“Can strategists not take the throne?”
Chapter 152: A Firm Ground to Stand On
Huangfu Song was left wondering if he had misheard.
But Cheng Yu quickly added, “It’s exactly the Gaoping that was previously occupied by the Zhong Qiang.”
Huangfu Song and Cheng Yu exchanged silent looks for a moment before he finally asked in a daze, “Gaoping has been taken?”
Cheng Yu replied, “Fortunately, with General Huangfu here to divert attention, we marched last night and breached the city this morning. We’re just finishing up now, so please join us for dinner, General Huangfu.”
Huangfu Song: “……”
This unexpected news had him caught between shock and joy.
While Cheng Yu mentioned the luck of Huangfu being present, Huangfu couldn’t shake the feeling that he hadn’t contributed much at all.
He was stationed here, waiting for Qiao Yan and the Bingzhou forces to join him.
He thought that with ample manpower, even if they couldn’t breach Gaoping, they could at least leave a force to surround the city, restricting Zhong Qiang’s elite from coming out and then sweep the outskirts to occupy Liupanshan Pass.
With this plan, they wouldn’t suffer too badly when they moved westward later.
But unexpectedly, Qiao Yan had no intention of engaging in a protracted battle with Zhong Qiang; she chose a direct assault!
No matter how incapable the Zhong Qiang were at defending, the walls of Gaoping were enough to give anyone a headache.
Zhong Qiang held the upper hand among the Qiang tribes, so they were hardly novices at warfare!
How on earth did Gaoping fall in just one night?
As Huangfu Song followed Cheng Yu towards Gaoping, he couldn’t stop pondering this question.
When they reached the outskirts of Gaoping, he saw that the once clear Qingshui River was hardly recognizable, possibly earning the nickname “Blood River” instead.
The Qingshui River flowed from Liupanshan to Gaoping, it was literally crystal clear, but now it was lined with an astonishing number of Zhong Qiang corpses.
The blood pooling on the ground mixed into the surrounding soil, dyeing the Qingshui River a deep crimson.
Qiao Yan stood by the riverbank, watching her soldiers clear out the last remaining fighters from the streets and homes, looking absolutely fierce with her weapon in hand.
Hearing the marching footsteps from behind, she turned to look at Huangfu Song, her expression softened slightly, “General Huangfu.”
By the time Cheng Yu made his way to invite Huangfu Song to the city, the fighting had nearly settled down.
The Zhong Qiang, claiming to number around a hundred thousand, were actually split into factions; the leader of Zhong Qiang commanded barely over ten thousand.
Despite the seemingly solid structure of Gaoping, once they broke through the southern city gate, the Zhong Qiang found themselves like fish in a barrel.
The lack of a major city gate on the northern side only worsened their predicament.
They could only escape east or west.
But as the Bingzhou army broke through the southern gates, the reinforcements led by Xun You immediately divided under his command.
One team remained as the southern gate’s backup, while two others encircled the east and west city gates, poised to strike with cavalry and archers.
Qiao Yan brought plenty of officers along to ensure they could flexibly fight in smaller divisions.
At this moment, with Gaoping as their target, these officers and their troops became sharp blades encircling the city!
Zhao Yun guarded the eastern gate, while Fu Gan and Chu Yan defended the west.
This was the kind of lavish defense that would make anyone feel envious.
Perhaps they had one shot left to form a united front and strike back at the Bingzhou forces, but Qiao Yan’s arrow had already struck down the messenger, causing any semblance of calm to vanish.
Even if she didn’t shoot another arrow, simply standing behind the watchtower with her shield made it clear to the Zhong Qiang leader that unless he took her down, she was the spirit boosting the advancing Bingzhou army!
With her present, these troops would only become bolder!
As his last line of defense crumbled, he realized another piece of bad news.
His opponents weren’t merely riding the wave of an initial charge.
As the daylight brightened, he saw the faces of the soldiers around him—full of vigor, rivaling even the meaty Qiang people.
Their weapons were sharper than anything the Liangzhou weapons depot stashed in Gaoping.
They formed an almost unbreakable formation on the street right in front of the city gate, and every time they swung their long knives, a Zhong Qiang head would roll.
With each head taken, he could hear them shout a number.
And with every number, those on the front lines seemed to regain their energy, lifting their knives anew.
Until…
Until a Fangtian Huaji came crashing through!
At that moment, the Zhong Qiang leader suddenly realized that his guards had either fallen one by one or were now far from him.
His bravery seemed pitifully inadequate against the nearly unreasonable ferocity of his opponents, and before he could even make a counterattack, his head tumbled to the ground.
In that instant, he thought—
It felt like he was facing a force that could rival the legendary Duan Jiang army.
No! Even Duan Jiang, who had campaigned against Liangzhou for years, never laid siege to a stronghold in such a ridiculous manner overnight.
But now, his head was proudly displayed by Lü Bu, who had claimed victory, on the watchtower of Gaoping as a signal that the Bingzhou army had taken control of the city.
