Jinting Han people

The Jin army inside the palisade was routed, and at first, it did indeed impact the entire Jin army outside the palisade.

Because everything happened so quickly, the morale of the Jin army inside the palisade collapsed instantly, while the Jin army to the south was completely unaware of what was happening. Faced with the sudden wave of retreat, they were thrown into chaos. The supervisory team that Wang Kuang had set up at the palisade played almost no role in stopping them, and was scattered in an instant like a thin sheet of paper. In the chaotic disorder, each battalion lowered its banners and then retreated further out of the city.

At this stage, most of the Jin people were in a state of confusion, their judgment of the situation completely lost. Under the surging tide of people, the soldiers were driven almost by instinct, unable to even see the direction of their retreat. People were running south, east, and west everywhere, with various camps and units mixed together. The Han army pursued from behind, consciously driving some troops southwest towards the Youjiang River, like pushing dough into a pot. Groups of Jin people were thus squeezed into the river.

Liu Xian arrived at Youjiang aboard the Fanyu ship. Looking out from the middle of the river towards the shore, he saw that it was packed with people everywhere. On the banks of the Youjiang River, countless Jin people were being pushed into the water by the fleeing soldiers behind them. Some could no longer stand on the riverbank and screamed as they fell into the water, easily swept away by the waves. Their headscarves and robes floated on the river like duckweed.

Therefore, many Jin infantrymen gave up resistance; probably tens of thousands threw down their weapons and knelt down to surrender. However, the majority of Jin soldiers still fled, and the Han army was simply outnumbered. They had to split into two groups: one continued to pursue the fleeing soldiers, while the other stayed behind to deal with those Jin soldiers who wanted to live. Some soldiers simply fired indiscriminately at the surrendered soldiers, like shooting down haystacks, and many more fell.

Liu Xian stopped at a pre-selected open riverbank and, from the watchtower, further observed the situation. He saw a group of Han soldiers cheering loudly, their leader raising a long spear with a bloodstained head protruding from its tip. They shouted in unison, "The traitorous Prefect of Qichun, Zhu Gui, has been beheaded!"

Beside them, another Han army intercepted a group of Jin infantry. The Han soldiers rushed forward, disarmed the Jin soldiers, and tied them together with ropes. In an instant, Jin soldiers bound like dumplings were everywhere, and the dead were simply pushed into the river.

Seeing this, the officials accompanying the King of Han were quite pleased. Fan Ben, the Chamberlain, said to his colleagues, "It seems that the outcome is already decided. This battle is just another one of those battles that will be over in a short time." He had only been with Liu Xian for a short time and had only experienced the Southern Expedition to Ningzhou in terms of major battles, so he compared it to the Battle of Tanzhi.

Liu Xian merely smiled, not letting his guard down. This battle differed greatly from the Battle of Tanzhi. In that battle, Liu Xian had ambushed the Yi army from behind, using the terrain to launch a pincer attack. Once the Yi vanguard collapsed, the combined forces would have no way to escape, resulting in a resounding victory. But this battle was different. He had actually pre-planned the battlefield and engaged in psychological warfare with the Jin commander, causing Wang Kuang to miscalculate his troop strength and expose a major tactical flaw.

However, the Jin army simply outnumbered the Han army, which lacked the strength to exploit this weakness and end the battle in one fell swoop. The Jin army had only been defeated for now and still had a high chance of a comeback. If Liu Xian mishandled the situation, his triumph could turn into a tragedy.

However, it was inappropriate to speak frankly to an outsider like Fan Ben. Liu Xian was now pondering: assuming the Jin army regrouped, where would they launch a counterattack?
He had studied the map beforehand and concluded that if the Jin army launched a counterattack after its defeat, it would likely be from three directions: one was the city of Furen to the south, where there were fortifications that allowed for some reorganization; another was the Jin army to the southeast, whose commander, Liu Xian, observed from the city walls, was quite cautious in his tactics, always maintaining considerable reserves; and the third was the Jin army to the northeast monitoring the dikes, who were largely unaffected by the rout and had not engaged in prior combat, making them a fresh force.

The best course of action for the Han army would naturally be to prepare defenses on all three fronts. However, given the limited number of Han troops and the constraints imposed by the circumstances, Liu Xian had to prioritize and make appropriate judgments on the spot to thwart the Jin army's counterattack in a timely manner.

However, this is not easy to predict. If a mistake is made and the Jin army regroups in another direction and launches a counterattack, the Han army will have no choice but to withdraw from the battle and return to the palisade. If the objective is not achieved, the battle can be considered a failure.

While they were pondering this, Li Xiu, who was observing the situation from the side, suddenly spoke up: "Your Highness, I believe we should be wary of Lady City to the south."

"Oh?" Liu Xian looked at Li Xiu. He had been practicing tactics at night and discussing them with Li Xiu, so she understood his thoughts. Seeing her speak, Liu Xian asked, "Why do you say that?"

