NOVPUBLyu Bu led the remaining Wolf Cavalry and charged without a second thought, cutting down enemies along the way, never giving the Hebei Army a chance to regroup. He completely scattered them, and had it not been for Xun Shen and Tian Feng delaying with a decoy strategy on one hand, and setting fire to the military camp on the other after Lyu Bu realized there was no large force, it’s doubtful that even if the entire Hebei Army could retreat back to the Black Mountain area, there would be many survivors.
Afterward, Xun Shen and Tian Feng understood how Lyu Bu had broken through the early warning systems they had set up. Lyu Bu was simply overwhelming for the scouts, none of whom could escape his pursuit and thus were unable to relay information.
Meanwhile, Liu Ye set fire to the Vanguards and the Trap Formation and immediately led his troops towards Bingzhou. Yuan Shao’s control over that area was quite weak, and it was only by circling around from there that Liu Ye was certain he could enter Sili. As for the route back, Liu Ye was absolutely confident; by that time, not to mention Lyu Bu, Chen Gong would surely have his considerations.
Liu Ye’s thought process could clearly grasp Chen Gong’s frame of mind. Compared to Cao Cao’s grand ambition, Chen Gong’s way of thinking was much simpler: no matter how much or how well Cao Cao did, it wouldn’t be enough to turn things around. The integrity of a noted scholar was forged in blood; some actions, once taken, need not be reconsidered.
As for Lyu Bu, Liu Ye didn’t believe Chen Gong would give up his greatest card. If Chen Gong were to pledge allegiance to Liu Bei or Yuan Shao alone, its deterrence and significance would be greatly reduced. Lyu Bu’s presence could elevate Chen Gong’s status significantly and the same was true for Lyu Bu.
However, just like Jia Xu and Li You, Liu Ye also viewed Lyu Bu with caution, not because they lacked generosity, but truth be told, including Xun Yu, Xun Youi, and the deceased Xi Zhicai, in fact, all maintained a wariness towards Lyu Bu.
But unlike Liu Bei’s faction, which had the power to choose, Xun Yu and his group on Cao Cao’s side didn’t have many options. If they could win over Lyu Bu, it would significantly boost their strength. As for the potential problems Lyu Bu might bring, they were not blind to them, but they had to make this choice due to the gap between them and Liu Bei and Yuan Shao.
Just like Liu Bei of history in Xuzhou, he must have known the risks of harboring Lyu Bu. On the contrary, when he took Lyu Bu in, he probably was already mentally prepared; but given the circumstances at the time, siding with Lyu Bu to oppose Cao Cao was the better strategy.
Now, Cao Cao’s side was thinking in the same way, which was why they considered trying to win Lyu Bu over. Whether it would be successful or not was a different matter, and people like Jia Xu and Li You were well aware of this.
Liu Bei’s faction didn’t need Lyu Bu, but that didn’t mean Lyu Bu should be handed over to someone else. Despite being akin to a ticking bomb, his formidable strength made many, like Jia Xu and Li You, adopt the mindset that they would rather have him implode in their own hands than give him to others. In other words, no matter what others thought, many in Liu Bei’s faction were already prepared to take Lyu Bu out of the equation; they didn’t need such a dangerous character.
Liu Ye was also wary of Lyu Bu, but his understanding wasn’t as deep as that of Li You and Jia Wenhe. Precisely for this reason, he harbored the idea of winning over both Chen Gong and Lyu Bu.
After returning to camp, Liu Ye appointed Yu Jin as the chief general, took on the role of military advisor himself, and designated Hua Xiong as the vanguard, leading over eight thousand men towards Bingzhou. They planned to take a detour to Sili to Support the King, which in reality, was just a show of loyalty.
"Zijian, don’t be like this. After all, I helped you take revenge. Juo Yi’s Vanguard won’t have it easy under that fire," Liu Ye comforted Hua Xiong as they marched, knowing the significant loss to the Xiliang Iron Cavalry deeply affected him.
