Chapter 35: The Second Battle

Thick black smoke rolled over the battlefield, bodies lay strewn everywhere, flags and weapons scattered across the ground. Swords and blades pierced men and horses alike, soon summoning flocks of crows and packs of wolves.

Cao Xin sat atop a large stone, wrapping a wound on Cao Chun with a strip of gauze. Cao Chun winced in pain, his lips twitching.

"Sixth Brother, I don't understand—last time you captured prisoners to sell for money, but this time, why did you let them go?" Cao Chun asked, puzzled.

"Take a guess," Cao Xin replied.

"There must be some scheme. Either you persuaded some general to surrender, or you mixed infiltrators among the surrendered soldiers. Sixth Brother, am I right?" Cao Chun squinted his eyes and grinned.

"Haha, if those in Jingzhou think the same way, I've achieved my goal," Cao Xin said.

"Tsk, what a plot within a plot, a chain of schemes! Sixth Brother, I truly admire you. Last time, you led a hundred cavalry to rout Zhang Xiu, everyone thought it was luck. Now you’ve used psychological tactics, making over three thousand Jingzhou soldiers kneel in surrender. Sixth Brother, you’re amazing! I think you’re even better at war than the Prime Minister." Cao Chun praised him.

"Haha, I love to hear that. Next time, remember to say it loudly in front of the Prime Minister." Cao Xin patted his shoulder, then stood to survey the battlefield, calling for the wounded to be tended to and arranging carts and horses to send them back to Jinyang County for recovery.

"Yuanjian, how is our army?" Cao Xin asked Liao Hua, who was tallying the numbers.

"Wu Ba’s infantry battalion lost forty-eight men, with a hundred and thirty-two wounded. The light cavalry lost eight, with thirty-five injured. The Langya infantry lost three—three new recruits—with a hundred and twenty-four wounded. Langya cavalry has four injured. In total, fifty-nine dead, three hundred ninety-five wounded," Liao Hua reported, holding a small booklet.

"Langya infantry only lost three men?!" Cao Chun exclaimed. Noticing the uneasy looks around him, he quickly patted his mouth. "I mean, they charged so quickly, faster even than my cavalry, fought fiercely on the battlefield like madmen—how did they come out of it almost unscathed?"

"Because their armor is excellent, iron plates protect their whole bodies. Unless someone targets their faces with arrows or strikes their heads with heavy hammers, at most they suffer severe wounds," Liao Hua explained.

"Wrong. It's because we're elite—elites among elites, able to fight twenty men at once," Bai Feng said proudly, crossing his arms.

Cao Xin shook his head. "Old Bai, don't boast. Three dead, over a hundred wounded—a tenth of your fighting force lost—does that count as elite?"

"General, only six were seriously wounded. The rest are flesh wounds, nothing to hinder the coming battle," Bai Feng retorted.

"That's good!" Cao Xin nodded.

After the battlefield was cleared, Pei Yuan Shao galloped in with a report: six thousand Jingzhou soldiers ambushed outside Yuyang County and another six thousand in Tongbai Mountain were approaching.

"Which side is closer?" Cao Xin asked, unfolding his map.

"They’re advancing almost simultaneously. If we engage one, the other will rush in and surround us within an hour," Pei Yuan Shao traced lines on the map.

"General, how shall we fight?" Cao Chun inquired.

"General, I wish to lead my thousand Langya infantry into the mountains to intercept the ambush, ensuring they have no chance to unite," Bai Feng declared, fist pressed to his chest.

Cao Xin stroked his chin. "Yuan Shao, how many cavalry are on the Yuyang side?"

"One troop of light cavalry, about five hundred men. The rest are infantry, spearmen, and archers—about two thousand archers. Jingzhou archers are formidable, General, be cautious," Pei Yuan Shao warned.

Cao Xin nodded. Jingzhou’s strongest troops were their archers and navy. Their archers had shot Sun Jian, Marquis of Wucheng, dead at Mount Xian, and slain General Zhang Ji at Rangcheng—a record of brilliance.

When they previously clashed with Deng Xian, many of Cao Xin’s men had fallen to Jingzhou arrows.

After a moment of contemplation, Cao Xin decided not to split his forces. His original plan had been to wait for Deng Xian to feign defeat and flee, then divide his troops to block him. But Deng Xian had been routed too thoroughly, leaving only the ambush forces at Yuyang and Tongbai Mountain.

Splitting troops to resist, or attacking each in turn, could both yield victory—the only difference was losses. Splitting his forces would prolong the fight and increase casualties.

"We won’t split our forces. Yuyang and Tongbai Mountain are several miles apart—it takes over an hour to move between them. If we can resolve one side within an hour, with the momentum of victory, the other will not be hard to defeat." Cao Xin’s words were met with nods.

"General, which side shall we strike first?" Cao Chun asked.

Cao Xin pointed his riding whip toward Yuyang. "The terrain is flat there, perfect for cavalry charges. We’ll strike Deng Ji first—after we eat, we march!"

