Chapter 44: The Army Advances on Yingchuan

  Gengzi day.

  Zuō Zhōng Láng Jiàng Huáng Fǔ Sūn, Yòu Zhōng Láng Jiàng Zhū Jǐn in Běi Jūn Dà Yíng shì shī jì qí, cì rì huī shī dōng jìn, chū Hǔ Láo Guān, nán xià Yǐng Chuān, bīng fēng zhí bī Cháng Shè.

  A mighty army of forty thousand strong marched in a vast and endless procession along the official road, stretching for dozens of miles without a beginning or an end in sight.

  Zhou Yu slowed down his horse and called Zhen Wei and Xu Chu to his side, with a sinister look in his eyes. He whispered: "You two remember for me, if there's an opportunity, kill Cao Cao for me."

  Xu Chu did not ask for the reason and said sternly: "The subordinate will obey the order."

  Dian Wei scratched his head in confusion and said: "Isn't the general on good terms with Cao Cao? Why kill him?"

  "Mind your own business and just do as I say."

  Dian Wei no longer asked questions and proudly said: "Yes sir."

  Zhou Jian said, "Once on the battlefield, it's chaotic and confusing. Take advantage of when no one is paying attention and just kill him with a knife. But remember not to let anyone catch wind of it, or else if this general were to be punished for it, it would be quite troublesome."

  The two responded in unison, their eyes revealing a murderous intent.

  The great army marched urgently for five days, crossed the Wei River, passed through Xinzheng, and on the sixth day advanced to a place twenty miles north of Changsha.

  The great army set up camp, and Huangfu Song gathered all the generals for a meeting.

  The Chinese military headquarters.

  Huangfu Song looked at Zhu Huan and said, "Now that Changsha has fallen, the Yellow Turban rebels have more than 200,000 troops, and are fiercely attacking Yangzhai. My intention is to launch a major attack on Changsha tomorrow with all our forces. I want you, General Wei, to lead your two thousand troops to rush to the rescue of Yangzhai overnight. What do you think?"

  Zhu Huan said: "The rebel army of Changsha is less than ten thousand, it should be attacked with divided troops."

  Huangfu Song said with a smile: "In that case, General Wei can rest for one night and lead the main army southward at the third watch tomorrow. After breaking through Changsha, I will lead the main army to rush south and rescue General Wei, join forces to attack, and thus the rebels in Yingchuan can be defeated."

  Zhu Huan said: "Good, then let's follow General's plan."

  Huang Fu Song again ordered the various generals: "Each general can lead his own troops, tomorrow at the third watch prepare food, and at the fifth watch attack the city."

  "Understood."

  The generals all shouted in unison, each one rubbing his fists and wiping his palms, waiting for the next day to bravely kill the enemy.

  Huangfu Song was just about to dismiss the crowd when a close attendant rushed into the tent and reported: "General, Sun Jian, the chief of Xia Pi, has led over a thousand brave warriors to join our army. He says he received orders from General Zhu Jun to follow our army in suppressing the Yellow Turban rebels."

  Zhu said with a smile: "Quickly summon him to come to the central military tent."

  The orderly departed with his orders and soon returned with a military officer who was over eight feet tall, robust and majestic.

  Zhou Jian remained expressionless, but a nameless killing intent was spreading in his heart. This was Jiangdong's fierce tiger Sun Jian, one of the most famous heroes of the late Han Dynasty, far surpassing those ordinary warlords.

  There were many ambitious people at the end of the Han Dynasty, but those who could really achieve great things and establish their own foundation were very few.

  Ambition without ability is not worthy of being a hero.

  Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu are the best examples, but in the end they were still annexed by Cao Cao.

  The Sun family father and son can conquer a part of Jiangshan, occupy one-third of the world, but it is not comparable to Yuan Shao or Yuan Shu.

  Sun Jian bowed and said: "I am Sun Jian, reporting to General Huangfu and General Zhu Zan. I have seen all the other generals."

  "Quickly dispense with the formalities, Wen Tai has always been known for his bravery and martial prowess. At this time of national crisis, he should naturally contribute to the imperial court. I have already memorialized the Emperor, recommending you as a Assistant Military Commissioner, you can lead your troops under my command, and listen for orders in front of my tent, exerting yourself to slaughter the enemy."

