Jinting Han people

While Lu Ji led his army south to Hulao Pass, Sima Yi and Liu Xian had just crossed the Yellow River Bridge to the north, halting their 70,000-strong army on the north bank of the Yellow River. They were scouting the exact location of the Northern army, intending to send a letter to Lu Ji challenging them to battle. However, the messenger never returned, and they heard that the garrison at Chenggao Pass had been abandoned and occupied by the Northern army.

Upon hearing this, Sima Yi became extremely anxious. He struck his saddle with his whip and angrily said, "If the enemy avoids battle and surrounds us, our cause is doomed!" He then led the emperor across the river bridge again, preparing to send cavalry directly to retake Hulao Pass. The nobles in the court were mostly fearful, and Sima Yue and others requested that they lead their troops back to Luoyang to defend the city before making further plans.

Liu Tun agreed to retake Hulao Pass, saying, "Since the enemy army avoids fighting us, it shows that they are afraid of our army. The Hebei army is not strong enough. I am willing to be the vanguard and clear the way for the General!"

Zu Ti then said, "Don't rush. Taking back Hulao Pass is difficult. We might as well send troops to Eban Pass and Yangcheng to launch a surprise attack on the Northern Army."

Liu Kun then said, "It would be better to defend the city and seize its grain supplies!"

Opinions were divided, but everyone could see that Lu Ji's move was truly ruthless. Instead of following the conventional path of contesting the river bridge, he cleverly seized Hulao Pass first. This gave him the flexibility to attack or defend, and even if he couldn't capture Luoyang, he could use this opportunity to sever Luoyang's connection with the provinces of Yan, Yu, Qing, and Xu. At that point, the imperial court would become a sham, allowing Lu Ji to freely maneuver throughout the Central Plains and expand the political influence of the Northern Expeditionary Army.

After much discussion, everyone remained undecided, and finally all eyes turned to Liu Xian, waiting for the commander to make a decision. Liu Xian, upon hearing the news, had been deep in thought. Only after a rough plan took shape in his mind did he realize the room was completely silent. He snapped out of his reverie, a confident smile spreading across his face, and said:

"There's no need to hesitate. We'll go to Yanshi and split into two groups to go to Huanyuan Pass and Eban Pass to protect our flanks."

"Is it to retake Hulao Pass?" Wang Cui asked.

"No." Liu Xian shook his head slightly and said, "Chenggao Pass is strategically located, guarding the mountains and bordering the water. If our army, with its inferior strength, were to forcibly seize Hulao Pass, we would probably suffer more than 10,000 casualties. Even if we could take it, we would be exhausted and unable to fight the enemy again."

"We're going to Yanshi, following the same old plan: to challenge the Northern Army to a duel and prepare for a decisive battle."

Upon hearing this, almost everyone thought Liu Xian had gone mad. Lu Ji's arrangement clearly showed his determination to deny Liu Xian a decisive battle, instead employing a war of attrition, a war of attrition, and a war of public opinion to gradually crush the Imperial Guards. In this light, Lu Ji's understanding of Liu Xian so well had caused his original plan to fail, yet Liu Xian still wanted to challenge him to a duel—wasn't that ridiculous?

But Liu Xian changed everyone's mind with just one sentence. He said to Sima Yi, "Your Highness, we are not going to deliver a challenge to Lu Ji, but to deliver a challenge to the Prince of Chengdu!"

"Immediately send an envoy with the Emperor's seal to Ye City to denounce the King of Chengdu for his disloyalty, filial impiety, and lack of benevolence and justice. Then, using the story of the campaign against Zhao, boast of the past achievements of the royal army and belittle the incompetence of the Northern Army's soldiers by highlighting their past misdeeds. Finally, inform him that if he still wants to protect himself, he should order a ceasefire as soon as possible; otherwise, fight a battle this month and let the whole world see who the truly invincible army is!"

What a brilliant strategy! Upon hearing this, everyone was completely convinced.

Indeed, if the imperial court directly provoked Lu Ji, Lu Ji was unlikely to fall for it. However, the situation was different for Sima Ying, the Prince of Chengdu. He was not on the front lines and knew nothing about military affairs. If provoked and angered by the court, Sima Ying would undoubtedly be eager to end the war. If he gave Lu Ji an order, would Lu Ji obey or not? Given his precarious position in the north against the Wu people, wouldn't disobeying cause chaos within the army?
This was actually a strategy Liu Xian had discussed with Li Sheng and others before deciding on the decisive battle. The final conclusion was that they had about an 80% chance of success; the remaining 20% ​​chance of failure mainly rested on the remaining advisors in Ye City. Were there any wise men among them who could see through this and stop Sima Ying in time?
In Liu Xianzhi's view, Lu Zhi would definitely see through his plan. However, Lu Zhi had already lost power and had a fundamental conflict with Lu Ji. As long as Lu Zhi hesitated and remained silent, Liu Xianzhi would have a high chance of success. But what if Lu Zhi didn't speak up? This was the biggest flaw in this strategy.

