Chapter 792: Those Magnificent Scenes (Part 2)

In a Yuzhou army camp less than two hundred li from Hulukou, a lean, one-eyed old general slowly ascended the review stand. Before his official appearance, Deputy Commander Chen Yunchui of the Beiliang Infantry, General Huangfu Ping of Yuzhou, Governor Hu Kui, and others were already standing on the platform. The old man, unremarkable in appearance, walked to the center of the stand. Curiously, even an outsider unfamiliar with the Yuzhou military would have regarded his central, leading position as a matter of course upon witnessing the scene. The old general, clad in clanking armor, stood with both hands resting on his saber, silently observing the officers and soldiers below, who remained motionless under the scorching sun. He remained silent for a long time, as if he intended to personally observe every one of the nearly ten thousand infantrymen about to depart and clearly recognize each banner of the Yuzhou Veteran Infantry battalions.

The old general's expression was grim. He finally spoke slowly, "The Grand General has passed away, and the Prince is not here in Yuzhou. As for me, Yan Wenluan, even if I don't die on the battlefield, I reckon I don't have many years left. So, I'll seize this opportunity today to speak some heartfelt words I've kept to myself for nearly twenty years."

The old general picked up his Beiliang saber with one hand and pointed at Chen Yunchui, the second-in-command of the Beiliang Infantry, beside him. "Old Chen, our Deputy Commander Chen—you all surely know him. Sixteen years ago, this fellow accompanied me to the Prince's Residence on Qingliang Mountain for a drink. At the time, Chen Yunchui was just a third-rank general. The Grand General joked, 'Chen Yunchui, leading forty to fifty thousand infantry in Yuzhou is a waste of talent. How about going outside Liangzhou and leading thirty thousand cavalry? Would you do it?'"

Yan Wenluan didn't look directly at his close friend of half a lifetime; he merely poked the embarrassed Chen Yunchui with his saber. "This old bastard has a poor tolerance for alcohol, and his drinking manners are even worse. He was pretending to be drunk at the time, but the moment the Grand General threw out that remark, he immediately stood up, his eyes shining incredibly bright! Can you guess what our current Deputy Commander of Beiliang Infantry said? He said, 'Yes, why wouldn't I?!' Of course, the Grand General ultimately failed to poach him. Why? Did Chen Yunchui back out? No, it was me, Yan Wenluan, who got furious and almost fought the Grand General! I still remember exactly what I said: I slammed my wine cup down, stood up, and told the Grand General, 'The Beiliang infantry has so little left! In the past two years, the Liangzhou cavalry has cheated, swindled, and stolen so many of our men in various ways. They've taken most of the veterans and even many promising young recruits. What kind of Beiliang Infantry Commander would I, Yan Wenluan, be then?! If Chen Yunchui goes to the Liangzhou cavalry, that's fine, but the Grand General must give Yuan Zuozong, Chu Lushuan, and Qi Dangguo—his three adopted sons—to the Beiliang infantry and send them all to our Yuzhou!'"

General Chen Yunchui appeared to ignore the words, keeping his eyes downcast, but after such an unsparing revelation of his past by Yan Wenluan, he must have wished to dig a hole and disappear.

Yan Wenluan then pointed his saber at Hu Kui, the Governor of Yuzhou. "This esteemed Governor is the creator of the 'Lie Ju,' the precursor to our Beiliang Rangers. He's a truly legitimate cavalry general. When Governor Hu replaced Wang Peifang as Governor of Yuzhou, he came to butter me up, saying polite official pleasantries to me, an old man, according to bureaucratic custom. Then I asked him a question: 'Hu Kui, how does it feel to be an official in Yuzhou, a place where, just a few years ago, there were fewer warhorses than in Lingzhou?' Governor Hu is an honest man, and he candidly told me he felt quite stifled. He said he had originally thought he might have a chance to serve as Liu Jinu's deputy in Hutou City, or failing that, to join the Dragon Elephant Army in Liuzhou with his old subordinates Li Mofan and Wang Lingbao, which would also have been good."

