I'm going to be so dead tomorrow at work.
Chapter 12
Line upon line, they gloriously marched on. The wilderness that they beheld when they set out to fight Huans seemed anew. The smallest sand grain, the bittiest poppy seeds seemed so dear to Liu Bei's rugged army. The very sun shone brighter. A gentle wind passed by, wiping the sweats off their foreheads encouragingly. Zhouzhou's gate loomed before them happily, burst open. Every corner was washed with care to herald their coming. They could already hear the joyous hails from within.
Leading in Zhouzhou's returning army was Liu Bei, just like back when they had departed. They proud banner marched in, the hearty welcomes of the castle deafening their ears. The hail echoed on as if to bring down the castle itself, resounding rapturously in all corners. It was totally alien from the attitude that they had received upon their first coming. Disbelieving ridicules were nowhere to be found, though delighted laughs burst out everywhere. The previous mockeries had taken on new honors.
“Awesome job, beggar squad!”
“So glad to be rid of them Huans!”
“Well settled!”
Thanks and cheers poured on merrily. The volunteer army marched onto the reception area, and their leaders departed to report back to the viceroy.
* * *
Liu Yan had been more than ecstatic when he had received the news of victory. Now he was eagerly awaiting for their return. A keen smile lay upon his face when the eunuch walked in.
“General Qui Zheng and Master Liu Bei have returned, Your Honor.”
“Ohh, is that so!” Liu Yan exclaimed gladly as he sat up from his anticipation. Soon the triumphant captains walked in.
“Qui Zheng and Liu Bei, defeated the Huan army and return to your service,” they reported.
“Thank you for your hard work,” Liu Yan said gratefully and added, “I heard especially a lot about the valor of Liu Bei's volunteer army from the reporting scouts. My joy is too great for words.” Getting up from his chair, he declared, “Come, let us drink to welcome the brave people!”
This reception was even more lavish than the previous ones. Qui Zheng and Liu Bei stood at the head of the table alongside Liu Yan. Hearty laughs and congratulatory remarks they received, persons upon persons.
“All hail General Qui Zheng!”
“Congratulations, Master Liu Bei.”
Totally ignorant of these happy festivities, there was a soldier riding to Zhouzhou with all his hope. His silhouette against the horizon was punctured with two or three broken arrows that he tried so hard to take out in the past few days. Presently he rode through Zhouzhou's open gates. Noticing the stranger, Zhouzhou's guard halted him warily, awakened from his delish dreams.
“Halt! Who is there?” he shouted. The weary soldier fell off the faithful steed as soon as the guard's words were out. Reaching into his bosom with difficulty, the soldier muttered, “Words of Qingzhou's viceroy written in haste,... to Zhouzhou's lord...” He held up the missive, wet and salted from his bosom. It was stained with blood in some corners from his injuries. Zhouzhou's guards gathered, two of them carefully supporting him to the viceroy's office. The reception was not yet over.
“Heard you slashed the enemy captain into half in one blow! Finally I can sleep with straight two legs,” a liege joked as Zhang Fei hooted with laughter, drinking away merrily for the first time in a long time.
“Yes, thanks to their strong army, we can finally rest at peace,” another liege cheered. Liu Yan watched with pleasure as they drank to their souls' delight. A soldier hurried in. He came up to Liu Yan and whispered urgently. As he did so, a dark shadow hovered over Liu Yan's face.
“Bring him in,” he ordered. They brought Qingzhou's soldier in, supported by two guards. He was pierced with many and his clothes reeked of battle. The reception area went silent, adding horrified wonders to the guests' faces. He kneeled before Liu Yan.
“My lord sends an urgent notice,” he said, presenting the letter. Liu Yan's face grew darker as he read it.
“Good heavens,” he muttered.
“What is the matter, my lord?” a liege asked.
“Qingzhou's castle is presently surrounded by Huans; their fall is only a matter of time,” he said concernedly and added, “Qingzhou's lord calls for reinforcements.” Turning to Qui Zheng, “General, take five thousand and depart for Qingzhou immediately,” he commanded.
