Chapter 423: Song of the Yan March

A few days earlier, north of Xindu Commandery, in the Hejian Principality.

Hejian was a small princely domain, only four counties, total population under two hundred thousand. Its enfeoffment had lasted quite a long time, beginning with Liu De, Prince Xian of Hejian, son of Emperor Jing of Han, when it was first established as a vassal state. Though Liu De had only a mere twelve sons, over eight generations his descendants had multiplied into the hundreds and thousands, making them one of the great local powers of Hebei.

The previous month, after Ma Yuan took Xindu, he sent north to Hejian the Embroidered Uniform Commandant Zhang Yu, who was highly skilled at political outreach, to win over the remaining powerful and prominent families of the region.

Strangely enough, the Liu clan of Hejian actually welcomed the Wei army's arrival. The reason was simply that the previous year, when the Tongma were still roving bandits, they had repeatedly attacked Hejian; the last Prince of Hejian was even killed by the Tongma and hung from a flagpole!

After Liu Ziyu took control of the Tongma, the Hejian imperial clan went weeping and wailing to lodge a complaint, hoping the Emperor heir to the resurgent line would give them justice. Who would have thought that Liu Ziyu not only refused to punish the Tongma, but even enfeoffed Shang Huaikuang, who had conquered Hejian, as a king to rule the place.

"This Emperor's elbow turns the wrong way — he must be a fake Liu!"

Upon hearing this, the Hejian Lius instantly exploded. They also heard that the King of Wei, at Handan, had pardoned the Zhao Lius instead of executing them. And so a farcical scene unfolded: this bunch of Great Han imperial clansmen actually stayed up all night embroidering Wei banners, eagerly welcoming Zhang Yu to take over the various counties and drive out the Tongma as soon as possible.

Hejian bordered You Province to the north and Qing and Ji to the south, a vital hub by water and land, where the Hutuo's waves boiled and the Hengzhang's currents surged. Yet Zhang Yu had come here not for its strategic position, but for grain.

The grain route south of Xindu was being raided by the Chengtou Zilu, drastically reducing its transport capacity. Ma Yuan therefore had Zhang Yu try his luck, to see if he could find any grain and fodder in Hejian that the Tongma had not already plundered, to relieve the supply pressure from nearby.

By rights, Hejian Commandery, with its broad wetlands and fertile plains suitable for cultivation, was a grain-producing principality. But two consecutive years of warfare had nearly wiped out all production. The open wilderness held nothing but bandits and soldiers; no ordinary commoners were to be seen. Even the retainers of powerful families holed up in their fortresses were gaunt and thin.

Zhang Yu personally traveled to three counties and reaped very meager rewards. He could only fret: "Not much grain, but we've seized quite a bit of salt."

After all, Hejian bordered Bohai Commandery to the east and had some salt-brine pools of its own. Now they could only send cart after cart of this salt brine to make up the numbers.

"There's still Wusui County to the west, unsearched."

Zhang Yu refused to give up. He heard that the westernmost county of Hejian, near the Hutuo River, had the most farmland and the largest population, so he decided to lead troops there personally to take a look.

However, before he reached Wusui County, the county magnates who had already made contact with Zhang Yu and expressed willingness to submit came fleeing in utter disarray, wailing that they had been attacked by a "Tongma force."

"Real Tongma, with cavalry in great numbers! Several hundred at least, I'm afraid. They charged straight into the county seat, burning, killing, looting — they did everything."

"How could the Tongma have so many cavalry?" Zhang Yu, an intelligence man himself, was skeptical. "Could it be that Shanggu shock cavalry have fought their way to Hejian?"

He knew the King of Wei had also deployed a "Northern Route Army," but as far as Zhang Yu knew, the Shanggu troops were still blocked in the You Province area. Had they made progress, with their vanguard arriving?

Zhang Yu thus sent men to Wusui County to investigate. By the time the forward scouts reached the county seat, it was already evening. The other side demanded a password, but the scouts had no idea what it was, and so they were met with a fierce volley of arrows. On top of that, one side spoke the Wei regional dialect, the other the heavily accented local patois of You Province — like chickens talking to ducks, they couldn't understand each other, and with a single disagreement, they started fighting!

This was the scene Zhang Yu arrived to at Wusui County: both sides were already fighting in fury, with no possibility of dialogue whatsoever.

