Chapter 339: A Hero Among Ten Thousand

"Major Meng, don't let the awkward name of this county fool you — it actually has deep ties to your ancestors."

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Zhang Fen, who hailed from New Qinzhong, told Meng Ze the origin of this walled town: "Legend has it that the Major's ancestor, General Meng, was ordered by the First Emperor of Qin to campaign north against the Xiongnu. He built a town here. Before breaking ground, he filled a gu ritual vessel with wine to offer sacrifice. Just then, a quail flew over and perched on the gu. Taking this as an auspicious sign, once the town was built, he named it 'Chun Gu.'"

Across from him, Meng Ze gave a noncommittal grunt. He had no interest in this ancestral tale. He just sat by the stove warming himself, thoroughly irritated, picking at the little bugs in his armpit and cursing under his breath:

"If I'm stuck guarding this town any longer, my armor's going to start breeding lice."

To go back a bit: in the autumn, when Zhang Chun heard that Diwu Lun had raised his banner in revolt, he rushed south to pledge his loyalty and was granted a marquisate. After returning to New Qinzhong, old Zhang Chun sent his son Zhang Fen to the King of Wei's side to await orders — essentially as a hostage — and Meng Ze was ordered to escort him south.

When the two of them and over a hundred soldiers reached Beidi, they arrived just as the Longyou forces were attacking Yuan She. They had no choice but to flee south with the great knight-errant Yuan. After linking up with Geng Yan, they all held the Chun Gu area together.

But now, in this winter-bound little town, there was no auspicious quail overhead, nor even a gu of wine to drink. The Longyou cavalry had cut off the road between them and Guanzhong. The King of Wei, judging that sending grain to Beidi under these conditions would be nothing but aiding the enemy, simply told them to hold out until spring.

The enemy threat was not yet so urgent as to singe their eyebrows. The towns north, east, and south of Chun Gu were still in Wei army hands, blocking enemies from every direction. The Longyou troops to the west, numbering over ten thousand, had also run out of provisions after several days of siege and pulled back to Anding Commandery.

By all logic, Geng Yan only needed to sit tight and hold the several counties, preventing Longyou from seizing the entire Xiao Pass road and Beidi Commandery. But this young man was not as adept at "standing still" as the King of Wei — he was restless by nature.

"Major Meng."

Geng Guo came on his elder brother's orders to summon Meng Ze to a war council. Meng Ze was flattered and hurried after him to a cave dwelling in the small town. Before he even ducked inside, he heard Yuan She — whom Diwu Lun had titled "Knight-Errant General" — arguing with Geng Yan.

"Chun Gu, Yiju, Niyang, and Qi County to the south — these towns form a mutual horn-hold. Longyou troops find it hard to attack towns in the twelfth month. All we need to do is hold until spring, when the King of Wei sends troops to relieve us. Why must General Geng risk a sortie?"

Compared to the days when he commanded wind and rain as a great knight-errant in Maoling, Yuan She had aged considerably. Geng Yan's risky choice was something he simply could not fathom.

Geng Yan, however, replied: "Back when the great knight-errant Yuan performed his chivalrous deeds, all the powerful families of the commanderies and kingdoms, and all the men of honor in Chang'an and the Five Tombs, looked up to him and admired him. That was because Lord Yuan could rush to meet another's urgent need, could do what others could not, and dared what others dared not. That is why all eyes in Guanzhong were upon him."

"Why so full of twilight gloom now?"

Yuan She fell silent at once. How had his ambition eroded, step by step? Worn down by the two-thousand-bushel post Wang Mang had saddled him with!

Starting last year, as chaos erupted in the east, Wang Mang grew desperate and grasped at any remedy, ordering the princes and imperial clan to recommend talents in droves. Yuan She was thus recommended. Wang Mang summoned him, judged that he could win men's loyalty unto death, granted him a broad amnesty, and made him Grand Governor of Beidi — such was Wang Mang's audacity in employing men.

But although Yuan She had held office before, it had been a mere County Magistrate's post. Handling both the upright and the underworld was no problem, but managing a vast commandery proved beyond his grasp. He was soon sidelined by the Fu and Gan clans of Beidi.

For the first few months, he could at least waver between the Western Han and the King of Wei, holding seals of office from both states. But when the moment of decision came, Yuan She, due to his ties with Wan Xiu, leaned toward Wei. The local strongmen, however, favored the benefits Wei Ao had promised. The two sides clashed. This outside dragon was too weak to crush the local serpents, and he was utterly routed.

Retreating all the way here, his old troops decimated, Yuan She's heroic spirit was entirely gone. All he wanted was to endure until spring, then return to Maoling and live out his days as a wealthy man. This great age of chaos was not for him.

But Geng Yan, a young man of twenty-one, had a mindset diametrically opposed to his!

Two states at war, and the focal point of the struggle was these few towns along the Xiao Pass road. To sit and wait for others to rescue him — that was a burning disgrace!

If he was going to act, he would be the one to turn the tide of the whole war in a single stroke. Geng Yan believed he had already glimpsed that possibility, and that he had the ability to seize it.