"Yes, General!" Cao Chun, Bai Feng, Wu Ba, Liao Hua, and Pei Yuan Shao took their orders and departed.

The camp began to cook meals. Once the officers and soldiers were fed and rested, Cao Xin ordered the horn to gather the troops, reformed the cavalry, and set out once more.

—

On the western bank of Yuyang Stream, a force clad in crimson armor was swiftly moving north, over six thousand strong, forming a line stretching more than a mile.

General Deng Ji sat astride his horse, holding a map, his brow furrowed.

"General, General Yuan Zong has returned," Registrar Yi Ji reported, riding up.

Deng Ji acknowledged him with a nod, glancing at the man behind Yi Ji.

"Elder Brother!" Deng Xian sat on his horse, head bowed deeply, his broad frame seeming spineless.

Deng Ji stared coldly at him. "Yuan Zong, I only ordered you to feign defeat and lure the enemy. Why could you not handle even this small task?"

Deng Xian's head hung even lower, sweat beading on his forehead, his shoulders trembling.

"General, allow me to explain!" Several officers who had fled with Deng Xian saluted. "General, our defeat was not Yuan Zong’s fault—the Cao army was too cunning. They used psychological tactics, swaying the Nanyang soldiers to turn traitor and surrender without a fight."

"Silence!" Deng Ji snapped. Two-thirds of his troops were locals, and many officials and officers hailed from Nanyang—including Registrar Yi Ji, known as Ji Bo. Such divisive words must never be spoken.

"Nanyang is a part of Jingzhou; Nanyang men are Jingzhou men. There is no distinction. Speak of Nanyang soldiers rebelling again, and you’ll be executed!"

The officers fell silent.

"This defeat is the fault of a single man." Deng Ji fixed his gaze on Deng Xian, voice deep and grave. "Deng Xian, you have twice suffered heavy defeats at the hands of the Cao army, causing Jingzhou grievous losses and humiliation. By military law, I sentence you to death. Do you accept this?"

"General, reconsider!"

"General, please calm your anger!"

The officers rushed to intercede. In such a drama of brother about to execute brother, it was necessary for others to step in and plead—whether their words were heeded mattered less than showing their concern.

"General, please calm your anger!" Registrar Yi Ji pressed his hands together. "Our army is still in conflict with the Cao forces; this is no time to lose good men. Executing a general would be inauspicious. Better to let Yuan Zong remain and redeem himself through merit."

Deng Ji said nothing, only stared at Deng Xian. At length, he sighed softly. "Deng Xian, for Ji Bo and the officers who plead for you, I spare your life this time. Death you escape, but punishment you will not."

"General, I accept my punishment!" Deng Xian bowed his head.

Deng Ji nodded with satisfaction, stroking his beard. "Ji Bo speaks wisely—our army needs every man. I want you to redeem yourself through merit. Will you do it?"

"I will, I will!" Deng Xian wiped the sweat from his face, nodding repeatedly.

"I have received word—the Cao army is ten miles ahead. Soon we shall clash. I order you to lead three thousand routed soldiers as the vanguard and attack the Cao forces. If you defeat them, your life will be spared. If you fail again..."

"General, if I fail again, I accept death," Deng Xian shouted.

"Go, assemble the troops—the Cao army approaches."

"Yes, General!" Deng Xian saluted and departed with his men.

"General, you are wise!" a few officers praised. "Those three thousand routed soldiers fled in battle and were released as prisoners—some of them likely carry Cao spies. We were troubled about whether to release or detain them. You turned the tables and made them the vanguard, letting them atone for their failures. When the Cao army sees their released men return to fight them, what will they think?"

"Hahaha~" The officers laughed heartily.

Deng Ji stroked his beard and smiled with self-satisfaction. "That Cao thief may be a general, but he is soft-hearted, like a woman. Soon, I will make him reap what he has sown."

"General, you are wise," they saluted in admiration.

Only Registrar Yi Ji frowned, hesitating before saying, "General, those soldiers have been swayed and favored by the Cao army—their morale is unstable. Using them as the vanguard might not serve us well in battle."

"No matter. Give them only weapons, not armor or horses. Even if they turn traitor in battle, they won’t make much of a stir," Deng Ji waved his hand dismissively.

Registrar Yi Ji opened his mouth as if to argue further, but a galloping horse approached, its rider shouting urgently.

"Report!"

"General, the Cao army has accelerated their march—they are only five miles away!"

The scout declared loudly.

"Oh? They approach swiftly. Send word—halt all troops, prepare to defend on the spot, and summon General Han Song to hurry and assist!"

"Yes, General!" The scout sped off.

Boom, boom, boom—

War drums began to sound.

Deng Ji's army slowly halted. Over six thousand regulars and more than three thousand routed soldiers—nearly ten thousand men—formed dozens of thick square formations on the northern bank of the stream.

They waited in silence for the Cao army to arrive.

"Cao thief, today it’s either you or me!" Deng Xian roared, waving his long halberd from the rear ranks.

Nearby, Wei Yan and several others exchanged glances, lowering their heads in silence.

—

End.