Chapter 159: Deadlock

A true man should display his might amidst ten thousand galloping horses. Yet, Huan Qian was indeed showing off his might at this moment, though his targets were fragile women.

Inside the tent, two women lay bare, their alabaster bodies sprawled out. Huan Qian was passionately mounted upon one woman, thrusting relentlessly, while his hands wandered over the body of the other.

In the eyes of commoners, this was known as seeking debauchery after being well-fed and warm; but in the eyes of the aristocratic elites of this era, it was known as the untamed spirit of the Wei and Jin dynasties.

The women panted softly, exuding an extreme charm that further fueled Huan Qian's desire. Just as he was reveling in his conquest, a soldier suddenly arrived outside the tent and reported in a loud voice through the curtain, "General, the fighting has begun."

Although Huan Qian did not appreciate being disturbed at such a moment, he was not foolish enough to let women delay important matters. He pushed the woman beside him away, grabbed his inner garments and put them on casually, then donned his armor over them. Only then did he step out of the tent and ask, "When?"

The soldier replied, "Scouts have just reported back that after being trapped in Lueyang, the Northern Expeditionary Army from Shu began their breakout around the third watch tonight."

A smile finally appeared on Huan Qian's face. In truth, wasn't this exact moment what he had been waiting for by stationing his massive army here?

Taking a deep breath, Huan Qian smiled and uttered just two words: "Strike camp."

The Huan clan's advance into the borders of Shu was naturally aimed at gradually infiltrating their influence into the region. Their strategy was indeed clear and well-conceived: internally, Huan Heng manipulated the Inspector of Yizhou, with the two of them working hand in glove in Chengdu, while externally, Huan Qian's large army provided mutual support.

Ever since the barbarians crossed the Bashan Mountains to attack Shu last time, prompting the Inspector of Yizhou to seek help from the Huan clan, and Huan Qian led his troops to garrison the Bashan Mountains, this army had shown no intention of withdrawing. Come to think of it, with the anticipated gains not yet in hand, how could the Huan clan abandon their endeavor halfway?

When Yao Shuode suffered a disastrous defeat previously, had it not been for Huan Qian intentionally sparing his life, how could he have escaped back to Guzhou alive? In Huan Qian's view, all of this was simply a means to secure benefits for himself and the entire Huan clan.

In the blink of an eye, the drums sounded to assemble the troops, and all the generals arrived. Huan Qian walked up to the main tent, unfurled a map, and said, "The barbarians have trapped the Northern Expeditionary Army in the isolated city of Lueyang, and Zhang Chi is breaking out tonight. Do the generals have any thoughts on this?"

One of Huan Qian's generals, Chu Xiongfei, stepped forward and said, "General, according to reports from our scouts, the Northern Expeditionary Army is breaking out to the north tonight. Judging by their direction, it seems they intend to use attack as a defense and strike directly at Guzhou."

The other generals nodded along, but Huan Qian merely smiled. After a brief silence, he shook his head and said, "Incorrect. The Northern Expeditionary Army does not have many troops. In my view, since Zhang Chi already knows the barbarians made preparations in advance, his breakout to the north tonight is merely a feint—a diversionary tactic. I fear his true purpose is to sacrifice the chariot to save the king."

The generals looked puzzled. Huan Qian continued, "If I were in his situation, this would likely be the only way to break out: send a detachment to feign a breakout while the main force seeks a gap to slip away. Therefore, this move is meant to sacrifice the lesser to save the greater, and his true intention is still to retreat back to Hanzhong."

Chu Xiongfei chimed in, "If that is the case, the barbarians will inevitably fall for his ruse. What should we do?"

Huan Qian smiled and said, "Order the three armies to strike camp and set out at once. We must arrive before Zhang Chi can return to Liangzhou Pass, capture it to cut off his retreat, and leave him with nowhere to go!"

"But we are troops of Jingzhou. If we forcibly attack Liangzhou Pass, how shall we answer if Chengdu asks questions?" Chu Xiongfei asked with concern.

"Is that not simple?" Huan Qian laughed. "We can simply claim that Zhang Chi was defeated by the barbarians at Lueyang, and the barbarians are taking advantage of their victory to counterattack Hanzhong. Our taking control of Liangzhou Pass is merely out of consideration for the greater good—a righteous act for the nation and its people, done out of absolute necessity, making it entirely justified and proper. Once we hold the fortress, how can Zhang Chi possibly return? Pursued by the barbarians, I'm afraid he will ultimately die outside the pass."

This strategy could hardly be described as anything less than venomous.

At this moment, Daosheng, who had been standing silently off to the side, finally spoke up, "Amitabha, General. Both sides are descendants of Yan and Huang, why must you hound your own kin with such haste?"

In truth, Daosheng could not fathom why they had to slaughter each other with their own flesh and blood, only to let the barbarians reap the benefits.

"Master is simply too merciful."

Huan Qian waved his hand, signaling the generals to withdraw and execute the strategy just discussed. He then turned back to Daosheng and said, "Master's vision should be broader; not all alien peoples are our enemies. Without the barbarians, there would not be the powerful Huan clan of today. At times, one must nurture an enemy to prove one's worth. The Huan clan has endured in forbearance for years and is now poised for action. To be as soft-hearted as you, Master, is no way to accomplish great things."

Having said that, Huan Qian added, "The most crucial matter now is to root the Huan clan deeply into Shu, making our foundation as solid as rock. The greatest powers in Shu are merely the two provinces of Yizhou and Liangzhou. Now, the Inspector of Yizhou is already our man. Once Zhang Chi dies and Hanzhong is left without a master, who can possibly prevent the Huan clan from infiltrating Shu?"

