binnovel Chapter 1312 The Defeat at Baima and the Siege of Juyong Pass
Chapter 1312 The Defeat at Baima and the Siege of Juyong Pass
The autumn wind, carrying sand and dust from beyond the pass, swept across the city walls of Shanggu County, bringing a chill to the air. On the last day of August, as Yan Liang led his remaining troops out of the last city, all the beacon towers in Shanggu County were now adorned with the banners of the Xiliang Army—from the initial stalemate to the later steady advance, this siege that had lasted nearly two months finally came to an end with the victory of the allied forces.
Ma Yue stood before the former prefectural government office, watching the Right Forest Army soldiers methodically posting notices to reassure the people. Pan Hu was directing his men to repair the eaves blackened by the flames of war. In the distance, Xu Rong and Lü Bu were counting their spoils. Although the provisions left by Yan Liang were not abundant, they were enough to sustain the allied forces for half a month of rest.
"Brother Yue, look over there!" Pan Hu pointed to the mountain path north of the city, a place where Yan Liang had once laid an ambush, but which was now completely under the control of the allied forces. Ma Yue looked in the direction he was pointing and saw the outline of Juyong Pass at the end of the mountain path faintly visible in the twilight. It was the gateway to Ji County and one of the last barriers for the Yuan family in Youzhou.
"Juyong Pass is strategically important. If Yan Liang and Wen Chou hold it and fight to the death, it will be difficult to defeat them." Ma Yue stroked his chin, recalling Xu Rong's analysis during the military council. The young men of the Youlin Army had just won a battle and were in high spirits. Hearing this, no one uttered a sound. They simply wiped their weapons silently, their eyes shining brighter than the setting sun.
Lu Lingqi walked over unnoticed, her spear still covered in dust. "What's so hard about fighting? Father was able to break through Hulao Pass back then, surely he can take Juyong Pass?" She glanced at Ma Yue, her tone carrying her usual pride, but when she saw the new wound on his shoulder, her voice softened involuntarily. "Your wound... is it alright?"
Ma Yue was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "It's a minor injury, nothing serious. But you, when you were charging at the front, weren't you afraid of getting hit by stray arrows?"
“Me?” Lü Lingqi raised her chin, her silver armor gleaming in the setting sun. “With my marksmanship, what am I afraid of that thing?” Despite her words, she quietly took half a step back behind him, avoiding the cold wind blowing in her face.
In the distance, the bugle call to assemble sounded, and Xu Rong's messengers were running around: "Each battalion should rest for three days and prepare to attack Juyong Pass!" Ma Yue and Lü Lingqi exchanged a glance, then turned and walked towards the camp. The setting sun cast long shadows of the two, which gently overlapped on the gravel road and then separated with each step.
Smoke rose from the chimneys of Shanggu County as dusk fell, and the people began to return to their homes, tidying up their dilapidated houses. Ma Yue gazed at this land that had just been brought to peace and suddenly felt that although the beacon fires at Juyong Pass were near, they could not stop the allied forces' advance. Like the autumn wind, though it carried a chill, it could not dispel the warmth of new life.
Just as the plan to attack Juyong Pass was finalized, an urgent report broke through the twilight and landed on the table in the allied forces' command tent. "General Gongsun Zan suffered a major defeat at Zhuojun!" The messenger's voice was filled with panic. "Gongsun Yuan of Liaodong suddenly dispatched troops to assist Wen Chou in defending Zhuojun. General Zan was caught off guard, suffered heavy losses, and has led his army back to join our forces!"
The tent fell silent. Lü Bu slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly, his halberd gleaming coldly in the candlelight: "That scoundrel Gongsun Yuan, how dare he stab me in the back!" Xu Rong frowned, his finger tracing the route from Liaodong to Zhuojun on the map: "He didn't send troops earlier or later, but chose this moment to launch his attack. It must be because Yuan Shang promised him a great deal."
Ma Yue looked at Zhuojun on the map. It was the key to breaking through Youzhou's defenses, but now it was held by Gongsun Yuan and Wen Chou, which was like giving Yuan Shang a second chance. "What are General Gongsun Zan's losses?" he couldn't help but ask.
"The White Horse Cavalry suffered heavy casualties, losing 30% of their strength." The messenger bowed and said, "General Gongsun Zan is both angry and anxious, and is waiting outside the tent."
The tent flap was thrown open, and Gongsun Zan burst in, covered in the dust of battle, his hair and beard disheveled, his armor stained with blood: "General Lü, General Xu! That scoundrel Gongsun Yuan pretended to come to my aid, but instead launched a surprise attack from the flank while I was besieging the city. Wen Chou also broke out from inside the pass, and I was attacked from both sides..." Before he could finish speaking, he slammed his fist on the table, "We haven't even taken Zhuojun, and we've lost our brothers. I've failed the entire army!"
