The Longest Battle of Guandu
I gripped my spear tightly as I faced the thirty thousand strong army of Yuan Shao’s forces. “So it begins?”
By now, I had grown accustomed to facing enemy armies in the tens of thousands. We had prepared for what would be the final, decisive battle against Yuan Shao’s army—an army that operated on a scale far beyond common sense.
“Prepare as many arrows as possible, and ready the stones!”
“Yes, Zhonglangjiang!”
With the sound of war drums signaling the start of battle, the siege of Guandu Fortress began in earnest.
Having already experienced both attacking and defending fortresses during the sieges of Lujiang and Shuchun, I had learned a thing or two about siege warfare.
“Target the enemy cavalry first! Especially aim for the horses. Once they’re down, they won’t be able to move again!”
Watching Zhang He’s black-armored cavalry charge forward while carrying heavy sandbags, I immediately ordered the archers to focus fire on their mounts.
Shwaaaaa—
“Hmm?!”
At that moment, something astonishing happened. Even while carrying those heavy sandbags, Zhang He’s cavalry suddenly changed direction the instant arrows flew toward them and galloped toward the eastern gate. They spotted the archers at the northern gate, immediately pivoted again, and headed to fill the moat at another gate?
Truly an impressive opponent.
“Two hundred archers to the eastern gate! Go support them immediately!”
“Yes, Zhonglangjiang!”
Since Cao Ang was defending the eastern gate, it took priority. But the moment our archers pulled back, Yuan Shao’s ladder carts and battering rams came rushing forward. It was as if they had been waiting precisely for the northern gate’s archers to leave their positions.
“Hmph. You’re aiming for the moment the ballista unit pulls back? Then you’ve made a mistake!”
At that instant, the rumble of heavy carts echoed from behind the northern gate.
Gugugugu— Gugugu— Guuuu—
The bal-seok-cha—the very same catapults that had shattered Yuan Shao’s earthen walls—were now gathering at the northern gate. It was a perfect sequence: enemy cavalry charge → deployment of ballista unit → cavalry feint → pursuit by ballista unit → ballista unit vacates position → enemy siege engines rush in → we prepare our own catapults in response.
It seemed this war would be fought between two equally cunning generals. It felt like I was engaged in a mirror match against someone of the exact same type. That only made my blood boil hotter at the thought of clashing with Zhang He.
“Target the battering rams and fire!”
At my command, the bal-seok-cha hurled heavy bricks torn from the fortress walls with tremendous force. Stones rained down from the sky, smashing into Yuan Shao’s battering rams and ladder carts without mercy.
Kwaaaang—! Kwaaaaang—!
The overwhelming power of the catapults made Yuan Shao’s soldiers physically feel the difference in strength, and they faltered. But they did not stop there. From among their thirty thousand troops, the infantry let out a unified roar and split into three groups, charging forward.
“These bastards really aren’t giving us a single moment to breathe!”
Then, a calm voice came from behind me.
“Send three hundred soldiers to the western gate. Also, two hundred engineers from the southern gate are already bringing stones for the catapults.”
“!”
When I turned around, Xun You was standing there, supporting me from the rear.
“Gongda, sir.”
“I have followed our lord through many battlefields, but this is the first time I’ve seen such a dazzling siege battle. The enemy commander possesses truly remarkable skill in siege warfare.”
“I didn’t expect Zhang He to be this capable.”
For a brief moment, a dark what if crossed my mind—if it had been Zhang He instead of Yan Liang and Wen Chou from the very beginning—but I quickly shook it off.
“Gongda, sir, let’s save the admiration for the enemy’s talent until after the battle is over. How does the overall situation look to you?”
“It is the classic case of a large army surrounding a smaller force. However, Guandu Fortress has held remarkably well so far, and it will continue to do so.”
Xun You tapped his command baton lightly against his own head before swinging it freely.
“Once the stones arrive from the southern gate, load the catapults immediately and fire at will! I will continue overseeing the eastern and western gates, so fight without worry. I will send reinforcements as needed.”
