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“Why do I have to go to Jiaozhou? Why am I bringing you along?”
Fa Zheng turned towards the back of the boat where he heard the voice, spotting a guy all tied up mumbling away.
This bound man didn’t need an introduction; he was easily recognizable by his attire—clearly a member of the Yi tribe of the southern barbarians.
The one speaking was Meng Huo, a name Cheng Yu had mentioned to Qiao Yan when discussing the military situation in Yizhou.
In a letter he sent to Chang’an, Fa Zheng noted that given the tough terrain in the south of Yizhou, he couldn’t just capture the southern barbarians and expect them to be loyal through simple three-capture-three-release tactics. After all, who could guarantee that they’d be safe if the enemy was on familiar territory? They could launch a counterattack or just vanish into the mountains.
Overall, the plan was to use these captured southern leaders to draw out their influential families in Yizhou while also finding other ways to win them over.
As Fa Zheng was getting ready to head to Jiaozhou, he decided to take Meng Huo along.
Though Meng Huo was a leader among the Yi people, his Mandarin wasn’t half bad. He was able to piece together what was happening just from a few exchanged words between Fa Zheng and his companions.
But this “understanding” certainly wasn’t making him comfortable.
You’re taking me from Yizhou to Jiaozhou?
“You Han folks really enjoy doing pointless things. Just kill me if you want! If you want to butcher me, just put my head on display for my wife. Dragging me around as a trophy is ridiculous!”
Fa Zheng glanced at Meng Huo, casually tossing out a fishing rod into the Ming River. “Where exactly did you get the idea that I’m taking you for a show?”
If I wanted to put on a show, wouldn’t it be better to bring more boats and soldiers? I’m off to Jiaozhou as a total surprise to that Jiaozhou Prefect. With a bigger crew, we might even capture him instead. Isn’t that a better plan than wasting time trying to reason with a guy from the barbarian lands?”
Meng Huo blinked, pondering for a moment, realizing Fa Zheng might be onto something.
Even though Zhangqi County and Jiaozhou’s Jiaozhi County were connected, they hadn’t formally interacted for years. A surprise from Yizhou wasn’t on the radar of that Jiaozhou Prefect, nor even the local people near the border.
And these were officials appointed by the Chang’an court.
“Then why take me?”
Bringing him along meant arranging guards to keep an eye on him; otherwise, who knew if Meng Huo might just break free and make a run for it at any moment?
“This isn’t my fault,” Fa Zheng shrugged. “You know the southern terrain better than we do. If I leave you behind, according to Wang Fu’s judgment, there’s a good chance your wife and your subordinates will find you. It’s better to take you out of Yizhou so that even if they get word, they can’t retrieve you quickly.”
“I’ve heard your wife has a decent reputation among your people and is quite decisive. Rather than wasting time on you, why not deal with her after you disappear from Yizhou? If we can defeat her, it may be much easier to win her over than trying with you.”
“You!” Hearing such a strange yet somewhat viable argument made Meng Huo’s mood darken.
If he died, the idea of his subordinates waging a vengeful war would be inevitable.
But if he was just temporarily taken from Yizhou, what sort of reaction would his subordinates have?
Like Fa Zheng suggested, they might have to contend with his formidable wife while he temporarily vanished.
This past year of interactions had opened Meng Huo’s eyes to the capabilities of his opponents.
If initially, they were hesitant due to the unclear situation in Yizhou, now they had clearly gained the upper hand.
With his wife leading, the chance of effectively countering their opponents remained dismally low, especially since the opponents had already made preparations.
Unresolved feuds and greater strength were simply the laws of the southern barbarians.
In fact, Meng Huo had heard from his wife before his capture of examples like Yao Chang, who held the title as Middle General protecting the Qiang. They had better serve the Yizhou Governor than remain in the service of Yong Kai.
His wife pointed out that with Yong Kai facing the risk of becoming a sacrifice in the process of becoming the Grand Marshal of Yizhou, why should they drown alongside him?
Meng Huo didn’t know how Fa Zheng had caught wind of their differing attitudes but the response he was receiving hit the nail on the head.
“Now that you understand my meaning?” Fa Zheng asked. “Do you still think I’m just taking you for a show?”
Meng Huo dejectedly shook his head.
Fa Zheng didn’t even give him an inch, continuing, “By the time we reach Jiaozhou, Yizhou’s situation may well have been settled. Your determination to reclaim the southern barbarians is strong; we do not intend to waste time. Once we land, I’ll let you go. After we’re colleagues, I won’t make it difficult for you.”
