Jinting Han people

After several days of fierce fighting, both sides focused their attention on the eastern side of the battlefield, where the bloodshed and brutality were unprecedented among the many major battles of the year. However, on the same battlefield, to the north and south of Xilei, the situation remained calm.

This is certainly not to say that neither side suffered any damage, but they certainly showed enough restraint.

Putting everything else aside, the speed at which the laborers on the south side filled the moat and built the earthen mound was more than three times slower than on the east side. While Sima Yi's troops had already fought two rounds inside the fortified city, Sima Yue's soldiers were still firing arrows at each other from the city walls. By the third day, the earthen mound had only just been completed. He ordered two attempts to attack, but it was all just for show. As soon as anyone suffered a minor injury, or even just a few deaths, they quickly retreated to rest and regroup.

This drew inward criticism from Suo Jing and the others who were watching from the sidelines. They privately discussed among themselves, saying, "Even if the General of the Cavalry only ordered a feint attack, this is far too perfunctory."

However, Sima Yi did not criticize them harshly, or rather, he had never placed much hope in the others. The remaining men were either useless members of the imperial clan, remnants of the Qi King's faction, or members of Liu Xian's clique. Having suffered repeated betrayals, Sima Yi did not believe they could fight without reservation. Therefore, he used them to reinforce the flanks, thus tying down some of the enemy forces and ensuring a smooth retreat after any attack—he was already satisfied with that.

Liu Xian was happy to be relieved. In fact, after successfully obtaining the imperial edict, although his body was still on the battlefield, his mind was no longer there. He seemed to no longer hear the rumbling drums, nor the sounds of fighting among the soldiers not far away. He could not even see the endless ruins before him, nor the bones and bloodstains scattered everywhere in the fields.

In fact, after more than a decade of military service, Liu Xian had gradually become accustomed to it. Death always surrounded him, the endless fighting was like a nightmare he couldn't wake up from. He might feel the passion during the final battle, but after victory, weariness and apathy were inevitable. No matter how sensitive the heart, it will grow old and numb. Liu Xian was about to turn thirty-three. Time flies, and he could hardly remember what he looked like when he was young.

That's why, after going through so many trials and tribulations, when such an opportunity finally presented itself, allowing him to realize his deepest dream, Liu Xian naturally couldn't control himself. After Sima Fan left, his mind was in turmoil, various thoughts flooding in, leaving him distracted and restless.

For several days in a row, he tried to think about how to get out of this mess, but each time his thoughts were just getting started, he would inevitably think about what would happen a month later, a year later, or even ten or several decades later, as if a perfect life had already been lived out in his mind.

This gave Liu Xian an impulse to almost lead his troops away immediately, but fortunately, he still had basic rationality: First, in terms of personnel, he still had many advisors and friends, such as Zu Ti and He Pan, scattered throughout the various units of the Imperial Guard; leaving without announcing it would be tantamount to abandoning them. Secondly, regarding his current position, he was located south of the Imperial Guard. To lead his troops north out of Luoyang, he would first have to break through the central and northern armies where Sima Yi was stationed, which was undoubtedly impossible.

Therefore, we should wait until this battle is over before making any decisions.

When the Imperial Guards stormed the inner city walls, Liu Xian, who was on the southern watchtower, actually saw it. Under normal circumstances, he might have been interested in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the two armies on the battlefield, but at this moment, he was more concerned about the Luo River to the south.

At the start of the great battle, the banks of the Luo River began to freeze. As the weather grew colder, the ice on both sides of the river extended towards the center of the river. Finally, today, the surface of the Luo River has frozen into a single, solid piece!

Sunlight shines down, refracting through the ice of the Luo River into a myriad of colorful spots. Looking out, the ice is sometimes smooth, sometimes undulating, sometimes transparent, sometimes murky, sometimes dazzling, sometimes dim. The frozen waves divide the hundred-foot-wide river surface into countless grids of varying sizes, each unique, inevitably evoking Buddhist sayings:
For example, the three thousand great chiliocosms, all the grasses, trees, forests, rice, hemp, bamboo, reeds, mountains, rocks, and dust. Each thing has its own number, forming a Ganges River. Each grain of sand in the Ganges River is a world. Perhaps within each piece of ice on the river lies a completely different world.