"Thank you, Military Advisor Liu," Hua Xiong sighed and said, "But the Vanguard has not disappeared; I think I will encounter them again."
"That’s an unavoidable situation. The population of the Three Prefectures of Hebei exceeds ten million, nearly matching that under Lord Xuande’s jurisdiction. Just in terms of manpower, with capable generals, it wouldn’t take long to recover," Liu Ye said without mincing words. After all, the population of the Northern Three States, spared from the plague, was still formidable. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be so cautious.
"I’m thinking about how to counter Vanguard. I don’t have Legion Talent or Military Spirit; these top-level abilities are far beyond me when compared to Vanguard," Hua Xiong said, a touch of disappointment in his voice.
"You didn’t lose, Zijian. Didn’t you say it yourself? The combat situation back then — without Yan Liang on their side — was actually an even match between you and Vanguard," Liu Ye remarked with a click of his tongue, for he had personally witnessed how Vanguard had dominated the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry. To him, the even match was beyond belief.
"That was because we had numbers, and my troops were fearless in the face of death. The even match was built on the foundation of their lives. I would rather not have that kind of victory," Hua Xiong said coldly, recalling once again the sight of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry laying down their lives to halt the enemy’s advance.
"Then find a way to make your troops stronger, instead of being disheartened like you are now," Liu Ye advised, looking at Hua Xiong. "Only the weak indulge in self-pity. It’s not a disaster to lose once, or even in every battle. As long as you maintain your fighting spirit, Mount Tai can provide the soldiers you need. What we fear is that after one defeat, you’ll lose that spirit. Your comrades are waiting for you to take revenge for them!"
"I will," Hua Xiong replied after glancing at Liu Ye, without saying anything more. He hadn’t allowed his chest wound to fully heal, leaving just a thin layer of skin to remind him of how close to death he had come during his last encounter with Juo Yi.
[If my entire legion were to face off against Juo Yi’s Vanguard, relying on the strict obedience of the infantry and the harassment of the cavalry, it would essentially be an even fight. It wouldn’t be a crushing defeat, nor a sweeping victory. However, the vendetta of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry should be settled by the Xiliang Iron Cavalry themselves.] Hua Xiong thought silently, scanning the cavalry under his command, noticing their morale was visibly low.
[If I could just lead three thousand of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry like I did before, and wing them with thirty thousand Qiang Cavalry, it wouldn’t matter what kind of troops the enemy fielded or how elite they were. We could probably roll right over them. The biggest issue facing Juo Yi’s Vanguard is their number.] Hua Xiong considered silently.
"The Qiang Cavalry are rubbish," Hua Xiong muttered to himself, recalling the past situation and pondering the changes within the Xiliang Iron Cavalry after incorporating the Qiang Cavalry, speaking his judgement of the Qiang Cavalry without any filter.
"What did you say?" Liu Ye asked, puzzled.
"I just said the Qiang people’s cavalry are rubbish," Hua Xiong replied, turning his head, stating what he believed to be a fact.
"Oh? What makes them rubbish?" Liu Ye inquired with curiosity.
"The men of Xiliang usually fight five-to-one. If there’s enough of us, we fight ten-to-one," Hua Xiong declared confidently.
"..." Liu Ye didn’t know what to say, for in his mind such a feat seemed impossible.
"But it feels strange. We can clearly defeat ten times as many Qiang Cavalry, yet when we face other troop types of equal numbers, we can’t win. Yet if we bring along ten times as many Qiang Cavalry, once we make contact with the enemy, they immediately collapse," Hua Xiong stated, somewhat puzzled.
"Heh heh heh..." Liu Ye didn’t know how to respond, realizing that Hua Xiong seemed to have lost his way. It seemed like the kind of misunderstanding only a fool would fall into. Could it be that Hua Xiong didn’t have much in the way of brains either?(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to provide support by casting your recommendations and monthly votes at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read at m.qidian.com).