  Sun Jian said loudly: "The end will lead the order."

  Zhu Huan also introduced Sun Jian to the various generals in the account, and Sun Jian's military rank was the lowest, so he could only see them one by one.

  All the generals in the account were military officers above the school lieutenant, and any one of them was more powerful than Sun Jian's military lieutenant, who could not be slow.

  Huangfu Song saw that there was nothing else to discuss and immediately announced the end of the military council, dismissing all the generals.

  The next day, the army cooked at the third watch and set up camp at the fifth watch. At dawn, they divided their troops to advance on Changsha.

  The Yellow Turban rebels in Changshe had heard that the government troops were coming to attack, and they had already retreated back into the city of Changshe, waiting for the government troops to come and fight.

  The drum beats three times, and the government army forms a circular formation.

  The infantry was divided into two armies in front and behind, while three thousand cavalry roamed on both sides of the main army.

  In the midst of the shocking war drum sound, suddenly the city gate opened wide, and a majestic yellow turban rebel general led hundreds of soldiers who were barely clothed to rush out of the city, forming an array at the foot of the city wall. Riding his horse out, he loudly shouted: "Who dares to fight three hundred rounds with me?"

  Huangfu Song rode his horse to the front of the formation and said to those around him, "Beheading the general and seizing the flag will prompt the enemy's vanguard to clash with our main force. This is exactly what we should do!"

  All the generals loudly agreed and asked to go to war.

  Huangfu Song drew his sword and shouted: "Chunyu Qiong, listen to my orders!"

  No one answered for quite some time.

  The generals hastily looked around and found that the shooting sound was not in the army, and they were all shocked. They thought to themselves: "This guy was just in the army a moment ago, how could he disappear in an instant? This is really...".

  Zhou Jian's mouth corners twitched with a cold smile, which immediately disappeared.

  Huangfu Song furrowed his brow and shouted: "Where is Chunyu Qiong?"

  All the generals did not answer, and after a long time, Zhunyu Qiong's tent deputy commander, with a stiff face, replied: "General, General Zhunyu had stomach pain just now and went to the latrine!"

  "How can this be?"

  Huang Fu's face turned iron-green with rage, and he rebuked: "As a general in command of the army, you dare to leave your post without permission during battle. You are unworthy of being a Han dynasty officer! Pass down the order, bring Xun Yuqiong to the central camp immediately to be questioned for his crime."

  "Understood."

  His loyal troops loudly responded to his orders and galloped away on horseback.

  Huang Fu's expression slightly cleared, and he shouted: "Who can behead this rebel general for me, to boost the morale of our three armies?"

  Zhou Jian suddenly turned his head and made eye contact with Xu Chu behind him. Xu Chu understood, immediately let out a loud shout, "Bandits die!" He whipped his horse, brandished his sword, and charged forward, heading straight for the Yellow Turban bandit general who was still showing off in front of the army.

  The crowd was shocked by Xu Chu's loud roar, and they couldn't help but take a big surprise. They quickly turned their heads to look, only to see a robust man with a height of over nine feet and a waist circumference of ten surrounds, who had already charged out on horseback.

  "Who is this?"

  The generals hastily asked those around them, and all of their faces showed a look of shock.

  No one answered.

  Zhou Jian saw Huangfu Song's gaze sweep over and hastily replied: "General, this is the army's military counselor under my command, Xu Chu."

  Huangfu Song praised: "A true hero indeed!"

  Many generals showed envy in their eyes, but Cao Cao's eyes flashed with a hint of cleverness.

  "Hah, bandits deserve death."

  Xu Chu rode his horse at full speed and arrived, when he was still over twenty paces away from the enemy general, he glared with wide eyes and shouted loudly, swinging his sword straight at the enemy general.

  "Ah, um..."

  The Yellow Turban bandit was about to urge his horse to gallop, when suddenly a loud clap of thunder exploded beside his ear, and he became somewhat dizzy. Before he could react, Xu Chu had already killed him with one slash of his sword under the horse's belly, rushed out more than ten steps, then pulled back his horse, beheaded the bandit leader, and urged his horse to return to his own camp to report.

  "Hurray for the Chinese army!"

  "We will win for sure!"

  "Hurray for the Chinese army!"

  "We will win if we fight."

