Jinting Han people

Since the Battle of Mianchi, Zhang Fang has been stationed in Hongnong with his troops and has not made any moves for a long time, to the point that people have almost forgotten him.

After all, the Battle of Guandong involved hundreds of thousands of troops on both sides, with camps stretching for dozens of miles, their armor gleaming in the sun, and banners like clouds. In open field battles, casualties could easily reach tens of thousands, leaving corpses littering the fields and rivers of blood. Such a breathtaking battle naturally attracted everyone's attention. And most people subconsciously believed that the outcome of the Guandong decisive battle would determine the fate of the entire Chinese territory, just like the decisive battle between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao.

The current situation seems to further confirm this conjecture. With the defeat of the Northern Expeditionary Army, Sima Yi took over the Eastern Expeditionary Army. As for the 70,000 Western Army troops trapped in Hongnong, they have neither favorable timing nor geographical advantage, and they lack popular support. What role can he possibly play?

Even Sima Yong, the Prince of Hejian, thought so. Before the Battle of Mangshan, he repeatedly urged Zhang Fang to send troops, wanting to compete with Lu Ji for credit. But Zhang Fang remained unmoved, which greatly displeased him, and he privately considered replacing the commander. However, after the Battle of Mangshan and the decisive Battle of Mangkou, Sima Yong, upon learning of the Northern Army's successive defeats, was terrified. He completely lost confidence in victory and wrote to Zhang Fang again, asking, "If we return to Tongguan and hold it, can we stop the Prince of Changsha?"

After receiving the letter, Zhang Fang made it public, and all the generals learned of their lord's unwillingness to fight again. Furthermore, a heavy snowfall had occurred, making both the weather and terrain unfavorable for cavalry advances. It seemed that this eastward expedition would again be fruitless, and it was time to retreat once more. Therefore, the men packed their belongings and prepared to lead the army back to Guanzhong.

Both Huangfu Shang of Yiyang and He Pan of Xin'an received the news and sent scouts to investigate. They happened to witness the General of the Western Expeditionary Army breaking camp and returning westward. The army marched in a grand procession through the snow, leaving behind only a mess. After confirming the information, the two men breathed a sigh of relief. Based on all the signs, the great battle should have been averted.

The garrison in Yiyang, in particular, had been preparing for battle for over two months, adopting a scorched-earth policy and enduring extremely harsh living conditions. Upon learning that the Western Expeditionary Army had withdrawn and that the roads were blocked by ice and snow, they assumed they were safe. Huangfu Shang then ordered that fine wine and grain be taken from the treasury, allowing the entire army to rest and recuperate for two days.

Little did they know, this was merely a smokescreen by Zhang Fang. At the very beginning of the withdrawal, he had already secretly transferred over three thousand cavalrymen from the army, hiding them in the Yushan area. He concealed this movement from everyone in the army, even from the Prince of Hejian; only he himself knew of it. After the main force had embarked on their return journey, he left the main force of the Western Expeditionary Army at dusk, leading only a dozen or so men to Yushan.

The three thousand cavalrymen of Yushan were all personally selected by Zhang Fang. Unlike the traditional approach of building an elite army represented by Meng Guan, Zhang Fang did not demand elite soldiers, but rather absolute obedience.

When selecting soldiers, he often didn't prioritize height and strength, but rather those who were related to him. This meant that if anyone deserted on the battlefield, their entire unit would be executed, and the deserter would be unable to return home. Similarly, if an officer died in battle, his entire unit would die; if someone disobeyed orders, his unit would die; if someone engaged in private feuds and harmed others, his unit would die… Under such brutal military law, coupled with Zhang Fang's generous rewards, the soldiers obeyed his every command, and even cannibalism and bloodshed were commonplace.

