Chapter 317

“Can strategists not ascend the throne?”

Chapter Nine: The Calamity of Drought and Locusts, the Flying Forces of Liaodong — Chapter 317: Ta Dun’s Demise

“Crossing the Daliao River from Xiangping brings us closer to the territory of Liaodong. To take down Gongsun Zan, we need to first deal with the Wuhuan and Ta Dun right there,” Zhuge Liang said, glancing at the power distribution map of Liaodong provided by Gongsun Du, a look of contemplation crossing his face. “I have an idea, but I wonder if everyone dares to give it a shot.”

Gongsun Du had already witnessed the prowess of these youngsters firsthand, and the others had a solid grasp of Zhuge Liang’s capabilities.

Seeing that everyone encouraged him to continue, Zhuge Liang elaborated, “Lord has ordered us to team up with General Wen Yuan to strike at Gongsun Zan, precisely to prevent him from fleeing to Liaodong, or worse, out of the borders altogether, eventually becoming a disaster for us. The same goes for Ta Dun. Although the Wuhuan are divided under the Chanyu into three factions, Ta Dun, relying on a title granted by the court in Ye, stands above the rest. Once he loses favor, he will surely face a united onslaught from all sides. Thus, we must prevent his escape or any alliance with Gongsun Zan for a desperate bid.

“Why don’t we first take on Ta Dun, display his head as a warning, and then charge into Liaodong?”

What Zhuge Liang proposed was clearly a two-pronged attack, similar to the plan against Gongsun Zan, rather than a traditional siege.

“As Prefect Gongsun stated, some of the Wuhuan in Liaodong are fleeing from the turmoil in surrounding territories. At that time, Ta Dun was in Changli and hasn’t moved since. The terrain in Changli isn’t easily defendable, but if there’s any change in the city, he could escape down the Yushui River to Liaoxi, fleeing towards the military stationed in Liucheng by Gongsun Zan, or retreat towards Bohai Bay, making it tough for pursuing soldiers unfamiliar with the terrain.”

“Instead, let’s split our forces from Xiangping; one troop heads northwest to Wulv Mountain, crossing the mountain and then attacking from the north to cut off Ta Dun’s retreat to Liucheng. The other team goes southwest from Xiangping, entering the sea at the mouth of the Liao River to intercept Ta Dun along the coastal route.”

“To take down Gongsun Zan, we also need naval ships patrolling the shores to prevent him from crossing Bohai to Jizhou and aligning with Yuan Shao, strengthening his position. It’s perfect timing for a naval advance while going after Ta Dun.”

Wulv Mountain, known also as Mishu Mountain, is the northern stronghold of Youzhou. Its highest point is only about 800 meters high, much less daunting compared to Qiao Yan galloping down the Yinping path. Plus, with Gongsun Du as a guide familiar with the terrain of Liaodong and Liaoxi, the trip would be much easier.

After discussions, everyone saw Zhuge Liang’s plan to split forces as feasible.

Besides leaving Lu Yi and Guo Huai to guard Liaodong, Gongsun Du, Lu Lingju, Zhuge Liang, and Tai Shici would take the route over Wulv Mountain, while Sima Yi and Gan Ning would head down the coastal route.

“Kid, it’s your time to lead now. I see you’ve picked up quite a bit from Jia Wen and that fellow during the journey from Yizhou to Hailing and in Xuzhou. Don’t let Ta Dun slip through our fingers!” Gan Ning slapped Sima Yi on the shoulder, sounding all fired up for battle.

But just as he finished, Lu Lingju interrupted, “Hey, Gan Xingba, does that mean you’re hoping for us to fail taking Changli? We can’t have that kind of negative talk before we even mobilize.”

“Whether Ta Dun runs or not is fine by me; just hand over the credit for Gongsun Zan to me!” Gan Ning shot back, completely unrepentant.

Sima Yi simply couldn’t tolerate the childish bickering over credit any longer, chiming in, “If you two don’t hurry, I think Gongsun Zan’s head might end up in General Zhang’s grasp instead.”

His comment rallied the two as they united for a common cause.

Having crossed vast seas, and even risking military supplies via sea routes, they couldn’t bear to let their western front collapse.