Meng Huo braced himself, scrutinizing Fa Zheng’s expression and saw no signs of deceit. It was as if he was sure Meng Huo’s wife Acuo would soon engage them in battle, lose, surrender, and shift allegiance.
He drifted along the river’s flow, bewildered, and once they reached the shore, he was genuinely freed from his ropes and shackles.
However, when faced with newfound freedom, he hesitated—should he immediately return to Yizhou?
If Fa Zheng was mistaken and his Yi tribes were still fighting the Zhangqi County troops, returning now would boost their morale and provide an opportunity for retaliation.
But if Fa Zheng’s words were true, returning might risk breaking an already-formed alliance or put him in a tenuous position that would only serve to offend Fa Zheng, leaving him caught in an awkward spot.
“…”
As Fa Zheng left him there without looking back, heading toward Jiaozhou County, Meng Huo quickly followed suit.
“Wait up!” Meng Huo shouted from behind. “What kind of strategist just leaves a captured prisoner behind?”
Fa Zheng replied, “I said we’d be colleagues. If you want to return, go ahead. We can discuss how to capture Yong Kai later; he certainly hasn’t made plans to wipe out your side. Yizhou is currently a territory under Chang’an, and its people are subjects of the Son of Heaven. Or do you think you’re not one of them?”
This somewhat friendly approach of forming alliances might have worked within Yizhou, but standing on Jiaozhou soil, Meng Huo felt the argument lose its weight.
The more he listened to Fa Zheng play the friendly card, the weaker his position seemed.
“Of course, I’m from Yizhou, but…”
Meng Huo, still confounded, suddenly said, “I’ll follow you to meet the Jiaozhou Prefect. After we return to Yizhou, we’ll figure out who’s superior!”
Whether they could indeed distinguish supremacy, or what their relationship would be when they returned, was uncertain, but he had definitively acquired a notable bodyguard.
Meanwhile, while Shi Xie kept an eye on the situation in Jing Province, trying to gauge the changing dynamics of battle to solidify his stance, he suddenly received news from his subordinates.
“You say someone claims to be Fa Zheng, the Personnel Officer from Yizhou?”
Shi Xie repeated the name, realizing it sounded a bit familiar.
It suddenly struck him; he had indeed heard of this guy.
When Liu Ba traveled north to Chang’an from Jiaozhou, Shi Xie had taken note of the situation upon Liu Ba’s arrival and had found out the results of his assessments; Fa Zheng had placed first right after Liu Ba.
The man’s background wasn’t simple, and his own strength was solid.
But who would’ve thought that in just one short year, this guy had been appointed to a significant role within Yizhou and suddenly appeared right in front of him?
At this delicate moment, when Zhang Jin was leading troops north to Jing Province, Fa Zheng turning up wasn’t just to send seasonal greetings.
This definitely wasn’t a good time for small talk!
“Your southern Yizhou troops have stumbled upon something interesting,” Shi Xie was about to go meet this person when Xu Jing walked in. “This Personnel Officer Fa has someone with him—the leader of the Yi tribe, Meng Huo. Although he hasn’t declared his identity, it’s enough proof of the situation in Yizhou.”
Shi Xie, having aged, looked rather wrinkled at this moment, and his demeanor suggested he was in a bit of a quandary. “You mean, the Grand Marshal has made significant progress in Yizhou and this leader’s presence is a sort of warning to me?”
“I never said that,” Xu Jing shook his head. “It could also just be a ruse; best to have the Governor meet with Fa Zheng directly and judge for himself.”
But while Xu Jing suggested it could just be a distraction or manipulation, Shi Xie had doubts about the timing of Fa Zheng’s swift arrival. Even if word was just reaching Chang’an from the battles in Jing Province, getting Fa Zheng there that quickly seemed more likely that he truly had that kind of power.
Maybe… he shouldn’t hesitate any longer and needed to make a decision quickly?
Shi Xie promptly said, “Let him in to see me.”
He needed to hear what Fa Zheng had to say.
As Fa Zheng stepped into Shi Xie’s territory, meeting this Jiaozhou Prefect, Liu Biao had just rushed overnight to Chen County.
This was the administrative seat of Guiyang County.
