Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 137 Being the Big Man's Dog

Quiet.

The air was distorted by the heat.

A passing cloud cast a shadow.

A huge shadow moved from southeast to northwest.

First, they passed the Crescent Moon Formation north of the canal.

The Crescent Moon Formation transitions from light to darkness, and then from darkness back to light.

Yunying abandoned them and continued northwest.

A moment later, it enveloped a large group of cavalry.

A large group of cavalrymen were arrayed with their backs to the Wei River and facing south.

To the south, in the wilderness where the clouds could not obscure the view of the cavalry, fourteen or fifteen thousand Wei soldiers, arrayed in formation, were slowly advancing northward toward the cavalrymen hidden in the shadows.

Before long, the cloud-like shadow, shaped like a giant beast, spat out the more than four thousand riders.

The sunlight returned to them, and the air quickly became distorted again, the blood vapor rising from the warhorses' manes solidifying into a physical form.

A wild atmosphere filled the air, and the men on horseback breathed in this wild air, their blood surging.

At that very moment, seven or eight miles to the east, more than six thousand Wei light cavalry were galloping towards this place from east to west, neither too fast nor too slow.

Given the situation, how could the newly allied Qiang and Di chieftains, including Yang Qianwan, Yao Kehui, Lei Ding, and Lü Jian, not know what was going on?
Sima Yi intended to first intimidate and drive away these troublesome cavalrymen before leading his troops to attack the Crescent Moon Formation where Zhao Yun was holding his banner.

This crescent-shaped formation, or to put it more bluntly, the semi-circular crossbow formation set up against the canal, could only cover a small portion of the battlefield, which spanned seven or eight miles between the Wei River and the canal, and was utterly incapable of stopping the Wei cavalry's westward advance.

In fact, there was no intention to stop it.

However, this meant that these several thousand Qiang and Di cavalry would inevitably face the onslaught of Wei cavalry and the pincer attack of Sima Yi's elite central army.

This was something the Qiang and Di chieftains who had come to submit to the Han with the intention of taking advantage of the situation did not expect.

"The Han emperor... has really come here?" Yang Qianwan, the Di king of Wudu, asked the Hu chieftain beside him, who looked somewhat like him, with a hesitant expression.

"Why would I lie to you?" Qiang King Yang Tiao asked solemnly, pointing with his hand to the yak-tail banner that had just been raised in the crescent moon formation.

"Do you see that big banner?"

Di King Yang Qianwan stared intently in the direction Yang Tiao was pointing, and after a moment replied, "It seems... there is a banner."

Yang Tiao's expression was somewhat arrogant:

“That is the banner of the Han emperor’s Golden Guard. The banner is over there, and the emperor’s central army is over there.”

"Now that things have come to this, I won't hide it from you anymore. I've spent half the day today on that general's platform, right next to the Emperor of Han and that fearless Zhao Zilong, receiving his orders."

Yang Qianwan, Yao Kehui, Lei Ding and other Qiang and Di people, as well as Li Yong, Shangguan Yong and other Han heroes, were all stunned. Even after a long while, their faces still showed disbelief.

Why would the Han emperor come here?

"How could the civil and military officials of the Han dynasty allow their emperor to come here?!"

"Swords, spears, and arrows don't have eyes; aren't you really afraid of something unexpected happening?!"

Yang Qianwan was the first to ask a question, his tone urgent, even giving the impression of a strong interrogation.

Yang Tiao replied seriously: "Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu, and the late Emperor Zhaolie, which one of them didn't conquer the world on horseback?"

"Now, even in the darkest of times, this great Han emperor still dared to personally go to the front lines and, with the courageous Zhao Zilong, lead a small force to counterattack Cao Zhen, defeating Zhang He in succession, and finally killing both generals."

"This Sima Yi is nothing but an unknown figure, unworthy of the title of General of the Cavalry. He is even inferior to Cao Zhen and Zhang He. What is there to fear?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Qianwan shook his head repeatedly, squinting at the banner, and after a few breaths, he let out a cold snort:
"Yang Tiao, don't try to fool us."

“I know that you, Yang Tiao, were the first to become that emperor’s dog and gained tremendous benefits. So today you want to trick us into working for that Han emperor and risking our lives for him.”

"But what do you take us for?"

"Let's not even talk about whether the emperor is there or not, even if he is, what can he do?"

"Do you really expect us Qiang and Di people to be spineless like you, sincerely serving the Han emperor as his dogs, fighting to the death for the internal strife among the Han people?!"

