On the north bank of the Dahe River, at the Heyang Ferry Camp.
The river makes a bend here, its surface wide and its turbid waves surging.
On the north bank, 30,000 troops camped along the river for twenty miles, their banners like a forest and their swords and spears gleaming in the sun.
In front of the central command tent, Han Zhong stood on a high slope, gazing at the opposite bank.
The autumn wind howled, fluttering the hem of his dark battle robe.
"General Han, it's windy, come inside." Xiong Dayong walked over and handed him a cloak.
Han Zhong took the cloak, but did not put it on.
Looking at the Fengtian Army outposts that were faintly visible on the opposite bank, he suddenly asked, "Marshal Xiong, you should be relieved now, right?"
Xiong Dayong was taken aback, then blushed and said, "This humble general is ashamed. I never expected the general to be so mighty in the Battle of Yishuichuan. I was truly blind. When I see the general, I will definitely apologize with a bundle of thorns on my back."
"I would appreciate it if Commander Han could put in a good word for me with the General."
Seeing that Xiong Dayong had taken a stand and realized his mistake, Han Zhong smiled slightly: "You abandoned the darkness and turned to the light, and you held Li Bao back in Ye City for a month, which was a great contribution to the General's preparations for Dengzhou."
"The general is fair in rewarding and punishing, so you don't need to worry."
Xiong Dayong suddenly looked up.
Han Zhong pointed to the opposite bank: "Tomorrow we will cross the river. You will lead 10,000 Hebei troops as the vanguard and take Bianzhou directly."
"Commander Han..." Xiong Da's voice trembled, "This humble general... this humble general is unworthy of such a position..."
"This is the General's secret pre-battle order." Han Zhong took out a sealed letter with sealing wax from his bosom. "The General said that Xiong Dayong's loyalty is beyond question and he should be given an important mission."
Xiong Da knelt down and accepted the secret letter with both hands.
Upon unfolding it, it was indeed Zhao Muyun's own handwriting, the characters strong and vigorous:
"Governor Xiong is a man of great talent and should be able to take charge of a region independently. If he can capture Bianzhou and pacify Henan, then the morale of the Hebei army will be stabilized and the hearts of the people will be won over."
Tears blurred Xiong Dayong's vision.
He worried that his previous self-preservation, his demand for exorbitant prices, and his failure to do his utmost to let Li Bao leave, as advised by his advisor Guo Huai, would incur Zhao Muyun's wrath.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Muyun said that his loyalty was beyond question.
"This humble general...this humble general will surely take Bianzhou!" Xiong Dayong kowtowed heavily. "If I fail, this humble general will bring his head to face me!"
Han Zhong helped him up: "I want you to take Bianzhou, but more importantly, I want you to live. Remember, the General doesn't want a dead city, but a complete Henan."
"If you can persuade them to surrender, then do so; if you can outsmart them, then do so. Zhang Bi, the garrison commander of Bianzhou, is an old acquaintance of yours, isn't he?"
Xiong Dayong nodded: "Yes, he is from the same hometown as me."
"That's good." Han Zhong's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "After you cross the river, don't attack the city yet. Send someone to Zhang Bi to tell him about the great victory at Yishui and that Li Jingang's situation is hopeless."
"Tell him again—if he surrenders, I will allow him to retain his original position and ensure the safety of his whole family. If he resists stubbornly... on the day the city falls, not a single chicken or dog will be spared."
"Understood, sir!"
Han Zhong looked south, towards the direction of the Yi River: "The General should have finished cleaning up the battlefield and is heading north. We must cut off Li Jingang's retreat before the General reaches the capital. If this battle succeeds, the world can be at peace."
Xiong Da nodded emphatically.
That night, Han Zhong summoned his generals and made arrangements to cross the river.
"Gentlemen, the General has annihilated 200,000 Fengtian troops at the Yi River, which has shaken the world."
Han Zhong stood in the center of the military tent, his voice resounding, "But we cannot rest on our laurels. While the General is fighting a bloody battle on the front lines, we in the rear must also demonstrate our might!"
He unfolded the map: "At dawn tomorrow, the entire army will cross the river. We will divide into three routes—Xiong Dayong will lead 10,000 Hebei troops as the left route to take Bianzhou; I will lead 10,000 Hedong troops as the central army to directly attack Zhengzhou; and Liu Pan and Wang Ben will lead 10,000 troops on the right route to take Mengjin."
"Remember, our mission is not to conquer cities and territories, but to cut off Li Jingang's retreat. If Li Jingang is defeated, he will inevitably flee to Shandong. We must get ahead of him and block that route!"
The generals shouted in unison, "Yes, sir!"
After completing the deployment, Han Zhong walked out of the main tent alone.
On an autumn night by the river, the wind was strong, carrying moisture and chill.
Han Zhong walked to the riverbank.
The mighty river flows eastward.
A river breeze blows, carrying the faint sound of distant bugles.
That was the bugle call of the patrol, and also the prelude to war.
Han Zhong turned and went back to camp.
His steps were firm, and his silhouette, illuminated by the torchlight, was as steady as a mountain.
Meanwhile, on the south bank of the Dahe River, at a Fengtian Army outpost, the garrison commander Zhang Bizheng received an urgent military intelligence report.
"General! A large number of Yin troops have been spotted on the north bank, preparing equipment for crossing the river! Judging from the banners, they are Han Zhong's Hedong Army and Xiong Dayong's Hebei Army!"
Zhang Bi's expression changed.
Xiong Dayong... his fellow townsman, secretly defected to the Great Yin in Zhao Prefecture a few months ago, and is now a general in the Yin army.
Han Zhong was Zhao Muyun's top general.
"Order the entire army: strengthen defenses and hold the crossing at all costs!" Zhang Bi gritted his teeth. "Send another fast horse to urgently report to the capital—Han Zhong is about to cross the river!"
But he knew in his heart that it would be too late to send the military report out.
News of the complete annihilation of the 200,000-strong army at Yishui has arrived, causing morale to waver.
The opposing force consists of tens of thousands of elite troops, while he only has three thousand defenders. How can he possibly hold them off?
Zhang Bi walked to the top of the city wall and looked at the continuous campfires on the north bank.
The firelight illuminated half the sky, like a wildfire, threatening to burn the short-lived Great Feng dynasty to ashes.
He recalled the letter Xiong Dayong had written to him before: "Brother Zhang, Li Jingang is not a wise ruler. He is suspicious of meritorious officials and slaughters his old subordinates. His Majesty the Great Yin is benevolent and has the world in his heart. If you realize your mistake and turn back, it is not too late."
He burned the letter and cursed Xiong Dayong as a traitor.
But what about now?
"General," the lieutenant asked in a low voice, "if the Yin army really crosses the river, can we... hold out?"
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