Jinting Han people

When news of the Western Army's defeat at Sanhekou arrived, the people of Chang'an were devastated, while Liu Xian's camp was filled with jubilation.

Before the battle, although Liu Xian and his advisors had conducted meticulous planning and preparations, as the saying goes, "Man proposes, God disposes." Everyone knew there was a possibility of success, but no one was certain of how certain they were. Now, the Hedong army had won two consecutive battles, leaving the Westerners with no chance to fight back. Facts speak louder than words; the Western army was not invincible, and everyone's hesitation vanished.

But this isn't entirely a good thing, because some people became blindly optimistic and started to get restless.

I don't know who first said that since the Western Army is so easily defeated, there's no need to go through the trouble of a long march. Why not just settle the matter in Chang'an and take over the entire Guanzhong region? After all, Guanzhong is the birthplace of the Three Qin regions and the place where the Han and Jin dynasties rose to power. It's much better than the remote Bashu region.

These words resonated with the army. After all, the long march involved traveling thousands of miles and traversing countless mountains and rivers, and the future wouldn't become clear simply by reaching Shu; they would likely still have to contend with the Western Expeditionary Army. Since it seemed they could defeat the Western Army now, why not multiply their forces and fight a decisive battle in Guanzhong? If they succeeded, they could simply retreat if they failed.

Especially Liu Shen's subordinates, who did not belong to Liu Xian and mostly did not want to go to Bashu, became even more unruly.

Originally, Liu Shen did not support these people. As a scholar who had been navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom for many years, he knew that the most important secret to integrating into a new power was nothing more than this: blend in with the crowd. In other words, speak less, listen more, and observe more.

However, this was only his own idea; his generals did not share the same view. Wei Bo, the Prefect of Anding, Su Qi, the Prefect of Beidi, Pei Feng, the Chief Clerk of Xinping, and more than ten others did not want to go to Shu. They also wanted to make merit as soon as possible to improve their prestige in Liu Xian's army. So they conspired together, gathered a few young men from Fengyi's army, and went to Liu Shen, asking him to ask Liu Xian to request permission to fight. Liu Shen refused, so they went to Zhang Guang. Zhang Guang couldn't refuse, so he finally agreed.

When they entered the command tent, Liu Xian was calculating the supplies needed for the long march with Lü Quyang and Xi An. Unexpectedly, a large group of people suddenly walked in aggressively. Upon seeing this, Lü Quyang and Xi An took their leave. Liu Xian was somewhat puzzled. He waved for them to sit down and asked them to state their purpose.

Wei Bo immediately stepped forward and said, "My lord, the Westerners have suffered two consecutive defeats, which shows that they are no match for us. Although our army is small in number, it is well-trained and its morale is high. Now, as long as you make up your mind, draw your sword and kill the enemy, our army's occupation of Guanzhong will not be just empty talk!"

Upon hearing this, the others echoed, saying, "This is the ancestral tomb of our sage, why go any further?"

Upon hearing these words, Liu Xian sighed deeply. If he could gain foothold in Guanzhong, wouldn't he have taken it? The two victories he had won before were both carefully planned and sure-win battles, but upon closer analysis, they were merely a matter of catching the enemy off guard with a small number of elite troops. They could affect the enemy's morale, but they could not change the balance of power between the two sides.

The truth is, Liu Xian currently only has about six thousand elite troops at his disposal. Although the rest of the Hedong army has received training, most of them have not experienced actual combat and their fighting strength is actually average. As for Liu Shen's Yongzhou army, they may have much better combat experience, but the most important problem is that they have not yet fully submitted to Liu Xian and may act independently on the battlefield. Under such conditions, how can they possibly fight the Western Army head-on?
But that's how people are often; they don't want to see what will happen a few months from now. A small victory can make them lose their heads, just as a small defeat can knock them down. Maintaining a calm attitude is really difficult.

Therefore, at first, Liu Xian tried his best to reason with them, explaining the pros and cons. But to his surprise, they wouldn't listen at all. Su Qi even said, "My lord is a famous general, what battles haven't you fought? Why are you saying such discouraging things? Is it because Zhang Fang is here that you're scared out of your wits?"

This is a provocation, but how could Liu Xian fall for such rhetoric? Looking at the group of people dressed in bright clothes, he helplessly speculated: These people originally came from the Eastern Expeditionary Army, and most of them are from aristocratic families. They are used to being flattered and think that I am concerned about the big picture, so they are determined to fight. Anyway, I will not abandon them. Aren't they deliberately trying to ruin things for me?
But then he had a sudden idea: stopping this group was probably pointless; if he didn't want them to go, they would go on their own. Rather than sending them to their deaths in a direct attack on Chang'an, he could find a way to get them to launch sporadic attacks elsewhere. Didn't they want to earn merit? He could send them as the vanguard, while he provided support from behind. If they won, all the better; if they lost, he could rescue them, thus completely winning them over.

Having made up his mind, Liu Xian feigned anger and said, "Why would I be afraid of Zhang Fang? Don't underestimate him. It's just that I haven't fought any major battles with you all, and I don't know your strength. I'm not confident, so how can I fight?"

