The Eightfold Assault at Hongnong
I woke up early that morning.
Today’s schedule still involved marching all the way to Hongnong, so I had to wash, eat, and move quickly…
“Deputy Leader Jeong, where are my shoes?”
When I got up, my leather shoes were nowhere to be found. I had bought a new pair right before leaving Chang’an, yet they had vanished without a trace.
“Young Master.”
“?”
The one who brought the shoes was Cai Yan. From the early morning she looked perfectly composed, wearing a gentle smile as she handed me the leather shoes.
“There was quite a bit of dirt on them, so I brushed them clean.”
“You really didn’t have to do that…”
To my embarrassment, Cai Yan had personally cleaned my shoes and delivered them. She then offered a quiet bow and returned to the room with graceful steps.
I really ought to claim her for myself.
“Young Master, we will soon pass through Hangu Pass.”
“We should arrive around late night, then.”
If we had ridden at full gallop we would have reached our destination long ago, but the presence of the Emperor’s carriage forced us to move with maximum safety and caution. The Zhang Jie Army monitored our every step, calling frequent halts that slowed the entire column to a crawl.
Of course we would arrive eventually, yet both I and the Wei Merchant Group were deliberately dragging our feet, and the wait was making me restless.
“All right, we rest here!”
At the messenger’s announcement from the Zhang Jie Army, the escort troops around the imperial carriage halted once again.
“The horses aren’t even tired. They’re resting purely on a whim.”
It was obvious they were doing it on purpose; the one demanding the breaks was the Zhang Jie Army, not the Emperor’s carriage.
“We will rest here for one full shichen!”
“One shichen? How arbitrary.”
We stopped yet again, and with nothing to do for the remaining time I wandered over to an empty carriage and waited in its shade. That was when Jeong Yun approached quietly.
“Young Master, it seems we will receive a reply from Hongnong this evening.”
Once word arrived from Dian Wei, who was preparing in Hongnong, we would finally move in earnest. Still, at this crawling pace it would take quite a while, and with an entire shichen to kill I had nothing in particular to occupy myself.
What bothered me most was that even during these rests, officers from the Zhang Jie Army constantly appeared to watch the Emperor’s escort with hawk-like eyes. Because of their surveillance we could not act freely. A few escorts had already snapped, “Are we criminals?” nearly coming to blows with the Zhang Jie Army.
“Judging by the atmosphere, we had better avoid saying anything suspicious. Tell me something interesting instead.”
Since we needed to pass the time somehow, I turned to Jeong Yun, the deputy leader of the Wei Merchant Group who also managed its intelligence network.
“Hmm… Young Master, I’m not sure if I should say this, but you and Lady Cai get along remarkably well.”
“Is that a compliment?”
Yes—if we chatted and laughed like this, even the watchers would simply let it pass.
“I like her a great deal. Cai Sohui.”
Honestly, I had been drawn to her from the first moment I saw her face, but when she cleaned my shoes this morning my heart had fluttered. Even now, watching her embroider with needle and thread during the rest filled me with a strange sense of peace.
“As one travels the continent, the most interesting topics are always beautiful women. Among merchant circles there are four renowned beauties, and one of them is Lady Cai.”
“Oh? Then who are the other three?”
When I asked, Jeong Yun grew visibly excited.
“Long ago, there was a maidservant who cared for the late Dong Taishi’s official robes and hat—the ‘Chosun Hat’—and she was said to possess heavenly beauty.”
“Ah, so that’s why she’s called Diaochan?”
“You already know? There are rumors that Lu Bu killed Dong Taishi because of that woman. Of course, if the Zhang Jie Army heard us it would be trouble.”
After all, Li Jue, Zhang Jie, and Guo Si had all once served under Dong Zhuo; it wasn’t something to shout about.
“For ages the great clans of the Central Plains have favored beauties from Jiangnan. Among them, the sister of a certain Wu family from Wu Commandery in Jiangdong became famous throughout Yangzhou. The General Who Breaks the Enemy heard the rumors and took her as his wife.”
