Jinting Han people

While Liu Xianjun cheered loudly and the Western Army remained silent, Sima Yong sat on the high platform, extremely furious.

Ma Zhan was renowned as a valiant general in the Western Expeditionary Army, enjoying immense prestige. Although he was highly valued by Zhang Fang during the Battle of Luoyang, he was ultimately promoted by Sima Yong after entering Guanzhong. The Prince of Hejian considered him a close confidant, and now, in full view of everyone, he had been humiliated and then beheaded for his own sake—something he could not accept.

Just as the generals were discussing Guo Mo's martial prowess, Sima Yong clenched his fists, seemingly talking to himself, but then raised his voice and said, "If we don't kill this traitor, what face will the soldiers of Guanzhong have left? It's a pity Zhang Fang isn't here now; if he were to take action, he would surely go out and kill him!" He added, "Speaking of which, Wen Yang and I are old friends. Back then, Wen Yang was known as a warrior capable of defeating ten thousand men; how could this kind of person compare? It's tragic that with Wen Yang dead, the world will never have such a hero again!"

This was actually a provocation tactic; Sima Yong hoped to use this method to inspire the bravery of his generals and encourage them to launch another attack to avenge their defeat. His words proved effective; all the generals of the Western Expeditionary Army around him were filled with righteous indignation and eager to go to war.

The first to volunteer was Zhang Fu, the Prefect of Fengyi. Sima Yong, appreciating Zhang's administrative talent and not believing he could defeat Guo Mo, pressed his hand down to prevent him from engaging. Then, Chen An, a general, dismounted and attempted to volunteer. Sima Yong, who already favored Chen An and admired his bravery, was about to agree when Yan Ding suddenly pulled him back and whispered:

“Your Highness, I have a better candidate.”

A better candidate? Sima Yong was somewhat puzzled, but he knew that Yan Ding was not one to speak without reason, so he waved his hand to keep quiet and wait for him to explain.

Yan Ding glanced around and analyzed, "Chen Yamen is a brave general, but his reputation is not well-known. We should keep him hidden for now and use him as a surprise force in the great battle to achieve extraordinary feats and results. Otherwise, challenging him too early today will only make Liu Xian wary."

He lowered his voice and said, "Besides, Chen Yamen is a protégé you personally promoted. If he loses again, morale will be ruined. In my opinion, we should choose an unconventional candidate. If we win, the army will be invigorated; if we lose, morale will not be damaged."

"Such a candidate?" Sima Yong was quite surprised. Listening to Yan Ding's description, he couldn't imagine what kind of person Yan Ding wanted to recommend. But he also thought the idea of ​​using Chen An as a surprise weapon made sense, and nodded, "Since it is what the Censor said, I will naturally follow his advice."

The implication was that the matter was left to Yan Ding to handle. Yan Ding smiled and immediately said to Chen An, "Chen Yamen, don't be impatient. You will be rewarded in due time."

Chen An had thought he was about to make a name for himself, but was unexpectedly stopped again, which made him extremely resentful. However, he couldn't afford to offend Yan Ding, so he had no choice but to retreat back to the ranks. At this moment, most of the Western Army generals, including Chen An, were extremely curious about who Yan Ding intended to recommend for the battle.

Yan Ding quickly revealed the answer, turning to a man at the edge and asking, "General, would you be willing to lend a hand to our army?"

Everyone turned to look, somewhat taken aback. It turned out Yan Ding was looking at none other than Liu Cong, the General of the Red Sand Army. As a Xiongnu recruited by the King of Hejian, Liu Cong had only arrived in Chang'an last year. Although he was generous and sociable, and well-liked in the Western Army, his strength and martial arts skills weren't top-notch. Sending him to challenge Guo Mo was practically suicide.

Liu Cong also said that he was a marginal figure, only there to go through the motions at this military council, but unexpectedly, things took an unexpected turn and he was now involved. He was taken aback at first, then quickly declined:
"I am deeply grateful for King Yama's favor. It's not that I cherish my life, but I fear I will fail Your Highness's high expectations..."

Before Liu Cong could finish speaking, Yan Ding interrupted him, saying, "I'm not asking the General to fight, I'm asking your son to fight. I've long heard of the General's son's martial prowess in Chang'an; it's said he can fight as strong as a bear or a tiger. Would you be so kind as to let us witness his skill today?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Cong was speechless, and everyone else was even more bewildered. Liu Cong was not yet forty years old, and his son should only be a teenager. Could a young boy really achieve merit on the battlefield?

Even Sima Yong felt that Yan Ding had gone too far. His recruitment of Liu Cong was intended to win over the five Xiongnu tribes. If he were to cause the Xiongnu to become disloyal for no reason, it would be a loss. Therefore, he also said, "If Minister Liu is unwilling, then I can choose someone else."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a man stepped out from behind Liu Cong and announced loudly in front of everyone, "Your Highness, I am willing to go!"

