Chapter 525: How Many Times in This World Have We Mourned the Past?

What kind of man was Liu Bei?

This is a question destined to be controversial in any era, because it is exceedingly difficult for any single person to reach a state of pure essence... and this naturally includes the era before us, the era belonging to Gongsun Xun.

So, what kind of man was Liu Bei, really?

One would think the vast majority of bystanders would say Liu Bei was an ambitious and ruthless hero.

After all, from that fatherless youth who long ago made shocking declarations before the great mulberry tree at his doorstep; to the vanguard against Dong Zhuo who left his comfort zone and resolutely, willingly plunged into the tide of the era; and finally to the Crouching Dragon of Huainan, who sat astride Huainan, holding both Huai regions, half of Jiangdong, and the entirety of Xuzhou at the height of his power... from the macro perspective of this era, he was almost the inevitable figure on Gongsun Xun's path after Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao, and Cao Cao, and likely the very last man standing in the way.

Such a man, no matter how you look at it, deserves to be called a ruthless hero.

And when it comes to the subordinates and friends who had contact with Liu Bei, they would likely feel he was a man who could win people over. He truly could treat the worthy with deference and be magnanimous and measured, the kind of man for whom others were willing to die.

Of course, there are also some who, because of their stance, would feel Liu Bei was an ungrateful man, a shameless wretch who, for personal ambition, repeatedly opposed Gongsun Xun, who had shown him great kindness. Such a man should have died long ago!

Going a step further, people like his old friends Lu Fan and Han Dang, who are right now facing him, would probably reach conclusions like "wandering swordsman style," "ruled by emotion," "unable to distinguish primary from secondary," and "reckless with life and death."

However, if the person closest to Liu Bei—Zhang Fei, who has followed him for over a decade—were to answer, the answer to this question might be somewhat simpler, because he knows in his heart that Liu Bei and he are the same kind of person: they are both wandering swordsmen of Yan.

It's just that Liu Bei is a wandering swordsman leader with ideas, while he, Zhang Fei, is merely an utterly ordinary, charge-ahead common wandering swordsman.

Between Dengxian and Chaoyangxian, along the banks of the Yushui River, lies a plain divided into several sections by the river. The land is fertile, and before the chaos it was densely populated, always the essence of Nanyang. Due to its geography, many classic battles have occurred here. Setting aside ancient matters, just a few years ago, the Fierce Tiger of Jiangdong, Sun Jian, won battle after battle here, his might shaking all of Cathay, utterly crushing Yuan Shu and routing Liu Biao, so that the latter hardly dared to look north again.

And his bizarre death right after his total victory directly influenced the overall situation of the realm and cast a certain legendary aura over this place.

It is said that Sun Wentai's ambition grew too great, and he was spurned by the spirit of Cai Yang's ancestor, Emperor Guangwu, and so died on the spot. And the reason Gongsun Xun did not personally come to Nanyang this time, according to rumors from Jiangxia, was also out of fear of Emperor Guangwu.

Returning to the present, even setting aside those supernatural legends, ever since Liu Bei left Dengxian heading north and the Yan army hurriedly left Chaoyang heading south, a strange atmosphere has permeated the entire battlefield... because the absolute resolve of Liu Bei's army simply does not match the enormous disparity in strength between the two sides, yet no matter how you think about it, it somehow feels right.

First, the simplest question: would Liu Bei surrender?

On this question, not to mention those who surrendered from Xuzhou, even those from Liangzhou understand: how could Liu Xuande possibly surrender? If he surrendered, would he still be called ruled by emotion and reckless with life and death? If he surrendered, how could he face those confidants who died at Guandu? If he surrendered, wouldn't his efforts of this last year, and indeed his nearly ten years of effort since leaving Gongsun Xun, become a joke?

People live to seek value... they cannot simply not strive for it just because Gongsun Xun won't give them the chance. Cao Cao, Liu Bei, even Cui Yan—these people are all roughly the same in this regard.

