By the end of August and the beginning of September, the dark clouds of war had completely enveloped Luoyang.
On the sixth day of September, Battalion Commander Mi Huang returned to the military camp—this time, he wasn’t leaving.
With war imminent, the nominal supreme commander couldn’t afford to be absent.
Accompanying him was a servant from the royal mansion named Pei Shiliu.
Judging by his name, it was clear he was a retainer who had accompanied the royal consort when she married into the family.
He was in his thirties, with a stern face and a humble demeanor.
Mi Huang excused himself to inspect the camp and left first.
Pei Shiliu bowed and said, "Commander Shao."
"Steward Pei," Shao Xun returned the greeting.
"Let’s keep it brief," Pei Shiliu said in a low voice.
"In two days, the Grand Minister and the royal consort will enter the inner city for temporary refuge, escorted by General He Lun and his troops. Commander Mi and General Wang Bing’s forces, totaling fifteen hundred men, won’t be able to enter the city for the time being. The royal consort is concerned about you, Commander, and has sent me with a message—"
"The enemy troops are fierce, many of them desperate men. Our army’s morale is low, and the vanguard has suffered several defeats."
"The city’s provisions will only last for half a year. If the stalemate drags on, defeat is inevitable."
"Don’t be reckless or try to stand out. Wait quietly for the situation to turn in our favor."
Shao Xun waited silently for a moment, making sure Pei Shiliu had finished speaking, then bowed again.
"Thank you for the royal consort’s concern."
Pei Shiliu nodded and left quietly.
Shao Xun watched his figure disappear beyond the door before slowly straightening up.
His left hand lightly touched the tip of his bow, while his right hand gripped the hilt of his sword.
The flow of information was poor.
As a junior officer, it was difficult to get a full picture of the battlefield.
It was like being in a massive field battle with tens of thousands of troops spread out over several miles.
The left didn’t know what the right was doing, and the front didn’t know what was happening in the rear.
Some formations were already engaged in combat, while others were still sitting on the ground, eating and drinking to recover their strength.
The front lines might have already been routed, but the rear lines were still advancing cheerfully, completely unaware.
Imagine being a small soldier on such a vast battlefield.
How could you possibly know what was happening? You could only follow the flags and drums.
If the banner fell or rumors spread, and morale was low, you’d just run for your life, shouting, "We’re defeated!"
Shao Xun was now facing such a situation.
Information was scarce, and he had no idea how the battle was progressing.
He could only observe and piece together bits of information, trying to guess based on the general course of history.
But he could only guess the broad strokes.
The details were hard to come by, and sometimes it was the details that mattered most.
Because you were so weak, even a small ripple in the tide of history could capsize you.
It was tough.
Fortunately, Mi Huang returned soon.
"Has Pei Shiliu left?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Good. Now I’ll tell you what I can. What I can’t say, don’t ask."
Mi Huang sighed.
"Don’t worry, we’re in the same boat now. I’m counting on your skills to survive, so I won’t deceive you."
"First," Mi Huang organized his thoughts, "the troops from Guanzhong arrived quickly. Their vanguard has already clashed with our forces in Yiyang. Our army, led by Huangfu Shang, has over ten thousand infantry and cavalry. The official reports say ‘both sides have had victories,’ but anyone with eyes can see we’ve taken significant losses."
"The commander of the western forces is Zhang Fang. He has seventy thousand troops, and about twenty thousand have arrived so far."
At this point, Mi Huang glanced at Shao Xun.
"This Zhang Fang comes from a very humble background. He’s from Hejian and is known for his bravery and talent. He rose through the ranks quickly. Last year, when he fought against Sima Jiong, he led twenty thousand troops alongside Li Han. Now he’s commanding seventy thousand, which shows how much trust Hejian Prince Sima Yong has in him."
Shao Xun’s heart stirred at this.
Hejian Prince Sima Yong was based in Chang’an and had long coveted the treasures of Luoyang.
Zhang Fang, despite his lowly origins, was commanding seventy thousand troops.
This showed not only his talent but also that, with the right opportunities, even ordinary people could rise to high positions—though such cases were extremely rare.
His life story was somewhat inspiring.
"Zhang Fang is fierce and hard to defeat, but he’s also cruel and doesn’t care much for military discipline. After advancing into Hongnong, his troops looted extensively, even killing people and using them as food supplies. Don’t—don’t follow his example," Mi Huang continued.
"Huangfu Shang is likely in Yiyang now. If he’s defeated, Zhang Fang will march straight to Luoyang. The western forces are actually very close."
"Why isn’t the Grand Marshal reinforcing Huangfu Shang?" Shao Xun asked.
"Ten thousand men are too few. The western forces aren’t made of clay. Are we really going to let them reach Luoyang to fight?"
Mi Huang pondered for a moment.
"From what I know, the Grand Marshal is following a strategy of ‘defending in the west and attacking in the east.’ That is, using a smaller force to hold off the western troops while focusing the main force on fighting the forces from Ye."