Traveling day and night for two days was quite the burden for someone of Liu Biao’s age, so he couldn’t help but show signs of fatigue as he dismounted.
But with urgency in the air, he immediately inquired of the defending troops at Chen County, “Where is Zhang Ziyun?”
By rights, Zhang Jin’s path north to attack Chen County was much shorter than Liu Biao’s journey south. So, for Liu Biao to arrive first was quite a surprise.
He didn’t believe the defending troops at Chen County were substantially better than the ones that had just been conquered.
He was aware that even maintaining respect from the troops in Chen County was a feat.
Understanding this lack of reverence, Liu Biao was less shocked by what he heard from the Chen County troops. “They haven’t moved north yet… After capturing Linwu County, that Jiaozhou Prefect divided his troops, and they’re still stationed at Keling Mountain, while the others detoured towards Nanping County and Guiyang County.”
He carefully assessed Liu Biao’s expression and said, “Both places have already changed hands.”
Five counties!
Liu Biao’s expression darkened as he looked southward. If this continued, despite the administrative seat of Guiyang County still being intact, they had essentially lost half of the territory!
More critically, the newly captured Nanping County connected to the two counties of Lingling; as soon as Zhang Jin took over this pivot point, he could surge north to the county seat of Lingling, bypassing Liu Biao’s forces. He could go straight into Nanjun.
The troops from Jiaozhou’s Yulin County could portage from the west of Jiu Yi Mountain to enter Lingling County.
Years ago, when Sun Jian subdued the rising chaos in Lingling and Guiyang, a crucial factor was that the opposing soldiers were all mainly from a single locality, all recruited from within Jing Province.
Zhang Jin’s situation was entirely different!
In the face of this new information, Liu Biao abruptly realized that Zhang Jin, though not particularly insightful, wasn’t an idiot either!
He had some ability regarding military tactics.
However, Zhang Jin probably could never have imagined that Liu Biao would respond so quickly to the invading forces from Jiaozhou.
“Gather the troops! Before Zhang Ziyun’s forces enter Lingling County, we must wipe out all those back troops still stationed at Keling Mountain!”
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“Destroy it!” Liu Biao promptly gave the order.
After a moment of thought, he added, “Zhongmiao, you go ahead and take a detour to Quanling. If Zhang Ziyun truly intends to head to Lingling County, make sure to stop him at the city gates.”
Huo Du and Huo Jun, the brother duo, had been recruiting skilled fighters in their hometown back when Jing Province was still affected by the Yellow Turban Rebellion. After Liu Biao gained dominion over Jing Province, they joined his ranks.
While they weren’t as strong in military tactics as veterans like Huang Zhong or Wen Pin, Liu Biao soon realized that both brothers had a knack for defending cities, making Huo Jun a perfect fit for the current situation.
Huo Jun was young and held a low rank in Liu Biao’s army. Even if his judgment about intercepting the route to Quanling turned out to be incorrect or failed to achieve Liu Biao’s expected results, it wouldn’t be a huge loss overall.
After all, the top priority right now was to defeat Zhang Jin’s force stationed in the central part of Guiyang County.
But for some reason, Cai Mao had a gut feeling that Zhang Jin’s sudden change in direction was a bit peculiar.
This didn’t just seem like an attempt to lure another army from Jiaozhou into Jing Province; it also felt like there was more at play than just wrapping up his detour before Liu Biao arrived.
Noticing the determined tone in Liu Biao’s commands, Cai Mao hurriedly said, “I think you should be wary of potential traps and not fall for Zhang Ziyun’s schemes.”
Deciding to march north from Jiaozhou into Jing Province was already a tough call, especially given how the Ye City court was currently in a weakened position. Zhang Jin wouldn’t choose this moment to act unless he had some special preparation.
However, Liu Biao merely waved his hand dismissively, indicating that Cai Mao need not worry excessively.
Perhaps eager to prove himself as the sole governor of Jing Province, Liu Biao thought there was no way Zhang Jin could see him as an easy target. Or maybe Liu Biao’s pent-up feelings from earlier intimidation by Qiao Yan needed an outlet, so he maintained his original stance.
“Even if he has a trap laid out, we just need to avoid the high mountains and deep valleys.”
Liu Biao spread out a map of Guiyang County placed before him and noted that one route to Keling Mountain required traversing through another valley formed by the Qitian Ridge peaks. He said, “Look, this route is the best ambush point. I’ll take a detour and head east for a bit, moving along this open road towards the mountains.”