In a word, if they were truly going to surrender, they would have done so long ago.

And since they cannot surrender, then naturally they must die... In a sense, Liu Bei is still very grateful to the young Son of Heaven in Jiangxia, because the Han dynasty can give him a death that appears valuable, and in reality may be even more valuable.

So this battle, from the very beginning, was filled with a solemn and stirring atmosphere of a fight to the death, of suicide.

Faced with this situation, the Yan army, with its absolute numerical advantage blanketing both banks of the Yushui River, naturally harbored a complex, slightly restless psychology... The generals from Liangzhou and Hanzhong were eager to make their move, these men from the margins of the realm for centuries trying to seize a great merit from this certain victory, then ride the dividends of Jia Xu's tenure to elevate themselves and their families into the mainstream. Correspondingly, the Xuzhou generals seemed somewhat evasive and ashamed. Of course they also wanted merit, otherwise they wouldn't have come this far obediently, but facing Liu Bei, even though he had been their lord for barely a year or two, the shame of betraying their master still lingered—Chen Qun even more so. As for Sima Yi and Han Fu, they were somewhat more composed, but the high officials like Lu Fan and Han Dang, who followed closely to personally oversee the line, could not help but focus some of their attention on the fates of men like Liu Bei and Zhang Fei, as well as subsequent issues like Nanjun and Jiangxia.

For a time, the entire Yan army was gripped by a strange restlessness, their minds somewhat beyond the battlefield.

On the evening of the twenty-sixth day of the third month, after a day's march by both sides, they were less than thirty li apart. But neither side had any intention of emulating Sun Jian's overnight raid. Instead, each camped where they were. The next morning, as a thin mist rose, they both, as if by unspoken agreement, broke camp and continued forward.

At this time, Liu Bei's army of six thousand was evenly divided into three sections, without any flourish. The vanguard, Zhang Fei, with Vice General Zhou Li leading two thousand men, was at the front. Liu Bei and Jian Yong led the two thousand-strong central army in the middle. Li Tong brought up the rear with two thousand men. The three sections were each two li apart, advancing north along the west bank of the Yushui River to meet the enemy... If one had to put a name to it, it was a so-called arrowhead formation.

Correspondingly, the Yan army was slightly more complex, but only slightly.

First, Lu Fan heeded Xun You's suggestion and detached five thousand local Nanyang garrison troops to Han Dang, ordering the latter to advance early along the east bank of the Yushui River with boats and planks for building pontoon bridges. This posture was both convenient for flanking and a precautionary measure to facilitate rescue.

Second, on the west bank of the Yushui, Lu Fan deployed the front army—eleven battalions, fifteen divisions, fifteen thousand men—spreading them out in a long line advancing forward. He himself led a central army of as many as five thousand men behind to oversee the battle and steady the line... The military formation stretched unbroken; the vanguard had already marched ten li out of camp, while half of the rear troops still hadn't left the stockade.

Clearly, this was still a cautious posture to guard against any contingency, and also a posture of extreme respect for Liu Bei and Zhang Fei. Because eleven battalions were already nearly three times the total strength of Liu Bei's army. If the opponent could truly break through eleven battalions with that few troops, and then smash his central army, Lu Fan could only say he deserved to die.

Of course, this posture was also somewhat forced by the Q&A at the Bronze Sparrow Terrace with Jia Xu... Everyone knew that Lu Ziheng's appointment as Grand Marshal and Grand Commander was an extremely high political honor, a favor and grace from Gongsun Xun. Everyone also knew that Jia Wenhe was a "temporary worker." However, the times are unpredictable. Who could have imagined that Yizhou would be conquered in three months, and that it would precisely allow Jia Xu to seize this epochal opportunity and make such brilliant political maneuvers?

Thus, when Gongsun Xun once again threw the achievement of ending the realm's wars onto him, Lu Fan truly did not want any mistakes, lest he become a laughingstock.

