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"Commandant Guo led his troops out through the western gate?!" Zheng Jian stared at the soldier before him, hardly able to believe it. "Did he give any explanation?"
"Reporting to the Barrier Commander, Commandant Guo said he received military orders from General Guo."
Zheng Jian nodded, waved his hand to dismiss the soldier, and after a moment of silence, actually smiled faintly. "General Guo's military orders? Heh…"
He stroked his beard, shook his head slightly, pondered for a while, then called out loudly, "Summon Captain Chen to see me."
This time, Guo Pu had led out eight hundred Xiliang cavalry, six hundred regular soldiers originally stationed at the barrier, and requisitioned an additional three hundred auxiliary troops. Truth be told, with such a force, crushing one or two thousand Yellow Turban rebels in a direct confrontation would be effortless…
But then again…
Zheng Jian let out a cold chuckle and sat upright in the hall, waiting for Captain Chen, who was in charge of guarding the eastern wall.
At some point, a cloud had drifted across the sky, blocking the sun and the light that had been streaming into the hall. In an instant, the entire room darkened, as if coated in a layer of gray.
Captain Chen arrived quickly. After exchanging greetings, Zheng Jian asked in a low voice, "Are the prepared materials… all ready?"
Captain Chen clasped his hands and replied in an equally hushed tone, "Half were transported the day before yesterday, but Commandant Guo happened to be inspecting, so we couldn't bring everything into the barrier…"
Zheng Jian nodded. "No matter. Commandant Guo has already left the barrier. Tonight, gather some men and transport everything inside!"
"Understood!" Captain Chen acknowledged, then added, "However, the quantity is quite large. The Observation Platform might not have enough space, and as for the Rooster Crow Platform…"
The Rooster Crow Platform was guarded by a Xiliang army squad leader. If they were to transport goods from the Observation Platform into the barrier, they would inevitably pass right under the Rooster Crow Platform's watchful eyes.
Zheng Jian pondered for a moment before saying, "Don't worry about that. I'll handle it."
He then took out five small gold ingots and ten strings of wuzhu coins from a box beside him and pushed them toward Captain Chen. "Each man on the Observation Platform can be given a hundred coins—but they must keep their mouths shut! As for the rest, use it to treat Captain Li to a feast…"
Captain Chen agreed to everything, tucked the money into his robe, and took his leave.
Zheng Jian stroked his beard and sighed inwardly. If only the Hangu Barrier hadn't gone so long without any military engagements, leaving its supplies at minimal levels—insufficient for proper use—he wouldn't have had to go to such lengths to procure more.
But now that Commandant Guo was no longer in the barrier, he could act more freely. The key was that there were still some Xiliang weapons and armor…
Ah, and that brat's fifty or sixty regular and auxiliary troops…
××××××××××××××
Guo Pu sat atop his warhorse, swaying slightly with the horse's movements as he mulled things over. The more he thought, the more pleased he became. If he could lift the siege of Xin'an County himself, he would undoubtedly earn a promotion. Moreover, Chancellor Dong had always been generous to his own people. If he could even manage to slay a Yellow Turban commander in battle—ha ha ha…
Lost in his triumphant thoughts, Guo Pu couldn't help but laugh aloud on horseback. He then shouted, "Men! Let's push forward another twenty li before making camp! Tomorrow, after we crush the enemy, every squad will get a jar of fine wine, a whole lamb, and all the food you can eat! Three days of leave!"
"Whoo!" The Xiliang soldiers erupted in cheers and immediately urged their horses forward.
The only ones suffering were the original foot soldiers from Hangu Barrier. Having already spent the day eating dust alongside the cavalry, they now had to march even farther. Though the promise of wine and meat was tempting, physical exhaustion couldn't be ignored. Their responses were scattered as they gritted their teeth and forced themselves onward.
Normally, in mixed infantry-cavalry marches, the speed was dictated by the slowest unit—usually the supply wagons. But since the distance between Hangu Barrier and Xin'an wasn't great, even at the pace of supply wagons, it would take no more than three days. Guo Pu hadn't brought much provisions, planning to replenish in Xin'an after breaking the siege, so the marching column was much lighter.
However, compressing a three-day march into two inevitably meant pushing the pace, increasing exhaustion for both soldiers and horses—hardly ideal before a battle.
But Guo Pu paid no heed to this. In his mind, the Yellow Turbans were nothing more than a rabble armed with sticks and sickles, relying on sheer numbers to intimidate. A fierce charge would scatter them, and once their banners fell, they'd flee like ants from a disturbed nest…
So what if they were a little more tired? It wasn't a big deal!
Guo Pu was already envisioning how, after the victory, he would quickly send word to his elder brother to strengthen their connections…
×××××××××××
Meanwhile, in Xin'an County, the magistrate cautiously peered over the city walls at the Yellow Turban encampments surrounding the city, his brow furrowed in deep conflict.
Had they really left?
Or was this a ruse to lure them into opening the gates for an ambush?
But if they had truly withdrawn, and he delayed reopening the gates, he'd surely be mocked for cowardice later…
What should he do now?
After much hesitation, the magistrate decided to lower a single soldier down to investigate. He ordered a man to descend in a rope basket, watching as the soldier crouched low, pausing every few steps as he cautiously approached the rebel camp…
Closer and closer he went, meeting no resistance. Emboldened, the soldier broke into a jog, reaching the camp's wooden walls and edging toward the gate…
Then, he peeked inside, took a few steps in, and disappeared from view…
For a long, tense moment, everyone on the walls held their breath, eyes fixed on the spot where he had vanished.
Just as it felt unbearable, the soldier came stumbling back out, waving his arms wildly and shouting something unintelligible…
The magistrate's heart lurched. Gripping the wall, he blurted, "It's a trap! Quick, quick—" Before he could finish, the lone scout's voice finally reached them—
"Th—there's no one! It's empty… they're all gone!"
…What?
The walls erupted in cheers, the jubilation quickly spreading through the city. Soon, all of Xin'an was alive with celebration.
Seeing the elation around him—and that no one seemed to have noticed his earlier panic—the magistrate straightened up, clasped his hands behind his back, and cleared his throat. "The rebels have been repelled by our efforts! Send word to the capital at once! Open the gates!"
*****
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