Chapter 255: Strong Wind

Dou Rong was already imprisoned, but when he realized that the great army besieging Kunyang was struggling to turn around and retreat, he was shocked. He could only bow his head to the ground and shout toward Wang Yi, who had ridden over to arrange the withdrawal:

"Grand Minister of Works, we should press the attack with one surge of momentum and take the pass city — we absolutely must not retreat!"

Because Wang Yi had not made Diwu Lun's "rebellion" public, Dou Rong still thought Wang Yi had intercepted news that "Wancheng had fallen," so he added: "The ten thousand-plus men sent south have sent back no word at all — how can you know Wancheng is lost? This may simply be a rebel trick."

There was indeed reason in that, but Wang Yi no longer trusted Dou Rong: he recalled that Diwu Lun had been able to gain Wang Mang's favor largely because Dou Rong had praised him to the skies! The two of them had been in cahoots even back then.

Now, in Wang Yi's eyes, everything Dou Rong did was a scheme carried out by Diwu Lun through his hands.

That letter predicting the meteor — perhaps Dou Rong had written it on the spot, crumpled and aged it, then brought it out to deceive him and throw the army into confusion! How else could it have been so accurate?

Dou Rong urging Wang Yi to split off ten thousand men to the south — that was Diwu Lun wanting to divide the great army.

Dou Rong telling him to surround Kunyang on three sides and leave one open — that was Diwu Lun wanting to let the people of Kunyang flee south.

Even Dou Rong avoiding battle and retreating through Yingchuan for months, and the rout at Tanghe half a year ago — all of it was at Diwu Lun's direction!

"Duke of Zhou, oh Duke of Zhou, just what did Diwu Lun promise you? That you would sell out your own family and kin?"

Wang Yi was heartbroken and furious, but not yet so angry as to lose his head. The retreat, though chaotic, still had some plan to it: the rear army of tens of thousands became the vanguard and moved first; the vanguard of tens of thousands became the rear guard and brought up the rear; the two hundred thousand in the middle were still packing and preparing, but far more loosely than when readying for battle. Many soldiers were already laden with packs and bedding, carrying grain and millet on shoulder poles.

Just then, a colonel came hurrying over to report.

"Grand Minister of Works!"

"From the direction of Dingling east of Kunyang, a small enemy force is approaching our great army!"

Compared to Wang Yi's host of three hundred thousand, the thousand vanguard cavalry and infantry that Liu Xiu led were indeed just a small force.

Although Liu Xiu could recite military principles chapter and verse, the enemy outnumbered them a hundred to one! Kunyang had also been under assault for so long that its soldiers were exhausted and the siege had yet to be lifted. Among the various chieftains of equal rank to him, Li Yi was the first to voice his opposition, and even the ever-fierce Ma Wu hesitated.

And since the troops from Yancheng that Deng Chen commanded were still several dozen li to the rear and had not arrived, Liu Xiu said: "In that case, you two generals may watch the battle for now. Let Xiu take these thousand horse and foot and strike their lines first to test them!"

With that, he reined in his own troops and advanced. A thousand men moving to prod a colossal beast of three hundred thousand — it was like a little mouse trying to shake a giant elephant. Just among the dozen-plus detached patrol units Wang Yi had placed on the perimeter, any one picked at random was roughly equal to them in numbers.

Among the various colonels following Liu Xiu, Fu Jun and Chen Jun were unquestionably fierce. Zhu You and Wang Ba were more prudent and urged against it, citing the maxim "do not block an army returning home," but to no avail.

Feng Yi alone firmly backed Liu Xiu's decision: "In the use of arms, the greatest harm lies in hesitation; the calamity of three armies is born of doubt. Once the enemy retreats, it is tantamount to a defeat at Kunyang — their morale is sure to plummet. If we strike now, we can at the very least tear off a chunk of flesh."

But what did ordinary soldiers understand of that? They only knew their own side was few and the enemy many.

