Jinting Han people

At dawn on the day of Jia-Shen in November, the news that Grand Commandant Liu Xian was safe and sound spread like wildfire throughout the palace.

When he arrived at Qianqiu Gate on the east side, he didn't need to say much. He simply announced his name and illuminated his face with a torch, and the palace guards recognized him. These dejected defeated soldiers immediately cheered. They roused themselves and, without even reporting to the court or worrying about the siege outside the city, immediately opened the city gate and welcomed Liu Xian in.

"Who is in charge of the defense of this gate?" Liu Xian looked around and then examined the details of the remaining soldiers in the palace before asking the question as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"It is Commander Ji who is in charge." The soldier who answered did not find anything unusual, as if it was the natural order of things.

"Then I'll take over this place. Get ready, the battle is about to begin."

Amidst the astonished expressions of the crowd, Liu Xian offered no further explanation. Instead, he turned around and immediately began issuing orders to his entourage.

He ordered Guo Mo to relay military orders to the western palace gates, including the Xiye Gate and Shenhu Gate; Mao Bao to notify the southern Changhe Gate and Sima Gate; and Meng He to inform the eastern Yunlong Gate and Dongye Gate. The order was singular: Liu Xian, in his capacity as Grand Commandant, commanded all soldiers to assemble before the Qianqiu Gate.

All of this happened extremely quickly. When the soldiers began to move toward Qianqiu Gate, the court officials were still unaware of what was happening. They had been resting when they suddenly heard a great many footsteps in the dim light. They thought that Zhang Fang had lost his patience and had stormed into the palace from outside the city. They were very panicked, but it turned out that Liu Xian had returned.

The first person to see Liu Xian was naturally Sima Yue, who was preparing to negotiate with Zhang Fang. Upon learning of Liu Xian's return, he was both surprised and suspicious, but seeing that all the troops in the palace had been mobilized, he had no time to stop them and could only rush over to see him.

Upon meeting, before even exchanging greetings, he hurriedly asked, "Why has the Grand Commandant mobilized the palace guards? What is your intention?"

Liu Xian was already taking stock of the remaining supplies in the palace. He said to Sima Yue, "We are about to fight Zhang Fang and retake Jinyong City!"

Having said that, he ignored the surprised looks from others and focused all his attention on preparing for the next battle.

On the way here, Liu Xian had already come up with a complete plan on how to hold Luoyang: instead of defending the palace, it would be better to launch a surprise counterattack and move the court to Jinyong City.

After the decisive battle with Sima Jiong, Liu Xian realized that while the imperial palace had many buildings, it was not an ideal location for defense. Firstly, its walls were not as strong as city walls, making defense difficult and forcing troops to be confined to a few palaces. Secondly, his forces were limited, and the palace was too spacious, inevitably leading to gaps in the defenses. Thirdly, the dense walls hindered timely command by the commander-in-chief. Considering these three points, Jinyong City was a more suitable location for defense.

In contrast, Jinyong City, located in the northwest corner of Luoyang, is a small city with a circumference of no more than three li (approximately 1.5 kilometers), occupying about one-third the area of ​​the imperial palace, making it ideal for defense with a small force. Although its southern wall is connected to Luoyang city, for the same reason, the wall's specifications are the same as those of the main city of Luoyang, and it is wide enough for horses to gallop on. Moreover, there is a hundred-foot tower on the east side of the city, providing a good view of the surrounding situation. This means that as long as a large force is deployed to defend the south of the city, the enemy will find it difficult to make any progress.

Upon entering the city, Liu Xian had observed the defenses of Jinyong City. The Western Army had merely occupied many city gates, without stationing troops inside, which presented him with a perfect opportunity: now that he had returned to the palace, Zhang Fang would assume that his side would hold the palace, and if he were to mobilize troops, he would surely surround the palace. But who could have imagined that Liu Xian would not only not hold the palace, but would instead launch a counterattack from outside, catching him off guard?

This was something Liu Xian learned from Zhang Fang. Since Zhang Fang dared to recall the garrison at Hulao Pass and launch an unbelievable pincer attack, solidifying his reputation as a demon in the eyes of the people, Liu Xian had to be even bolder and more unpredictable. An ordinary mortal could never defeat such an opponent.

Moreover, time was of the essence. Before Zhang Fang could mobilize his troops, Liu Xian had to seize every moment and break through as quickly as possible. Once Zhang Fang reacted, it would be too late. Therefore, Liu Xian had no time to lecture Sima Yue and others who were incompetent in warfare. He even drew his sword decisively and sternly ordered these officials: "Anyone who dares to obstruct the defense against the invaders or discuss surrender will be executed!"

