Jinting Han people

On the night of the 11th month (癸未), Liu Xian, the Imperial Envoy, Grand Commandant, and Duke of Songzi, made preparations for battle after a brief reorganization at Jingu Garden.

“The current situation is clear; it’s not a dead end yet.” Since they had lost their maps, Liu Xian lit a torch and used dry branches as pens, sand as paper, and pebbles as city walls to draw the current battle situation for everyone.

Liu Xian was intimately familiar with the layout of the capital region; the surrounding mountains and rivers were practically etched into his mind, allowing him to easily recreate it. He first drew three horizontal lines: two long and one short. The long one at the top represented the Yellow River, the short one the Mangshan Mountains, and the long one at the bottom the Funiu Mountains. At the eastern confluence of the Yellow River and the Mangshan Mountains was Chenggao Pass (Hulao Pass), and at the western confluence of the Funiu Mountains and the Mangshan Mountains were Xin'an and Yiyang. In the center of these three passes lay Luoyang, the heart of the empire and the residence of emperors.

Liu Xian slowly said, "From the perspective of the capital region, our army is already powerless. The enemy outnumbers us, and they have occupied all the fortified cities except Hulao Pass. They are also in high spirits and well-equipped. If our army wants to launch a head-on attack, it would be like throwing an egg against a rock."

But he paused quickly, placed a pebble on the southeast side of Hulao Pass, and pointed out to everyone: "But now that Hulao Pass has been opened, the situation is very different. To the east of Hulao, the imperial court still has external aid available."

“A month ago, the imperial court defeated the Zhengdong Army Command in Xingyang, and then set up the Henan Regional Headquarters in Xuchang, with the Crown Prince in charge, and jointly managed by the Prince of Wu, the Duke of Zhuxu, the Duke of Lingzhou, and the Duke of Xihua. Now, it seems that the initial results are almost achieved.”

Everyone looked at the pebble that referred to Xuchang, assessing the local strength in their minds.

"Does the lord mean to order the Henan governor to send troops to aid the court?" Li Sheng pondered for a moment, then stroked his hair and said:
“This is indeed a solution, but there are two problems. First, without an imperial edict, will the Henan provincial government obey? Second, the Western Army is a formidable force. Even if Henan sends some troops, can they be a match for them?”

Liu Xian had already considered these two questions, and he analyzed them as follows:
"The current regents and the three dukes of the court, the General of the Cavalry (Sima Yi), the Minister of Works (Wang Rong), and the Minister of Agriculture (Sima Yue), are all trapped in Luoyang. Only I am outside Luoyang. As the Grand Commandant, it is only right and proper for me to issue orders to the local authorities to rescue the court. What is wrong with that?"

"Moreover, the Duke of Lingzhou (Fu Zhi) and the Duke of Zhuxu (Liu Tun) are both friends of mine. They want to establish themselves in Henan and also need the righteousness of the court, so they will definitely send troops."

After answering the first question, he then addressed the second:
"Of course, in terms of combat strength, the Eastern Army cannot be compared with the Western Army. But the Western Army is not invincible either. At least for now, their logistics problems are unsustainable. From Kansai to Kanto, it is a long journey of thousands of miles, crossing mountains and valleys. No matter what they are transporting, it is extremely difficult. Originally, they could use the Wei River and the Yellow River to transport some goods by canal. But now the Yellow River is frozen, and canal transport is not possible. They can only rely on manpower and animal power, which undoubtedly makes it even more difficult for the Western Army to sustain itself."

Liu Xian then said, "The Western Army's arrows are already insufficient. No matter how cunning Zhang Fang's tactics are, even a clever cook cannot cook without rice. On the other hand, Xuchang's military supplies are still sufficient. As long as the governor can send reinforcements, there is no need to engage Zhang Fang in open battle. Simply by advancing slowly and stationing troops in the Yanshi and Mangshan area, we can keep him unable to advance or retreat."

“At that time, we will gather the refugees around Luoyang and send them to Henan for resettlement. Zhang Fang will have nowhere to tyranny and will not be able to take food from the people. Naturally, he will only have the option of withdrawing his troops.”

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement, and they felt more confident about the upcoming battle.

So they listened to Liu Xian's instructions: "Bin Shuo (Li Sheng), take my order and go to Xuchang immediately to ask for help. Zhu Xugong and Lingzhou Gong both know you. Once you receive the order, explain the situation in detail, and they will not doubt you."

"promise!"

"Nan Qiao (Zhuge Yan), I will give you three thousand infantrymen. You must immediately seize Hulao Pass. This place is of utmost importance and must not fall into the hands of others again."

"promise!"

“Zijin (Mengtao), I will give you two hundred men. Go among the refugees and spread the word that Liu Hong, the governor of Jingzhou, will soon march north to defend the emperor.”

"promise!"

"Meng Zhang (Gongsun Gong), I am entrusting these two thousand cavalrymen to you. Go to Yanshi City and garrison there. Occasionally harass the Western Army, but prioritize holding the position and wait for the Eastern Army to come to our aid."