In the late morning, shortly after the sun had risen in the east, its rays easily pierced the thin mist from across the river. Half a shichen later, the two armies collided directly as scouts raced back and forth delivering messages.

There were no schemes or tricks, no sudden flashes of inspiration on the battlefield. They simply advanced toward each other along the passage on the west bank of the Yushui River, met directly on the road, and engaged in battle.

Then, in a single encounter, with forces evenly matched, the two divisions of the Yan army's First Battalion, two thousand men, simply collapsed!

The course of the battle was simple to the extreme, even somewhat dull—the utterly ordinary wandering swordsman of Yan, Zhang Yide, had Vice General Zhou Li lead the infantry behind, while he himself led the army's only two or three hundred inferior cavalry horses, personally charging ahead to kill, heading straight for the enemy commander's great banner! The First Battalion commander, the Tazhong Agricultural Colony Commandant Xie Zheng, courtesy name Mingxian, had not even had time to draw his sword before Zhang Yide, relying on the black steed gifted by his late friend Li Jin, charged alone into his presence, easily skewered him off his horse with one spear thrust, and then cut down his great banner!

Seeing this, Vice General Gongsun Xu, perhaps on the battlefield for the first time, panicked and fled in his shock. As for the Tazhong Battalion itself, composed entirely of Tazhong agricultural colony troops, many of whom were Wudu Qiang tribesmen, with the commander dead and the vice general fleeing, they naturally also panicked. Coupled with the enemy's two thousand men then swarming in, this First Battalion naturally collapsed entirely in an instant.

The only thing worth lamenting in the entire battle was Xie Zheng, from a humble family for generations. Because of his humble origins yet diligent and responsible nature, he had been noticed by Lord Yan and assigned as deputy to General of the Gentlemen of the Household of All Purposes Gongsun Ding, transforming from a surrendered man into someone with a bright future within the Yan state. And given his caution and diligence, plus this tremendous stroke of fortune, it was not impossible that a hundred years hence, the Xie clan of Chen Commandery might have evolved into a lineage like the Yuan or Yang of the Han.

But alas, before his lineage could flourish, Xie Zheng died innocently here because of that tremendous stroke of fortune, leaving behind only a wife and an infant only son, Xie Zuan... It must be understood that in this campaign, while the Xuzhou generals might be one thing, the Liangzhou and Hanzhong generals were all vying to be first. Had Xie Zheng not been the man of the General of the Gentlemen of the Household of All Purposes, how could his Tazhong Battalion have been ranked first?

Right at the start of the battle, he had easily routed a battalion. Yet Zhang Yide, clad in full heavy armor and steel helmet, showed no reaction whatsoever. Perhaps because of his thick beard, the attendants around him could not even make out his expression... And having succeeded, Zhang Fei said no more. He merely sent men back to report to the rear army while ordering his entire force to take advantage of the situation and seize the many fine Liangzhou steeds, then, ignoring the routed soldiers, continued north to meet the enemy.

Unlike Liu Bei's three sections, which naturally maintained a reasonable distance between them, the gaps between the Yan army's units were very short. But this could not be helped, since Lu Fan was being overcautious and insisted on this single-line formation.

In fact, by the time the First Battalion had already collapsed, Lu Fan's main force had only just left camp. Yet the Second Battalion quickly arrived before the battlefield and directly began gathering the routed troops.

The Second Battalion was a battalion within the Xuzhou Army sequence, only one division of a thousand men. Its commander, Kong Xiu, was a favored general of General Who Guards the East, Guan Yu. Hailing from Taishan, he fundamentally looked down on the other surrendered generals in the Xuzhou Army sequence. Coupled with his own merits and backing, he was thus placed in the second position.

