“Who would have thought that the Xianbei splinter group north of Yanshan would invade Youzhou right now?”
And nobody expected that Gongsun Zan, currently at a disadvantage, was just pretending to retreat, all part of today’s cunning first strike!
The upstream waters of Baodi had frozen over, and with the drop in temperature continuing over the past three days, the freezing had spread to the narrow passages of the river near Yuyang, creating a solid ice surface just right for the cavalry to cross.
This became their passage across the river.
As Gongsun Zan and Taduan combined their forces to cross the river, shards of ice flew up from the surface, yet there were no signs it might crack, reflecting a cold white sheen under the moonlight.
But once the cavalry crossed, they surged forward like a raging fire!
The target—Yuyang County.
This was the administrative center of Yuyang Prefecture, and just by the shared name, one could tell how critical this location was.
Unfortunately, the rebellion led by Zhang Ju years ago caused significant damage to the city walls, and although Liu Yu oversaw repairs, he prioritized the restoration of civilian life in Youzhou, leaving the walls only partially repaired.
Stationing troops here, Liu Yu adhered to his usual practice of forbidding soldiers from disrupting the local populace’s lives and not allowing troop encampments to damage civilian homes; thus, aside from the guards on the city wall, the rest of the soldiers camped outside in the main encampment.
Gongsun Zan was well aware of this.
And it was because of Liu Yu’s arrangements that he felt confident marching forward with Taduan and Ke Biner, using cavalry as the main force, never considering the possibility of a siege.
The white horse cavalry galloped through the night like waves of snow rolling over the frost-covered plains.
And at the front of this snowy tide, as the commander, Gongsun Zan’s gaze was fixed ahead with a fierce determination to seize his prey.
He certainly knew that a large cavalry charge would inevitably bring the sound of thundering hooves to the enemy’s ears as they drew closer to Yuyang.
But as long as he was quick enough, dispatching the sentries along the way, and completing his encirclement before Liu Yu and the others could regroup—
Then the early warning would not be a flaw that allowed the enemy to prepare, but rather a signal of intimidation for the enemy camp!
Once he grabbed this advantage, he could leverage the combat capabilities of the Youzhou cavalry, Wuhuan horsemen, and ferocious Xianbei troops to slaughter the Yuyang defenders, who outnumbered them three to one, right at the city gates.
Let’s hope Liu Yu, that pretentious guy, would be included!
As the silhouette of Yuyang City came into view, Gongsun Zan heard two sounds.
One was the battle cries from the Xianbei to the north, thrumming south along the river route.
Ke Biner leading his Xianbei troops had grown increasingly frustrated over the years of stagnation; today, they finally had a chance to leap into action, how could they not howl with the thrill of closing in on their enemy?
The sound mixed with the night winds, eerily resembling wolf howls.
The other sound came from the enemy camp, where amidst the chaotic and noisy atmosphere, the rumble of action began as they prepared for the coming attack.
Gongsun Zan turned back to the Wuhuan cavalry behind him and shouted, “Taduan! We need to speed up!”
He couldn’t let the Xianbei get ahead of them!
Despite the barriers of the Yanshan Mountains and the Xianbei’s compliance over the past years, Liu Yu had left few sentries on the northern front, making their advance much easier than their side.
But Gongsun Zan was the commander gathering this coalition army; how could he let Ke Biner steal his glory?
In this brief advance, there wasn’t enough time for the Yuyang defenders to retreat into the city.
Liu Yu should know this if he had any experience commanding troops.
Instead of turning their backs to the enemy, they should prepare their forces at this moment.
Yet even in this critical time, soldiers were still sleeping in their clothes, and issuing commands still took time.
In Gongsun Zan’s view, the fires igniting within that camp signaled chaos, indicating the enemy was caught off guard.
He could confirm—it was the perfect time for them to trample the enemy camp and carry out a surprise slaughter!
With that thought, Gongsun Zan tightened his grip on the long spear.
The nearly two-foot spearhead packed a powerful visual intimidation, and in reality, it served as the essential muscle behind his White Horse Brigade!
Making the most of the confusion caused by the invading Xianbei, Gongsun Zan charged towards the East Gate of the camp.
With heavy armor and the crash of his spear, the wooden stakes at the camp’s periphery posed no obstruction to them.