Thanks to him, Cao Ang at the eastern gate was able to fight freely, while Cao Chun and Xu Shu at the western gate personally donned armor and directed the defense, pushing back Yuan Shao’s ladders.
At one point, when a Yuan Shao soldier climbed up a ladder, Xu Shu swiftly rushed forward and drew his sword, severing the man’s head in a single stroke. As blood sprayed everywhere, Xu Shu shook it off his armor and clicked his tongue.
“Tsk. I studied military strategy, yet here I am swinging a blade again.”
Even as he grumbled, Xu Shu became a valiant warrior on the battlefield, fiercely engaging the enemy.
In the midst of such fierce fighting, in a siege where attacks could come from anywhere at any time, we barely managed to survive the first day.
“Huu—”
It had only been a single day, yet the battle was incredibly draining.
“At least we’ve bought one day.”
“Now you only need to endure for two more days,” Xun You said. He had shouted himself hoarse directing the troops, moving soldiers to the right places at the right times with perfect precision. I didn’t even have time to return to my tent. I simply laid out a straw mat on the wall, tended to my armor, and fell asleep right there.
Second Day.
“Wounded soldiers fall back and rotate! Their numbers are dwindling too, so keep pushing!”
From the very start of the battle, I ran around commanding without even a proper meal. It was easier to pick up a bow and shoot arrows than to wield a spear. The enemy archers had also closed in and were firing relentlessly at Guandu Fortress, filling the sky with arrows.
“Whoa…”
“Zhonglangjiang!”
Shield-bearing soldiers who had rushed over instantly surrounded me, raising their shields high overhead. The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out as a few arrows still managed to pierce through. The sharp, refined arrows from the Hebei mountains gleamed with a chilling beauty no matter how many times I saw them.
Like a torrential downpour, the arrows continued to fall. Everyone was desperately holding up their turtle-shell-like shields to block them. After one particularly heavy volley, I noticed our own bal-seok-cha, now riddled with arrows and barely able to fire a few more shots.
“If we’ve taken it by the do, we should return it by the mal! Fire!”
Kiiiiiik— Kuuuung—!
The catapults hurled massive boulders outside the fortress walls until they reached the end of their lifespan. With sounds like thunderclaps, the siege engines were smashed apart.
That night, to harass us, the constant sound of gongs and war drums echoed from the darkness.
Dung dung dung dung— Jiiiing— Jiiiing—
The psychological warfare raised the soldiers’ fatigue to another level. If this had been during the Lujiang siege, I would have used Daqiao and Xiaoqiao’s undergarments again, but Zhang He didn’t seem like the type to fall for such tricks. So I prepared something else.
“Throw it toward where the sound is coming from.”
“Yes, Zhonglangjiang.”
“Ziye, what are you loading right now?”
“Fireworks ingredients.”
“Zhonglangjiang, are you using… salt?”
“You’ll see something interesting. Gongda, sir, come watch with me.”
I loaded salt jars into the catapult, then coated them with oil. Just before firing, I set them ablaze. The moment the salt jars caught fire, I gave the order.
“Fire!”
Kiririririk— Kuuuung!
A blazing salt jar flew through the dark night toward the loudest source of the war drums, illuminating the darkness. The salt inside exploded on contact with the flames, bursting one after another.
“W-what is that?”
“It’s a fireworks show!”
With bizarre sounds, the burning salt scattered in all directions, lighting up the enemy soldiers. The Yuan Shao troops were so startled by the strange sight that some momentarily stopped their gongs and drums. We kept hurling them toward the source of the noise, then I gave another order.
“After the salt, mix in some rocks too. That way, while they’re distracted watching the show, they’ll get smashed by stones.”
“Yes, Zhonglangjiang!”
Let’s see how far we can take this.
In this way, we endured the second and third days. Now, only the final battle remained.
After three days of siege warfare, I gathered the remaining cavalry.
“Ziye, are you really going to do this?”
“Will you truly be alright?”
Cao Chun and Cao Ang spoke with concern, but I checked my polished armor, put on my helmet, and prepared myself.
“The enemy will be thinking the exact same thing. We must end this decisively within the set time if we want to conclude the Battle of Guandu.”
