Chapter 29: The Central General

By noon, the troops from various routes who had pursued the enemy began to return. Zhao Yun had killed Bo Cai, and other generals such as Guan Yu had also achieved notable victories.

Success in such matters often depended on luck—encountering a major leader was a win, but encountering a minor one was inevitable. Now the busiest were the civil officials like Tian Feng, who were swamped with recording battle achievements, preparing reports, and submitting them to various locations.

A few days later, the three armies set out southward, sweeping through the Yellow Turban rebels in various regions.

By mid-May, upon reaching Nanyang, the first major battle was set to strike the Yellow Turban forces led by Zhang Mancheng, aiming to relieve the siege of Wan Cheng.

During this period, Liu Zhan ceased to vie for credit and consistently showed respect to Huangfusong and Zhu Jun. In all engagements, he made the forces of General Huangfu and Zhu Jun the main troops, using his own army as support. This modesty won him further favor from Generals Huangfu and Zhu.

At the same time, the court's rewards were announced, encouraging Huangfusong, Zhu Jun, and others to continue their efforts against the Yellow Turban rebels. Liu Zhan was praised for his outstanding achievements and promoted to the rank of Central General.

This promotion was significant, placing him on par with General Huangfu. It was said that having connections in court made it easier to get promoted. Since the deployment of troops, Liu Zhan had sent battle reports to Liu Yan. Liu Yan then organized these reports and sent them to the court.

The court's reward was likely in recognition of Liu Zhan's achievements before the killing of Zhang Bao or the relief of Qingzhou's siege. Liu Yan, being of royal descent, naturally carried more weight than Liu Zhan. With Liu Yan's commendations, extolling the young talent of the royal family, it was only natural for the emperor to take notice.

In Nanyang, Zhang Mancheng's Yellow Turban army had besieged Wan Cheng with a large force since March. Despite the stubborn resistance of the Nanyang governor, Qin Xie, both sides were locked in a stalemate.

One would expect that with tens of thousands of troops attacking Wan Cheng in turns, the city would be taken. However, in their haste to conquer the city, the Yellow Turbans neglected to keep scouts and sentries behind, leaving themselves vulnerable.

The Yellow Turbans' ignorance of military tactics led to disaster. After ending the Changshe battle, Huangfusong, Zhu Jun, and Liu Zhan moved south, arriving behind Zhang Mancheng, ready to deliver a decisive blow.

Huangfusong and Zhu Jun led the campaign, with Liu Zhan's troops positioned in the rear as support.

Huangfusong's 30,000 troops and Zhu Jun's 10,000 were arrayed in a formidable formation, their armor gleaming and weapons ready. They advanced towards the Yellow Turbans' rear camp in a majestic and overwhelming display of military might. The very air on the battlefield seemed to freeze, as if the wind itself had stopped.

The flags rolled like massive waves, and the battle cries of over 40,000 men shouting "Kill!" echoed across the plains, shaking the very earth. The Yellow Turbans, terrified, could only flee as they dared not face the oncoming storm.

Upon receiving urgent reports, Zhang Mancheng and the Yellow Turban leaders were horrified to learn that the enemy was the official army led by Huangfusong from Changshe. Had Bo Cai from Changshe been defeated? How else could they have attacked Nanyang? The situation looked dire, and Zhang Mancheng urgently ordered a halt to the attack on Wan Cheng and concentrated forces against Huangfusong's army.

Although the official troops were well-equipped and their formations powerful, the sheer number of Yellow Turban rebels swarmed in overwhelming numbers, almost drowning out the official army's attacking formations.