Jinting Han people

Battles are always brutal, and by the time the dust had finally settled on the Mangshan battlefield, it was already late at night.

A waning moon hung in the sky, casting its pale light upon the Mangshan land. One could vaguely see groans of people scattered across the ground. They lay among corpses and severed limbs, the blood from the carnage enough to create a damp, muddy patch. A cold night wind blew, carrying the chilling scent of blood that seeped into the bones, making one feel utterly desolate. Even the victors couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow upon hearing the echoes of various wails merging in the night sky.

Human energy is finite, and after such a long battle, it was clearly unrealistic to completely clean up the battlefield at this point. Therefore, Liu Xian, Zu Ti, and the others restrained all the prisoners and led the main force back to the Mangshan camp. As for those who were severely wounded and barely clinging to life, they were left to their fate.

Back at camp, everyone was hungry and thirsty. Before the battle, they had been filled with a burning desire, but now that the battle was over, they were too exhausted to walk. Many people lay down without warning, and some simply fell asleep.

Sima Yi's troops returned to the main camp first. The cooks were working overtime to start fires and cook meals. The wounded soldiers' camp was also overcrowded, but few people could spare the time to take care of the wounded. Some soldiers were also disorderly, blocking the road and clamoring for food, causing chaos everywhere.

Liu Xian was very dissatisfied with this. Although he had fought hard all day and was extremely tired, he washed his face, mustered his strength, and still forced himself to stand up. He then led a group of people to the camp to restore order. Those who had the energy to cause trouble were sent to guard the prisoners, while those who had bullied their comrades were sent to solitary confinement to reflect on their actions. He also instructed the fire brigade to add more meat to the soup for the wounded soldiers.

During his inspection of the camp, Liu Xian noticed a strange phenomenon: while most of the soldiers were extremely exhausted and had suffered considerable casualties, one battalion was completely intact, almost unharmed, and full of energy, as if they had not participated in any major battle.

Upon inquiring, Liu Xian learned that it was the troops of Sima Yue, the Minister of Works. Only then did Liu Xian realize that when Qiao Zhiming launched a surprise attack on their main camp, the soldiers under Sima Yue's command had disobeyed orders and gone off to chase after Meng Chao's routed troops, thus missing out on the subsequent battle and causing their main force to be in grave danger.

At this time, the one guarding the camp was Liu Kun's elder brother, Liu Yu. Liu Xian asked, "Where is the Minister of Works now?"

Liu Yu said, "I've gone to apologize to General Huo Qubing."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian did not express much opinion, but simply said, "Then you will be in charge of the night watch for the next few days, and let the others get some rest."

By the time the fire camp's dinner was finally ready, it was probably past midnight. Time was of the essence, so the meal was naturally simple: each person received a bowl of amaranth soup, a few steamed buns, and the officers received three extra eggs. But after a long day of exhaustion, everyone treated these simple fare like delicacies. Almost no one complained, and they finished in no time, then collapsed into bed, the entire camp filled with the sound of thunderous, continuous snoring.

However, Liu Xian and the others had no time to rest. After the generals finished their meal, they immediately went to Sima Yi's camp to discuss the next steps.

Upon entering the camp, Liu Xian indeed saw Sima Yi angrily rebuking Sima Yue. The King of Changsha sat on a folding chair, his hands clenched into fists, his brows furrowed and his eyes blazing. The King of Donghai knelt before the folding chair, bowing his head and kowtowing repeatedly.

Upon hearing the accusations, Sima Yi cursed, "You stupid donkey! Do you even know what gratitude is? Everyone says you're well-read, like the Classic of Filial Piety and the Spring and Autumn Annals, but have you just read them all into your dog's belly?!"

Sima Yi was furious. He had unusually violated the demeanor of a prince. He had not only failed in his duty on the battlefield against Sima Yue, but had also dragged in more than a decade of history, including his past service to Empress Jia and Sima Lun. He was almost ready to call him a born coward and a disgrace to the Sima clan.

Faced with Sima Yi's accusations, Sima Yue offered no rebuttal and accepted them entirely. In front of everyone, he choked up and repeatedly apologized, saying, "It's all my fault for not managing my subordinates properly! I deserve to die! I deserve to die! I'll leave it to the General of Chariots and Cavalry to decide my fate!" Then he continued to kowtow, his scalp bleeding profusely from the repeated kowtows.

Seeing Sima Yue's embarrassed state, Sima Yi felt annoyed but ultimately moved by compassion. After all, Sima Yue had known his elder brother Sima Wei for a long time and had been considered a member of the Chu King's faction back then, so he decided not to delve further. Seeing that the generals had all arrived, he placed one hand on his forehead and waved the other slightly, saying, "Minister of Works, rise! You are one of the Three Dukes, and you should set an example for all officials. Do not shed tears in public!"

He then added, "Let's remember this incident for now, but there will be no exceptions if it happens again!"

The implication was that the matter was over. But Sima Yue did not get up immediately. Instead, he bowed respectfully three times before standing up and wiping away his tears, his face showing no resentment towards Sima Yi.