Yan Wenluan again rested both hands on his saber, gazing at the more than ten thousand infantrymen. "We in Beiliang have three hundred thousand border troops. Yet, for all these years, people in Liyang have only heard 'Beiliang's three hundred thousand iron cavalry dominates the world.' I find that very strange! Beiliang's cavalry has never constituted more than half of our border army. How then did it become three hundred thousand iron cavalry? Does Liyang think our Beiliang infantry doesn't exist? It seems even Beiliang itself doesn't take our infantry seriously."

The one-eyed old general sneered, gesturing his chin eastward. "There's a fellow in Jizhou named Yang Shenxing, the fool who was later played like a fiddle by a few youngsters in Guangling Province. Back in the day, he wasn't even fit to carry my shoes, yet he took a few tens of thousands of infantry left over from the old Northern Han and created something called the 'Jinan Infantry.' For over ten years since, they've been hailed throughout Liyang as the 'unrivaled in the world,' a first-class elite infantry. Beyond them, there's also the Wufeng Army led by Wang Tongshan, King Yan Chi's fiercest general in Southern Jiang, and Wu Chongxuan's Great Armor—all with considerable renown. Yet, when all is said and done, our Yuzhou infantry is never mentioned."

The old man paused slightly. "If it were merely about that, I, Yan Wenluan, could tolerate it. After all, we can't run off to Jizhou or Southern Jiang to fight them, and arguing has never been a strong suit of us Beiliang people. But! Let's not talk about outside Beiliang; let's talk about Beiliang itself. Not Liangzhou, not Lingzhou, not even Liuzhou—let's talk about our own Yuzhou! At Luancheng City, my veteran infantry battalion had its designation removed. Who was it that marched through Hezou into Jizhou, and then, at Hulukou, fought ten thousand men down to just over three thousand? A thousand-li rapid deployment, continuous fierce battles, killing nearly thirty thousand enemies! They almost completely paralyzed the Northern Mang barbarians' eastern supply line!"

Yan Wenluan scoffed, "What, do you think our Yuzhou army also has its heroes?"

Yan Wenluan laughed. "That's certainly true. But sadly, that 'Unretreating Battalion' of 3,400 men was Yuzhou's first cavalry battalion! And the Prince, who fought alongside those ten thousand Yuzhou cavalry, himself was officially listed as a common soldier in the Unretreating Battalion! Haha, it has absolutely nothing to do with you poor wretches who have no warhorses, only two legs!"

The old man's face grew somewhat ferocious. "Let's not talk about Yu Luandao, the Deputy General of the Yuzhou Cavalry, or Shi Yulu and Fan Wenyao, who achieved distinguished military feats and were promoted to Xi Cavalry General and Piao Cavalry General, respectively. Let's just talk about that Tian Heng, the newly appointed commander of the thirty thousand Yuzhou cavalry. That old fellow, at the time, disliked the Prince for not daring to fight to the death. He even claimed the Prince had used up all his courage after defying the imperial decree to enter Liang, so Tian Heng retired early to his farm. That's how Yu Luandao became co-general of ten thousand Yuzhou cavalry. Yet, this scoundrel, Tian Heng, who never went to Jibei nor outside Hulukou, now dares to slap his chest when he sees me and say, 'Old Yan, don't worry, I, Tian Heng, promise to get you another cavalry unit with a designated battalion name!'"

The old man re-sheathed his saber, vigorously rubbed his cheeks, and walked a few steps forward. He asked in a deep voice, "When did our Yuzhou infantry fall to such a state?"

The entire field was silent, yet everyone's eyes were red.

Yan Wenluan pointed to himself. "I, Yan Wenluan, have been with the Xu family army for thirty-six years, campaigning with the Grand General. From day one, I was an infantryman, and today I am a second-rank military official. Ultimately, I'm just an aged infantryman. I wouldn't dare claim credit for the entire Beiliang infantry, but you, the Yuzhou infantry, were all personally trained by me, Yan Wenluan!"

The one-eyed old man casually gestured behind him towards Xiaguang City. "Over there, and then all the way north, are the Northern Mang barbarians. They claim to have a full two hundred thousand troops. Wogong City is gone, Luancheng City is gone, and the Northern Mang barbarians boast that Xiaguang City will fall in a matter of days."