Upon hearing this, the nobles who had accompanied Sima Yue were all bewildered: Who said there was going to be a war? Wasn't refusing to surrender just courting death? But they lacked the courage to confront Zhang Fang, and naturally, they also lacked the courage to fight against Liu Xian. As a result, the scholars wisely kept their mouths shut and uttered no more words.

That's often how things are; panic stems from imagining the unknown, and pointless discussions only exacerbate this unnecessary imagination. When all the talk stops, people naturally calm down.

Of course, that wasn't enough. The atmosphere of despair wasn't just in the words, but also in the aimless idleness. Liu Xian had to use unquestionable orders to compel the soldiers to move and give them the courage and conviction to believe.

Therefore, standing in the middle of the crowd, he didn't give a long speech. Instead, after each unit had arrived, he walked past them one by one, inquiring about their current situation. Liu Xian's questions were brief, consisting of only two: "How many comrades have died? Do you still dare to continue killing the enemy?"

Although it was a question, his resounding tone already contained the answer, and the soldiers understood that answer.

At this point, fame and fortune have become meaningless. After experiencing so many deaths, the question that swords should answer is: what does it mean to be human? Therefore, they strive for victory, not for personal glory and wealth, but so that they can live with their heads held high and die with dignity.

People yearned for this victory, but many lacked confidence, doubting they could achieve it alone. They needed an unwavering guide leading the way. Faced with Liu Xian's serious, low-pitched question, they believed the one who could bring them this victory had returned. This compelled them to suppress their excitement and, most likely, answer with equal force: "Slay the Western bandits!"

Amidst these low cheers, Liu Xian conducted a brief inspection, gaining a general understanding of the upcoming battle. His own troops, plus the remaining forces from the palace, totaled approximately 16,000 men. While the number wasn't large, most of his old acquaintances and friends were present. Zu Ti, Liu Kun, Ji Shao, He Pan, and others were naturally there, but Xi Jian, Huan Yi, Lu Yun, Cao Miao, and other staff members from the Sili Prefecture—who, due to Sima Yi's suspicion, had remained in the so-called Grand Commandant's office in Luoyang and hadn't participated in the battle—unexpectedly resulted in no losses, as they all appeared in the palace.

Upon learning that Sima Yi was seriously injured and unconscious, Liu Xian breathed a huge sigh of relief. This made him act with fewer worries, especially in this time when every moment was precious.

Unlike his meetings with high-ranking officials like Sima Yue, Liu Xian held a brief military council with these generals, essentially a briefing on his plans. After explaining his plans as quickly as possible, he immediately began appointing generals:
Gou Xi's troops were to lead the vanguard in capturing Jinyong City; Zu Ti and Liu Kun's troops were to act as feints, with one feigning an attack on Xiyang Gate and the other feigning to guard Daxia Gate, while in reality covering Gou Xi's troops' attack; after capturing Jinyong City, Ji Shao's troops were to be responsible for escorting the emperor and his officials into the city; the staff of the Grand Commandant's office organized refugees to enter the city later, with Shangguan Si's troops and Zhang Shi's troops providing protection on the side; He Pan's troops and Liu Xian's main force were to cover the rear.

The generals present were all seasoned veterans. Once the plan was explained, they were both surprised by the audacity of Liu Xian's scheme and keenly aware that time was of the essence. With almost no doubt, they could begin preparations for capturing the city.

However, there was one problem that had to be solved. Fu Chang asked from the side, "Grand Commandant, time is so tight. How are we going to bring the grain and supplies from the palace?"

Since the decision has been made to defend the city, stockpiling grain is crucial; without food, it's impossible to hold out for long and await reinforcements. However, most of the grain is currently stored in the palace; how can it be transported to Jinyong City in a short time?

Everyone was concerned about this issue. Liu Xian said, "We should lead the suffering people to Taicang. Each person can carry two or three bags, and we should also use all the pack animals in the palace. That should be enough manpower."

This was indeed a good idea, but Fu Chang hesitated. Their concerns were simple: once the grain was distributed to the people, collecting it again would be troublesome. If someone took the grain and ran away halfway, it would result in a huge loss; or if they entered the city but refused to hand over the grain, causing further trouble, the city would fall. Moreover, these refugees were also a burden, and many people didn't even want to move them into the city, but simply didn't want to say it openly.