By now the sky was completely dark. The Wei army, thinking the enemy had fewer men, wanted to exploit the difficulty of using cavalry at night to take the town in one stroke. But the other side yielded not an inch, and in the darkness the fighting grew fiercer and fiercer. The Wei army launched three consecutive charges. On the third, they finally fought their way onto the walls, and a brutal hand-to-hand melee ensued, but in the end they were driven back down.

After fighting half the night, the Wei army, unable to endure the bitter cold and their casualties, withdrew first. Zhang Yu could only feel deeply baffled: "Tongma morale is far from what it used to be, especially the scattered soldiers and stragglers defending county towns, who collapse at the first touch. How were these enemy troops tonight so tough?"

Zhang Yu thus made a preliminary judgment: "It seems they are not Shanggu shock cavalry. I fear there are still those in You Province aiding Liu Ziyu, sending crack troops south as reinforcements!"

This was extremely important intelligence. Zhang Yu immediately ordered men to Xindu to notify Ma Yuan to guard against enemies from the north. He himself pondered mobilizing the local powers in Hejian to assist him, to tie down this enemy force and prevent them from joining the battle.

He had not brought many men to Hejian and could only withdraw for the time being. Zhang Yu did not close his eyes all night. Only when the sky began to lighten the next day did he doze off briefly...

But it was during this brief moment of slackness that, when he opened his eyes again to the violent beat of war drums, he found his own side had actually been surrounded!

The shock cavalry from You Province, clad in felt coats and furry felt hats, numbered far more than a few hundred — they were nearly two to three thousand riders strong. If they so wished, they could absolutely annihilate Zhang Yu's thousand-odd men right here!

Cold sweat broke out on Zhang Yu's forehead. Just as he thought he was about to die a martyr for Great Wei, the other side, after getting a clear look at their yellow turbans and banners, sent a man over to parley.

"We are the Yuyang shock cavalry, raising the righteous banner, marching south to aid Wei in destroying Han."

"A misunderstanding, it's a misunderstanding!"

The Yuyang shock cavalry had originally only come to Hejian, following Wu Han's plan, to grab a wave of grain and resupply the army. Who would have thought that just after storming the county seat, eating their fill, occupying civilian houses, with the cavalry officers seizing the womenfolk of powerful families, wanting to enjoy themselves before the great battle — they would run into a force of "Han soldiers" at Wusui. After a bout of fighting, both sides had suffered casualties.

After Wu Han arrived with the main force, he believed they could not allow this unit to spread word that the Yuyang shock cavalry had come south, so he personally led troops in pursuit.

Now Wu Han rode out from the ranks on his horse and met with Zhang Yu. The Yuyang shock cavalry had killed several dozen of Zhang Yu's men the night before, yet Wu Han acted as if nothing had happened, laughing: "No wonder. I was still thinking, even fighting the Xiongnu and battling the Wuhuan in bloody combat wasn't this tough. So it's the Great Wei King's Army — our own people!"

Who the hell is your own people!

Zhang Yu had just moments ago been so terrified he was ready to cut his own throat and die a martyr. Now, seeing they seemed to be friend rather than foe, he was at once furious and relieved.

What angered him was that the Yuyang shock cavalry had struck with extreme ruthlessness; Zhang Yu's losses were not small. The last time he'd been attacked by friendly forces and nearly wiped out, it had been Duke Dou Rong. Still, the opposing armored cavalry were elite, not comparable to those worthless men of the Yueqi Camp, and might prove very useful. Zhang Yu could hardly harshly rebuke this "Wu Han," the Governor of Yuyang, and drive him back to Liu Ziyu's side. After only clarifying the reasons, he spoke in the tone of the King of Wei's trusted aide:

"I came to Hejian to requisition grain by order of State Commandant General Ma. Now that grain has been eaten by your esteemed army — that can be let pass — but you have also killed and wounded over a hundred of my subordinates. Though it was a mistaken strike on friendly forces, Governor Wu has truly been far too reckless."

Striking friendly forces hard had been a fine tradition ever since Diwu Lun's days in New Qinzhong. But after the incident with the Yueqi Camp and Dou Rong, the King of Wei had personally set a military regulation: if you enter the battlefield without prior notification and are mistakenly hit by friendly forces, you deserve it; but if you "mistakenly injure" friendly forces after identities have been confirmed, you will also be punished.

