Rise of a Lonely City: From Exiled Prince to Ruler of the Nine Provinces

Guandu.

This place is bordered by the Yellow River to the north, the Yuzhou Plain to the south, the Songshan Mountains to the west, and the Qilu region to the east. It controls the vital north-south passage and the east-west throat, making it a strategic location fought over by military strategists since ancient times.

The wide river surface rippled with turbid waves in the bleak autumn wind, and the reeds on both banks were withered and yellow, trembling in the wind.

Near the ferry crossing, there used to be a few scattered villages, but they have long been reduced to ruins and scorched earth by years of war. Among the broken walls and rubble, only wild dogs and crows wander around looking for food.

Yet at this moment, this once desolate and lifeless land has gathered the largest, most elite, and most crucial army in the entire world, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. A chilling aura rises to the sky, and even the sound of the Yellow River's waves seems to have subsided.

On the north bank, there was a continuous, orderly black-clad camp.

The camp was built according to the terrain, layer upon layer, with deep moats and high walls, sturdy fences, towering watchtowers, and a forest of flags fluttering in the wind.

In front of the central command tent, a huge black banner with the character "Xiao" fluttered high, beneath which was a slightly smaller banner with the character "Han, the General Who Conquers the East".

It was Han Lie, Xiao Chen's top general and the Grand General Who Conquers the East, who personally led 150,000 main forces of Han Yuan, including 50,000 elite cavalry, 80,000 battle-hardened infantry, as well as a large number of siege weapons and logistical support troops, who set up camp here and eyed the south bank.

The Han Yuan military camp was well-organized and heavily guarded.

Cavalry patrolled the perimeter, while scouts were deployed like a flowing stream, monitoring the opposite bank and surrounding areas day and night.

The camp was orderly and disciplined, maintaining a high level of combat readiness even during relatively calm periods of confrontation.

The soldiers' armor was gleaming, their weapons were sharp, and their eyes shone with absolute confidence in victory and unconditional obedience to their commander.

The grain and supplies were piled up like mountains, and were continuously replenished from the rear via the Yellow River waterway and land routes.

What is even more remarkable is that there are a large number of civilian laborers and craftsmen working in the camp. They are not combat personnel, but are responsible for repairing equipment, making arrows, and even mending clothes for soldiers, showing a calm and composed confidence in preparing for a protracted war.

On the south bank stood the allied army camp, equally large in scale but with a completely different aura. The camp stretched for dozens of miles, with flags in disarray: there were "Lü" flags representing Lü Qian of Yanzhou, "Shen" flags representing Shen Fang of Huainan, "Han" flags representing Han Nian of Qingzhou, and many other flags of various colors belonging to them or other forces in the Central Plains that had not yet surrendered.

The total strength was claimed to be 300,000, but in reality it exceeded 200,000, giving them a numerical advantage. However, the composition of this allied army was extremely complex, including Lu Qian's Yanzhou troops, Shen Fang's Huainan troops, Han Nian's Qingzhou troops, and other cobbled-together forces from various warlords, each with their own orders and agendas.

Although the allied camp was also fortified with deep moats and high walls, its layout was somewhat chaotic, with each army even setting up its own fortifications, showing more suspicion than cooperation.

The soldiers looked pale and their equipment was of varying quality. The patrolling soldiers were also far less alert and spirited than the Han Yuan army on the opposite bank.

More importantly, the Allied forces had a long supply line, and due to the previous war, the Central Plains were devastated and difficult to procure supplies. They relied entirely on supplies from the rear in Huainan and Qingzhou, which put them under tremendous pressure.

Discussions about reduced food rations have begun to emerge in the army, and morale is starting to waver.

This seemingly "decisive" standoff stemmed from a hasty and fragile alliance.

Lu Qian suffered a major defeat at Juye and barely escaped with his life. He was trapped in Changyi and had already given up hope.

However, Wang Dashan besieged the city without attacking, and kept sending envoys to persuade them to surrender. He also spread rumors that "only the ringleaders will be punished, and the coerced followers will be left unpunished. Surrendering the city will guarantee wealth and honor." This caused unrest among the people in Changyi City and alienation among his generals.

Knowing that the city was about to fall and unwilling to surrender, Lü Qian, at the last moment, adopted the advice of his strategists, abandoned the city, and led the last few thousand elite cavalrymen to break through Wang Dashan's not-so-tight encirclement. They fled south and miraculously crossed the edge of Chendao's controlled area, crossed the Huai River, and escaped into the territory of Shenfang in Huainan.

Shen Fang had previously joined forces with Han Nian to attack Peng Chao, but was forced to retreat by Chen Dao and Wang Dashan, suffering considerable losses. After retreating back to Huainan, he was restless day and night, fearing that Han Yuan's army would advance south, and also resenting Han Nian for not dividing the spoils fairly.

