, at noon today our side also gave the whole army an extra meat ration. And our General of Chariots and Cavalry, Yuan, also shared his meal with his personal Tiger Guards — he simply didn’t go to any penal auxiliary camp. And in my opinion, penal auxiliaries are not the main fighting force; they are convicts. Sharing a meal with them is not as effective at winning hearts as sharing a meal with ordinary soldiers!”

“That is exactly what I thought at first,” Shi Yi said with a slight sigh. “But later, an incident that occurred during the meal gave me a sudden revelation…”

“Please, Ziyu, go on.”

“It was like this. Halfway through the meal, the General of the Guards suddenly had his tooth knocked by a foreign object in a dumpling, and his mouth bled for quite a while. He was, naturally, furious. He immediately summoned the camp cook right there in the Penal Auxiliary Camp and rebuked him publicly, saying that because the food was meant for penal auxiliaries, the cook had been careless in preparing it, to the point that even the pre-battle extra ration had grit mixed in. He was about to have the cook beheaded on the spot.” Shi Yi spoke with emotion. “The cook knelt and begged for forgiveness, but also swore by heaven that making dumplings requires mincing the filling, and grit would damage the cleaver, so he could never be so muddled as to mix grit into the filling. Upon hearing this, the General of the Guards personally examined the bloody mess he had spat out, and only then discovered it was merely a piece of lamb bone, not grit… Thereupon, he apologized to the cook, rewarded him with some money, and sat back down to continue his meal.”

Xi Lü looked somewhat bewildered: “To be honest, Ziyu, I vaguely sense there is something worth discussing in this matter, but I cannot quite sort out my thoughts. Please, enlighten me plainly.”

“I only figured it out on the way back,” Shi Yi answered solemnly. “The reason the General of the Guards ate in the Penal Auxiliary Camp was because penal auxiliaries are the lowest-ranking men in the army. If even their food and supplies can be guaranteed without issue, then naturally the supplies for the entire army are all without issue. In other words, the General of the Guards used this to inspect the food and supplies of the whole army, not to curry favor with the few men before his eyes… Think about it, Brother Hongyu — with a hundred thousand troops, how many hearts can you win by putting on an act with a single meal on the eve of battle? Rather than such posturing, it is far better to inspect the systems established in daily routine, to do one’s utmost to give the entire army one less worry to carry into battle.”

Xi Lü suddenly saw the light.

“And that is not all,” Shi Yi continued. “When the General of the Guards realized he had made a mistake, he immediately apologized to a mere cook. From what I observed, at that moment he felt genuine shame, and was not deliberately putting on an act. If he can be so sincere with a cook, how much more so with others? Through this one incident, I also came to understand why a man like Zhang Yide would turn back to aid him even from a thousand li away. I also understand why men like Shen Zhengnan and Guan Yunchang, though cast aside by him for so many years, remain utterly loyal. And I understand even more why, among those in the army who once served under the General of the Guards, not a single one is willing to speak ill of him… So, Brother Hongyu, the General of the Guards truly can win men, can gather men, and can employ men. When I said his bearing is extraordinary, it was no empty praise.”

Xi Lü slowly nodded, but then could not help shaking his head: “I already understand the General of the Guards’ bearing. But to be honest, Ziyu, the reason I have come to you today is not merely to inquire about this matter. It is also because, with you away today, there is something you do not yet know, and I came specially to tell you…”

“Brother Hongyu, speak plainly.”

“At noon today, when our General of Chariots and Cavalry went to share a meal with the Tiger Guards, Chief Clerk Chen Gong gathered all the commanders in the central army tent. Then Xu Ziyuan suddenly stepped forward from the ranks and, in front of everyone, cursed and reviled us all…”

“What did he curse?”

“He cursed those military officers, calling them all local bullies who prey on the people, saying that if judged by the law, every one of them deserved to have their clans exterminated. He also cursed us civil officials, calling us all incompetents who monopolize official careers through our backgrounds, stuffed with who knows how many pedantic scholars ignorant of practical affairs, and hiding who knows how many ridiculous petty men… When someone tried to retort, he kicked over the host’s seat at the head of the tent, drew his blade in front of everyone, and demanded of us: ‘Was it not men like us who brought the realm to this ruin? How do you still have the face to stand here posturing?’”