"Now, however, there is an opportunity to atone for your error with merit."

Zhang Yu pointed south and said: "State Commandant Ma is currently stationed at Xindu City. Governor Wu, why not accompany me to pay him a visit?"

Wu Han questioned Zhang Yu one by one about the eastern front's war situation and the King of Wei's specific arrangements for the campaign. But Zhang Yu was a cautious man by nature. Wu Han's talk of "admiring the King of Wei in his heart, killing the Han governor, and declaring himself Governor" was truly suspicious. He could not even confirm whether the Yuyang shock cavalry's surrender to Wei was genuine or false. How could he divulge such military secrets in detail?

Zhang Yu only wanted to trick Wu Han into going to Ma Yuan's army in Xindu Commandery, detain the man, and let Ma Yuan take direct command of the shock cavalry!

Wu Han, however, would not lightly agree to Zhang Yu's proposal either, merely saying: "Since State Commandant Ma is locked in a standoff with the Tongma by the banks of the Zhang River, I shall personally lead the cavalry to strike their rear from the flank, while State Commandant Ma engages them head-on. Victory will be complete! Once we break through the eastern route, the King of Wei's Hebei campaign will not be far from total victory!"

No! What if, upon reaching the battlefield, Wu Han suddenly turned traitor and helped the Tongma attack the Wei army? Zhang Yu stuck to his view, insisting Wu Han must first enter the Wei camp. Wu Han also kept his guard up, stating that a moment's opportunity in war is lost in an instant and brooks no delay.

How difficult it is to build trust between two completely unfamiliar armies, even more so after hostilities have begun and there are dead and wounded. The commanders could still put on a pretense and exchange words, but the looks their subordinates gave the other side held nothing but deep, seething hatred!

The two sides bickered back and forth like this for a long while, finally parting on bad terms, deciding to each fight their own war, to avoid "misunderstandings" like today's from happening again.

The suspicious Zhang Yu still had to treat this Yuyang shock cavalry as a potential enemy and warn Ma Yuan.

And Wu Han had his own thoughts, musing to himself: "If I follow you into Ma Yuan's main camp, even if I am not detained, whether I get any merit and how much will all be up to Ma Yuan to decide. A true man would rather be a chicken's beak than a cow's rump!"

Since he, Wu Han, was going to pledge allegiance to the King of Wei, he had no intention of being someone's subordinate. If he was going to do it, he would be a commander of a front, on equal footing with great generals like Ma, Geng, and Jing!

Yet Wu Han was also quite sharp in military matters, rough but with a fine eye for detail, and knew what the greater picture demanded.

The addition of the Yuyang shock cavalry to the eastern front battlefield could indeed play a decisive role. Wu Han thus gave the order: "Leave the one thousand cavalry who have fallen behind and arrived later along the Zhang River line. Maintain contact with Zhang Yu, and at the appropriate time, give that Ma Yuan some support, lest they later complain about us to the King of Wei."

"The remaining three thousand, plunder more grain in Hejian, eat and drink their fill, and continue west with me!"

Having learned from Zhang Yu's mouth the location of the Tongma eastern route army, Wu Han decided to slightly revise his plan.

"Since the Tongma army is east of the Zhang River, their grain route and reinforcements must be west of the Zhang!"

Merely going to the sturdy walls of Xiaquyang City to scare Liu Ziyu would not be enough. Wu Han planned to conveniently sever the Tongma's main artery as well!

Wu Han turned his head and looked at the Yuyang shock cavalry, who had ridden hundreds of li and whose morale was still undiminished. They were all sons of Yan, and the moment they opened their mouths, it was with rousing song. His ambition swelled even greater.

"With these three thousand cavalry, I can rampage across You and Ji!"

Wu Han was a rampaging, unstoppable charge forward. Another general from the Yan region of You Province, also with three thousand men under his command, was instead lethargic and full of hesitation.

In the middle of the twelfth month, in the northern part of Changshan Commandery, Geng Kuang turned his head to look back. The rolling, horizontal mountain range, its peaks and ridges clustered together, was covered in ice and snow above, like giants guarding the plains.

And Changshan Pass (present-day Juma Pass), which they could not have taken even at the cost of their lives, still stood firm.

