Jinting Han people

On the day the Jin army agreed to attack, in the morning, the three Jin armies lined up in front of Yi'an City. According to Wang Kuang's plan, 50,000 men were spread out in a formation of more than 20 miles. One army attacked the palisade, another attacked the Lady City, and the third attacked the Horse Head City. The palisade was the main force, with the two inner cities as secondary forces, while the main force of the army was behind them.

Upon receiving the news, Liu Xian immediately left the city and went to the palisade to observe the battle. He and his generals climbed the watchtower near the front line and saw that the Jin army at the forefront was divided into two groups. The formation on the southeast side was very well-organized, and the military discipline was also quite solemn. Even though a large number of enemies emerged from inside the palisade, they did not make a loud noise, but quietly ate their breakfast. Liu Xian commented, "This is a team that has seen blood. They cannot be taken lightly."

So he turned to Li Sheng and asked, "Binshuo, whose troops are these? Do you recognize them?"

Upon hearing this, Li Sheng examined the enemy's banners. The enemy's banners were of three types: one was a yellow dragon banner symbolizing the legitimacy of the Jin army; another was a large banner with the character "Zhou" written in wild geese on a blue background with blue borders; and the third was a banner depicting a monster, swimming in waves, resembling neither a dragon nor a snake. Seeing this, Li Sheng understood. He replied, "Your Highness, there are four officers surnamed Zhou among the enemy's generals: Zhou Fang, Zhou Fu, Zhou Qi, and Zhou Yi. Only Zhou Qi of Yixing uses this dragon-snake banner."

"Zhou Qi..." Upon hearing this name, Liu Xian's thoughts immediately drifted back ten years. He knew that Zhou Qi was Zhou Chu's son, and he couldn't help but recall his youthful days in Guanzhong. Time really flies. Back then, he was young and fearless, fighting alongside Zhou Chu, Suo Jing, and others. They taught him so much, and in the blink of an eye, more than ten years had passed. He had encountered Zhou Chu's son here again. Fate is truly unpredictable.

He smiled and said, "Since he is the son of an old friend, I must greet him." He then turned to Guo Mo and said, "Yuanxiong, go and see him for me, greet him, be humble, and give him some gifts."

Guo Mo was somewhat bewildered, but since Liu Xian had appointed him, he couldn't refuse. After the gifts were delivered, he swaggered out with more than ten riders, rode up to the front of the Jin army, cleared his throat, and shouted loudly, "I am Guo Mo, the Jianwu General of the Great Han Dynasty. I have been ordered by my king to invite your army's general, Zhou Qi, to come out and speak!"

When the Jin army saw that Guo Mo was tall and strong, riding a black-backed white horse from Longyou, wearing a helmet, with a long sword and longbow at his waist and a long spear on his back, they thought that Guo Mo had come to challenge them. They were preparing to send warriors forward to form a battle formation, but they were stunned when he asked to see the commander-in-chief Zhou Qi by name.

However, Guo Mo was quite famous in the Jin army. Upon hearing his words, Zhou Qi soon rode out alone to respond. To facilitate riding, neither he nor his mount wore armor. He rode a handsome gray-silver warhorse with a silk-wrapped saddle. He wore a turban at an angle, a light yellow military uniform, and a sword at his waist. He spurred his horse and approached slowly and steadily.

When Zhou Qi was about half an arrow's distance from Guo Mo, he stopped his horse, looked down at him with disdain, and said, "I am Zhou Qi. What do you have to say to me?"

Zhou Qi is over forty years old this year, which is actually quite old, but time has not made him look mature. Even when dressed in Confucian robes, he still gives people a competitive and sharp feeling, probably because his nose bridge runs through his brows, and his eyebrows and eyes are sharp like flying knives, which makes people feel awe.

As a martial artist, Guo Mo was more concerned with his opponent's martial arts skills. Although Zhou Qi was dressed in a refined manner, his horsemanship appeared quite relaxed and carefree. His fingers were on the hilt of his sword, his shoulders were lowered, and he seemed to be doing nothing, but in fact, he was in a posture that indicated he was ready to draw his sword at any moment. He was clearly a master swordsman.

Guo Mo cupped his hands and said, "My king said that Ziya Gong once did my king a favor. Since Lord Zhou is a descendant of an old friend and is famous throughout the country, even if we are enemies, we must still send a gift to express our gratitude." After saying that, he gestured to the rider beside him to open the gift. Zhou Qi rode a few steps closer and took a closer look. It turned out to be a white fox fur coat that was rare to see in Jiangnan.

Seeing this, Zhou Qi snorted coldly and said, "Why didn't Liu Xian come in person? Is sending you, you little thief, to deliver gifts because you look down on me?"

Guo Mo was stunned upon hearing this, and then anger surged into his heart. He had fought since Luoyang, and everyone knew that he was a famous warrior who could defeat ten thousand men. He never expected to be so disrespected today. He suppressed his anger and said, "My king means well. Don't be ungrateful."