Lu Bu stepped forward and pressed down on his shoulder: "It's too late to regret now. Gongsun Yuan has come from afar, and his supplies will not last long. The most urgent task is to hold Shanggu and then take Juyong Pass."
Xu Rong nodded in agreement: "Yan Liang and Wen Chou have joined forces at Juyong Pass, and with Gongsun Yuan's Liaodong troops, it has become the last line of defense for Youzhou. Although we have the advantage in numbers after joining forces, we must not underestimate the enemy."
Just then, a scout reported: "Dust is billowing in the direction of Juyong Pass. The allied forces of Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and Gongsun Yuan have joined forces and entered Juyong Pass!"
Everyone looked at the map. The location of Juyong Pass was like a wedge, driven between Youzhou and Jizhou.
"Well done!" Lü Bu picked up his halberd. "I want to see how Gongsun Yuan's Liaodong troops compare to the Guandong army of yesteryear!"
Gongsun Zan wiped the blood from his face, his eyes burning with renewed fighting spirit: "Though my White Horse Cavalry has suffered losses, we can still fight! I am willing to be the vanguard and wipe away the shame of Zhuojun!"
Ma Yue gripped the sword at his waist. The brothers of the Youlin Army were already lined up outside the tent. Pan Hu's roar came through the tent flap: "I am willing to fight to the death with the general!"
Xu Rong glanced at the map one last time, his fingertip landing heavily on Juyong Pass: "Send the order: at dawn tomorrow, march on Juyong Pass!"
The wind outside the tent grew stronger, whipping the allied flags into a fluttering din. The outline of Juyong Pass loomed in the night, the final battlefield of Youzhou. Both sides had already sharpened their swords in the darkness, awaiting the dawn to unleash the most brutal tug-of-war. Gongsun Yuan's sudden intervention added another layer of uncertainty to this already increasingly clear battle.
Gongsun Zan, Xu Rong, Lü Bu, and other generals assembled their forces early in the morning and marched to the foot of Juyong Pass.
The morning mist at Juyong Pass had not yet dissipated, and the pass walls, like a sleeping dragon, gleamed with a cold, bluish-gray light under the rising sun. Lu Bu's Red Hare pawed restlessly, the crescent blade of his halberd reflecting his arrogant face. He was about to urge his horse into battle when Ma Yue stopped him.
“Master, your reputation is so great that Yan Liang and Wen Chou would not dare to challenge you.” Ma Yue reined in his spear, pointing it diagonally at the ground. “Why don’t you let your disciple go into battle in your place and test their strength?” In the past few months, he had already become a disciple of Lü Bu, and his spear technique had incorporated some of the ferocity of halberd techniques. He stood up straight as he spoke.
Lu Bu glanced at the wound on his shoulder that hadn't fully healed, and frowned slightly: "The wound isn't fully healed yet, why are you showing off?"
Lu Lingqi couldn't help but say, "That's right, don't try to put on a brave face. If we really lose, it will be the Xiliang Army that loses face!" Although her words were harsh, there was a hint of worry in her eyes.
Ma Yue smiled and turned his horse around: "Don't worry, we won't lose." With that, he spurred his horse forward, followed by Gan Xiang, Pan Hu, Wu Niu, Zhang Hu, Zhang Yi and other generals of the Young Lin Army. Their hooves trampled the morning dew, forming a neat line in front of the pass.
"I am Ma Yue, the heir apparent of Xiliang!" He reined in his horse at the pass, raised his spear, and shouted in a booming voice, "Anyone who dares to fight before the pass, come and face your death!"
Upstairs, Yan Liang and Wen Chou stood side by side, both stunned as they looked down at the young figure clad in silver armor. Wen Chou, whose shoulder, still slightly aching from recent healing, frowned and said, "Ma Chao actually sent his heir with the army? Is he looking down on us?"
Yan Liang's gaze swept over Lü Bu's conspicuous figure in the allied forces' formation, and he said in a deep voice, "This is a provocation tactic. If we go out to fight, they will definitely take the opportunity to attack the city. Juyong Pass is strategically important, and defending it is the best strategy."
"A bunch of cowards!" Gongsun Yuan suddenly sneered. The Liaodong soldiers he brought were lined up on the side of the pass, their armor style completely different from that of the Hebei army. "Is he just a mere child worth your fear? Taking him down will both dampen the enemy's morale and serve as a bargaining chip. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?"
Wen Chou was immediately enraged, his hand on the hilt of his sword tightening abruptly: "General Gongsun, you are mistaken! We are not afraid of battle, but we do not wish to fall into the enemy's trap!"
"Oh?" Gongsun Yuan raised an eyebrow, leaping onto the warhorse beside him. "Since you two dare not, then witness the might of my Liaodong Iron Cavalry!" With that, he shouted to his personal guards behind him, "Open the gate! Follow me and capture this brat!"
