Chapter 417

In battle, a single successful charge can decide the outcome of an entire campaign, which in turn shapes the course of a war and sets the tone for an era... Throughout history, such events are all too common:

Just like the Battle of Issus, where Alexander the Great’s desperate cavalry charge at the critical moment not only defeated the Persians—who had held the advantage for most of the battle with almost no mistakes—but also directly swept away the centuries-old Persian Empire.

Or like the Battle of Julu, where Xiang Yu, having just seized military command, burned his boats and sank his cauldrons, his entire army fighting as if each man were worth ten, and that great victory directly proclaimed the end of the Qin Empire.

Or like Li Jing’s campaign to destroy the Turks, where Su Dingfang led two hundred cavalry in a reckless charge straight to the tent of Jieli Khan, and astonishingly brought about the immediate downfall of the Eastern Turks, who had threatened Emperor Taizong of Tang just a few years earlier!

Is it unbelievable?

Not really. Behind the Battle of Issus lay the long-accumulated rise of Mediterranean civilization and the decline of Persian civilization. Behind the Battle of Julu lay the overwhelming momentum of the realm’s revolt against Qin—Zhang Han and Wang Li, though commanding powerful armies, were powerless to reverse fate. And behind Su Dingfang’s miraculous charge, needless to say, the rapid rise of the Tang Dynasty was the full revival of Chinese civilization after centuries of decline; the petty Turks were the true mantis trying to stop a chariot.

To put it plainly, only when the balance between old and new forces, or the divergence of different paths, has reached a critical point—and both sides, by unspoken agreement, choose war as the means to resolve it—does that most crucial, decisive thrust on the battlefield earn the right to turn the page to a new era.

From this perspective, Xu Rong’s charge was certainly worthy of the history books, yet it seemed to lack something.

“My lord, after this battle, can the realm be pacified?” Watching the hundred-thousand-strong force press southward like a vast, overwhelming tide while Yuan Shao and his central army simply fled, Ju Zong, a trusted staff officer of the General of the Guard, flushed with excitement and could not help but rein in his horse beside Gongsun Xun to eagerly ask.

“Far from it!” Faced with such a great victory, Gongsun Xun, riding his white horse and slowly advancing behind the main army, was surprisingly composed. “If this battle could truly settle the fate of five hundred years, the moment Yuan and Chen first set out their bait, I would have disregarded life and death, ignored all risks, and personally led the charge myself. Why would I have let Xu Rong do it? Why would I have calmly waited until the enemy’s own formation fell into chaos?”

Ju Zong could not help but stroke his beard and laugh, though he still could not hide his excitement: “Even if it cannot settle the fate of five hundred years, this battle is surely enough to decide the situation in Hebei, is it not?”

“That depends on how much we can achieve today,” Gongsun Xun replied, still unconcerned, as he led his staff and military clerks to a high point on the battlefield to pause and observe. “This battle was more like me exploiting a setup, artificially forcing it. It’s somewhat lacking in meaning, and the timing is a bit early, which will bring considerable future troubles.”

At this point, Gongsun Xun gazed at the utterly overturned battlefield before him, paused briefly, and then continued: “Yuan Benchu thought I was his fated nemesis, that this battle was a heaven-ordained clash to divide the realm and determine the balance of power, which is why he staked everything on deciding victory or defeat with me. But what he never understood is that this time, I was merely borrowing his family prestige and incompetence to seize the initiative in the real strategic contest. I have never regarded him as a true opponent. So this battle—winning it is certainly gratifying, but it is merely gratifying, not enough to settle the realm! Let us not make a special occasion of congratulations!”

The staff officers looked at each other, each lost in thought, and Ju Zong dared not speak further.

However, Guo Jia, who had earlier been at Guan Yu’s side, was just twenty years old and at his most spirited. With the military commanders all personally pressing the advance, he had been left at Gongsun Xun’s side and could not help but ask: “General, although Yuan Benchu is a gilded fool, he does have a few merits, and his power and influence need no elaboration. Even if the realm is a chessboard, he surely has a place on it. If even he does not count as an opponent, then with whom exactly is the General playing chess?”

