Chapter 45: Bing besieged Hulao

Bao Xin was among the far-sighted princes of Guandong. He had been tasked by He Jin to recruit troops in Jibei, and upon his return, he found himself in the company of Dong Zhuo as they entered Beijing. Back then, Dong Zhuo was not as formidable as he is today; he was gradually plotting his ascent in Luoyang. Bao Xin, however, was the one who recognized the looming threat of Dong Zhuo and advised Yuan Shao to deal with him preemptively. Had they followed his counsel, many of the subsequent events might have been averted.

Yet, Yuan Shao had other intentions at the time and did not heed his advice. Despite Bao Xin being a sound choice, both in terms of vision and capability, when facing the onslaught of Lu Bu, he felt overwhelmed. Instinctively, he drew his sword to defend himself, but the decisive battle was clearly not in Bao Xin's favor. In the blink of an eye, Lu Bu was upon him, and Bao Xin's world turned upside down, ultimately fading into nothingness.

A swift stroke of Lu Bu's halberd severed Bao Xin's head. However, at this point, Lu Bu had no time to collect trophies; he was amidst a chaotic sea of battle, his Fang Tianhua halberd reaping lives like the scythe of death. With Bao Xin's demise, the elegant flag of the Northern Army was lost. While the morale of Zhou Ji's Northern Army didn't immediately collapse, the absence of Bao Xin's leadership caused them to lose direction, plunging into disarray. Combined with Lu Bu's relentless rampage through the enemy ranks, their formation inevitably fell into chaos.

In the absence of unified leadership, an army thrown into chaos can quickly spell disaster. Several Jibei generals contemplated a withdrawal and regrouping, while others continued the siege. Without clear orders from their fallen leader, each general acted independently. Lu Bu and Gao Shun, seizing the opportunity, perpetually clashed with the Jibei army. The chaos steadily escalated into pandemonium. As morale plummeted, the soldiers lost their will to fight and their fighting spirit waned. With sufficient time, even if only remnants of the Northern Army remained, Lu Bu could have eventually defeated the Jibei army.

However, the paramount concern at the moment was breaking the siege, not vanquishing the enemy. After Lu Bu reunited with Gao Shun, they swiftly cut a path through the Jibei army, leaving behind the chaotic battlefield. On the other side, Hua Xiong led his troops in pursuit of Qiao Mao, who retreated in disarray. The capabilities of these regional leaders varied; Bao Xin was nowhere near Qiao Mao in terms of military prowess. It was a lamentable outcome that such a talented individual perished amidst the chaos of battle.

Bao Xin had dispatched a messenger to inform Qiao Mao of his intent to cover the Jibei Army's rear. Originally, this was a sound strategy. Even if the Xiliang Iron Cavalry managed to break the Jibei Army's siege, they would still be ensnared by the three surrounding factions, leaving them vulnerable to attacks from the rear.

However, despite the strategy's merit, both the Dongjun Army and Yuan Yi's Shanyang Army were composed of recruits, mostly civilians armed with weapons. They were ill-equipped to execute Bao Xin's plan. In the end, not only did Lu Bu break free from the siege, but he also failed to seal the gap, resulting in Hua Xiong and the Xiliang Iron Cavalry humiliatingly storming through.

By the time Lu Bu killed Bao Xin and returned with Gao Shun and the remaining Northern Army, Qiao Mao had already penetrated the Shanyang Army's ranks. As they stared blankly at Hua Xiong, who had joined Lu Bu's forces, the Dongjun Army had been decisively defeated, and while the Shanyang Army hadn't completely collapsed, it was in dire straits.

Both Qiao Mao and Yuan Yi gazed at Lu Bu's departing figure, momentarily speechless. This was likely the first time the Central Plains lords had genuinely experienced the terrifying combat prowess of the frontier armies. Before these battle-hardened soldiers, they were like vulnerable maidens stripped of their protective garments.

Yuan Yi was the first to shake off his stupor after some time, asking, "Why did they head eastward?" Suddenly, he sensed that something was amiss. Lu Bu had just eliminated all the princes of the Eight Towns, so why were they still fleeing? Was there no one to stop them?

Upon hearing this, Qiao Mao also turned his gaze in the direction of Lu Bu, puzzled. Only now did he realize that something was awry. He ordered a subordinate to inquire about the situation, wondering what had transpired.

Now that they had regained their senses, it was evident that Lu Bu's actions were perplexing. What exactly was he trying to achieve?

In front of Hulao Pass, Gongsun Zan had anticipated Lu Bu's return. He had joined forces with Kong Rong, Zhang Yang, and Tao Qian, positioning a formidable army there. The plan was to capture Lu Bu upon his return, yet instead of Lu Bu, they received news of Bao Xin's death in battle.

"Lu Bu killed Prefects Qiao Mao and Yuan Yi and left?" Confusion gripped everyone. What was Lu Bu's motive?

Gongsun Zan gazed at the chaotic battlefield in the distance, the dispirited coalition soldiers, and an inexplicable sense of frustration welled up within him.

This time, the eight town lords had gathered at Hulao, only to be defeated by Lu Bu and his few thousand soldiers and horses. Baima Yicong had held their ground, but the other lords of Beihai and Bingzhou had been routed by Lu Bu. The Danyang army had refrained from participating in the battle. Hanoi's Wang Kuang had been beheaded, and the Hanoi army had scattered. Bao Xin, the Minister of Jibei, had perished in combat, and Qiao Mao and Yuan Yi had been directly slain.

No one knew the extent of Lu Bu's losses, but it was clear that the lords of the eight towns of the coalition had suffered a heavy blow at Hulao Pass.

"Could he be planning a sneak attack on the alliance leader's main camp?" Kong Rong furrowed his brow.

There was a brief moment of contemplation, followed by unanimous head-shaking. Such an audacious move would be suicidal. Yuan Shao's forces were formidable, and they outnumbered Lu Bu's troops. If Lu Bu were to launch an attack at this moment, it would be tantamount to marching to their deaths.

"Nevertheless, let's report this to the alliance leader and let him decide," Tao Qian suggested, not wanting to provoke an enemy capable of wiping out the coalition lords of eight towns with just a few thousand soldiers.

"Brother, why do I have a feeling that Lu Bu might be attempting to break through?" Zhang Fei leaned in closer to Liu Bei and whispered.

Despite his best efforts to lower his voice, Zhang Fei's naturally gruff voice made his hushed tones sound like regular conversation.

Liu Bei pondered the thought for a moment, then turned to address the group. "Regardless of the reason, it's clear that the highly skilled Lu Bu is no longer guarding Hulao Pass. At this moment, the pass is vulnerable, and we have an opportunity to break through in one fell swoop!"

"Agreed!"