"Whose general is that, to be so valiant?" Pei Kuo, the General of the Central Garrison, asked from atop Pingchang Tower.
The man was around thirty years old, with a strong and handsome appearance, exuding an air of nobility.
If Shao Xun had been there, he might have noticed a slight resemblance between this man and Consort Pei.
It was this man who had ordered the war drums to be beaten earlier, a move that had a tremendous impact on the battle.
It was an old trick on the battlefield.
The sound of the drums made the enemy think that the defenders were about to launch an attack, causing them to scatter in disarray.
"Could it be the soldiers from Sizhou stationed near the Mingtang and Lingtai areas, coming from the imperial road near Pingchang Gate?" Pei Xia, after observing for a while, replied without much insight.
Pei Xia was Pei Kuo's cousin, twenty-six years old and yet to enter official service.
The Pei family of Hedong was a large clan.
Their rise to political prominence began with Pei Mao in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, who was enfeoffed as a marquis for leading the generals of Guanzhong to kill Li Jue.
Pei Mao had three sons: Pei Qian, Pei Hui, and Pei Ji.
These three were later revered as the "Three Ancestors" during the Tang Dynasty, a period when the Pei family produced seventeen chancellors.
Pei Qian served as the Minister of Works during the reign of Emperor Ming of Wei and passed away in the fifth year of the Zhengshi era (244 AD).
Pei Qian's son, Pei Xiu, served under the general Cao Shuang.
After Cao Shuang's downfall, he served under Sima Zhao and was enfeoffed as the Duke of Julu during the Jin Dynasty, eventually rising to the position of Minister of Works.
Pei Xiu's son, Pei Wei, was a renowned scholar.
After his father's death, he sought refuge with his uncle Jia Chong and was continuously promoted, eventually becoming the Left Vice Director of the Imperial Secretariat, the Crown Prince's Tutor, and a Palace Attendant during the late Yuankang era.
Due to his cousin Jia Nanfeng being the empress, Pei Wei held a high position and shared governance with Zhang Hua and others, but was later killed by Prince Zhao, Sima Lun.
After this ordeal, Pei Qian's lineage suffered greatly and no longer represented the political power of the Pei family of Hedong.
Pei Mao's second son, Pei Hui, styled Wenxiu, once served as the Governor of Jizhou under Cao Wei.
He had four sons: Pei Li, Pei Kang, Pei Kai, and Pei Chuo.
Pei Li once served as a Guerrilla General and had two sons, Pei Bao and Pei Cui—this branch later developed mainly in the Xiliang region.
Pei Kang once served as the Left Guard Commander of the Crown Prince and had retired.
He had four sons: Pei Chun, Pei Dun, Pei Shao, and Pei Kuo, as well as two daughters, one married to Sima Yue and the other to Bian Kun.
Pei Kai had five sons: Pei Yu, Pei Zan, Pei Xian, Pei Li, and Pei Xun.
This branch originally had a promising future and was poised to replace Pei Xiu and Pei Wei as the political representatives of the Pei family.
However, because Pei Kai was too close to Jia Chong and others, and his son Pei Zan was the son-in-law of Yang Jun, they were implicated and suffered a heavy blow, now lying low to lick their wounds.
Pei Chuo, styled Jishu, served as a Gentleman of the Yellow Gate and was posthumously awarded the title of Chief Commandant of the Long River.
Pei Xia was Pei Chuo's son.
Overall, among Pei Mao's three sons, Pei Hui's lineage developed the best, and the "Western Branch of the Pei Family" in the Tang Dynasty also originated from Pei Hui's descendants—named so because many served in the Xiliang region.
Among Pei Hui's four sons, Pei Chuo's branch currently seems to be struggling.
However, being brothers, Pei Kang has taken care of his deceased younger brother's descendants, which is the main reason Pei Xia is by Pei Kuo's side.
"The soldiers from Mingtang and Lingtai have long since scattered," Pei Kuo shook his head and said, "They most likely came from the Kaiyang Gate area."
Pei Xia thought the same.
Those Sizhou soldiers were mostly newly recruited, with low morale.
Hearing that the enemy's 300,000-strong army was approaching, many units had scattered and returned home under the leadership of their officers.
How could they still be fighting at this point?
A few days ago, Pei Shiliu, a servant of his cousin, returned from the southern part of the city and mentioned that the defenders of the Piyong, led by Mi Huang, were well-organized and had high morale.
The commander Shao Xun displayed extraordinary bravery, killing the enemy general Li Yi and fighting all the way to the Kaiyang Gate.
Could it be that Mi Huang had achieved another great feat this time? If so, he indeed had some talent.
Being a mere commander in the military headquarters was a waste; he could easily serve as a military advisor.
Thinking this, Pei Xia's heart stirred, and he said, "This man must be a general from the Yue Mansion. Such valor is rare in the world. Brother, why not send someone to visit the consort and find out more about this man."
Pei Kuo glanced at his cousin and nodded slightly.
He understood Pei Xia's intentions and knew that Pei Xia had long been eager to make a name for himself.
Was his brother-in-law Sima Yue a good person to serve? Pei Kuo wouldn't go that far.
Moreover, after the two calamities involving Pei Xiu, Pei Wei, and their uncle Pei Kai's branch, the Pei family had become somewhat fearful and unwilling to actively participate in the power struggles within the royal family.