So that was Lady Wu—later known as Wu Guotai, or Empress Wulie. I myself came from Wu Commandery, yet I had never seen her. If she truly rivaled Cai Yan or Diaochan in beauty, I was curious… but she was Sun Jian’s wife and Sun Ce’s mother. Even if married young, she had to be quite old by now.
…Still, a legendary beauty. I might take an interest in her daughter someday.
“The last is the three daughters of Jian Yigong in Hebei.”
“Hmm?”
“Jian Yigong was originally the top scholar of Ji Province. He had many children, but his third daughter is especially renowned.”
“The third daughter of the Choi family, then.”
“She is still young, but merchants who have done business with the household say the girl named Jian Fu is called the ‘Magnolia of Hebei.’”
“Jian Fu… Yes, I know exactly who that is.”
As we traded idle stories about the beauties of the Three Kingdoms era, the Zhang Jie Army soldiers who had been watching us gradually drifted away.
Instead, from other parts of the column came endless bickering—“Why do you keep following us?” “Are you treating us like criminals?”—yet our little group remained quiet.
“It seems they don’t feel the need to watch us closely.”
I stood and patted Jeong Yun on the shoulder.
“If they suggest resting again after the next march, prepare another story.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s perfect for diverting their attention. Casual merchant chatter like this.”
“Then next time shall I speak about the decorative goods our firm trades?”
“That sounds worth looking forward to as well.”
After passing time with such idle talk, the Zhang Jie Army once again signaled departure. I returned to the carriage carrying the Cai sisters and continued the journey.
As expected, we rested again after noon, repeating the cycle of chatter, movement, and rest. Eventually we crossed a single ridge and the lands of Hongnong came into view. Even the beacon fires rising from distant Hangu Pass were visible—yet they ordered another halt right before it.
But this rest was different.
Just as anticipated, Dian Wei had sent a letter from Hongnong that evening. It had been delivered with extreme secrecy by one of our hidden operatives who had approached this far.
“Hmm…”
— Secret Dispatch from Dian Wei —
Currently the rumor that the Son of Heaven is approaching has spread throughout Hongnong, throwing the region into chaos. They have cleared vagrants from the roadsides and closed the shops en masse—clear signs that a large army is being mobilized.
I have confirmed every preparation you ordered, Young Master. Fast boats have been readied along the Yellow River, the additional supplies you requested have been gathered, and I have assembled fifty capable strongmen. I shall await you at Huayin County in the Hongnong Army.
“Good!”
The moment I finished reading I tossed the letter into the campfire and clenched my fist.
With preparations this complete, all that remained was to light the fuse. Tonight—or at the latest tomorrow night.
The Zhang Jie Army, no matter how corrupt, was still a regular force. Those Dong Cheng had scraped together were mostly wandering warriors like Xu Huang, or the White Wave Bandits and deserters expelled from Chang’an. A night raid was the only realistic option.
“Which means we start moving from now on…”
“Young Master, what do you mean?”
“Jeong Yun, gather every member of the merchant group as close to the Emperor’s carriage as possible. If you tell General Dong Cheng, he will gladly make room.”
“Understood.”
“I will ride at the front, leading the palanquin carrying the Cai sisters. If battle breaks out, prepare a separate horse for me. You will drive the carriage and evacuate the young ladies. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Young Master. I will prepare at once.”
With the escape route set and Dian Wei waiting at Huayin County—a short hard ride away—we had to remain on high alert from this moment forward.
We finally arrived late that night. As expected, the Zhang Jie Army deployed soldiers throughout Hongnong County in an airtight defense the moment we entered the area.
Looking at their formation, any army that attacked tonight would be completely blocked. It seemed today was not the day.
“It may be uncomfortable, but you will have to sleep inside the carriage tonight. Soldiers are spread across all of Hongnong setting up camps; there are no inns available.”
“Hmph, the carriage floor is so hard.”
While Cai Lin grumbled, Cai Yan simply nodded, spread her outer robe like a blanket, and helped her younger sister lie down. Every small gesture revealed what a kind young woman she was.
“Deputy Leader Jeong. Take out all the fur pelts from our baggage that can be used as bedding and bring them here.”
“Yes! Right away!”
These were the bear and cow hides I had ordered prepared. Their purpose would become clear later.