Everyone looked over and saw a man who was eight feet tall, with dark skin, a high forehead and a broad jaw, standing like an iron tower. His body was strong and powerful. Although he was dressed in military uniform like an ordinary person, he could not hide the outline of his muscles. In addition, he had a pair of hungry eyes like a wild beast. Even if he was standing still, he looked like he might suddenly attack someone at any time.

Judging by this man's demeanor alone, he was almost as lawless as Chen An, but there were some subtle differences. Chen An understood human relationships and was extremely friendly to his soldiers, so his arrogance was simply genuine. However, this man's expression and posture had a touch of Liu Cong's cynicism, which made him appear somewhat frivolous.

Sima Yong was startled when he first saw him, as he had no idea that there was such a person under his command. But upon closer inspection, he could see a resemblance to Liu Cong in the man's features, and his face was clean, indicating that he was not very old. Only then did he realize and asked, "Young man, are you Liu Qing's son?"

The young man agreed, saying, "My name is Can, courtesy name Shiguang. I am sixteen years old. Your Highness may call me Shiguang."

Is this the physique of a sixteen-year-old? The onlookers were surprised again, and then they heard Liu Can say, "Your Highness, I heard you say that if we win today, I can go to Liangzhou to be the governor. I don't want to go to Liangzhou to be the governor. Just give me the position of prefect of Bingzhou. I will definitely capture that Guo Mo on the other side."

However, after he finished speaking, the generals burst into laughter. After all, the old man was always prone to looking down on the young man. At first, they were somewhat afraid of him, but now, hearing his childish voice and learning that he was only sixteen and actually wanted to be the governor, they immediately wanted to laugh at his overestimation of his abilities.

Upon hearing the laughter, Liu Can's face immediately turned angry, but Liu Cong remained calm. He bowed and said, "Your Highness, my son is ignorant of etiquette. It would be disrespectful for Your Highness to participate. Please choose someone else."

Sima Yong waved his hand and laughed, "Hey, what's wrong with young people having more vigor? I think your lad is quite good, he's the one." Sima Yong already understood Yan Ding's idea: sending this Xiongnu youth up, even if they lose, wouldn't matter, because the enemy was bullying the weak. Even if the youth died, it would only incite the Xiongnu's hatred and allow them to be won over. If they won, that would be even better, allowing them to humiliate the previous disgrace twice over.

He immediately said to Liu Can, "Good! Heroes emerge from among the young, Shi Guang. As long as you can win, what harm is there in giving you a prefect position?"

Liu Can grinned, bowed to the King of Hejian, and immediately ordered his attendants to bring over a large, purple-brown steed. He didn't intend to wear armor; a short knife was tucked into his belt, and he mounted the horse, carrying a long spear. He then threw all the bow and arrows on the ground, lightly armed, and rode off towards Guo Mo, shouting as he galloped.

Seeing another challenger approaching, Guo Mo asked for another long spear and spurred his horse forward again. He could tell from the voice that the newcomer was young, and upon seeing Liu Can's appearance, he was taken aback. His eyes darted around, and he began to use his old trick, hoping to disrupt the other's composure with taunts:
"What? Everyone says the Western Expeditionary Army is full of strong generals, but now they're sending this blondie to the battlefield? Kid, you should go back to drinking your milk!"

Amidst the laughter, Liu Can, too lazy to waste words with Guo Mo, charged forward with his long spear to fight him. Seeing the opponent's steed approaching, kicking up dust, Guo Mo dared not be careless. He shut his mouth and met the attack with a thrusting spear. Neither of them slowed down, their movements as swift as lightning. When they clashed, onlookers didn't even have time to react before they passed each other.

After Guo Mo turned around and stood still, his wariness of Liu Can suddenly increased.

When a horse is going too fast, it's difficult for the rider to exert force; killing relies more on the horse's momentum. Previously, when Guo Mo and Ma Zhan exchanged thrusts, the reason Guo Mo was able to break the spear shaft with a single blow was due to the powerful thrust of the horse. However, too much speed can also make it difficult to accurately judge the timing and position of the attack. But in the first exchange just now, Guo Mo clearly saw that after he blocked his opponent's thrusting path with his long spear, the Xiongnu youth, with the agility of a dragonfly skimming the water, shifted the direction of the spear tip's thrust from the chest to the head. Fortunately, Guo Mo reacted quickly, slightly turning his head to dodge the sudden attack.

Liu Can was also somewhat surprised. His technique of turning into a dagger was taught to him by his seventh uncle, Liu Yao, and it was invincible in horse battles. He never expected that this time, an accident would occur and Guo Mo would react in time to dodge it.

After both horses turned around, they charged again, neither harboring any illusions, fighting with all their might. This time, however, they did not charge head-on, but instead turned their horses eastward and engaged in a fierce, entangled battle.