Kong Xiu had seen the front battalion collapse early on. Though a veteran of many battlefields, and instinctively ordering the gathering of routed troops, he still found it incomprehensible. Only when Zhang Fei's banner appeared within his field of vision, and with two or three hundred cavalry actually charging ahead, did he suddenly understand and feel it was only natural. Yet at the same time, joy surged in his heart, and he took the initiative to spur his horse forward, attempting to organize his troops for a direct head-on charge.

It must be said, Kong Xiu's attitude naturally had its reasons. Having long followed Guan Yu, he had always admired Guan Yunchang's divine martial prowess. And those who submitted to Guan Yu generally held a very subtle and extreme attitude toward Zhang Fei, whom Lord Yan also called a "match for ten thousand men."

Some, because of this, feared and submitted to Zhang Yide. Others, however, believed Zhang Yide's reputation was undeserved and insufficient to be mentioned in the same breath as Guan Yu. Kong Xiu clearly belonged to the latter. Seeing Zhang Yide appear in the distance, on one hand he instantly understood the front battalion's collapse because the other man shared the same renown as his own General Guan Who Guards the East, but on the other hand, he actually wanted to surround and kill Zhang Fei to achieve an extraordinary merit!

The individual soldier quality of the Second Battalion was actually far inferior to those Qiang tribesmen of the First Battalion, but its advantage lay in excellent discipline. Once Kong Xiu gave the order, the entire army immediately rallied. A few cavalry in front, infantry behind, they advanced with battle cries. Seeing this, Zhang Fei still said nothing, merely continuing to lead his two or three hundred cavalry forward with all his might.

Between the two armies, the routed soldiers of the First Battalion rolled away to both sides like waves, causing the second round of battle to erupt with extreme speed.

"Where is Zhang Yide?" Kong Xiu, agile in form, clad in iron armor and wielding an iron spear, was the first to shout a challenge. "Kong Xiu, Major of a Separate Division under General Guan Who Guards the East of Xuzhou, is here!"

And from beneath the great banner bearing the character Zhang, a response suddenly boomed like a thunderclap: "Zhang Fei is here!"

Hearing this voice, Kong Xiu felt somewhat alarmed, yet still, relying on his superior numbers, he charged with all his might toward the source of the sound. From afar, he spied beneath the banner a general in black helmet, black armor, black beard, and pale face, and then rushed straight to attack.

The two met head-on, exchanging one blow. Both iron spears were nearly deflected simultaneously, appearing to be an even match... and the Xuzhou troops behind Kong Xiu were naturally roused to excitement.

However, after this single exchange, Zhang Yide, unhurried and composed, calmly reined in his horse, while Kong Xiu was already secretly terrified to the point of death.

It must be said, this man prided himself on his agility. In Qingzhou, he had always refused to submit even to Pan Zhang, respecting only Guan Yunchang alone. But just now, when the two iron spear shafts collided, though he managed to maintain his stance with effort, his right arm, which had exerted the force, was already shaken to the point where he could barely hold his spear.

Using the momentum of turning his horse, he quickly switched hands, preparing for one reverse exchange before immediately fleeing, rallying his troops to surround and kill the opponent, and quietly awaiting the reinforcements behind him.

But when they clashed again, Zhang Yide, now understanding the other's depth, no longer held back. The two iron spears collided in the air, and Kong Xiu's weapon instantly flew from his grasp. He could only crouch low on his horse's back, attempting to flee.

Zhang Fei, utterly bored, had originally intended to spare him for Guan Yu's sake, but still could not resist casually thrusting his spear from horseback, skewering the man through the heart.

Pitiful Kong Xiu, a valiant general of Taishan, died on the spot before he could achieve any great deeds. One can only say that dying at Zhang Fei's hands does not necessarily mean he was incompetent.

On the other side, after casually killing his opponent, Zhang Yide also let out a sigh, but could not be bothered to pause further. Instead, he directly led those two or three hundred cavalry to charge and attack the various troops of the Second Battalion—after all, Kong Xiu was skilled at training troops, and his unit had excellent discipline. Although the commander was dead, the soldiers of the Second Battalion still carried out military orders under the command of several Company Commanders, gathering routed troops and engaging the opposing cavalry.

