Chapter 87

Chapter 721: A Dilemma, Preparations for Huang Bosong (2)

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At the Guanxian Army Camp.

Soldiers stood in line to receive their rations. As the supplies dwindled, the amount of food distributed gradually decreased, leaving the soldiers extremely hungry.

Those who could still form a line were relatively better off. Many were still struggling with the aftermath of the attack on Hanguan.

With the rations reduced, even those in line might go hungry depending on their turn. In such a situation, who would give up their food for the sick?

As soon as the distribution began, complaints poured out from all directions.

"Rubbish, this is rubbish!"

"Where did all the meat go...?"

Fortunately, the complaints ended there. Unlike the disciplined Ma Teng's army, the soldiers of Han Shui began to express their dissatisfaction through aggressive actions.

One of them, after receiving his bowl, threw it to the ground and erupted in anger.

"How are we supposed to fight on this?"

"Are you kidding me? What is this? What is this?"

Some even grabbed the cook by the collar and shook him.

"Hey, you bastards, giving us this kind of food... Who are you trying to feed with this? If you have eyes, take a look! Is this food for humans?"

He glared at the cook, threatening him. But the cook had his own words to say.

"Do you know how many people we have to feed with the limited supplies? You should be grateful that you're not getting just plain water!"

"Are you done talking, you scoundrel? You must have taken the meat for yourselves and given us this garbage, right?"

"The meat went to the officers. Don't take your anger out on me; go complain to them! Why are you picking on me? I can only eat thin gruel too!"

"Where are you getting these lies from!"

In the end, he swung a punch, and the cook fell to the ground, clutching his cheek.

"Ouch! This guy hit me!"

The argument quickly escalated into a brawl. The rough, discontented men gathered, and a small spark was enough to ignite a fire.

* * *

Huang Bosong was watching the chaos from a distance. Han Shui, upon hearing about the disturbance, rushed over. He bowed his head upon encountering Huang Bosong on the way.

"Lord, I failed to maintain discipline in the camp. Please punish me."

But how could Huang Bosong blame Han Shui at this point?

"It's all my fault. I underestimated Lü Bu. I even looked down on Cao Cao."

"It's only a temporary setback. Lord, please give me another chance to... "

Han Shui was suggesting that he lead the charge to retake Hanguan or recapture Hangu Pass. However, Huang Bosong shook his head before Han Shui could finish.

"How can we fight when our supplies are almost gone? Sigh! Heaven has abandoned me, Huang Bosong."

He turned away with a defeated look and headed back to his tent.

Sitting deeply in his chair, chin in hand, he was lost in thought, unaware that his advisor had entered.

"Lord... Lord..."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Your thoughts were so deep that you didn't even notice my presence."

But instead of answering, Huang Bosong changed the subject.

"How much food do we have left?"

"If we ration it carefully, we can last two days."

"There's no way to feed them properly, then."

"Are you thinking of engaging in battle again?"

The advisor looked worried as he gazed at Huang Bosong. The tide had already turned. There was only one option left: to seek a truce with Lü Bu.

"Why? Don't you think we should?"

"To be honest, I do. Many soldiers have died or been injured in the attack on Hanguan. And how many are still on the brink of death in the latrines?"

"Let's put Hanguan aside... What about Hangu Pass?"

"The forces Lü Bu has stationed at Hangu Pass are not numerous."

It seemed the advisor was in favor of attacking Hangu Pass, but his next words were the opposite.

"But Hangu Pass is the most dangerous pass in the world."

"We have already defeated Cao Cao's forces at Hangu Pass. We can't view Lü Bu as more formidable than Cao Cao."

"That may or may not be true, but it's not the point."

Huang Bosong was frustrated by the ambiguous answer.

"Then what is the point?"

"Hangu Pass is where the Qin army defended against the six states during the Warring States period. Think about the direction... the direction we should take."

Huang Bosong couldn't be more frustrated. The advisor's words were all true.

The reason Huang Bosong's Guanxian forces could defeat Cao Cao's central army was not because Hangu Pass was a weak fort.

Hangu Pass was built to defend against attacks from the west, not the east. That's why the Han dynasty established Hanguan as one of the Eight Passes of Luoyang, separate from Hangu Pass.

"What about taking a detour through the mountains?"

At Huang Bosong's suggestion, the advisor's eyes narrowed.

"Are you thinking of going all the way to Luoshui, passing through Xixiang Pavilion, and attacking the eastern route?"

"Is there any reason we can't?"

"We lack supplies. Moving through the mountains will be slow, and how can we sustain our troops?"

"We have no supplies anyway. I don't want to surrender, and I certainly don't want to beg Lü Bu."

The advisor seemed to be at a loss. Although he hadn't come up with a brilliant strategy as a military advisor of Guanxian, he could tell that Huang Bosong's judgment was flawed.

Of course, Huang Bosong's plan was quite plausible. If they had supplies, it might have been worth a try.

But the problem was the lack of supplies.

How could an army fight without food? Many soldiers would starve or desert before they even faced the Yellow Army of Luoyang.

"No army can fight without food. Without supplies, any strategy is meaningless."

"Even if we seek a truce with Lü Bu, will he open the way for us?"