After Yang Qianwan finished speaking, the surrounding Qiang and Di chieftains had different expressions.

Among these people, there were those who genuinely wanted to be the big man's dogs, and those who genuinely just wanted to freeload. But no matter who they were, none of them dared or were willing to be as outspoken as Yang Qianwan.

Yang Tiao didn't care about Yang Qianwan's suggestion of being a dog; he simply dropped his previous feigned arrogance and responded with a solemn expression.
"Be a dog or have no bones!"
"I don't care what you think, now that the Emperor of the Great Han is such a hero, we, the Qiang of Anding, are determined to follow this Emperor to the bitter end, there is no turning back!"
"Why?
"Because I was the first Hu person to lead an entire prefecture in response to the Han Dynasty's Northern Expedition?"

"Because I am the first barbarian to swear a blood oath with the Emperor of Han?"
No, none of those!

"Because I am the only Hu person who knows that His Majesty is here today!"

Everyone was puzzled upon hearing this.

Doesn't that sound illogical?
"But I'll tell you the reasoning right now!"
"When I first led the entire prefecture to respond to the Han Dynasty's Northern Expedition, it was no different from yours. It was only for the sake of stabilizing the Qiang people, or to put it more selfishly, it was just to gain some benefits for myself."

"But I really didn't expect that the first time this Han emperor saw me, he would directly swear an oath by the Wei River!"
"Let's talk about how the Han and Qiang people are all subjects of the Han! In the future, the Han and Qiang people will surely be intertwined, with each other in the other!"
"I said that a hundred years from now, I will make sure that future generations can see which of the herders in the Hehuang and Lianglong regions are Han and which are Qiang!"

"So whether it's for your own sake or for the sake of us An Ding Qiang people."

"In short, the Emperor treats me with sincerity, and I, Yang Tiao, will repay him with sincerity!"
"I repaid him with sincerity, which is why I am the only Hu person who knows that His Majesty is here today!"
"His Majesty dared to let me know that he was here, which means he truly treats me with sincerity!"

"The so-called 'treating sincerity with sincerity' is why I, Yang Tiao, am willing to be this Han emperor's dog!"

After Yang Tiao finished speaking generously, the surrounding Qiang and Di heroes were all stunned and looked at each other, exchanging glances.

Although Yang Qianwan was completely confused, he still understood some of it.

For example, the Han emperor once pointed to the Wei River as a pledge to unite the Han and Qiang people as one. For example, the Han emperor and Yang Tiao treated each other with sincerity and had no suspicion of each other.

While everyone remained silent, Yang Tiaofu once again raised his head proudly:

"Why do you think I would tell you that the emperor is on that general's platform?"

"Am I not afraid that you wavering barbarians will betray the Emperor and break his trust in me?!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Qianwan, the Di king of Wudu standing beside Yang Tiao, suddenly paused, and after thinking for a dozen breaths, he finally reacted:

You mean...

"Was it that Han emperor who specifically instructed you to tell us that he is here?"

Yang Tiao, his back straight as he rode, gazed intently at the Wei army formation, his eyes fixed straight ahead, and said:

"As the saying goes, true friendship is revealed in times of adversity, and His Majesty is now willing to treat you with sincerity."

"If you want to get promoted and make a fortune in Cao Wei, you can turn against them when the war breaks out and sell the emperor to Cao Wei."

"But you all know the saying among the Han people: it's better to send charcoal in the snow than to add flowers to brocade."

"However, now that the overall situation is settled, you people can hardly be considered as providing timely help, but rather as adding to what is already good."

"And if it were any later, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to add to the glory, or be a dog of a big man like me!"
"Let's all think it over carefully!"

Just as Yang Tiao finished speaking, Lei Ding, the Di king of Yinping, had already spurred his horse forward:

"Yang Wenbao!"

"Back when Emperor Zhaolie was fighting Cao Cao for Hanzhong, I led over ten thousand people from seven tribes of the Yinping Di to respond, to help Zhaolie contain Cao Hong! Today, I have come again, and there is absolutely no reason for me to betray the Emperor of Han!"

After Lei Dingyan finished speaking, the place fell silent for a moment.

After a while, Yao Kehui, Lü Jian, Fu Jian and seven or eight other Qiang and Di chieftains rode forward one after another to express their loyalty to the Han Dynasty to Yang Tiao.