When Lü Qian came to surrender, although he knew it was a hot potato, he thought again that although Lü Qian had been defeated, he was still an old warlord in the Central Plains and still had residual influence in the Yan and Xu areas. His thousands of cavalrymen were also a valuable fighting force.

More importantly, Shen Fang knew that if Lü Qian were to perish, he would be left without support. Therefore, he took Lü Qian in and sent an envoy to urgently contact Han Nian of Qingzhou.

After Han Nian returned to Qingzhou, he was also restless and unable to eat or sleep.

Wang Dashan's military might turn towards Qingzhou at any time, given his position in Yan and Xu. Upon receiving Shen Fang's proposal to join forces against Xiao, Han Nian agreed almost without hesitation.

The three hastily met in Shouchun, swore an oath by donating blood, and formed an alliance to fight against Xiao Chen.

They knew that if they were scattered, they would be defeated one by one; only by working together could they have a chance of survival.

However, this alliance was riddled with cracks from its inception.

Lu Qianxin was recently defeated and his strength was greatly diminished. He was now living under someone else's roof and had the weakest voice, but he was eager for revenge.

Shen Fang and Han Nian each had their own ulterior motives. Shen Fang wanted to take advantage of Lü Qian's remaining value and influence, while Han Nian hoped to push the main battlefield away from his own Qingzhou.

The three were wary of each other and argued endlessly over a series of issues, including the selection of a leader, troop deployment, food supply, and distribution of spoils of war. In the end, they barely reached an agreement: Shen Fang, who had the largest number of troops, would be the nominal leader, but each of them would still command their own troops and agree to "cooperate in battle."

They also knew that simply holding onto Shouchun and Linzi would only lead to their demise.

We must take the initiative and seek a decisive battle. If we can defeat or severely damage the main force of the Hanyuan Army, we may be able to reverse the decline and even force Xiao Chen to make peace.

Thus, after hastily assembling all available troops, this large but loosely organized allied army headed north across the Huai River, entered Yuzhou, and finally chose Guandu, a key point guarding the north and south, in an attempt to block or even defeat the southward-bound Hanyuan army.

Their plan was to leverage their superior military strength, with the Huai River at their backs, to wage a decisive battle against the Hanyuan Army that would determine the fate of the Central Plains.

On Xiao Chen's side, upon receiving news of the three vassal lords' allied forces marching north, he was not alarmed but rather delighted.

"A rabble like this dares to challenge me to a decisive battle? I was just worried that they would be holed up in their fortified city, and it would be too time-consuming and laborious to take them out one by one. Now that they've all gathered together, it's much easier."

Inside the Shenjing Prince's Mansion, Xiao Chen looked at the map and sneered.

He immediately ordered 50,000 elite troops under Wang Dashan, who had pacified Yan and Xu and whose power was renowned in Qingzhou, to join forces with 30,000 detachments sent by Chen Dao to move towards the Guandu area and contain the enemy's flank.

At the same time, the General Han Lie, who was stationed in Luoyang and in charge of the war in the Central Plains, was ordered to personally lead 150,000 troops south to meet the enemy and seek a decisive battle with the main force of the allied forces to secure the Central Plains!

Thus, the main forces of the two armies faced each other across the river at Guandu in late autumn, forming an unprecedentedly large standoff.

On the north bank, in the main military tent of the Hanyuan Army.

Han Lie, clad in black armor and covered by a scarlet cloak, stood before a massive sand table.

The sand table clearly displayed the mountains and terrain near Guandu, the river crossings, and the distribution of camps on both sides. The generals under the command held their breath in concentration.

"Your Highness commands," Han Lie's voice was steady and had a metallic quality, "that in this battle, we must strive for a complete victory, annihilate the main forces of Lü, Shen, and Han in one fell swoop, and pacify the Central Plains!"

Although the enemy forces were numerous, their commands were inconsistent, they harbored different ambitions, their supplies were insufficient, and their morale was low.

Although our army is small, it is united, has strict orders, sufficient food and supplies, and high morale.

Victory is in my hands!

He pointed to the sand table: "The enemy's formation with their backs to the river seems resolute, but in reality, they are trapping themselves! Their allied forces are arranged with Lü Qian on the left, Shen Fang in the center, and Han Nian on the right, with clearly defined camps that are not under each other's command. This is a major taboo in military strategy! Our army should engage them with conventional tactics and win with unconventional ones."

"Han Qinhu!" Han Lie called out.

"Your subordinate is here!" A burly, bearded general stepped forward. He was none other than Han Qinhu, Han Lie's cousin, renowned for his bravery.

