Chapter 221

Chapter 221

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 7: Eight Hundred Qin Rivers, Occupying Guanzhong Chapter 221: The Battle of Yuyang

No one expected the Xianbei branch north of Yan Mountain to invade Youzhou at this time.

Nor did anyone expect that Gongsun Zan, who is currently in a weak position, seemingly made a retreat, but in fact, it was all for this preemptive strike today!

The freezing of the upper reaches of the Baoqiu River, with the continued cooling over the past three days, has spread to the narrow river sections near Yuyang, forming an ice surface thick enough for cavalry to cross.

This has precisely become a passage for crossing the river.

As Gongsun Zan and Tadun joined forces to cross the river, large chunks of ice splashed on the ice surface, but there was no sign of cracking. Under the moonlight, it reflected a nearly cold white color.

However, the wild gallop of the cavalry after crossing the river was like a raging fire!

Target—Yuyang County.

This is the capital of Yuyang Commandery, and just by the shared name, one can tell the importance of this place.

Unfortunately, the rebellion of Zhang Ju in the past caused large-scale collapses in the county city walls. Although repairs were completed under Liu Yu’s leadership, considering the priority of restoring the livelihood of Youzhou, the walls were not fully restored to their former glory.

Stationing troops here, Liu Yu, as per his usual practice, strictly prohibited soldiers from interfering with the lives of local residents and damaging their homes due to the military presence. Therefore, except for the guards on the city walls, other soldiers were stationed in the large camp outside the city.

Gongsun Zan knew about this arrangement.

It was precisely because of Liu Yu’s arrangement that he dared to agree with Tadun and Ke Biner on the time of attack, using cavalry as the main force for this assault, without considering the possibility of a siege.

The white horse cavalry running in the night was like a wave of snow flowing across the frosty fields.

At the forefront of this snow wave, as the commander of this cavalry, Gongsun Zan’s eyes were fixed ahead, revealing a fierce look of tightly grasping his prey.

He knew that the sound of hooves from a large-scale cavalry attack would inevitably reach the enemy’s ears as they approached Yuyang.

But as long as his actions were fast enough, as long as he could eliminate the sentries along the way, as long as his two-sided encirclement could be completed before Liu Yu and others could organize their troops—

Then this “warning” sound to the enemy was not a loophole for them to prepare for battle, but a signal for their camp to be intimidated by the enemy first.

Once he could seize this opportunity, he could rely on the combat capabilities of Youzhou’s elite cavalry, Wuhuan cavalry, and Xianbei warriors to kill the Yuyang defenders, who outnumbered them three to one, under the city walls.

Best of all, including that hypocrite Liu Yu!

When the outline of Yuyang City appeared in his sight, Gongsun Zan heard two sounds.

One was the sound of the Xianbei people moving south along the river from the north.

The Xianbei branch led by Ke Biner had been frustrated by the years of inactivity, and today they finally had the chance to break free. How could they not shout before killing the enemy?

This sound mixed with the howling night wind, vaguely resembling a wolf’s howl.

The other sound was the commotion from the military camp not far from Yuyang County as the enemy approached.

Gongsun Zan turned around and shouted to the Wuhuan cavalry behind him, “Tadun! We need to speed up too!”

We can’t let those Xianbei people take the lead!

Although the barrier of the Yan Mountains and the Xianbei’s obedience over the years meant Liu Yu had few sentries in the north, making their advance much easier than ours.

But Gongsun Zan was the commander who gathered these three allied forces. How could he let Ke Biner of the Xianbei steal all his military glory!

In the short time of this cavalry charge, it was impossible for the Yuyang defenders to retreat into the city.

If Liu Yu had any experience in commanding troops, he should know this.

Rather than turning their backs to the enemy, they should be preparing for battle at this moment.

But even in this season, soldiers mostly slept in their clothes, and it took time to issue military orders.

In Gongsun Zan’s view, the firelight in the enemy camp showed a state of chaos, indicating a hasty response.

He was sure that this was the best time for them to trample the camp and launch a surprise attack!

Thinking this, Gongsun Zan tightened his grip on the long lance in his hand.

The nearly two-foot-long lance tip had a more visually intimidating effect than a spearhead, and indeed it was so.

