Chapter 8

Chapter 642: Guanxi Army, Fire on the Soles (火? 眉毛) (2)

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The monk stretched out his thumb and index finger toward Huang Bosong and said, "There are two reasons why I recommend Yang Chui."

"Speak."

"The first is that he has no great ambitions."

Huang Bosong nodded immediately, as if there was no need to think about it. Yang Chui is not a hero who seeks to rule the world. Perhaps his concerns are similar to those of Liang Yuan, whom Lü Bu met on his way to Zhang Mu.

His main concern is how to avoid disaster and enjoy peace and survival in turbulent times. Therefore, Yang Chui can be considered someone who follows the flow of events.

"Yang Chui has an army of tens of thousands and has become famous for his bravery in Guanxi. Yet, when I raised my army, he was the first to bow to me."

"That means he is quick-witted. Isn't a wise man who understands the times a true hero?"

"Yang Chui will reluctantly go to war if I order him to stop Lü Bu, but he will also send people to Lü Bu to raise his own value."

"Whether Yang Chui sides with Lü Bu or not, he just needs to buy us time."

The monk reached for the map on the desk. His finger traced a line from Zhongtian, across the Wei River, through Tongguan, Hangu Pass, and Hanguan, all the way to Luoyang.

In front of Huang Bosong, a vision of himself entering Luoyang appeared. The thought of sitting beside the emperor and receiving the greetings of the officials made him feel very pleased.

"I wanted to use the ants' nest (蟻傅) when we crossed Hanguan... What a pity."

There is no doubt that the Ten Generals of Guanzhong are under Huang Bosong's command. However, Huang Bosong had no intention of sharing his wealth and glory with them.

The only reason he kept them tied to him was for the conquest of the eight passes.

Crossing a dangerous pass without a guide would result in massive casualties. Therefore, he planned to use the troops of the Ten Generals of Guanzhong instead of his main force.

"What is the second reason?"

"Even if you control the emperor, Lü Bu will not bow to you. In the end, it will only delay the inevitable battle with Lü Bu."

"What does that have to do with sending Yang Chui to war?"

"Yang Chui is a seed of instability. He might side with Lü Bu now that our situation is unfavorable, but if we gain the upper hand in the future, he will quickly change his allegiance and return to you."

Huang Bosong slapped his knee.

"Brilliant...! Brilliant...! Truly a brilliant strategy."

"Ultimately, everything will fall into place once you take the eastern road. Please allow me to move the camp across the Wei River."

"There's no need for permission. How long will it take?"

Huang Bosong entrusted the task of moving the camp to the monk. The problem was the time it would take to cross the Wei River.

"Ten days at the shortest, and fifteen days at the longest."

"Will it really take that long?"

"We need to move all the supplies and provisions. Besides, there are also the belongings of the women you cherish..."

Huang Bosong raised his index finger to his lips, signaling the monk to stop talking. A man's desire for women is a natural law. How could a hero like Huang Bosong, who has earned a reputation across the land, be criticized for having multiple concubines?

The problem was not the number of concubines but the fact that he had dozens of beauties he had never even touched. The monk pointed this out.

* * *

Lü Bu's army finally stopped pursuing when the remnants of Yang Chui's army joined them.

The losses from Lü Bu's pursuit were not significant. It was to conserve the strength of the cavalry for the battle at Zhongtian.

Another reason was to join forces with the reinforcements coming from Bianyang.

The soldiers from Xiah and Hedong were in high spirits. They had won a great victory at Bianyang and obtained a significant amount of spoils.

Moreover, on the way to Zhongtian, Lü Bu defeated Zhang Heng and Yang Xing with only the cavalry, securing their supplies and provisions as additional spoils.

Arriving empty-handed and now with abundant spoils and provisions, it felt like a leisurely tour of Guanxi.

Fengyi. Lianzhuo.

Lianzhuo County is about twenty li west of Zhongtian, where the defeated Yang Xing had fled.