“Yes, Your Honor,” Qui Zheng bowed.
“Your Honor, we would like to go as well,” Liu Bei requested.
“You just got back from the battlefield. Leave this to General Qui Zheng and rest a little,” Liu Yan said kindly.
“Our army was formed to fight,” Liu Bei said decisively, turning to his brothers. “Any objections, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei?”
“Have you already forgotten the oath that said we will die together?” Zhang Fei teased.
“All right, then, let us go.” Liu Bei smiled and headed for the door.
“Wait, after I'm done drinking this,” Zhang Fei said, picking up a magnum and draining the liquor out of it with huge swallows.
“Hahaha, thank you for the drink,” Zhang Fei thanked Liu Yan as he wiped his mouth and turned to be on the road again.
“What funny people they are,” Liu Yan said to himself as three brothers headed out the door. Worries lay heavy in his heart and he smiled wryly.
* * *
In such turn of events, Liu Bei's army set out for yet another battlefield without having to rest a single night. Having achieved great fruits in the first battle, their fighting spirits were high enough to pierce the skies. They marched through the wilderness, confident smiles on their faces.
After some hours of marching, they came to behold a strange scene. Great flocks of ravens roamed the skies, blocking out the sunlight completely.
“Halt!” Liu Bei ordered, taking Guan Yu and Zhang Fei along to examine ahead.
“...!”
“Good heavens!” Guan Yu exclaimed and Zhang Fei gaped. Presently they beheld a field of death. Half-eaten bodies covered the land for miles ahead, the ground having lost its color from the old blood stains. They could not see beyond the banners and spears sprouting out of the earth in defeat. The ravens fed on the endless supply of meat, having found their hell-haven. Their shrill cries seemed to pierce into their very hearts.
“It's as if we are beholding the hell itself,” Guan Yu said.
“Brother Liu Bei, I don't think this battle will be as easy as the first one,” Zhang Fei thought aloud. Lifeless corpses, laying in all positions, seemed to concur from the underworld. The land rumbled strangely. The innocent blood of their people seemed to cry out from the ground.
“If they see this, the army may cower in fear,” Liu Bei said thoughtfully.
“It can't be helped,” Guan Yu said and added, “If we turn around here after sighting such things, we will only be the laughs of government troops.”
“All right; we will march on as it is,” Liu Bei decided. They rode back to where the volunteer army was standing by, wondering what their leaders had seen. Soon their curiosity was cured, or rather, replaced with sicker disgust. A decaying field awaited them, occupied by the army of the dead. The high-pitched cries of ravens abominably resounded above them, their dirty yellow eyes beaming with greed. Many soldiers went black in the face, their gorges rising from the nauseous odor. Blocking their path through the bodies were ravens hungrily feeding on them.
“You abominable...” a soldier muttered angrily as he swung his spear at them. “Be off!” he cried, diving his spear into the dead body. The ravens jet out, dusting their cruddy feathers behind them. They circled the skies, a swirl of abyss that drove men's good hearts into the pits of despair.
“Are we going to become like that as well?” a soldier inquired, downcast.
“Don't say such things,” his friend replied, though his eyes gazed towards the ground as well.
Through and through they marched on, arriving at the Qingzhou's castle after a long while. It was not being assaulted presently, but its quiet walls seemed to have lost all will to fight along with their men. Dead bodies lay around atop, with no one to take care of them. Many lay before the castle wall, the Huans having trampled on them as they commenced their daily attacks. The yellow banners surrounded the castle, Chang's declaration of Self-Rule written all over.
Blue sky has already disappeared.
The time for Men of Yellow to rise has come.
In Jia-Zi, the heavens and the earth rejoice.
“The castle is completely surrounded,” Liu Bei said gravely.
“It would have fallen if we were one day late,” Zhang Fei replied, trying to hide his concern.
“We rush towards the Qingzhou's castle presently!” Liu Bei commanded.