Gongsun Xun turned to look at the young Guo Fengxiao, did not answer, but merely smiled faintly and pointed upward with his finger.

Guo Jia followed the gesture and looked up. It was late autumn, mid-afternoon, with high clouds, a clear breeze, and sunlight flooding down—nothing but a bright, clear blue sky. Then, like many perceptive onlookers around him, his heart stirred slightly, but he let the matter drop and turned his attention back to the battlefield before him.

With the convergence of Xu Rong and Han Dang, and Yuan Shao’s withdrawal, the outcome of this battle was already decided. But a decided outcome did not mean the battle itself was over. In a sense, it was not unreasonable to say that it had only just begun, because, as Gongsun Xun had just said, the true utility of this battle depended on the results, and results could only be harvested after victory was assured.

For example, the most direct measure of results—battlefield casualties. Believe it or not, the casualties inflicted during the previous hour and more of fighting, spanning most of the afternoon, were probably fewer than those caused by routed soldiers trampling each other in the immediate aftermath of the army’s collapse.

As for the capture or killing of great generals and high officials, that went without saying. And if Yuan Shao himself could be taken, that would be an entirely different matter.

But in all honesty, Gongsun Xun did not hold too many extra hopes for this. Ten men produce an outstanding one, a hundred a hero, a thousand a champion, ten thousand a paragon—among a host of a hundred thousand, there would certainly be no lack of heroes and champions. Moreover, the line between life and death could most powerfully stir a man’s strength. So even in retreat, Yuan’s army was not necessarily without options. And the most critical point was that the battlefield lay between two cities, with Liangqi City just over ten li away.

In fact, part of the reason Yuan Shao dared to stake everything on this one throw—aside from the long-suppressed sense of historical mission, of destiny, or simply his own self-importance—was that he believed if he won, he could shatter Gongsun Xun’s undefeated legend and divide the realm in a single battle, while if he lost, he could easily retreat to Liangqi and proceed more cautiously.

It was just that before the battle, no one on Yuan Shao’s side had imagined that Xu Rong’s cavalry could penetrate so deeply, piercing through the hundred-thousand-man formation in one breath and cutting off their line of retreat.

“Registrar Guo, please set your mind at ease. Having the retreat route cut off is not an absolute death trap,” Yu Jin said, somewhat helplessly, to the panicked Guo Tu as they faced the chaotic battlefield, which looked as if a flood had just swept through. “Our army is too large, and Liangqi City is too close. Their twenty thousand cavalry cannot possibly block everything...”

“I know that!” Guo Tu grabbed Yu Jin’s outer robe and spoke urgently. “What I’m asking is, since the situation is like this, why are you still holding up your banners to rally the scattered troops while retreating? We still have over a dozen horses and your personal guards. If we abandon the banners and just a dozen elite soldiers flee, wouldn’t it be easy?”

“They are all men of Mount Tai, fellow villagers who entrusted their lives to me,” Yu Jin said, startled for a moment before immediately shaking his head. “Now that we cannot win, how can I abandon them?”

“What kind of talk is that, General Yu? Do you think I’m urging you to abandon your soldiers out of cowardice and fear of death?” Guo Tu, still clutching the man’s robe, was beside himself with frustration. “Sir, take a good look at this situation! As things stand now, if we cast aside the banners and everyone scatters, then as you said, some may be caught and killed by the cavalry, but others are more likely to reach the city walls. Life and death would be left to fate and heaven. But if you gather the troops and try to preserve them like this, you’ll easily draw the enemy’s attention. If they deliberately intercept you because of it, then every single one of these Mount Tai villagers, these army comrades of yours, will have been killed because of you!”

Yu Jin was stunned for a moment, then his expression turned solemn, but he remained silent and did not respond.