“…”

“What do you make of it, Ziyu?” Xi Lü pressed urgently.

“That was not cursing — that was rousing morale… He was playing the part of the General of the Guards, imitating the words spoken at Weiyang Palace, to remind us that in the General of the Guards’ eyes, we are all criminals, and none of us can be employed by him. He was forbidding us from harboring any further divided loyalties,” Shi Yi replied without a moment’s hesitation.

“Indeed!” Xi Lü sighed. “When Advisor Peng and the others and I discussed it this afternoon, we all felt that was the meaning. And at this point, it is indeed as Xu Ziyuan’s reminder suggests — our positions are already fixed, and there has long been no room left to maneuver. Now we can only strive with all our might.”

“Only…” Shi Yi suddenly looked doubtful again, shaking his head repeatedly. “Why was it Xu Ziyuan who did this? The man is arrogant and rude, but he is an honest scoundrel, merely seeking profit, with no desire for power or responsibility. Yet this act today, while it certainly reminded everyone not to waver, also pointlessly offended everyone, high and low! And before this, when he urged retreat, he stood on the command platform beneath the walls of Handan and publicly mocked the General of Chariots and Cavalry for failing to distinguish the important from the trivial, for being outwardly firm but inwardly timid, for making many plans but few decisions… Why go to such lengths? With his intelligence, does he not realize that if the situation is ever resolved one day, regardless of victory or defeat, given how he has antagonized everyone from top to bottom, everyone will use him as a target?”

“That I do not know,” Xi Lü replied with a bitter smile. “Some say it is because he followed the General of Chariots and Cavalry from the very beginning, and was from the start universally acknowledged as a running companion and trusted confidant of the Yuan family, so his self-regard has grown excessive…”

“Possible, but not to this extent. Zhang Miao and Bao Xin were both old friends of the General of Chariots and Cavalry; Liu Xun and Zang Hong were both once his trusted confidants — and what of them now? Has Xu Ziyuan not seen with his own eyes the fate of those four? Some of them, indeed, he personally handled. Even Cao Mengde, a childhood friend of Lord Yuan, now that he has become a warlord, does he not waver among the three factions?” Shi Yi clearly disagreed.

“Then there is only one explanation left,” Xi Lü continued with a smile. “I have heard it said that Xu Ziyuan amassed tens of millions in wealth in Julu this time, but did not have time to transport it across the Zhang River, and it was all intercepted by Zhang Yide at the riverbank… So profit has dulled his wits.”

“I, for one, would rather believe that!” Shi Yi could not help laughing along, but then stopped abruptly. “In these chaotic times, it is hard for everyone. When we were in Qingzhou, we saw with our own eyes provinces and commanderies fall, and everyone from the two-thousand-bushel officials down to the poorest commoners lived in constant peril. Now that we are at the very center of the realm’s great game, what right do we have to laugh at others?!”

Xi Lü’s expression also turned solemn for a moment, but then he rose helplessly: “Well, Ziyu, rest a while. Tomorrow is the great battle — not a single man can escape it. You and I, as army advisors, must both accompany the march… Be sure to take care of yourself!”

“Brother Hongyu, you take care as well.” Shi Yi immediately cast aside all superfluous thoughts, rose, and bowed in farewell.

Let us leave aside how men’s hearts stirred in secret below; the greater situation rolled on irresistibly like a chariot wheel.

At dawn the next day, when the sky was barely beginning to lighten, the areas inside and outside Handan City and Liangqi City were already a hive of activity. For a hundred thousand troops to set out at once was no simple matter… In a certain sense, the sophistry Gongsun Xun had used to fool those people earlier was actually reasonable: when troop strength in a localized area reached a certain threshold, the costs of management and movement truly grew enormously as numbers rose.

Fortunately, however, Yuan Benchu was no longer handling such a multitude for the first time — it was only the first time he had made a hundred thousand men move together. And Gongsun Xun’s military career was even richer; he had often deployed fifty or sixty thousand men before. So, remarkably, neither side suffered any major mishap.