Long lances were usually only equipped by heavy cavalry, and it was the hard power guarantee for his White Horse Righteousness to run rampant!

Amid the chaos caused by the Xianbei attack from the north, Gongsun Zan headed straight for the east gate of the camp.

The heavy armor on the horses and the destructive power of the sweeping lance made the wooden barriers around the camp unable to stop them.

The soldiers gathering in this direction were the same.

A bit of firelight running back and forth was swept away by the strong wind, and before it could issue a warning, it was already killed under the lance.

Gongsun Zan didn’t even look at these hastily assembled soldiers, issuing a clear order to his subordinates.

These skilled horsemen quickly turned around and, together with Gongsun Zan, charged straight for the central army’s banner.

Now he felt that Ke Biner and his Xianbei people running so fast might not be a bad thing!

Without the Xianbei’s camp attack diverting the defenders’ attention, the resistance he encountered would not have been so little.

From his experience fighting with Zhang Liao and others over the past six months, the defenders here could only be Liu Yu’s men.

This was the best news.

As he raised his hand to give the order, these skilled cavalrymen drew their bows and shot a volley of arrows towards the gaps in the camp ahead.

If it weren’t for the winter frost making it difficult for the camp tents to catch fire, and the trenches dug under Zhang Liao’s assistance to prevent the spread of fire, Gongsun Zan would have wanted to throw torches along the way, not just arrows.

But this was enough!

The arrow rain covered, the long lance opened the way, and the defenders blocking his path to the banner all fell before him. The cavalry he led swept forward with an unstoppable momentum.

However, just before he reached the area where the troops were fully prepared, with a smug smile from the slaughter along the way, countless tripwires suddenly appeared under the hooves of their warhorses.

They learned horsemanship, not acrobatics, and immediately a group of them fell.

If it weren’t for Gongsun Zan’s generals rushing ahead of him, he would have almost become one of the fallen.

Almost at the same time as these traps appeared, the sound of heavy infantry rapidly approaching exploded like thunder in Gongsun Zan’s ears.

This sound immediately drowned out any other noise in the camp.

Just as sudden as his camp raid, the enemy gave him no time to react, charging into his ranks from both sides.

It was indeed an infantry.

But when foot soldiers with long weapons reached this distance, it was the cavalry who were at a disadvantage.

Especially since they had already been tripped by the tripwires.

The Youzhou cavalry, skilled in riding, still had the strength to quickly remount in the face of such a sudden change.

However, their opponents were no ordinary soldiers.

Gongsun Zan turned his horse and raised his lance, looking at this unexpected force that had crashed into his cavalry, but due to the flickering firelight and the moon obscured by clouds, he couldn’t see the enemy clearly for a moment.

All he could see was—the cavalry’s overly long lances had become a breakthrough point for the infantry’s counterattack against the cavalry.

He saw these suddenly appearing elites forming a solid barrier protecting the central army’s banner.

He saw that in the instant the two sides clashed, his side was at a disadvantage!

Especially his Wuhuan companions.

At this moment, although he couldn’t see where the infantry’s commander was, it didn’t stop Gongsun Zan from judging based on the enemy’s strength that this was the force led by Qu Yan.

And even if Zhang Liao wasn’t here, this heavy infantry under Qu Yan could still effectively block their advance!

Gongsun Zan wouldn’t understand how long Qu Yan had been waiting for this battle opportunity, just as Qu Yan wouldn’t understand Gongsun Zan’s jealousy towards Liu Yu.

The restrictions Qiao Yan imposed on the Liangzhou magnates forced Qu Yan to achieve enough military merits to possibly gain resource support from Qu Yi. However, in previous battles in Youzhou, he rarely had the chance to face Gongsun Zan head-on.

Only this time was different!

Zhang Liao had a different interpretation of Gongsun Zan’s apparent retreat.

The coastal road east of Wuzhong was indeed in disrepair, posing greater difficulties for the attackers than the defenders.

But these troubles were mainly in the summer and autumn, not in this freezing winter.

There was only one possibility: Gongsun Zan’s move wasn’t a real retreat but a feint.

While Zhang Liao had people keep an eye out for enemy attacks, he also gave Qu…








Qu Yan set up a mission targeting Gongsun Zan.

