Biting and Being Bitten 5

Xiahou Shang wasn’t the only one preparing for what was to come.

As Liu Ye, who seemed about to come over, was suddenly sent to the rear and Xiahou Shang took full authority, Guan Yu considered how to respond now.

‘Guangcheng Pass will not hold out for long. In the end, when Sima Yi arrives depends on how well Xi Zhen holds out at Yijue Pass. If Yijue Pass is breached, it will take only three days to cross the Luo River.’

In other words, once Yijue Pass was breached, it would be virtually impossible to avoid Sima Yi anymore.

‘If we are to retreat, it must be now.’

The path of turning back from Luoyang Castle and moving towards Guanzhong to join up with Zhang Fei who would be at Tong Pass.

However, there were two problems with this: one was that it was essentially abandoning Xi Zhen at Yijue Pass, and the other was that even that path wasn’t entirely smooth.

‘The road from Luoyang to Tong Pass is blocked by Hangu Pass.’

It’s not just Hangu Pass. After Hangu Pass is Hongnong Commandery.

Just as Han had placed Zhang Fei at Tong Pass as the frontline, Wei had fortified Hongnong County in Hongnong Commandery as the frontline and stationed Cao Zhen there.

No matter how many times Cao Zhen had been defeated by Zhang Ran so far, Cao Zhen was still undoubtedly the foremost in valor and military talent among the Cao clan’s kinsmen generals along with Cao Xiu.

‘They said there’s someone called Guan Qujian at Hangu Pass.’

He was the elder brother of Guan Qushou, who had been personally executed by Guan Yu while guarding Yijue Pass. It seems he became the pass commander of the important strongpoint of Hangu Pass because he was close to Cao Pi and also had strong hatred towards Han.

Of course, from Guan Yu’s perspective, whether it was Guan Qujian or Cao Zhen, they were all just youngsters. But the problem was the terrain. The road entering Guanzhong from Luoyang was narrow and treacherous, so even numerical superiority would be useless if the forces at Hangu Pass held out with a resolve to fight to the death.

Above all, retreating without any gains after coming all the way to Luoyang was not an option for Guan Yu. For the sake of Xi Zhen left at Yijue Pass as well.

“Prepare siege weapons. Restore the trebuchets, and make ladders and battering rams.”

The core components of the trebuchets were disassembled and brought along. The engineering corps that had been brought along with Wancheng’s siege in mind would quickly make trebuchets.

They had even given up all sorts of other siege weapons due to the arduous march and only kept the trebuchets. If all the siege weapons Guan Yu had prepared so far were here, Guan Yu would have attacked Luoyang without hesitation.

Guan Yu saw the possibility of capturing Luoyang Castle, with a considerable number of troops having left with Sima Yi.

‘Luoyang Castle is a high and large castle, but it’s easier to capture than Chang’an Castle.’

Although it’s said that the height of Luoyang Castle’s walls rivals Chang’an Castle, that only means the highest walls of Luoyang Castle are similar to the low walls of Chang’an Castle.

The walls of Chang’an Castle are about 8m high, but Luoyang Castle is about 6m, one zhang lower. It was worth trying to capture even with hastily made trebuchets.

“Before Sima Yi comes. We will cross the walls at once with an all-out offensive using all our strength.”

Guan Yu believed.

Just as he had kept his word to Zhang Ran in the past about crossing the walls in a day regarding Fancheng, this time too he would cross Luoyang Castle’s walls.

§

While Guan Yu was preparing to capture Luoyang Castle, Sima Yi had arrived at Yijue Pass.

A speed almost like passing through Guangcheng Pass as a high-pass. In fact, contrary to Guan Yu’s expectations, Guangcheng Pass had prostrated themselves and opened the gates as soon as they saw Sima Yi.

The Wei army led by Sima Yi marched at an astonishing speed and arrived at Yijue Pass in just a few days. Unlike Guangcheng Pass, Yijue Pass remained firmly closed even after seeing Sima Yi’s army.

“Hmm, Guan Yu has left his subordinate here.”

Sima Yi muttered as he confirmed that someone other than Guan Qushou was looking down at him from atop Yijue Pass’s gates.

Well, unlike the pass commander of Guangcheng Pass who switched sides at the drop of a hat, Feng Hai was a veteran who had served Cao Cao for a very long time, and his lieutenant Guan Qushou was someone who viewed Han as his father’s enemy. They would have tried to stop Guan Yu even with their deaths.

‘But it seems they couldn’t hold out for long.’

The Han army occupying Yijue Pass had quite an organized defensive posture, as if they had been preparing Yijue Pass’s defenses not just yesterday or today.