Thus, Zhang Fang called his three thousand cavalry the Tiger Army, believing them to be invincible, much like Cao Cao's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry of yesteryear. The other units of the Western Army, however, subtly mocked him as a "tyrannical army," and because of their common brown uniforms, called them "wolf cavalry." Regardless, it must be acknowledged that Zhang Fang's cavalry was the strongest force in the Western Army.

After Zhang Fang and Hu Shi joined forces, they advanced through the snow at night, killing any living people they encountered in the villages they passed along the way to cut off all communication. They slaughtered hundreds of people in this way, and several scouts that Huangfu Shang had set up along the way were also killed in the process. This allowed them to travel dozens of miles without revealing their presence.

When Zhang Fang and his party arrived at the walls of Yiyang, it was still past midnight. The city was brightly lit yet eerily silent. It turned out that the Yiyang garrison had held a banquet that evening, and the soldiers had forgotten to extinguish the bonfires before dispersing to rest. The soldiers on the city walls were also exhausted; almost no one was patrolling the walls, and the few who were awake were warming themselves by the fires inside the walls.

When Zhang Fang's troops arrived at the city walls and saw this situation, they were overjoyed. They immediately bound spears together to form ladders and secretly built a siege ladder at the foot of the city, sending over a hundred men lightly armed up the walls. After scaling the walls, these hundred-odd men suddenly turned on the guards at the north gate, killing them in one fell swoop. They then opened the north gate, allowing Zhang Fang's troops to enter the city.

As soon as the Tiger Army soldiers entered the city, they shouted and set fires everywhere, throwing the laxly defended city garrison into chaos. Most of them did not expect it to be an enemy attack. Even the commander-in-chief, Huangfu Shang, thought at first that his men were drunk and causing a disturbance.

Taking advantage of the defenders' lack of reaction time, Zhang Fang led his troops to capture prisoners and interrogate them to find out the whereabouts of their commander, Huangfu Shang. He then immediately launched a fierce attack. However, they encountered Huangfu Shang, who was out assessing the situation. The two sides met in a narrow encounter. Zhang Fang's men were fully armed, while Huangfu Shang was completely unprepared. In desperation, Huangfu Shang ordered his personal guards to hold off the enemy at all costs, then fled alone on horseback. With their commander's escape, the defenders inside the city were unable to mount any effective resistance. They were simply awakened from their sleep and driven away and slaughtered by these wolves of Guanzhong.

Two hours later, Zhang Fang had taken full control of Yiyang City. He had won a decisive victory, catching the city off guard. With only a few dozen men lost, he captured over six thousand, with just over a thousand of the Yiyang garrison escaping. Zhang Fang showed no intention of settling the surrendered soldiers; the next day at noon, he beheaded them all, the thousands of heads piled up into a horrifying mound.

Most importantly, he finally opened up the road from Guanzhong to Henan.

After the victory, Zhang Fang sent an envoy to Shanxian to report the triumph. The entire army of the Western Expeditionary Army could hardly believe it. After Sima Yong confirmed it several times, he was overjoyed. He praised Zhang Fang, saying, "Zhenwu is my Han Xin and Bai Qi!" He then ordered the army to turn around and quickly join Zhang Fang.

At this time, there were only three thousand troops under He Pan of Xin'an stationed between Yiyang and Luoyang.

He Pan, having received Huangfu Shang, was greatly alarmed upon learning of the fall of Yiyang. With Yiyang lost, remaining stationed in the Xin'an-Hangu Pass area would leave him isolated. If Zhang Fang attacked simultaneously from the east and west, the defense would be impossible. He had no choice but to abandon Hangu Pass, sending a message to Sima Yi in Xingyang while retreating to Jinyong City in Luoyang, awaiting further orders from the court.

Upon receiving this news, Sima Yi was naturally furious at Huangfu Shang's ineffective defense, but anger wouldn't solve the problem, and Zhang Fang's army wouldn't wait idly by. A more pressing question confronted him: should he defend Luoyang or not?