It was nothing more than a pursuit of self-interest. Daosheng sighed and said, "These things this poor monk does not understand. But I do know that seeds sown today will inevitably bear fruit in the future. I hope the General will think twice."

With that, he closed his mouth and spoke no further.

"Master's teachings often benefit me greatly, but this time, please forgive me for not being able to comply," Huan Qian said with a smile.

Naturally, Huan Qian would not change his original intention because of a few words from Daosheng. The three armies assembled and marched straight through the night toward Liangzhou Pass.

...

As the army surged forward like a tidal wave, Lü Hao was indeed startled when Qin Bo charged straight at him, leaving him only enough time to parry hastily as Qin Bo brought his blade slashing down.

Yet at the very instant he parried, Du Ximing flew past his side like lightning, thrusting his spear straight into Lü Hao's chest.

Fortunately, Lü Hao was fully armored and wore a heart-protecting mirror over his chest, preventing the spear from piercing his flesh. However, due to Du Ximing's immense charging momentum, the powerful thrust knocked Lü Hao's legs loose from the horse's flanks, sending him tumbling straight to the ground.

Once a military commander unseated, survival was generally out of the question. No sooner had Lü Hao scrambled back to his feet than Qin Bo swooped down and sliced off his head in a single stroke.

Killing the enemy commander at the very first encounter greatly boosted the morale of the entire army.

As morale soared on one side and plummeted on the other, the barbarian soldiers and officers under Lü Hao's command had yet to understand what was happening before they saw the enemy army rolling toward them like an irresistible tide, carrying an overwhelming momentum.

In the dead of night, they had no way of knowing the enemy's numbers, and with their commander already dead, how could ordinary soldiers ponder such matters? In their panicked scramble for survival, they had no choice but to scatter in all directions.

The blocking barbarian soldiers were instantly routed. Du Ximing and Qin Bo did not pursue, for their duty was to open the path; they only needed to scatter the enemy troops ahead as much as possible. Since this was a breakout, they naturally could not waste time bogging themselves down in localized skirmishes.

On the other side, Zhao Qian led his army with great fanfare toward the northern sector of Lueyang. With this single burst of momentum, he actually managed to smash right through the enemy formation.

Zhao Qian knew that the most pressing task now was to draw the enemy troops into shifting according to his movements. Only by doing so could he create the maximum possibility for Zhang Chi's main army to break out. Therefore, without halting his troops, Zhao Qian hardened his heart and ordered the entire army to sprint at top speed directly toward the direction of Guzhou.

Zhao Qian was also well aware that the farther he charged and the more barbarian troops he drew away, the harder it would be for him to escape. In the end, even if he managed to reach Guzhou, with his mere few thousand men, he would hardly escape the net of the barbarian army and would inevitably meet his doom outside the walls of Guzhou.

Yet by this point, he no longer cared about any of that. Living a cringing, timid life in Shu had nearly drained him of all his heroic ambitions, but ever since following Zhang Chi, the passion in the depths of his heart had finally surged back to life.

A true man would rather die upholding righteousness than live on as a coward. At this moment, only a single thought filled his mind: along this path, he would kill any man who blocked his way, and cut down any Buddha who stood in his path! He possessed the formidable spirit of pressing forward even against tens of thousands.

The barbarian army hastily launched a pursuit and interception against Zhao Qian, which indeed achieved his objective. However, before long, Yao Shuode began to sense that something was amiss.

After all, Yao Shuode was also a renowned general skilled at uncovering problems from minor details. The issue he discovered now stemmed from the report delivered by his subordinate: "General, the Jin army has broken through the northern defense perimeter. We beg the General to dispatch reinforcements immediately."

Pressing one hand against the corner of the map, Yao Shuode leaned over it to observe closely, while a nearby officer hurriedly brought the candle closer to help him calculate on the map.

"Where are the Jin troops currently located?" Yao Shuode asked.

"They have already broken through twenty li north of Lueyang," the soldier replied.

"This is bad!" Yao Shuode was still studying the map when he suddenly cried out, "The Jin army numbers tens of thousands in total; how could they move so fast?"

Yao Shuode's reasoning was correct: generally, the larger an army's numbers, the slower its maneuverability. Otherwise, the army would be stretched out into a long single-file line, which was a grave taboo in the era of cold weapons; if ambushed, they would likely be slaughtered without a single survivor.

However, if they maintained a proper marching formation, their speed would inevitably be dragged down, especially since the Jin army comprised both infantry and cavalry. How could this particular army, despite facing interception, manage to charge more than twenty li in such a short span of time?

"Quickly recall the troops heading north!" Yao Shuode shouted.

"Understood!" The soldier was about to rush out of the tent to transmit the order when Yao Shuode called him back, "Wait!"

In the era of cold weapons, nothing was more fatal than the transmission of military commands. Indeed, in many historical battles, if the generals of the defeated side had possessed instant communication, the outcome of the vast majority of battles would likely have been rewritten.

At this point, his army had already received the order to march north. Not to mention the time required to issue a retreat order now, even if there was enough time, the officers and men would be utterly bewildered. Time and again, battles were lost because orders were unclear, causing an army with an absolute numerical advantage to be defeated in confusion by a much smaller enemy force.

Moreover, Yao Shuode was still unsure of where Zhang Chi's main army was actually located. A single misjudgment could lead to losing the entire game.

Zhang Chi had once routed his thirty thousand elite cavalry, so it was no wonder he showed not the slightest bit of complacency this time. After a moment of reflection, Yao Shuode called back the messenger and instead commanded, "The three armies will continue marching according to the original orders. I will personally lead my headquarters' troops to strike directly at the enemy's rear to prevent the Jin army from executing a golden cicada shedding its shell."

Edited and published.

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