Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1313 Juyong Pass Fails to Conquer Runan in Chaos

The biting wind at Juyong Pass, carrying snowflakes, lashed against Lü Bu's halberd, sending up shards of ice. From September to December, the allied forces' offensive was like waves crashing against rocks, repeatedly repelled by this formidable pass. Catapults struck the walls, leaving only shallow white marks; siege ladders were overturned by rolling logs and stones as soon as they reached the top; even Lü Bu's personal night raid with his elite troops was exposed by the torches on the city walls, resulting in the loss of over a hundred of his elite soldiers.

"This is the pass!" Lu Bu reined in his Red Hare, gazing at the snow-covered city walls. He slammed his halberd heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. "When spring comes, I will smash open this damned city gate!"

Xu Rong wrapped his cloak tighter, his breath instantly dissipating in the wind: "Fengxian, the winters in Youzhou are so cold they can freeze your ears off. If we keep dragging this out, the brothers' hands and feet will freeze stiff. Let's go back to Shanggu County to rest first, and we can fight again in the spring."

A thin layer of ice had formed on Ma Yue's silver spear. He stared at the Yuan flag that was faintly swaying on the gate tower, his fingertips stiff with cold. "Master, General Xu is right. Rather than wasting our time here, we should go back to Shanggu to recuperate and also check on the situation in Jizhou."

Upstairs at the pass, Yan Liang, wrapped in a thick fur coat, watched the allied forces break camp and retreat, a hint of warmth finally appearing on his lips. Wen Chou rubbed his frostbitten hands: "We've finally held this pass, but this winter can really freeze you to death." Shen Pei stood to the side, watching the swirling snow, but remained silent; he knew this was only a temporary respite.

When the allied forces retreated to Shanggu County, blazing fires had already been lit inside the pass. Ma Yue had just removed his frozen armor when he received a report of victory from Ji Province: Ma Chao had personally led a large army to capture Zhongshan and Changshan counties in succession, and his vanguard was less than a hundred li away from Ye City; Xu Huang was advancing like a whirlwind in Yan Province, and the banners of the Xiliang army had already been planted in half of Yan Province.

"Your Majesty's momentum is formidable!" Pan Hu held the battle report, his eyes shining. "At this rate, Ye City probably won't last much longer."

Lu Lingqi was wiping the ice off her spear with a cloth when she heard this and snorted, "What's so great about it? When spring comes, we'll take Juyong Pass and be even more glorious than them." Despite her words, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl upwards.

Lu Bu flipped through the letters sent from Jiangdong and suddenly burst into laughter: "That Zhou Yu kid is no slouch either. Linzi has fallen! Only Liyang in Qingzhou is still barely clinging to life. That Yuan Shang kid is probably too drunk to even cry properly."

Xu Rong spread out a map and circled Yuan Shang's remaining territory with charcoal: the area around Ye City, Liyang, and west of Juyong Pass, which was only half of what it used to be. "This year has been enough to shatter his imperial dreams." He traced Ye City with his fingertips. "When spring comes, my lord will attack Ye City, and we will break through Juyong Pass. We will attack from both sides, and the Yuan family's fate will be sealed."

The snow outside the window fell heavier and heavier. The people of Shanggu County had begun clearing snow to prepare for the New Year. Inside the medical tent, doctors were brewing medicine to ward off the cold, and students were teaching children to write the character "spring." Ma Yue looked at the Xiliang banner fluttering outside the tent and suddenly felt that the blizzard wasn't so cold anymore. Yuan Shang's territory was shrinking, but the warmth in the eyes of the people was gradually growing stronger.

“After spring arrives, Juyong Pass will surely fall.” Ma Yue gripped his spear tightly, and icicles fell from the shaft. “Then, we will go to Ye City to reunite with Father.”

The fire crackled inside the tent, reflecting the light in everyone's eyes. Though this winter was cold, it could not freeze the allied forces' spirit, nor could it stop the changes taking place in Hebei. Yuan Shang's remaining half of the territory was merely a countdown hourglass, while spring, at the end of the snowstorm, had quietly clenched its fist.

The land of Runan was soaked in blood several times. From summer to winter, the tug-of-war lasted for more than half a year, leaving both sides exhausted.