The old man turned around and declared, "But I, Yan Wenluan, will not allow it!"

On the northern border, where Yuzhou and Hezou met, a colossal scarlet banner flapped fiercely in the strong wind.

Yuzhou Cavalry Commander Tian Heng, Deputy General Yu Luandao, Xi Cavalry General Shi Yulu, Piao Cavalry General Fan Wenyao, and over ten other cavalry generals had their warhorses lined up in a row.

Behind them stood thirty thousand Yuzhou light cavalry, deployed in full force.

Old General Tian Heng had a rough, plain appearance, more like an old farmer who had spent years tilling fields than a powerful general, especially without his armor. This old man, at the time, was indignant at the young Prince's "inaction" and, in a fit of pique, resigned his official post and returned home. His excuse was that he was too old and frail to endure further hardship and wished to go home and enjoy his grandchildren. This, in turn, allowed Yu Luandao the opportunity to lead an army alone on the expedition to Jibei. However, the truth was that everyone in Yuzhou knew the old general had no surviving children; they had all died in battle outside the pass long ago. Later, when Xu Fengnian and Yu Luandao jointly appeared outside Hulukou, and only just over three thousand out of ten thousand cavalry returned, the old general, whose military seniority was not much less than Yan Wenluan's or Chen Yunchui's, heard the news. That very night, he rushed to Yan Wenluan's army tent, but the latter refused to see him. Tian Heng waited outside until the Huaiyang Pass Protectorate issued an order restoring his general status. Still, Yan Wenluan remained unswayed. It was only after Xu Fengnian himself had to write to Yan Wenluan that Yuzhou reluctantly recognized Tian Heng's official position as the commander of the Yuzhou cavalry.

With one hand on his saber hilt, the old man turned to Yu Luandao and laughed heartily. "Old Yan is sure to be furious with me this time, but you can't blame me. Who told that fellow to disregard our half-lifetime friendship and refuse even to see me?"

Yu Luandao and the others exchanged knowing smiles. Tian Heng and General Yan Wenluan were old brothers who would lay down their lives for each other. In their early days, one was an infantry captain and the other a cavalry captain. Tian Heng, to rescue Yan Wenluan who was trapped deep within enemy lines, defied military orders and launched a proactive attack. The Grand General, in a rage, demoted Tian Heng directly from captain to common cavalryman. In the fiercely competitive Xu family army, a single slow step meant being perpetually behind. Younger generations, such as the rising cavalry stars Xu Pu, the Prince's own younger brother Wu Qi, and Yuan Zuozong and Hu Kui, all surpassed Tian Heng at that time, becoming independent cavalry commanders. By the time the Xu family entered Liang, Tian Heng had only reached the rank of a fourth-grade general. It was Yan Wenluan who personally requested him from the Grand General, allowing Tian Heng to be promoted one rank and transferred from Liangzhou to Yuzhou. However, over the past decade or so, compared to military giants like Wei Tieshan, who had long since resigned from high positions and returned home, or Zhou Kang, the current Deputy Marshal Jin Zhegu, Tian Heng could be considered a highly depressed and frustrated Beiliang army veteran.

Tian Heng stopped smiling and said to Yu Luandao, "General Yu, those fifty thousand Northern Mang elite cavalry on the eastern front claim they're going to Jizhou, but we all know those barbarians are coming directly for Yuzhou. They intend to cooperate with Yang Yuanzan at Hulukou to capture Xiaguang City in one swift blow and invade Yuzhou territory. Our original plan was for you and I to split our forces into two routes: one to intercept those fifty thousand at the You River border, and the other to continue north along the outer edge of Hulukou. Before we set out, it was said that you and Shi Yulu would lead fifteen thousand cavalry here to await the Northern Mang army, while Fan Wenyao and I would take fifteen thousand cavalry north, with your Unretreating Battalion as the vanguard. But I'm thinking..."

Yu Luandao interrupted with a smile, "General, no 'buts.' Since we agreed on this deployment beforehand, there's no reason to change it at the last minute."

Tian Heng glared, "Of Yuzhou's thirty thousand cavalry, am I, Tian Heng, the commander, or are you, Yu Luandao, the commander?"

