Chapter 30: Give Me a Fulcrum
Since March, the Nanyang governor, Qin Xie, and the people of Wan Cheng had been stubbornly resisting the siege laid by over 100,000 troops. They had fought hard for nearly a hundred days. It was only today, under the assault of the combined armies of Huangfusong, Zhu Jun, and Liu Zhan, that they were finally defeated, thus relieving Wan Cheng.
Exhausted, the people of Wan Cheng breathed a sigh of relief and wept tears of joy.
The defeat of the Yellow Turbans in Yingchuan and Runan essentially signaled the beginning of the end for Zhang Jiao's Yellow Turban Rebellion. This shift in power allowed the Eastern Han court to free up resources to address uprisings in other regions, alleviating the immediate threat to the capital.
At this point, the strategic positions of the Eastern Han court and the Yellow Turbans had changed. The court had shifted from a defensive to an offensive stance. This was a turning point in the entire campaign, marking the beginning of the Eastern Han court's initiative and advantage.
Qin Xie hosted a banquet in Wan Cheng to honor Huangfusong, Zhu Jun, and Liu Zhan, rewarding the troops. The three armies took a brief respite in Wan Cheng, with the main focus on replenishing supplies and planning their next military actions.
Liu Zhan advised General Huangfu, "General Huangfu, now that the Yellow Turban rebels here have been defeated and scattered, they will not pose a significant threat. I plan to continue pursuing them to eliminate the major forces. You could proceed north to capture Zhang Jiao, which would be a great achievement. I won't be joining in the immediate pursuit for now. What do you think?"
Huangfusong understood that Liu Zhan was considering his position and trying to avoid competing for accolades. While Liu Zhan had achieved some merit, it was not extraordinary, and it would not be proper to claim all the credit. Moreover, General Lu Zhi had supported Huangfusong earlier, so it was only fair to return the favor.
Liu Zhan's suggestion to avoid competing for credit and focus on eliminating scattered troops was a practical approach.
Huangfusong responded, "I understand your intentions, younger brother. I will discuss this with General Zhu Jun. If he agrees, we will proceed together. Otherwise, if he has other plans, I will go alone."
After consulting with Zhu Jun, it was decided that Zhu Jun would stay in Ruyang to consolidate the area and prevent any resurgence of the Yellow Turbans. Liu Zhan would continue pursuing the Yellow Turban forces, while Huangfusong would lead his troops north to support Lu Zhi and eliminate Zhang Jiao's main forces. Thus, the armies were divided and assigned their respective tasks.
Meanwhile, upon learning that Huangfusong and others were besieged by the Yellow Turbans in Changshe, the court urgently dispatched troops. Cao Cao was appointed as the Cavalry Commander and led 5,000 cavalry and infantry to assist.
At that time, the court was unaware that Liu Zhan had already arrived near Changshe, set it on fire, and defeated the Yellow Turbans, thus lifting the siege on Huangfusong in Changshe.
Therefore, when Cao Cao arrived near Changshe, he was informed by the locals that the bandits had been eliminated. General Huangfu had directed them to move to Guangzong to support General Lu Zhi and eliminate Zhang Jiao's main forces.
Cao Cao was frustrated, realizing that his rapid march had been in vain. His hopes of achieving great merit at Changshe were dashed, and he had no choice but to redirect his forces towards Hebei.
The worst situation fell upon Liu Bei. When Xuande arrived at Lu Zhi's camp, he was greeted warmly as an old acquaintance. Lu Zhi was pleased to see Liu Bei and hosted a banquet for him and Zhang Fei.
Zhang Fei, thrilled to dine with such high-ranking officials for the first time, felt a deep admiration for his elder brother. After all, being of royal descent was the only way he could have met such high-ranking officials.