So when Gongsun Zan and Tadun’s cavalry attacked, Qu Yan, who had prepared for this, quickly rallied his troops.

Perhaps the only unexpected event was the attack from another Xianbei branch in the north, forcing Zhang Liao to abandon reinforcing the outer defenses due to a lack of elite troops and quickly intercept the northern forces.

This left Qu Yan with the task of delivering a counterattack once the enemy had penetrated deep.

The warlike and strong-willed nature of the Liangzhou people meant Qu Yan was not intimidated by Gongsun Zan’s cavalry. Instead, he initiated the counterattack with a loud “Kill!”

Gongsun Zan wasn’t pulled off his horse by the tripwires, but his and Tadun’s conspicuous positions made him an instant target.

The heavy infantry with shields had a more reckless momentum than the cavalry he led.

To dismantle their assault, they adopted a clear strategy of capturing the leader first.

As soon as Gongsun Zan’s lance struck a shield with a dull thud, several hook spears emerged from beneath the shield, dragging him and his lance off his horse.

If not for his subordinates’ timely rescue, Gongsun Zan would have been killed on the spot.

But when he remounted, he already had a bloody wound on his shoulder.

Remembering the fierce eyes he encountered during the terrifying moment, Gongsun Zan immediately signaled a retreat.

This decision wasn’t solely due to that reason.

In their continuous setbacks, Liu Yu’s guards had also recovered from the initial chaos and were about to encircle them with crossbowmen.

Staying any longer would be disastrous!

Gongsun Zan and Tadun abandoned some rear-guard soldiers, fought their way out, intending to join Ke Bineng from the north, when suddenly they heard a loud cry throughout the camp: “The enemy general is dead! Ke Bineng is dead!”

When Zhang Liao was stationed at Yanmen, he had dealings with Ke Bineng.

But in the heat of battle, he had no time to consult Qiao Yan remotely about whether Ke Bineng should be killed.

To quickly crush the enemy’s forces, he decisively killed Ke Bineng and ordered the news to be loudly proclaimed.

The Xianbei hero, who had come from afar, thought he would make a future in this raid but instead met his end.

The proclamation of the enemy general’s death not only threw Ke Bineng’s Xianbei cavalry into panic and confusion but also made Gongsun Zan and Tadun realize they had lost an ally and needed to change direction.

What they didn’t expect was that the outer defenses they had easily broken through earlier now had another force emerging as they led their remnants away.

This force, though not as elite as Zhang Liao and Qu Yan’s troops, was still formidable.

As they charged, they carried an untamed wildness that couldn’t be ignored.

In the increasing firelight, Gongsun Zan saw a face he vaguely remembered.

Years ago, during the Yuyang pacification, this man, as a Southern Xiongnu general who had submitted to the Han, was forcibly conscripted to fight in Youzhou.

Gongsun Zan had met him once, perhaps even fought alongside him briefly.

But today, Yufuluo, the son of the Southern Xiongnu chieftain, had volunteered to assist Liu Yu after Qiao Yan entrusted Zhang Liao and Qu Yan with the task.

In earlier battles, his Xiongnu cavalry, mixed with Zhang Liao’s troops, were slightly inferior to the Bingzhou army tempered by the Yanmen battles.

In this sudden clash, he was enough to lead a force to intercept.

In Gongsun Zan’s retreating ranks, Yufuluo, with his excellent dynamic vision from hunting and decent night vision, spotted Gongsun Zan.

Just as they broke through, his pre-drawn crossbow bolt shot out.

Despite Gongsun Zan’s quick dodge, the bolt still pierced the gap in his damaged shoulder armor.

The sudden pain nearly made Gongsun Zan drop his lance.

But countless battles had instilled a reflex in him.

If he really dropped his weapon, it would be over!

Thinking of his remaining options, Gongsun Zan gritted his teeth, abandoned his rear guard, and led his personal guards and the cavalry that could keep up to break through.

This renowned Youzhou iron cavalry, once on the move, couldn’t be stopped.

By the time Liu Yu and Zhang Liao joined forces and came this way, Gongsun Zan was long gone in the foggy night.

Fortunately… though Gongsun Zan escaped, the camp raid crisis was over.

