"Oh?"
Yuan Shu's eyes lit up like lanterns in the dark. He leaned forward, nearly spilling his wine. "Gongze, what is this brilliant plan? Speak quickly!"
Guo Tu's eyes darted around the tent, a slick, calculating smile playing on his lips. "My Lord, Sun Jian once received immense magnanimity from your hand. Logically speaking, even if Zhang Xin ordered him to block your path, he should have kept to a passive defense. He had absolutely no right to launch an active assault."
Yuan Shu nodded frantically, his jaw clenched. Exactly! That is exactly how it should have been!
During the grand coalition against Dong Zhuo, that Jiangdong boor had consumed oceans of his grain. It was under Yuan Shu's political umbrella that Sun Jian had absorbed tens of thousands of Yu Province soldiers. No matter how one parsed the past, Yuan Shu had shown him life-saving kindness.
If Zhang Xin ordered you to block the road, fine—stand there and block it. I wasn't genuinely eager to march north into a meat grinder anyway. We could have comfortably stared at each other across the river, dragged our feet until the northern campaign settled, and then packed up to go home to our respective families. You would have had a perfect excuse to give Zhang Xin, and I would have satisfied the stubborn old folks in my clan.
But instead, you chose to launch a treacherous sneak attack when my back was turned! It was utterly unprincipled. What kind of gentleman operates like that?
Having set the hook, Guo Tu intentionally went silent, stroking his chin.
"Gongze, why have you stopped?" Yuan Shu pressed, growing impatient. "Keep going! Why did Sun Wentai attack me?"
Satisfied with the warlord's rising anxiety, Guo Tu leaned in. "In my estimation, Sun Jian is no longer merely acting as Zhang Xin's shield. He is coveting Yu Province for himself."
"Coveting Yu Province?"
"Indeed. His raid last night was a deliberate psychological strike to demoralize our host. An army with broken morale is inherently prone to exposing fatal weaknesses during a withdrawal." Guo Tu slammed his hand lightly on the table. "I am absolutely certain of it! The moment our banners turn south tomorrow, Sun Jian will pursue us like a ravenous hound. If our columns fall into disarray, he will use the momentum to slice straight into Yingchuan!"
Yuan Shu broke into a cold sweat. Originally, he had assumed Sun Jian's night raid was just a violent nudge to force his retreat. Now, under Guo Tu's calculated analysis, the scales fell from his eyes. If Sun Jian truly intended to swallow Yingchuan, a careless retreat would mean walking straight into a slaughter.
"How dare that Jiangdong barbarian!" Yuan Shu roared, his face flushed with rage. He glared at Guo Tu. "Gongze, your strategy to counter this is..."
"When we break camp tomorrow, your Excellency can personally command the rearguard," Guo Tu smiled smoothly, his fingers running through his beard. "Sun Wentai is arrogant and inherently reckless. The moment his scouts spot your personal imperial carriage, he will lose all discipline and lead the charge himself."
He traced a line on the tactical map. "Our army's line of march must pass directly through the outskirts of Xuxian. Just outside the city walls lies a dense, sweeping forest. Your Excellency can secretly deploy our finest archers and heavy crossbowmen within the thickets ahead of time. Once Sun Jian is lured deep into the woods..."
Guo Tu left the rest unsaid, but the sinister curve of his smile spoke volumes.
Yuan Shu's expression shifted from anger to naked temptation. If this trap snapped shut, Sun Jian would die, Yan Province would be plunged into leaderless anarchy, and Zhang Xin—fully occupied with the fragile logistics of Jizhou—would be entirely unable to intervene. He could turn his retreat into a grand conquest, seize Yan Province, and establish himself as the undisputed hegemon of the Central Plains!
"Magnificent! Then we shall—"
"Absolutely not!"
The harsh interruption cut through the tent. It was Yan Xiang.
Yuan Shu's face darkened with immediate displeasure. "What is your objection, Chief Clerk?"
"My Lord, your body is of noble stock, the very pillar of our faction. How can you put yourself in mortal peril to act as live bait for a brute like Sun Jian?" Yan Xiang urged, stepping forward with tightly cupped hands. "Furthermore, in the past, Sun Jian was a mere warrior with nothing to lose; it was his nature to charge the front lines. But he is now a regional Lord governing an entire province! How could he possibly disregard his own safety as he did when he was a nobody? What if he doesn't pursue personally? What if he merely dispatches his generals to harry our rear? Your Excellency would be risking your life for absolutely nothing!"