Zhang Heng's army suffered heavy losses from Lü Bu's pursuit but fled directly to Zhongtian without looking back. However, Yang Xing's army did not go directly to Zhongtian and instead stayed in Lianzhuo.

The commander of Yang Xing's army, Chen Jiang, sent his brother Chen Li to Zhongtian to spy on the Guanxi army's camp and wait for his return.

The cost of not going directly to Zhongtian was significant. Lü Bu's army had already reached Lianzhuo.

Setting up camp just ten li away, Lü Bu's bold or reckless move was hard to distinguish.

In Lü Bu's tent,

"Commander, let's not hesitate here. Let's go straight to Zhongtian. If we cause a commotion, we might even see the face of that old man Huang Bosong."

Wei Yue urged Lü Bu to reach Zhongtian as quickly as possible. After all, hadn't they confirmed that the Guanxi army was no match for Lü Bu's forces in the two battles?

"If we were going to attack Zhongtian, we shouldn't have wasted time in Bianyang."

"He's a man I want to kill. But since we are on a winning streak, chasing the retreating remnants and attacking Zhongtian isn't a bad idea."

Wei Yue, knowing he couldn't do as he pleased, turned to Guo Jia.

"Isn't that right, Military Advisor?"

"Not bad. However..."

Guo Jia's hesitation indicated he had some concerns. Lü Bu, who now understood how to converse with scholars, asked what Guo Jia was worried about.

"Guo, are you concerned about the remnants who fled to Lianzhuo? Afraid they might face us from both sides?"

"Indeed. Of the two enemy commanders, Yang Xing, who had fewer troops, has already been defeated, yet the remnants did not return to Zhongtian but stayed in Lianzhuo. Isn't that strange?"

"Indeed, it's suspicious. I can't understand why they would stay in Lianzhuo after losing their commander."

Shang Kai interjected.

"Advisor, may I speak?"

"Go ahead."

With Guo Jia's permission, Shang Kai spoke eagerly.

"When I pursued the remnants, unlike Zhang Jia's army, Yang Xing's army maintained their formation while retreating to preserve their forces."

"General Shang Kai, you think the commander of Yang Xing's remnants is quite skilled in military strategy?"

"Yes, Advisor. However, I can't understand why they stopped in Lianzhuo. They must know that falling behind Zhang Jia's army would make them our target..."

After Shang Kai finished speaking, Guo Jia clasped his hands together and turned to Lü Bu.

"I agree. There must be something."

Guo Jia's concern prompted Wei Yue to wave his hand dismissively.

"Ah! No matter how many they are, what can the defeated and demoralized remnants do? Besides, the walls of Lianzhuo are barely worth mentioning. We can storm in and crush them."

Wei Yue's words had a point.

Even if they maintained order while fleeing, many had already discarded their weapons. Moreover, Lü Bu's army had been joined by the soldiers from Xiah and Hedong. With a single word from Lü Bu, Lianzhuo would become a graveyard overnight.

Now the ball was in Lü Bu's court. Everyone's attention was focused on what decision he would make.

At that moment, Ying Zhao rushed in with urgent news.

Ying Zhao pushed aside the tent flap and prostrated himself before Lü Bu.

"General, a large army is approaching from Zhongtian!"

Ying Zhao's report made Guo Jia tilt his head.

"Ah! Is this it? General, it seems the Guanxi army has stationed troops in Lianzhuo and Zhongtian to block your advance with a pincer formation."

"Advisor, what should we do now? We have the momentum, but it's awkward to retreat..."

"In my opinion, the remnants in Lianzhuo will focus on defense and won't take the initiative."

After suffering a severe defeat from Lü Bu's army, Yang Xing's army would not want to fight again. Of course, this was just Guo Jia's prediction. Moreover, there was a clue.

"If they don't join forces with the newly dispatched army from Zhongtian, the remnants in Lianzhuo won't move."

"General Wei, clever! Our top priority is to prevent the two armies from meeting."