But even so, by the time the two sides’ scout cavalry ceased their skirmishing and the two great armies, following the drumbeats, finished forming their battle lines two hundred paces apart on the endless North China Plain, where the crops had already been harvested, it was already noon.

The sunlight overhead was not blazing; there was even a sense of thin clouds and gentle breezes. Yet everyone was tense… The boundless battle formations, the banners filling the sky, the neighing of warhorses — the life and death of two hundred thousand men, the fate of tens of millions, all to be decided in the cruelest yet most helpless way… Even the veterans felt their legs tremble; how much more so the new recruits?

In truth, not to mention the common soldiers, many commanders and officers who had boasted of their valor before the battle, and many advisors and clerks who had prided themselves on their wisdom, now gazed upon such a grand array and were all struck with dread.

This dread was easy to understand, for everyone suddenly realized with a shock that between such majestic formations and such awe-inspiring military might, once battle was joined, no man’s fate would be in his own hands any longer… Whether you were a two-thousand-bushel official or the lowliest penal auxiliary in the army, whether you were a universally acknowledged famed general of the age or an auxiliary soldier who had just learned to draw a bow — it made no difference.

Before the forest of spears, mud and sand fall alike!

Amid the charge of iron cavalry, jade and stone are crushed together!

Under the volley of ten thousand arrows, all living things are equal!

Between the crumbling of mountains and the splitting of earth, all things come to an end!

Even Gongsun Xun and Yuan Benchu, these two men who stood at the pinnacle of the era — once they gave the order to commence battle, their own fates would also be largely determined by this fight. And as the commanders-in-chief, even they could not truly control the course of the battle.

“Some months ago, the General of Chariots and Cavalry issued a proclamation condemning the General of the Guards, and the General of the Guards submitted a memorial to the Son of Heaven requesting an edict to list his crimes — both may be said to have had just cause for war. Three days ago, the General of the Guards issued a letter of challenge and proposed that both armies tend to the wounded and rescue the dying; the General of Chariots and Cavalry accepted the challenge and also agreed to the collection of fallen soldiers’ remains — both may be said to possess hearts of benevolence and righteousness. Yesterday, the General of Chariots and Cavalry sent gifts to comfort the General of the Guards, and the General of the Guards returned the courtesy… With matters having reached this point, the two of you have observed every courtesy and may be called paragons. I, bearing the will of the Son of Heaven, have come here to mediate, and I request that the two of you meet once more face to face today, to jointly conduct the rite of inspecting the troops, to reflect upon the bitterness of armed conflict, and to uphold the righteousness of the Spring and Autumn Annals!”

The one who came forward to speak between the two armies was the Son of Heaven’s envoy, acting on hints he had received — Wang Lang, Wang Jingxing. His meaning was this: since Gongsun Xun and Yuan Shao had both previously displayed such aristocratic decorum, then according to the rites of war from the Spring and Autumn period, they should hold one final meeting before the lines, inspect each other’s formations, and make one last verbal effort for peace. Only if that truly failed should they begin fighting — that would be proper and reasonable.

And as soon as his words fell, both armies stirred at once… for this was not merely an invitation for the two commanders, who knew each other well, to come forward and speak; it also carried the sense of mediation on behalf of the Son of Heaven.

“General, is this your intention?” Tian Feng looked blankly toward Gongsun Xun, who stood beneath the central canopy in full suit of fine steel armor with a black surcoat. “Did we not agree only to meet before the lines to talk and to release Wen Chou, in order to demoralize the enemy? Where did all these empty formalities come from?”

“It is not my intention,” Gongsun Xun replied indifferently. “It is some restless people at court who, before we departed, added extra material for Wang Jingxing, seeking a bit of presence for the little Son of Heaven… However, I knew of it beforehand, and I felt that if we could conduct ourselves according to ritual, it would at least be a fine thing, and might also help curb the current trend of growing disregard for propriety.”

"If Wang Jingxing were shot dead by a single arrow, the whole realm might well think My Lord as laughable as Duke Xiang of Song!" Tian Feng was utterly speechless. "You must understand that in warfare, the way is deception — why be so rigid?"