The critique hit home. Yuan Shu's excitement cooled rapidly, and his gaze turned sour as he looked back at Guo Tu. What kind of garbage plan is this?
"Chief Clerk, you misinterpret my words," Guo Tu corrected smoothly, entirely unfazed. "The 'Lord' I speak of is merely a double—someone of similar height and build, dressed in your Excellency's armor and riding within your official carriage. If the trap succeeds, Sun Wentai dies, and we conquer Yan Province. If it fails, we merely lose a common decoy and still manage to blood the enemy's vanguard. Taking a step back, even if Sun Jian senses the trap and refuses to pursue, our main army suffers absolutely zero losses."
Yuan Shu's face instantly blossomed into a wide, radiant grin. "Brilliant! Truly brilliant! We shall execute this plan precisely as Gongze dictates!"
Yan Xiang closed his eyes, offering no further objection. Fairly speaking, with the addition of the decoy, Guo Tu's strategy was structurally sound. The risk-to-reward ratio was heavily skewed in their favor. If it worked, the gains were astronomical; if it failed, they simply continued their planned retreat. No loss at all.
With the core strategy locked in, the generals crowded around the table to map out the logistics. Guo Tu, a native son of Yingchuan, knew every ridge, riverbed, and hidden trail of the commandery like the back of his hand. Under his precise geographical guidance, the officer corps quickly finalized the ambush positions.
The Scholarly Resignation
The following morning, the Yuan army moved out exactly as Sun Jian had anticipated, striking their tents and marching south in an orderly retreat.
The moment the scout reports reached the eastern bank of the Ying River, Sun Jian's martial blood boiled. He slammed his fist onto his sword hilt. "Assemble the legions! We pursue at once!"
"Hold, my Lord," a solemn voice interjected.
Gongqiu Cheng stepped into the path of the Tiger of Jiangdong, his expression grave. "There is a timeless wisdom in military strategy, Lord: Do not press a retreating army. Since arriving at Changshe, the Yuan host has remained largely unchallenged outside of last night's minor skirmish. Their physical strength is completely intact. Furthermore, they are marching toward their own borders, eager to return home. If our forces blindly pursue, I fear we will find nothing but a fierce, defensive wall."
Gongqiu Cheng had been deeply opposed to the initial night raid, and this pursuit was pushing him over the edge. As a traditional Confucian scholar, he adhered strictly to the moral codes of governance.
Zhang Xin had been generous to Sun Jian, so helping him block Yuan Shu's northern advance was geopolitically justified. But the reality remained: Yuan Shu had also treated Sun Jian with immense kindness during the coalition against Dong Zhuo, providing grain and soldiers when Sun Jian was destitute. Yuan Shu hadn't launched an offensive against the east bank; he was simply staging a political standoff. To actively hunt a man who had fed you when you were starving violated every principle of righteousness.
Always leave a line of retreat in your dealings, so you may look each other in the eye when paths cross again, Gongqiu Cheng thought bitterly.
It was true that Sun Jian was currently sharing a golden dawn with Zhang Xin. But who could guarantee that the geopolitical winds wouldn't shift tomorrow? Sun Jian's territory was precariously sandwiched directly between the domains of Zhang Xin and Yuan Shu. If Zhang Xin ever turned his back on him, and Yuan Shu had already been thoroughly alienated, where would the Jiangdong faction turn for survival?
Sun Jian merely offered a patronizing laugh, waving off the advisor's concerns before striding out to prepare his vanguard.
"Uncle, the Chief Clerk's words carry heavy merit," Xu Kun added, walking alongside his uncle as they crossed the camp. "The Yuan army boasts one hundred thousand men, while our entire force numbers fifty thousand. The raw numerical advantage is not ours. Furthermore, the Marquis Xuanwei merely requested that we act as a blocking force to prevent Yuan Shu from reinforcing the north. Now that the Yuan army is voluntarily retreating, you have already fulfilled your oath to Zhang Xin. Why push our luck into the fires of a pursuit?"
