Jinting Han people

On the day of Xinyou in October, the main force of the Imperial Guards set off again from Gongxian and marched toward Luoyang.

Behind the massive army of 60,000, 20,000 cavalry quietly parted ways. Instead of taking the paved official road, they followed the rugged mountain paths under the pale sky and in the biting north wind, gradually entering a treacherous and desolate trail. The trail was densely forested, teeming with wild animals, and the snow-covered undergrowth and thorns were knee-deep.

The knights didn't ride horses; instead, they carried long swords, strapping their armor, weapons, and rations to their saddles, and led their horses forward, cutting through the grass. The mountains were sparsely populated, and the light was even dimmer. Although it was daytime, and the trees were mostly bare and sparse, visibility was still poor. This was due to the heavy snowfall of the previous days; the cold weather and lingering snow created a thin mist that clung to the mountains even at midday.

This group of people was none other than Liu Xian and Sima Yue's troops.

They first headed southeast, crossing Qinglong Mountain, and rested briefly by a mountain lake. After eating and drinking, they continued south, passing Lintai Mountain and the watershed. Before them lay a massive boulder, tens of meters high, with sheer cliffs on either side, as if cut by a knife. From the front, it resembled the gaping maw of a tiger. Climbing the cliffs, the huge rocks were covered in snow, making them incredibly slippery. Their strong and enduring horses became their best companions; many riders, their hands and feet numb, relied on holding onto their horses' tails to climb the mountain.

Although the road was treacherous, Liu Xian and his men remained energetic. After a period of rest, his health had returned to normal, and he continued to march at the front of the column. Inspired by this, his soldiers also pressed forward bravely. Even the usually pampered Prince Sima Yue of Donghai tried his best to overcome his discomfort. Despite stumbling and falling repeatedly, his body covered in bruises, he persevered and kept up, never falling behind.

The people traveled deep into the mountains and forests, occasionally shooting any wild animals they encountered. Soon, descending the southern slopes of Mount Song, their movements startled a troop of monkeys. Hundreds of monkeys screamed in panic, leaping and running through the trees like a torrent, rushing swiftly down the mountain. However, the mountains were almost deserted, so even with such commotion, they didn't need to worry about being discovered. In the mountain valleys, only a few people fleeing military service and taxes had formed scattered villages, watching the cavalrymen passing through with great astonishment.

After passing through Mount Song, one arrives at Eban Pass, a flat plain with the Ying River flowing quietly through it, a necessary route from Xuchang to Luoyang. Here, cavalry can mount their horses and travel at high speed, turning west and passing through Yique Pass at an extremely fast pace, then crossing Longfeng Mountain to reach the banks of the Luo River.

This is the upper reaches of the Luo River, a crucial passage between Yiyang and Luoyang. Western troops had set up a checkpoint along the way, but their force numbered only a hundred or so, all hiding behind a fence made of sharpened wooden stakes high up. When the main army passed through here, to conceal their tracks, they sent Suo Jing with several hundred men, raised a white tiger banner, and had the knights draped in furs and felt, pretending to be Western troops, directly to the gate and calling for the pass.

Suo Jing was a pure Westerner, and these Western soldiers, upon hearing his accent, did not suspect anything. After opening the gate, the checkpoint was captured by Suo Jing in less than a minute. After passing through here, they arrived at Gushui at noon and encountered two more similar checkpoints. Suo Jing used the same tactic and took control of both of them.

It was daytime again, and three days after their expedition, Liu Xian and his men arrived at Eagle's Nest Ridge. In the valley between the mountains, they dismounted and scattered to rest in the dense forest. This was already southwest of Heyin County, less than fifty li in a straight line. As soon as darkness fell, Liu Xian immediately dispatched several riders down the mountain to scout out the situation in Heyin.

Half an hour after the scouts left, it was completely dark, and the Imperial Guard began their descent down the mountain under cover of darkness. The cavalry disturbed villages along the way, dogs barking incessantly, and occasionally human voices could be heard, but this was no longer of concern. Soon the main force crossed Qing Mountain, and the land suddenly became flat and open, stretching east and north. Although it was still dark, the damp, fishy scent of the river could already be smelled; the main river was less than twenty li away, and Heyin was naturally even closer.

Below Qing Mountain, Liu Xian dispatched a second wave of scouts, roughly ten riders, towards Heyin. Shortly after the scouts left, a fierce wind swept in, whipping up snowflakes. The wind masked the sound of hooves and obscured the imperial guards' vision, slowing their advance. Only mist and haze remained in the darkness; the fields were completely dark. The cavalry cautiously advanced along the north-south road, forced to stop and rest frequently due to the strong winds. Meanwhile, a third wave of scouts set off, also heading straight for Heyin.

Upon arriving at Huamang Mountain, about ten miles from Heyin, they stopped to wait for the three scouts to return and report. The wind had subsided, but after about an hour, none of the scouts had returned.