His body lay alongside those of his kin just outside the city.
According to Qiao Yan’s orders, to prevent the corpses from causing disease nearby, they would be gathered properly and cremated after tallying the battle achievements.
While making her arrangements, she asserted, “As Xunzi said, it’s not about worrying over the captives but about whether the bodies are burned. Burning the fallen Qiang is indeed a just act. This will surely benefit us in persuading any lingering Qiang tribes after such a show of strength.”
She didn’t mention this again when she saw Huangfu Song; she only noted that even among the Qiang who surrendered during the tail end of the battle, she had chosen to execute them without distinction.
“Gaoping is a strategic location that cannot afford to have any loose ends. If I can breach the city today, tomorrow I might not be able to prevent the Qiang I released from exploiting a gap; it’s better to root them out now so the nearby groups understand the consequences of siding with Ma Teng and Han Sui,” Qiao Yan firmly said.
Huangfu Song nodded in agreement, “It’s good that Ye Shu can be so ruthless.”
If Qiao Yan intended to keep the battle-hardened Zhong Qiang for her own use, he would have to advise her a few things.
While there were indeed still a significant number of Zhong Qiang living in Lintao and Yuzhong, who could possibly serve as guides for breaking into Longxi, the Zhong Qiang were far more aggressive compared to other Qiang tribes in Liangzhou; they weren’t the kind to simply cease hostilities after being defeated and surrender.
“In the second year of Yongchu, Zhong Qiang raided Hanyang, killing over a thousand, and that same year, they joined forces with the Xianling Qiang at Pingxiang to kill over eight thousand Han troops. During Emperor Shun’s reign in the first year of Yongjian, Colonel Ma Xian fought against them with over seven thousand troops, managing to subdue the Zhong Qiang, but they rebelled again shortly after defeating them. When Ma Xu and Ma Xian led troops against them to restore order, the Zhong Qiang leader Liang Feng surrendered again, but now, with the Xianling and Qie Dong Qiang tribes lying low, the Zhong Qiang have returned to wreak havoc right here. That’s just how they are,” Huangfu Song said.
“As I walked inside the city with Qiao Yan, I couldn’t help but say that.”
Being from Liangzhou myself and having fought many battles with the Qiang people over the generations, I spoke of these encounters like recounting family tales.
Qiao Yan then asked, “If General Huangfu regains command of the troops, would he prefer the method of the former Grand Commandant and wipe out these restless Qiang tribes at this time of the Han’s decline, or would he lean towards…”
Before she could finish, Huangfu Song interjected, “First eliminate the main offenders, then use the weaker ones for our advantage. Ultimately, the Qiang have no real kinship; they’re merely grouped together under that name due to similar lifestyles, just like those pesky Ban Shield barbarians still causing trouble in Yizhou, who are also called Qiang.”
Qiao Yan chuckled, “That’s exactly what I was thinking. But even if we want to divide and ally, we must first secure our ground here. Taking Gaoping first, defeating the Qiang tribes in all directions to connect Gaoping with Bingzhou’s Shangjun, and ensuring proper logistics is essential before we can discuss anything further.”
Huangfu Song looked at her, noticing that this seventeen-year-old governor of Bingzhou had completely shed her youthful innocence, now radiating the demeanor of someone directing the tides of fate.
He realized that in today’s chaotic world, she was perhaps the only one capable of launching an expedition against Liangzhou, and once order was restored, they could follow up by reclaiming Chang’an and capturing Dong Zhuo. The feeling of unreality that had risen in his heart began to settle.
This was the hope for saving the Han!
As he stepped through the gates of Gaoping City, he started to take note of the battles that had taken place here.
Looking around, his eyes fell on the siege weapon parked nearby.
With his discerning eye, Huangfu Song could tell that the siege ram used by Qiao Yan was no ordinary design.
With this kind of assistance and the fact that most Liangzhou residents had not anticipated an attack from Qiao Yan at this time, it made sense how quickly the city gates were breached.
But Huangfu Song didn’t press for details.
After all, the success of such critical siege machines was closely tied to a general’s achievements, and there was no need to delve too deeply.
He shifted his gaze to the streets he encountered after entering the city.
Having received news from Cheng Yu, he rushed over and had not wasted any time; it was clear that the blood and remains from the fighting in the city couldn’t have been cleaned up so quickly.
Huangfu Song, seasoned on the battlefield, was quite accustomed to the stench of blood that hit him, yet he was surprised by the scene of Qiao Yan’s forces reorganizing their troops, which was something he had never witnessed during combat.
Inside Gaoping City, as Qiao Yan had previously stated, the number of slain Zhong Qiang people amounted to about seven or eight thousand.
This was the size of the elite Zhong Qiang residing in Gaoping City.
Moreover, in the northwest direction towards Huo Shizhai, quite a few Zhong Qiang remnants were still stationed, and she had already sent people to pursue and eliminate them after securing the city.