Sun Jian halted, turning to look at his nephew. His expression softened into a serious, calculating gaze. "I am launching this pursuit not for the sake of Marquis Xuanwei, but for the future of our own house."
"What do you mean, Uncle?" Xu Kun asked, genuinely perplexed.
"Look here," Sun Jian said, unrolling a leather map onto a nearby supply crate. He pointed a calloused finger at the center of the empire. "Yan Province is a land of four battles—a vast, sweeping plain with virtually no natural barriers. Historically, it has always been remarkably easy to invade but a nightmare to defend."
Xu Kun leaned in, studying the borders.
Sun Jian traced his finger along the eastern and northern perimeters. "To our east lies Qing Province; to our north lies Ji Province. Both are now firmly under Zhang Xin's iron grip. Because of our alliance, our flank and rear are completely secure." Then, he dragged his finger westward. "To our west lies Sili Province—utterly ravaged, desolated, and left largely uninhabited by Dong Zhuo's retreat. There is no threat from the ashes of Luoyang."
Xu Kun nodded slowly, beginning to see the picture.
"Which means," Sun Jian's voice dropped, his finger slamming down onto the southern territories, "our only existential threat comes from the south." He stared intently at the three commanderies of Yu Province that pressed against Yan Province's underbelly. "The regions of Chen and Liang are nominal territories that Yuan Shu has yet to fully pacify. If he ever wishes to launch a campaign into Yan Province, his only viable invasion route is to march through Yingchuan and strike straight into Chenliu."
The Anomaly of Chen State
The politics of Yu Province were notoriously complex, largely due to the presence of Chen State—a uniquely militarized vassal realm.
Its ruler, King Liu Chong, was a radical departure from the typical Han Dynasty royalty. While most vassal kings were content to live decadent lives off local tax revenues, Liu Chong was a renowned warrior of monstrous physical strength and legendary archery skills; it was said he could fire ten successive arrows into the exact same notch from distance.
During the height of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, while other nobles fled, Liu Chong had thrown open his personal armories, distributed thousands of military-grade heavy crossbows, and raised a ferocious peasant militia. The Yellow Turban factions throughout Yu Province were so terrified of his martial reputation that they deliberately bypassed his borders. Of the six commanderies comprising Yu Province, five were utterly consumed by the rebellion; Chen State alone remained an island of absolute peace.
Seeing a sanctuary of stability, hundreds of thousands of refugees flooded into his domain. Liu Chong capitalized on the migration, organizing a disciplined force of over one hundred thousand loyal subjects and casually proclaiming himself the 'General Who Assists the Han.'
Under strict imperial law, vassal kings were forbidden from participating in state politics or wielding independent military command. Liu Chong openly violated both mandates. Yet, because he lacked expansionist ambitions, he chose to remain entrenched within his borders rather than contesting the realm.
When Yuan Shu consolidated his grip over western Yu Province through Runan and Yingchuan, his natural next target was Chen State. However, facing a legendary archer commanding a hundred thousand entrenched crossbowmen, Yuan Shu had found himself completely stymied. Even now, he hadn't dared cross Liu Chong's borders. And with Chen State holding the line, the territories further east—Liang State and Lu State—remained entirely out of Yuan Shu's reach.
Therefore, the southeastern defenses of Yan Province were secure by proxy.
"Which leaves only Yingchuan," Sun Jian growled, his finger twisting over the map southwest of Chenliu. "Yingchuan is a sharp dagger pressed firmly against my throat. I must wrench this territory from Yuan Shu's hands if I am to ensure the long-term survival of Yan Province."
"So that is the grand design," Xu Kun breathed, a wave of profound respect washing over him. "Uncle's vision sees five steps ahead, while my thoughts were shallow."
Gongqiu Cheng stood in the background, his jaw tight. Hearing Sun Jian's strategic justification, he realized he could no longer offer a standard military objection.
Sun Jian turned, bellowing orders to Huang Gai and the other commanders to prepare the columns. But as he waited for the units to form up, his mind drifted to a deeper, more personal ambition.