Faced with this scene, Liu Xian thought: Although the river ice has just formed and is not thick enough, based on the situation of the Luo River, can we infer that the major rivers north of Mangshan are also almost frozen? If so, another condition for heading north has been met.

With this in mind, he ordered Zhuge Yan to lead a dozen or so riders ahead, under the pretext of returning to Luoyang on official business, to secretly head north from the east to see if the river had frozen over. If it had, they were to choose a spot with thick ice nearby for future crossings.

Zhuge Yan immediately accepted the order and left, while Liu Xian watched his departing figure, unable to come back to his senses for a long time. Only after Li Sheng urged him did he turn his gaze back to the battlefield.

The fighting within the inner fortress had reached a fever pitch, with all the officers and generals within sight closely watching the battle raging on the city walls. They generally believed that the outcome of this small skirmish might determine the outcome of the entire battle.

After Liu You climbed the ramparts and established a firm foothold on the city wall, Gou Chun led his troops in close pursuit.

He was a formidable general. Once atop the city wall, he wielded a spear nearly two zhang long, wielding it back and forth. The spears prepared by the Western Army were all shorter than his; as the saying goes, "an inch longer, an inch stronger," and since Gou Chun could handle this two-zhang-long spear, he was invincible in battle. The Western Army soldiers on the city wall, when sparring with him, even if they struck first, were often outmaneuvered by Gou Chun's quick reflexes. Once struck, a large hole would immediately appear in their bodies, blood would gush out, and they would collapse to the ground, unable to rise again.

Behind him, the heavily armored soldiers, armed with spears and halberds, began their slow but determined ascent of the ramparts. Unlike the soldiers who had previously scaled the ramparts in light armor, these men were clad in heavy armor. As they climbed the ramparts, the armor plates clanged and clattered, indicating considerable effort. However, once they caught their breath and took up their long spears and cleavers to engage in battle, the effect was immediate. The Western Army's weaponry was far inferior to that of the Imperial Guards. These armored soldiers, once positioned on the city walls and arrayed in formation, formed a natural fortress, able to advance against swords and arrows, trading wounds for wounds, achieving a one-against-five effect. The Western Army was forced to retreat frequently.

Of course, the Western Army was not unprepared. Zhang Fang had specifically dispatched Chen Yan's troops, who were specifically tasked with dealing with these heavily armored soldiers. They had prepared some thick elmwood clubs, covered with a layer of iron, and after climbing onto the city wall, they engaged the armored soldiers in close combat. These men did not deliberately seek to attack any part of the enemy's body; they simply swung their clubs indiscriminately. With each heavy blow, even through a layer of armor, they could break bones and cause internal bleeding.

Under such circumstances, the battle between Chen Yan's troops and Gou Chun's troops on the city walls was truly a bloody one, with screams of agony echoing from both sides. Almost every strike sent someone crashing to the ground, incapacitated. The space on the city walls was rather narrow, allowing only a maximum of three people to stand at a time. This meant that in the heat of battle, if one fell in front, they would quickly block those behind. Victory was paramount, and those behind didn't care whether the fallen were alive or not; they simply threw those in front off the walls, and many who could have been saved perished in the fall beneath the inner ramparts.

Such a sight left Meng Tao, who was accompanying him, speechless. He rubbed his hands together and exclaimed, "Even the battle at Mangkou wasn't this fierce!"

“The Western Army is skilled in battle, and the Imperial Guards are elite. This is a life-or-death battle that will determine the outcome between the East and the West. Both sides are giving their all, so it is no ordinary battle.” Li Sheng answered while analyzing the direction of the battle, saying, “Now both sides are fighting for their lives, and they should use whatever trump cards they have.”

