Thank you to Nora7 for the ko-fi~ ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-
“What did you say? His Majesty ordered us to withdraw the troops?” Hearing the decree brought by the envoy, Liu Yao could hardly believe his ears!
He had already penetrated Luoyang! Although he had been entangled with the city’s defenders for the past few days and failed to capture Jinying City, he had nonetheless entered the heart of the Great Jin. Capturing the emperor was only a matter of time!
With such a golden opportunity, how could he abandon it?
However, the envoy was uncompromising, “Your Highness, Bing County has already sent troops to attack Lishi, and another cavalry has entered Pingyang. The cities of Huoze and Xiangling are both breached; the royal capital is in jeopardy!”
Upon hearing this, Liu Yao abruptly stood up, “What about the thirty thousand troops I sent to Shangdang?!”
The envoy showed no signs of concern and said coldly, “It seems they were defeated, and the routed soldiers haven’t returned to Pingyang.”
Oh no! Liu Yao immediately realized. It appeared that Zhang Dian and Pu Hong not only failed to hold the enemy but suffered a complete defeat, allowing Bing County to free up forces to attack Pingyang. But he had stationed garrisons near Taihang Pass; he hadn’t seen any movement of Bing County troops! Not coming to the aid of Luoyang but instead attacking Pingyang—what was their motive?
However, while anyone else could guess and speculate, he couldn’t. The thirty thousand sent to Shangdang were his troops; once Pingyang was lost, all his previous accomplishments would be in vain! As a descendant of Liu Yuan and the appointed Prince of Qin, if he dared delay even half a minute at this moment, he would immediately be seen as disloyal, harboring rebellious intentions. He couldn’t afford such a risk!
Understanding the urgency, Liu Yao quickly declared, “I comply with the decree! Please, Minister Zhang, wait for a moment; I will raise the troops and return to Pingyang immediately!”
Seeing the clear response, the envoy also breathed a sigh of relief and was escorted to rest. Liu Yao, on the other hand, didn’t stop for a moment, ordering the recall of all the generals and leaders engaged in the chaotic battle within the city.
When Shi Le received the order to withdraw, he was in the midst of attacking Jinying City. Jinying City was located at the northwest corner of Luoyang, consisting of three connected small cities from north to south. Every twenty yards along the outer wall, there was a platform, shooting arrows and rolling logs from top to bottom, making it impregnable. Tens of thousands of troops had besieged this place for several days, and they hadn’t made any progress. In fact, Shi Le doubted that with just these troops, they could capture the current fortress.
“Withdraw the troops, Your Highness?” Shi Le frowned, “The chaos in the city is about to end; if we gather our forces, we might be able to capture Jinying City.”
The battles in the city had actually never ceased over the past two days. Not only did the defenders fight to the death at the city gates, but there were also remnants of the defeated soldiers engaging in street warfare. However, the Han forces always had numerical superiority, and after several days of chaotic fighting, these stubborn resistors were quickly cleared out. Even if they couldn’t capture Jinying City, it was time to plunder it.
“There’s an enemy invasion in Pingyang, and a decree has been issued from the palace.” The messenger had a good relationship with Shi Le and explained, “General Shi, you better withdraw your troops quickly. If there’s a delay, His Highness might get upset.”
Now, Shi Le understood. Pingyang was the capital of the Han Empire; if it was besieged, it would inevitably lead to unrest. These Xiongnu generals, every one of them, had their families in Pingyang. Moreover, it was an order from Liu Yuan, and it was impossible to stay in Luoyang for long.
Unfortunately, such a large-scale battle was unexpectedly abandoned midway. Shi Le looked again at the towering and impregnable city and couldn’t help but sigh in his heart. It seemed that fate was favoring the Jin dynasty. However, since they had come once, the second time wouldn’t be too difficult.
Without further hesitation, he ordered the troops to withdraw and led them back to the camp.