Li Xiu smoothed her hair in the cold wind, pointed to the city wall of Lady City several miles away, and casually said to the King of Han, "I see that the banners on the enemy's city wall look like the Ying character banners."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian suddenly realized that the troops guarding Lady City were Ying Zhan's! They should indeed be on guard! Based on his understanding of Ying Zhan from previous battles, he was a loyal and conscientious man who considered the overall situation. Among the generals of the Jin army, he was the one who would not sit idly by and watch the outcome! If they were to take precautions in advance and defeat him, the others would not come to his aid like Ying Zhan had, and the subsequent battles would be easier to resolve.

Thinking this, Liu Xian immediately sent a soldier off the ship to find the nearest Guo Mo's troops, ordering him to keep a close watch on Lady City and to crush Ying Zhan's troops as soon as they made any unusual moves!

However, when the troops were dispatched, they encountered an unexpected incident.

Because the scene was so chaotic, the soldier carrying the token was traversing the battlefield when, on his way to meet Guo Mo, a stray arrow unexpectedly struck him in the mouth, shattering his teeth and nearly causing him to faint from the pain. Fortunately, it wasn't a fatal wound, so the soldier had no choice but to keep the bloodied arrow shaft in his mouth and continue searching for Guo Mo. The intense pain severely slowed him down, and when he finally found Guo Mo, his mouth full of blood made it difficult for him to speak clearly. He could only gesture with his hands to convey the military orders to Guo Mo.

It took Guo Mo a while to understand the King of Han's intentions, but the situation on the battlefield changes rapidly, and a moment's delay could ruin everything, especially since nearly three-quarters of an hour had already passed. By the time Guo Mo had arrayed his troops and turned towards Lady Sun's city, Ying Zhan had already mustered his army and launched a counterattack!

On this day, Ying Zhan, clad in iron armor and riding a tall white horse with a black cross stripe between its brows, led his troops to the front of the fleeing soldiers. Although he was thin and haggard, and did not look like a fierce general, he remained calm and composed in this chaotic moment. The armored soldiers around him were in perfect formation, displaying an outstanding demeanor. The gleaming tips of their spears were lined up at the front of the formation, flashing with a chilling light. The fleeing Jin army, initially at a loss, suddenly saw this imposing friendly force before the city and their spirits lifted. Moreover, since their formation had broken after fleeing for a while, and there were not many Han soldiers behind them, they no longer needed to drift with the tide. Instead, they began to gather together, inquiring about the identity of the friendly forces ahead.

At this moment, Ying Xuan, the eldest son of Ying Zhanling, rode his horse across the front of the enemy lines and shouted at the routed Jin army: "If you want to escape, then escape, but don't block our way! Commander Ying is going to fight back to the palisade! We'll die here!"

Having said this, he spurred his horse back to his formation, and Ying Zhan's troops began their counterattack northward. Seeing this, some Jin soldiers, their courage swelled, and they joined Ying Zhan's ranks. The fleeing Jin soldiers in the distance, seeing Ying Zhan's banner advancing northward against the tide, were greatly alarmed, exclaiming, "Is Commander Ying charging into battle now?" Ying Zhan indeed held high prestige within the Jin army, especially among the Jingzhou people. They had initially been bewildered and hesitant due to the sudden chaos, but now, seeing Ying Zhan enter the fray, those who still maintained some semblance of order immediately understood their direction and surged towards him.

Meanwhile, the pursuing Han army found the situation suddenly changed, like a coral reef revealed after the tide recedes. A Jin army of nearly ten thousand men had launched a counterattack at a leisurely pace, which greatly surprised them. Knowing they were outnumbered, they flanked the enemy to try and continue pursuing the remaining Jin soldiers who had fled.

This undoubtedly boosted the morale of Ying Zhan's troops. They sang the Jin army's military song in unison, and specifically sang "Only the Shu," a military song created to commemorate Sima Zhao's pacification of Shu Han. The song is divided into three sections.

The first verse, with its mournful melody, gradually transforms into a poignant lament, condemning the brutality of the Shu Han dynasty and the resulting misery of the border people. Its lyrics read:
"Only the Shu kingdom, usurping the throne in a corner of the land. Liu Bei defied the emperor's command and abdicated in favor of Zhuge Liang. With hundreds of thousands of troops, they sought to exploit our weaknesses. Their messengers sent urgent messages, and the world was in turmoil. Jiang Wei repeatedly raided the borders, leaving the Longxi region desolate."

The second verse is uplifting, yet intertwined with sorrow and anger, transforming the vicissitudes of life into a tragic grandeur, to express Emperor Wen of Jin, Sima Zhao's, deep love for his people and his sorrowful aspirations. Its lyrics read:

"Emperor Wen pitied the people, who had suffered sins throughout the ages. He advised the vassal states and ministers, and the scholars and officials. The henchmen obeyed his commands, and the confidants offered wise plans. These wise plans were then compiled into a written document, and a million-strong army was mobilized."