The soldiers rushing toward this direction were similarly caught off guard.
A flickering flame was swept away by the strong wind, snuffed out before it could even issue a warning, it was cut down under the long spear.
Without sparing a glance at the hastily forming troops, Gongsun Zan issued a command with clear intent.
These skillful cavalrymen swiftly changed direction, charging towards the main battle flag alongside Gongsun Zan.
At that moment, he found the Xianbei running particularly fast, which was somewhat beneficial!
If the Xianbei’s surprise attack had diverted the attention of the local defenses, he would face much less resistance.
From his experiences battling Zhang Liao and others over the past six months, it was likely that Liu Yu’s men were the only ones holding the defense here.
That was great news!
As he raised his hand to signal, those archers among the cavalry swiftly drew their bows while galloping, raining arrows toward the gaps in the camp.
If not for the frost of winter making it tough to ignite the tents, and the ditches around the camp having been dug to halt the spread of fire under Zhang Liao’s assistance, Gongsun Zan would have unleashed both arrows and fires from the torches along their path.
But what he had was already enough!
The rain of arrows fell, the long spear paved the way, and those defenders blocking his path to the main flag fell before him, as the cavalry surged forward with an unstoppable force.
However, just before he reached the area where the troops were gathering and organizing, a wide grin on his face from the prior carnage, numerous tripwires began to appear beneath the hooves of their warhorses.
They weren’t trained for tricks, only horsemanship, and immediately several were tripped up.
If not for the fact that Gongsun Zan’s subordinates charged ahead, he too would have found himself among the unlucky tripped ones.
Almost simultaneously with the appearance of this trap, the sound of heavy infantry closing in hit Gongsun Zan’s ears like thunder.
This sound drowned out any noise in the camp.
And just like his unexpected entry into the camp, the enemy had given him no time to react as they surged in from the sides.
It was indeed infantry.
But once the foot soldiers armed with long weapons reached this distance, it was actually the cavalry that found themselves at a disadvantage.
Let alone after they had just been tripped up.
Even the skilled Youzhou cavalry still had some strength left to rapidly remount amidst such a chaotic shift.
However, their enemies were no pushovers either.
Gongsun Zan turned his horse and lifted his spear, trying to gauge the unusual force that had collided with his cavalry, but the flickering firelight and clouds blocking the moon made it hard to see who they were.
All he could see was—long lances from the cavalry became the perfect opportunity for the infantry to strike back.
As these elite troops appeared, they formed a solid barrier to protect the main battle flag.
In the subsequent chaos, both sides tangled together, and it was clear his side was losing ground!
Especially the Wuhuan troops with him.
At that moment, although he couldn’t see where the commander of the infantry was, it didn’t affect Gongsun Zan’s judgment that these were troops led by Qu Yan.
Even if Zhang Liao wasn’t among them, this heavy infantry under Qu Yan would still pack a punch!
Gongsun Zan could never understand how long Qu Yan had anxiously awaited this chance to fight, just like Qu Yan would never grasp Gongsun Zan’s bitterness towards Liu Yu.
The restrictions placed by Qiao Yan on the powerful clans of Liangzhou meant Qu Yan had to secure enough military achievements to divert resources from Qu Yi, and he had had limited opportunities to confront Gongsun Zan head-on in previous battles in Youzhou.
This time was different!
Gongsun Zan’s apparent retreat was interpreted by Zhang Liao in a whole different light.
The old, worn-out coastal road east of Wuzhong indeed faced difficulties far greater for attackers than defenders.
But those problems were concentrated in summer and autumn, not during this freezing winter when the river’s surface could solidly freeze over.
So the only possible explanation was Gongsun Zan’s move wasn’t really a retreat but a tactical feint!
Zhang Liao had his men keep an eye on enemy movements while he urged Qu Yan to prepare for the coming clash.
“They’ve set up a mission against Gongsun Zan.”
So when Gongsun Zan and Tadtun’s cavalry came charging in, Qu Yan, who had been prepped for this, quickly rallied the troops.
Maybe the only surprise was that another branch of Xianbei from the north decided to crash the party, forcing Zhang Liao to abandon reinforcing the outer defenses and hastily intercept the northern forces.