Sensing the officers' and men's hesitation, Liu Xiu today broke from his usual habit as the "Ox-Riding General" who pressed the rear line — he rode at the very front.

The Xin army had still set up defenses on the perimeter. A detached patrol of over a thousand men blocked the way several li ahead. Seeing their formation loose, their steps hurried, and the soldiers constantly glancing back, Liu Xiu sensed an opening. He abandoned the probing attack, raised his blade, and charged in first!

When the lines met, he caught the enemy completely off guard. After he and his mounted retinue took several dozen heads, this detached unit, suspecting more reinforcements behind him, hastily fell back, unwilling to fight a grinding battle with Liu Xiu.

Only then did Wang Ba, Feng Yi, Zhu You, and the others catch up. Wang Ba clicked his tongue in wonder, watching Liu Xiu, whose courage swelled by the moment, and voiced his puzzlement: "General Liu, all his life, has shown fear even when facing a small foe. Now, meeting a great foe, his courage is a hundredfold. How strange."

Who would not be afraid? Yet for some reason, inside the usually cautious and timid Liu Xiu, a voice in his heart seemed to tell him: this battle, he must fight!

The wind of Kunyang blew through Liu Xiu's beard. He flicked the blood from his ring-pommel saber and laughed: "Yuanbo, the strong wind reveals the sturdy grass."

Liu Xiu pointed ahead at the Xin army, vast as mountains and hills: "Today's wind is fierce, able to snap houses and uproot trees. Therefore we must strive hard, and make certain all know that we are the toughest, strongest grass and trees in the Greenwood!"

These words greatly boosted morale. Feng Yi, Wang Ba, and the others, all stirred by Liu Xiu, cupped their hands and said: "We wish to take the vanguard once more — allow us to aid you, General, in breaking the foe!"

At that moment, the Xin Assistant General in charge of the eastern sector rallied the routed troops and led several thousand men out against the enemy, advancing directly toward Liu Xiu's detachment. Having tasted blood, Liu Xiu's troops grew bolder still. Facing an enemy several times their number, they still followed Liu Xiu forward to meet the attack.

"Wenshu is remarkably valiant today."

Li Yi and Ma Wu watched from a short distance with two thousand men. They saw Liu Xiu brandish spear and sword, spur his horse, and lead his troops charging at the enemy. Fu Jun and Chen Jun followed close behind, guarding his flanks, while Feng Yi and Wang Ba directed a contingent of soldiers to follow up, locked in fierce combat with the enemy.

A thousand against several thousand — on an ordinary day, it would have been a bitter struggle. But today, Wang Yi had suddenly halted the siege and issued a hasty order to pull back. The three armies were deeply bewildered — who would still be willing to fight with full effort?

Ma Wu and the others had long lost sight of Liu Xiu himself. All they could see was the banner of the "Bearer of the Gilded Mace, Assistant General" advancing steadily through the enemy lines, like a sharp knife slicing through a block of tofu, moving faster and faster, until at last it burst straight through the enemy formation!

"What a man, this Liu Wenshu!"

Ma Wu, fierce by nature, had long since been unable to hold back. A Yingchuan man under his command named Zang Gong was practically scratching his ears and cheeks, desperate to join Liu Wenshu in the fight at once. Ignoring Li Yi's counsel — "Wait a little longer; we need only watch Wenshu's flank for him" — they immediately led over a thousand soldiers charging down the hillock to close in on the battlefield.

In all military marches and engagements, the more you cling to life, the more certain you are to die; the more you stake your life, the more certain you are to live. Liu Xiu's troops all staked their lives alongside their general; the Xin troops all learned from their general to cling to life. So although their numbers were great, they were instead beaten to pieces by Liu Xiu's army.

On top of that, Ma Wu came charging in with terrifying momentum. The Xin soldiers looked back — their own great army of three hundred thousand, countless formations, without Wang Yi's orders, was watching the show from ten li away, as immovable as a mountain!

