binnovel Chapter 1311 War Rages Across Hebei
Chapter 1311 War Rages Across Hebei
At the city gate of Yangping County, the banners of the Xiliang army still fluttered in the morning breeze, while Ma Chao had already spread out a new map in his command tent. The candle on the table burned down to its last inch, illuminating the traces drawn by his fingertips—Jiyin, Zhongshan, and Guangping, three place names circled in vermilion, like three fruits waiting to be picked.
“Gongming.” Ma Chao looked up at Xu Huang’s armor, which was still stained with blood from Yangping County, but his eyes were surprisingly bright. “You will lead your troops to take Jiyin County directly. It is a key place for Yuan Shao to stockpile grain. Cut off his supply line, and Ye City will be a fish in a pot.”
Xu Huang clasped his hands in agreement and slammed his giant axe on the ground: "Rest assured, my lord, I will bring back the granaries of Jiyin County for you!" As he turned around, the clanging of his armor plates carried an unstoppable momentum, as if he could already see the flames on the walls of Jiyin City.
"Pang De." Ma Chao called out again, and Pang De stepped forward in response. The fierceness of the Xiliang cavalry was transformed into a chilling aura on his body. "Guangping County is being held tightly by Zhang He, and Zhang Liao has been locked in a stalemate with him for over a month. You will lead five thousand elite cavalry to reinforce it and must break through the defenses. Remember, Zhang He is a famous general of Hebei, so do not underestimate him."
"This subordinate understands!" Pang De stroked the sword at his waist. "General Zhang Liao is a master strategist. This subordinate is willing to be the vanguard and join forces with him to break through the city!" Before he finished speaking, he strode out of the tent to muster his troops, and soon the roar of cavalry gathering could be heard outside the tent.
Finally, Ma Chao's gaze fell upon Zhongshan Commandery, the gateway connecting Youzhou and Yecheng, Yuan Shang's last escape route. "The rest of you, follow me straight to Zhongshan!" He gripped the spear at his waist, its silver gleaming coldly in the morning light. "Cut off his retreat, let Yuan Shang know that there is nowhere left for him in Hebei!"
Outside the tent, the central army was already fully prepared. Dian Wei carried his double halberds and walked at the front, with Niu Jin and Li Tong on either side. The 100,000-strong army was like a lurking dragon, ready to leap out at a single command.
It has only been three months since the troops were dispatched. In these three months, the land of Hebei has been reshuffled by the flames of war: Dongjun changed hands, Weijun fell, Yangpingjun surrendered, and the three counties of Qingzhou were stirred up by the Jiangdong army, leaving the land in a state of utter desolation. Now, the flames of war have reignited in Jiyin, Zhongshan, and Guangping, and the Yuan family's territory is shrinking at a visible speed.
Beneath the walls of Guangping County, Zhang Liao, gazing at the impenetrable ramparts, frowned as he pondered a solution. Suddenly, he heard the familiar sound of hooves behind him. Pang De, clad in black armor, appeared in the dust and, across the moat, called out to him with a laugh, "General Wen Yuan, I've come to lend you a hand!"
A smile flashed in Zhang Liao's eyes, and he waved his hand, signaling, "Perfect timing! That old fox Zhang He, today we'll let him taste the might of the Xiliang cavalry!"
Outside the granary of Jiyin County, the garrison was still counting the grain when suddenly a deafening battle cry came from afar. Xu Huang's giant axe had already cleaved open the first camp gate, and flames spread along the grain bins, illuminating half the sky.
On the mountain road of Zhongshan County, Ma Chao's silver spear knocked down Yuan's banner, and the army behind him surged into the city like a tide. The people stood by the roadside, looking at this disciplined army, and the fear in their eyes was gone.
Three months later, the flames of war had spread throughout Hebei. The battle reports Yuan Shang received in Ye City had long since changed from "a certain place is in dire need of help" to "a certain place has fallen." Those once impregnable cities were now falling one after another. Standing in the empty council hall, listening to the faint sound of bugles in the distance, he realized for the first time clearly that the era belonging to the Yuan family was coming to an end.
The battle in Youzhou was more protracted than in Jizhou. Although Dai Commandery had fallen, Yan Liang and Wen Chou, being veteran generals of Hebei, quickly stabilized the situation. Gongsun Zan's White Horse Cavalry launched a surprise attack on Zhuo Commandery, while Xu Rong and Lü Bu joined forces to launch a fierce assault on Shanggu, but were held back by Yan Liang and Yan Xiang. The corpses piled up layer upon layer beneath the city walls, and the two sides fought back and forth, neither gaining a decisive advantage.