"promise!"

As everyone listened to Liu Xian issue his orders one by one in an orderly manner, their confidence naturally grew. However, some people sensed something was amiss. Liu Xian had given many orders, but he hadn't mentioned any arrangements for them. What were his true intentions?

Finally, Liu Xian said, "The rest of you, rest well. Tomorrow morning, follow me back to Luoyang!"

Upon hearing this, the crowd erupted in uproar. They almost thought Liu Xian was joking, and that he was walking right into a trap.
But Liu Xian's expression remained serious; this was a decision he had made after careful consideration. In his view, seeking aid was not the problem; the real difficulty lay not outside of Luoyang, but within it.

The Emperor and the court are always the banner of righteousness. Therefore, to force Zhang Fang to retreat, it is essential to ensure that the court does not surrender and continues to fight him within Luoyang. Otherwise, if the court orders a surrender first, it will lose its righteousness, and no matter how many methods Liu Xian devises, it will be useless.

This means that someone needs to lead troops back to Luoyang, deliberately putting themselves in danger, and hold out until reinforcements from the east come to their rescue.

This was an extremely dangerous undertaking, and no ordinary person could go. He had to be able to manage the situation in Luoyang, persuade the court officials not to surrender, and boost the morale of the remaining soldiers, making them believe that victory was possible. Only in this way could they hold out for as long as possible until reinforcements from the Henan government arrived.

Therefore, considering all factors, only if Liu Xian himself returns to Luoyang can this effect be achieved.

This was undoubtedly unacceptable to the advisors. How could a commander-in-chief go into danger while his subordinates looked after him from the outside? Li Sheng objected, saying, "My lord, this is not appropriate. Putting aside how you will enter the palace, even if you do enter, if you cannot defend it, won't you be trapped and die inside?"

"That's why I left Meng Zhang to look after things in Yanshi," Liu Xian explained. "If I can't hold out, I'll raise the beacon fires north of the palace. When that happens, Meng Zhang will come to harass us. I'll lead the remaining troops in the palace to break out. With a fast horse like Fan Yu under my command, we'll be able to escape."

He then added, "How can one be afraid of danger when undertaking great tasks? Looking at Cao Cao's battles at Wuchao and Bailang Mountain, weren't they both achieved only because he personally risked his life?"

Upon hearing this, Li Sheng knew he couldn't persuade Liu Xian, so he asked again, "Then how does my lord plan to enter Luoyang?"

Liu Xian had planned this all along. After a nonchalant smile, he said in a low voice, "Isn't this a ready-made guide?"

It was late at night, and the bright moonlight, like frost, bathed the windowsill. The surroundings were utterly quiet, a perfect time for rest, yet Ma Tai tossed and turned. After speaking with Liu Xian, he had been untied and was merely under house arrest in a room. His life was temporarily no longer threatened, and in theory, he could breathe a sigh of relief. However, the thought of his future filled Ma Tai with anxiety: Now, not only had he suffered a defeat and become a prisoner, but he had also revealed the army's secrets. If Zhang Fang found out, wouldn't he be torn to pieces?

But he was also genuinely afraid of Liu Xian. This man seemed to be asking questions with a pre-existing answer in mind, and Ma Tai felt that if he lied, Liu Xian would see right through him. However, Ma Tai didn't understand Liu Xian's questions. What was he trying to do? Was he trying to surrender? Or negotiate? Or perhaps escape? Surely he wasn't trying to walk right into a trap!

A jumble of distracting thoughts made it hard for Ma Tai to sleep, so he tossed and turned, listlessly listening to the wind outside the window.

Unexpectedly, footsteps came from outside the door, followed by a knock and a voice saying, "Commander Ma, the Grand Commandant wants to see you."

Ma Tai was somewhat puzzled. Why was Liu Xian looking for him at this hour? But he didn't dare to be negligent. He quickly dressed and got up, following the visitor to the main courtyard of Jingu Garden.

The messenger led him to the front of the main hall, but did not immediately take him inside. Instead, he instructed him, "The Grand Commandant is discussing matters inside. Please wait a moment until he calls you in." With that, he turned and left.

Ma Tai stood alone outside in the wind, soon shivering from the cold, cursing under his breath. But then he heard faint voices coming from under the door, so he couldn't help but listen more closely. However, the distance was neither too far nor too close, and the volume of the voices inside varied, making it impossible to hear any coherent sentences. He could only repeatedly hear words like "Westward Expeditionary Army Command," "Hulao Pass," "Xuchang," "Henan Military Headquarters," and "Eastward Expedition," and nothing more.

After a long while, the hall finally quieted down, and then someone called out loudly, "Is Commandant Ma here?"

It was Liu Xian's voice. Upon hearing this, Ma Tai quickly pushed open the door and went in, bowing repeatedly and saying, "I greet the Grand Commandant."