In just half a day, the Han army evacuated Luoyang City. Not only did they not plunder the city, they didn’t even bring the women they had previously seized; they left cleanly and decisively.
This move left even the surviving civilians in the city bewildered, let alone the officials in Jinying City. On the second day, the young emperor nervously sent out scouts to carefully investigate the situation in the city. However, the news they brought back still left people puzzled.
“Did the Han troops really all retreat?” The young emperor couldn’t believe it and asked again.
“Absolutely true!” The scout almost swore to the heavens, “Not only inside the city, even the enemy forces outside the city have withdrawn completely.”
What’s going on? With a mix of relief and confusion, the young emperor finally gathered the courage to lead his courtiers out of that cramped and suffocating little city, returning to the imperial palace. Because the empress dowager and the emperor had both escaped the palace, the defense inside the palace was not too tight, and it was breached in just two or three days. However, whether it was due to the lack of time for plundering or considering the emptiness of the imperial palace, there wasn’t much worth looting, and the losses surprisingly weren’t too heavy.
Looking at the chaos around, the young emperor’s face was as cold as frost. This wasn’t the powerlessness he felt when manipulated in the past but a resentment mixed with fear. He was the Emperor of the Great Jin, and the enemy had penetrated the royal city. Yet, no one came to rescue? Could any of those commanding generals, governors, or inspectors leading troops be trusted?
However, on the second day, a troop of soldiers arrived in Luoyang. It was none other than Guo Xi’s personal guards. Despite barely breaking through the encirclement, these individuals were in a sorry state. The leading officer knelt before the emperor, “The Grand General is besieged by Wang Mi’s forces, and the rescue came late. Your Majesty, please forgive us!”
Better late than never. The young emperor looked at the man with a bit of warmth in his eyes, “The Grand General harbors loyalty to the court. I do not blame him. Is Yu County still secure?”
The officer sighed deeply, “Xu City has been captured by Wang Mi, and it seems there will be more battles to fight. Fortunately, this time, Governor Liang sent troops to attack Pingyang, forcing the enemy to retreat. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know when we could have broken through the defenses of Luoyang…”
As this information spread, not only the emperor on the throne but also the courtiers below erupted in astonishment. Liang Feng attacked Pingyang? Was it because of this that the Han forces withdrew? The young emperor’s face turned pale, and he silently clenched his fists.
※
On the outskirts, a group of cavalry was resting. Perhaps due to prolonged battles, both the soldiers and horses showed signs of exhaustion. They didn’t bother with setting up campfires; instead, they took some dry rations and water from their bags. The horses were fed with beans mixed with salt to invigorate them.
Today marked the sixth day since they entered Pingyang. After leaving Xiangling, they crossed the Fen River and approached Pingyang City. However, being the capital of the Han Empire, they encountered an ambush as soon as they probed. Thanks to Yiyan’s quick thinking, they managed to evade pursuit. Nevertheless, this battle consumed considerable energy and resulted in some casualties.
This is not the most crucial issue; the real trouble lies in the loss of food and forage. Without a rear army, the Tiger and Wolf Cavalry had to forage locally. People were easy to manage—give them food, and they’re satisfied. But for the winter warhorses, they relied entirely on pasture. Thankfully, due to lax defense and a severe shortage of troops in Pingyang, they managed to capture several cities to ensure a steady supply. However, the route back became a problem—should they continue to attack Pingyang or seize a small city for provisions?
Being in the heartland of Pingyang with unpredictable movements meant a cut-off of information. Once the Han army retreated, they could return to Pingyang in less than two days. That was a force of thirty to forty thousand elite riders, and escaping would be difficult then. Leave too early, and they risk not luring back enemy forces. Leave too late, and it might cost them their lives. Knowing how to strike the right balance was the key.
Having finished his dry rations from the bag, Wang Long patted his belly and looked up, “General, maybe it’s time we try hitting a different city wall.”
Their food reserves were not abundant, and they needed to prepare early. However, Yiyan neither nodded nor shook his head, only saying, “Wait for the scouts to return.”