Standing atop the city walls of Zhuojun, Wen Chou clutched his still-healing shoulder wound, gazing at Gongsun Zan's cavalry formation outside the city, spitting out a mouthful of bloody saliva. Shen Pei, standing beside him, handed him medicine, saying, "General, why risk your life like this?" Wen Chou, however, raised his spear and pointed it at the enemy lines: "I, Wen Chou, have fought half my life, and I have never feared anyone! Gongsun Zan wants to use Zhuojun as a springboard; he'll have to ask my spear if it will allow it!" With that, he personally beat the drum to boost morale. Seeing their commander's spirits, the defenders on the city walls were greatly encouraged, and arrows rained down on the enemy formation.
The fighting in Shanggu County was even fiercer. Yan Liang, wielding his greatsword, fought Lü Bu for thirty rounds beneath the city walls, the wind from his blades kicking up dust as he fought without losing ground. Xu Rong led his troops in a fierce attack from the flank, but was stopped by Yan Xiang's ambush. The two sides were locked in a melee, the shouts of battle echoing through the valley.
In contrast, the young men of the Youlin Army displayed an unexpected and vigorous spirit. Ma Yue led this group of lads who were only teenagers. Although they were not as battle-hardened as Yan Liang and Wen Chou, they repeatedly achieved great feats in the chaotic army with the fierce spirit of "newborn calves not afraid of tigers".
That day, on the outskirts of Dai County, Han Lüzi, a fierce general from Hebei, rode out into battle. He wielded a pair of heavy hammers and had once defeated three of Gongsun Zan's generals in succession; he was extremely arrogant. In Youlin's army, Pan Hu was the first to charge forward with his spear. The two fought for ten rounds, and Pan Hu gradually began to lose ground. Seeing this, Gan Xiang drew his sword, spurred his horse forward, and shouted, "Brother Pan, don't panic! I'm here to help you!"
The two, one nimble with spearmanship and the other fierce with swordsmanship, displayed remarkable teamwork. Caught in a pincer attack, Han Lüzi's hammer swing slowed. Gan Xiang seized the opportunity, slashing at Han's hammer-wielding wrist with his sword, while Pan Hu followed suit, thrusting his spear into Han's ribs. Han Lüzi screamed in agony and fell from his horse, dead.
This battle made the Young Lin Army famous among the allied forces. When Gongsun Zan saw Ma Yue, he couldn't help but praise, "The Crown Prince has such young talents under his command!" Xu Rong was also impressed by these young men and specially allocated some grain to reward them.
Inside the Xiliang army's tent, candlelight illuminated the maps covering the walls, and the air was thick with the smell of leather and sweat. Ma Yue sat behind a newly added desk in the corner, his fingertips tracing the Shanggu Commandery's defenses marked on the map. His movements were still somewhat clumsy, but his eyes were resolute. Who could have imagined that just half a year ago, he could only stand behind Lü Bu, not even having the right to interrupt during military councils? Now, his military reports and command tokens lay on the desk. This wasn't because he was Ma Chao's son, but because of the sharpness of his strike that severed Han Lüzi's wrist outside Dai Commandery, and the ferocity of the Youlin Army that tore open a breach in the chaotic battle. These experiences had made those veteran generals, who only recognized military merit, truly consider him "one of their own."
Initially, he never had a place in the military tent's discussions. When Lü Bu, Xu Rong, Gongsun Zan, and others were discussing decisions, Xu Rong casually asked, "Can the Youlin Army take on the rearguard duty?" Just as he was about to answer, Lü Bu snorted, "What does a greenhorn like you know about the rearguard? Don't ruin the important matters!" At that moment, his face burned, but he could only lower his head and stare at the tips of his boots. That was the rule of the Xiliang Army; without making real contributions, no matter how strong one's bloodline, it wouldn't be enough to stand up for oneself.
The turning point came in the battle of Dai County. When the Youlin Army was actually fighting on the battlefield, he heard the cries of the Hebei army and saw his own brothers rushing forward with red eyes to finish them off. He suddenly understood what his father meant by "the battlefield doesn't recognize seniority." After returning to camp, Xu Rong patted him on the shoulder and, for the first time during a military council, called out to him, "Ma Yue, tell me your opinion on the pursuers." His heart was pounding like a drum, but he still revealed the enemy's deployment that the Youlin Army had scouted out, and added at the end, "We can set up rolling stones at the mountain pass to delay them for half an hour," which Xu Rong adopted on the spot.