“If that’s the case, what’s there for De Kui to worry about?”
Since Liu Biao said so, Cai Mao couldn’t keep gripping onto his decisions too tightly without looking foolish.
Fortunately, he recalled that while the troops from Jiaozhou were fierce, he had never heard of them exhibiting any unusual capabilities in following military commands.
Cai Mao could only respond, “Nothing really, but if I had to say something—Lord, please don’t take the lead on this expedition.”
Liu Biao laughed heartily, “Do you think I’m the Grand Marshal? Even if you want me to take out the enemy commander myself, I wouldn’t have the skill for it!”
With that, he unsheathed his sword and set off, taking along all the generals except for Huo Jun, who had already turned east towards Lingling County, leaving Cai Mao behind to guard Chencounty as he hastily moved south.
It was nighttime when he set off, right as darkness was deepening.
Liu Biao had actually faced very few battles himself, but sitting in the position of Governor of Jing Province, he had paid attention to the war info across the realm. Plus, he had a knack for seizing opportunities, so he wasn’t too shabby at analyzing battle situations.
His earlier decision to ride alone into Jing Province further proved that he had extraordinary courage at crucial moments.
He had to seize this chance while the enemy was unprepared and create a situation that would stifle Jiaozhou’s troops.
Since he chose not to take the mountainous paths but instead went straight down the well-traveled route, he moved south at a startlingly fast pace. Before nightfall fully settled, the silhouette of Keling Mountain began to appear on the horizon.
He quickly signaled for his troops to slow down to avoid being detected by enemy scouts due to their rapid movement, which would ruin the surprise ambush.
Luckily, Liu Biao’s concerns turned out to be unwarranted.
As he saw the Jiaozhou camp from a distance, there were no signs at all that they had detected his approach.
His eyes lit up, and without hesitation, he gave the order to attack.
But as his cavalry charged toward the enemy camp, the sound of thundering hooves echoed throughout the surrounding mountains. To his surprise, rather than hearing the enemy troops scramble to their feet in alarm, he heard a sound just as powerful coming from the opposite side, not weaker than that of his cavalry’s charge.
At that moment, Liu Biao felt the ground beneath him tremble ominously, almost causing his galloping warhorse to stumble.
This vibration was slower than the rhythm created by the pounding hooves but had a muffled quality that couldn’t be ignored, akin to thunder exploding in the night, reverberating in Liu Biao’s ears.
In the next instant, he realized where the sound originated.
Though the figures in the moonlight were somewhat blurry, one was unmistakably clear—a figure far too tall to be a warhorse, and it was—
“Watch out!”
A staggering shadow whizzed past Liu Biao, allowing him to recognize the identity of his opponent, and he cried out in alarm.
But Zhang Yun, eager for glory in the ambush, had already led his cavalry to the forefront. There was no way he could stop in time.
In the close distance, Zhang Yun could clearly see dozens of dark silhouettes rushing toward him, charging into the ranks of his cavalry like a force of nature.
If it were just a clash of cavalry, Zhang Yun wouldn’t have felt he would suffer any losses.
The ones more prepared would naturally have the upper hand.
Upon hearing the sounds from the opposite side, he had already commanded his troops to unleash hundreds of arrows, aiming to shoot down those who dared to approach.
But what if the incoming charging force were not cavalry? What if they were something with built-in defense in regard to the height of the damage inflicted by arrows?
In the deepening darkness, all he heard was the dull thud of arrows hitting tough leather, followed by the thunderous advance of the massive war elephants carrying cavalry soldiers. One of the elephant’s trunks swiped him off his horse mid-charge, and amidst the pain of landing, he was already being trampled by the advancing legs of an elephant.
Under such terrifying force, Zhang Yun had no chance of survival.
Liu Biao heard General Zhang’s distant shout, and his face instantly changed dramatically.
War elephants, they were war elephants!
Even though he knew troops in Jiaozhou had tamed elephants for cavalry used in the regions of Jiuzhen and neighboring Funan, Liu Biao never expected Zhang Jin would bring such an extraordinary force to Jing Province, stationing them in the area without any warning for Chencounty’s defenders, just lying in wait to deliver a deadly strike against his intercepting force!
After crashing into Zhang Yun’s leading team and reducing it to chaos, the relatively unharmed war elephants advanced toward Liu Biao’s army.
