Mythical Three Kingdoms

At this point, the defeat of the Xiliang Army was already sealed by fate, and their annihilation at the hands of Cao Cao seemed inevitable.

Liu Xie had been wracked with anguish for a long time ever since he chose not to forgive Li Jue and his allies during the previous incident. This time, considering the contributions Li Jue had indeed made to Guanzhong, Liu Xie intended to pardon him and his men. However, under persistent pressure from Dong Cheng and others, he ultimately issued the execution order.

It was at this time that Li Fan arrived in Chang’an from Yanzhou. After spending some time with Liu Ye in his role as Li Youu’s steward, he traveled to the area around Youfufeng County in Mei County. There, he visited Fa Zheng’s ancestral home, restoring and refining it in the manner befitting a Marquis, despite its dilapidated state.

Although Fa Zheng did not personally come to Fufeng, the symbols of his prestige and position had already arrived. At less than twenty years old, he was a Marquis—a status that made the Jiangg Family of Fufeng and Wang Family of Fufeng deeply regret their prior actions. Yet, bygones could not be undone, and their differences in rank and importance now were as vast as heaven and earth. Looking back only revealed the absurdity of their former pride.

Without a trace of mockery or disdain, Li Fan simply ordered the restoration of Fa Zheng’s ancestral home to the specifications appropriate for a Marquis. Fa Zheng himself did not appear, yet the men of the Jiangg Family and Wang Family felt their faces flush with redness and burn with shame, their discomfort compounded by a mounting sense of dread.

Over a year earlier, when Fa Yan had come to retrieve Jiangg Ying and the Wang Family Woman, he had left in bitter defeat. Now, none of the Legalists had even shown up, nor had they delivered any curses or boastful remarks. Yet, those men who had once sneered at the fall of the Legalist family now bowed their heads in awe.

Even after Li Fan’s departure, the humiliations surrounding last year’s broken engagement sparked internal disputes within the Jiangg and Wang families. In the end, these discussions bore no resolution; Jiangg Ying and Wang Yi had left long ago, their fate unknown. The women of the Jiangg and Wang families could only mutter that, on their part, they had done all they could.

The marriage between Fa Zheng and Jiangg Ying had not been officially scheduled, and wedding invitations had not been widely sent. Neither the Jiangg Family nor the Wang Family had the face—or the courage—to mention the matter again. If they had set the wrong tone initially, Fa Zheng could very well finish it decisively.

Perhaps the only person qualified to express regret now was the Wang Family Woman. She had missed the chance for a single leap from sparrow to phoenix.

Li Fan’s actions were merely an incidental gesture, venting Fa Zheng’s grievances. More pressing tasks awaited him.

When Li Fan appeared outside the temporary camp where Li Jue was stationed and was spotted by Guo Si, Guo Si was almost scared half to death.

But what followed was uncontainable joy. In such a dire situation, the sight of Li Ru’s old servant was a delight. If Li Ru was still alive, the Xiliang Soldiers could contend with the world’s feudal lords. The Xiliang brave warriors never lacked courage; what they lacked was a spiritual leader.

Upon elevating Li Fan to an eminent position, Li Jue, Guo Si, and Fan Chou led the military officers of the Xiliang Army—those who had previously encountered Li Fan—to interrogate him immediately.

Truth be told, though the current situation was bleak, the Xiliang officers were not low in morale. When serving under Dong Zhuo, they’d witnessed far more brutal circumstances. At least now, their supplies, though limited, could last over three months. Moreover, the Xiliang Army was united in purpose!

”Registrar Li, long time no see. Is the strategist well?” Li Jue led his soldiers in saluting Li Fan.

Upon seeing Li Fan, the military officers erupted in joy. Li Ru was the spiritual pillar for the Xiliang Soldiers. Seeing Li Fan, whom they’d presumed dead, meant the man who had once led them to victory time and again was still alive. With him, they no longer feared anyone.