He then said to Liu Xian, "My lord, I think we should also be careful. Although there is nothing serious here for the time being, if Zhang Fang wants to win, he will have to start from outside the fortress."

As he spoke, Liu Xian was lost in thought, his mind still pondering the strategic issues after arriving in Hedong. Li Sheng called out several more times before he snapped out of his reverie and asked Li Sheng, "What is it?"

After Li Sheng reiterated his opinion, Liu Xian realized what was happening and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Bin Shuo is absolutely right; we must indeed be wary of this." He couldn't help but secretly blame himself; this imperial edict had seriously disturbed his mind, almost making him lose his composure, which was truly inexcusable. He immediately went downstairs with Li Sheng and others to instruct his troops to reorganize their soldiers and re-form their ranks on the banks of the Luo River to guard against any possible surprise attack from the Western Army.

It was already afternoon. The two armies fought fiercely on the city walls, their battle cries shaking the heavens, yet neither side could gain the upper hand. Winter days are short, and soon the sun began to move westward, disappearing behind the clouds. Without the warm glow of the setting sun, the sky gradually darkened. As day turned to night, the western fortress was gradually shrouded in the hazy twilight, and everything around it naturally became somber, like leaves falling onto the earth.

After standing for a while, the temperature dropped sharply, and everyone, feeling stiff and cold, quickly lit a campfire to warm themselves. Looking back, all the other units were also lighting fires, and the clusters of flames swayed like red flowers in the cold wind, stretching from Xilei all the way to the distant Luoyang city wall, inevitably reminding one of the beautiful scenery of spring with its profusion of flowers.

"Why are there so many fires?" someone asked, as if in a daze.

"Those are the elders of Luoyang! They are watching the battle!" someone quickly provided the answer.

The people were not foolish; they were simply powerless. After Zhang Fang's previous antics, they all understood that this battle would determine the fate of everyone in the capital region, and the sound of war drums kept everyone on edge. So, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Luoyang, both inside and outside the city, to watch the outcome of the battle.

Seeing this scene, Liu Xian couldn't help but lament the fate of these people. He knew that this battle was not the end; every year to come would determine the fate of everyone in the world, and countless lives would be lost. So many people, so many lives—if they waited until next year, the year after, and the year after that, how many would survive? And what about the crested ibises and peonies of Luoyang?

Amidst these reflections, a thunderous clatter of hooves suddenly resounded, and the ground trembled with a dull, terrifying tremor. Instantly, countless iron cavalrymen charged out from the darkness near the west gate of the Western Fortress, rushing straight towards the Imperial Guards from the flank.

This was Zhang Fanghu's division, which the Western Army had reserved as a reserve!

Leading the charge was the force of Zhang Fang's general, Ma Zhan. Like a whirlwind, he cut along the banks of the Luo River, flanking and cutting into Sima Yue's army. Wherever he went, screams of agony and the clanging of clashing iron hooves filled the air. Following him was the force of Protector-General Xi, who charged diagonally into the Imperial Guards' ranks from the southwest, colliding head-on with Liu Xian's troops.

Although Sima Yue's formation was too slow to react, Liu Xian's troops had already completed their formation. Seeing the Tiger Army charging forward in columns, Suo Jing and the others immediately ordered their own columns to penetrate the enemy's lines, engaging them fearlessly.

Suo Jing and his men were originally from the Western Expeditionary Army. They were very familiar with the Western Army's tactics. The cavalry formations of the two sides were almost identical. When they were locked in combat, it was like several pythons tearing at each other, or like several wet leather whips constantly lashing out on the battlefield, trying to whip the other's body until it bled.

Logically, with the Imperial Guards on guard, the Western Army's cavalry raid lost its effectiveness, and the casualties on both sides should have been roughly equal. However, in reality, Suo Jing and his men were greatly surprised when they first engaged the Tiger Army.