After another hour passed, of the five scouts sent out, only three returned. Two of them reported reinforced defenses outside Pingyang, while one mentioned activity in the direction of Puzi.
Puzi was right next to Lishi, and logically, they should be on guard against an attack from Bing County. However, signs of mobilization were now apparent. As soon as Yiyan heard this, he immediately stood up, “Back to Bing County!”
This is the precursor to encirclement. Strengthen the defense of the capital on one hand, and on the other, deploy troops to block their retreat route. Only when the main army retreats would the Xiongnu dare to employ such military tactics. Time left for them is running out.
Without any hesitation, everyone mounted their horses and swiftly withdrew towards Bing County!
※
“Failed to stop that light cavalry?” Liu Yao rode on his horse, his face darkening. After receiving the imperial decree, he rushed back to Pingyang day and night, not even entering the palace gates, directly leading his troops to pursue and attack the enemy.
Little did he expect the opposing force to slip out of the pre-set encirclement like a slippery fish. Both being cavalry, with just a slight difference in time, it would be challenging to catch up. After a moment of contemplation, he coldly declared, “In that case, send troops to Lishi!”
Regardless of the escape route the enemy chose, they would eventually return to Bing County. The road from Pingyang to Lishi was extremely limited. They could charge straight ahead, while the enemy had to evade left and right. The best way was to rush ahead and block their retreat, making it difficult for the enemy to escape with wings clipped. This was secondary; the more crucial part was that Lishi had just slipped from their hands. Perhaps, seizing this opportunity, he could reclaim the former capital of the Han Dynasty. This time, Bing County’s military actions were indeed fierce, and if they didn’t achieve some victories, it might damage the morale of the army.
With the commander’s order, this group of soldiers and horses, despite their fatigue from days of continuous travel, set out again towards Lishi.
Because they were all cavalry, the marching speed was not slow. In just a short day, they reached the border of Bing County. Further ahead was the enemy territory of Lishi, so they needed to rest for a while. Liu Yao ordered the army to set up camp. Even in the urgency of rapid marching, he showed no sign of recklessness. Establishing two shifts of sentries, Liu Yao finally entered his tent to rest.
Unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, cries of alarm rang out.
“What’s going on?!” Liu Yao jumped up and rushed out of the tent.
Only to see several outermost tents already engulfed in flames, the bright fire standing out vividly against the night sky.
Caught off guard, it was a camp ambush! He didn’t expect these soldiers from Bing County to be so audacious! They dared to forcefully break into the camp of a twenty-thousand-strong army?!
“Quick, send troops to guard the main camp, be prepared for the enemy’s assault!” Liu Yao didn’t even have time to put on his armor; he shouted sternly, “Issue orders to assemble the troops, don armor, and prepare for battle!”
Being ambushed at night, the worst fear was soldiers being confused and ignorant, leading to panic and a potential camp disaster. Liu Yao’s subordinates were elite soldiers, but there was still concern about being taken advantage of during such a situation. Among those cursed Bing County cavalry, there were many Xiongnu people. He had suffered losses in Shangdang before; how could he underestimate them?!
Liu Yao’s preparations were considered thorough, yet the expected attack did not materialize. At dawn on the second day, scouts, stationed about a mile away from the camp, discovered several destroyed bed crossbows. The enemy had no intention of launching a direct assault yesterday; they only fired a couple of rounds of arrows to create chaos in the camp.
Upon learning the news, Liu Yao immediately sensed trouble and hastily sent someone to pursue. The obtained information, however, revealed that the enemy took advantage of the chaos to bypass the main camp and returned to Bing County territory overnight. Additionally, there were twenty thousand enemy troops stationed in Lishi. Bing County’s forces were adept at defense, and with both armies having similar numbers, the prospect of reclaiming Lishi seemed bleak.
Helplessly, Liu Yao had to abandon the plan for a siege and returned without achieving any success.