This left Qu Yan with the job of hitting them head-on as they advanced.
The troublesome nature of the Liangzhou people steeled Qu Yan, who was completely unfazed by the imposing cavalry of Gongsun Zan. With a fierce shout of “Kill!”, he kicked off the counterattack.
True, Gongsun Zan didn’t get yanked off his horse by some trip rope, but his conspicuous position alongside Tadtun made him a huge target in that instant.
Those heavily armored infantry brandishing shields came charging in with a determination that felt way more reckless than the cavalry he commanded.
Trying to shatter their assault, they adopted a clear “capture the leader first” stance.
As Gongsun Zan’s spear clanked against a shield, the next moment, multiple hooked spears shot out from underneath, dragging both him and his spear down to the ground.
If not for his subordinates coming to the rescue, Gongsun Zan would have been a goner right then and there.
But when he got back on his horse, he had a fresh injury on his shoulder.
Reflecting on those fierce eyes he had just faced in that moment of panic, Gongsun Zan signaled for a retreat without a second thought.
His decision wasn’t based solely on fear.
During their relentless back-and-forth, Liu Yu’s elite guard had also regrouped from the earlier chaos, and it wouldn’t be long before they could encircle them like a bowstring.
Staying any longer was bound to lead to disaster!
Gongsun Zan and Tadtun ditched some of the soldiers defending the rear, carving a bloody path to try and merge with Kebi Neng’s incoming forces. Just then, they heard a shout echoing through the camp—
“The enemy captain is dead! Kebi Neng is dead!”
When Zhang Liao was stationed at Yanmen, he had crossed paths with Kebi Neng.
But at such a critical moment in battle, he didn’t have the luxury to consult with Qiao Yan about whether Kebi Neng was meant to be killed.
To swiftly break the enemy’s power, he decisively decided to eliminate Kebi Neng and have it proclaimed loudly.
This Xianbei hero, thinking he’d make a name for himself with this surprise attack, instead received a death blow.
The announcement of Kebi Neng’s death not only threw the Xianbei cavalry following him into a panic but also alerted Gongsun Zan and Tadtun to the fact that they had lost an ally and would need to change their course.
What they didn’t expect was that right when they were leaving, another group they thought they had breezed past before would suddenly emerge from hiding.
This group wasn’t as elite as Zhang Liao and Qu Yan’s forces but was definitely not on the same level as Liu Yu’s troops.
As they charged at Gongsun Zan’s forces, they brought with them an unmistakable wildness that was hard to tame.
In the increasing glow of fire, Gongsun Zan spotted a familiar face.
A few years back during the chaos in Yuyang, this man, a southern Xiongnu commander under the Han, had been forcibly recruited to fight in Youzhou.
Gongsun Zan had met him briefly, and perhaps had even fought alongside him once.
But today, Yufuluo, son of the Southern Xiongnu chieftain, was here after Qiao Yan had tasked Zhang Liao and Qu Yan to assist Liu Yu.
Earlier in the skirmishes, he and his Xiongnu cavalry mingled with Zhang Liao’s troops, and they were slightly less impressive than the Bingzhou army, seasoned in the Yanmen battle.
Yet in this sudden clash, he was more than capable of leading a force to interception.
As Gongsun Zan’s retreating troops fell into disarray, Yufuluo, with keen vision honed from hunting and decent night sight, spotted him amidst the chaos.
Just as their path cleared, Yufuluo had already set his crossbow bolt and let it fly.
Even though Gongsun Zan reacted swiftly to dodge, the bolt still found its way into the seam of his armor on his wounded shoulder.
A sharp pain nearly made him drop his spear.
But years of experience in countless battles had given him instincts.
If he dropped his weapon, that would truly be the end!
Determined not to let go of his last resort, Gongsun Zan gritted his teeth, abandoned his rear guard, and charged out with his personal guard and any cavalry that could keep up.
No one could stop this famed iron cavalry of Youzhou from leaving.
By the time Liu Yu and Zhang Liao arrived heading in this direction, Gongsun Zan’s figure had long vanished into the thickening fog of night.
Luckily… while Gongsun Zan was absent, the crisis of this raid seemed to have passed.
Liu Yu let out a sigh of relief.
With Gongsun Zan losing one ally and suffering this defeat, it wouldn’t be easy for him to make a comeback.