"Lord, if we give up all our wealth and send our beauties, the way will be opened. The letter from Chang Mei also mentioned that Lü Bu has a fondness for women."

"I'll do that if we can't reach Luoshui. Until then, don't mention it again."

* * *

Huang Bosong ultimately rejected the advisor's plea and set out with his stubborn resolve. However, without supplies, the army couldn't move as planned. The number of soldiers deserting was noticeable, and the once large army was visibly shrinking.

"I am ashamed, Lord."

Huang Bosong had only taken the Han Shui forces, who were more mobile in the mountainous terrain. But seeing Han Shui soldiers discard their weapons and flee, Han Shui was anxious about Huang Bosong's reaction.

"Just a little longer. We will procure supplies from the nearby towns around Luoshui."

It was a euphemism for plundering. But in this situation, who could afford to be picky?

If they could plunder, they might at least quell the immediate unrest.

"I will send my officers to hunt, and we will have meat for dinner tonight."

Han Shui maintained his etiquette towards Huang Bosong even in this dire situation. From the way Han Shui, who once dominated Guanxian, now bowed to Huang Bosong, one could easily guess how much he had suffered at Huang Bosong's hands.

Huang Bosong dreamed of a comeback while being treated with utmost respect by Han Shui.

'If we can reach Luoshui, the next steps will be easy. A hunting dog must taste blood to chase a tiger.'

Huang Bosong planned to boost morale and replenish supplies by plundering the villages near Luoshui.

Plundering wouldn't just take away wealth and grain; young women would be taken as playthings, and men would be left without descendants.

He intended to boost the morale of his soldiers, who had suffered repeated defeats, by allowing them to trample the weak.

Perhaps that was why he brought the Han Shui forces instead of the Ma family's troops.

Ma Teng's forces, though part of Guanxian, were different from Han Shui's. They were somewhat like an army, while Han Shui's forces were no different from a band of thieves.

Huang Bosong thought of Ma Teng's forces. The Ma family's troops, left behind without supplies, must surely be resenting him.

'Ma Teng will resent me, but what can I do? They are in a hopeless situation anyway.'

Huang Bosong had left the Ma family's troops behind to keep his movements hidden from Lü Bu and Cao Cao.

Of course, without supplies, the Ma family's camp would soon be filled with starving soldiers. But that was not Huang Bosong's concern.

However, the act of abandoning his subordinates to save himself would come back to haunt Huang Bosong.

* * *

Squeak!

The sound of an eagle's cry, like the wailing of a vengeful spirit, echoed through the air, bringing a smile to Gao Shun's face as he stood on the watchtower of Hanguan.

Gao Shun's gaze was fixed on the eagle soaring high in the sky. As it folded its wings and descended towards Hanguan, Gao Shun hurriedly made his way to the hawkers.

'This must be a message... Perhaps it contains news from my lord.'

Gao Shun was waiting for news from Lü Bu. He knew Lü Bu would survive even if thrown into the Doshan Forest. His longing for his lord was simply due to their long separation.

Gao Shun headed to where the hawkers, who managed the messages, were stationed. They were treated as messengers, but they didn't need to ride horses for long distances to deliver news.

"Father-in-law!"

The hawkers knelt on one knee as Gao Shun approached.

To the hawkers, Gao Shun was not just a high-ranking official of the Han dynasty or a senior officer of Lü Bu. He was the son-in-law of their king, Tietan.

Since Gao Shun had married Huo Xi, he was the fourth most revered person among the Ouhuan warriors, after Tietan, Tietie, and Huo Xi.

"Rise."

"Father-in-law, what brings you here?"

"I just saw a message bird land. Bring me the message."

One of the hawkers quickly handed the message to Gao Shun.

Gao Shun unfolded the message as soon as he received it.

It was written in the secret script of the Ying family, but this was no problem for Gao Shun. Unlike Lü Bu or Wei Yue, who had barely escaped from Ximenhai, Gao Shun had memorized all the secret scripts of the Ying family.

He was first disappointed that the handwriting was not Lü Bu's, and then again because the message was so simple.

'Huang Bosong is going to Han Shui and Luoshui, and Ma Teng is left behind?'

Gao Shun tilted his head, unable to understand the meaning.

If taken literally, it meant that Huang Bosong was fleeing to Han Shui and Luoshui with his troops, and Ma Teng was abandoned. But this alone provided no clue about what to do.

The message birds did not fly directly between Hangu Pass and Hanguan; they passed through Hedu, meaning there was a significant time difference between when the message was sent and when it was received.

If he set out now to chase Huang Bosong, it would be too late. Attacking the abandoned Ma Teng would be laughable.

'The only target here in Hanguan is Ma Teng. But if left alone, they will surely collapse on their own. Ah! I don't understand at all!'

Gao Shun didn't ponder for long before heading to find Cao Cao. There must be another reason for Guo Jia, Lü Bu's strategist, to send such a message. But without understanding the reason, he had no choice but to rely on Cao Cao.

Gao Shun headed to Cao Cao's quarters. As he left, he glanced at something in the hand of a man coming out.

It wasn't to spy on Cao Cao. The small box in the man's hand had caught his attention.

'Bandages... The dark and yellow stains clearly indicate an old, festering wound... Could General Cao have an old injury?'