Whoever claimed Gongsun Zan’s head, as long as it was from their side, wouldn’t tarnish their expedition to Liaodong.

Gan Ning and Lu Lingju exchanged determined looks, seeing in each other’s eyes a fierce will to win, tempered by a tentative sense of cooperation alongside their mutual rivalry.

The two commanders, Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi, could only helplessly rub their foreheads.

Yet, it should be said, the martial spirit exhibited by these warriors was indeed inspiring for the troop.

The expedition crossing Wulv Mountain was remarkably smooth.

On the other side of Wulv Mountain lay the territory occupied by the Wuhuan.

The Wuhuan have always been a belligerent race; they were once attracted by Liu Yu’s assimilation policies, yet remained notoriously hard to tame. The biting cold of the northeast and their land’s lesser fertility than that of the Xianbei fueled their desire for Han lands.

Ever since Ta Dun helped Gongsun Zan defeat Liu Yu, he had been granted the title of Marquis of Liaodong by the court in Ye, ruling over the tributes from the Liaodong territories.

But that wasn’t enough to satisfy him.

In Ta Dun’s plans with Gongsun Zan, he was supposed to receive the title of King of Liaodong, not merely Marquis. Whether Gongsun Zan slipped something shady into the letter he sent to Ye or if the court held a bias against the Wuhuan, this demotion of status had stoked Ta Dun’s fury.

Months later, seeing Lalou, Supuyan, and other Wuhuan kings being elevated to the rank of nobles by the Emperor of Ye only fueled Ta Dun’s anger further.

The manpower losses he suffered in Yuyang forced him to quash internal conflicts before taking on Gongsun Zan or Yuan Shao. By the time everything had settled, summer had come to an end in the third year of Jian’an.

Having dealt with his internal troubles, Ta Dun swallowed up Nanlou’s people, silencing his critics regarding his allegiance to the Han.

Now, he was scheming to rake in a profit this autumn.

In his bid to prove his good intentions and not instigate Wuhuan infighting, Gongsun Zan didn’t take a cut of the Liaodong tax revenues due to his position as the governor of Youzhou. Yet, the non-farming Wuhuan provided little in the way of financial returns.

His eye, naturally, turned towards a place — Jizhou, ruled by Yuan Shao.

His left neighbor, Gongsun Zan, was his ally, while his right, Gongsun Du, had previously fought him; hence, only Jizhou was left unconsidered.

This year’s severe drought had caused significant losses in Jizhou, but to Ta Dun, even a dying camel was bigger than a horse, and Jizhou’s losses still far exceeded his own.

Moreover, severe losses could actually benefit him.

This meant that after their raid, extracting sufficient food and money from Jizhou to deal with them would be a serious challenge.

The more Ta Dun mulled over it, the more feasible it seemed, so he rallied all the Wuhuan tribes within his jurisdiction toward Changli before the autumn harvest.

Just as Lu Lingju and the others crossed Wulv Mountain, they encountered a group of Wuhuan. After swiftly defeating them, they heard the news.

“I’ve got a somewhat bold idea…” Lu Lingju couldn’t help but say.

But before anyone could chime in, she continued, “But never mind, if Lord finds out, he would definitely avoid such means.”

At that moment, she genuinely considered letting Ta Dun execute the plan to gather the Wuhuan tribes to raid Jizhou, and once they realized their success, completing a surprise attack on Ta Dun midway.

This way, Ta Dun’s existence would surely give Yuan Shao a headache, leaving the situation in Jizhou even worse.

The supplies that Ta Dun brought back from the raid could form a nice supplement for their side, whilst they could crush him in the lapsed defensiveness of returning victorious.

However, that would mean delaying the plan to take out Gongsun Zan.

Thinking more about all they studied since their time at Leping Academy, combined with Lord’s initiatives across the three provinces and her tentative attempts to relay news through the Leping Monthly Report, Lu Lingju felt a strange intuition —

Lord probably viewed the populace of Jizhou as his own subjects in advance.

She most likely wouldn’t want to see them ravaged by Ta Dun’s raiding.

“Looking at it from another angle, if the Wuhuan gather, it saves us the trouble of searching everywhere. We can just sweep them all at once!”

Warming up to the idea, Lu Lingju was eager to take action, only to catch Gongsun Du looking at her like she was a weirdo.