Yan Liang tried to stop them, but was blocked by the deputy general brought by Gongsun Yuan. The drawbridge of the gate tower creaked down, and Gongsun Yuan charged out first, his long sword gleaming coldly in the sunlight: "Little brat, do you recognize Gongsun Yuan of Liaodong? Today I'll show you what it means to be outmatched!"
Seeing him charge, Ma Yue's eyes sharpened, and he spurred his horse to meet him. The instant their horses clashed, Gongsun Yuan's blade whistled down, but Ma Yue didn't meet it head-on. Instead, he twisted his spear, the shaft coiling around the blade like a serpent, and used the opponent's momentum to spin it sharply. With a clang, Gongsun Yuan's blade was deflected half a foot, and his hand went numb.
"Good lad!" Gongsun Yuan was both surprised and furious, his sword strikes becoming even fiercer, the wind from the blade whipping Ma Yue's hair into a frenzy. Ma Yue, however, remained calm and composed, his spear technique sometimes as agile as a stream, dodging the opponent's fierce attacks; at other times, as powerful as thunder, striking directly at the opponent's weaknesses. After twenty rounds of fighting, Gongsun Yuan gradually found himself at a disadvantage, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
Yan Liang, standing on the gate tower, frowned: "Ma Yue's spear skills are quite impressive; Gongsun Yuan is likely to come out on the wrong side." Wen Chou nodded in agreement: "The skills personally taught by Lü Bu are indeed quite effective."
Below the city, Pan Hu watched anxiously and couldn't help but shout, "Brother Yue, don't waste time with him!" Upon hearing this, Ma Yue's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He suddenly feigned an opening, and as Gongsun Yuan's blade came slashing down, he suddenly leaned down and pressed himself against the horse's back, his spear emerging from under the horse's belly and stabbing straight into the opponent's abdomen!
Gongsun Yuan cried out in alarm, jerking back hastily, but he was still a step too slow. The spear tip tore through his battle robe, drawing a trail of blood. Terrified, he turned his horse and fled into the pass, shouting, "Close the city gates!"
Ma Yue reined in his horse, not giving chase, but instead pointed his spear at the gate tower and shouted, "Who else dares to fight?"
The allied forces below the pass erupted in thunderous cheers. Lu Bu clapped his hands and laughed loudly in the midst of the battle: "Good lad! You didn't disgrace your master!" Lu Lingqi looked at Ma Yue's straight back, pursed her lips, but couldn't help but let the corners of her mouth turn up slightly.
On the gate tower, Gongsun Yuan tumbled off his horse in a disheveled state, his face ashen. Yan Liang glanced at him but said nothing, only addressing his personal guards: "Pass down the order to reinforce the city's defenses. No one is to engage in battle without authorization." Wen Chou also said coldly, "General Gongsun, it's best if we guard this pass ourselves."
Gongsun Yuan opened his mouth, but ultimately dared not refute. As the morning mist dissipated, the outline of Juyong Pass became increasingly clear. Ma Yue, standing below the pass, sheathed his spear, his gaze calm, awaiting the enemy's response.
Shen Pei, leaning on the crenellations atop the gate tower, spoke through the cracks in the city wall, his voice carrying a certain scholarly composure: "Your Highness, the Prince of Xiliang, please return to your camp."
Ma Yue reined in his horse and looked up. Shen Pei, dressed in a scholar's robe, still exuded a scholarly air despite being in the midst of the army, though his eyes held a sharpness that was barely perceptible: "A prince of noble birth should be strategizing in the tent, not acting like a commoner and indulging in momentary pleasure at the pass."
He paused, then raised his voice: "If you have the ability, then lead your troops to attack the pass. The walls of Juyong Pass are here, and our heads are here too, but they cannot be exchanged for a duel."
Pan Hu, standing behind him, couldn't help but shout, "You old fool, shut up! If you've got the guts, let your general come out and fight another three hundred rounds!"
"Stop being so rude." Ma Yue said in a low voice, his gaze sweeping over the guards who were standing at attention on the city wall, and then looking at Shen Pei, he said loudly, "Mr. Shen is right. Duel is just a minor skill. Taking this pass is the real issue."
He turned his horse around, his spear tracing an arc at his side: "Today, I will first mark this pass. Within three days, I will lead my army to breach the pass and have a chat with you inside."
Having said that, he reined in his horse and turned around, with the soldiers of the Youlin Army following closely behind. The sound of hooves gradually faded into the distance, but left a heavy echo below the pass.
Watching Ma Yue's departing figure, Shen Pei said to Yan Liang beside him, "This young man is quite composed despite his young age. Ma Chao has a son like this; he should not be underestimated."