That night passed in a tense, heavy atmosphere. When another day went by, the Zhang Jie Army soldiers—having stayed awake all night—began showing clear signs of exhaustion.
The column’s speed slowed even further. While they busily prepared to pay respects at the tomb of the King of Hongnong, Xu Huang suddenly came looking for me.
“What brings you here? Do you wish to buy something from our merchant group?”
“Since we have already exchanged blows, I will speak plainly. After midnight tonight.”
“!?”
“They will come from all eight directions. If you want to live, stay close to the imperial carriage and do nothing.”
They were not coming from the north or south—they were truly attacking from eight directions at once? It meant they intended to surround us completely.
After hearing Xu Huang’s warning I told him,
“I am a man who only knows how to charge straight ahead. If chaos breaks out, I will break through the front.”
“…”
“If I meet you while charging forward, there will be nothing more welcome.”
“Pointless words.”
“I have said it clearly. I will charge straight through the front.”
Xu Huang gave no reply and simply left. But the message had been received. That friend would definitely be waiting if I tried to break through the front.
Splash!
“Ambush! It’s an ambush!”
“Everyone attack! Repel the traitor Zhang Jie’s army! Leave not a single one alive!”
I had been waiting alone in the late night when the spark was lit and chaos erupted. I immediately sprang into action.
“Young Master!”
“You remember what I told you?”
Jeong Yun hurriedly brought a warhorse and handed it to me. I mounted and galloped toward the Emperor’s carriage.
A small number of Huben troops tried to block me, but when Dong Cheng saw me he immediately stopped his soldiers.
“General of the Rear!”
“It is as we expected! The troops have come to rescue His Majesty!”
Dong Cheng spoke with eyes full of emotion, but this was no time to stand around in awe.
“General, you may get caught in the melee, so please take shelter. I will open a path ahead. For now, we must escort His Majesty to safety.”
“U-um! You are right.”
At that moment an officer ran up in panic and reported.
“General, we are surrounded on all eight sides! The White Wave Bandit leaders Yang Feng, Han Xian, Li Le and others have even brought foreign tribes with them.”
“What? Foreign tribes? There was no word of that! Eight directions? Are they trying to surround us so we cannot escape?”
I spoke to Dong Cheng.
“They must be from the Southern Xiongnu. The ones who submitted long ago and settled around Hedong Commandery.”
Whether it was the Chanyu Yufu or Yabuli—I would simply call him the son of the fisherman since he shared a name with Liu Biao, the Inspector of Jing Province.
“Hoo… Xiongnu… Then His Majesty’s safety…”
“Did I not tell you? I will break through. Please advance at once.”
Dong Cheng steadied his trembling hands, hurried to the imperial carriage, bowed to the Emperor and Empress inside, and reported the situation. Seeing the young Emperor still trembling in fear, I also offered a bow and finally received permission to evacuate.
“All right, let’s go!”
As I rode at the head to break through, I saw soldiers clashing chaotically ahead.
“Out of my way, you bastards!”
“!?”
The fighters saw me and thrust spears and swords together, but I cut them all down with my blade and forced a path open.
“There’s an escape column! After them!”
“Catch them! That large carriage must be the Emperor!”
The true colors revealed in the chaos. In a melee where it was impossible to tell who was Zhang Jie’s army, who were the White Wave Bandits, and who were the Southern Xiongnu, I charged forward looking only straight ahead.
And so I broke through the confused midnight battlefield.
“Stop…”
Splash—
I severed the neck of a Zhang Jie Army officer who foolishly raised his blade against me on horseback. A wide-open road appeared before me, along with a ridge.
Once we crossed that ridge we would reach Huayin.
“General, take His Majesty down that road. I will hold the rear.”
“R-right! Everyone, run!”
The imperial carriage whipped its horses and sped up. After confirming the Wei Merchant Group’s escape and the palanquin carrying Cai Yan, I was finally able to guard the rear.
Since they were carriages, horsemen could catch up quickly. Therefore…
“Anyone who wants to die, keep following!”
I cut down the pursuing soldiers one by one from the rear, forcing them to fall back.