"I order you to lead 20,000 elite cavalry, carrying plenty of flags, drums, and horns, to secretly cross the river 30 li upstream at dawn tomorrow, and then advance rapidly along the south bank, making the appearance of a flanking maneuver to harass the enemy's supply lines and strike directly at their rear at Shouchun! Make a big show of force, especially to make the enemy, especially Shen Fang's troops, feel threatened by their rear being cut off!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" Han Qinhu grinned, a battle-hungry glint in his eyes.

"The rest of the units, fortify your camps, stockpile powerful bows and crossbows, especially the Shenji Battalion's firearms and crossbow carts. Send them to the front lines to maintain vigilance day and night, and dampen the enemy's morale. No one may engage in battle without my orders. We must remain calm and wait for the enemy to tire themselves out!"

Han Lie's gaze swept over his generals: "Remember, the enemy has come from afar, eager for battle, and lacking supplies. They will inevitably become impatient. What we need to do is wait—wait for them to show a weakness, wait for internal strife to arise, wait for Wang Dashan and Chen Dao's troops to complete their pressure on the enemy's flanks and rear. At that time, we will strike with deadly precision!"

"We will obey the General's orders!" the generals roared in response.

South bank, the Allied Forces' central command tent.

The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.

Lu Qian looked haggard, his eyes were bloodshot, but his resentment and anxiety were even stronger.

Shen Fang was dressed in fine clothes, but he couldn't hide the anxiety between his brows.

Han Nian, on the other hand, appeared rough and irritable, constantly slamming his fist on the table in front of him.

"That scoundrel Han Lie is hiding deep inside, fortifying himself, clearly trying to wear us down!"

Han Nian angrily said, "Our army's provisions are only enough for half a month! Rear transport is difficult; if this drags on any longer, we'll be in chaos before the war even begins!"

Lu Qian hissed, "We must fight quickly! Our army has the advantage in numbers; we should take the initiative to cross the river and engage Han Lie in a decisive battle! The longer we drag this out, the lower our morale will be, and the more thoughts will run through our ranks!"

Shen Fang frowned: "Crossing the river? How easy is that! The enemy on the north bank is heavily defended, with sharp bows, crossbows and firearms. Our army lacks large warships. If we cross the river hastily and then attack halfway across, wouldn't we be courting death? Han Lie is a shrewd strategist and would be more than happy for us to cross the river."

"Then what do you suggest we do? Just sit here and wait to starve?" Han Nian glared.

"How about... we split up?"

Shen Fang pondered for a moment and said, "Brother Han Nian, you should lead the elite troops of Qingzhou to find an opportunity to cross the river downstream and launch a flanking attack on Han Lie's camp. Brother Lü and I will hold them off from the front. If we can succeed, we can break the stalemate."

"Pooh!"

Han Nian spat, "You want me to take the risk while you just watch the show? Do you think I'm a three-year-old? If we're going to cross the river, we'll cross it together; if we're going to split up, we should do it fairly!"

Lü Qian also said in a sinister tone, "Does Lord Shen mean to suggest that I fight Lord Han to the death so you can reap the benefits?"

"you!"

Shen Fang was furious, inwardly cursing Lü Qian as a stray dog ​​who dared to speak out of turn, and Han Nian as a reckless fool not worth discussing matters with. The cracks in the alliance became increasingly apparent under the pressure of the impending war.

Ultimately, the meeting ended unhappily.

They could only maintain the status quo, send more scouts to try to find weaknesses in Han Yuan's army, and at the same time urge the rear to speed up the transportation of food and supplies.

The standoff continued in an eerie and tense atmosphere.

The Hanyuan Army on the north bank remained as steady as Mount Tai, conducting daily drills on time, with wisps of smoke rising from their cooking fires, and occasionally one could even hear the orderly singing coming from within the army.

Han Qinhu's 20,000 elite cavalry have already quietly set off.

The allied forces on the south bank grew increasingly anxious.

The consumption of food supplies was enormous, and the rear transport was frequently harassed by small guerrilla groups, leading to growing complaints from the soldiers.

Lu Qian, Shen Fang, and Han Nian distrusted each other, and none of them were willing to launch a full-scale attack first, thus depleting their own strength.

A thicker and thicker haze seemed to hang over the Allied forces' camp.

The Yellow River flows silently, witnessing the standoff between hundreds of thousands of troops on both banks.

The autumn wind grew increasingly cold, whipping up withered grass and dust.

The silence before a major battle is often the most oppressive.

Both sides' soldiers could sense that the earth-shattering collision that would determine the lives of countless people and the fate of the Central Plains was about to unfold at this ancient ferry crossing.

However, one side is a tiger that has sharpened its claws and gathered its strength, while the other side is a pack of wolves, each with its own agenda and restless.

Guandu, a name destined to be recorded in history, quietly awaits the baptism of blood and fire in the bleak autumn wind.

Han Lie had already laid out his strategy, waiting for his opponent to make a mistake, or patiently waiting for the opportune moment to deliver the final blow.