But turning to see both Tai Shici and Zhuge Liang nodding in approval of her enthusiasm, she felt it was Gongsun Du, who was perpetually in Liaodong and clueless about Central Plain customs, who was the real peculiar one.

“Gongsun Taishou, please lead us and select a suitable point to break into the enemy camp,” Zhuge Liang said, interrupting his critique of the Leping students. “I mean, after we attack, where will create the most chaos in their camp?”

Gongsun Du pondered a moment before replying, “Since Ta Dun has called for various tribes to unify, to assert his leadership after swallowing Nanlou’s faction, he will definitely also invite Supuyan, who is currently in a weaker position. To avoid unnecessary conflicts, and considering that raiding Jizhou is crucial for the Wuhuan’s winter survival, Supuyan is bound to come.”

“Attacking his camp will likely cause disorder in no time.”

“That’s the guy!” Zhuge Liang said with a grin. “Perhaps we can wait for a favorable wind.”

It seemed the heavens were smiling upon their intent to halt the Wuhuan from raiding the Han. Just as they prepared to launch an assault on one of the Wuhuan kings, Supuyan, the wind was perfectly in their favor.

As Zhuge Liang gave the signal to move, Lu Lingju and Tai Shici immediately sprang into action.

These Wuhuan had just gathered at Ta Dun’s summons, and several camps were still under construction.

This chaotic assembly made them less vigilant; they thought with more tribes arriving, no one would come looking for trouble, resulting in even more relaxed defenses.

In such a night shrouded in darkness, a contingent comprised of archers and Liaodong cavalry crashed into the camp, swiftly.

The cavalry’s charge paired with fiery torch throws ignited a blaze that spread quickly.

The archers’ advance brought maximum carnage in the confusion, not knowing friend from foe.

In all this unexpected chaos, Supuyan was dragged out of the tent by his subordinates, just in time to narrowly avoid being hit by arrows raining from the night sky.

Shield raised over him, he glanced toward the shadows lit by the flames.

In this uproar, even a seasoned warrior like him could barely discern the approaching enemies.

The only shadow he could spot was that of horses amidst the firelight.

Those were undoubtedly the strong horses of Youzhou!

In recent years, they had been monopolized, divided among Gongsun Zan, Ta Dun, and Gongsun Du.

Gongsun Du was still far away on the eastern side of Wulv Mountain, dealing mostly with Fuyu and Goguryeo, hence Supuyan didn’t factor him in the equation.

So what was left in his range of speculation were Gongsun Zan and Ta Dun.

Yet, whichever scenario played out, it all pointed back to one – Ta Dun!

“Damn it!”

“We’re all part of the same Wuhuan tribe, yet here we are, not even watching each other’s backs, and instead fooling us with tales of raiding Ji Province, just so they can net us all and make it easier for him to act as the Wuhuan Chanyu!”

Suhuyan heard the pitiful cries of his subordinates amidst the chaos, and his frustration grew even more.

With the earlier annexation of Nanlou and the death of Qiu Liju, Suhuyan fully realized what kind of person that Tatuan, the self-proclaimed Wuhuan Chanyu, truly was.

But since Suhuyan had chosen to come here, he still held a shred of respect for Tatuan.

This was supposed to be a moment to reconcile their relationship, not the perfect opportunity to go for the kill!

He must be mad!

As Suhuyan struggled to climb onto his horse amidst the chaotic crowd, he made a decisive choice in his heart at that moment—

Since Tatuan disregarded their tribal friendship and aimed to eliminate all Wuhuan leaders he perceived as threats, he certainly wouldn’t just sit and wait for the end!

“Immediately contact the chieftains of the other Wuhuan tribes who still have a good relationship with us!”

Suhuyan glanced at the enemy still entangled with his troops but at a disadvantage, as the flickering firelight revealed a figure swinging a long spear, beheading one of his subordinates. His resolve hardened, “We must quickly gather our soldiers and counterattack Tatuan; there might still be a glimmer of hope.”

“Are they really expecting Tatuan to only slice me, Suhuyan, to pieces?”

Of course, if they intend to kill, it’s all or nothing.

Moreover, the fire had already begun to spread, driven by the wind, showing no signs of abating.