He looked up and saw Liu Xian's ambiguous smile. Startled, he immediately lowered his head and asked, "Grand Commandant, what are your orders for summoning me?"

But then Liu Xian said, "Commander Ma, do you still remember our agreement?"

"Promise?"

"Didn't I say that as long as you confess honestly, I will let you go, including your subordinates?"

When Ma Tai was talking to Liu Xian, he didn't take these words seriously at all. But upon hearing them now, he was overjoyed: "Does the Grand Commandant mean...?"

"You can leave now, along with your men. But I won't return the horses, armor, and weapons you received."

"Of course, of course." When Ma Tai was captured, he was worried about whether he could survive. But now that he learned that he could bring back all two thousand men safely, he was overjoyed and didn't care about anything else.

“But…” Liu Xian paused for a moment, deliberately waiting for Ma Tai to look up again before he said, “I have a condition.”

"Please pass on a message to Zhang Fang for me: if he can make me the governor of a prefecture, I will pledge allegiance to the Prince of Hejian. Otherwise, he's going too far. I'll fight him to the death, even if it costs me my life!"

"This..." This sentence was truly unexpected, catching Ma Tai off guard. But upon closer reflection, it did make some sense, though it seemed inconsistent with Liu Xian's character. Was it true or false? Ma Tai looked up at Liu Xian again, seeing his calm expression, which was hard to fathom, and couldn't make up his mind.

As Ma Tai pondered, he occasionally glanced at the attendant standing beside him, noticing his mocking expression. Recalling the snippets of conversation he had overheard outside the hall, he suddenly realized: This must be a lie! Liu Xian was using negotiations as a pretext to escape to Xuchang!
Once he figured out the reason, he felt much more at ease and replied with a smile, "Please rest assured, Grand Commandant, we Westerners all admire you. With your joining us, we will be even more powerful!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian laughed heartily and repeatedly said, "Then hurry up and go. I hope I can hear your good news before noon tomorrow."

So, in the dead of night, Ma Tai and his entourage were escorted out of Jingu Garden.

Before his departure, Ma Tai carefully observed the activity within the Golden Valley Garden. He noticed that during this time of deep sleep, there was a faint wisp of smoke rising from the garden, further convincing him that Liu Xian and his group were preparing to leave Luoyang, deliberately misleading him. He figured they would likely head east early the next morning.

This was an extremely important military intelligence, and Ma Tai immediately led his men to Xilei. In his mind, this was also an excellent opportunity to gain merit. If he could seize the opportunity and intercept Liu Xian before he set off, he might not only be able to forgive the previous defeat but also gain new merit!
With this in mind, even without a mount and having to walk on his own two legs, Ma Tai dared not rest for a moment. He covered the twenty-mile distance in an hour, and then immediately sought an audience with Zhang Fang to report the news to the commander-in-chief.

After hearing Ma Tai's report, Zhang Fang did not immediately accept it. Instead, he touched his cheek, pondered for a while, and then asked Ma Tai, "Are you sure Liu Xian really wants to go east? Haven't been deceived? He's a very cunning man."

Ma Tai kowtowed repeatedly and then replied, "Please rest assured, Marshal. After leaving Jingu Garden, I specifically checked the hoofprints at the crossroads. I could see that many hoofprints pointed eastward, which means they had already gone east to scout the way. They must be heading east."

"Moreover, Liu Xian is only a mortal after all. He has lost most of his armor and weapons. How can he fight against the marshal? I also heard from those defeated soldiers that the marshal's tactics are unpredictable and impossible to defeat! Such is the will of the people. How can Liu Xian go against it?"

Zhang Fang was naturally delighted by this flattery, and patted his belly, saying, "Hahaha, Commandant, you flatter me too much. How can a person not know his own worth? I am only slightly better than Liu Xian."

"This one difference is the world that separates the marshal from him!"

"Hahaha, you flatter me! You flatter me!" After laughing, Zhang Fang immediately ordered that 5,000 cavalry be drawn from the various armies besieging Luoyang, led by Lü Lang, who was originally in charge of the defense of Daxia Gate, and ordered him to go to Hulao Pass to block Liu Xian.

As soon as Lü Lang set out, before the defenses of the Daxia Gate under his command had been reinforced, a large number of people suddenly emerged from the north of Luoyang. These people were dressed in plain clothes and straw sandals, moving silently in the night. When they charged out of the darkness, it was as if flashes of white light had suddenly appeared—they were drawing their swords and hacking wildly. The Daxia Gate was weakly defended at this time, and even these poorly equipped soldiers were powerless to stop them, allowing the enemy to breach the gate in one fell swoop.

Unable to ascertain the specific situation and without Zhang Fang's orders, the surrounding Western Army units formed ranks and defended themselves, daring not to make any rash moves. They simply watched helplessly as these more than five thousand men swarmed into Luoyang.

Liu Xian thus successfully stormed back into the palace, causing Ma Tai to be chopped into mincemeat. (End of Chapter)