"The Wei clan wants to besiege my force to lure the King of Wei into sending reinforcements — and destroy each relief column as it comes!"

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The Green Han's pinning action was somewhat effective. Tong Pass and Yao Pass still required troops to garrison. Wan Xiu's main force faced off against Wei Ao across Chang'an. Diwu Lun in the Five Tombs was also primarily on the defensive, waiting until the newly recruited soldiers and laborers finished training before launching a counteroffensive in the spring.

Diwu Lun was immovable as a mountain, refusing to fall into Longyou's trap — but Geng Yan could not afford such leisure.

"What the King of Wei does not know is that we have taken in too many routed soldiers and fleeing civilians. The grain in these several towns will likely not last until spring."

So before the grain runs out completely, it was better to take a risk.

"My mind is made up. I ask Lord Yuan and my younger brother to hold this town."

"I will take a thousand picked elite troops, carry five days' dry rations, and strike out with light packs!"

Geng Yan had set the course. He had his brother bring Meng Ze in. "I hear those old soldiers you brought from New Qinzhong have excellent marching legs. Can they traverse the loess tablelands?"

Meng Ze had long been stifled — not just from these days sitting idle in Chun Gu, but from the past several years. They, Diwu Lun's earliest old followers, had been left behind on the frontier. Now, having reestablished contact with the King of Wei, they were shocked to realize they had missed too many battles and too much merit. They had been marginalized!

The others might not care, but Meng Ze was unwilling to accept it. Having long heard that the young General Geng was adept at winning merit, he was rather stirred. "This terrain is much the same as New Qinzhong — all loess tablelands and ravines. We cross it as if on level ground!"

…

When Geng Yan, bringing Meng Ze and a thousand handpicked soldiers, wrapped in thick winter coats, without armor, some on horseback and some on foot, was about to leave the little town of Chun Gu, Yuan She attempted one final remonstration.

"Marching in the twelfth month, and traveling two hundred li of mountain paths through tablelands and ravines — five days' dry rations may not last until the General reaches Qian County. Does the General not fear his soldiers will go hungry?"

Geng Yan had already thought this through. "Along the way, there are hamlets and village communities in the mountains. Because they are far from the main roads, some do not even know of the struggle between Han and Wei. Some are abandoned villages; some still have households. We will have places to stay each night. Take what must be taken, seize what must be seized — we won't lack for food."

Yuan She tried again: "A few days ago, there was a great cold snap. Though the Longyou troops have not pressed up to the city walls, their scouts still roam nearby. The General's every move is under their eyes. If Longyou discovers the General's intent and pursues hot on our heels, how will the General, outnumbered, deal with that?"

Geng Yan was brimming with confidence. "The men I've chosen are all northern soldiers, especially the hundred-plus from New Qinzhong — every man can ride. I've also commandeered all the horses from Niyang and Yiju, enough to make several hundred. We may not be able to field trained cavalry, but mounted infantry will suffice. Rotating mounts, our pace will be no slower than the Longyou riders."

Yuan She continued: "The route the General has chosen, though mostly following streams and ravines, requires crossing the Qian Mountains at the final stage. Is that truly feasible?"

"Northern mountains are not like southern ones." Geng Yan had consulted guides. "The Qian Mountains may stretch east to the Qi peaks, west to the Long Ridge, and run for several hundred li, forming the watershed between the Jing and Wei rivers. But the main ridge has a gentle slope. When the time comes, we abandon the packhorses and cross on foot — it won't be difficult."

Yuan She had one final concern: "Longyou has emptied its nest for this campaign. Their rear is indeed hollow, but Qian County is the critical point on the Long Pass road. Its garrison will be no fewer than several hundred. When the General arrives with exhausted troops and faces a strong walled town, how does he intend to take it?"

Geng Yan only smiled mysteriously. "I have my own calculations."

At last, he looked at Yuan She. "Lord Yuan considers things so thoroughly — you do not resemble a gallant knight, but rather a civil official."

"Old, I've grown old." Yuan She was somewhat ashamed. He and Geng Guo watched from the ramparts as Geng Yan and his thousand-odd men disappeared into the distance. Gazing at the vanishing figures, he could only sigh with emotion:

"I, Yuan She, am merely a hero of the village lanes and hamlets."

"But General Geng — he is a knight-errant among the army's commanders, a hero among ten thousand!"

…

Before Yuan She, Geng Yan had spoken lightly, but he himself was keenly aware: "If this campaign succeeds, I turn the tide of the war and claim supreme merit. If it fails, my reputation is ruined and my body destroyed."

But that would not hinder his willingness to take the risk. Geng Yan deliberately marched east, putting on the appearance of heading to the other county towns. The Longyou army from Anding, learning that so many troops had withdrawn, would surely intensify their siege on Chun Gu — never imagining that he actually intended to strike their deep rear!

From here on, it was a race against time!

After half a day marching east, Geng Yan suddenly wheeled his men southwest, entering a ravine called "Hundred-Li Stream." The snow from the start of the month had already melted; only scattered remnants still clung to the tablelands above. They advanced into the soughing north wind, their snot freezing on their faces.