Zu Ti submitted a memorial analyzing the situation, stating: "The saying goes, 'One should strike while the iron is hot,' but the momentum will wane on the second attempt and be exhausted on the third.' After two consecutive major battles with the Northern Army, the Imperial Guards are on the verge of exhaustion. In contrast, the Western Army has just won an initial victory, its morale is high, and it is well-trained and well-supplied. If the two sides were to engage in battle, we would be exhausted while the enemy is at ease. Even if the Imperial Guards are the strongest army in the land, it would be difficult for them to win."

Therefore, to be on the safe side, he advised Sima Yi to abandon Luoyang.

After all, the imperial court had already abolished the Eastern Expeditionary Army and regained control of Yan and Yu provinces. Compared to the previous cramped situation with only Henan and Xingyang counties, the situation had greatly improved. Luoyang was important, but so what? The emperor and empress were still by his side. Sima Yi could simply hand it over to the Western Expeditionary Army and move the capital to Xuchang. Then, he could continue to defend key locations such as Chenggao Pass and Eban Pass. Once the imperial guards had rested and reorganized, the troops from Yan and Yu provinces would come in as backup. Retaking Luoyang would be a logical next step. Many others shared this view, especially given that the conflict between Sima Yi and Liu Xian was on the verge of becoming public, and the army was unstable. It was even more important to avoid war for now.

However, another viewpoint existed within the court. For example, Sima Lue, the Prince of Gaomi, advised: "Luoyang is the capital, the place where ancestral temples and sacrifices are made, and the foundation of the state. If we retreat without a fight, the world will surely say that our army is cowardly, and then instead of Your Highness, they will turn against Longhejian. At that time, people's hearts will change, the balance of power will shift, the various provinces will develop different intentions, and the soldiers will change their allegiance. What will happen then? You must know that Dong Zhuo's chaos in the world began with abandoning Luoyang to defend Chang'an!"

This view is not without merit. Even today, the authority of the imperial court is still tied to Luoyang. Once the court loses Luoyang, where will its already weak prestige go? The situation in suppressing the rebellion has improved slightly, but if Luoyang is lost, will all the efforts in Jiangnan be in vain? Sima Yi has to consider this.

He weighed the pros and cons, but still leaned towards engaging in battle. After all, according to previous intelligence, the Western Army's strength was not particularly formidable, roughly equivalent to the Imperial Guards, and their weapons and armor were mediocre, not as refined as the Imperial Guards'. In particular, the enemy commander, Zhang Fang, was not a renowned veteran general in the Western Army. Although the Imperial Guards were somewhat fatigued, considering all factors, the advantage still lay with them; their chances of victory, if not 80-90%, were at least 60-70%.

The only thing that truly troubled Sima Yi was the issue of morale. His promotion of Liu Xian to Grand Commandant, stripping him of his military power and effectively sidelining him, would undoubtedly have some impact on the army's morale. But how profound that impact would be, he couldn't control.

Finally, it was Sima Yue, the Minister of Works, who privately said, "Your Highness, the Duke of Songzi has only recently been promoted to Grand Commandant. If we do not fight now, how will the army discuss his past achievements?"

The implication was that this was Sima Yi's first battle leading the Imperial Guards alone. If he avoided battle now, the army would attribute all past achievements to Liu Xian and secretly criticize Sima Yi for incompetence. Sima Yi's attempt to reorganize the Imperial Guards and reaffirm his authority would then be a distant dream.

It was this statement that prompted Sima Yi to make up his mind to lead his army back to Luoyang to meet the enemy.

However, before facing the challenge, he needs to finish dealing with his current tasks in the shortest possible time.

Although the capital has not yet been moved, Sima Yi has made preparations for it. He first abolished the Eastern Expeditionary Army Command and then planned to establish the Henan Provincial Administration in Xuchang. He would first leave the Crown Prince Sima Tan there, and then appoint Liu Tun, the Duke of Zhuxu, as Grand Commander, Fu Zhi, the Duke of Lingzhou, as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Xun Fan, the Duke of Xihua, as General of Chariots and Cavalry, and Sima Yan, the Prince of Wu, as General of the Eastern Central Army. The four of them would be responsible for managing the affairs of the two prefectures and providing supplies to the Imperial Guards.