How could they fight on? The detached Assistant General in charge of the eastern defense immediately turned tail and ran, wheeling around to flee on his own. The new recruits instantly collapsed in rout. In that moment, those cut down in formation numbered a full several hundred!

The Grand Minister of Works, Wang Yi, was also watching from afar in his camp. At first he had thought the attackers were too few to be worth sweeping aside, but now his brow furrowed deeply. Seeing the Assistant General defeated and not a single nearby friendly unit coming to his aid, he cursed in fury.

This retreat had opened a gaping hole on the eastern flank of Wang Yi's great army, throwing the three armies into turmoil — they assumed that Liu Bosheng's great army from the south had arrived!

But the enemy had indeed fought well. Wang Yi summoned the scouts returning from the east and questioned them: "Who commands this band of rebels?"

"They fly the banner of the Bearer of the Gilded Mace, Assistant General."

Wang Yi's gaze swept to the adjutants and clerks beside him: "Who is that?"

The clerks had to confer in low voices for a moment before agreeing: "We recall Dou Rong mentioning him — he is the younger brother of the arch-traitor Liu Bosheng: Liu Xiu!"

Liu... Liu Xiu?

Wang Yi suddenly recalled that Diwu Lun's letter had mentioned this man, and he was greatly alarmed.

Speak of Liu Xiu and Liu Xiu appears. Had Dou Rong already colluded with Liu Xiu when he "forged" that letter, or was there truly a divine being at Diwu Lun's side, who had calculated everything — from the meteor to Liu Xiu's arrival to block them!

What was even more staggering was that this Liu Xiu did not quit while he was ahead. After receiving reinforcements from his allies, he continued pressing westward, heading straight for the Xin army's main camp, which was in the midst of striking camp and preparing to withdraw!

Wang Yi's resolve wavered. With the three armies growing restive, he knew he had to smash this rebel force first before he could retreat in good order. He gave the order: "Have the Tiger Guard Camp and the Hu Cavalry Camp assemble. This general will personally destroy the rebels!"

"General Jiwen has come too!"

In just half a shichen, Liu Xiu had led his thousand men to smash through two outer Xin army formations. He had been the tip of the entire army's sword the whole time, charging and killing at the very front. He had been growing somewhat weary, sitting on a corpse to catch his breath and drink water, but when he saw that Li Yi had also brought troops to join his formation, his strength returned. He led three thousand soldiers pressing forward again, now no more than four or five li from the Xin army's main camp.

With such an aggressive posture, how could Wang Yi endure it? Seeing the Xin army hastily assembling, the ten thousand-plus men originally set to retreat north wheeled around and came straight for Liu Xiu and his men.

Ma Wu, who had once merely admired Liu Xiu, now regarded him with the deepest reverence. Li Yi no longer looked down on him either, and dared not recklessly use his nickname "General Ox." He only cupped his hands solemnly and said: "General Wenshu is fierce and brave, but having already broken through two enemy lines, you should stop when it is fitting. To press further would be to paint legs on a snake..."

Though the Xin army's minds were in disarray and their individual martial skills were inferior to the Han soldiers — they could not stand up in a fight — even if they were just a few thousand pigs, driving them off had cost the Han soldiers much strength. Wang Yi's central army, by contrast, was composed of elite northern troops who had not taken part in the siege; they were fresh and waiting at ease.

If they did not quit while ahead and instead provoked the great enemy army into abandoning its retreat, turning back to beat them off and then attacking Kunyang again — would that not be lifting a rock only to smash their own feet?

Liu Xiu, however, did not believe his side lacked a chance of victory. He pointed to the terrain ahead and said: "North of Kunyang is the Zhi River. Because the Xin army is so vast, they are camped separately on the south and north banks. Right now, those on the north bank are withdrawing first. The vanguard and over a hundred thousand men have already crossed the river and left. The central army has just reached the banks of the Zhi and is at the moment of wanting to cross but unable to."