First, the Tiger Division was extremely well-equipped. Although its armor was not as good as that of the Songzi Battalion, it was still considered top-notch for the time, with almost everything: face shields, neck guards, breastplates, and back guards. Especially their warhorses. Suo Jing's men had hundreds of Akhal-Teke horses transported from the Western Regions, which gave them a huge advantage on the battlefield. However, at this moment, they were still not far behind Zhang Fang's Tiger Division.

Secondly, these Tiger Knights were fearless and undaunted. In battle, they were unafraid to exchange wounds for wounded ones. Even when their comrades fell from their horses, none wavered. They simply retreated into their formation as if it were commonplace, continuing their counterattack against the righteous army. Such qualities were undoubtedly unmatched by Suo Jing and other Westerners who had returned to the righteous cause. They were also human, capable of feeling fear and hesitation. And it was precisely in this brief moment of hesitation and reflection that the enemy gained the opportunity to succeed.

Therefore, Liu Xian, leading the Songzi Battalion to observe the battle from afar, was surprised to find that these righteous knights, who had been invincible at Mangkou, were now being completely suppressed by the enemy. This was extraordinary, and he quickly made up his mind, saying to Gongsun Gong, "Let's charge forward first, cut through the enemy cavalry, concentrate our forces to break through one of their units, and then the rest will be easier."

Gongsun Gong nodded in agreement. They spotted a gap between two enemy cavalry columns, raised their banners, roared, and spurred their horses forward, charging through the enemy lines. Their hooves kicked up swirling dust, which, illuminated by the campfire, shimmered like stars descending to earth. As the dust settled, the charging cavalry gradually converged, forming a wedge-shaped formation, narrow at the front and wide at the back, stretching forward before clashing violently with the enemy.

The galloping warhorses nimbly weaved into the gaps between the enemy's ranks, and many men emerged from the enemy's cavalry almost unscathed. But behind them, the air was filled with the crisp sounds of spears clashing and breaking.

Some were pierced by the charging spears, tumbling backward from their saddles with the spear shaft slipping from their hands. Their horses, freed from their burdens, increased in speed and swept past them. Of course, many more ducked to avoid the enemy's thrusts, only to be struck by their own horses. The spear tips were double-edged; even if not a direct hit to the horse's belly, a glide of the edge across the flank, combined with the horse's momentum, could still inflict considerable damage. Even with the protection of horse armor, long, bloody gashes still appeared on their bodies.

Based on experience, after such a charge, the enemy forces would inevitably be crushed by the fighting power of the Songzi Battalion, and their formation would be scattered.

Unexpectedly, when Liu Xian led his troops to turn back and prepare for a second charge, he was astonished to find that the opposing wolf cavalry had also regrouped. They were not only fearless in battle, but also ready to launch a counter-charge.

This is truly an extremely rare occurrence. Ever since Meng Guan mastered the Shanggu Camp, he swept through Guanzhong, decisively defeated the Qi army, and repeatedly triumphed over the Northern army under Liu Xian. Wherever he went, he was invincible, striking fear into the hearts of his men, earning him the title of "Iron Army." Yet these enemies before him seemed utterly unconcerned, preparing for battle as if nothing had happened. Were they also made of iron?
However, this also aroused the competitive spirit of Gongsun Gong and others. Even steel needs to be tempered. It is precisely by defeating such opponents that they can forge a truly invincible reputation!

But it was at this time that some changes occurred on the battlefield. No, more accurately, some changes occurred outside the battlefield.

The night, like a dome, completely enveloped the earth and all things. Apart from the clusters of bonfires lit by the people, darkness and silence prevailed. But for some reason, a sharp crack seemed to come from the dam, a spark from a haystack, or a flash of lightning from the dark clouds. Several miles away in the southern suburbs of Luoyang, where there were only some insignificant lights for illumination and warmth, a wave of fire suddenly erupted, clearly bursting into a raging inferno that swept across the surrounding area.

Then the dam collapsed, flames raged, and thunder roared. (End of Chapter)