“Even so, for us to open the gates and charge out first…”
“Two thousand cavalry will be enough. I ask for your covering fire.”
Here at Guandu, I prepared to launch a counter-cavalry charge against the thirty thousand troops surrounding us. I had already witnessed it at Baima, and we had done it right after destroying the earthen walls during the first siege of Guandu Fortress. The only difference this time was that I would charge out alone while the others provided support from within the walls.
“If anything happens to me, lock the gates tightly and wait for Uncle. That is how you win.”
“Ziye!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll just catch that bastard and come right back.”
Zhang He’s cavalry, which had preserved nearly all its main force, was the final piece. Some might think I was acting recklessly out of competitive spirit, but it had to be done.
“Wuchao may have already fallen… No, by now it has definitely fallen, and Uncle’s main army will be heading here.”
“Then shouldn’t we wait even longer?”
“Even if Yuan Shao retreats after losing all his supplies, if he withdraws with his cavalry intact, we won’t be able to strike his rear when he tries to cross the Yellow River.”
“…?”
“That’s why we must deal with his cavalry in advance.”
It might sound trivial when I say “strike his rear,” but if Yuan Shao really retreated and tried to cross the Yellow River, we would need to chase him down and annihilate his forces completely. To do that, we had to eliminate his cavalry now. Of course, that included dealing with Zhang He here as well.
“Please wish me the best of luck.”
At my words, Cao Chun, Cao Ang, Xu Shu, and Xun You all clasped their hands and prayed for my fortune with resolute eyes.
Open the gates!
Kiiiiiii—
The gates opened, and the remaining Tiger and Leopard Cavalry charged out, trusting in me.
The Yuan Shao soldiers who had been preparing for the siege were caught completely off guard by our sudden charge and faltered.
“Trample every infantryman you see! If you spot any ladder carts or battering rams, cut all their ropes!”
“Yes, Zhonglangjiang!”
I kept my mind sharp, setting clear targets as we charged. At the same time, we didn’t simply pass by—we crushed anything attempting to attack the walls while continuing straight ahead. The Yuan Shao forces at the northern gate, who had been leading with siege engines, fell into chaos and began dropping one by one. Realizing too late that cavalry had sortied first, Yuan Shao sent out Zhang He’s black-armored cavalry.
“We’ll smash them head-on! Can you all do it?”
“Yes, Zhonglangjiang!”
“Show those Hebei bastards where the strongest cavalry on the continent truly lies!”
At my command, Zhang He’s black iron cavalry and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry collided head-on in a clash of pure power. Meanwhile, I cut down every black-armored rider I could see, searching for the enemy commander.
“Zhang He! Where are you, Zhang Junyi?!”
At that moment, Zhang He burst out from among the countless cavalry and thrust a sharp spear toward me.
Claaaaang—!
“Good to see you again, friend!”
“This confirms it. The moment I capture you, Cao Cao’s Central Plains cavalry will be completely annihilated.”
“If you can catch me!”
Clang— Clang— Claaaang—!
Even now, his spearmanship was textbook-perfect and razor-sharp. But having fought him once before, I could see patterns this time. Moreover, the pressure of needing to capture me for certain had doubled, causing Zhang He to charge at me relentlessly.
Clang—!
Now it was Zhang He launching fierce attacks while I held on and looked for a counter. Around us, the two cavalry forces clashed so violently that it hurt the ears. I had successfully created a chaotic melee between the cavalry units. This would make it far more difficult for Yuan Shao’s remaining foot soldiers to assault Guandu Fortress.
I didn’t bother counting exchanges. We fought with ferocious intensity. Then, in an instant, Zhang He made a mistake.
“!?”
Even Zhang He himself realized he had swung too widely and left himself completely open. I didn’t miss the chance and reflexively struck his flank.
“Ugh!”
The blow from my spear shaft must have broken a few ribs, but he gripped his weapon tightly, blocked my follow-up, and tried to create distance. That was when it happened.
Bwooooo— Bwooo— Bwooooo—
“!”
“Oh!”