After another long while, the Di King of Wudu, who had been left behind by the others, rode out last, looking down at them with disdain: "I, Yang Qianwan, previously accepted an official position from Cao Wei, and now I have betrayed Wei and joined Han. Is there any reason for me to betray Han and join Wei again when facing battle?!"

"But as you can see, Wei has not only several thousand cavalry, but also more than ten thousand infantrymen coming towards us. Their intention is obvious: they want to deal with us first, and then do other things!"
"The number of soldiers guarding that crescent-shaped formation appears to be only around ten thousand. If the Han emperor is indeed in that formation as you say, then Zhao Yun would never have broken up his formation to come to his aid!"

"Are we supposed to risk our lives to fight against tens of thousands of Wei infantry and cavalry just for your so-called sincerity in serving the Han emperor?!"
"Does the Han emperor standing there guarding the battlefield and standing idly by mean what you call 'treating sincerity with sincerity'?!"

"Even if I agree, my subordinate chieftains might not agree!"
“You are all powerful chieftains of the Qiang and Di tribes. Are you different from me? Can you really make decisions with a single word?”

Yang Tiao replied directly: "This is what I meant by His Majesty's sincerity towards you. In fact, the key to this battle does not lie with you."

"His Majesty did not say, nor does he require you to withstand the Wei infantry and cavalry charge!"
"Once the Wei infantry and cavalry arrive, you can flee directly west, as far as you want."

"Of course, you can also charge up with us, the An Ding Qiang, to test the mettle of the Wei cavalry. If you really can't win, then you can leave!"
"In short, fight however you want. The key is whether you want to add to the glory or sit back and wait for the outcome."

"Because the key to this battle is not here."

"Whether you are here or not."

"Whether you fight or not, it doesn't matter."

"Whether you betray us or not."

"In this battle, the Han Dynasty has won every battle."

"It is the Emperor of the Great Han Dynasty. Today, I am giving you a chance to be his dogs!"
"Instead of you helping the big man."

After saying this, Yang Tiao spurred his horse and galloped back to his own lines, never looking back.
Meanwhile, Yang Qianwan, Yao Kehui, Lü Jian, Fu Jian, and other Qiang and Di people who had always been wavering were all shaken. After the shock, they fell into deep thought as they watched Yang Tiao's proud departing figure.

Before long, they all dispersed in silence and returned to their respective positions.

Because the vanguard of the Wei cavalry had already reached the north of the Han army's crescent formation, only four or five miles away.

Yang Tiao and his son Yang Su led over a thousand Qiang cavalrymen to the east.

Lei Ding led over four hundred cavalrymen closely behind Yang Tiao.

Next up are Li Yong and his son Li Rou from Chengji.

Yang Qianwan, Yao Kehui, Fu Jian, Lü Jian, and the other Qiang and Di tribesmen first looked south at Sima Yi's infantry formation, which was still some distance away, and finally decided to follow.

Given the current situation, the other smaller tribes had no choice but to reluctantly follow, albeit with some delay and slight lag.

In an instant, warhorses galloped towards each other on the east and west sides of the battlefield.

The speed is getting faster and faster.

The momentum is growing stronger.

wind.

Strong winds.

Apart from the sound of the strong wind and the deafening clatter of horses' hooves, it seemed that no other sound existed in this world.

The entire battlefield suddenly fell into an eerie, relative silence.

In the end, even the wind seemed to freeze on the horses' hooves, so that the soldiers on horseback could no longer hear the sound of the wind or the hoofbeats, and everything in the world was black and white in their vision.

Until the front hooves of the first row of Wei warhorses stepped into the horse trap, onto the Guanzhong caltrops that the Han had already laid out.

"--boom!!!"

The sound of warhorses falling to the ground was like a sudden clap of thunder, almost deafening, finally breaking the eerie silence of the battlefield.

As the warhorse collapsed and leaped into the air, blood splattered everywhere, and the black and white world in the knight's eyes finally gained color.

Row after row of Wei cavalrymen fell.

Row after row of Wei cavalry followed.

A thunderous roar echoed, and warhorses neighed mournfully.

After losing an unknown number of two or three hundred, or perhaps four or five hundred cavalrymen

The remaining five thousand-plus Wei cavalry successfully crossed this first and only trap and barrier, which consisted of deer antler traps and Guanzhong caltrops.

Finally, about four or five miles northwest of the Han army's crescent formation, they either collided head-on with the Qiang, Di, and Hu cavalry charging towards them, or they brushed past each other.