Changshan Pass was the largest choke point on the Puyin Corridor. If they could break through and march south, from the mountains to the plain, following the river, a mere twenty-li downhill road would take them there.

Yet the empire's perilous passes must still be respected. Geng Kuang ultimately failed to force the pass and could only take a mountain track known as the "Eighteen Turns" to detour. For this, the Shanggu troops had to march an extra two hundred li of mountain roads, winding and twisting all the way, with steep gradients and sharp turns, a high mountain on one side and a cliff on the other. On some stretches the slopes were so sheer that no path existed, and they had to erect temporary bridges just to cross.

Only after spending several days did they worm their way out of the Taihang Mountains. They lost quite a few soldiers, and warhorse losses were severe, but at least they had crossed that natural barrier.

Once on the plain, Geng Kuang immediately led his troops to attack Upper Quyang (present-day Quyang County).

Though Upper Quyang and the Northern Han capital Lower Quyang shared similar names, they were not the same city, nor even adjacent.

Lower Quyang (present-day Jinzhou, Hebei) lay in the north of Julu, while Upper Quyang lay in the north of Changshan Commandery, the two cities over two hundred li apart.

Lower Quyang was a large city, but Upper Quyang was merely a remote, small county seat — taking it posed no great difficulty.

The difficulty lay in the Shanggu troops' next move. Geng Kuang received a letter that Kou Xun had sent by light cavalry in haste, recounting the upheaval in Yuyang and Wu Han's reckless audacity.

That Wu Han had nerve enough — he had actually asked Kou Xun to help look after Yuyang's administration and beacon fires while he was away. Kou Xun now had to manage the government of three commanderies — Shanggu, Dai, and Yuyang — and his head was about to burst.

Kou Xun also worried that Wu Han, advancing alone deep into enemy territory, would fail on the verge of success and miss the golden opportunity for the two commanderies' shock cavalry to join forces and sweep across You and Ji provinces. Yet he also feared that Wu Han might, by sheer luck, succeed and hog all the credit, making Shanggu look bad.

Though Kou Xun was steady by nature, he was after all in his prime, and his desire for achievement was still somewhat strong. Geng Kuang, however, was not worried in the least; he even felt a surge of delight.

"Wu Ziyan bursting onto the scene spares this old man from having to fret."

What worried Geng Kuang most was not how to win merit and build a career, but that the Shanggu shock cavalry might perform too brilliantly and amass too many deeds.

His eldest son, Geng Yan, was only twenty-two, yet already the King of Wei's General of Chariots and Cavalry, the army's second-in-command, with sole authority over military affairs in Bing Province. Not long ago, he had also won a great victory at Fuping — his brilliance was impossible to conceal.

With a son this formidable, if the father proved equally adept at campaigning, would the King of Wei not hand You Province to the Geng family as well? Geng Kuang feared that King of Wei Lun might well lose sleep and appetite over it. After all, he too had rebelled against Wang Mang as a subject.

Though Geng Kuang had marched south, he still hesitated to go directly to assist Jing Dan in a pincer attack on the King of Zhending. The Shanggu troops circling to the rear could indeed change the situation on the western front in one stroke, but Jing Sunqing was his former subordinate. Geng Kuang also feared that the King of Wei might think they were colluding outside royal orders, forming a "Shanggu clique."

Now all was well. With a Wu Han who would rather be a chicken's head than an ox's rump sticking his neck out, he, old Geng, could comfortably be the "ox's rump" — clumsily doing what little he could, without drawing anyone's notice.

"Continue south, march two hundred li, and strike the supply route between Zhending Commandery and Jingxing Pass."

To give Jing Dan a hand — that was loyalty. But not to help him all the way — that was discretion.

As expected of a man schooled in the Laozi, Geng Kuang, just past forty, understood well the principle that hoarding much leads to heavy loss. Let Geng Yan be in charge of waxing; as his father, he would take charge of waning. Only thus could the Geng family be like the moon — though it waxes and wanes with the seasons, it hangs long in the night sky!

Stroking his beard, Geng Kuang laughed. "The young are to be held in awe. This realm beneath heaven — leave it to Bo Zhao, Ma Yuan, Wu Han, and those other young men to conquer!"

"As for this old man, I shall merely serve as a foil for you all!"

……

PS: Chapter 2 at 23:00.