As for the personal choices of their descendants, the elders were not very willing to interfere.
As long as it didn't bring disaster to the family, placing multiple bets was acceptable—or perhaps, this was the usual practice of great families.
As for Pei Kuo himself, his sister was the consort of the Prince of Donghai, and his second brother Pei Dun also wanted to follow the Prince of Donghai's path to become a governor.
With these two in the Yue Mansion, it was enough.
Pei Xia joining them wouldn't make much difference, but he wouldn't stop him either.
"After your duty, go visit our elder sister and see what she says," Pei Kuo suddenly said.
Pei Xia was delighted, but he controlled his emotions well and replied softly, "Understood."
Pei Kuo, meanwhile, silently gazed at the chaotic battlefield, his mind wandering far away.
The royal army had won several great victories, but the situation remained unclear, for he knew all too well the nature of those great families.
The disastrous defeat at Jianchun Gate had a significant impact on the entire war.
At the very least, Lu Ji had lost all confidence in open-field battles.
On one hand, he doubted himself.
On the other hand, the problem was even more severe: the generals had always looked down on him, and after this defeat, who would still follow his orders?
Sixteen generals, including Jia Chong and Jia Leng, were killed by Wang Hu, making this low-born Grand Commandant's Secretary famous.
At that time, Wang Hu first launched a cavalry charge, killing General Ma Xian, then swept through the routed troops, decisively deploying over six thousand heavy and light cavalry to repeatedly trample the enemy, followed by infantry, ultimately achieving victory in one battle.
The bravery and ferocity of the Luoyang central army were enough to make anyone pale at the mention.
Shi Chao, Wang Cui, Qian Xiu, and others were no longer obeying orders, each leading their own troops to set up camps and watch over each other.
The entire Jizhou army was in a state of confusion and unease, having lost the ability to attack in the short term and in need of thorough reorganization.
With the main force suffering such a heavy defeat, the flanks naturally fared no better.
As the routed troops from the north and south of the city gradually returned, Lu Ji knew that Meng Chao had also been lost!
He no longer thought about what this meant for him; he was now only concerned with how to stabilize the situation.
"We can't afford to fight recklessly anymore," Sima Sun Zheng lamented repeatedly, "The only plan now is to dig deep trenches and build high walls, using strong fortifications to blunt the enemy's edge, slowly restore morale, and then consider other options."
He was too deeply tied to Lu Ji to switch sides, so he could only seriously consider the next steps to avoid causing greater disasters.
There was still a chance for victory.
It all came down to one word: endurance.
"Commander, as long as our army does not retreat, Luoyang remains tightly surrounded," Sun Zheng said, "With over two hundred thousand troops, losing a few tens of thousands won't bring the sky down. We still have a chance."
"You know we have two hundred thousand troops, consuming vast amounts of supplies daily, all relying on the people of Hebei to transport provisions day and night to maintain the army's needs," Lu Ji also sighed, "If we drag this out, the king might lose patience."
"But we can't fight now, and no one is listening to orders," Sun Zheng said anxiously, "Shi Chao, Wang Cui, Qian Xiu, Gongshi Fan, and others are no longer under control and are secretly discussing something. At this time, we must not make any mistakes."
"Secret discussions..."
Lu Ji smiled bitterly.
The entire army's defeat wasn't just his responsibility as the commander; didn't these generals bear any responsibility?
Seeing the front lines collapse like a mountain, with many generals killed, Qian Xiu was the first to flee, followed by Shi Chao, Wang Cui, and Gongshi Fan, leaving their comrades behind.
Ironically, it was the Luoyang central army, which had defected just before the battle, that launched a countercharge, slightly halting the royal army's pursuit, or else the losses would have been far greater.
These men were likely discussing how to shift the blame onto him, Lu Ji, making him shoulder all the responsibility.
He could already foresee his own fate.
Over a dozen generals had died, mostly from Hebei.
How would their families view him?
When the army set out, the people of Ye City were overjoyed, with some boasting that since the Wei Dynasty, no expedition had been so grand.
Now that they had lost, with many dead, the accounts would have to be settled.
Who would speak up for him then?
"Don't think too much about it," Lu Ji looked up at the blood-red evening sky and said after a while, "As long as I remain the commander for a day, as long as the king hasn't dismissed me, I have the responsibility to lead all the troops well."
"Commander..."
Sun Zheng's face darkened.
"That's it," Lu Ji took a deep breath and made up his mind, "Send people to each camp, speak well, and invite all the generals over. You're right; we need to dig deep trenches and build high walls, slowly restore morale. Once we've reorganized, we'll proceed step by step and launch another attack."
"Confidence!" Lu Ji emphasized, "Confidence is the most important thing. With over two hundred thousand troops combined from the east and west, once we switch to defense, Sima Yi won't be able to swallow us. If the king becomes impatient or misunderstands, I'll explain."
"Understood," Sun Zheng accepted the order and prepared to relay it.
Before leaving, he couldn't help but take another look at Lu Ji.
The once spirited hero of the Taikang era now looked haggard, his figure even somewhat hunched.
Sun Zheng suddenly turned away, shedding a few tears.
They should never have left Wu County.
Fame and glory, what a mistake, what a mistake!
(End of Chapter)