"You don't know what's good for you..." Zhou Qi sneered twice, pointing at the Everlasting Victory Sword at his waist, "This sword belongs to Han Xin and Zhou Yu. Its previous owners were all famous generals with both literary and military talents, who were resourceful and unconventional. It's understandable that Liu Xian wears this sword, but you are just a brute. Do you even deserve to wear this sword? Calling you a petty thief is already giving you face!"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly attacked, spurring his horse forward and instantly closing the distance to Guo Mo. Zhou Qi was incredibly fast; by the time Guo Mo reacted, he was already upon him, his right hand pointing directly at the Everlasting Victory Sword at his waist. Guo Mo wasn't about to let him take it. He immediately raised his hand to intercept, but Zhou Qi unexpectedly changed his move mid-strike, his fingers suddenly forming an eagle's beak shape and pecking at Guo Mo's knuckles. Guo Mo's fingers went numb, and before he could even grasp the hilt, Zhou Qi had snatched the Everlasting Victory Sword from him.

This was the sword bestowed upon him by the King of Han. To let someone take it away like this would be an utter disgrace. Guo Mo was furious. Taking advantage of Zhou Qi's turn, he immediately spurred his horse and gave chase. Guo Mo's horse was fast, and he quickly caught up with Zhou Qi. Seeing the contemptuous smile on Zhou Qi's face, he became even more enraged and threw a punch at Zhou Qi's face. His blow was powerful and heavy, and Zhou Qi dared not take it head-on, so he could only dodge to the side. This was the moment Guo Mo had been waiting for. He then pressed down on Zhou Qi's arm with his hand, holding him down like an iron clamp, and then used his left hand to snatch back the Everlasting Victory Sword.

Zhou Qi didn't waste any time. Seeing that he was no match for his opponent's strength, he simply threw the Everlasting Victory Sword onto the grass. This was something Guo Mo hadn't anticipated. Taking advantage of Guo Mo's momentary distraction, Zhou Qi drew his sword from his waist, preparing to stab Guo Mo in the neck. Guo Mo saw a flash of cold light ahead, the sword's edge flying towards him like flowing water. He quickly leaned back, and in a split second, he suddenly felt a lightness on his head. It turned out that although he had dodged the sword, Zhou Qi had taken the helmet from his head!
Zhou Qi had no intention of continuing the fight with Guo Mo. Seeing that he had landed a blow, he picked up his helmet and returned to the front of the battle. He shouted to Guo Mo from afar, "This is a very good gift. You should keep that fur coat of that traitor Liu for your own burial!"

He then laughed and said, "When my late father was on good terms with that traitor Liu, everyone said he was a loyal minister and filial son of our Imperial Jin. Now that he has abandoned his country and family and become a traitor, there is no need for him to try to build a friendship with us anymore. My marshal is wise and will not fall for his counter-espionage schemes!"

After he finished speaking, the entire army burst into laughter. Guo Mo, who had lost his helmet, felt his face flush red with shame and anger upon hearing the laughter. He wished he could kill Zhou Qi seven or eight times over, chop him into hundreds of pieces, and throw them all into the Yangtze River to feed the fish. But he restrained himself in the end. After picking up the Changsheng Sword that had fallen to the ground, he led his men back to Liu Xian, dismounted, and knelt down to beg for forgiveness.

Liu Xian waved for him to rise and sighed, "This is not your fault. Although I had heard of him before, I did not expect him to be so arrogant. He caught you off guard, and you were able to escape unscathed. That is already quite remarkable. Are you alright?" Guo Mo said resentfully, "I am fine. I beg Your Highness to make me the vanguard. I will surely kill that brat Zhou Qi and come to report my victory."

"No need." Liu Xian shook his head slightly and said, "General, do not send troops out of anger. Our army has a palisade, so we should wait for the enemy to attack. Why invite trouble upon ourselves? Let's see how he reacts."

After saying that, he looked at Zhou Qi's troops with great interest.

Zhou Qi is right; Liu Xian's gift-giving was indeed a counter-espionage tactic. Back when Cao Cao was fighting at Tong Pass, Jia Xu, seeing the disunity among the allied forces of Ma Chao and Han Sui, advised Cao Cao to deliberately write a letter to Han Sui, making numerous alterations to suggest something sinister, and then speak ambiguously and vaguely during their meeting. This aroused Ma Chao's suspicion, causing discord between the two sides. Once the army was in turmoil, Cao Cao's army could then launch a preemptive strike, which proved successful. Now, since Liu Xian knew the Jin army was disunited, he naturally thought of this plan, but Zhou Qi saw through it and responded with the most perfect method.

But something unusual must be amiss. Liu Xian simply couldn't believe that Zhou Qi was truly loyal to the Jin Dynasty; that was impossible. Judging from his previous actions, this man must be a very cunning schemer. Otherwise, why would he first submit to Shi Bing and then betray him, first submit to Chen Min and then betray him as well? Therefore, all things considered, the more impeccably he appeared at this moment, the more it indicated the deep divisions within the Jin army.