The troops guarding the camp used the momentary pause caused by the collision to complete their gear-up motions and now rushed toward Liu Biao’s forces, shouting slogans to kill.
It seemed like the transition from a surprise attack to being encircled happened in an instant.
Liu Biao clearly saw the change in his ranks.
The cavalry at the front broke under the onslaught of the war elephants, leaving most of the soldiers who had never encountered such beasts utterly terrified. Huo Du’s attempts to regroup them couldn’t stabilize the panicked retreaters or lead them to calmly counter-attack the elephants with their weapons.
Barely managing to hold the reins, Liu Biao noticed the other elephant unit suddenly gained speed, charging headlong at them as if it wished to capitalize on their initial advantage.
How could human bodies withstand that level of impact?
Liu Biao himself couldn’t find an effective solution to such an unexpected turn of events, let alone the soldiers who had already lost their commander.
The reinforcements were also approaching with bow and crossbow in hand, evidently ready to return fire for the previous assault against them!
Liu Biao had no time to dodge as a poisoned arrow struck the head of a soldier in front of him.
At the same time, horses fortunate enough to survive the elephants’ charge were showered with arrows.
To avoid this second wave of incoming fire, those horses had no choice but to retreat frantically in the direction they had come from.
But in this surge and retreat, Liu Biao inadvertently failed to maintain his grip on the reins, and was thrown from his horse.
The instinct for survival made him roll aside just in time to avoid a hoof landing on his head, but in this raging tide of chaos, falling off a horse meant certain death!
Liu Biao’s face turned a ghostly white in an instant.
He never expected this supposedly guaranteed battle would flip into this disastrous turn of fate, and that his rare personal sortie would end with him losing his life.
As the thundering hooves drew closer, he felt the clouds of dirt had already kicked up and hit his face.
Before the horses could thunder past him, a hand suddenly reached out from the side, pulling him away from the stampede!
This force was accompanied by an incredible burst of strength that lifted him off the ground. He then saw the rescuer raise a shield, which had fallen from who-knows-where, taking cover with him and charging horizontally out of the most chaotic area.
At the corner lay a giant rock by the roadside, and without a second thought, they darted past it, hiding behind it.
It was then Liu Biao managed to see that the soldier who saved him, though mostly obscured by armor, appeared extremely young and probably wouldn’t be over eighteen.
Liu Biao had no idea where this young soldier had come from, but he could tell the guy certainly wasn’t one to back down from trouble. As soon as he was set down, the young man hastily asked, “My lord, what should we do now?”
What to do?
Liu Biao wanted to ask that question too.
In the life-and-death crisis, his mind momentarily froze, but the temporary safety rekindled his capacity for thought.
He looked into a pair of eyes.
A pair of eyes sparkling with ambition.
Belonging to this young man who had just rescued him.
Instinctively, Liu Biao asked, “What’s your name?”
Under normal circumstances, Liu Biao wouldn’t have given this minor character a second glance, but now facing the young man’s expression, he sought some kind of support.
This vigorous ambition at this moment provided Liu Biao with immense reassurance.
It meant that this young man would surely do everything he could to assist him.
Everyone knew that in such a scenario of saving a superior officer during a crisis, establishing merit was easier than ever.
The other replied, “Wei Yan! My name is Wei Yan!”
“Great, Wei Yan!” Liu Biao grabbed onto Wei Yan’s wrist.
The pain from falling off the horse had completely banished his fatigue, leaving him fiercely eager to turn the tide. “Now you need to follow my orders.”
“We only have one chance to counterattack. Can you take a risk for me?”
The approaching war elephants didn’t faze the daredevil in Wei Yan one bit. All he knew was that Liu Biao had just remembered his name. This meant that if he could successfully assist Liu Biao in breaking through this crisis, even at such a young age, he would surely establish a name for himself in the Jing Province.
Pumped up with the adrenaline of about to achieve something incredible, he spoke firmly and decisively.
The chaos around them shook Liu Biao, but didn’t drown out what Wei Yan said: “Whatever my lord commands!”
Liu Biao pointed toward the Jiaozhou commander leading the war elephants in the distance and said, “Do you see that person?”
Wei Yan nodded affirmatively.
Liu Biao continued, “I will help you gather a small team, and then, with your loudest voice, I need you to lead that group, shouting that the lord has died, and run in that direction.”
“You might get shot midway, and it could even be our own side that shoots you, but you have one opportunity—kill the enemy commander!”