  In front of the Han army, a thunderous roar like a landslide and tsunami suddenly shook the sky, greatly boosting the morale of the three armies.

  Changsha City, the Yellow Turban rebels were disheartened, witnessing the Han army's prestige, these ragged people, only holding iron hoes and other household items, suddenly became flustered as if disaster was imminent, their morale completely gone.

  Cao Cao's eyes gleamed with a stern light, and he couldn't help but say: "This is truly a fierce general."

  Xiahou Dun let out a low growl, and his tiger-like eyes shot out a fierce gleam, his battle intent boiling over.

  Cao Cao said in a low voice: "After Yuan Rang, we must be careful of this person."

  Xiahou Dun said in a low voice: "Meng De, rest assured, I understand."

  Cao Cao nodded, and couldn't help but take another glance at Xu Chu, who was galloping back to their own camp. He thought to himself that it was said that the valiant General Zhou Jian could single-handedly hunt down fierce tigers, but he didn't expect there to be such a ferocious subordinate under his command.

  Huangfu Song was deeply familiar with the military, and seeing that the Yellow Turban bandits were about to be beheaded, hundreds of them scattered out of the city in a swarm, rushing towards the city gate like a nest of bees. He immediately ordered his troops to cover up and kill, taking advantage of the momentum to attack the city.

  "Pass on my orders, and immediately attack the city."

  Huangfu Song pulled his sword forward and immediately ordered the soldier to gallop away.

  "The general has given an order, immediately attack the city."

  "The general has given an order, immediately attack the city."

  ……

  A shrill and mournful howl rose and fell, audible from far and near.

  Wu Xizai, a Zuochong Xiaowei, rode out of the formation on horseback, brandishing his sword and shouting loudly: "Pass down the order to attack the city."

  A phalanx of 2,000 infantrymen immediately emerged from the crowd and, under the leadership of the military governor, launched an attack on the north gate of Changsha.

  On the horizon, men and horses are in a state of turmoil, with cries of killing shaking the sky.

  In the midst of a shocking war drumbeat, three infantry phalanxes, totaling six thousand men, launched an attack on Changsha's low city walls from the east, west, and north gates, perfectly surrounding the city in a triple-layered siege.

  The earth seemed to be shaking, and in his ears, apart from the sound of war drums and shouts of killing, he couldn't hear any other sounds.

  Huang Fu's armor was on his body, his face was solemn, and he stared at the army attacking the city with an expressionless face.

  Dozens of officers and men stood on both sides, all with eyes shining with excitement, as if military achievements were within easy reach.

  "Hurray for the Chinese army!"

  "We will win for sure!"

  "Hurray for the Chinese army!"

  "We will win for sure!"

  In the midst of loud bugle calls, infantry phalanxes carrying siege engines rushed to the foot of the city wall. Under the cover of sword and shield soldiers, a series of assault ladders were set up against the city head. New recruits with fearful faces climbed up the ladders under the leadership of their captains and lieutenants.

  "Kill him!"

  A man from Dubei mouthed a steel knife, dodged the rolling stones and logs falling from the city head, took advantage of the situation to jump onto the city head, landed with the steel knife already in hand, let out a loud roar, raised his knife and killed two Yellow Turbans in front of him.

  He is an old soldier and a crack trooper of the Northern Army's Five Regiments.

  The Northern Army of the Five Garrisons was the truly seasoned and battle-hardened force of the Han court, which repeatedly launched northern campaigns against the Xianbei, causing the border barbarians to not dare encroach on the territory. Even when the Xianbei were at their strongest, they only dared to raid the borders occasionally, but did not dare to advance south into the Central Plains.

  It is precisely because of the deterrent effect of such a powerful and experienced army that even though the Han court has become corrupt, the border barbarians do not dare to easily invade Han. To say that the Northern Army's Five Schools are the sharp weapons of the Han court is not an exaggeration.

  "Kill him!"

  "Don't panic!"

  "Come on up!"

  Under the low city wall, Wu Chang and Shi Chang were shouting loudly at the panicked soldiers. The old soldiers of the Northern Army had long been accustomed to such scenes, but more than half of the 20,000-strong army were new recruits who had never been on a real battlefield despite having trained for over half a month.

  If it weren't for the elite veteran non-commissioned officers tightly controlling the troops, these new recruits would have probably fallen apart already.