From that day on, a small table appeared in the tent. At first, it was far from the main seat, but as the Youlin Army repeatedly distinguished themselves in battle, the table was gradually moved forward. When Lü Bu held meetings, he would specifically ask him, "Can the young men of the Youlin Army hold off the left flank?" When Xu Rong analyzed the supplies, he would leave him an extra copy of the military report: "Take a look at your consumption over there." Once, Xu Rong even revised the raid plan, specifically designating an area: "This county is entrusted to the Youlin Army. Ma Yue, you tell me how to attack."
Ma Yue knew this wasn't favoritism, but recognition. At the last military council, he proposed a strategy of "feigning an attack on the south gate while actually launching a surprise attack on the west wall." Lü Bu stared at him for a long time, then suddenly laughed: "You have a bit of your father's wild spirit back then." These words excited him more than any reward. In the Xiliang army, "like Ma Chao" didn't refer to blood ties, but to the ruthless spirit of daring to break through enemy lines in the midst of chaos.
At that moment, shouts of the Youlin Army's drills came from outside the tent. Ma Yue looked up at Lü Bu and Xu Rong in the main seats, who were discussing how to deal with Gongsun Zan's new tactics. He cleared his throat and pointed to the river valley on the map: "This humble general believes that we can have the brothers build a dam downstream to store water. When half of the enemy's army has passed, we can open the dam, which will not only cut off their retreat but also force them to retreat into the pre-set ambush area."
After a moment of silence in the tent, Xu Rong looked at him with approval in his eyes: "That's a clever method. Can the Youlin Army hold the dam?"
Ma Yue straightened his back and said loudly, "The Young Lin Army dares to pledge its military command!"
In a corner of the military tent, Lü Lingqi, clad in silver armor that accentuated her tall and straight figure, leaned her spear against a tent pillar, its tip gleaming coldly in the candlelight. Listening to Ma Yue's clear and methodical analysis of tactics, she couldn't help but stomp her boot on the ground, her inner grumbling almost overflowing: "So what if he killed Han Lüzi? What's with all the swagger… And Father, why can he sit and discuss matters while I have to stand and listen?"
She snorted, but her peripheral vision involuntarily drifted to the figure sitting upright behind the desk. Ma Yue, dressed in the standard armor of the Young Lin Army, was looking down at a map, his finger lightly tapping the three characters "Shanggu County." The lines of his profile were particularly distinct in the candlelight. In the past, she had always thought of him as a greenhorn following behind Ma Chao, but now, with his back straight and speaking, he truly looked like a general.
"What are you looking at?" Lü Bu suddenly turned around and tapped her helmet softly. Lü Lingqi was startled and hurriedly looked away, her cheeks slightly flushed, but she muttered defiantly, "Let's see if he's right..."
Just then, as if sensing something, Ma Yue suddenly looked up. The instant their eyes met, Lü Lingqi turned her head sharply as if burned, her ears turning slightly red. Ma Yue was also stunned for a moment, then awkwardly looked away, his fingertips gliding across the map, forgetting what he was going to say.
The wind outside the tent swept by, carrying sand and dust, and stirred the corner of the curtain. Lü Lingqi secretly glanced up and saw Ma Yue drinking tea with his head down, his ears burning red. She couldn't help but chuckle, then quickly covered her mouth and pretended to adjust her armor.
Hearing that soft chuckle, Ma Yue's heart pounded like a rabbit's, his drumbeats deafening. He knew Lü Lingqi had a fiery temper; her archery skills were unmatched even by the veterans in the camp. During the last martial arts demonstration, she had shot an arrow that pierced a copper coin a hundred paces away, leaving the young men of the Youlin Army speechless. But every time he met her bright, sparkling eyes, he felt his hand on the sword falter.
"Lingqi, go and fetch the deployment map for the left flank." Lu Bu's voice interrupted their reverie. Lu Lingqi responded, deliberately straightening her back as she turned, the silver armor clanging crisply, as if silently announcing something.
Ma Yue watched her retreating figure, suddenly realizing that his tactical analysis had missed something. He scratched his head, then looked back at the map, a slight smile involuntarily playing on his lips. The discussions inside the tent continued, the candlelight flickering, casting two young figures on the tent wall—one as upright as a spear, the other as agile as an arrow. In this military tent filled with the clash of swords, a subtle, inexplicable ripple quietly emerged.