Chapter 32 Zhao Yun vs. Hua Xiong at Sishui Pass
Before Zhao Yun set out, Liu Liang had specifically instructed him: "Zilong, Sun Wentai is brave and fierce. I fear he may be angered and recklessly advance due to greed for merit. The Xiliang army is skilled in using cavalry, so there may be ambushes. If you accompany him, do not strive for merit. You must take good care of General Sun and his generals, especially that general named Zu Mao. If he is in danger, you must rescue him. Hua Xiong is brave and fierce, so do not underestimate him. But with your abilities, you can handle the rescue."
Zhao Yun kept this advice in mind and did not charge with Sun Jian's main force. Instead, he led his own cavalry to patrol the flanks and keep a close eye on the battle situation.
When Zhao Yun saw that all the ambush troops had come out, he knew something was wrong and ordered all his troops to stay put and guard the grain supplies.
He charged towards the banner alone, just in time for Hua Xiong to cleave Zu Mao in two at the critical moment.
Seeing that someone could withstand his full-force strike, Hua Xiong was startled and shouted, "State your name, general!"
Zhao Yun did not answer. With a flick of his silver spear, it transformed into countless cold stars, piercing Hua Xiong's face, throat, and heart—a move that was both swift and accurate.
Hua Xiong quickly swung his sword to parry, only to find that his opponent's spear technique was superb and his strength was profound, making him a formidable foe.
The two exchanged blows with swords and spears for more than ten rounds. Hua Xiong realized that he could not gain the slightest advantage and was instead gradually losing ground.
Taking advantage of this lull, Zu Mao was able to catch his breath, while Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Han Dang each fought their way through the encirclement and moved closer to Sun Jian.
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Zhao Yun feigned an attack, turned his horse and rode away, not engaging Hua Xiong in a life-or-death struggle. At the same time, he ordered his cavalry to fire arrows to block the enemy and cover the retreat of Sun Jian and his generals.
Taking advantage of the situation, Sun Jian rallied his defeated troops and, with Zhao Yun's cavalry covering the rear, finally broke through the encirclement and retreated to safety.
A headcount revealed that nearly 30% of the troops had been lost, but fortunately, the shipment of grain that Zhao Yun was escorting was mostly preserved because it was located at the back.
More importantly, although the four core generals, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, and Zu Mao, were all wounded, none of them died in battle.
Sun Jian was still shaken, feeling both fear and gratitude.
Sun Jian walked up to Zhao Yun and solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute: "If it weren't for General Zilong today, I would have been in dire straits, and the lives of my brothers Zu Mao would have been in grave danger! This kindness will be forever etched in the hearts of Sun Jian and the men of Jiangdong!"
Zhao Yun returned the greeting and said, "General Sun, you flatter me. I came here on orders and will do my best. Before I left, Mr. Liu instructed me that the battlefield is dangerous, and I must be wary of Hua Xiong's ambush and take good care of the generals under your command. I have done my duty."
Upon hearing this, Sun Jian was filled with emotion.
Only now do I truly understand the profound meaning behind Liu Liang sending Zhao Yun to help.
This is not just reinforcements, but saviors.
When news of Zhao Yun rescuing Zu Mao at Sishui Pass and helping Sun Jian's defeated army retreat unscathed reached the Suanzao camp, all eighteen warlords were astonished.
No one expected that a little-known general under Liu Bei would be able to save people from Hua Xiong's blade and hold his own against Hua Xiong.
The most complex reaction came from Gongsun Zan.
His face was pale and ashen, and his heart was filled with remorse.
He knew of Zhao Yun's bravery before, but he never expected him to be this brave.
Such a valiant general, originally his vanguard, has now become Liu Bei's man and is shining brightly in front of the allied forces.
Gongsun Zan felt a burning sensation on his face, as if he had been slapped in public.
Yuan Shu was furious.
After failing to obtain any grain from Liu Bei's camp that day, a spy reported that Liu Bei had sent most of the grain to Sun Jian's army with Zhao Yun before the spy arrived, leaving less than 10% of the grain in his own camp.
He originally intended to use his power over the grain supply to control Sun Jian, but Liu Bei secretly pulled a fast one, thwarting his plan.
"Hypocrite! That Liu Bei, on the surface he's benevolent, but underneath he's full of tricks!" Yuan Shu slammed his cup down in his tent.
When Cao Cao and Yuan Shao heard the battle report, they praised Liu Bei in public for his "appropriate handling" and "timely rescue," but their fear of Liu Bei's power deepened.
This Liu Bei seems to be more complex than he appears.