Cao Cao stood on the high platform of his camp, gazing at the distant fortifications of Liu Bei's army, his brow furrowed in deep worry. His soldiers were fierce and valiant, yet they were no match for the sheer number of powerful generals facing Liu Bei. Zhang Fei's eighteen-foot spear could cleave through swathes of spears, Huang Zhong's arrows were deadly accurate, Zhao Yun's spear flew like pear blossoms, and even Wen Ping's sword carried a desperate, relentless force. To make matters worse, Liu Bei had summoned two generals from Shu, Zhang Yi and Zhang Yi, leading 20,000 Sichuan soldiers to reinforce him. These soldiers, clad in straw sandals, charged through the mud, fearless and relentless, repeatedly repelling Cao Cao's offensive.

"Zhu Zan, Su Yu, Sun Li..." Cao Cao murmured the names of his fallen generals, his nails digging deep into his palms. These were all rising stars he had personally promoted, yet they had fallen in the mud of Runan, their bodies never recovered intact. His advisors urged him to retreat, but he shook his head, his eyes red: "Runan is the shield of Qiao County, we cannot retreat!" Though his words were firm, as he watched the dwindling number of flags in the camp, his heart sank deeper and deeper.

The atmosphere in Liu Bei's camp was heavy. Zhang Yi had died in battle, and Pei Yuanshao had also perished on the charge, leaving no last words. Liu Bei touched the battle report on the table, densely covered with casualty figures, his fingers trembling slightly.

"My lord, although the Sichuan soldiers are brave, they are not used to the climate and water, and many of them have fallen ill recently." Zhuge Liang lifted the curtain and entered, his feather fan covered with dust. "Although Cao Cao has lost several generals, he is still reinforcing his troops. If we continue to fight, I'm afraid we will both suffer heavy losses."

Liu Bei gazed at the soldiers training outside his tent. Most of them were wounded, the bloodstains on their armor scabbed over, yet they still stood tall. "Cao Cao is eager to reclaim Runan, but we won't let him have his way," he said hoarsely. "It's just... the brothers have suffered too much."

Huang Zhong stood outside the tent, leaning on his sword, his white beard frosted with sweat. He had just returned from the front lines, wounded by an arrow in the shoulder, but had only given it a simple bandage. "My lord, I can still fight!" he said in a muffled voice. "Even if I only have one breath left, I will keep Cao Cao out of Runan!"

In the distance, scouts from both armies met again on the open field, the sounds of horses' hooves and shouts of battle echoing from afar before quickly fading into silence. A chilling wind carried the desolate chill of the wind, blowing across both camps and across the battlefield strewn with corpses, making one's heart tighten.

Both Cao Cao and Liu Bei knew that the battle had reached a point of no return. But weariness, like a vine, had quietly crept into everyone's hearts. Whether they were Cao Cao's soldiers or Shu soldiers, they all hoped that this endless fighting would come to an end soon.

Snowflakes pelted the tents like crushed salt. The campfires in Cao Cao's camp flickered, illuminating the soldiers' faces, purple with cold. Cao Cao lay on his couch, a towel soaked in strong liquor pressed against his forehead. The excruciating headache made him tremble, his teeth grinding together. Outside the tent, his generals whispered admonitions, but he merely waved his hand, his voice hoarse: "Retreat? Qiao County is right behind us. One step back, and it's an abyss..."

No one dared to offer any further advice. They all knew that their lord's mind was burdened not only by the battle of Runan. On the Hebei battlefield, Ma Chao's advance was unstoppable; half of Yanzhou had already been occupied by Xu Huang, one of Ma Chao's subordinates. Cao Cao's northward advance was blocked. If Runan were lost as well, Yuzhou would become an isolated island, and those Qiao County youths who had risen to power with him might even have their way home cut off. To make matters worse, Cao Ang sent a messenger to persuade his father to suspend the war with Liu Bei and cooperate with Ma Chao to jointly attack Hebei. This triggered Cao Cao's headache. No matter how brightly the bronze incense burner burned in his tent, it could not dispel the gloom between Cao Cao's brows. He gripped the scabbard of his sword beside the bed, as if trying to squeeze all his resentment into the wood.