Thousands of horse bows were drawn and fired at the same time, their strings whistling all at once.

The sounds of arrows piercing the air, the clash of horses against walls, the neighing of wild horses, the whistling of swords and spears piercing flesh, screams of pain, and cries for one's mother before death—all these sounds arose simultaneously, one after another, in an endless stream.

However, in less than a quarter of an hour, and after only ten or so rounds, this confrontation ended without a doubt with the Han army's Hu cavalry completely losing ground.

Of course, without a doubt.

Because the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry were superior.

The Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, trained by Tian Yu and his two generals, was renowned for its great victory over the Xianbei, beheading tens of thousands.

Furthermore, Sima Yi's more than 10,000 infantrymen accelerated forward after the cavalry clashed with each other, and began coordinated infantry and cavalry operations. They fired countless arrows at the Han cavalry with their bows and crossbows, and their spear-wielding elite soldiers also charged forward.

The Han cavalry abandoned nearly a thousand warhorses and corpses and began to retreat westward.

However, Yang Tiao is right; the key to victory or defeat on the battlefield today does not lie here.

The reason they insisted on a direct confrontation and a major battle was simply that powerful Han and non-Han tribesmen like Yang Tiao, Lei Ding, Li Yong, and Yang Qianwan were determined to test the mettle of the Wei cavalry.

They would not be satisfied unless they bought some time for the main Han army.
They would not be satisfied until they had exhausted the Wei's infantry and cavalry, their strength, and their arrows for the Han Dynasty.

It was all due to their resentment at not being able to reciprocate the emperor's loyalty, and the wishful thinking that Wei might be easily defeated.

As the emperor, Liu Shan ultimately did not allow the Qiang and Hu tribes to preserve their strength in this battle. He even issued no clear military order to Yang Tiao, letting them do as they pleased.

How do you say that?
People who have helped you before are more willing to help you again.

Those who have sacrificed for you in the past are more willing to sacrifice for you again.

However, the defeat and westward retreat of several thousand Han cavalrymen clearly boosted the morale of Sima Yi's central army, which had crossed the river to the north. Consequently, the Wei army believed that the turning point of the battle had finally arrived.

Sima Yi's more than 10,000 infantrymen began to reorganize and turn, heading towards the Crescent Moon Formation, located four or five miles away, north of the canal.

After a resounding victory, the more than 4,000 cavalrymen rested on the spot under the command of cavalry generals such as Wen Qin, Lü Zhao, and Yin Damu. They fed and watered their horses, calmed them down, and then continued on their way.

A rider scouting the Crescent Moon Formation suddenly galloped up to General Gao Ya's banner and, with a mixture of surprise and delight, addressed Sima Yi:

"General of the Flying Cavalry, the false emperor's dragon banner! The false emperor's dragon banner is in Zhao Yun's formation!"

"What?" Sima Yi frowned.

The generals Wang Chang, Niu Jin, and Niu Gai, who were gathered around him, as well as the brothers Sima Shi and Sima Zhao, all looked at each other in disbelief.

"Why is the false emperor here?" Sima Yi asked, his eyes darting around, seemingly asking the scout, or perhaps muttering to himself.

General Yanglie, Wang Chang, unusually lost his composure and gave a cold snort:
"Didn't Master Sima say that the false emperor had a dragon banner in Wugong and another dragon banner in Xiliu?"
"Then what's so strange about the presence of a dragon banner here?"

Upon hearing this, Niu Jin echoed:
"General Yang Lie is right. In my opinion, these so-called dragon banners are nothing more than a show of force by a false emperor!"

"He may not be skilled in martial arts, nor in Xiliu, nor even in this place!"

Upon hearing this, Sima Yi first nodded slightly, then shook his head after a moment of thought: "Regardless of whether the false emperor is in this formation or not, immediately issue an order to the three armies that the false emperor is under the dragon banner. Break through the formation and capture the enemy today!"

The generals suddenly understood, and the General of the Flying Cavalry then said:
"Once Zhao Yun's formation is broken, Zhuge Liang will scatter his troops and come to the north to reinforce, and Guanzhong will be saved from danger. The Shu bandits will fail at the last moment. Gentlemen, please strive for it!"

Upon hearing this, all the generals were greatly encouraged.

A moment later, more than 20,000 infantry and cavalry advanced side by side toward the Crescent Moon Formation.

(End of this chapter)