Jinting Han people

Having made the decision to continue eastward, the Imperial Guards could not immediately launch an attack. Regardless of the outcome of any battle, victory or defeat, it was a tremendous drain on the physical and mental strength of both generals and soldiers, requiring a period of rest and recuperation before they could fight again. This was especially true of a large-scale battle like the Battle of Mangshan, involving hundreds of thousands of troops.

In the following days, the imperial court was busy dealing with the aftermath of the great battle:
First, they selected the most critical wounded and sick soldiers from the army and ordered the laborers of Yanshi to send them back to Luoyang. At the same time, they ordered the cleanup of the battlefield, sorting through captured armor and crossbows, and digging burial pits for the soldiers from both sides who died on Mangshan Mountain. Of the 40,000 prisoners captured by each unit, those willing to stay and join the army were added to the ranks; those who wanted to return to Hebei were first tattooed on their arms, given five days' rations, and allowed to return home via the river bridge. If they were encountered on the battlefield again, anyone with a tattoo on their arm would be executed without mercy…

Of course, what the entire army was most concerned about was how to determine the merits of this battle.

As is customary, rewards such as titles and fiefs are not granted until the war is completely over. However, while rewards may be withheld, merits cannot be ignored. After all, no one knows whether they will survive the next major battle. If the merits of each soldier are not fairly distributed beforehand, especially the rewards that soldiers deserve, the soldiers will naturally have doubts and will be unwilling to fight bravely on the battlefield again.

Therefore, Sima Yi entrusted this matter to Liu Xian, asking him to be responsible for verifying the merits of each department.

In this battle, the most outstanding force was undoubtedly the Songzi Battalion, personally led by Liu Xian. They were virtually invincible on the battlefield, with no Northern Army unit able to withstand a single blow. Logically, the greatest credit should have gone to Liu Xian, but he modestly declined, saying, "This is all thanks to the soldiers under my command who fought to the death; it has nothing to do with me." Thus, he attributed the credit only to the soldiers of the Songzi Battalion, absolving himself of any responsibility.

Then came the troops under Zu Ti and Gou Xi. These two units, as the vanguard, faced the highest risks, beheaded the most enemies, and also made great contributions. In addition to rewards such as gold and silver, Liu Xian suggested to Sima Yi that Zu Ti be promoted to General of the Auxiliary State and Gou Xi to General of the Dragon Cavalry, both of which were approved.

Then there were the rewards for the other tribes, in order of importance: Ji Shao's tribe, Liu Tun's tribe, Liu Kun's tribe, Song Hong's tribe, Huan Yi's tribe, and so on.

Of all these military achievements, the one that surprised Liu Xian the most was Ji Shao's. Ji Shao was usually amiable and witty; in terms of the demeanor of a renowned scholar, no one dared to claim the top spot. Yet, unexpectedly, on the battlefield, he remained so composed. Despite the hail of arrows, Ji Shao stood firm, unmoved, neither on horseback nor able to pierce armor with his arrows. He commanded and deployed troops as if taking a leisurely stroll, greatly inspiring his soldiers. Even when surrounded by enemies several times their size, they did not retreat.

Liu Xian therefore ranked Ji Shao's merits third and reported to Sima Yi, who promoted him to General Who Conquers the Barbarians.

In addition, there was Liu Kun's nephew, Liu Yan. Liu Yan was only eighteen years old this year, but he had made great contributions on the battlefield by capturing flags. He had single-handedly taken all of Qian Xiu's championship flags, which impressed Liu Xian. He recalled his own youth and appointed Liu Yan as a Yamen General, specifically to lead an elite force.

Overall, Liu Xian's assessment of merits was fair, and the soldiers had no complaints. However, after everything was finished, seven or eight days had passed since the Battle of Mangshan. Lu Ji had successfully tricked the Prince of Fanyang out of his clutches, and Sima Xiao led an army of 70,000 northwards, setting up camp south of Xingyang City, forming a pincer movement with Lu Ji on the north bank of the Bian River.

The news shocked the entire army. They had planned to take advantage of the Northern Army's lack of strength to defeat them in one fell swoop and then advance into Hebei. However, with the Eastern Army joining the battle, the situation had changed drastically. Could their original strategy still succeed?

Sima Yi summoned all the officials and ministers to discuss the matter again. Sima Yue said, "Originally, we were planning to hunt down the tiger that had been hit by an arrow, but now a leopard has come from the south. I'm afraid we can't win this battle. We should stop while we're ahead and find a way to send a message to Ye City to make peace with the King of Chengdu."

This time, the pro-peace faction completely overwhelmed the pro-war faction. After all, the losses in the Battle of Mangshan were indeed considerable. Under the current circumstances, if it happened again, the enemy would probably not give them another chance for a direct confrontation. If they wanted to win by attacking the fortified camps, the casualties would be even greater. If they were to fight the defeated Northern Army, there was indeed a chance of victory, but with the Eastern Army as reinforcements, it would be a completely different story.