Next, Liu Xian's influence over the Imperial Guards was diminished. Previously, when Liu Xian was in Luoyang, some officers he had arranged, including former members of the Sili Prefecture such as Fu Chang, Xi Jian, and Huan Yi, were all transferred to the Grand Commandant's office to serve as advisors in sinecure positions, rather than directly participating in military affairs. The vacated officer positions were then divided among the various princes' residences, in order to minimize the impact of stripping Liu Xian of his military power.

Of course, the possibility of the Northern Army intervening in the war still needed to be considered. Therefore, he appointed General Wang Cui as the Governor of Yanzhou, specifically to monitor the movements of the Northern Army, and at the same time to negotiate with Sima Mao, the Governor of Xuzhou, and Sima Chi, the Governor of Qingzhou, urging them to send reinforcements. Of course, this also took into account that Wang Cui was a friend of Liu Xian and did not want him to participate in the war.

Even Sima Yi made use of Sima Xiao, the Prince of Fanyang, forcing him to return to his fiefdom of Fanyang in Youzhou, in order to restrain any possible actions of the Northern Expeditionary Army.

Finally, the issue of how to absorb the 10,000-strong rebel army from the west at the Heyuan camp was taken into consideration. These 10,000 Guanzhong cavalry and the Songzi camp had only one connection to the imperial court: Liu Xian. A slight misstep could force them into rebellion. Forcing them to join the Western Expeditionary Army would undoubtedly be a major blunder.

During this period, Sima Yi repeatedly sent people to make contact, first informing Liu Xian of his promotion to Grand Commandant and then notifying Suo Jing, Li Sheng, and others to come and join the army. Suo Jing, Li Sheng, and the others naturally refused, demanding that Liu Xian return to lead the troops. Sima Yi, however, had many concerns about this and was unwilling to comply.

But this couldn't go on, so Sima Yi had no choice but to summon his staff to discuss the matter. Pei Shao, a secretary, offered a suggestion: "General, since this is the case, why not grant their wish and simply release the Grand Commandant back to his army?"

These words caused an uproar. Sima Yi asked, "Oh, you're going to let the tiger return to the mountain?"

“Of course not.” Pei Shao smiled calmly: “When the Grand Commandant is released, the General of the Cavalry can send another person to lead ten thousand men to join the camp. In this way, the General of the Cavalry will be releasing the Grand Commandant in name, but in reality holding him hostage. Those Westerners will not dare to make any rash moves, and the General of the Cavalry will be able to find a way to command them.”

"If the Grand Commandant does anything rebellious and his crime of treason is confirmed, we can execute him on the spot. These more than 10,000 Westerners will not have time to react. Whether they flee or rebel, they will not escape our eyes and we can deal with them immediately."

This is indeed a good idea, Sima Yi nodded in agreement. However, the person who carries out this task must be absolutely trustworthy. Who should be chosen?
At this moment, Sima Yue, the Minister of Works, volunteered, "Your Highness, it is most appropriate for me to go."

Sima Yi was taken aback at first, then realized that Sima Yue was indeed the most suitable. Although Sima Yi did not believe that Sima Yue was an absolutely loyal minister, he had previously denounced Liu Xian, so he would never collude with Liu Xian. With him watching over him, Liu Xian would have no chance of escaping. Moreover, since the two were both among the Three Dukes, it was nominally acceptable for them to make joint military decisions.

With that in mind, he finally decided, "Let's do it this way. Sikong will be in charge of this matter, and these Westerners will be the vanguard in the battle."

After the deliberations were completed and the results were promulgated according to the various imperial edicts, the Imperial Guards set off from Xingyang and embarked on their journey back to Luoyang. (End of Chapter)