Guo Tu was about to curse again when, as if echoing his words, further to the east, facing the fierce advance of Guan Yunchang and Xu Gongming, Li Jin’s force suddenly toppled their great banner, and his troops scattered southward with a roar. Li Jin’s core troops were all members of the Li clan, with stronger cohesion. If they had wanted to maintain order, they certainly could have, but at this moment, they had actively chosen to disperse and flee!

“Do you see that?!” Guo Tu was now frantic. “How wise is Li Tuizhi? Would he deliberately send his own clansmen to their deaths? It is simply that scattering and fleeing is the correct course at this moment!”

“It’s not the same,” Yu Jin said, coming back to his senses and shaking his head sadly. “Li Tuizhi’s force is different from mine...”

“What’s different?!” Guo Tu continued his angry interrogation. “You both lead troops of your own kin, you’re both veteran commanders, and your families are both south of the Great River, so neither of you dares to surrender...”

At these words, Guo Tu suddenly froze, abruptly released the other man’s robe, and shook his head repeatedly: “You’ve been harboring the intention to surrender if things go wrong... haven’t you?! How could it come to this! Your family is in Yecheng, your clan is in Yanzhou!”

Yu Jin grew even more despondent: “Registrar Guo is not a commander of troops and does not understand that this is common among us. In truth, if Li Tuizhi’s clan were not so vast and he truly dared not gamble on General Yuan’s magnanimity, he might also try to gather and preserve his men as I am doing. Take the dozen horses and the ten-odd armored soldiers—I give them all to you, Registrar. Sir, go on ahead! I will remain here to rally the troops and retreat slowly. If I succeed, all will be well. If I fail, I beg the Registrar, for the sake of today’s encounter, to let General Yuan punish me alone and not implicate my family.”

Guo Tu sighed, turned, and seized the reins of a horse from an attendant. But just before mounting, he could not help but look back and say: “General Yu, if the worst should happen, you must preserve your useful life. And I will do my utmost to protect your family!”

Yu Jin bowed with clasped hands: “Registrar, please go. I will cover your retreat.”

Guo Tu said no more. He led the dozen riders straight south, fleeing in haste.

As soon as the other man left, Yu Jin, without the slightest hesitation, continued to order his entire army to maintain formation, holding up banners to rally scattered troops while slowly withdrawing southward.

Faced with their own side’s rout and the enemy’s general assault, the three great generals of Yuan’s army’s right wing and their forces each made different choices.

On the outermost flank, the moment Han Dang succeeded in circling behind him, Ju Yi made an immediate decision, seizing the best moment to flee. He promptly abandoned most of his auxiliary troops and led only a thousand-odd core elite soldiers in a desperate dash eastward. Li Jin, bearing the brunt of the assault directly against Xu Huang, faced exceptional difficulty. So after Gongsun Xun ordered the general attack and Guan Yu’s banner even appeared at the front line, he too made an immediate decision: his entire army broke into small groups, scattering southward by squads and companies to flee for their lives. His troops were all clan soldiers, so he had no fear of being unable to reassemble them after the dispersal. As for Yu Jin, his position was the most central and the hardest to flee from. Moreover, his troops had suffered the earlier cavalry charge and sustained the heaviest casualties. Yet at this critical moment, on a battlefield strewn with severed limbs and amidst the general rout, this man still maintained his unit’s cohesion, kept his banners and drums to rally scattered soldiers, and did so with remarkable effectiveness. He quickly became the focal point of the battlefield.

On the front line, Guan Yu, Xu Huang, Cheng Pu, Gao Shun, Zhao Yun, and Tian Yu—nearly everyone noticed this intact enemy unit attempting to restore order on the battlefield. Almost by unspoken agreement, the commanders all drove their troops toward it.

One who swims against the current is, of course, conspicuous.

It had been the same earlier when Zhao Yun’s cavalry discovered Chen Gong.