But then again, with the reinforcements from the Prince of Fanyang, how could Lu Ji possibly let it go? At this point, it wasn't a matter of simply advocating for peace. Sima Yi ultimately didn't make a decision, but instead said, "Let's contact Liu Zhongyan (Liu Qiao) first, find out the details, and then make a decision."

Liu Xian privately discussed the matter with his advisors, but thought it was nothing to worry about. Zhuge Yan said nonchalantly, "What's the use of having more people? Both sides are afraid to fight to the death. They've even set up separate camps, so they can't coordinate. They call themselves tigers and leopards, but in reality, it's just killing two birds with one stone. If we attack one of them first, will the other dare to come to our rescue?"

Li Sheng agreed with this view, saying, "When the army is not united, it will hesitate and move in disarray. This is how Yuan Shao and Cao Cao led the Guandong coalition to besiege Dong Zhuo and failed. It is not difficult for our army to win. As long as we inflict a heavy blow on the Eastern Army, they will naturally know the difficulty and retreat."

However, he also pointed out the key issue: "The problem at present is that our army is indeed somewhat lacking in strength. We are more than capable of defeating both armies. But if we want to take advantage of the victory and pursue them into Hebei, we are somewhat unable to do so."

This is indeed a major problem. Every battle results in losses for the Imperial Guards of Luoyang. Replenishing and restoring the Imperial Guards is no easy task. The soldiers of the Imperial Guards are all sons of good families in the capital region, receiving the most rigorous training in the land and equipped with the most elite armor and weapons, which is why they possess unparalleled combat power, far superior to that of ordinary conscripted laborers.

The Imperial Guards are currently short of manpower. If they suffer too much loss and take too much time to break through the enemy camp, they will eventually be unable to cross the river and pursue the enemy to the north, which would be a loss.

Therefore, Liu Xian needed to devise a battle plan that would be swift and decisive without excessive troop losses. Otherwise, it would be better to hold Chenggao, wait for internal strife within the enemy ranks, and then deal with Zhang Fang's army in Hongnong first.

Fortunately, life isn't always bad. Even the most unlucky person, if they live long enough, will occasionally receive some good news.

On the third day after the Eastern Army marched north to Xingyang, which was the day of Ji Hai in October, Lu Yun, who was in charge of logistics in Luoyang, sent a message: a cavalry force of 10,000 men had arrived from Hanoi County. They were carrying the white tiger banner of the Western Expeditionary Army, but claimed to be the loyalist army of the emperor.

The commander of this army was none other than Suo Jing, the veteran general of Guanzhong and the governor of Xiping, who had participated in suppressing the rebellion of Qi Wannian. Liu Xian was overjoyed when he heard the news. He immediately informed Sima Yi, who was also delighted. He then ordered Liu Xian to lead a group of officials and military officers north to Shanyin to meet the righteous army on the south bank of the Yellow River.

It was early winter; the Yellow River was shallow, and the banks were almost entirely bare treetops, withered and yellowed reeds lying prostrate, making the sky appear exceptionally desolate. Amidst the vast, desolate landscape, a long caravan of horses snaked its way in, many carrying weary soldiers, while others carried supplies. Perhaps due to recent rain, the riders were draped in cowhide felt, splattered with mud, clearly having traveled day and night with few stops along the way.

Liu Xian crossed the river bridge and went to lead the way, immediately spotting Suo Jing in the crowd. Under a white tiger banner, Suo Jing rode a conspicuous crimson steed and greeted Liu Xian kindly.

Suo Jing was sixty-five years old this year. In the few years since we last met, his hair and beard had turned even whiter, and the wrinkles on his face were more pronounced, resembling dried birch bark. But his composed demeanor remained unchanged, and his eyes were still bright and piercing. Upon seeing Liu Xian, he removed his fur hat and then his felt rug, revealing the gleaming armor he wore—truly a sight to behold. After dismounting, he said to Liu Xian in a weary yet resolute tone, "Huai Chong, it's been a long time!"

He continued, "Ever since we learned of the Prince of Hejian's rebellion, I, along with Zhang Shiyan (Zhang Gui), Liu Daozhen (Liu Shen), and Zhang Jingwu (Zhang Guang), have been extremely worried about the situation in Luoyang. If these princes continue to cause trouble like this, what will become of us!"

"We've wanted to send troops to support the court for a long time, but the mountains are high and the roads are long, and the Prince of Hejian has occupied Hongnong. We really didn't know how to get here. Fortunately, Li Shihui (Li Ju) is in Hedong and told us that we can go through Zhiguan to Luoyang. So we gathered 12,000 cavalry and rushed here as fast as we could. We've finally arrived today! Haha! Huai Chong, I think I arrived just in time!"

It turned out that this cavalry force was jointly assembled by Zhang Gui, the governor of Liangzhou; Liu Shen, the governor of Yongzhou; Suo Jing, the prefect of Xiping; Zhang Guang, the prefect of Xinping; and Li Ju, the prefect of Hedong. Some of these men were old comrades-in-arms of Liu Xian, while others were dissatisfied with the separatist rule of the Prince of Hejian. In short, they each contributed several thousand cavalrymen to aid the imperial court. Therefore, the composition of the force was quite complex: it included Suo Jing's two sons, Suo Qiu and Suo Lin; Liu Yi, a general under Zhang Guang; Zhang Shi, Zhang Gui's eldest son; and Guo Song, Li Ju's nephew.