"It also depends on the man!" Gongsun Xun shook his head repeatedly. "If it were Cao Mengde, Liu Xuande, or Sun Wentai before me, how could I be so indulgent? I would have already led the army straight in to strike! In truth, with men like those, whether this battle formation could even be set up is hard to say — nine times out of ten it would be a chaotic melee, or they would hold a city or a stockade and defend... But since it is Yuan Benchu before us, he at least has some merits."

"Caring for face is a merit?" Tian Feng was nearly choking with rage.

"It is the bearing of a great clan." Gongsun Xun, seeing his reaction, instead laughed and corrected himself.

Indeed, the Yuan army across the field, seeing the Son of Heaven's envoy and hearing these words, stirred slightly. A moment later, several riders emerged first — it was the military advisor Shi Yi, styled Ziyu, who had come as envoy the day before. He met Wang Jingxing on horseback between the lines, and after they discussed the terms, the front formation of the opposing army swiftly split open. Then Yuan Shao, clad in golden armor with a crimson cloak draped over it, stood atop a specially built tall four-horse drum chariot, and surrounded by dozens of armored riders, took the lead in moving forward. Gongsun Xun did not hesitate either, immediately leading Pang De and several dozen White Horse Volunteers, along with Wen Chou, fully armored but bound in ropes, straight ahead.

Wang Lang, holding the imperial tally, stood at the center. Shi Yi withdrew behind him. After Gongsun Xun and Yuan Shao came face to face, they each circled halfway around Wang Lang and took their places in the other's half of the field. Only then did their chariot and horse draw alongside, and they began to converse... This was the so-called rite of reviewing the troops — that is, mutually inspecting each other's battle lines. But in the present circumstances, it was more to express trust in one another.

"Wenqi, are my troops still bold and strong?" Yuan Shao had spotted Wen Chou the moment they met. Though he was momentarily stunned and his face immediately darkened, after circling halfway around he regained his composure and faced him with a smile.

"Not bad, but unfortunately too few cavalry." Gongsun Xun smiled back, then signaled Pang De to release Wen Chou. "Here is your cavalry commander."

"Since we parted at Mengjin that day, several years have passed." Yuan Shao glanced at Wen Chou, who had been taken over by his own riders, and hastily changed the subject. "Thinking back, it stirs the heart... When we parted that day, you and I cut the flask and drank together, comrades pledged to sweep away the eunuchs. Yet today we meet again on the battlefield! And your unworthy elder brother here did fulfill the pledge to eradicate the eunuchs, while Wenqi has fallen to the state of a thief who steals the realm. I truly lament for you!"

Gongsun Xun, mounted on his white horse, looked up at Yuan Shao, who stood a head taller by virtue of the drum chariot, his smile undiminished: "Benchu, my elder brother, you did well in slaying the eunuchs — not only did you slaughter every last eunuch, you also conveniently burned down the Southern Palace, lost the Imperial Heirloom Seal, and invited in Dong Zhuo, who deposed and enthroned the Son of Heaven, poisoned the Empress Dowager and the young Emperor to death. And I, having toiled to vanquish Dong Zhuo and succeeded, ridding the realm of the calamity your Yuan clan created, have somehow become the thief who steals the realm... And truly, if we are to speak of reason, what does it count for to turn back halfway through the campaign against Dong Zhuo and seize territory — is that public-mindedness or selfish ambition? In truth, at this point, what meaning is there in such verbal sparring? A thousand words from you, and I can shatter them all with a single phrase: by the Son of Heaven's decree, I punish the traitor. Only because the Son of Heaven's envoy has arrived here do I grant you a sliver of face and refrain from rebuking you..."

Yuan Shao lowered his head and smiled: "When Dong Zhuo first entered Luoyang, Wenqi could not wait to gather the troops of ten northern commanderies — was such a composed response truly entirely public-minded? But enough, as you said, today we meet again after several years, and we should not speak of such things... Only, Wenqi, that day you cut the flask and gifted me wine, entrusting me with the grand affairs of Luoyang. Today I wish to cut the flask and gift you wine as well, but I have only one question... Will you accept?"