Upon hearing this, Su Qi smiled and said, "In that case, why don't you arrange for us to fight a small battle, so that everyone can know our strength?"

Wei Bo was naturally overjoyed. He thought to himself: We are stationed on the northern border of Yongzhou. We have killed at least tens of thousands of troublesome barbarians. How can we compare to those other new recruits? We will definitely make a name for ourselves in this battle!
So he said, "The people are eager for war, and it is hard to go against their will. My lord, give me a mission. Tell us where to fight, and we will go there. If we fail, we will come back with our heads!" Huangfu Dan and the others were somewhat ashamed for abandoning Liu Xian and running away last time. Now they were eager to prove themselves and they all chimed in.

Liu Xian stared at the group for a while, nodded, and said, "In that case, go and attack Bacheng! Bacheng is east of Chang'an. If you can take it and set up camp on Tongren Plain, you can block the connection between Chang'an and Hongnong and Tongguan, and the King of Hejian will be unable to recall Zhang Fang. At that time, it will not be too late for us to fight the Western Army."

After receiving their orders, the men took their leave. Wei Bo said, "Lord Liu is indeed afraid of Zhang Fang! It seems that as long as we get rid of Zhang Fang, taking Chang'an will be a piece of cake."

Pei Feng chimed in, "Sigh, the Western Army has never been particularly capable. Back then, during Qi Wannian's rebellion, wasn't it Marshal Meng who quelled it in the end? The Western Expeditionary Army is utterly useless. Not to mention there's Zhang Fu, a complete waste. He heard Liu Gong's name and ran away without even firing an arrow. What cowardly rats they are!"

As they chatted, the group returned to Liu Shen and told him that Liu Xian had agreed to send troops. Liu Shen was shocked, but knowing he couldn't stop them, he quickly asked for Liu Xian's exact words. After thinking it over, he said to everyone, "Bacheng is a small city; taking it shouldn't be difficult. The difficulty lies in dealing with the reinforcements sent from Chang'an. How about this: we'll send half our forces to ambush them at Tongren Plain. When you take Bacheng and the enemy reinforcements arrive, I'll come down from the plain halfway and launch a flanking attack. What do you think?"

In Liu Shen's mind, this was already a very safe approach. However, after discussing it, the group felt that with less than 20,000 men to begin with, taking half of them would make capturing the city too troublesome. If they failed to capture the city and reinforcements from Chang'an arrived, they would be attacked from both sides and would be finished. They decided to prioritize capturing Ba City. Once Ba City was captured, the Western Army would be no match for them in a proper battle. Even if they couldn't win, they could retreat back into the city!

Liu Shen was speechless for a moment. He thought for a moment and remembered that the county magistrate of Bacheng was an acquaintance of his. So he came up with another plan: why not pretend to be a Western Army unit and trick the city into opening the gates? Since everyone had Western Army uniforms and flags, they could just charge in and take over the city. The cavalry would then rush in and reach the county government. The others listened and discussed it, finding the plan brilliant, and they all agreed. So the generals led the Yongzhou army, taking a detour out of camp during the day, crossing the Dongwei Bridge and splitting off along a small path. As dusk approached, while the people of Chang'an were preparing their meals, they left the camp along the reeds of the riverbank and headed east. After crossing the Ba River on foot, they raised the white tiger flag that had originally belonged to the Western Expeditionary Army. The generals and officers, dressed in brocade robes and fox furs, marched proudly towards Bacheng.

At the forefront was Liu Shen, leading eight hundred cavalry. They had agreed to go ahead and capture the city, while the rest followed behind, waiting for his message.

The process went very smoothly. In less than half an hour, just as the army behind them caught sight of the outline of Ba City, Liu Shen had already captured it. After all, he was still the current governor of Yongzhou, and even if someone recognized him, they wouldn't dare to really do anything to Liu Shen. This allowed the remaining Yongzhou army to successfully take over Ba City.

Upon arrival, however, everyone discovered that Ba City was indeed a small city, much smaller than they had anticipated, barely able to accommodate five thousand people. Bringing all ten thousand-plus people they had brought to defend the city was simply impossible.

Liu Shen immediately asked the generals accompanying him, "We can't hold out any longer; we can only fight out in formation. Are you confident of victory?"

If taking the city hadn't gone smoothly, everyone might have hesitated, but now that Ba City had been captured, how could they just give up? Wei Bo immediately said, "Lord Liu, you have strategy, and we are not lacking in courage! Let's form ranks right here and fight the Western Army to the death! Chang'an will have to be careful around Lord Liu; I don't believe they would dare send many men!"

Most people agreed, and the army immediately lined up in front of Ba City to await reinforcements from Chang'an. They waited for three hours, until almost dawn the next day, when the Chang'an reinforcements indeed arrived. Wei Bo and the others looked around and found that the Western Army's reinforcements were indeed not many, only about 30,000 men. Although still more than their own troops, it was within an acceptable range.