Contrary to Sima Yi’s guess, Guan Yu had stormed in like a typhoon and captured it in the gap while Guan Qushou was killing Feng Hai who was trying to defect to Han, but that wasn’t very important.

Sima Yi also tried dialogue first. In a situation facing the inflection point of the world of whether to capture Guan Yu or not, it was worth trying even a low possibility if he could preserve even a little more strength.

“I am Sima Yi, the military commander of Great Wei! Who is the enemy general!”

As Sima Yi approached and called out, Xi Zhen also shouted back:

“I am Xi Zhen, General of the Standard under the Grand General of Great Han! We have already taken Yijue Pass, so knowing you are too late, how about withdrawing!”

Even at Xi Zhen’s shout, Sima Yi only repeated Xi Zhen’s name as if he hadn’t heard.

“Xi Zhen, I have heard of you. Liao Hua, Zhao Lei, Xi Zhen, Guan Ping, they were lieutenants under Guan Yu. Truly fortunate.”

Guan Yu is someone who values loyalty.

The fact that he left Xi Zhen, a cherished subordinate, at Yijue Pass meant he was expressing his will to somehow attempt Luoyang.

For Sima Yi, who had been worried that it would be troublesome if Guan Yu chose to break through Hangu Pass and enter Guanzhong, this was rather good news.

Sima Yi spoke again with gladness at Xi Zhen’s presence:

“Listen, Sir Xi Zhen! Before I left Luoyang, I left over 10,000 troops with Liu Ye, and there are even more troops at Hangu Pass! I hear Guan Yu’s forces do not reach 40,000, but looking at the troops here, it seems to be easily 5,000!”

Xi Zhen looked at Sima Yi with a puzzled gaze as he suddenly discussed troop numbers.

Sima Yi continued speaking, regardless of such a gaze:

“The troops I lead will be about that much too, but behind me, Zhang Xiu is also following with a large army! Luoyang Castle is an impregnable fortress that will hold Guan Yu, and Guan Yu’s army will be utterly defeated by our country’s great army pouring out from Hangu Pass and Yijue Pass, so how about you wisely read the flow of the times and save the lives of your many soldiers and officers?”

Despite Sima Yi’s threatening suggestion, Xi Zhen’s expression only became more resolute.

Xi Zhen even smiled at Sima Yi’s words to surrender for the sake of the soldiers. And it wasn’t just Xi Zhen.

“Pfft.”

“Kup.”

Sounds of stifled laughter were heard from all over the walls.

Sima Yi turned his gaze towards the sources of those sounds, squinting his eyes. Could it be madness from the tension of the impending battle?

But the fact that even Xi Zhen, the commander of the army guarding Yijue Pass, was laughing was proof that it wasn’t laughter due to tension or anything like that.

Xi Zhen, unable to hold back any longer, burst out in loud laughter.

“Hahahahaha! Surrender for the sake of the living? Where are there any living here? Hey, you centurion, are there any living here?”

When Xi Zhen asked his adjutant beside him, the adjutant also responded with laughter and said:

“Of course not. I don’t see any living in my eyes.”

What kind of play is this? At this conversation that seemed like one shamans would have, Sima Yi suspected whether they were trying to pull some outlandish nonsense.

However, the conversation between Xi Zhen and his adjutant was not some shallow trick to confuse Sima Yi.

“That’s right! There are no living here! There are only ghosts of Han here, so where are you looking for the living! Sima Yi! Don’t try to chip away at our resolve! We have all sworn to become ghosts of Han! We who have received the thick grace of Han and the Grand General have declared ourselves to become ghosts!”

Yes. The Han soldiers remaining here at Yijue Pass were composed of those who had voluntarily asked to stay behind even knowing this place was certain death.

Xi Zhen, who had ended his life by suicide in the original history while fighting against Wu’s army occupying Jingzhou, had once again come forward to block Sima Yi by burning his life.

Sima Yi clicked his tongue at these enemies who were even crazier than he had initially thought were mad from tension.

“Han… that damned Han. Does that name still have power to bewitch people?”

Further dialogue was worthless. Sima Yi turned his horse and returned to the main camp. Peaceful compromise had gone out the window, now only fire and blood would prove which side was right.

“Attack. We don’t need prisoners, kill them all.”

No one was unaware that this would soon become reality. Of course for the Wei army, and even for the Han army watching the enemies charging. They were accepting that total annihilation was as good as a predetermined course.

However, there was something wrong in Sima Yi’s words:

The one following behind him was not Zhang Xiu. He was busy rallying his routed troops.

No one had expected it. No one had guessed.

That the one rushing from the south would be Zhang Ran, who had broken through Cao Biao.