This was the opening he saw: the Xin army was retreating in haste, its front and rear disconnected, its tail still at Kunyang. Orders were hard to communicate, the soldiers were panicked, and the commander-in-chief, unable to cross the river, had been pressed up close by Liu Xiu. After feeding two detached forces to him in succession, Wang Yi could only come in person to strike back — but the formations to his left and right were all laden with baggage and bedding on their shoulders, unable to come to his aid in time, or even lacking the heart to help.

With just three thousand dare-to-die soldiers striking their core from west of the city across the water, we can break the enemy!

Moreover, restoring the Han and overthrowing the Xin is not only about seizing cities and every inch of land — it also lies in annihilating the enemy's troop strength.

"These are probably the last batch of new recruits Wang Mang can pull out from within the passes."

Liu Xiu rallied the men: "Win this one battle, and the House of Han can settle all under Heaven! We shall be the restoration generals of the Han, ranked alongside Cao Shen and Guan Ying of the Former Han!"

Everyone was stunned. They had thought Liu Xiu only wanted to seize the chance to bite off a chunk of flesh — how could they have expected he actually wanted to swallow the enemy whole in one gulp!

For a moment, they felt dazed. The man before them should be Liu Bosheng — absolutely not Liu Wenshu.

Li Yi still shook his head, deeming Liu Xiu's words far too glib and reckless. "Wenshu is usually steady and prudent — why so rash today?"

Why? Liu Xiu turned his head to look beside the Zhi River. Above, black clouds massed in the sky; below, Wang Yi's dark, dense battle formations and countless banners stirred with the wind.

Because what lay before Liu Xiu was not only the enemy's ranks, but also the silhouette of his elder brother.

From the moment he was born, Liu Xiu had looked up to and chased after his elder brother. At first, he wanted to quietly assist Bosheng from behind, yearning for his recognition. But gradually, Liu Xiu discovered that what he truly longed for was the chance to stand shoulder to shoulder with his brother!

But this was not something he could tell others. The situation now was that Ma Wu supported Liu Xiu, but Li Yi disagreed with pressing the risk further and still wanted to withdraw.

"Reinforcements have arrived!" Zhu You brought good news at this moment.

Everyone turned to look. Deng Chen and the others with several thousand men had also appeared far to the east, slowly drawing nearer.

Liu Xiu knew the final moment had long since arrived.

"Before this battle, we were nameless and unknown." Liu Xiu decided to disregard Li Yi. He simply raised his head and looked at Ma Wu, Feng Yi, Wang Ba, Zhu You, Fu Jun, Chen Jun, Zang Gong, and the rest.

"But after this battle, the names of you gentlemen will surely be known throughout all under Heaven!"

He was not only speaking of them — he was speaking of himself as well!

The courage born of successive victories overcame the fear of facing a mighty foe.

"Known throughout all under Heaven!"

Ma Wu was the first to respond. The three thousand men raised their dagger-axes and spears, shouting in unison. Li Yi was swept along among them — even if he wanted to object, his own men might not obey. Mad, they had all gone battle-mad!

The two armies' formations were now close. The Hu Cavalry camp's fine horses were like dragons, arrayed as the two wings. The Tiger Guard camp, with layer upon layer of armor and keen swords and halberds, was in perfect order. Crashing into the enemy's main force, this time it would truly be a bitter fight of cold steel.

The weather had worsened. Thunder boomed frequently from the pitch-black sky, like the roars of savage beasts. The wind stirred the yellow battle-axe banner of Grand Minister of Works Wang Yi, and also sent the blood-stained red plumes on Liu Xiu's soldiers' helmets thrashing wildly.

The strong wind reveals the sturdy grass — but at this very moment, he was no longer the sturdy grass.

I am the strong wind!

The glory of his ancestors, the longing to stand shoulder to shoulder with his brother, the thirst to make his name known across the realm — his hot blood seethed, just as the Great Han flame banner above his head blazed!

"A great wind rises — the clouds fly and scatter!"

…

PS: Chapter 2 at 13:00 (need to eat in between, will be about an hour late).

(Chapter 3 at 18:00.)