“I will have the captain's head again,” Zhang Fei grinned broadly.
“Charge!”
As if to shake off the nausea and the hopelessness, Liu Bei's army charged with roars louder than before. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei rode in the lead gallantly.
* * *
“Boss, the enemy soldiers seem to have appeared,” a Huan reported.
“Oh?” Ping said. It had been a while since a scout rode out from the castle, risking death. They would have almost shot him down if he had not escaped so speedily. Ping gnashed his teeth and walked out of his tent. “Hu-hu-hu, attacking with such a number, eh?” he said in humored relief. Turning to his subordinates, he commanded, “Kill them all!”
“Yahoo!” they cheered. The Huans soon mounted their horses, pouring out of their camps. They came, their outcries a thousand times multiplied by the ring of hooves and hotly fueled by the previous victories.
“Right, come! I will take you!” Zhang Fei shouted as he furiously swung his octane spear in the air. The horsemen fell away in a remarkable speed, but the enemy came surging like the swelling tide. He fought on.
“Where is the captain? Let us have a match!” Guan Yu cried as he commanded the air with his sonorous voice. Two Huans speared him fearlessly, but he was nothing more than annoyed. “Away with you minnows, let me see the captain,” Guan Yu said, slashing the Huan and his spear into half. The other Huan met the same fate. He rode on, searching for the captain.
Everywhere the battle raged on, the Huans mostly dominating and the volunteer army fighting with all their might. Liu Bei was also being attacked from all corners. Striking a spearman, his sword sung in the wind strangely, as if to warn him of a near peril. He turned around to behold a horseman who came from behind to knife him. He shielded the edge, shifting his position. The chaos persisted on all around him, but his royal steed remained patient to its rider. He heard Zhang Fei behind him.
“Out of my way!” Zhang Fei cried. But four Huans presently stopped him, hindering him from getting to Liu Bei. “I suppose you kids do not deem your lives dear,” he said, beheading them all with one swing of his spear. He stopped by Liu Bei and said, “Brother Liu Bei, I think it will be good to withdraw for now. Our side is near collapsing.”
“Yes,” Liu Bei agreed.
“If we do not reorganize our formation, we will be crushed entirely,” Zhang Fei said.
“All right. Let us retreat for the present,” Liu Bei said. Turning, he commanded, “Retreat, all pull out!”
“Pull out!” Zhang Fei cried. As eagerly as dry weeds waiting for the rain, the army pulled out with horrendous speed at the order. The shadow of twilight lingered behind them, pulling a night's cover on the lamentable scene. Unlike the first battle, many had lost their lives in this fight.
* * *
A new day dawned. Liu Bei's tired army sat or lay around, most of them injured. The rest were tending the impaired, their faces turning blue at horrid injuries. Morale lingered with the ground.
“Many died, many got injured,” Guan Yu remarked the obvious. Turning to Liu Bei, he added, “Brother Liu Bei, there is no chance of winning in this state.”
“Yes. We need a new course,” Liu Bei agreed.
“How about this?” Guan Yu whispered as Liu Bei's face lit up curiously.
“All right, let me consult with General Qui Zheng,” Liu Bei said, mounting his horse. He rode across the camp, arriving at Qui Zheng's tent. “I wish to speak to the general,” he asked the guards. The guards bowed and turned to enter the tent, but Qui Zheng peered through the drapes as he had already heard Liu Bei.
“Ahh, Master Liu Bei. Pray do come in,” he offered. Liu Bei walked in. The general smiled knowingly. “They are a little more overwhelming than the previous ones, aren't they?” he asked, sitting down.
“Yes, sir. We must have some tactics for this one,” Liu Bei answered.
“What is your plan?” Qui Zheng inquired as Liu Bei took out his map of the area. The landscape was marked, the castle at one end and the Huan camps noted after it. Zhouzhou's army currently encamped not too away from the castle with the mountains behind them.