”The strategist is in good health. He asked me to deliver this to the general.” Li Fan said while handing a letter from his chest to Li Jue.

Li Jue opened the letter, and with one glance, he confirmed it was indeed Li Youu’s handwriting. Behind him, a crowd of soldiers—all illiterate—gleamed with awe, assured by Li Fan that this was undeniably left by Li Ru.

After reading, Li Jue folded the letter and addressed Li Fan, ”Sir, you may leave now. The strategist’s words are etched in my memory; after breaking the Qiang, I will not move into Yongliang absent the strategist’s formal edict.”

Li Fan said no more, departing quietly, driving a carriage toward Yanzhou and then rerouting to Mount Tai. Thereafter, he seldom appeared in public, remaining as Li Youu’s shadow servant with the same lifeless demeanor.

Though Li Jue privately doubted some of Li Ru’s words in the letter, he ultimately chose to obey its contents entirely.

Soon after, Li Jue launched military campaigns against dozens of Qiang clans, including the Jiangg Clan Warrior, the Xianling Qiang, the Shaodang Qiang, the Zhong Qiang, the Lejie Qiang, the Binam Qiang, the Dangqian Qiang, the Hano Qiang, and the Qedong Qiang. Victory followed victory, finally securing the Han Dynasty’s borders. The Qiang clans begrudged these defeats but could do nothing but endure.

After severely striking down over thirty clans who had continuously encroached upon Han territory, Li Jue’s Xiliang forces suffered considerable losses. Subsequently, Hua Xiong absorbed eight thousand elite Xiliang Iron Cavalry and numerous injured Xiliang soldiers. In a move that left many astounded, the Emperor demoted Li Jue, Guo Si, and Fan Chou to Wuxi Colonels, ordering them to take office in the Western Regions effective immediately.

And so, Li Jue, Guo Si, and Fan Chou calmly led a modest force of Xiliang Iron Cavalry out of Yongliang, heading for Cheshi in the Western Regions to assume their posts.

This outcome was essentially the final compromise born of the intricate scheming among Hann Sui, Cao Cao, Yang Biao, and others. Yet the one reaping the rewards was Hua Xiong. Among the true elites of the Xiliang forces, aside from the four thousand Iron Cavalry under Zhang Xiu’s direct command, the remainder had been entrusted to Hua Xiong by Li Jue and his allies before their departure.

After Li Jue’s departure, Hua Xiong, Liu Ye, and Yu Jin also swiftly withdrew from Guanzhong. Upon seeing Xun Yu crossing Hangu Pass into Guanzhong, Xun Shen likewise led his forces to retreat toward Bingzhou.

For Xun Shen, retreating out of Guanzhong was relatively straightforward. For Hua Xiong, however, it carried significant risks. Eight thousand elite Xiliang Iron Cavalry at its core, plus tens of thousands of injured soldiers—these were undeniably the seeds of the most formidable troops in the land. If given the choice, even Cao Cao would not want Hua Xiong to take them away.

Unfortunately, with Guanzhong barely stabilized and Ma Teng consolidating the fragmented Qiang clans into a unified force following the massive defeat dealt by Li Jue and others, his growing strength made him unwilling to settle for just a Marquis title.

Thus, though Hua Xiong’s retreat route was fraught with peril, he managed to withdraw to Yanzhou unscathed. There, Chen Xi awaited the arrival of his subordinates. North of Jiyin across the Yellow River lay Puyang, and further north was Ye City.

”You’ve returned!” Chen Xi rode his horse, gazing at the extended black line approaching the camp. Beside him stood Zhang Fei. The eight thousand Xiliang Iron Cavalry charged forward in the distance, their earth-shaking momentum mingling with an unstoppable aura, leaving everyone momentarily breathless.

The most formidable troops under heaven had arrived in Yanzhou in legion formation. Only on such vast plains could this awe-inspiring military presence be unleashed.(To be continued. If you enjoy this story, please visit qidian.com to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)