"At a time like this, shouldn’t we concentrate our elite troops, first defeat the Guanzhong forces, and then use the momentum of that victory to face the main army from Hebei?" Shao Xun asked, puzzled.
The Guanzhong army had only seventy thousand men, while the forces from Ye numbered over two hundred thousand.
If Shao Xun were in command, he would gather the main force, crush the seventy thousand Guanzhong troops first, and then use the high morale of the victorious army to face the Ye forces.
Moreover, the Guanzhong troops arrived quickly, while the Hebei forces were slower, creating a time gap that could be exploited.
Why was Sima Yi fighting like he was playing chess? The western army was small, so he sent a small force to defend.
The Ye army was large, so he sent a larger force to block them.
Had he ever fought a battle before? Were all the decision-makers in his command center from noble families, with no military officers among them?
"That’s too risky…" Mi Huang said, surprised.
"We’re already at a disadvantage. If we don’t seize the opportunity, we’re just waiting to die," Shao Xun said, then softened his tone.
"But perhaps there are internal reasons we don’t understand."
Mi Huang nodded and continued, "The commander of the Ye forces is Lu Ji."
He then gave a brief introduction of the man.
Lu Ji was the grandson of Lu Xun, the Prime Minister of Eastern Wu, and the son of Lu Kang, the Grand Marshal.
He was known for his exceptional talent and literary prowess.
He had served as a staff officer under Sima Lun and was later favored by Prince Sima Ying of Chengdu, who appointed him as the Prefect of Pingyuan.
Lu Ji had no experience leading large armies, and his military career was negligible.
Yet, he had suddenly become the commander of over two hundred thousand troops.
Even within Ye, there were those who were dissatisfied.
One of them was Wang Cui, the Northern General (grandson of Wang Jun, the main general who conquered Wu for Jin).
Sun Hui, the Governor of Baisha (a descendant of Sun Ben, the Governor of Yuzhang and a member of the Eastern Wu royal family), who was also from Wu, knew Lu Ji’s limitations and advised him to give up the position of commander, but Lu Ji refused.
Shao Xun was stunned…
Someone with no military experience was suddenly put in charge of over two hundred thousand troops? Was this a joke?
Just because he was from a noble family?
Honestly, even Sima Yong’s choice of Zhang Fang was better.
Although Zhang Fang was cruel, he had climbed up from the lower ranks of the army, even if he benefited from being from Hejian.
What did Lu Ji have? At most, he had commanded his family’s private troops.
"The Ye forces are still north of the Yellow River. It might take them another half month to cross the river and head south," Mi Huang said.
"So, if we’re going to fight, the first ones we’ll likely encounter are Zhang Fang’s men."
"Half a month…" Shao Xun sighed, frustrated.
This time gap could have been fully utilized.
"Don’t overthink it," Mi Huang said, seeing his expression.
"To be honest, I don’t know how to fight, so I can’t say if your strategy is right or wrong. But since the Grand Marshal has made his decision, we have to follow orders. As long as the Grand Minister supports the Grand Marshal, we have to obey."
At this, Shao Xun couldn’t help but glance at him.
Mi Huang laughed.
"You’re a smart man. You know what I mean."
Shao Xun smiled bitterly.
"This war is baffling."
He had worked tirelessly to stockpile supplies, scout terrain, and devise tactics, only to find that some people weren’t serious about fighting.
Well, he’d better listen to the royal consort.
"Don’t stand out" and "wait for the right opportunity"—her words were clear.
But if someone crossed him and the opportunity arose, he wouldn’t let it pass.
"Who could argue with that?" Mi Huang said helplessly.
"But, Commander Shao, you’ve done well. With you here, I feel much more at ease. To be honest, many of the staff officers in the Grand Minister’s mansion love to talk big, but now I see they’re full of nonsense. Some of them have never even spent a day in a military camp, yet they’re treated as honored guests and consulted on military matters. That’s going to get people killed."
People who had never set foot in a military camp could become key figures in military decision-making, even army commanders.
Who was to blame?
No one, really.
That’s just how the system worked.
If you had to blame someone, blame the Nine-Rank System.
It was too absurd, too unprofessional.
In an age without heroes, even fools could rise to fame.
In the end, it was all about who was less incompetent.
"One last thing," Mi Huang said seriously.
"In the next few days, the Emperor, the Grand Marshal, and the court officials will be inspecting the troops stationed around the city. They might pass through here. Don’t slack off. Make sure the troops look sharp. Don’t let them look down on us."
"Understood," Shao Xun replied.
When they said "the Emperor," it was really just the Grand Marshal Sima Yi inspecting the troops.
He was using the Emperor’s name to boost morale and strengthen the resolve of the soldiers to defend the city.
In this matter, the Emperor was just a tool.
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
On the tenth day of September, a grand procession filled Kaiyang Gate Street, with banners and flags blotting out the sky.
Emperor Sima Zhong, Empress Yang Xianrong, Grand Marshal Sima Yi, and the civil and military officials, surrounded by guards, marched south in a grand inspection tour.
At the beginning of the afternoon, they passed the Imperial Academy and arrived outside the Piyong Hall.
(End of Chapter)