Liu Yu sighed in relief.

With one of Gongsun Zan’s three allies gone and such a defeat, it wouldn’t be easy for him to make a comeback.

Even if he wanted to, the Wuhuan, who suffered in this raid, would blame Gongsun Zan for not being able to seek justice from Liu Yu!

He was in big trouble!

But before they could rejoice over the victory, at dawn, a rider came from the south.

Before he arrived, his voice reached them: “Bad news!”

Liu Yu, still overseeing camp defenses after Gongsun Zan’s attack, looked and saw it was his eldest son Liu He’s attendant, feeling a sense of foreboding.

The man stopped before Liu Yu.

In his haste, he fell off his horse and, with the help of Liu Yu’s attendants, stood before him.

Perhaps due to the morning chill, his sweat had frozen into frost on his temples.

But his words made Liu Yu feel as if he had fallen into an ice pit.

“Tonight, scouts reported clashes here. The lord fought hard, and the eldest son, hearing the news, led troops from Hunu County to aid but was captured by Gongsun Zan’s general.”

“Please, lord, save the eldest son!”

Liu He had fallen into Gongsun Zan’s hands tonight!

An urgent military report was swiftly sent from Dai County to Yanmen, then to Qiao Yan in Jinyang.

In the report, Zhang Liao wrote that after Gongsun Zan abducted Liu He and retreated towards Wuzhong, Liu Yu, in shock and anger, chose to pursue.

According to Zhang Liao’s analysis, Gongsun Zan and his men, after defeat, should have retreated east directly, not south to Hunu first. Thus, Liu He’s capture was likely premeditated, and pursuing now would lead to an ambush.

This was different from Huangfu Song’s situation after lifting the Chencang siege.

Back then, it was about eradicating evil, but now, it was about not pursuing a desperate foe.

But Liu Yu didn’t heed Zhang Liao’s advice, instead angrily telling him not to discourage him in critical moments.

To prevent Gongsun Zan from escaping east through Wuzhong and using Liu He as a hostage to negotiate with Liu Yu, and to stop him from plundering the people east of Yuyang after defeat, Liu Yu immediately mobilized Yuyang’s defenders and civilians, amassing thirty thousand troops.

But as it turned out, Zhang Liao’s judgment was correct. Gongsun Zan and Tadun had indeed ambushed at the coastal road, inflicting a heavy defeat on Liu Yu’s less experienced troops.

During the battle, Liu He, held hostage by Gongsun Zan, was unfortunately hit by a stray arrow and died.

Liu Yu was nearly captured by Gongsun Zan but was saved by Zhang Liao, who, guided by Tian Yu, circled Mount Xuwu from the north and joined Qu Yan to rescue Liu Yu.

Liu Yu only suffered minor injuries and was fine.

But upon hearing of the heavy losses and Liu He’s death, he vomited blood and fainted.

Zhang Liao urgently sent him to Bingzhou, then retreated to Shanggu’s Juyong Pass to form a new defense line, preventing Gongsun Zan from taking advantage.

This military report was to seek Qiao Yan’s decision on the next steps.

Receiving this series of messages, even though Qiao Yan had guessed that Gongsun Zan wouldn’t sit idle upon hearing Liu Yu was to become the Son of Heaven and would make moves to change the situation, she hadn’t expected him to efficiently ally with the Xianbei branch and Wuhuan, launching a joint attack.

He even abducted Liu He to lure Liu Yu into pursuit, turning the tide!

Gongsun Zan, who founded the White Horse Righteousness, indeed had some skills!

She immediately ordered horses prepared, led her entourage north, and galloped to Yanmen County, where she saw Liu Yu still bedridden.

From the beginning of the year when he bid farewell to Qiao Yan and returned to Youzhou, only half a year had passed.

Qiao Yan hadn’t even noticed any changes in her subordinates’ appearances.

But when she saw Liu Yu again, this Youzhou governor, not yet fifty, had aged visibly, with much more white hair and a deeply tired look in his eyes.

He seemed to have aged five or six years overnight.

Seeing Qiao Yan, still in her traveling cloak, rushing in, Liu Yu suddenly shed tears and sighed deeply, “Yeshu, I regret not listening to Wen Yuan’s advice!”