In the third section, the singing becomes soaring, and the melody is grand and majestic, praising the victory in the conquest of Shu and the arrival of a peaceful and prosperous era. The lyrics are as follows:
"Thunderous drums rise from the earth, their fierce force overwhelms the floating clouds. The fleeing barbarians, fearing divine retribution, bind themselves and build fortifications at the gates. Across ten thousand miles, the same teachings prevail, those who defy the mandate now call themselves vassals! The five ranks of rank are established, the order of Heaven and Man is restored!"

After the song ended, the morale of Ying Zhan's troops reached its peak, and most of the Han soldiers present paled in comparison, knowing that this was probably the most formidable enemy among the Jin army. At this moment, Guo Mo's troops finally arrived in front of Ying Zhan's army, and seeing that this Jin army was completely unaffected by the rout, they were equally shocked.

Guo Mo was initially somewhat resentful, extremely dissatisfied at not finding Zhou Qi's troops, and being semi-illiterate, he was also puzzled by the Jin army's military song. After inquiring with his advisors and learning that Ying Zhan was cursing the King of Han, he was first taken aback, then burst into laughter, saying, "Ying Zhan has guts! Killing such a fine man would be a fitting end to my reputation!"

Guo Mo's force numbered only a little over three thousand, less than a third of Ying Zhan's. However, this did not diminish his confidence in victory, for he commanded a remarkably rare all-cavalry army. At this time, the Han army had marched east out of Jingnan, and its cavalry totaled less than ten thousand—one of the most severe shortages of horses in the Han army's history. Yet, even so, Guo Mo's supplies remained plentiful; almost every knight had a personal horse, and a few elite soldiers had two. With such a force, Guo Mo was naturally confident of victory.

Ying Zhan's troops were surprised to see the large Han cavalry force approaching. Having fought so many battles, they had almost forgotten that the Han army even had cavalry. Seeing the Han cavalry charging towards them, under Ying Zhan's command, the men drew their arrows and fired. But the Han knights were far more experienced. They stopped their horses a short distance from the arrows, then spun around and swiftly weaved into the Jin army ranks before them.

Because the Han cavalry attacked from all directions, their hooves kicked up clouds of dust, quickly turning the surrounding area into a murky mess. The riders galloped through the dust, finding it choking, but it helped to impair the enemy's vision. They seized the opportunity to weave in and out of the Jin army's ranks, like countless small snakes twisting and biting. The Jin soldiers, however, displayed remarkable tenacity, refusing to withdraw from the battle even after being trampled several times by the horses.

Of course, no matter how scarce horses were, there were still knights in the Jin army. And because horses were precious, these riders were either high-ranking officials or famous warriors in the Jin army. Among them was a man named Wang Jiao, who was exceptionally brave. He was originally one of the generals Luo Shang used to challenge others, but later, because Luo Shang was in decline and was stingy, he switched his allegiance to Liu Hong and became a general in Ying Zhan's army.

Surrounded by Han cavalry, he fought with increasing ferocity, even throwing away his helmet and armor, wielding a long spear, and spurring his horse forward. Despite his light clothing and the horse's incredible speed, he remained remarkably steady, demonstrating his exceptional horsemanship. In several charges, he even managed to kill three Han cavalrymen. Seeing this, the surrounding Han cavalry asked his name, and Wang Jiao, very pleased with himself, announced:
"Do you know that I am Wang Jiao, one of the hundred men who slew Wang in the Jin army? Six years ago, when Li Te rebelled in Bashu, it was I who led the team to kill him. Who are you? I do not kill nameless nobodies!"

Li Te was the first leader of the Chengdu Kingdom, a fact known to the Shu Han army. However, the Han soldiers were unaware that he had died at this man's hands, and were momentarily stunned. But soon, someone in the crowd sneered, "What's so great about that? Li Xiong has been dead for years! Besides, when I defeated your lord at Mangshan, you were still nursing somewhere! You dare to announce your name before me?"

The speaker was none other than Guo Mo. He rode up on horseback, holding a long spear high. His nearly nine-foot-tall body was like a mountain, and his riding posture was agile and like a swimming dragon. He thrust his horse forward and struck Wang Jiao's spear. The force of the blow was astonishing. With one strike, he forced Guo Mo and his horse back several steps.

Guo Mo was now filled with fervor. He turned to his soldiers and rallied them, saying, "Today's battle concerns the honor and disgrace of our Han Dynasty. How can we allow these traitors to run rampant? Listen carefully, we are the henchmen of the King of Han. We will either die on the battlefield or break the swords in our hands. Anything else is not the mark of a true Han man!"

Having said that, he let out a wild roar, once again thrusting his spear forward and charging into the fray. (End of Chapter)