Seeing this, everyone felt contempt for Sima Yue. They thought that the King of Donghai was known as a wise king and was often given important positions, but when he went to the battlefield, he was so cowardly. This was probably what it meant to be unworthy of his reputation.

Sima Yi had no intention of dwelling on these matters any longer. Seeing that everyone had arrived, he inquired about the casualties of each unit and then succinctly stated, "Our army has won a great victory in this battle. The Northern army is severely weakened and it is unlikely that they can contend with our army again. What are your opinions on whether to fight or make peace next?"

The first to speak was Sima Yang, the Prince of Xiyang. Having come so close to death for the first time and learned of the horrors of war, he naturally did not want to continue fighting. He repeatedly said, "Now that we have won, the enemy must be terrified. Why not negotiate peace with the Prince of Chengdu? What reason does he have to refuse?"

This statement was widely endorsed by the high-ranking officials. In this battle, the officials also suffered greatly, with several being wounded by arrows. For example, Duke Yang Xuanzhi of Xingjin was shot in the abdomen and is now unable to stand, recovering in his camp; Duke Xun Fan of Xihua was shot in the thigh and was carried to the meeting.

This, of course, failed to gain the approval of the generals. Zu Ti then said, "We have finally won a battle, how can we just seek peace and call it a day! General, our army should now take advantage of the momentum of our great victory and continue to challenge Lu Ji to a duel. If he does not come out, we will march north to Hebei! By calling upon the righteous men of Hebei in the name of the Emperor, can we not win? As long as we can capture Ye City and occupy Hebei, with the Duke of Xuancheng (Liu Hong) as our ally in Jingzhou, who in the world can stand against us?"

This was the true sentiment of the officers. Most of them came from humble backgrounds, some even from lesser ones. They risked their lives on the battlefield for wealth and status; how could they possibly stop fighting just because people would die? This victory, however, only fueled their arrogance, making them think only of devising grand strategies to rule the world and ruthlessly punish those who oppressed them. Therefore, the soldiers also praised Zu Ti's words.

Gou Xi even boasted, "The Hebei troops are nothing but a rabble. Even if we fight ten more times, our army will still win!" This won cheers from the officers.

The two sides were roughly equal in volume, but in the ensuing debate, the aristocratic faction held the upper hand. After all, in terms of political status, the aristocratic nobles were the true masters; many military officers were able to join the Imperial Guard thanks to the patronage of high-ranking officials. Those from humble backgrounds who later achieved military merit and sought to secure their positions also needed to form alliances through marriage with the aristocratic families, ultimately daring not to openly break with the nobles. Under these circumstances, Sima Yi's inclination was actually to negotiate peace with Sima Ying. It wasn't that he wasn't tempted by Zu Ti's proposal, but he ultimately dared not disregard the Western Expeditionary Army in Hongnong. If he attacked Sima Ying and failed to capture Ye City quickly, and Luoyang was then attacked by Zhang Fang, wouldn't he be left homeless? Therefore, he dared not make such a decision.

If they could negotiate peace with Sima Ying, continue to block Zhang Fang, and wait for Liu Hong of Jingzhou to finish sweeping away the Restoration Army and recuperate, they would naturally gain the initiative. Sima Yi currently felt like he was dancing on a knife's edge, and he still hoped for a more stable future.

He had already made up his mind, but as was customary, he still asked Liu Xian for his opinion, saying, "Lord Liu, what are your thoughts on the upcoming battle?"

Liu Xian was also deep in thought. He was taken aback when he heard this. He looked up at everyone and said, "Let me think about it," before continuing to weigh the pros and cons.

Liu Xian had a general understanding of Sima Yi's thoughts. Given Sima Yi's personality, if he wanted to fight, he would have said so directly. The fact that he was asking for his opinion now meant that he was hesitant about going to war.

Liu Xian, however, actually preferred to continue the battle.

The reason is simple: Luoyang is a strategically vital location, vulnerable to attack from all sides. In times of peace, it would be ideal as the capital, but in these turbulent times, without a stable rear base, it would be difficult to hold out. Now that they have finally won a battle, if they don't press their advantage, given Hebei's wealth, it will quickly recover, making it significantly more difficult to annex Hebei in the future.

Regarding the movements of the Western Expeditionary Army, Liu Xian believed it was worth being wary of, but not necessarily overly so. Zhang Fang was indeed a formidable enemy, but even if he broke through Hangu Pass and entered Luoyang, without the support of the Guandong canal transport, his annexation of Luoyang would be extremely difficult. If he wanted to advance further into Hebei, he would lack logistical support, not to mention that he would be threatened by both Liu Hong and Sima Xiao simultaneously, making it difficult for him to gamble everything.

The only thing that Liu Xian was unsure about was the difficulty of conquering Ye City.