The path was brutal — no smooth road fit for a large force to march. Fortunately, there were indeed many abandoned hamlets and villages along the way where they could shelter at night.

On the second day, the army passed the county town of Yinmi. This little county seat, tucked away in a mountain hollow far from every pass and main road, seemed forgotten by the world. It belonged to neither the Western Han nor Wei. No one had ever come to proclaim allegiance. Seeing Geng Yan's army pass by, everyone from the County Magistrate down to the common folk could only watch, terrified and bewildered.

Geng Yan, however, recalled a poem: "The ancient Duke Danfu came riding at dawn. Following the western riverbanks, he reached the foot of Mount Qi."

"In the age of the Yin-Shang dynasty, the Rong and Di tribes of the northwest repeatedly raided the Bin lands. The ancient Duke Danfu led two thousand chariots of the Ji clan's Zhou lineage, followed the Qi River, crossed the great mountains, and arrived at the Zhou Plain beneath Mount Qi."

"It is much the same as our route today."

Only, the Zhou people migrated across open plains, while they advanced through sparsely populated mountain hollows and ravines — the only way to evade the eyes and ears of Longyou scouts.

On the vast, boundless loess plateau, in the bitter midwinter, breath froze to frost, and the shivering wind cut like a knife. Underfoot came crunching sounds as the frozen-stiff withered grass was trampled to dust by human feet and horse hooves.

Because there were not enough packhorses and they had suffered losses along the way, many still had to march on foot. Today it was Geng Yan's turn to lead the walking, which silenced even those who had been grumbling and regretting.

But Geng Yan had lived well since childhood; his travels and battles had always relied on carts and horses, unlike soldiers of harsh origin. After walking a while, he grew uncomfortable. When he held out until the next deserted village and pulled off his boots and socks, he found his toes squeezed into bloody blisters and his calves beginning to cramp — agonizingly painful — yet Geng Yan merely gritted his teeth and endured.

"General Geng isn't used to long marches," Meng Ze remarked with a smile. It was clear that Geng Yan had thought the more insoles he stuffed in, the more comfortable the walking would be. Instead, the boots pinched his feet and blood flowed poorly; add to that his sudden drop to the ground, and cramping was only to be expected. It took the army medic pressing on him for half a ke before he recovered.

Quite a few soldiers had the same symptoms. Fortunately, they could take turns riding the horses — a chafed backside was far better than aching feet. Those who truly could not walk on and fell behind were left where they were to await orders.

On the fourth day, snow began to fall. White flakes drifted, the cold wind moaned, and the gale blew harder and harder. Though the plateau walls flanking the ravines gave some shelter, the swirling snow still drove straight into the soldiers' cuffs and collars, and many shivered uncontrollably from the cold.

"Turn your faces to the side — don't face the wind head-on!"

Geng Yan, this time, had some experience and could even laugh aloud in the freezing wind: "This wind, this snow — compared to Shanggu beyond the frontier, it's nothing!"

"True, what is this little snow compared to Xin Qinzhong?" Meng Ze chimed in from behind, shifting sideways to rest in a windless spot behind the hill.

Thus, with their numbers dwindling along the way, by the fourth day of this grueling march, the Qian Mountains stretched before them — a range running east to west for hundreds of li.

These plateau hills were not very high, their slopes gentle, but horses could absolutely not climb them. This was also why Longyou cavalry never came here.

"Abandon the horses — climb over!"

Geng Yan, it turned out, learned fast and applied what he saw, borrowing Lai Xi's tactic: mounted infantry simply cast aside their horses, and then there was nowhere they could not go.

Using both hands and feet, he took the lead in clambering up the plateau slope, tilting his head to look at the crest and praying desperately that no enemy ambush troops appeared! Otherwise, the entire army would be wiped out!

With the desolate ravines and yesterday's snowfall, the Longyou army either failed to catch up or simply never noticed them. This force had slipped silently between the two armies, through terrain that was never a marching route, and thus penetrated deep into the undefended rear.

After climbing onto the flat plateau atop the Qian Mountains, Geng Yan walked to the edge. Heaven and earth, near and far — hills, ravines, city walls, fields — all were a sheet of white. Many soldiers had developed snow blindness; their eyes were dry and stinging, unable to see clearly. It was Meng Ze who taught him a method Diwu Lun had once passed on: use black soil to darken the area below the eyes, including the nose.

After gazing for a moment, Geng Yan's hand pointed to a tiny black dot beyond the hills and ravines, over twenty li away.

"That is Qian County!"

They had spent four and a half days, marched over two hundred li, crossed ravines and scaled ridges, and moved from the Xiao Pass road to the Long Pass road. West of Qian County lay the towering Long Mountains, and Long Pass was on the far side of the range — that was a place no surprise strike could reach.

The soldiers were already utterly exhausted, barely able to drag their legs another step. Did a siege battle still await them next?

"Raise the banner!"

At Geng Yan's command, a banner unfurled and spread wide in the soughing, biting wind.

It was a red banner, embroidered with a single character: "Han"!

"All of you, remember this: we are not a Wei army come to raid or strike."

"We are the Longyou Western Han army, marching from west to east, hurrying to the front lines as reinforcements!"