Even if he intended to, the Wuhuan people who suffered this loss wouldn’t be able to confront Liu Yu for answers, so they’d just blame Gongsun Zan!
He was in big trouble!
But before they could soak in their small victory, just as dawn approached, a horse galloped in from the south.
Even before the rider arrived, a voice had already preceded him—
“Not good!”
Liu Yu was already on high alert due to Gongsun Zan’s incursion and was overseeing the fortification of the camp.
Hearing the urgency in the voice, he looked up and felt a bad premonition as the rider turned out to be none other than his eldest son Liu He’s personal attendant.
As the rider reached Liu Yu, he reined in his horse too abruptly and tumbled off, barely managing to stay upright with the help of Liu Yu’s aides.
Perhaps because of the morning chill, sweat had formed frost in his hair.
But it was the words he uttered that truly sent a chill down Liu Yu’s spine.
“Reports just came in that there was a skirmish last night. Your Excellency fought hard, but the eldest son was captured by Gongsun Zan’s men on his way to assist!”
Liu He had fallen into Gongsun Zan’s hands!
A hurried military dispatch swiftly made its way from Dai County to Yanmen, then onto Qiao Yan in Jinyang.
The message from Zhang Liao stated that Gongsun Zan had taken Liu He while retreating to an unknown location, and in his anger, Liu Yu decided to pursue.
According to Zhang Liao’s analysis, given that Gongsun Zan and the others were beaten, they would likely head directly east instead of south to Hunu, making Liu He’s capture look like it had been premeditated. Pursuing now was bound to lead into a trap.
This was different from what Emperor Huangfu had done in breaking the siege at Chencang to press on against the kingdom.
Back then it was about wiping out evil; this time, it was better to avoid chasing a trapped enemy.
But Liu Yu didn’t heed Zhang Liao’s warnings; in a fit of anger, he told him not to second-guess matters at such a critical point.
To prevent Gongsun Zan’s group from escaping eastward through Wuzhong and gaining ground, and to stop him from pillaging the civilians to the east of Yuyang after his losses, Liu Yu promptly mobilized 30,000 troops from the garrison and the people.
As it turned out, Zhang Liao’s instincts were spot on; Gongsun Zan and Tadtun indeed lay in ambush along the coast, leading to a crushing defeat for Liu Yu’s already shaky troops.
In the melee, Liu He, used by Gongsun Zan as a hostage, tragically fell to an arrow.
Liu Yu almost became a prisoner, but luckily thanks to Zhang Liao’s guidance through Tianshi’s directions, they navigated to the north and tore through the enemy lines to rescue Liu Yu with the aid of Qu Yan.
Liu Yu only suffered minor injuries—thankfully nothing severe.
However, upon hearing about the heavy losses and Liu He’s death, he coughed up blood and fainted.
Zhang Liao hastily took him towards Bingzhou and then retreated to create a new defense line at Shanggu, preventing Gongsun Zan from slipping in unnoticed.
The arrival of the military report was crucial for Qiao Yan to decide on the next steps.
Receiving this succession of news, even though Qiao Yan anticipated it, she never expected after learning Liu Yu might become the next emperor, Gongsun Zan wouldn’t just sit by; he would surely attempt to shift the situation.
What she didn’t foresee was the efficiency with which he allied the Xianbei branch and Wuhuan into a singular, offensive force.
Also managing to capture Liu He to lure Liu Yu out, he pulled off quite a comeback!
Gongsun Zan, who could establish the White Horse Army, certainly had some skills!
She immediately ordered horses to be prepared, leading her personal attendants northward at full speed to Yanmen, where she found Liu Yu still bedridden.
From the time she bid farewell to Qiao Yan to return to Youzhou until now, it had only been about half a year.
Qiao Yan didn’t even notice any changes in her subordinates’ exterior appearances.
But when she saw Liu Yu again, this governor of Youzhou, under 50, appeared to have aged five or six years overnight, his hair peppered with gray from suffering the loss of his son, and his eyes reflected an overwhelming exhaustion.
Watching Qiao Yan rush in, still wrapped in her cloak, he suddenly broke into tears, sighing heavily, “Yeshou, how I regret not heeding Wen Yuan’s words!”