Zhou Qi's provocation was a clever tactic to provoke the Han army into engaging in battle. However, Liu Xian perceived it as lacking in offensive capability, leading him to conclude that the enemy's rhetoric was all bark and no bite. He reasoned that as long as they didn't deliberately provoke them, it wouldn't have a significant impact.

As Liu Xian had predicted, the Jin army in front of the palisade laughed for a while after seeing that the Han army did not make any move, but soon fell silent again. They did not make any further moves on the spot, but instead had a meal in the woods two miles away from the palisade. On the contrary, the Jin army in the southwest launched an attack first.

This Jin army was naturally under the command of Gan Zhuo. Seeing that Zhou Qi had successfully provoked the Han army in public, Gan Zhuo thought that the army's morale was high. Wang Kuang in the rear had repeatedly issued military orders urging them on, so he took the lead in launching an attack.

Gan Zhuo's army banner differed from Zhou Qi's; he used a black-bottomed spirit tortoise banner. His soldiers were equipped with various armors. The leading soldiers wore full-body armor made of rhinoceros hide and carried shields and ring-pommel swords. The soldiers behind them were much simpler, with armor only protecting their torsos. They carried spears or ring-pommel swords and bows and quivers on their backs. As the soldiers shouted in unison, they slowly advanced, their breath gathering together to form rows of constantly dispersing white mist.

Before them stood the Han army under Meng Tao. Despite their different equipment from the Jin army, they were clearly more uniform. Apart from the bows and arrows they always used, these Han soldiers wore hoods, double-layered armor, and deerskin boots. Under the banners with Chinese characters, they moved with greater composure.

Before reaching the range of the arrows, the Jin soldiers paused briefly. An officer encouraged his men, saying, "Jiang'an City is just behind the fence. Once we break through the fence, wealth and glory will be right before our eyes!" The soldiers in the front ranks shouted in unison, and rushed toward the fence a hundred paces away, weapons in hand.

The footsteps of thousands of men in the winter air sounded like a summer downpour, and they were met with a barrage of arrows. The Han soldiers on the earthen ramparts and watchtowers remained remarkably calm. Their arrows, fired from their elevated positions, had little effect on the armored soldiers in front, clad in rhinoceros hide and carrying shields, but were highly effective against the ordinary soldiers with bows and arrows in the rear. In the exchange of fire, the Han army's accuracy and power surpassed their opponents, and soon the attacking Jin army was pinned down.

Liu Xian watched the Jin army's offensive. In order to break through the palisade, Gan Zhuo divided the offensive into three key points. The elite troops were the first to lead the charge, attempting to cut down the palisade and create a breach. The archers behind them provided cover with arrows. Further back, it seemed that the most elite personal guards were left as reserves. It seemed that they planned to make a final charge when the front lines were exhausted. This was a very appropriate and normal arrangement. However, overall, it did not pose a great threat to the Han army, which had the advantage of terrain.

Therefore, he quickly commented on Li Sheng and others: "Gan Zhuo is of average talent. He can't be said to lack courage, but he also lacks great wisdom. As long as I don't make mistakes, he can't do anything about it."

Compared to Gan Zhuo, he was more concerned about the movements of Zhou Qi's troops, since, based on their previous actions, Zhou Qi was the biggest driving force behind the second pacification of Jiangnan. What would he do next to comply with the orders from his superiors?

Zhou Qi's actions were indeed unexpected. He neither attacked the palisade nor disobeyed orders; instead, he calmly began digging in front of it. Moreover, the area they were piling up earth over was quite large, seemingly indicating they were planning to build several earthen mounds to attack the palisade. However, it was also clear that Zhou Qi's troops lacked sufficient tools, so the mounds were being built very slowly, certainly not in a day.

Upon seeing this, Liu Xian couldn't help but burst into laughter. He thought to himself, "Zhou Qi truly has no will to fight. He actually came up with this method to kill time—building earthen mounds to break through the palisades. Isn't this using a sledgehammer to crack a nut? While Zhou Qi was building the earthen mounds, I could have built three more layers of palisades in the same spot. How could he possibly break through? It seems that this son of Zhou Chu is indeed deliberately preserving his strength and has no intention of fighting the Han army."

After a day of overseeing the battle, the thin palisade proved impregnable. Gan Zhuo's troops, despite their best efforts, managed to breach the palisade with one or two holes, but were unable to widen them. By the time they retreated to rest that evening, the Han army had quickly repaired the breaches, restoring them to their original condition. As for Zhou Qi's troops, he did indeed create a small earthen mound, but that was all. The Han army had correspondingly strengthened their defenses in that area, so his attempt to attack the palisade ended after only one attempt.

Judging from the first day alone, the battle between the two armies is far from over. (End of Chapter)