“First, let us divide our forces into three,” Liu Bei said, pointing to their camps. He placed his finger on the mountainous area behind the battlefield and added, “Lay Guan Yu on the right, Zhang Fei on the left in ambush. We two can make a direct attack from the front. At a reasonable moment, we will pull out until we come to the hills, and attack the enemy from left and right.”
“A likely plan,” Qui Zheng nodded. “Since we are inferior in numbers, a surprise attack would be effective,” he said and added, “The problem is if they will follow us like we intend.”
“Doubtlessly yes, seeing how they followed our volunteer army up to here,” Liu Bei assured.
“All right, then let us do this,” Qui Zheng said, getting up.
“Thank you for allowing this suggestion,” Liu Bei said politely.
The operation was immediately put into action. Zhouzhou's army soon divided into three, waylaying Guan Yu on the right with a thousand, and Zhang Fei on the left with a thousand. Liu Bei and Qui Zheng commenced their attack from the front.
“Boss! They reappeared!” a Huan shouted from the yellow camp.
“Hu-hu-hu, maybe they want to be pricked more,” Ping replied, his lips curving into a vindictive smile. “This time, leave none alive!” he commanded. His men cheered in loud voices, running out of the camp as they chanted Chang's Self-Rule buoyantly.
Blue sky has already disappeared.
The time for Men of Yellow to rise has come.
In Jia-Zi, the heavens and the earth rejoice.
“They are coming,” Qui Zheng remarked and added, smiling, “Fight adequately until the retreat command. Do not forget to run then.” Then suddenly turning his face stern, he commanded, “Attack!” The banners rushed alongside the spears, roars no less louder than the Huans' vivacious chants. Two armies crashed. The metals clanged ruthlessly, and neither sides yielded an inch. Liu Bei and Qui Zheng watched atop a hill. After about an hour, Liu Bei said, “General, I think it's about time.”
“Mmm,” Qui Zheng murmured and cleared his throat.
“Retreat!”
Zhouzhou's soldiers ran, keeping the panicked look on their faces. All of Zhouzhou and Qingzhou's hopes lay on the outcome of this battle. Some sheathed their swords away and ran ahead; many in the rear kept theirs unsheathed.
“Run!”
“Eeek!”
On the other side, Ping was watching with delight. His triumph seemed apparent.
“Look, the cowards are bolting away,” he remarked and shouted, “All onpursue! Kill them all!”
The Huan army rode after, their horses' hooves on a restless pursue. Their spirits rose sky-high and their hearts seethed with bloodthirst. They were only thinking about the army ahead when they passed Zhouzhou's camps, where Guan Yu's archers were waiting.
“They are coming. Bows, stand by!” Guan Yu commanded. The firing squad notched the arrows onto their strings confidently. The Huans were riding in speedily, almost at the hills.
“Fire!”
Leaving a thousand strings, a thousand arrows whistled. They ruthlessly dove into the Huan flesh and their horses as many shrieked in sudden terror.
“Damn it, they beat us. Retreat!” Ping got up irritatedly. But his order was met with another annoyance.
“Boss, right there...”
“What!” Ping asked irritably. Presently he beheld Zhouzhou's thousand well-trained calvarymen on the left. A great man with beard like whiskers sat upon the captain's horse, grinning.
“Hu-hu-hu, everything's falling in well,” Zhang Fei said and commanded, “Let's go!”
Zhouzhou's army came, the battle cries ringing against the heavens. Zhang Fei rode in the lead, his Octane Serpent Spear held up high.
“Eeek!”
“Ahh!”
The Huans only had but a moment to scream, for Guan Yu with his men rushed in from the right as well. Soon they were in pieces, their arms flying off and their legs rolling about.
“General Qui Zheng, the plan is a great success!” Liu Bei said, turning his horse around.
“Yes,” Qui Zheng smiled and commanded, “Come, let us wipe them out bravely!”
Zhouzhou's main army turned around to face the Huans. Two banners clashed, yellow and white. The battle cries resounded on, and the sandstorm that the calvarymen had brought on enveloped it all, but it seemed to have a special effect upon the Qingzhou's castle as well.