But Liu Xian said, "At a time like this, how can we hesitate? The people are suffering so much, do you think they can turn to Zhang Fang? If we abandon the people, how much morale will the army have left?" Only then did he dispel everyone's doubts.

So everyone sprang into action. From Liu Xian breaking into the palace to mustering his troops for another battle, the entire process took no more than half an hour. The sky was still dark, requiring torches for illumination. At this time, the Western Army outside the city was still unaware of what had happened, merely relaying the decision to Zhang Fang. This time lag was enough to determine the outcome of a phase of the battle. Liu Xian's hope was to gain this initial lead and then extend it to every subsequent step.

However, this autocratic attitude will undoubtedly draw criticism from some people.

"What is the Grand Commandant doing with the imperial court? Is it just for show? Such a big matter, how come he won't even see the emperor?" Ma Mo of the Pingchang Company complained to his staff.

At this moment, the entire palace was in motion. Not only the troops who went out to fight, but also the refugees, palace maids, and even eunuchs inside the palace were busy transporting grain and supplies. The palace roads were crowded with people, and the scene was extremely lively.

But this scene was irrelevant to most of the nobles; many were too weak to lift a finger and could only stand by idly watching. For these dignitaries, accustomed to being at the center of power, this was undoubtedly a displeasing situation. In fact, it could be considered a very dangerous omen.

After this incident, any intelligent person should have realized that the situation was completely out of control: when Liu Xian appeared before the army, he bypassed all the proper procedures and directly mobilized all the soldiers in the palace, without anyone objecting. To put it nicely, this was an act of expediency born of necessity. But to put it more bluntly, the last minister to do this was Emperor Xuan of Jin during the Gaopingling Coup…

Therefore, when Yang Xianrong and the emperor arrived late and rushed to the center of the officials, Pei Miao said to Yang Xianrong, "Your Highness, although the situation is urgent, it is truly questionable that the Grand Commandant did not consult with His Majesty on such an important matter!"

Yang Xianrong paid no attention to what he was saying. Standing on the imperial carriage, she stretched her elegant neck, looking around, trying to find her beloved in the crowd, but to no avail. After asking those around her, she learned that Liu Xian had already left the palace and was overseeing the battle in front of Jinyong City. Disappointment flashed in her eyes, but the thought of seeing him again soon filled her with joy.

When Pei Miao tried to speak to the Empress again, she finally realized what he meant and said with a smile, "Lord Pei, you are overthinking it. As the saying goes, great deeds do not concern themselves with minor details, and great rites do not concern themselves with small concessions. Even a butcher like Fan Kuai knew this principle, so why should we, the later generations, be inferior to him? Besides, in such a critical situation, the Grand Commandant was willing to risk his life to return, making Wei Wuji pale in comparison. Why should we be so harsh on him?"

The Empress was truly too intelligent. With such a series of classical allusions, using the precedents of Fan Kuai forcibly entering the Feast at Hongmen and Lord Xinling stealing the tally to rescue Zhao to defend Liu Xian, she immediately rendered Pei Miao speechless, and the attack on Liu Xian came to an end.

Meanwhile, Liu Xian's offensive on Jinyong City had successfully ended. Just as he had expected, the Western Army hadn't even figured out Liu Xian's intentions for entering Luoyang, and naturally, they wouldn't have imagined that he would take the second step so quickly, and that he would launch a counterattack from inside the palace. After only a quarter of an hour of barely holding out, Liu Xian captured the south gate of Jinyong City.

Under Zhang Fang's strict military orders, the other units did not dare to change their defenses on their own initiative. Although some people suggested going to support Jinyong City, most people were afraid of being held accountable after failure, so they did not act rashly. This gave Liu Xian precious time to set up defenses.

It wasn't until dawn that the Western Expeditionary Army began deploying troops into the city to investigate what had happened. As soon as the army entered, they discovered that people had set fire to the streets in the east and north of the city. At this time, apart from the refugees in Jinyong City, Luoyang was almost deserted. Liu Xian, without any hesitation, decided that rather than having Zhang Fang dismantle the surrounding houses for siege equipment, he might as well strike first.

So they were delayed for almost half a day. When the Western Army had extinguished the fire and were about to storm the palace to fight the Imperial Guards, they were shocked to find that the enemy had moved and was no longer in the palace.

After barely managing to settle his affairs, Liu Xian shot an arrow towards the outside of Jinyong City, conveying only six words: "Let's fight for a hundred rounds!" (End of Chapter)