So saying, he actually produced a flask of wine from within the chariot, then, to the alarm of the surrounding armored guards, drew a blade and struck off the neck of the flask, and held it out.

Gongsun Xun was quite speechless at the fact that the man had wine in his chariot, but in the end he smiled without a word, took it, tilted his head back and drank a mouthful, then hurled it to the ground: "Benchu, my elder brother, please ask your question!"

"Wenqi, I have never understood — you, a scion of a border commandery great clan, not even of the main line, and so young yet already seated in high office, why did you so early conceive the ambition to cleanse the realm?" Yuan Shao's expression grew solemn. "A so-called border martial man either grows old and long-suppressed, seething with accumulated resentment, or his ambition gradually rises after the times collapse into chaos. Yet ever since we parted at Mengjin that day, I have realized that at the very least, even back then, you harbored heaven-spanning ambition... And over these years, as you have grown greater and greater, I have racked my brains to no avail — where exactly did this mind of yours come from? Why did you set your heart on the realm so early? Meeting today, can you tell me plainly?"

"That is easy! Because I find the realm unworthy! I find the people of the realm unworthy!" Gongsun Xun's light laugh gradually turned to a cold sneer, and at this point he raised his hand and pointed straight at the other's face, his voice sharp. "If I do not contend, would I not be yielding this realm to laughable, shameful wretches like you! If I do not contend, would I not be sitting by and watching the realm fall into chaos and division, decades of ceaseless war, human hearts sinking into depravity, morality spiraling out of control! Yuan Benchu, do you have any idea how rare it is that you and I can preserve a measure of decorum today and exchange courtesies here?! If I had not come to contend, where would even these three parts of righteousness remain in this realm — you would have long since squandered it all! Therefore, the duty of cleansing this realm — who else but me?!"

Yuan Shao flew into a great rage: "If this is your reply, then I, Yuan Shao, also have a word... You entered Chang'an first, a meritorious minister in the campaign against Dong Zhuo, the realm already entirely in your grasp — yet I, in a single year, have swept through three provinces and nineteen commanderies, no weaker than you by half... Not for any other reason, but precisely because the people of the realm do not submit to you, and so they have flocked to me! You say the realm has long found me unworthy, yet you do not know that the people of the realm have also long found you unworthy! The hundred thousand troops behind me are the clear proof!"

"Then let us each prove it!" Gongsun Xun did not turn his head, but reined his horse around. "In any case, the 'people of the realm' in your eyes and mine are not the same thing at all... Only, Benchu, my elder brother, do you truly think I do not know that those around you are all people who find me unworthy? I should properly thank you, Benchu, my elder brother, for gathering them all in one place for me!"

Yuan Shao paused slightly, too weary to say more, and simply signaled to turn the chariot around and return.

But just as the two commanders, unhurried, had each withdrawn a dozen or so paces, suddenly, someone interjected from the midst: "After the rite of reviewing the troops, it is fitting to have the rite of challenging the troops... I, your humble general Wen Chou, request to perform the rite of challenging the troops!"

The rite of challenging the troops was a duel of champions before the battle lines... By performing this, Wen Chou clearly intended to use it to wash away the shame of his earlier capture.

At this, Yuan Shao, inwardly stifled by the man's capture, did not hesitate at all and immediately nodded. He handed the blade he had used to cut the flask to a guard beside him, and the latter, after presenting the saber, dismounted and respectfully handed his own warhorse and long spear together to Wen Chou.

As for Gongsun Xun, under Wang Lang's inquiring gaze, he paused briefly, then immediately nodded: "Wait a moment!"

After all, the rite of challenging the troops also served to rouse morale. Since both sides had reached an impasse in talks and battle was about to commence, a surge of bloody valor at the outset still had a sliver of use — it was worth a try, especially with Wen Chou volunteering for the challenge to dispel the ill effects of his capture.

However, hearing these words, Pang De, who was at his side, looked momentarily crestfallen... For if they were to wait a moment, then it was not to be him.