When they had parted ways after the alliance against Dong Zhuo, Zhang Xin had laid out a grand partition of the northern and central plains: Zhang Xin would claim Qing and Ji Provinces, while Sun Jian would carve out Yan and Yu Provinces. Together, wielding the combined economic and military might of four dominant provinces, they would stabilize the realm and restore the true authority of the Han Emperor.
Though the court in Chang'an was currently functioning under Wang Yun and no longer required immediate military liberation, Zhang Xin's recent feat—swallowing the massive Jizhou apparatus in a staggering nine days—had ignited a fierce fire in Sun Jian's chest.
The Lord took Ji Province with the ease of turning his palm, Sun Jian thought, his hand tightening around the hilt of his Ancient Ingot Blade. Am I, the Tiger of Jiangdong, truly incapable of matching his stride and taking Yu Province?
Zhang Xin had fulfilled his end of the ancient bargain. Sun Jian felt a profound, burning drive to deliver his half of the empire.
Hanging the Seal
Within half an hour, Huang Gai rode up to report that the columns were fully formed and ready to march.
"Advance!" Sun Jian roared, tying his signature red turban tightly around his brow. He seized the reins of his warhorse, preparing to mount.
Suddenly, a hand reached out, grabbing the leather strap. It was Gongqiu Cheng.
"My Lord, do you intend to lead the vanguard personally?"
"Of course!" Sun Jian replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"My Lord, your life is no longer just your own; it is the vital anchor holding this entire province together. Your duty is to remain safely within the command tent, directing the grand movements of the field. How can you carelessly ride into the dust to trade blows like a common foot soldier?" Gongqiu Cheng pleaded, his voice laced with exhaustion. "Leave the bloodletting to your generals!"
"Uncle," Xu Kun echoed, stepping up to support the advisor. "The Chief Clerk speaks the absolute truth. Leave the direct engagements to us."
"Yes, my Lord! Stay back!" The veteran Jiangdong commanders nodded in unison.
Sun Jian's face darkened with immediate frustration. "You have all bled alongside me for years. Do you honestly not know my temperament by now? How do you expect me to sit idly on a camp stool while my men are dying in the field? I march with the army!"
"Lord!" Huang Gai tried to protest again.
"Enough!" Sun Jian barked, raised a hand to cut them off. He sighed, offering a reluctant compromise. "I will ride with the main column, but I promise I will not be the first to charge the enemy lines. Is that sufficient to satisfy your fretting?"
The generals exchanged helpless, skeptical glances. No one—not even a stray dog in the camp—believed a single syllable of that promise. They knew their master's volatile warrior nature far too well. But they also knew that if they physically barred him from the field, he would likely tear his own camp apart in a fury.
"Hahahahaha!"
Sun Jian burst into a booming laugh, swinging himself into the saddle and pointing his Ancient Ingot Blade toward the southern horizon. "Move out!"
The disciplined legions of the Sun army streamed out of the gates, marching hard toward the western bank of the Ying River.
Gongqiu Cheng stood motionless amidst the dust kicked up by thousands of marching boots, watching Sun Jian's red turban recede into the distance. A deep, hollow sigh escaped his chest, accompanied by a sudden, overwhelming urge to simply wash his hands of the entire affair.
The Lord is so utterly reckless... I fear he will not live to see the year out, he thought grimly.
Sun Jian was an undeniably good master—sincere, profoundly generous, and exceptionally capable on the field. Serving under him was a comfortable existence; even if an official made a significant administrative blunder, Sun Jian would usually laugh it off over a jug of wine. But his unyielding, pathological habit of personally charging into the thickest part of every melee was a fatal flaw for a head of state.
Sun Jian's sons were still far too young; his eldest, Sun Ce, had not yet reached adulthood and lacked the political gravity required to command the respect of the veteran gentry. If a stray arrow claimed Sun Jian's life today, the entire foundation of Yan Province would instantaneously collapse into bloody factionalism.
In the early days, when his rank was low and his name carried no weight, relying on raw, suicidal bravery to carve out a reputation was understandable. But now that he was a recognized regional warlord, continuing to indulge in such reckless bravado was nothing short of madness.
Gongqiu Cheng had offered this exact counsel a dozen times. Every single time, Sun Jian's response was identical: 'I know I am wrong, Chief Clerk, but I simply cannot change.' It was a deeply frustrating brick wall to slam into.