If Lu Zhizhen had stepped forward to stop Sima Ying, Liu Xian had a backup plan: to bypass the passes of Huanyuan Pass and Eban Pass and launch a night attack on the Northern Expeditionary Army. After all, an army of 200,000 could not possibly hide in a small fortified town; a surprise cavalry flanking maneuver could also lead to victory.

However, Liu Xian did not speak of it at this moment, because there were too many variables in this plan, and it all depended on the situation on the spot. In the end, it could not compare to the original strategy of the duel.

After the plan was finalized, the next step was to select the person to travel north to Ye City. Finding such a person was difficult, as the envoy was to be sent specifically to provoke Sima Ying; a single misstep could result in a one-way trip. Everyone knew the danger of the mission and dared not speak out. Sima Yi, wanting to find someone trustworthy and eloquent, was therefore extremely cautious.

However, such a candidate was extremely difficult to find. Liu Tun suggested several candidates, including Yue Guang and Shan Jian, but Sima Yi was dissatisfied with any of them. In his eyes, these men were pampered and lacked backbone; they had little prior connection with him and were unlikely to be willing to serve him. If it weren't for the need to maintain decorum within the imperial clan, Sima Yi even considered sending a guard who had fought alongside him through thick and thin, hoping that a generous reward would actually ensure their loyalty.

In this situation, it was Liu Kun who finally stepped forward and said, "I am willing to go north."

His request immediately caught everyone's attention: Liu Kun was from Hebei, handsome and dashing in appearance, and renowned among scholars for his refined and elegant demeanor, making him an excellent candidate for the mission to Ye City. Moreover, he was considered a member of Liu Xian's faction, and his entire family was in Luoyang, so his loyalty should be assured.

Liu Xian's earlier contemplation and struggle were actually a matter of considering who to send on the mission. He knew full well that this trip was fraught with danger, and seeing Liu Kun volunteer, he couldn't help but worry for him, asking, "Yue Shi, are you truly sure you'll be safe going north?"

Liu Kun patted the sword at his waist and said confidently, "You've made it very clear just now. It's nothing more than playing it by ear. There's nothing too difficult about it."

He further stated, "Shizhi and I used to get up at the crack of dawn every day, hoping to make a difference in the great war. But I didn't achieve anything in the last coup. How can this be? A true man may be inactive in ordinary times, but at this critical juncture, he should rise to the challenge. Let me go!"

Seeing Liu Kun's heroic spirit, Sima Yi felt a sense of admiration and nodded, saying, "Alright, I'll leave this matter to you."

Therefore, Liu Kun was publicly appointed Grand Master of Ceremonies, and more than ten horsemen were assigned to him as guards. Then, an imperial edict was drafted and handed over to Liu Kun along with his ceremonial staff and seal. The two sides parted at the river bridge. Liu Kun carried five days' worth of rations and set off from the north bank, traveling alongside the government troops on the south bank. After several miles, he spurred his horse northward, galloping towards Ye City. Due to the urgency of the journey, he traveled extremely fast, stopping almost constantly along the way except to find markets to replenish his fodder. He ate and drank on horseback, thus traveling day and night.

On the morning of the third day, two days later, Liu Kun and his entourage arrived at the Zhang River. Apart from the dazzling sunlight gleaming on the stones of the riverbank, the landscape was mostly withered autumn grass and fallen leaves. What should have been the second most prosperous city in the land was now deserted; the smoke from chimneys resembled that of an ordinary county town. A little inquiry revealed that most of the people around Ye City had been conscripted as laborers to transport supplies for the frontline army, leaving behind mostly the elderly and infirm.

Even so, Ye City remained under martial law, making it difficult to meet Sima Ying. As soon as Liu Kun announced his identity as an imperial envoy, he was immediately placed under strict guard by the city guards, and no one was allowed to see him.

When the news reached the Ye Palace, Sima Ying was very surprised. He couldn't help but ask Meng Jiu beside him, "I have already sent a large army to the border, why does the King of Changsha still send an envoy? What is he trying to do?"

Meng Jiu, of course, chose the most flattering words: "Perhaps the King of Changsha, seeing the imposing appearance of our army, felt ashamed of his own inferiority and thought he could not win, so he wanted to send an envoy to specifically request peace with Your Highness!"

Hearing this, Sima Ying was secretly pleased, but feigned anger and said, "Fool! What was he doing all this time?"

The Prince of Chengdu was extremely vain. While the power struggle was the primary reason for his falling out with Sima Yi, his previous attempts to order Sima Yi to change imperial edicts were either ignored or refuted with grand principles, resulting in him losing face. This was also a significant factor. Therefore, he shouldn't have met with Liu Kun, but the thought of finally getting Sima Yi to back down filled Sima Ying with unbridled excitement, and he decided to see Liu Kun.

