Chapter 36 Counting Defeat, Not Victory

Hua Xiong was killed, which enraged Dong Zhuo.

He then raised an army of 200,000, which came in two routes: one route was led by Li Jue and Guo Si with 50,000 troops to guard Sishui Pass and hold it firmly.

Dong Zhuo personally led 150,000 troops, along with Li Ru, Lü Bu, Fan Chou, Zhang Ji, and others, to guard Hulao Pass.

This pass is fifty li away from Luoyang.

When the army arrived at the pass, Dong Zhuo ordered Lü Bu to lead 30,000 troops to set up a large camp in front of the pass.

A few days later,

Eager to make a name for himself, Wang Kuang, the governor of Hanoi Commandery, led his troops to the front of the pass.

Lü Bu led 3,000 iron cavalry to meet the attack.

The two formations faced each other.

Wang Kuang saw that the approaching general was wearing a purple-gold crown, a robe adorned with a hundred flowers, and riding a Red Hare horse with his halberd held horizontally. Just as he was about to ask who dared to fight, his general Fang Yue had already charged out on horseback with his spear.

Before five exchanges were over, Lü Bu stabbed Fang Yue off his horse with his halberd and charged straight at Wang Kuang's central army.

Wang Kuangjun suffered a major defeat and scattered in all directions.

Lu Bu charged east and west, his iron hooves leaving corpses strewn across the land in his wake.

Fortunately, Qiao Mao, the governor of Dongjun, and Yuan Yi, the governor of Shanyang, arrived in time and held off Lü Bu with all their might, allowing him to retreat.

The three warlords each lost their troops and retreated thirty li to set up camp.

That night, the rest of the troops arrived one after another.

The feudal lords gathered for a discussion, but no one spoke.

The following day, Lü Bu challenged him to battle.

The eight warlords marched out together, their armies divided into eight divisions, and deployed on the high hills.

Lu Bu led the charge with a cluster of embroidered banners, followed by Mu Shun, a general under Zhang Yang, the governor of Shangdang.

Lü Bu raised his halberd and stabbed Mu Shun off his horse.

Wu Anguo, a general under Kong Rong, the governor of Beihai, charged forward with an iron hammer. After ten rounds of fighting, Lü Bu swung his halberd and severed Wu Anguo's wrist. Wu Anguo then abandoned his hammer and fled.

Eighth Route Army troops marched out and reclaimed Wu'an Kingdom.

Lü Bu calmly withdrew his troops and returned to the front lines.

The feudal lords returned to their camps.

No one in the tent spoke of war.

Wang Kuang broke Fang Yue's arm, Zhang Yang broke Mu Shun's arm, and Kong Rong broke Wu Anguo's arm.

Within two days, all three groups of troops were defeated by Lü Bu alone.

Although the others had not yet clashed, the soldiers of each camp were already trembling at the sight of Red Hare's shadow.

The Allied Forces' main tent.

Yuan Shao sat in the main seat and said, "Lü Bu is brave and invincible. If we capture Lü Bu, Dong Zhuo will be easy to kill."

After speaking, he suddenly turned his gaze to Liu Bei and his entourage, saying, "Our army's morale was dampened at Hulao Pass, while Lü Bu's momentum is surging with consecutive victories. Our leader intends to send a top general to boost the army's morale and blunt his advance..."

Yuan Shao cleared his throat and continued, "However, among all the generals, only Lord Xuande has won every battle. His general Guan Yu killed Hua Xiong while the wine was still warm, which shows his high level of martial arts. He will surely be able to take Lu Bu's head. My generals Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun are also capable of fighting ten thousand men. This important task of being the vanguard is none other than Lord Xuande."

Before Liu Bei could reply, Liu Liang stepped forward and asked, "May I ask, Alliance Leader, how many troops should our army, as the vanguard, advance to the pass?"

Yuan Shao was surprised that Liu Liang would ask directly during the military council, saying, "Since it is a matter of breaking through the pass and attacking the enemy, the more troops the better. Lord Xuande can lead his own troops, and I, the leader of the alliance, will allocate another three thousand troops to assist in the battle."

Liu Liang then asked, "Thank you, Alliance Leader. May I ask how our provisions will be supplied? How will the wounded be evacuated? If our army breaks through the pass, which garrison commanders will follow up to take over the defense? If our army fails to capture the pass after a prolonged siege, where will we set up camp and which units will provide support?"

The four questions in a row were all the most practical aspects of military deployment.

The generals in the tent exchanged glances.

These are questions that pioneers should have asked, but no one thought of them just now.

Or rather, no one dared to tear off this layer of skin directly under Yuan Shao's military order to "entrust him with important responsibilities".