A soldier was dashing through the halls. “Your Honor!” he cried, entering the viceroy's room.
“What is the matter? Have Huans launched an all-out attack or something?” Qingzhou's viceroy asked, clad not in his silk ceremonial robe but full-armored.
“No, but presently Zhouzhou's reinforcements have arrived, locked in a mortal combat with the Huans,” the scout reported.
“What! The aid has arrived!” the viceroy exclaimed. He ran out to the castle top, beholding a war to the knife. His face beamed excitedly.
“Your Honor, now is the time to defeat them,” a general said.
“Yes, open the gates! Let us go out and fight!” the viceroy commanded. The soldiers mounted their horses, the news of reinforcements having built new strengths into their very core. Qingzhou's army rode out vigorously, sprouting like the plants at a longed rainfall. The horsemen showered the Huan army with yet another arrowstorm, and the men with yellow ribbons fell away like helpless twigs. Soon the Huans moldered away, having been attacked from four sides. Tens of thousands of Huan bodies rolled about. Hooves of the horses and blades of the grass drenched with blood on the battleground, and even the sun itself soaked in deep red as it sank against the horizon.
* * *
“Thank you so much. If you were a day late, this castle would have been the Huans' banqueting hall,” the viceroy thanked and added, “Let us eat, and you can rest as much as you'd like.”
“No, we can't do that,” Qui Zheng replied politely. Bowing, he said, “The Huans have not died away from this. We must continue fighting.”
“It would be my pleasure if you stayed a little longer,” the viceroy said kindly, but he knew he could not hold them longer.
“General Qui Zheng!” Liu Bei called.
“What is it?”
“I wish to go to Guang Zhong from here,” Liu Bei said and added, “There hid a teacher called Nu Zhi in Mulberry when I was a youngin. He is a teacher to my knowledge of literature and the arts of war.” His eyes twinkled with a new hope and he continued, “I heard that on the imperial command, he is fighting with fifty thousand men in Guang Zhong, against the leader of the Huans, Chang Ki himself. Since his opponent is the Huans' regular troops, General Nu Zhi seems to be fighting against heavy odds. I wish to go there to help him, however feeble of a help it may be.”
“I understand,” Qui Zheng nodded and added, “You fought well to this day, not yielding a foot at any time. I had wished that you could fight with me forever.” He smiled. “But you lead not a regular army; whatever path you choose to take, I have no right to stop you.” Putting his hands on Liu Bei's shoulder, he gave an encouraging pat. “I will speak well of you to the lord of Zhouzhou. Fight well for your teacher.”
“Yes, sir,” Liu Bei assured. Three brothers bowed in farewell. “Then we take our leave here,” Liu Bei said.
“You will be missed,” Qui Zheng said. They confidently walked out, where their army was eagerly waiting for them.
“We are presently marching to Guang Zhong!” Liu Bei declared as his army greeted him with a hearty cheer. Soon they set out from the castle. Watching from the tower was Qingzhou's viceroy and General Qui Zheng.
“They are great young men. It would have been nice if they were to serve me,” the viceroy said disappointedly.
“My thoughts are the same, Your Honor,” Qui Zheng agreed.
* * *
At that moment, General Nu Zhi was having the devil's time, having to fight with fifty thousand men against one hundred and fifty thousand Huans. Despite their gaudy weapons and armours, the governmental troops thought merely about family, drinks and dainty food that they had left in hometown. The battles did not last so well, for their numbers were only a third of the Huan troops, and the morale had lowered to the pit. Days flew by, only adding to the deaths of governmental troops.
Yet Liu Bei's army, presently riding across the wilderness, was different. All dreamed of tomorrow's brighter dawn, and to earn that dawn, they did not fear death. The souls of Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were particularly on fire, overflowing with love for their country. This passion had enabled them to march forward, even in knowing that the danger lay ahead in a treacherous coil.
Liu Bei's helm gleamed in hopeful blue. It was a bold march towards tomorrow.
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