'Those who are skilled in swimming eventually drown; those who are skilled in fighting eventually perish...'
Gongqiu Cheng turned the ancient proverb over and over in his mind. He slowly walked back to his vacant tent, retrieved his traveling chest, and began systematically packing his personal belongings and valuables.
Sun Jian's character was set in stone; it was an immutable force of nature. If he survived today, he would simply tempt fate again tomorrow, and eventually, the coin would land on the wrong side. When that day came, Yan Province would become a slaughterhouse, and anyone remaining in the inner circle would be dragged into the abyss. It was time to go.
Stepping to the center of the tent, Gongqiu Cheng took his official jade seal of office, untied the silken cord, and carefully hung it from the main wooden crossbeam. Walking out into the perimeter, he used a minor administrative excuse to clear the gate, slipped onto an obscure backroad to avoid the advancing military columns, and turned his face south toward his ancestral home in Jing Province.
The Bait is Taken
At the Ying River, the Sun army executed a flawless, rapid engineering feat, throwing down a series of stable pontoon bridges to cross the rushing waters before pressing hard into the southern hills.
Near the outskirts of Xuxian, the fierce vanguard under Huang Gai finally closed the distance, slamming into the rear guard of the retreating Yuan host.
The commander tasked with holding the line for Yuan Shu was none other than General Zhang Xun. Spotting the distinctive banners of the Sun army emerging from the dust, a flash of genuine relief and dark satisfaction washed over his face.
"Form defensive squares! Meet the enemy!" Zhang Xun bellowed.
Under his experienced direction, the Yuan infantrymen quickly interlocked their shields, creating a formidable wall of iron and spears. Zhang Xun climbed onto a command platform, violently waving his battle flag and ordering the war drums to beat a frantic, rhythmic pattern—partly to coordinate his frontline defense, but primarily to signal the hidden ambush forces lurking in the surrounding terrain.
Further back, Sun Jian rode directly behind Huang Gai's main wedge. Hearing the distant, metallic roar of engagement, his horse pranced restlessly as he chewed on his lip, desperate to unleash his blade.
Suddenly, a great roar tore through the western flank as a fresh contingent of Yuan troops materialized from a ravine, charging straight toward Sun Jian's command group.
"Aha! Excellent!" Sun Jian shouted, his eyes flashing with manic joy as he drew his Ancient Ingot Blade, preparing to spur his mount into the fray.
"My Lord! Hold!" Han Dang roared, violently grabbing Sun Jian's reins with both hands. He glared at his master through his visor. "What did you swear to us back at the camp?! Has a regional Lord no concept of keeping his word?!"
"I... but..." Sun Jian stammered, his face twisting in frustration as he pointed at the oncoming wave of steel. "The enemy is literally charging our position!"
"I will handle it!" Han Dang interrupted fiercely, turning his own mount and drawing his sword. He ordered his personal regiment to counter-charge the flanking force, but before he galloped off, he threw a sharp look over his shoulder at Cheng Pu. "Demou! Guard the Lord with your life! Do not let him move an inch!"
"Yigong, put your heart at ease," Cheng Pu replied solemnly, positioning his massive warhorse directly in front of Sun Jian's path.
Sun Jian cursed under his breath, scratching at his armor in sheer aggravation, completely unable to sit still while the world burned around him.
Just then, the thunder of hooves approached from the brush as a scout from the advance reconnaissance unit tore through the treeline, his face caked in sweat.
"Report! My Lord! This servant has successfully located Yuan Shu's personal position!"
"What did you say?!" Sun Jian's eyes widened to the size of saucers, his frustration instantly instantly vanishing into predatory focus. "Where is the bastard?!"
The scout turned, pointing an iron-clad finger toward the dense eastern highway. "Just ten miles ahead, my Lord! His grand imperial carriage is moving slowly under heavy escort!"
"Magnificent!" Sun Jian roared, completely ignoring his promise as he wrenched his reins free from Cheng Pu's peripheral grip. He raised his blade high, his voice echoing over the din of battle. "The entire central reserve column, wheel right! We pursue eastward at once!"
His logical mind had completely overridden his caution. If he could capture Yuan Shu alive on the field today, the entirety of Yu Province would fall into his lap like ripe fruit before the week was out.