As the night deepened, the snow fell even heavier. In Liu Bei's camp, Pang Tong, wearing a straw raincoat, lifted the curtain and entered the central command tent. On the map in his hand were the defenses of Cao Cao's camp, the ink slightly blurred by the snow: "My lord, Cao Cao's camp will surely be relaxed tonight. It is the perfect opportunity to raid their camp on a snowy night."

Liu Bei stared at the map and said, "The soldiers will probably have a hard time marching at midnight."

“It is precisely because it is difficult that we have an opportunity to take advantage of it.” Pang Tong waved his feather fan lightly. “General Zhao Yun will attack the left, General Zhang Fei will harass the right, General Wen Ping will cover the rear, and General Huang Zhong will flank the enemy. With four routes attacking simultaneously, we can disrupt their formation. As long as we break through the central army, the rest will be easy to handle.”

As the four generals received their orders, deep footprints were already left in the snow. Zhao Yun, his spear tip covered in snow, was the first to reach Cao Cao's left flank. With a flick of his silver spear, the sentry was knocked off his horse before he could even shout. Zhang Fei's eighteen-foot spear swept through the wooden bolts of the gate, and his roar caused snowflakes to fall in a flurry. Wen Ping led his troops to block Cao Cao's retreat, the glint of their blades blinding in the snowy night. Huang Zhong led his archers, lying in ambush in the shadows, their bowstrings covered in a thin layer of ice.

"Kill!" The shouts ripped through the snowy night, and Cao Cao's camp was thrown into chaos. The soldiers were awakened from their sleep, unable to find their weapons or tell which way to go, and were scattered in all directions.

Zhao Yun advanced with unstoppable momentum, heading straight for the central army.

Hearing the sounds of fighting in his tent, Cao Cao struggled to get up, but a headache made his vision blur. He could only lean on the edge of the bed and roar, "Cao Hong! Where is Cao Hong?!"

The sound of hooves from the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry soon arrived. Cao Hong, sword in hand, charged at the forefront, the cavalry behind him like a black lightning bolt, instantly crashing into the chaotic army. He caught sight of Zhao Yun's silver spear and roared as he charged forward: "Zhao Zilong of Changshan? I am here!" Sparks flew as sword and spear clashed in the snow. Cao Hong was incredibly strong, but he couldn't withstand Zhao Yun's agile spear technique, and after a few rounds, he was forced to retreat repeatedly.

"Don't harm my lord!" Cao Hong roared, knowing he was outmatched, yet he clung to Zhao Yun relentlessly, fighting to the death with every strike. He had only one thought in his mind: protect the central army, protect his lord. Snow fell on his armor, instantly melting in his blood before freezing into shards.

Just then, Huang Zhong, hidden in the shadows, drew his bow to its fullest extent. Three arrows, whistling through the air, flew in a straight line, precisely aimed at Cao Hong's chest. The first arrow pierced his leather armor, the second tore through flesh, and the third sank into his chest. Cao Hong's sword clattered to the ground. He looked down at the arrows in his chest, then gazed towards the central command tent, before finally collapsing heavily into the snow. Blood spread beneath him, quickly covered by the fresh snow.

"General Cao!" The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry soldiers roared as they charged forward. Xu Chu, bare-armed, wielding a broadsword, cut down several Sichuan soldiers, carving a clearing in front of the central army. It wasn't until dawn that Cao Cao's camp managed to hold its ground, but when Cao Cao learned of Cao Hong's death, he coughed up blood and spat it onto the map on his couch.

"Withdraw..." He waved weakly, a headache and heartache churning within him, almost making him faint. "Back to Xuchang..."

The snow was still falling, and the smoke from Cao Cao's camp rose crookedly, only to be blown away by the wind. Liu Bei stood on high ground, watching the retreating figures of Cao Cao's army, his hand gripping the horsewhip tightly. Pang Tong handed him a cloak: "My lord, we have won, but there is nothing to be happy about."

Liu Bei gazed at the devastation, the bloodstains in the snow like blooming red plum blossoms, a horrifying sight. He sighed, "When will this war ever end..."

The distant rising sun pierced through the clouds, shining on the snow and reflecting a blinding light. Soldiers on both sides gazed at the bright sky, their eyes filled with only exhaustion. Both the retreating Cao army and the victorious Jingzhou army had been utterly drained by this winter's fierce battle.