“Straighten his robes and cap, compose his features, and bury him,” Gongsun Xun said, showing little emotion over Chen Gong’s corpse as it was brought before him. He merely saw that the man had gone to his death with his hair loose and face covered, recognizing someone who had not shirked his responsibility. So he paused briefly, paid the proper respect, and then rode on, asking as he went: “I heard that Shi Yi was captured? He claims he was taken prisoner, not that he surrendered?”

“Yes. Would my lord like to see him?”

“Not for now. Wouldn’t that just force him to die? He’s merely a scholar—why push it that far?”

“...”

“Judging by the banners, is that Yu Jin over there rallying resistance?” Gongsun Xun suddenly halted again.

“Reporting to my lord, it is indeed Yu Wenze!” someone nearby replied.

“Tell Yunchang to send someone to demand his surrender. If he refuses, attack immediately with full force,” Gongsun Xun said, offering a rare cold laugh. “A pity Pang De is not here, or I would have sent him.”

Those around him did not understand Gongsun Xun’s private joke, but they did have opinions about Yu Jin’s act of swimming against the current.

“This Yu Wenze may not surrender,” Shen Pei, who had brought up all the rear troops only to find the battle already decided and had simply stayed by Gongsun Xun’s side, said with a slight frown.

“Why is that?” Gongsun Xun asked, somewhat puzzled.

“My lord, please look,” Shen Pei said with emotion, pointing at the battlefield ahead. “Once our army pressed forward, Yuan’s entire army collapsed, and all their great generals fled. In such a situation, if our vanguard units could push forward vigorously, coordinating with the cavalry ahead, we would surely capture a great many prisoners. But now, with this Yu Jin risking his life to block the way, our vanguard is largely held up. That leaves only twenty thousand cavalry to deal with Yuan’s rear. A hundred thousand men, a path of ten-odd li, with only twenty thousand cavalry to catch them—how many can truly be captured or forced to surrender?”

“Are you saying he is a loyal minister, and this act is his utmost effort in a desperate situation?” Gongsun Xun asked, slightly taken aback. “Like Wen Chou before?”

“That is precisely what I mean,” Shen Pei replied solemnly.

“Is it necessarily entirely so?” Dong Zhao chuckled dryly, somewhat dismissively. “Look elsewhere. Among Yuan’s army, unless our troops have them completely surrounded, very few commanders surrender. Are they all loyal and righteous ministers? It is simply that their families are all in Yecheng, their clans all in their home regions. They fear that if they surrender here and Yuan Shao is not quickly overthrown, they will have needlessly doomed their families. But once our army surrounds them completely, they will seek life and fear death just like ordinary men...”

“So, Gongren believes this man will certainly surrender?” Shen Pei frowned in response.

“That is not what I mean,” Dong Zhao said with a long sigh. “I merely wish to say that if he does not surrender, it is not necessarily out of loyalty; and if he surrenders immediately, it is not necessarily disloyalty—like Wen Chou three days ago. In short, the human heart is hard to fathom. As long as the matter is accomplished, why insist on debating loyalty and treachery, wisdom and folly?”

Shen Pei frowned even more deeply but remained silent.

After all, he and Dong Zhao were both among the earliest followers, long acquainted with each other, and in recent years each had been stationed alone guarding a region, their territories neighboring, so they had some dealings. And now that the overall situation was settled, the others were merely watching Chen Gong’s corpse and Yu Jin’s upstream defiance as casually as watching a fire from across the river, idly chatting — so although some did not quite agree with the implication of his words, they were willing to tolerate it.

Tian Feng, however, found these words grating and could not help interjecting to retort: “As Lord Dong says, then are loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and righteousness utterly worthless?”

“Yuan Hao misunderstands.” Gongsun Xun suddenly cut in, interrupting the ‘idle chat’ of his key ministers. “Gongren did not mean to disparage morality. What he meant was that, compared to practical affairs, some things are ultimately illusory and uncertain… Loyalty, filial piety, integrity, righteousness — everyone admires them, but who decides them? By relying on family status and letting one’s fellow townsmen sing one’s praises? In this chaotic age, those of us in high positions may still respect and honor these things, but we can no longer rely on them absolutely! And besides, do those who are truly loyal and righteous perform loyal and righteous deeds for others to see? Or do they do it to seek profit?”