Indeed, Gongsun Xun returned to his battle formation and immediately gave the order: "The enemy general Wen Chou wishes to perform the rite of challenging the troops. Summon Zhao Yun, Separate Division Commander of the Changshan Shock Cavalry in the Youzhou Army, to go forth and fight!"

This was a strategy of seeking stability. Setting aside Zhao Yun's valor and ferocity, the key was that the man excelled with long weapons, short blades, and bow and arrow alike, without a single weakness. Wen Chou, though famed for his bravery, had been bound for an entire morning — how could he be in good condition? As long as they guarded against the opponent coming in a desperate, life-for-life exchange, it would suffice.

And just as expected, before the massed armies, Wen Chou and Zhao Yun, each raising his spear and reining in his horse, faced each other, immediately stirring the officers and men of both armies. Wang Lang, as the master of ceremonies, withdrew into Gongsun Xun's formation, and then great war drums in the central formations of both armies sounded in unison.

To the beat of the drums, the two generals, amid the war cries of the soldiers of both armies, raised their spears and charged.

As Gongsun Xun had anticipated, Wen Chou, intent on washing away the shame of his capture, came out disregarding everything, fierce and fearless of death, heedless of his own vitals, simply attacking the opponent with all he had — a style of trading life for life. And Zhao Yun, at first, merely parried spear cleaves with horizontal blocks and dodged spear thrusts. For a time, several dozen exchanges passed, and the two were evenly matched.

But soon, Wen Chou, who had been bound for an entire day, began to lose his form as his attacks failed to land. Zhao Yun, seeing his chance clearly, subtly offered an opening, luring the opponent into a sudden spear thrust. Then, sidestepping to evade, he suddenly drew the ring-pommel saber at his waist, and with a forceful strike, knocked the opponent's spear flying to the ground.

Having lost his spear, Wen Chou instantly forfeited the advantage of a long weapon. Facing Zhao Yun's freely wielded spear — thrust after thrust — he could only struggle to draw his blade and parry. After several more thrusts, desperate, he tried to spur his horse away to retrieve the spear on the ground, but Zhao Yun saw through his intent and judged it clearly. Seizing the moment, the latter drove his spear straight into the leg of this great general who had once been Yuan Shao's personal guard, and using the momentum, leveraged the spear to lift the man from his horse, then hurled him forcefully to the ground.

Victory and defeat were decided.

But just as Zhao Yun dismounted before the watching armies and, to the drumbeats that carried a note of urging, advanced with spear raised, ready to finish the man off — Wen Chou, struggling to sit up, his lower body drenched in blood and already unable to move, suddenly threw his head back and laughed. Then, he raised the one arm he could still move, and with the flask-cutting blade Yuan Shao had just bestowed upon him, before the battle lines of both armies, under the gaze of tens of thousands of troops, he slashed open his own throat!

Blood gushed like a spring from above and below, and the drumbeats came to an abrupt halt.

In the momentary silence, Zhao Yun stared fixedly at the man's gruesome death, a smile still lingering on his face, and actually abandoned the intention of taking his head. Then he remounted his horse and rode back alone to report and beg forgiveness:

"Your subordinate failed to achieve full success, and begs the Lord Marquis to forgive his offense!"

"What offense have you committed? Taking his head at this moment would only rouse the morale of the Yuan army..." Gongsun Xun watched as a group of armored soldiers across the field retrieved Wen Chou's corpse and carried it all the way to Yuan Shao's absurdly ostentatious tall drum chariot, and shook his head. "As it is said, the commander of three armies can be taken, but the will of a common man cannot be taken! This matter was my mistake — a decisive battle of two hundred thousand men on the open plain, and I resorted to such petty cunning... Zilong, return and prepare for battle!"

At these words, Zhao Yun naturally returned to his own unit, and all around the central army, the surrounding officers also looked solemn. Even Dong Zhao, who had proposed the idea earlier, could not hide a momentary look of dejection.