Whether Liu Xian knew them or not, there was no doubt that they were all Guanzhong knights who were willing to obey the imperial court's orders and were skilled in battle.

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian felt a surge of warmth in his heart. Just then, the clouds dispersed, and sunlight streamed through the gaps, washing away the chill of the riverside. Liu Xian couldn't help but feel secretly fortunate. He had been worried about not having enough good reinforcements, and his old comrades in Guanzhong had sent fresh troops. It was truly a blessing from heaven!
He led Suo Jing and his entourage to pay their respects to Sima Yi. Upon hearing the reason, Sima Yi immediately bestowed upon Suo Jing the title of Guerrilla General and promoted all the accompanying officers of the rebel army by one rank to commend their loyalty to the court. With the addition of these ten thousand cavalrymen, the fighting strength of the Luoyang Imperial Guards experienced a leap forward, even surpassing that before the Battle of Mangshan.

Meanwhile, Xi Jian brought more good news. He reported that dozens of local militiamen from Xingyang had defected to Hulao Pass. These militiamen claimed to be old acquaintances of Mao Bao, a bodyguard under Liu Xian, and that they had been entrusted by someone to come and seek an audience with the King of Changsha.

The reason for this was that after the Northern Army withdrew from Hulao Pass, its discipline became noticeably lax, probably due to the defeat. Soldiers and officers frequently harassed the local people, looting property and raping women, which greatly angered the local people and powerful clans.

Therefore, the scholars of Xingyang secretly conspired and wrote a letter, which was jointly signed by more than forty fortified village chiefs, and sent someone to pay a visit to Sima Yi. They were petitioning the court, hoping that the royal army could send troops to attack the rebels as soon as possible. The people of Xingyang were all willing to be the vanguard for the king and responded in unison.

After Sima Yi met with these local militiamen, he obtained a specific number: Xingyang could probably muster about 20,000 local militiamen to respond, and most of them were laborers who had followed Liu Xian to repair the canal the year before last.

But most importantly, they brought crucial intelligence: whether due to acclimatization issues or worsening wounded soldiers, an epidemic seemed to have broken out in the Northern Army. Recently, the Northern Army had been frequently burying corpses around their camps, dozens every day, undoubtedly another major blow to the Northern Expeditionary Army Command.

For a time, the opportune moment, favorable location, and popular support—these crucial factors for victory—all seemed to be on the side of the Luoyang Imperial Guards. At this point, no one in the court dared to say that an eastward advance was not advisable. Sima Yi convened a military council to discuss the decisive battle of Xingyang once again.

With so many favorable conditions, Liu Xian was no longer in a hurry. In the military council, he said to Sima Yi: "Since ancient times, the best way to break through the enemy's camp is to launch a night attack. However, to defeat the enemy in one go is not an easy task. We need to distinguish between the primary and secondary tasks and find the key points."

"The most vital parts of an army's camp are the two main locations. One is the location of the commander's camp, which is the head of the army. Once it is destroyed, the enemy will lose its command and will be in a state of panic and confusion, just like when Guan Yu killed Yan Liang. The other is the location of the supplies and provisions. Once the supply lines are cut off, the enemy will have no choice but to fight us to the death. If they cannot win quickly, they will inevitably collapse, just like in the Battle of Guandu between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao."

"Now that the people of Xingyang are loyal to our army, why not first find out the enemy's camp layout? Once we know their specific layout, our army will have the villagers to guide us, and defeating them will be as easy as turning our hands!"

This proposal was approved by everyone present, and upon hearing it, everyone felt that victory was within reach. So, amidst cheers, Sima Yi appointed Mao Bao as Cavalry Commandant, ordering him to go east to scout the camps of the eastern and northern armies, while simultaneously ordering the main army to march out of Hulao Pass and set up camp in front of the pass.

Amidst the cheers, no one noticed this detail:
Just as the military council ended, Sima Yue, the Prince of Donghai, glanced at everyone and, seeing that no one paid attention to him, turned slightly to the side, with his back to everyone, and quietly moved to the side of Sima Yi, the Prince of Changsha. He whispered a few words in his ear, but no one could hear what he said.

Sima Yi was taken aback upon hearing this. He raised his eyebrows, first glancing at Sima Yue with an indifferent expression. But soon, he turned his gaze to Liu Xian, then to Suo Jing, and finally to Mao Bao. A hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes, and he lowered his head, pondering for a long time. Suddenly, he tugged at the wrist guard binding his cuffs, feeling a slight heat rising within him.

When Sima Yi raised his head again, most of the people had left, leaving only him and Sima Yue in the military tent. When the Prince of Changsha turned his gaze to Sima Yue, the Prince of Donghai lowered his eyes slightly, as if his gaze was drawn to the shadows on the ground. Then, he murmured, as if in a dream, "General, he is the true thorn in the side of the state. After this battle, he must be eliminated!"

Sima Yi closed his eyes again, bowing his head in silence. (End of Chapter)