At this, even Tian Feng’s expression turned solemn.

A moment later, the scout rider sent ahead to deliver orders hurried back to report: Guan Yu had sent someone to persuade Yu Jin to surrender. Yu Jin had neither agreed nor refused, but insisted on settling three matters with the General of the Guard before he would surrender.

“Denied!” Gongsun Xun’s face darkened at once. “And I won’t hear them either… Tell those men to surrender immediately, or we attack at once! Whatever words they have, they can come speak them before me after they lay down their arms and submit to binding!”

The scout rider hurried off, and this time, Yu Jin, watching the enemy forces gathering ever thicker and growing ever more impatient around him, finally gave a long sigh, laid down his arms, and submitted to binding. Then the vanguard naturally continued pressing south, the rear forces naturally took charge of the prisoners, and Yu Wenze was brought bound before Gongsun Xun.

“What did you want to say earlier? Speak now.” Gongsun Xun, still irritated by the man’s earlier actions, could not be bothered to dismount.

“This guilty general merely wished to ask the General of the Guard for a few things.” Yu Jin’s outer robe and armor had both been stripped away, and he was tightly bound all over, able only to stand with difficulty before the horse and speak. “First, I beg the General of the Guard not to kill those who surrender…”

Before the words had fully landed, Ju Zong beside him grew impatient. He stepped forward directly and rebuked him: “When has our lord ever killed those who surrendered? This is utterly laughable.”

“Between life and death, I dared not fail to take precautions, that is all.” Yu Jin looked at Ju Zong and spoke seriously. “And had I not trusted the General of the Guard, how would I have ultimately chosen to surrender without conditions?”

Only then did Ju Zong’s expression ease, and he stepped back without another word.

“The second matter: this spring, this guilty general previously saw a public notice issued by the General of the Guard, stating that among those who aided the Yuan clan on the battlefield, the common soldiers were innocent, but one in every ten officers would be executed by lot. Therefore, this guilty general wishes to beseech the General of the Guard for magnanimity…”

“Impossible!” Gongsun Xun rebuked him outright. “Unless they raised the banner of righteousness on the battlefield, one in every ten officers shall be executed by lot. This was the explicit public notice issued before my battle with Yuan Shao. Military law and punitive authority — how can they be treated as child’s play? Even you, Yu Wenze, must draw lots to decide life or death, before anything else is discussed!”

Yu Jin gritted his teeth and continued, raising his head: “Then there is only the third matter… I beseech the General of the Guard to grant me death without fail!”

“Now this is interesting.” Gongsun Xun was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly laughed. “Setting aside the first two matters, what is this last one supposed to mean? Having surrendered, you have already clung to life. And to gather a crowd and surrender — is that not in itself a wish to continue receiving office and leading the surrendered troops after submitting? Why instead seek death? Speak truthfully!”

“This guilty general dares not conceal anything. The matter is simple to explain.” Yu Jin spoke bitterly. “Why gather a crowd and surrender… Forgive this guilty general for speaking bluntly, but this act was absolutely not to continue receiving office, nor to delay the battle. It was only because on the battlefield at that moment, if no one gathered those collapsing soldiers, they would have trampled one another fighting for escape routes, and the casualties would have been grievous. I acted with a sliver of intent to preserve them. And why seek death? It is not merely to repay Yuan Cheqi’s grace in recognizing me, but also out of worry for the safety of my family in Ye City and my clan in Yanzhou… I, a grand general, have surrendered — what crime could be greater? How could I not worry for my family?”

Gongsun Xun gave a long sigh and said nothing more. His gaze swept over the variously expressioned Shen Pei, Tian Feng, Dong Zhao, and the others behind him, then he made a slight gesture toward one of his guards. Seeing this, the guard, still mounted, rummaged briefly and produced a lot-drawing tube from a leather pouch, then carefully presented it.

