Han Ji

The day Huaicheng was opened to the public was a cloudy day.

Lu Zhi's army lined up outside the city, banners fluttering. The city gate slowly opened, and several middle-aged men dressed in dark robes came out, carrying official seals and household registers.

The leader was Chen Gui, the head of the Chen family of Huaicheng, whose face was as white as paper.

"You sinful people... respectfully welcome the royal army." He knelt down, and a group of people behind him followed suit.

Lu Zhi dismounted and helped him up: "Lord Chen is a man of great integrity and righteousness. What crime has he committed? The imperial court has already issued an edict that those in Hanoi who have followed the rebels will not be investigated if they show remorse."

Chen Gui's eyes reddened, and he was about to kneel again, but was stopped.

"What's the situation inside the city?"

"Before Han Zhong besieged the city, Zhao Hong withdrew most of the garrison, and now only a thousand or so old and weak people remain in the city." Chen Gui wiped away tears, "The food... the food is running low too."

"It's alright." Lu Zhi turned around. "Xuande, take men to take over the city's defenses, inventory the treasury, and open the granaries to distribute grain."

"Yes."

Liu Bei led his troops into the city.

The streets of Huaicheng were deserted, shops were closed, and people hid in their homes, peeking through cracks in their doors. Occasionally, a bolder person would peek out, see the gleaming armor of the government troops and their orderly formation, and then retreat back inside.

The prefectural governor's mansion was in a mess; all the valuables had been taken away. The granaries still had some grain stored, not much, but enough to feed the entire city for half a month.

Liu Bei ordered Jian Yong to register and compile a list, while Zhang Wu led men to patrol the four gates. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei set up camp outside the city to prevent the routed soldiers from causing a disturbance.

In the evening, Lu Zhi hosted a banquet at the prefectural governor's residence, inviting the city's gentry.

During the meal, after a few drinks, Chen Gui became more talkative.

"To be honest, Lord Lu, when Zhao Hong first started his rebellion, we also hesitated," he sighed. "But the prefect was killed, and the government troops disappeared. For the sake of the people of the city, we had no choice..."

"I understand." Lu Zhi raised his glass. "Let bygones be bygones. In the future, we will need everyone's cooperation to appease the local people and restore their livelihoods."

"I will do my best!"

The atmosphere gradually eased.

Liu Bei sat at the lower end of the table, silently drinking. Guan Yu was to his left, not touching a drop of wine, only eating vegetables. Zhang Fei was to his right, already playing a drinking game with several local heroes.

Jian Yong leaned closer and whispered, "Brother, I just received news that the Yellow Turbans of Wei Commandery have sent a reinforcement force south, about 5,000 men, and they have already passed Dangyin."

"Who's leading this?"

"The chieftain's name is Wu Ba, and he was originally a bandit from the Taihang Mountains."

Liu Bei looked at Lu Zhi. Lu Zhi nodded slightly.

After the banquet, a military meeting was held.

"Wu Ba's five thousand men took the Danshui Gorge route," Lu Zhi said, pointing to a thin line on the map. "The gorge is ten miles long, with high mountains and dense forests on both sides. It's a good place to set up an ambush."

"The student is willing to go." Liu Bei stood up.

"How many people are you bringing?"

"Two thousand is enough," Liu Bei said, "but we need all the archers and crossbowmen, plus three hundred cavalry."

"When do we depart?"

"Now."

Lu Zhi looked at him: "Aren't you going to rest?"

"Speed ​​is of the essence in war," Liu Bei said. "Wu Ba will be eager to retreat once he learns that Huai City has fallen. Let's get ahead of him and wait for him in the Danshui Gorge."

"Okay." Lu Zhi patted him on the shoulder. "Be careful."

"Yes."

At midnight, two thousand three hundred people quietly left the city.

Liu Bei rode in front, with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei on either side. Qian Zhao led scouts to explore the way, Jian Yong escorted arrows and logs, and Zhang Wu brought up the rear.

In the darkness, the procession resembled a black snake, speeding northward along the official road.

Danshui Gorge is forty li north of Huaicheng. When we arrived, it was still dark.

The canyon is narrow, no more than twenty feet wide at its widest point, with steep cliffs on both sides covered with withered trees and weeds.

"Yide, take your men to the east cliff. Yunchang, the west cliff. Prepare plenty of rolling logs and rocks," Liu Bei ordered. "Zijing, take the cavalry to block the north entrance. Zhang Wu, have archers ambush on the cliffside. Jian Yong, set up tripwires at the south entrance, leaving a path open, don't block it completely, so they think they can escape."