Compared to Fan Wenyao, who possessed the demeanor of a scholar-general, Shi Yulu, one of the first to be granted a general's title in the new Beiliang army, had a rougher disposition and couldn't help but chuckle.

Yu Luandao felt a bit helpless.

Tian Heng looked out at the distant sandstorm. "Although the higher-ups haven't explicitly stated it, given such a grave crisis in Liuzhou, with even the Prince personally rushing there and cavalry forces from various Beiliang garrisons following suit to Liuzhou, it certainly isn't simple for our Yuzhou cavalry to go against the grain at this critical juncture. As young Fan Wenyao would put it... is the scheme truly grand? Those fifty thousand Northern Mang elite cavalry—not to mention Wang Sui, the Prince Consort of Dongyue—the two 'Nazha' on the eastern front, Autumn and Winter, are also formidable."

Tian Heng suddenly laughed. "Yu Luandao, don't think that just because you've won two major battles in Jizhou and Hulukou, you can disrespect me, Tian Heng. When I picked up the first generation Xu family saber, you were still breastfeeding."

Shi Yulu had been mentored by Old General Tian Heng from a young squad leader to Xi Cavalry General, practically raised "with his excrement and urine," so he had no qualms about joking. He quipped, "Old General, you can't say that. General Yu may be young, but he's truly decisive in battle, unlike you, Old General..."

Tian Heng's voice sharply rose, "Hmm?!"

Shi Yulu quickly swallowed the word "inferior," then chuckled, "Unlike you, Old General... you're superior."

Tian Heng let out a heavy snort, yet there was a smile in his eyes. "It's settled then. Yu Luandao, Shi Yulu, and Fan Wenyao, the three of you, take twenty thousand troops to outside Hulukou. I'll take ten thousand to guard here. I don't expect to crush the enemy cavalry; my goal is simply to delay their entry into Yuzhou."

Fan Wenyao's brow furrowed, and he hesitated to speak, giving Shi Yulu a glance. The latter understood, whispering, "Old General, you can't just change established march plans so wildly..."

Tian Heng waved his hand. "Hulukou is the most crucial point. Whether we can trap them like turtles in a jar depends on whether your twenty thousand cavalry can tighten the mouth of the sack!"

Although only one secret military order from the Huaiyang Pass Protectorate reached the Yuzhou cavalry, those present could infer much of the truth. While all were shocked, who among them wasn't boiling with excitement?

"If you, Dong Zhuo of Northern Mang, intend to use Liuzhou as a breakthrough, then we, Beiliang's iron cavalry, will wipe out your eastern front army at Hulukou!"

Tian Heng looked at these faces, much younger than his own, and said softly, "We're all our own people, so no need for formalities. Of the thirty thousand Yuzhou cavalry, the fifteen thousand who were originally meant to head north to Hulukou were mostly young people. Why? Because fighting to the death against Wang Sui's army, even if they survived with military merits, those merits wouldn't be significant, certainly incomparable to those from Hulukou. For me, Tian Heng, reaching the rank of a third-grade military official in this lifetime is enough. When I joined the army back then, it wasn't out of scholarly zeal like you, Yu Luandao. Back then, my whole family was starving to death; I couldn't live anymore, so I joined the army with my life on the line. How could I have imagined I'd ever become a general? Unimaginable."

Tian Heng laughed happily. "And don't bother talking nonsense with me. Don't you know my temper? Once I've decided something, not even Old Yan can change my mind. Even in front of the Grand General back then, it was always my way."

Just then, a team of scouts galloped up, led by Captain Fan Fen. Riding alongside Fan Fen was surprisingly a child, with two slightly disproportionate Beiliang sabers hanging from his waist. He stood on horseback, hands tucked into his sleeves, displaying the demeanor of a true master. Fan Fen reported the military situation to the generals: there were no signs of Northern Mang cavalry within fifty li ahead.

Tian Heng called out to the scout unit, who were about to turn north, and asked the child with a smile, "Are you Yu Dilong, our Yuzhou cavalry's Little General? I heard you alone killed several hundred Northern Mang barbarians outside Hulukou?"

The child nodded with a straight face.