At the same time, in the opposing army, Yuan Shao on the drum chariot, his hands trembling, bent down and laid Wen Chou's corpse upon his own chariot, staining half his body with blood... The truth was, the man had been his, Yuan Benchu's, personal guard. Had it not been that today, because he had wounded his own lord's face and drawn Yuan Shao's momentary displeasure, he had been allowed to answer the challenge, then this General Wen might well have been standing right on this drum chariot at this very moment, serving as Yuan Shao's central army commander and aide.

But now, a man who had just been alive, a close martial officer who had followed him, Yuan Shao, for who knew how many years, had to use his own life to make up for the negative impact of his capture — all because of his commander's momentary anger. It made one sigh.

And this is war... Countless dead and wounded, every dead man with his own kin and old friends, every wounded man with his own life's journey... and yet it absolutely cannot be avoided!

"Pass the order!" Yuan Shao struggled to compose Wen Chou's remains, but the location of the wound and the sheer volume of blood made it impossible, so he simply gave up. Yet, with the help of the attendants around him, he pried open the dead man's hand, which still gripped the saber that had originally belonged to him, Yuan Benchu, and raised the blade, turning to all four sides. "In today's battle, any who retreat without orders... if a soldier retreats, kill his platoon leader; if a platoon leader retreats, kill his division commander; if a division commander retreats, kill his commanding Two Thousand Bushels officer; and if any Two Thousand Bushels officer or any subordinate of the General of Chariots and Cavalry's staff retreats, seize them and bring them here — I will personally cleave them with this blade!"

By the end, his voice was hoarse and spent: "All troops, advance! Commence battle!"

"Commence battle!" In the opposing Northern Army, amid the forest of white horses, after who knew how long, Gongsun Xun finally drew his broken blade again and pointed it distantly at the stirring grand formation of the Yuan army — only two curt words.

The three armies received the order, each striking drums and blowing horns, raising banners and waving them. In an instant, along the battle line stretching over ten li, the two hundred thousand troops of both sides began to engage, starting from near the central army.

At this moment, the die had been cast.

————I am the dividing line where the gambling begins————

"In the late Han, the Grand Ancestor of our dynasty fought Yuan Shao between Handan and Liangqi, each with several hundred thousand troops battling on the plains of Zhao and Wei. At that time, General of Valiant Arms Cao Cao and Administrator of Henei Zhang Yang were jointly suppressing the Heishan bandit Yu Du. They met by the banks of the Yellow River and spoke of the war in Hebei. Zhang Yang was puzzled: 'Warfare is the way of deception. How is it that these two, with their several hundred thousand men, agreed on a date, arrayed their lines, and met on the open plain, performing rites as in the Spring and Autumn Annals? You, sir, know both commanders — I beg you to enlighten me.' Cao laughed and said: 'In all use of stratagems, it varies by the man. Both commanders are men, and they also have true natures. It happened that their natures aligned, and so deceptive stratagems were hard to employ.' Zhang Yang asked further: 'Those two — what natures are they?' Cao's expression grew serious as he replied: 'Both fancy themselves the heroes of the realm!' Zhang Yang laughed and said: 'That word 'fancy' is not quite flattering. Using it twice for the two commanders — I wonder what nature Meng De fancies himself?' Cao smiled but said nothing." — A New Account of the Tales of the World, Chapter on Arrogance and Aloofness

PS: I could have released half a chapter earlier, but after hesitating, I decided to finish the entire scene... Otherwise, I would be letting down the White Silver Alliance from the big spender Ruo Bing yesterday... With these recent updates and such generous tips, I truly feel ashamed.

Many people have asked about Dame's star ranking. Let me say a bit more — at three stars, there is a dedicated comic image, which already exists. I've seen the draft the Qidian staff provided, and it's excellent. By the way, let me express my thanks for their hard work. Then at two stars, there will be a dedicated birthday event for the character Dame... Mainly because Dame's Starlight value, when it previously jumped to three stars, directly reached over 170,000, and the distance to the 200,000 needed for two stars is now only a bit over 20,000. With her July 19th birthday still far off, there should be no difficulty... As for tipping and such, tipping the Dame character is the same as ordinary tipping, while the daily heart-giving is free. I hope those who are inclined can casually give it a boost.

(End of Chapter)