Chapter 81, Chapter Twelve: Close Combat

Upon receiving a letter from Pu Hong, he said that the two of them would each lead a thousand men to fight in an open wasteland. If he lost, he would surrender immediately, while if Liu Jun lost, he would have to hand over Qin Prefecture.

Liu Jun was quite surprised. He had considered the best-case scenario: that Pu Hong was lured by petty gains, or that his alliance with the person behind him was not solid, and that he would take the initiative to seek peace when he saw that the Qiang people were profiting from the situation. He had considered the worst-case scenario: that Pu Hong was stubbornly loyal, or that he was ambitious and wanted to fight him to the death to seize Guanzhong. But he never expected that this barbarian would come up with such a strange method.

"This is a matter of national importance; how can it be treated so lightly?" Liu Shu exclaimed in surprise. "These barbarians are treacherous; brother, do not trust them so easily!"

Wei Xiong added, "If this is a challenge in name only, it is actually a trap. Your Excellency is of high status; how can you risk such a dangerous mission? It would be better if we went in your stead to ensure your safety."

Liu Jun turned to look at Zhuge Yong, "If Zhuge Liang were alive, what decision would he make?"

Zhuge Yong said solemnly, "He will personally lead a thousand elite soldiers to the meeting, while also leaving ten thousand troops in ambush in case of unforeseen circumstances."

"Hmm." The answer was comprehensive, but it was clearly somewhat mediocre, so Liu Jun remained noncommittal, smiling without saying a word.

Zhuge Yong bowed slightly. "Furthermore, in terms of manpower, land, and provisions, the Great Jin is far superior to this enemy. Even if you, my lord, were to fall for his treacherous scheme and unfortunately suffer a defeat, you must not easily hand over Yongzhou to him."

"If we don't give it to them, wouldn't that be breaking our promise and becoming a laughingstock to the world?" Liu Jun asked with interest.

Zhuge Yong then said, "We can leave behind the officials below the rank of Sima and take the people away. The surrounding prefectures and counties of Qin Province are all controlled by the Great Jin. Even if he gets Yong Province, it will be nothing but an empty city."

“Not bad,” Liu Jun had thought that he was like Zhuge Zhan, a person whose virtue outweighed his talent and whose family background outweighed his achievements. He was surprised to find that he was quite insightful. “Not only that, if I really lose, I still intend to appoint him as the governor of Qin Prefecture.”

"This..." The group looked at each other in bewilderment.

Liu Jun coldly said, "Judging from the armor and weapons in his army, his rebellion must have been instigated by someone. No matter what he thinks, as long as His Majesty has given him this governorship, the person behind him will suspect that he colluded with us to stage a play so easily to obtain Yongzhou. Since they have become suspicious, they will certainly not send troops to rescue him, but will instead do their best to attack Chang'an. Pu Hong can only be trapped in the siege, while on the contrary, if I do not get entangled with him, I will only need to give up a thousand or so troops at most, and I can still take the rest of the main force back to resist the foreign enemy."

"What you say is absolutely right, sir!"

Liu Jun stood up. "Very well, then let's follow your plan and summon the Lynx Guard General to see me."

Just as Emperor Wu of Wei entrusted the most elite Tiger and Leopard Cavalry only to Cao Xiu, Cao Zhen and other members of the Cao clan, Liu Jun's Lynx Camp had always been held solely by the Liu family. At this time, the Lynx Camp was directly controlled by his cousin Liu Yin.

When Liu Yin entered, only Liu Jun was inside the tent, deep in thought as he looked at the map. Liu Yin straightened his clothes and bowed, saying, "My lord!"

“Ziji? There’s no need for such formalities between brothers.” Liu Jun raised his hand. “Come, you know the whole story now. I plan to select a thousand fierce warriors from the Lynx camp. I will personally lead the team, and Wei Xiong will lead ten thousand elite troops to meet us.”

Seeing Liu Yin frown, Liu Jun patiently explained, "I have something more important for you to do. I guess Pu Hong will definitely choose Shanggui."