Fan Fen couldn't help but interject, "General Tian, this child is just shy in front of strangers. Just now, he was asking me if he could become a proper scout after he pays off his debts and earns more merits. One of his two Beiliang sabers was given to him, and the other was temporarily lent by our unit. He just wants to legitimately own a second saber."

Tian Heng laughed heartily, "From now on, you are the squad leader of the Eighth Scout Unit of my Yuzhou Cavalry!"

Yu Dilong asked, "Does what you say count? My master said it has to be according to the rules, otherwise, he won't let me stay in the Yuzhou Unretreating Battalion."

Tian Heng was immediately speechless, finding himself in an awkward position. He dared to play tricks with Yan Wenluan, his friend of life and death, but he truly didn't dare to be casual with the young Prince.

Yu Luandao laughed, coming to his rescue. "For all Yuzhou cavalry military affairs, General Tian's word counts. And don't forget, your master is still a common soldier in our Unretreating Battalion, so even without General Tian's order, I, Yu Luandao, as the commander of the Unretreating Battalion, can make you, Yu Dilong, the squad leader of the Eighth Scout Unit, and it's still valid!"

The child, standing on his horse, gripped the saber at his waist and said seriously, "Generals, please rest assured, I will definitely kill more enemies this time than last!"

Tian Heng smiled and waved his hand. The child and Captain Fan Fen's party rode away.

Then, Tian Heng spoke gravely to Yu Luandao and the other two, "I, Tian Heng, am an old fellow who fought my way through the Spring and Autumn War. My strength, after all, is not what it once was, so from now on, Beiliang will rely on you."

Tian Heng looked down at the sixth-generation Xu family saber at his waist, then looked up and suddenly said, "General Yu, I haven't left much behind in this life, just a dilapidated house worth little. But I have five battle sabers at home. If... if anything happens, I'll entrust them to you, Yu Luandao, for safekeeping. If you ever have the chance to speak to the younger generation, could you perhaps mention a few words about that old Yuzhou general? How about it?"

Yu Luandao, Shi Yulu, and Fan Wenyao remained silently.

Tian Heng cupped his hands, laughing loudly, "Farewell!"

The battle for Hutou City was in full swing.

A cavalry force, numbering only around ten thousand, quietly left its station and headed east, with the swiftness of a lion hunting a rabbit.

The leading cavalry general was none other than Yuan Zuozong, Commander of the Beiliang Cavalry!

Their momentum was like a rainbow.

Almost simultaneously, two cavalry forces, never before fully revealed on the battlefield, departed for two strategically important passes at the northern border of Liangzhou and Yuzhou.

Both passes were heavily guarded by elite Yuzhou infantry.

Within a hundred li radius of the passes, security was exceptionally strict, with an iron rule that anyone unauthorized appearing there would be killed without mercy.

Months earlier, with the arrival of a large quantity of sealed items within these two passes, numerous top-grade Beiliang Rangers began secretly patrolling these areas.

The two cavalry forces, combined, numbered just over nine thousand men.

While one man with two horses might not have been unusual, what was truly astonishing was that every single warhorse was a Beiliang A-grade warhorse!

It was well known that throughout all of Beiliang, only the three thousand Dragon Elephant cavalry in Liuzhou were equipped with A-grade warhorses, and in Yuzhou, there were only three to four hundred such horses, while Lingzhou had none at all!

These peculiar cavalrymen, who carried neither Beiliang sabers nor bows and crossbows, were without exception muscular and exceptionally strong border elites. Their robust physiques and fierce aura made them formidable, even though they wore no light armor.

One was the Yan Zhi Army.

The other was the Wei Xiong Army.

When they donned full armor for both rider and horse on the battlefield,

They became the Yan Zhi Heavy Cavalry and the Wei Xiong Heavy Cavalry!

As the fierce battle raged at Hutou City, as Liuzhou faced an urgent crisis, and as Yan Wenluan was forced to dispatch ten thousand suicidal infantry reinforcements to Xiaguang City,

Twenty thousand Yuzhou light cavalry!

Ten thousand Great Snow Dragon Riders!

The iron among Beiliang's iron cavalry, nine thousand truly heavy cavalry!

All would appear together outside Hulukou!