"Yes, sir!"

The group split up and took action separately.

Liu Bei climbed up the eastern cliff and looked down into the valley. The valley floor was a dry riverbed, covered with pebbles, barely wide enough for two horses to ride abreast.

"This place..." Zhang Fei grinned, "once you're in, you're not getting out."

"Don't underestimate the enemy." Liu Bei squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil, and scattered it. "Wu Ba is a long-time bandit; he must be on guard."

"Even if we were prepared, we'd still die here." Zhang Fei rubbed his hands. "Brother, isn't this ambush a bit too ruthless?"

Liu Bei remained silent.

He recalled the corpses of villagers at the threshing ground in Wen County, and the desolate fields and burned-down villages he had seen along the way.

In chaotic times, being merciful to the enemy is being cruel to one's own people.

"When it's time to be ruthless, you have to be ruthless," he said.

Zhang Fei seemed to understand but not quite, yet he still nodded: "I'll listen to you, brother."

The sky gradually brightened.

At Chenshi (7-9 AM), a scout reported: Wu Bajun's army is five li away from the canyon.

"Get ready," Liu Bei said in a low voice.

More than two thousand people held their breath, hiding behind trees, rocks, and bushes. Bows and crossbows were nocked, and logs were put into position.

The valley was so quiet you could hear the wind.

A quarter of an hour later, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar, chaotic and growing louder as they approached.

The vanguard, numbering about a hundred men on horseback, entered the canyon and cautiously observed both sides. Reaching the middle section, they stopped, and someone fired several arrows towards the cliff; the arrows struck the rocks without causing any reaction.

"Safe!" the leader shouted.

The main force began to enter.

Five thousand people, stretched out in a long line, like a yellow worm, slowly crawled into the canyon. In the middle of the line was a horse-drawn carriage, bearing a flag with the character "Wu" on it; it belonged to Wu Ba.

Liu Bei lay on the edge of the cliff, squinting as he counted.

One-third, half, two-thirds...

"put!"

He suddenly waved his hand.

Logs and boulders rolled down from both the east and west cliffs simultaneously. Huge logs and stones tumbled down with a thunderous roar, crashing into the valley, and screams of agony instantly erupted.

"There's an ambush!" The Yellow Turban army was thrown into chaos.

But it's not over yet.

On the cliffside, archers appeared, unleashing a rain of arrows. The valley was narrow, offering no escape, and the Yellow Turban rebels fell like wheat being harvested.

"Charge forward!" Wu Ba crawled out of the carriage, drew his sword, and roared.

The vanguard charged forward desperately, but at the south entrance, they were tripped by a tripwire and fell to the ground. The rearguard tried to retreat, but the north entrance was blocked by the cavalry sent to entice them.

There was no way forward or backward.

"Those who surrender will not be killed!" Liu Bei stood up and shouted.

He was met with a barrage of cold arrows that flew past his ears.

"Stubborn to the end." Liu Bei raised his hand. "Continue."

A second volley of logs rained down. The arrows became even denser.

The valley became a slaughterhouse. The Yellow Turban soldiers were squeezed in the middle, trampling each other, resulting in countless deaths and injuries. Some knelt to surrender, only to be trampled to death by their own people. Others climbed the cliff, only to be shot down.

Wu Ba's eyes turned red, and he led his personal guards toward the north entrance, attempting to force his way through the cavalry formation.

Qian Zhao sneered and raised his bow.

An arrow pierced the eye socket of Wu Ba's horse. The horse neighed and fell to the ground, and Wu Ba fell off. Before he could get up, three or four spears were already pressed against his throat.

"Tie him up," Qian Zhao said.

With their commander captured, the resistance quickly crumbled.

The battle ended at noon.

Results of the battle: 2,700 were beheaded, over 1,800 were captured, and the rest fled. The government troops suffered only a few dozen minor injuries.

The valley was filled with corpses, blood seeping into the cracks of the rubble, and the stench was overwhelming.

Liu Bei descended to the bottom of the valley, walking forward through the bloody mud. The ground beneath his feet felt soft and yielding; he couldn't tell if it was corpses or something else.

Wu Ba, bound like a dumpling and thrown to the ground, his face covered in blood, glared at Liu Bei: "Using underhanded tricks... what kind of hero are you!"

Liu Bei squatted down and looked at him: "When you were killing civilians, did you talk about chivalry?"