Seeing that the Western Army's formation was relatively cautious, and that even with its superior forces, it did not launch an attack against the Yongzhou Army, Wei Bo was even more pleased. He said to Liu Shen, "Their morale is low after a series of defeats. Let's see how I teach them a lesson."

Eager to prove himself and earn merit, Wei Bo spurred his mount, leaping out of the enemy ranks. His warhorse galloped over a hundred paces, reaching the Western Army's front. That day, he wore an iron helmet, gleaming iron armor, a jade-hooked belt, and a crimson cloak. But what was most striking was his tall, agile, silver-gray steed, though it wore no horse armor. He carried no long weapon, holding a bow in his left hand, surveying the enemy ranks.

After scanning the area, he saw a figure standing in the center of the formation, carrying a large white tiger banner. He nocked an arrow, drew his bow, and, considering the prevailing northwest wind, slightly adjusted his position to the right before releasing the arrow. With the help of the wind, the arrow flew swiftly across the open space, heading straight for the banner bearer. The banner bearer was alert; hearing the arrow whistle through the air, he ducked sharply, and the arrowhead struck his hood, causing it to fall to the ground.

A soldier rushed out, picked up the arrow that had fallen to the ground, ran back into the army formation, and handed it to Zhang Fu, the commander-in-chief of the battle.

Zhang Fu examined the arrow; its craftsmanship was exquisite. The arrowhead was made of fine steel, with exceptionally sharp edges on both sides. The shaft and fletching were also specially made, clearly indicating it wasn't used by an ordinary person. He then ordered his attendants to go into battle and call out to Wei Bo, "Who is that general who shot the banner with an arrow? Could you please leave your name?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Bo shouted back, "I am Wei Bo, the Prefect of Anding. If you have the guts, come and fight to the death!"

Wei Bo's voice was loud and clear, carried by the wind to Zhang Fu's ears. To Zhang Fu's surprise, after a sigh of relief, he was immediately disappointed. Holding the arrow, he called over someone and said to him, "I thought Liu Xian had come in person to avenge our defeat, but it turns out to be Wei Bo, Commandant Zhao. What a pity!"

It turned out that the person he was speaking to was Cavalry Commandant Zhao Ran. Zhao Ran nodded and said somewhat boredly, "I thought I could kill Liu Xian with one arrow, but what's the point of having such an opponent?"

"We still shouldn't be careless. Wei Bo comes from the Wei clan of Hedong. Although he is not a direct relative of Wei Guan, he has learned his skills from him. His archery skills are indeed extraordinary. He once shot down a large eagle with his bow."

"Nothing to worry about." Zhao Ran was unconvinced. He mounted his horse, placed his bow and quiver behind the saddle, and slowly rode out of the formation. He saw a tall, fine horse carrying an enemy general in brocade robes, presumably Wei Bo. He stood up slightly and said sarcastically to Wei Bo, "Listen, Lord Wei. You come from a noble family, and people may usually give you an edge, but on the battlefield, arrows don't have eyes. You'd better go back to Hedong and write your essays."

Having said that, Zhao Ran smiled slightly, drew his bow and arrow from behind his back, and fired. At that moment, a strong wind swept between the two armies, and the arrow flew against the wind, striking Wei Bo's mount squarely. The arrowhead pierced the leather armor, penetrating his chest and reaching the fletching. The poor, strong steed, bought from Daibei, had no time to struggle before its death; its forelegs buckled to the ground, and it fell sideways, dead the moment its hooves lifted.

Wei Bo fell from his horse and quickly rolled backward to dodge the second arrow. However, his armor made him look rather out of place on the ground. The Western army burst into laughter at the sight, making him extremely embarrassed. Wei Bo's attendants rushed over and offered him their own horses. Wei Bo was furious, his face flushed red. He immediately removed his armor and helmet, revealing his light armor, grabbed his bow, mounted his horse, and set off to seek revenge.

As soon as he mounted his horse, before he could even aim, he heard a piercing whooshing sound coming from the opposite army formation. Wei Bo, having practiced archery for a long time, immediately recognized it as a whistling arrow pierced by bone. A sense of foreboding washed over him, and he instinctively ducked on his horse. But then, with a soft thud, the terrifying sound of a sharp arrow piercing flesh and penetrating deep into internal organs filled the air. Wei Bo's horse lurched to the side, its heavy body tumbling to the ground. Startled, Wei Bo quickly jumped off.

After regaining his footing and turning around, he saw an arrow embedded in the left side of the horse's belly. The shaft was completely inside, and the white fletching protruded. Although slightly splattered with blood, it looked very familiar. Upon seeing the fletching, Wei Bo felt an unprecedented sense of humiliation. This was the very arrow he had just shot at the other man! He couldn't believe that his opponent had so jokingly killed two of his beloved horses in quick succession!
In the archery contest at the front, Wei Bo had been completely defeated. He was too ashamed to linger any longer and slunk back to his ranks. The Yongzhou army paled at the sight, while cheers erupted from the Western army, their morale greatly boosted.

Seeing that he had gained the upper hand, Zhang Fu knew there was no time to lose and immediately ordered his followers to sound the horn and launch an attack on the Yongzhou army. (End of Chapter)