Yuan Shu immediately slammed his fist on the table: "Liu Zishan! What do you mean by this? The alliance leader has entrusted you with the important task of being the vanguard, which shows his high regard for you! And you're interrogating the alliance leader like this? What are your intentions, you mere strategist?"

Liu Liang ignored Yuan Shu and remained facing Yuan Shao: "I dare not question the alliance leader. However, war is dangerous and perilous, and it is my duty. The vanguard is there to fight, not to die. Without clarifying the provisions, reinforcements, retreat routes, and support, the eight thousand soldiers dare not advance rashly."

Yuan Shao's expression darkened slightly, but he did not retaliate.

Gongsun Zan said calmly, "Mr. Liu is overthinking it. As an allied force, we should coordinate as a whole. Once Lord Xuande's troops arrive at the pass, the rear guard will provide supplies."

Liu Liang turned to Gongsun Zan: "May I ask General Gongsun, which garrison is the rear guard? When will they depart? How many days' journey will it take them to reach the vanguard? If we encounter snowstorms, enemy attacks, or road closures, will there be sufficient reserves?"

Gongsun Zan was speechless.

Cao Cao coughed and said, "Mr. Zishan is extremely meticulous, which is truly a blessing for Lord Xuande. However, calculating the path to defeat before the army has even moved seems... premature?"

Liu Liang said, "Lord Cao, in matters of war, I believe there is only one sentence: calculate defeat, not victory."

"Hmm?" Cao Cao immediately became interested, strolled over to Liu Liang, and stood with his hands behind his back: "What is meant by calculating defeat but not victory? I would like to hear your explanation, sir."

Liu Liang said, "To calculate victory, one must consider the following ten factors: if our troops are well-trained and well-supplied, if our soldiers fight bravely, if we have the advantage of timing and terrain, and if the enemy general is foolish enough to walk into a deadly trap. If even three of these factors come true, we will be extremely fortunate. To imagine the perfect scenario of victory before the battle has even begun is like acting in a play, not conducting military operations."

Cao Cao was taken aback, then burst into laughter, saying, "Well said! This is a theatrical performance, not a military campaign! Mr. Zishan is right, I'm all ears!"

Liu Liang continued, "Calculating defeat is different. Are the provisions enough to last twenty days? If not, where is the retreat route? How many retreat routes are there? If they are cut off, where can we take cover and await reinforcements? How many days will it take for reinforcements to arrive? If they don't arrive, should we break out or hold our ground? Which direction should we break out in, and where is the enemy most likely to intercept us? Only when you have calculated all these things clearly and still feel that the battle is fightable, do you truly have a chance of victory. Nine times out of ten, those battles were not lost during the battle itself, but before the battle even began. They didn't ask the questions they should have asked, and they didn't calculate the accounts they should have made, thinking, 'We'll deal with it when the time comes.' How can they not be defeated in this way?"

Yuan Shao's expression was cold and sullen, but he ultimately did not retaliate.

The result of his discussion with Yuan Shu and others was to send Liu Bei's troops to their deaths at Hulao Pass. There was no detailed plan for sending troops.

But military deployment is no child's play. When questioned like this and unable to give a clear answer, one naturally becomes angry and embarrassed, but cannot lash out in public.

Every word Liu Liang said revolved around the phrase "his duty."

It is only natural for the vanguard to ask about supplies, reinforcements, and escape routes.

If he were to be punished for this, it would be said that "the leader of the alliance would not tolerate his subordinates asking questions about military affairs."

Yuan Shao was speechless. His hand holding the cup hovered in mid-air. After a long while, he slowly placed the wine cup back on the table.

Seeing Yuan Shao's unease, Liu Liang grew bolder, saying, "The campaign against Dong Zhuo is a matter of righteousness for the world. The eighteen warlords have sworn an oath of brotherhood, united in purpose and strength. If they are united, why was it Sun Wentai who conquered Sishui Pass, while my lord was the one who attacked Hulao Pass? After the battle of Sishui Pass, General Wentai lost nearly half his troops and is currently resting in his camp. My lord has just arrived and, without even catching his breath, rushed to the aid of Sishui Pass. This time, with only eight thousand troops, we are going to attack and confront the 150,000-strong army at Hulao Pass. May I ask, Lord Alliance Leader, is this a sign of high regard, or is there another consideration?"

The tent was deathly silent.

Yuan Shao glared at Liu Liang and said fiercely, "Liu Zishan! Are you questioning this alliance leader?!"

Before Liu Liang could speak, a man slowly walked out from behind Yuan Shao and raised his voice, "Mr. Zishan, are you perhaps going too far with your words?"

Yuan Shao was somewhat relieved to see that it was his strategist Feng Ji, and introduced him, saying, "This is my subordinate, Feng Ji, also known as Feng Yuantu, a native of Nanyang."