Sima Yue was somewhat anxious, so he summoned Liu Xian, the vanguard commander, to discuss the matter. This was the first time Sima Yue had traveled such a long distance; his hind legs were chafed raw from riding, and he could barely stand. Liu Xian, dressed in military uniform, stood on his horse, sword in hand.

Sima Yue looked around at the darkness and said to Liu Xian, "Grand Commandant, we have sent out three groups of scouts, but none of them have returned. Do you think it's because the defenses at Heyin are so strong that we've alerted them? If we attack Heyin now, will we fall into an ambush?"

Liu Xian pondered for a moment, reviewing the journey, and he didn't feel he had given anything away. Anything could happen on the battlefield, and the current situation seemed more like bad weather preventing the scouts from returning immediately. Therefore, he said, "Sikong is overthinking it. The scouts aren't returning mainly because we've been marching continuously, and the night is dark and windy, causing them to lose their way. In such a short time, even if we alerted them, they wouldn't have had time to set up an ambush."

Sima Yue still hesitated and asked, "Even so, it's so dark that the scouts can't see clearly. It might be very difficult for us to seize the camp! Should we wait a little longer? Or should we wait until dawn to see what happens?"

Liu Xian shook his head and said, "Speed ​​is of the essence in war. Our army is already so close to Heyin. Once it gets light, 20,000 men will be impossible to hide. There is no time to hesitate now. We can only try to advance."

Seeing Sima Yue's indecisiveness, he couldn't help but feel somewhat dismissive, but he still dismounted and advised Sima Yue: "If you want to fight Zhang Fang, you must rescue the hostages in Heyin. Sikong, you told me before that you wanted to protect the country, but if the people are all gone, what country is there to speak of? Only if you rescue these people will people remember your kindness; otherwise, wanting to replace the General of Chariots and Cavalry is nothing but a fool's dream."

Upon hearing this, Sima Yue fell silent, clearly unsure how to refute, yet still somewhat fearful. Liu Xian thought to himself: Not everyone is Sima Yi; I have indeed been asking too much. He has persevered for so long, reaching this point, making him one of the best among the princes; I shouldn't expect too much from him.

After pondering for a moment, Liu Xian said, "How about this? I will lead three thousand cavalry to scout ahead, while the Minister of Works will lead the main force to provide support from behind. If we engage in battle ahead, you will be able to hear us. If I am at a disadvantage, you can support my retreat from behind. However, if the enemy is thrown into chaos, you can lead your troops to advance. What do you think?"

Sima Yue closed his eyes, rubbing his knees, seemingly pondering Liu Xian's suggestion. Liu Xian stood before Sima Yue, his eyes fixed on him. The air was cold and damp, and the trusted knights beside them anxiously awaited orders from their two commanders. Opportunities were fleeting; once missed, there would be no going back.

After a moment, Sima Yue replied, "The Grand Commandant is a renowned general who has fought countless battles, so let's listen to the Grand Commandant! I am only thinking of the best course of action, and my concern for the people and the country is no less than that of the Grand Commandant."

Liu Xian was overjoyed. He immediately mounted his horse again, selected three thousand cavalrymen as the vanguard, and galloped towards Heyin City. Liu Xian ordered his cavalrymen to abandon their secondary horses, take light armor and weapons, and race north. Soon, the rushing sound of the great river could be heard. The wind stopped, the moon did not appear, and in the dim light, the light on the ground was extremely conspicuous. Using this light as a guide, Heyin City finally came into view, and the scene before him made Liu Xian gasp in shock.

This was not because Heyin had a strong military force and extremely tight defenses; on the contrary, it was because Heyin's defenses were somewhat too weak.

Heyin City is located on the south bank of the Yellow River, and the fortifications beneath it are not very dense. It can be seen that the Western Army's camps are not arranged like traditional fortifications, with each camp supporting the others in a square or circle. Instead, they are connected end to end, forming a long, thin line that draws a closed arc along the northern riverbank.

Within this arc were over 100,000 civilians who were being forcibly taken and held captive.

What a desolate scene this is!

In the frigid winter, these hundreds of thousands of people were confined to the riverbank like livestock. They had no houses, and the Western Army soldiers naturally wouldn't build them tents, nor would they allow them to gather wood from the mountains. As a result, these poor captives had nowhere to shelter from the wind and rain. They could only use some rotten wood drifting downstream and reeds on the riverbank to make do with some flimsy shelters. But a sudden gust of wind would expose them to the freezing cold again.

It should be understood that while some of these were members of the Shi family, a significant portion were innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. Most were women, children, and the elderly, whose clothes had been torn during the abduction. Now, barely clothed, how could they possibly survive in such a cruel environment? They could only huddle together for warmth, but how effective would that be?

When Liu Xian arrived, he could vaguely see that there were already many frozen corpses on the riverbank, lying there like weeds, completely unattended. If this continued, these people would probably freeze to death in large numbers in Heyin before mid-November, without Zhang Fang even needing to wield his broadsword.