He still remembers the shock he felt when he first visited the Three Terraces of Ye City. It was probably the most difficult military fortress to conquer in the whole country. Lu Zhi had been building it for more than ten years. What were the chances of him winning if he led his army to attack? Liu Xian weighed the situation repeatedly, but in the end he could not come to a conclusion.

The best-case scenario, of course, is that the people of Ye City are filled with fear and will surrender as soon as the army arrives. But what if the people's hearts remain with Sima Ying? Then it's hard to say, and they might end up losing troops and becoming a laughingstock.

After much deliberation, Liu Xian considered another factor: if he remained in Luoyang, he would remain under Sima Yi's control regardless of who he faced, given the close proximity of the two cities. However, if he conquered Hebei, Sima Yi would inevitably need to appease the people in Ye City, and to launch further campaigns, he would have to be sent to a distant post. Waiting in Luoyang, when would he finally be able to be sent away?

At this point, Liu Xian made up his mind and advised Sima Yi: "Your Highness, my opinion is that we should continue fighting and not negotiate peace. Hebei is a land of plenty, and even if we suffer 300,000 casualties, we can raise another 300,000 in just a few months. We must hurry and not let the King of Chengdu recover his strength."

Sima Yi was taken aback. He shook his head slightly and asked, "But Ye City is not easy to take. If we can't take it, and Zhang Fang takes Luoyang, won't we be like water without roots? How can we last long?" Clearly, he had considered the same problem as Liu Xian.

Liu Xian said, “Your Highness was originally the Prince of Changshan and has conquered the Zhao Kingdom. How can you be without roots? Even if you cannot conquer Ye City, Your Highness can still reside in Changshan, with the Duke of Dongying (Sima Teng) of Bingzhou and the Duke of Boling (Wang Jun) of Youzhou as your allies. If you can hold out for a long time, the Prince of Chengdu will certainly be no match for you. After you take Ye City, you can emulate Emperor Guangwu, sit in Hebei, and control Henan. Why should you worry about not achieving your great cause?”

Upon hearing this, Sima Yi nodded repeatedly, agreeing that it was indeed a good idea, but still felt it wasn't entirely reliable.

Li Sheng understood his lord's intentions. He came up with an idea and immediately stepped forward, saying, "Your Highness, don't we have 40,000 prisoners from Hebei? You can remove their armor and weapons, then release them and let them spread the word about the horrors of the battle and the might of the imperial army. Hebei will surely be grateful for Your Highness's kindness in saving lives, and they will also fear Your Highness's military power. Taking Hebei will be much easier."

What to do with these 40,000 prisoners is a problem, but Li Sheng's plan is a perfect solution that kills two birds with one stone. Upon hearing this, Sima Yi agreed and finally changed his mind, nodding and saying, "Very well, but how to eliminate the remaining Northern Army is probably not an easy task. Do you have any ideas?"

To eliminate the Northern Army, we must first recapture Hulao Pass. Hulao Pass is currently still in the hands of the Northern Army. If we cannot break through it, the Imperial Guards will be unable to fight a decisive battle against the Northern Army.

Just as Liu Xian was about to speak, Gou Xi preemptively offered a suggestion: "Your Highness, haven't you already sent troops to Eban Pass and Huanyuan Pass? You could contact Military Advisor Wang (Wang Dao) and Colonel Xi (Xi Jian) ​​tonight and order them to launch a surprise attack on the rebel army's main camp behind Hulao Pass. The Northern army has just suffered a major defeat and will surely be like a frightened bird, retreating in panic. Since the rebels have no main camp, how can they possibly occupy Hulao Pass alone?"

This coincided with Liu Xian's idea, which was to send men under cover of night to sail downstream and attack the Northern Army's camp, achieving roughly the same result. Seeing Sima Yi looking at him for his opinion, Liu Xian nodded and said, "This plan is excellent, Your Highness, let's do it."

So on the night the Battle of Mangshan ended, Sima Yi sent messengers to Huanyuan Pass and Eban Pass, ordering Xi Jian and Wang Dao to lead two thousand cavalrymen out of the pass to attack the Northern Army's camp at Chenggao Pass.

Just as Gou Xi had predicted, the Northern army's morale was low after the crushing defeat. Moreover, Xi Jian's army arrived on the third night after the Battle of Mangshan. At this time, the Northern army had not yet recovered from their fatigue and had not noticed any signs of an attack from the Imperial Guards. As a result, they were suddenly attacked and were immediately terrified. Without engaging in any battle, the soldiers fled in large numbers, retreating more than ten miles eastward. Several hundred soldiers were trampled to death by their comrades along the way.

The next morning, the Northern Army soldiers outside, exposed to the cold wind, suddenly realized that they had nowhere to go after leaving the camp. When they turned around and found that there were no pursuers behind them, they realized that something was wrong. By the time they quietly returned to the main camp, it was too late. The Northern Army garrison at Chenggao Pass had also abandoned the pass and left, allowing Xi Jian to successfully take over.

With this, the Imperial Guards had opened the passage eastward to Xingyang, gaining a slight advantage in the ensuing decisive battle. (End of Chapter)