With the tents ablaze and a crimson sky above, the flames had not only reached the next camp, but someone had already informed Tatuan.

He did not dare delay, fearing that Gongsun Zan—the slippery fellow—would break their pact, aim to monopolize Youzhou, and had chosen this very moment to strike. He hurriedly rallied his troops to venture out in a bid to save Suhuyan.

But little did he expect, at that very moment he exited, he was met by Suhuyan, who now led a ragtag bunch of previously defeated soldiers and allied tribes, launching an attack!

“Has he gone mad?” Tatuan barely evaded, taking an arrow to the shoulder.

Not wanting his subordinates to notice his injury, he quickly yanked out the arrow and barked out orders to attack.

Though bewildered why Suhuyan would launch an assault at this time, the warlike nature of the Wuhuan dictated that he wouldn’t surrender; he would simply have to strike back with overwhelming force!

But could he really impose such an effect on these desperate people gathered for survival?

Probably not!

In the midst of this chaotic melee, the cover of night and the similar appearances led to easily confusing friend with foe in a fleeting moment.

Yet, the bow was drawn, and there was no letting up; if he didn’t power through and breach Suhuyan’s lines now, he’d end up like a wounded beast torn apart by those hunting him!

However, as Tatuan maintained his status as a hunter, he spotted a column charging towards him, illuminated by the increasing flames.

These were neither his Wuhuan brethren nor Gongsun Zan’s subordinates, but a force that was both familiar and strange to him.

Familiar because of the Liaodong cavalry; he had dealt with them multiple times before and during his tenure as a Liaodong vassal.

Strange because the morale of this enemy was high, far greater than he had ever witnessed in recent years, and, shockingly, the leading commander wasn’t Gongsun Du but a girl no older than ten!

This age didn’t let Tatuan underestimate her—after all, he was already in a precarious situation.

He didn’t believe for a second that they just happened to appear here; he felt she was fully prepared. In fact, Suhuyan’s surprise attack could very well have been orchestrated by her!

But until Tatuan’s body was tossed off his horse, he remained blissfully unaware that these sudden attackers weren’t Gongsun Du’s men but were sent by Qiao Yan to attack Youzhou.

What he wouldn’t know was that after his death, the pursuit would end with Lü Lingju wiping off the splattered blood from her face, officially beheading Tatuan and issuing directives: “Every cavalryman must hang a Wuhuan head at the front of their horse as they march west towards Liaoxi; anyone who dares to stop us, kill without mercy!”

Though Changli had caught the Wuhuan by surprise during their gathering, the true authority over Youzhou belonged to Gongsun Zan, so they needed to merge with Zhang Liao’s troops swiftly.

But halfway there, she suddenly slowed her horse, pulling herself from the adrenaline of just decapitating an enemy commander and said, “Did I forget something again?”

Zhuge Liang replied, “I’ve sent someone to notify General Gan and Zhongda—they won’t be waiting idly at the lower reaches of the Yushui. They’ll patrol along the coastline ahead. Troops have already been dispatched from Liu Cheng, and there’s no chance Gongsun Zan’s subordinates will catch us off guard.”

Lü Lingju coughed lightly, feigning calm as she responded, “You’re still quite thorough, Kongming.”

She just needed a bit more experience, unlike her father, who only focused on the present!

When she glanced at Tatuan’s head hanging before her horse, a satisfied smile broke on her face.

This display could be seen as embodying what Lord Junhou demonstrated back in the day when avenging the people of Gu Yang…

Meanwhile, Zhang Liao, Lü Bu, along with Yufuluo and Qu Yan, prepared their supplies for the deployment. They wasted no time as they stormed out of the Ju Yong Pass, seizing Changping and Jixian in Guangyang County, obliterating Gongsun Zan’s defenses at Ju Yong Pass.

Guangyang County, the smallest in Youzhou, served merely as a transit point between Shanggu, Zhuo, and Yuyang. Once they took Jixian, Guangyang County would effectively change hands.

When Gongsun Zan received the news while stationed in Yuyang, Zhang Liao and Lü Bu’s forces had already advanced from Jixian and seized Anle County.

Gongsun Zan was taken aback.

“How could it be so fast?” He abruptly stood up, clearly astonished.

He could only blame Qiao Yan for putting such restrictions on Lü Bu.