Liu Yin examined the map closely. “That’s right. This place is located in the east of Tianshui Commandery. Once we occupy this place, we can go east to Guangwei Commandery and west to occupy Ji County, and then control the entire Tianshui.”

Liu Jun looked up at him with satisfaction, "Ziji has truly lived up to the name of the Liu family's tiger cub. Among the brothers of this generation, you are the most knowledgeable and skilled in military affairs."

"I wouldn't dare. How could I possibly talk about military strategy in front of my elder brother? Even if I have some knowledge of it, it's only because you've taken me under your wing and taught me by example." Liu Yin struggled to suppress his smug expression, which earned him a gentle smile from Liu Jun.

“Back then, Shanggui was a strategic point in the northwest of Cao Wei. It had been developed for generations and was naturally easy to defend and difficult to attack. No wonder Zhuge Liang and later Jiang Wei attacked it many times, but always returned empty-handed.” Liu Jun said solemnly, “In that case, I want you to ambush them at Panzhong Mountain. No matter whether they try to escape or fight, we will have a response.”

"only!"

The day Pu Hong chose was a rare sunny day. The sky was a clear, deep blue, the autumn wind was blowing, the vegetation was lush, and all kinds of animals were dancing. There was not a trace of the desolation of a chaotic world.

Liu Jun glanced at him and felt that the Di chieftain was quite capable. As the drums and horns sounded, he saw a rider step out from the ranks. He was handsome and imposing, and his appreciation for talent grew even stronger. So he also rode forward.

The young general that Pu Hong saw was handsome, but unlike those gentle and effeminate young masters from noble families, he was also heroic and imposing, but unlike ordinary military generals who were burly and rough, he was truly elegant and graceful. Pu Hong recalled the last time he risked his life to rescue his allies and escaped with minimal losses, and he couldn't help but admire him.

I thought there would be some pleasantries, but Liu Jun simply said, "Chief, I have brought all the men. Since it is a competition, there is no need for those formalities. Let's draw up a clear plan for the competition."

He was calm and collected, as if he were not on a ruthless battlefield, but rather enjoying tea under the pines in the forest.

Pu Hong was wary and dared not be overconfident. He ordered his troops to be arrayed in battle formation. The side whose number of men first fell below five hundred would be declared the loser.

If there are more than five hundred, their skill is unclear; if there are fewer than five hundred, many have died or been injured. This Di person still has some compassion.

Liu Jun nodded. "What about the two of us?"

Remembering his previous agreement with that person, Pu Hong felt regretful, but thinking of the future of the Di people, he still gritted his teeth and said, "Life or death is irrelevant."

There was a slight commotion among the Di people, but the Jin army behind Liu Jun remained silent, the soldiers gripping their weapons tightly and not moving an inch.

"Alright! Then let life and death be the end of it!" Liu Jun raised his lance.

On the 24th day of the tenth month of the seventh year of the Jianyuan era, Liu Jun fought against Pu Hong, the chieftain of the Di people, at Shanggui. The two sides fought fiercely and neither side gained the upper hand. In the end, Liu Jun arranged his chariots in an arc, with archers and crossbowmen supporting the rear and cavalry flanking the sides. After giving the order, no matter how the cavalry charged, they could not break through the chariots. The archers calmly and continuously shot until the enemy's morale was low and their formation was in disarray. Then, he ordered the cavalry to charge. In the ensuing fierce battle, the enemy suffered heavy casualties. This formation was later known as the Crescent Moon Formation.

Pu Hong remained silent, knelt on the ground, and offered his weapon with both hands.

Liu Jun glanced at the situation and then ordered Lu Jing behind him to take the order. "How many of Shi Le's spies are in your army? Can you control them and prevent them from escaping?"

Pu Hong looked up, utterly astonished. "How did you know?"

"Ha, the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind; he's dreaming!" Liu Jun, seated on his horse, looked down at him. "Zhang Bin, is that so?"