“Let me draw for you!” Gongsun Xun took the lot tube, dismounted, and spoke directly to Yu Jin in an offhand manner. “May I?”

Under the setting sun, Yu Jin was briefly startled, but then showed no great nervousness: “I trouble the General of the Guard.”

“Truly unafraid of death?” Gongsun Xun pulled out a lot, glanced at it briefly, but kept it held in his hand and instead continued questioning — he found this man more and more intriguing.

“I fear death, but a true man born into this world cannot live for himself alone!” Yu Jin lowered his head and spoke with emotion. “I must also thank the General of the Guard for personally sending this guilty general on his way…”

“When would I have the time to send you off specially?” Gongsun Xun opened his hand — there lay a life lot, plain to see. Then he tossed aside the bamboo slip, drew the broken blade at his waist, and directly cut the ropes binding the other man. “One in ten executed by lot — it was not a death lot… You may go!”

Yu Jin stood frozen on the spot, and the people around were more or less bewildered — for just moments ago, everyone had assumed Gongsun Xun would use ‘military law’ to execute Yu Jin outright.

“What is there to doubt? On the battlefield, are you the only one who can spare lives?” Gongsun Xun looked down, sheathed his broken blade, then turned and remounted, appearing entirely unconcerned. “Go stay in the prisoner camp for a day, then return to Liangqi City tomorrow. Tell your colleagues roughly what happened today. Say that I, moved by your heart of loyalty and benevolence — cherishing the soldiers yet unwilling to serve a second master — personally released you to go back… If Yuan Benchu learns you were personally released by me, though he will suspect you, he will not punish you. That man would absolutely never want to lose face before me!”

Yu Jin exhaled deeply, then bowed low, and with a sense of release followed the escorting soldiers away… Since ancient times, the one thing hardest to bear is death alone; to accept a strong man’s magnanimity and live on is no disgrace!

The sky gradually darkened. The battlefield area had grown larger and wider due to the pursuit of routed soldiers. Although captures and kills were still being confirmed from time to time, no trace of Yuan Shao’s whereabouts had been heard. By this point, Gongsun Xun and the others had silently accepted that the man had successfully fled back into the city. What they did not know, however, was that inside Liangqi City, Xin Ping, stationed there to hold the city, had long been in a state of utter turmoil — because Yuan Shao had still not returned!

Not only that, but Guo Tu, Ju Shou, and Xu You — these three key figures — had all sent no word either. If things went badly, for the Yuan clan’s camp, this would be a total loss across the board!

—————I am the dividing line of total silence—————

“At the end of Han, Ju Zong served as a clerk under the Grand Ancestor and was trusted and relied upon. His elder brother Ju Shou and nephew Ju Hu served as generals under Yuan Shao and were also highly regarded. When the Grand Ancestor fought Yuan Shao, the Ju brothers and uncle and nephew were all present. On the battlefield, Pang De personally cut off a head, not knowing it was Ju Hu. After the battle ended, Ju Zong searched for traces of his brother and nephew. Everyone said Ju Hu was dead but his head could not be found. When Pang De heard this, he produced a head from his quiver. Ju Zong saw it and lost all color. Pang De apologized to Ju Zong. Ju Zong said: ‘Though this is my nephew, he followed the traitor Yuan. In chastising traitors for the state, why should you apologize?’ And he stopped. But when Ju Zong took the head back to his tent, he wailed uncontrollably, and all those around him sighed.” — A New Account of the Tales of the World, Chapter on Deep Regret

PS: First, thanks to the patron Ruobing for the reward… Then, something that feels a bit strange — I don’t know if it’s the medication, but after taking painkillers, my thinking feels sluggish. Watching people play Total War: Three Kingdoms feels hazy and muddled, and even though I’m clearly not sleepy, I keep feeling exhausted, as if I’ve been hollowed out from the level of consciousness. What is this?

(End of Chapter)