Seeing this, Zhang Shi and the others immediately discussed, "What are we waiting for? The enemy has lined up their camp, and we're in this position. If we launch a surprise attack, it'll be like cutting through hot cheese with a swift knife—they're not worth mentioning at all!"

But Liu Xian disagreed, saying, "No, fighting like this will inevitably harm civilians. Since we are the royal army rescuing hostages, we should try to minimize casualties. Otherwise, even if we bring the people back, we will still be blamed for nothing."

Upon hearing this, Guo Song quickly guessed Liu Xian's thoughts and offered a plan: "I think they only have five or six thousand men here at most, and most of them are asleep. Why don't we capture a few prisoners first, and after we find out the military orders for the night, we can disguise ourselves as Westerners on night patrol, just like Suo Gong did before, and sneak up on them one by one. Whether they are awake or asleep, we must kill them, but we must do so discreetly. Before the enemy can react, we can open a gap, sneak into the enemy headquarters, and then fight them with all our might."

Liu Xian showed an appreciative look and nodded in agreement, saying, "Try not to make too much of a commotion. There are hundreds of thousands of people here. If we cause a night terror and the people trample each other, who knows how many people will die. That would be a bad thing. Remember, if a fierce battle breaks out and there is a possibility of great chaos, just give my name."

After giving these instructions, it was already midnight. By the dim light of the surrounding fire, the great river to the north was faintly visible. Mist drifted down from the river, covering everyone equally, gradually forming a thick fog. When the fog was thick and obscured, neither the city gate nor the camp could be seen; only the distant sound of the flowing river could be heard.

Sima Yue, seeing the fog thickening and still receiving no news of Liu Xian, grew increasingly impatient. He was deep in enemy territory; retreating alone was out of the question, but advancing lacked the courage. After waiting for a while, at the suggestion of Suo Jing and others, he finally made up his mind, gritted his teeth, and led his troops north to try and contact Liu Xian's forces to inquire about the details.

As far as the eye could see, there was nothing in the darkness. The shadows of the mountains to the south, which had been visible before, had now vanished into the black mist. They had no choice but to light two or three torches and slowly move forward, following the hoofprints of Liu Xian's vanguard.

Fearing to disturb the enemy, they moved with extreme caution, trying to keep each step as quiet as possible. They traversed a series of hills, entered a mountainside, and even reached a riverbank. After an unknown amount of time, they finally encountered a group of people in the fog. As they drew closer, they discovered it was Chen Zhen and his vanguard.

It turned out that the rear guard was advancing through the black fog and had unknowingly crossed the valley, directly approaching the Western Army's camp.

When Sima Yue encountered Chen Zhen, their cavalry was resting, each horse carrying two or three severed heads. A faint commotion could be heard not far ahead. The Prince of Donghai, no longer afraid, quickly sent men to investigate. The report arrived swiftly: "The Grand Commandant led his men to the enemy's main camp, taking advantage of the chaos to kill the enemy general Wang Man. They are now trying to persuade the enemy to surrender and appease the refugees."

Sima Yue was both surprised and delighted. He rushed to investigate and found Liu Xian and several hundred cavalrymen gathered on the westernmost side of the camp, holding a severed head in their hands, trying to persuade the Western Army soldiers inside to surrender. The other cavalrymen had scattered, each looking at their own prisoners. After the last of the stubborn Western soldiers chose to surrender, Sima Yue was truly impressed and said to Liu Xian, "Today, after meeting the Grand Commandant, I understand what a renowned general truly is."

But Liu Xian had no time to listen to Sima Yue's flattery. While dealing with the prisoners, he sent people to help the people trapped on the riverbank, and he was still thinking about restoring the war situation in the entire capital region.

In the Battle of Heyin, Liu Xian launched a night raid on the Western Army's camp, beheading over a thousand and capturing over three thousand, successfully rescuing more than one hundred thousand prisoners. However, the Western Army's garrison at Heyin was far too small, arguably far fewer than Liu Xian had anticipated. Could it be that Zhang Fang had gathered his main force in Luoyang, preparing for a decisive battle with Sima Yi?
With this in mind, Liu Xian, at Sima Yue's suggestion, quickly dispatched cavalry to Luoyang to gather information about the Battle of Luoyang. If Liu Xian's guess was correct, the Battle of Luoyang would likely be unprecedentedly bloody.

The next morning, the scouts sent out all returned; they had indeed lost their way. By noon, the messenger from Luoyang also returned, bringing unexpected good news:
Zhang Fang's army was indeed in Luoyang, but their fighting spirit was not strong. As soon as they engaged Sima Yi's troops, they were quickly defeated. Zhang Fang had already abandoned Luoyang and was retreating southwest. Therefore, Sima Yi ordered Sima Yue to quickly send the refugees back to the capital.

In conclusion, everything seems to be moving in a positive direction. (End of Chapter)