But that was all.

Once Zhou Li, following behind Zhang Fei, arrived with the infantry and directly engaged the Second Battalion's troops, Zhang Yide himself led his cavalry to sweep through the area, focusing on killing officers. As the several Company Commanders fell one after another to this tiger general's spear, the Second Battalion, originating from Xuzhou, also promptly collapsed.

But correspondingly, this time Zhang Fei’s unit also inevitably suffered the battlefield attrition that comes with the territory.

Moreover, having barely routed the Second Battalion, Zhang Fei’s unit had no time to catch their breath before they saw dust billowing from the north — it was actually the Third Battalion, drawn from the Liangzhou sequence, already rushing up in support, and at their head was none other than Jiang Xu, scion of the renowned Tianshui clan of Liangzhou.

Zhang Yide gave a rare cold laugh, then turned back and instructed Zhou Li: “I will press forward myself. I must trouble Registrar Zhou to hold the overall situation together behind me.”

With that, without waiting for Zhou Li to agree, Zhang Yide let out a furious roar that shook the wilderness, then spurred his horse forward, driving the routed troops straight at the Third Battalion.

“It should be starting.”

In the still sparsely populated lands south of the river, at White Horse Temple outside Luoyang City, the late-spring, early-summer rain was falling in gusts, and within a chamber of the temple, the Yan Duke Gongsun Xun was playing animal cards with Wang Xiang and a monk — three of them together — with only Ma Dai standing rigidly by, hand on his sword. Mid-game, he suddenly blurted out a baffling remark.

“What matter does Your Highness speak of?” Wang Xiang was an acknowledged ‘mute,’ but the monk Zhu Bajie was not; being puzzled, he naturally asked.

“I speak of the Nanyang campaign.” Gongsun Xun watched his cards and answered offhandedly. “According to the battle summary delivered by fast courier from the front a few days ago, the engagement was either yesterday or today.”

Zhu Bajie sighed for a moment and actually failed to play his card in time.

“What is the meaning of this, Monk Bajie?” Gongsun Xun could not help but frown at this. “Moved to melancholy by the times? Or do you wish to urge me to commit fewer killings? Monk, you should know — I have pledged to all under Heaven that I will not heed the words of monks, Daoist priests, or sorcerers on great affairs, much less believe your theories of spirits and gods.”

The term ‘Monk’ was originally a phonetic rendering of the Sanskrit word for teacher. In earlier times, when only foreign preaching monks were at White Horse Temple and Mount Wutai, they were naturally all called ‘Monks.’ Later, when Zhu Bajie shaved his head and left the household, he muddle-headedly became the first Han Chinese Monk under Heaven.

“This humble monk dares not recklessly discuss state affairs.” Zhu Bajie carefully played his card, then answered helplessly. “When Your Highness came to White Horse Temple today, you immediately issued an edict within the temple forbidding any further unsanctioned tonsure, and this humble monk said nothing… It is just that I truly pity those who lose their lives innocently on the battlefield! In truth, were it not for the scorching torment across the land and the endless chain of wars, with everyone harboring a heart to flee the world, how could the faithful of our teaching have grown so numerous over these past decades?”

“Do not bring up the matter of the faithful either, Monk.” Gongsun Xun replied coldly. “I told you to prepare yourself, to step forward and pacify the Xuzhou faithful who will migrate here after autumn — so pacify them you shall… Why say so much?”

Zhu Bajie wanted to speak but stopped, and could only lower his head and continue playing cards. After one round of cards passed and it came around to Monk Zhu again, the man still could not restrain himself: “Your Highness, this humble monk is impertinent, but can Xiangyang and Jiangxia truly not be persuaded to surrender? Why must there be fighting and killing? This humble monk does not intend to interfere in military or political affairs, but if persuasion to surrender could spare thousands upon thousands from the calamity of war, what harm would it be even if Duke Yan were to kill this humble monk?”