"Then the enemy we need to face is the army dispatched from Zhongtian. Come on, everyone, prepare yourselves. The rain has stopped, let's fight with enthusiasm."

* * *

Yang Chui, leading a large army from the Guanxi camp in Zhongtian, had a gloomy expression.

'The great warrior who even Yan Xing and Cheng Gongying couldn't handle, Cao Qinglong, was defeated. Zhang Heng and Yang Xing, leading 20,000 troops, also suffered a defeat. How am I supposed to stop Lü Bu?'

Yang Chui couldn't hide his frustration.

He was also a hero listed among the Ten Generals of Guanzhong.

Although he was a prominent figure in Guanxi, the consecutive defeats made him reluctant to face Lü Bu.

If Lü Bu's consecutive victories were solely due to numerical superiority, Yang Chui wouldn't be so worried. But with 30,000 troops, he couldn't be confident of victory.

'My lord must be in a hurry too. With the main forces, the Red Silk and Jiang Yiduan, crossing the Wei River, he will likely abandon Zhongtian to avoid fighting Lü Bu. In the end, I'm just a sacrificial pawn for the retreat...'

Yang Chui was quick-witted and quickly understood why Huang Bosong had ordered him to stop Lü Bu.

It would be strange if he didn't. The troops given to him by Huang Bosong were all useless old soldiers. Although his army numbered 30,000, only 10,000 of them, his own infantry and cavalry, were actually capable of fighting.

"Commander! Lü Bu's army is in sight!"

When the battalion commander Yang Xiao spoke, Yang Chui felt his hand tighten on the spear he was holding.

'I'm so tense... How ridiculous.'

The man who had made a name for himself among the Ten Generals of Guanzhong found his current state amusing.

"Our scouts must have seen us coming, yet they still keep their camp. They must be very confident. It's as if we don't even matter to them."

Yang Chui was misunderstanding.

Lü Bu's army kept their camp simply because they didn't have time to move. Of course, they didn't plan to retreat if they lost to Yang Chui's army, but...

Zhongtian and Lianzhuo were very close. Even if Lü Bu's scouts in Zhongtian had seen Yang Chui's army and reported it, there wouldn't have been enough time to move.

"Commander, are you really going to face Lü Bu in battle?"

Battalion commander Yang Xiao was Yang Chui's cousin. He wasn't as brave as Yan Xing or Cheng Gongying, but he was a skilled speaker, which was useful to Yang Chui.

"I don't know. I don't think we can win, but if we don't fight, I fear my lord's punishment."

"Anyway, there are no Red Silk or Jiang Yiduan in Zhongtian. My lord sent you out to abandon Zhongtian. While we fight, he plans to cross the Wei River..."

"Actually, I think the same. Ah! I'm in a desperate situation."

"Do you have any reason to risk your life for my lord?"

Yang Chui tilted his head.

"What are you trying to say?"

"It's a chaotic time. Seeking shelter under a strong man to preserve your life is not a disgrace."

"Are you suggesting we surrender to Lü Bu?"

"Why not?"

Yang Xiao suggested surrendering. If they couldn't defeat Lü Bu, surrendering was the only way to survive.

But Yang Chui shook his head.

"Lü Bu has the Eight Generals."

Yang Chui couldn't bring himself to admit that he wasn't as brave as them, so he left the rest unsaid. But Yang Xiao understood.

"Commander, you seem to be worried that you have nothing to offer Lü Bu. Am I wrong?"

"No, you're right. What do I have to offer Lü Bu?"

The "offer" Yang Chui referred to was not about raising his value to gain Lü Bu's favor. If he was suspected of using a feigned surrender, he would face a fierce attack from Lü Bu's army.

If he were to surrender, he needed to prepare something to show his sincerity.

"Commander, let me handle it. I'll go to the enemy camp."

"You might not return alive."

"Life and death are in the hands of heaven. If I don't return, retreat to Hangu. Lü Bu, if he's not a fool, will attack Zhongtian, not Hangu, after he conquers it."