That was Cao Cao’s army’s horn. They had finally captured Wuchao and were returning triumphantly. Seeing the chaotic battle at Guandu Fortress, they charged forward without hesitation.
“It’s the General.”
“…”
Claaaaang—!
In the end, rather than a general versus general, it would be warrior versus warrior to decide the finale? I wouldn’t stop it.
As I continued pressing Zhang He in a few more exchanges, someone broke through his iron cavalry and charged all the way here.
“You bastard! I am Dian Wei!”
“…Ah!”
While Zhang He and I fought one-on-one, Dian Wei had carved through everything in his path. Covered in blood, he swung his iron halberd down at Zhang He.
Kwaaaaaaaaang!
“Kgh!”
Dian Wei’s strike, delivered with a completely different style of raw power, caused Zhang He’s horse to stumble and tangle its legs. Then, as both I and Dian Wei pressed the attack together, Zhang He’s horse could no longer endure. Its legs snapped, and it collapsed.
We finished off the fallen horse to end its suffering. As Zhang He rolled across the ground, Dian Wei thrust his iron halberd at him.
“Got you, you bastard!”
“…”
And with that, the final battle of Guandu Fortress came to an end.
“Zhonglangjiang, I am sorry. Truly sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
“As a warrior, I know all too well what it means to intervene in a one-on-one duel between two lone riders and decide the outcome. I am deeply ashamed.”
“I told you, it’s okay.”
“It was… our lord’s command. He ordered that no matter how many of us it took, we were to capture that black-helmeted general at all costs.”
“I figured as much. After all, you, Colonel Dian, are the one who always speaks of a warrior’s pride.”
And so, Zhang He—who had been fighting me one-on-one—was captured after Dian Wei intervened, unable to withstand the two-on-one assault.
“The sea of flames at Wuchao was truly impressive. We also packed the heads of Defense Commander Chunyu Qiong and his generals and soldiers neatly and sent them to Yuan Shao. I expect a reaction soon.”
Cao Cao had handled everything perfectly and returned in high spirits.
“And! Look at the new general I’ve caught here?”
Cao Cao laughed heartily as he approached Zhang He, who was now a prisoner kneeling on the ground.
“Zhang He, Zhang Junyi! You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to meet you.”
“…”
“It seems the light has faded from Yuan Benchu’s eyes. The man has grown old. To leave a renowned general like you behind and put mere fools like Yan Liang and Wen Chou at the vanguard instead? If you had stood at the front lines from the beginning, it would have been far more difficult for us.”
“…!”
At that moment, Zhang He, who had been silently listening, opened his eyes wide. Cao Cao’s words were no empty praise. How could someone of Zhang He’s caliber have been passed over while two reckless chargers like Yan Liang and Wen Chou were sent forward?
“Unlike that old fool Yuan Shao, I can recognize true talent in a general immediately. What do you say? Will you not follow me?”
“You want me to switch the lord I serve?”
“Instead of serving a pathetic dragon that has grown too old to use you properly, how about serving someone who can truly make use of your abilities?”
When Cao Cao spoke with such confidence, Zhang He quietly looked behind him. Not only himself, but the other generals and cavalrymen were all being held captive.
“If you spare the generals and soldiers captured alongside me, and if they also choose to surrender, then I too will submit to the Chancellor.”
“Hahahahaha, of course. I see you are a man overflowing with loyalty as well. The more I look at you, the more I like you.”
And so Zhang He proposed that if Cao Cao accepted the surrender of his cavalry and even the bound General Gao Lan, he would submit as well.
With that, the Yuan Shao army that had surrounded Guandu Fortress was completely annihilated.
In the sixth year of Jian’an, Yuan Shao personally led an army of several hundred thousand from Hebei to conquer the Central Plains south of the Yellow River. However, he suffered consecutive defeats at Baima, Yanjin, and Guandu. He raised an army of one hundred and fifty thousand to besiege Guandu, but his supply depots were raided one after another. After suffering a crushing defeat at Wuchao and losing everything, he ordered a full retreat.
The Hebei unification force that had once been called the strongest had its momentum broken at this moment, and the world came to know who the true hegemon of the Central Plains was.