Qiao Yan understood the best way to unleash Lü Bu’s fighting spirit!

Either get him something that mattered significantly to him—

But that had limited effect now that he already had Chitu!

Or give him a proper scene to strut his stuff—

Now that he’d achieved the rank of Middle General, further promotion was a bit trickier unless he could take out Gongsun Zan!

Or, like now, work the situation backwards.

If Lü Bu couldn’t take Gongsun Zan down in Yuyang, he’d have to reroute to defend Zhuo County by the Juma River and Baiyangdian, not daring to cross an inch, lest he be mocked by Yuan Shao’s troops across the river for being a coward.

Could he endure such a predicament?

Clearly not!

If it weren’t for the siege rules stating one city at a time in Youzhou, Lü Bu would have liked nothing more than to appear right beneath Yuyang’s walls and challenge Gongsun Zan to a duel.

But this wasn’t too bad.

The distance between Anle County, where they were now, and Gongsun Zan’s Yuyang County was merely a river.

If this were two years ago, that river could barely be considered a geographical barrier, but this year…

The locust plague had a relatively minor impact on Youzhou, but the drought certainly didn’t.

The river’s flow had visibly decreased, meaning the stretch from Anle to Yuyang was practically a cakewalk.

With the river drying up, the moat would surely follow suit, as long as the enemy prepared enough siege equipment, their numbers were plenty to breach what appeared to be the sturdy gates of Yuyang.

By the time Gongsun Zan caught wind of this, the forces attacking Yuyang had already exceeded just those dispatched from Ju Yong Pass.

With Chang’an’s Son of Heaven, once Liu Yu ruled Youzhou, areas like Shanggu, Guangyang, and Yuyang had received a lot of patronage from him. Upon hearing of Wang Shi’s advances eastward, many chose to switch sides.

Amidst his anger, Gongsun Zan soon heard even more detrimental news.

The enemy forces stationed in Anle County split into two: one continued to prepare siege equipment and recruit personnel for the attack on Yuyang, while another charged on eastward, capturing Hunu County before Gongsun Zan could intervene.

“Are the defenders all useless?” Gongsun Zan roared in fury at the news.

Hunu County lay directly on his retreat path back to Liaoxi.

Should he lose this place, if he failed to defend Yuyang, regrouping in Liaoxi would mean a hasty, meager escape, hoping not to get noticed by the enemy, or sacrifice the rear guard as pawns in his retreat.

No, he couldn’t think of the worst-case scenario just yet; he needed to consider resolving things with Zhang Liao and Lü Bu right in Yuyang!

Yuyang wasn’t completely surrounded yet—he still had a chance.

“Increase the garrison at the Great Wall checkpoints north of the city walls, in case the Xianbei decide to attack from the north.”

Gongsun Zan had previously courted alliances with the Xianbei factions; thinking of the relationship between Bugen and Qiao Yan, he couldn’t help but worry about this possibility. Little did he know, Qiao Yan had no intentions of utilizing that force, lest it bolster the influence of outside tribes.

With this plan set, Gongsun Zan added, “Send horsemen at full speed to Liu Cheng and Liaodong vassal states, summoning the Wuhuan reinforcements and all my remaining troops here.”

Though anxious inside, Gongsun Zan gritted his teeth, putting on a confident show, “No need to worry; this battle in Yuyang is yet to be decided—who’s hunting who!”

The riders seeking reinforcements sped eastward, with reports of messengers entering the shoreline before others turned back reaching Zhang Liao shortly.

“As anticipated.”

The messengers hadn’t faced actual hindrance; he had issued those orders before dispatching scouts.

This wouldn’t change the outcome of the battle.

If everything went smoothly, Tatuan on that side should have already clashed with their forces.

Zhang Liao trusted Qiao Yan wouldn’t overload those youngsters with tasks beyond their abilities.

And since they managed to establish a foothold in Liaodong, they should be able to trust them more.

He only needed to focus on the immediate.

Hunu County changed hands swiftly without much effort, making it clear how unstoppable their offensive was.

This was the first blow to Gongsun Zan’s confidence.

As for what followed…

Zhang Liao promptly issued a second order—

“Raise the flags of the three Wuhuan kings atop Hunu County.”