Guo Mo initially planned to kick Liu Can's mount, just like in their previous duel. However, Liu Can's lower body was incredibly stable; even seated, he could intercept and counterattack with his legs. Liu Can, confident in his superior strength and believing Guo Mo would be tired after their previous fight, simply swung his spear downwards. Sure enough, Guo Mo parried with his spear, and the two began to grapple. Liu Can hadn't expected Guo Mo to have deliberately held back in their previous fight, and now he was still in control. The two exchanged blows, neither gaining the upper hand.

After a few exchanges, Guo Mo and Liu Can retrieved their spears, both wanting to launch a thrusting attack. Seeing their opponents make the same move, they instinctively reached out to grab each other's spear shafts. However, neither of them noticed, and the spears slipped from their hands, ending up in each other's grasp. Then, losing their balance, they dropped the spears they had seized.

Having lost their weapons and exhausted, neither side was willing to fight any longer. They turned their horses back to their positions, leaving the soldiers on both sides stunned. Then they cheered and declared that they had won.

Liu Xian encouraged Guo Mo, saying, "You fought well. You fought two battles and managed to draw, returning safely. This shows that you had the upper hand." After saying this, he bestowed his Everlasting Victory Sword upon Guo Mo.

Sima Yong was very satisfied. He first rewarded Liu Can with two fine horses, and then praised Liu Can, saying, "Good lad, at your age, you can already fight to a draw with the enemy's number one warrior. You will surely become famous throughout the world in the future!"

Liu Can was naturally very pleased with himself. He returned to Liu Cong and boasted to his father. Liu Cong frowned, pulled him aside, and whispered, "Don't show off anymore. Your father is still in Ye City. What will happen if Hebei finds out?"

Regardless, this first round of competition had at least yielded some results. Seeing that morale had improved, Sima Yong planned to issue the order as previously planned, with Lü Lang leading over a thousand cavalrymen to attack Liu Xian's army of several hundred cavalrymen. However, given the outcome of the challenge before the battle, the Prince of Hejian was more cautious. Therefore, before the battle, he specifically instructed Lü Lang: "Don't fight to the death yet. Let's see how strong they are. If things don't go well, you should withdraw when I sound the retreat."

Lü Lang nodded in agreement. After he went into battle, the marching drums sounded at the opportune moment, and a thousand cavalrymen followed. They were clad in light armor and well-trained, fluttering like butterflies in front of Liu Xian's camp. Once close, they positioned themselves at the edge of arrow range and fired at Gongsun Gong's troops, attempting to lure Gongsun Gong's cavalry into pursuit. They then used the advantage of light cavalry to repeatedly harass the enemy until they exhausted the enemy's heavy cavalry, before engaging in close combat.

This was a common tactic used by light cavalry against heavy cavalry, and Gongsun Gong saw through it at a glance. Braving the rain of arrows, he quickly instructed his men: "Divide into two groups and attack from both ends."

Before long, the five hundred cavalrymen smoothly deployed into formation, as if breathing. One unit moved first, seemingly attempting to cut off Lü Lang's advance from the western flank. The Western Army's light cavalry retreated eastward, but soon discovered that another unit of heavy cavalry had outflanked them, like a steel blade piercing the heart of the Western Army's line. When the Western Army tried to retreat again, Gongsun Gong had already anticipated their intended retreat direction and preemptively cut to the northwest of the Western Army's light cavalry.

Because of their numerical disadvantage, Gongsun Gong couldn't possibly stop all the Westerners, but with the two forces working together, cutting off a portion of them would be enough. They disregarded the light cavalry that couldn't catch up, focusing only on their cooperation with their comrades. Even under a hail of arrows, their armor seemingly riddled with holes, they still managed to completely encircle the hundred-odd Westerners.

Once they got close, the Western light cavalry had no room to maneuver and no ability to withstand the armor-piercing techniques. Within a mere quarter of an hour, they were easily wiped out by Gongsun Gong's troops like lambs to the slaughter. The Western light cavalry on the outer perimeter were also powerless. They rained down arrows, but could only inflict very minor damage, and could only watch helplessly as their comrades were all cut down.

Seeing this scene from afar, the King of Hejian cursed inwardly. Looking down at the expressions of his generals, he saw that their faces were also extremely grim, and he knew the result of the test. It seemed that with equal forces, these men were helpless against the heavy cavalry on the other side.

Having learned the desired outcome, Sima Yong had no intention of causing any further casualties. With a grim face, he clapped his hands to stop the drumbeats around him and then said, "Sound the retreat!"

As the sound of the retreating gong echoed over Chang'an, it wasn't just the light cavalry that had gone out to battle that retreated; the entire 100,000-strong Western Army that had left the city also withdrew.

After this probing attack, Sima Yong confirmed that Liu Xian's generals and soldiers were not to be trifled with, and that a direct, all-or-nothing decisive battle would undoubtedly be highly risky. Therefore, he resolved to first carefully plan and strategize within the army to see if a suitable strategy could be used to defeat Liu Xian and achieve victory. (End of Chapter)