Taking this opportunity, Yuan Shu once again launched an attack at the meeting of warlords, saying, "Although Sun Wentai was defeated, the loss of provisions is also a fact. As an allied force, the allocation of provisions must be fair to all! Xuande's troops have not yet submitted the full amount of provisions as required. What is the reason for this? Do they really intend to set up their own independent force?"
This time, Yuan Shu had learned his lesson and rallied the crowd: "Gentlemen, we have all followed orders. Is Liu Bei exempt from this?"
Some warlords who already looked down on Liu Bei, or who were on good terms with Yuan Shu, chimed in, "Gonglu is right!"
Gongsun Zan exclaimed, "Since we are allied forces, we should be treated the same way!"
Liu Bei had not expected Yuan Shu to bring up the old matter again, and to be so relentless. Just as he was about to get up and discuss countermeasures with Liu Liang beside him, he saw his adoptive father calmly cast a glance at him.
His gaze was as calm as a still pool, as if to say, "No need to rush, Godfather has his own plan."
Liu Bei made up his mind, but swallowed the words that were about to come out. He simply straightened his sleeves and sat down calmly.
Liu Liang then stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting to Yuan Shao and the others, and said, "Alliance Leader, esteemed gentlemen, General Yuan's words seem fair, but in reality, they are not. May I ask what official positions you all hold?"
Everyone was taken aback.
Yuan Shu, growing impatient, asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Liu Liang said, "Those present are all governors, prefects, or generals and colonels appointed by the imperial court, commanding several counties in a province with abundant grain and taxes. My lord, Liu Xuande, is merely the magistrate of Anxi County, governing only one county with a small population and meager taxes. If the allied forces' grain rations are apportioned according to the principle of 'equal treatment,' regardless of the size of their territory, population, or tax burden, but only based on their title as 'warlords of one region,' wouldn't that be like making a lean horse carry a thousand pounds while a wealthy household pays a peck of rice? How can this be considered fair?"
Upon hearing this, the previously noisy tent fell silent for a moment.
Liu Liang continued, "If it is truly necessary to pay, that is fine. Then I ask the Alliance Leader and all the gentlemen to establish a set of rules, apportioning the contributions according to the population and tax revenue of each town. At that time, Anxi County will contribute whatever amount is due, without any objection. Otherwise, it can be based on official rank, with us county magistrates contributing one-tenth of the amount contributed by the prefects and governors, which would also be reasonable. If Anxi County is required to contribute the same amount of grain and provisions as Nanyang Prefecture, Jizhou, and Youzhou, please forgive us for being unable to do so, and I fear it is not the Alliance Leader's original intention in gathering righteousness to quell the bandits."
These words are well-reasoned and supported by evidence. They not only point out the fact that there is a huge disparity in strength among the feudal lords, but also throw back the difficult question of the standard of "fairness".
If taxes were to be levied based on household registration, many of the feudal lords present here, who occupy wealthy territories, would probably have to pay even more.
The tent fell silent for a moment; some people frowned, while others were deep in thought.
Cao Cao suddenly burst into laughter: "Mr. Liu, what eloquence and cunning you possess! According to your logic, it seems as if we are bullying Lord Xuande. How about this..."
Cao Cao turned to Yuan Shao: "Brother Yuan Shao, since Xuande is a member of the Han imperial family and has rendered meritorious service to the state by suppressing the Yellow Turbans and rescuing Sun Jian, it is truly unfair that he is only a county magistrate, and it is difficult for him to do his best. Why don't we jointly petition the court to appoint Xuande as the governor of Zhongshan? In this way, it will be legitimate and the matter of provisions will naturally be easier to discuss."
Liu Liang understood Cao Cao's underlying meaning: he was trying to exchange an empty promise for real benefits. He immediately replied, "I appreciate Cao Cao's kind intentions. However, who controls the court now? Dong Zhuo. To submit a memorial to Dong Zhuo requesting an official position for the one who leads the campaign against him? This is unlikely to succeed and would only invite ridicule. Moreover, today's campaign against Dong Zhuo is for the greater good of the nation, not for seeking official positions. We can discuss official positions after Dong Zhuo is beheaded and the Emperor returns to court. For now, it is best to act according to our actual capabilities."
Seeing the exchange of words between the two sides, and fearing further complications that could jeopardize the overall campaign against Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao stepped in to set the tone: "Very well, what Mr. Liu said is not without merit. Lord Xuande's official rank is low, and his troops and provisions are indeed difficult to compare with those of the other garrisons. In that case, let's proceed as previously discussed: the provisions and fodder that Xuande's troops submit can be calculated at one-fifth of those of the other garrisons, to ensure fairness and not violate the laws of the allied forces. Lord Xuande, what do you think?"