Sima Ying thought this was a great opportunity to show off his power and swagger. So he ordered all the officials left in Ye City to come to the palace to witness, including even Sima Yao, the Prince of Dong'an, who was observing mourning in Ye City.

However, his swaggering was seen as deliberate intimidation and harassment by Liu Kun and his entourage. When Liu Kun entered the Wenchang Hall, he was surrounded by twenty armored soldiers. As he walked along the road, hundreds of golden-armored guards stood guard, swords drawn and spears held high. Their faces were filled with murderous intent, and they stared at him fiercely like a pack of wolves, as if they would step forward and cut Liu Kun and his men into mincemeat in the blink of an eye at the slightest command.

This scene is truly terrifying, making one feel as if they dare not look up at it.

But Liu Kun was prepared for this. He remained calm amidst the hail of swords and spears. When he arrived in front of the crowd, he simply bowed and greeted them, then said loudly, "This humble official, Liu Kun, is here by order of the Emperor to greet Your Highness."

Sima Ying did not react at all, and it seemed that he wanted to put on airs in front of him. It was Meng Jiu beside him who coughed and slowly said, "What brings you here, Minister Liu? Are you here to negotiate peace on the orders of the court?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Kun couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing, but he maintained a calm and composed demeanor and replied, "General, I have come here to negotiate peace, yet I am not here to negotiate peace."

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Sima Ying knew something was amiss. Lacking in composure, he quickly sat up, staring at him and asking, "What does this mean?"

Liu Kun said, "My king told me that my king and the general are, after all, brothers, and my king is the elder brother. He should be more magnanimous and not make things too awkward between brothers."

"As you know, he was planning a war with the Western Army, which has many skilled warriors and is not easy to deal with. If he is not careful, he will lose everything. But you have interfered at this time and want to compete with my king, which has really put my king in a dilemma."

“If my king goes to war with the Grand General, regardless of victory or defeat, both sides will be severely weakened. At that time, who will be able to subdue the Western Army? If my king does not go to war with the Grand General, he will be attacked from both sides and will not be able to concentrate on dealing with the Western Army. In that case, my army will be defeated first, the Grand General will be defeated second, and in the end, the King of Hejian will benefit for nothing. What is the point of this?”

"Therefore, my king and I have repeatedly instructed that we wish to negotiate peace with the general. At least for the time being, we must avoid armed conflict. After my king and the King of Hejian have settled their differences, you can then send troops south. That way, you will have a better chance of winning!"

With each word Liu Kun spoke, Sima Ying's face darkened further. By the end, Sima Ying was so angry that he clenched his fists, veins bulging: "Is there really such a thing as seeking peace in this world?"

Instead of following Liu Xian's strategy of requesting permission to fight, Liu Kun used a provocation. On the surface, every word he spoke seemed to be for Sima Ying's benefit. However, upon closer examination, it's easy to see that his words were entirely devoted to the Western Army, suggesting a deep-seated contempt for Sima Ying, as if Lu Ji's 200,000-strong Northern Army were nothing more than a speck of dust, not even worth a hair on the Western Army's head.

Sima Ying had already prepared himself to thoroughly humiliate Liu Kun, whether he sought peace or war, as long as the other party asked for his help, and then beat him out of the palace to vent his anger. However, after hearing Liu Kun's words, he was so angry that he couldn't say a word, yet he couldn't find a reason to punish Liu Kun. The resentment in his heart was driving him mad.

After a few breaths, the King of Chengdu stood up expressionlessly. He glanced at Liu Kun, then slowly walked into the inner hall. After dismissing the rest of the people, he finally had to suppress his anger. Immediately afterward, Sima Ying began smashing things wildly in the hall. Wine cups, screens, incense burners, and lamps were smashed in just a few breaths, and the noise was so loud that everyone in the front hall could hear it clearly.

A while later, a palace maid came out of the hall and invited Lu Zhi in for a meeting, saying that the Prince of Chengdu had important matters to discuss with him. Upon hearing this, Liu Kun's heart tightened immediately. He stared intently at Lu Zhi's back, and at the same time, he understood that the success or failure of his trip depended on this man.

Lu Zhi seemed to have anticipated this, calmly stepping into the inner hall, instantly silencing the entire hall. Everyone present held their breath, straining their ears, trying their best to hear the conversation in the inner hall. But unfortunately, they could only hear the howling wind outside.

Finally, the result was in. Lu Zhi, holding a yellow silk scroll, slowly stepped out of the hall. After glancing around, he finally fixed his gaze on Liu Kun and said, word by word, "No need for further words, my king wishes to settle this with the General of the Cavalry." (End of Chapter)