“Monk, ah, Monk!”

Gongsun Xun suddenly pushed over the animal cards in front of him, then sighed. “What you say is born of ignorance… Do you truly think this battle can be avoided? Or do you imagine that the wars of this world are merely the result of those in high places ignoring the common people? Some indeed are so; some truly cannot be avoided.”

Zhu Bajie and Wang Xiang together rose solemnly to their feet, to show they were begging pardon.

“Both of you, sit.” Gongsun Xun naturally had no patience for this. “Monk, we have decades of friendship. Today we are in private, facing each other in an old haunt, and official business is already concluded — this does not count as breaking my pledge. I will speak plainly to you… This battle in Nanyang is indispensable, and it is not something I or Liu Xuande can decide, because the Nanyang battle is fundamentally not a war between me and Xuande.”

Zhu Bajie, still seated, pressed his palms together and bowed his head in response, revealing his stubble-covered scalp, to show he was listening respectfully.

“The Yan State has reached a point where it must inevitably overturn the Han, and with Jiangxia still standing, those who do not submit to me must inevitably gather in the Jiang-Han region. At this moment, smashing Xiangyang — the last foundation of the great clans and powerful families — and breaching Jiangxia — the last patrimony of the Han house — these are necessary steps for my Yan State to establish the tripod… Without Liu Xuande, I fear Liu Biao could not have escaped it either. Even if Liu Biao fled, there would still be Cai Mao and Kuai Liang fighting fiercely to hold Xiangyang. There will always be those who, borrowing the name of the Han, rally the opponents of Yan and fight with all their might.”

Having spoken to this point, before Zhu Bajie could indicate he had received the lesson, amid the pattering rain, Gongsun Xun gave a rare sigh: “In truth, whether it was Cao Mengde before or Liu Xuande now, I am deeply grateful to both — especially Xuande. Were it not for his actions today, if we truly had to besiege Liu Biao beneath the walls of Xiangyang, with the strategic peril and solidity of that city, Heaven only knows how many more would have to die. And now, by taking the initiative to leave the city and fight in the field, he is almost deliberately aiding me! Some things must always be done by someone! ‘If I do not go to hell, who will?’ Is that not a saying of your Buddhist tradition? Xuande probably used these very words to persuade Yide, did he not?”

“This humble monk apprehends Your Highness’s meaning, but the Sutra of Forty-Two Sections contains no such Buddhist saying!” Zhu Bajie hurriedly composed his expression and replied.

“As of today, it does… add it in!”

Spring thunder rolled past, the rain grew heavier, and inside and outside White Horse Temple all was silent. Both Zhu Bajie and Gongsun Xun simultaneously wished to speak but held back.

And hundreds of li away, under the blazing sunlight, Zhang Fei, expressionless, calmly slew Jiang Xu beneath his horse, then, drenched in blood from head to toe, led his knights — now fewer than two hundred — and continued pressing northward.

—————I am the dividing line that keeps pressing north—————

“Eighth year, third month, the Emperor sent Grand Commandant Liu Biao to perform the distant sacrifice at the Imperial Ancestral Temple twenty li northwest of Xiling.” — Book of the Later Han, Annals of Emperor Xian

PS: The book review section is full of true experts — I’m awed. And more than one person is attempting to complete the old and new Yan histories. Looks like my wallet is doomed… But I will say, this task is truly difficult, because when I wrote those, they were offhand snippets tailored to the chapter content, inherently lacking coherence. To truly string them together is basically equivalent to creating something anew — too audacious.

Continuing to recommend books: a young seedling, A New Order for Azeroth — a major author’s new book, the heat speaks for itself, no explanation needed. A mature tree, the historical fiction master Cat Fatigue’s book Tang Remnants — the latter has been protectively blocked, but can easily be found on the Chuangshi popularity rankings.

(End of Chapter)