Such a high number of casualties, even if they held an advantage, would also incur significant losses on their side to achieve within such a short period.
As Huangfu Song observed, he could see numerous Bingzhou soldiers who had perished here.
In contrast to the hastily transported Qiang corpses, the bodies of Bingzhou soldiers were carefully carried to a vacant area in front of the city’s governance office, waiting for Qiao Yan’s orders.
The wounded were similarly organized in one location.
Huangfu Song noticed that these injured soldiers carried makeshift bandaging tools. After applying pressure to their wounds, they waited for assistance from the army medics, and for those not yet treated, they pulled out some cheese from pouches tied around their waists to stave off hunger until the medics arrived.
Clearly, they had enough faith in the medics’ treatment effectiveness and this operational scheme. When they saw Qiao Yan, their commander, passing by with Huangfu Song, one soldier with an arrow wound even greeted her.
Seeing Qiao Yan looking at his injury, he helplessly shrugged, “Your Highness, our leather armor and helmets didn’t cover our legs, so what can we do? I wasn’t paying attention, and a sneak got me while I was chasing. Luckily, my legs are still agile enough—didn’t let him hit my head, just got me here.”
“Maybe you should find a way to carry some snacks on your leg next time?”
On the battlefield, even if one sustained what seemed like minor cuts or arrow wounds, encountering infection could mean a sure death.
Fortunately, within Bingzhou, the potent liquor capable of taking down Lü Bu had become adept in distillation to produce alcohol that met sterilization standards.
Combined with today’s “bone-piercing arrowhead remedy,” wound medicine, and the birch bark thread promoted by Hua Tuo through Wu Pu and among the Bingzhou medics, it was possible to conduct a set of procedures for sterilization, suturing, and medication.
With this solid support, the wounded soldiers, also in good spirits, didn’t have much to worry about.
Qiao Yan couldn’t help but tease, “I think that birch bark thread ought to be used to stitch up your mouth instead of your leg.”
“That won’t do! I still need my mouth to report my achievements!” he promptly replied.
Other injured soldiers around him chuckled in response.
Qiao Yan couldn’t help but shake her head and smile.
The expenditure of twenty thousand stone of grain from killing thousands of Zhong Qiang might be a burden for others, but for her, it wasn’t too much pressure.
With excellent harvest taxes in Bingzhou over the past couple of years, and independent military encampments in places like Baidao River and Shangjun’s West River, they served as direct sources to replenish the provincial granaries.
It was this confidence in having a substantial contribution that led these men, despite their injuries, to realize the rewards they would reap from their military achievements in this battle. Such an atmosphere in the camp also aided in their recovery.
Huangfu Song couldn’t resist smiling at the scene before him.
However, as he stepped into the temporary operational meeting area she had set up, he quickly resumed a serious expression.
The successful capture of Gaoping was indeed good news. Just as Qiao Yan said, with this more stable stronghold compared to Chang’an, the supplies she had amassed in Bingzhou could form a stable supply line.
But the Zhong Qiang’s unending cycle of submission and rebellion over the past century left little room for hopefulness regarding the outcome of a single battle.
And why had Han Sui been stationed in Jincheng for years?
It was because Yuzhong acted as a buffer east of Jincheng, and outside Yuzhong, the Kuiyuan Gorge was the narrowest part of the Yellow River between two mountains, serving as the gateway between Yuzhong and Jincheng.
This stretch of the Yellow River, less than a hundred meters wide, severely restricted the feasibility of a waterborne assault on Han Sui’s stronghold, turning his Jincheng into a secure haven.
Huangfu Song was fully aware of the difficulty in launching an attack on this location.
But perhaps because Qiao Yan always managed to pull off unexpected moves, after exchanging greetings with Gai Xun and taking a seat, he found himself contemplating not the upcoming battle’s challenges, but rather whether they had a chance to first capture Hanyang and the forces led by Ma Teng.
Yet, the first thing he heard was Qiao Yan saying, “I want to send a letter to Han Sui.”
News of her occupying Gaoping City would undoubtedly reach Han Sui via swift riders of Ma Teng and Han Sui’s forces, so her intention to send this letter was certainly not merely to inform him of her presence here, but rather…
She continued, “In the letter, I intend to challenge him to a battle at Fengyi Mountain.”
Fengyi Mountain—
This was where Duan Qiang had slain eight thousand of the Eastern Qiang in the past!
Judging by Qiao Yan’s actions today, it undeniably bore a tone of provocation.
Huangfu Song asked, “What if Han Sui refuses to fight?”
Han Sui would have to be crazy to accept!
The distance from Fengyi Mountain to Jincheng was at least ten times greater than from there to Gaoping; anyone could clearly see whose troops had the advantage regarding reinforcements, even those least familiar with warfare.
Qiao Yan replied, “If he refuses, that’s fine. But if I want to gradually eliminate the Qiang tribes east of Yuzhong—”
“Then he shouldn’t dream of hiding in Jincheng, using his title as General to unite those tribes and wait to reap the benefits!”
