Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 78: Neither fighting nor retreating, why?
October 22, the sixth year of Guanghe

After three days of rest, the Tunqi, Yueqi and Yulinqi had mostly recovered their strength, but unexpectedly snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

It happens to be light snowing today.

This "Xiaoxue" refers to the solar term, not the weather.

When the sky and the earth are filled with yin, it rains when it is warm and snows when it is cold. When we say "light" at this time, it means that the cold is not yet deep and the snow is not yet heavy.

The Xiaoxue solar term indicates the arrival of a cold wave and an increase in rainfall. However, if the temperature is too low, it will snow instead of rain.
Unfortunately, this winter is exceptionally cold. In just three days, the temperature has gone from cool during the day to freezing at night, with snowflakes falling from the sky.

The situation in Handan City was still good. The houses were shielded from the wind and snow, and the food reserves were sufficient. The only problem was the shortage of firewood.

However, with the 8,000 cavalry stationed outside, the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans were forced to withdraw their siege of Handan City, and the people were able to go out to chop firewood.

Liu Bian simply arranged several battalions of Sanhe knights to patrol the roads where the people were chopping firewood, and purchased excess firewood from the people with money and food. On the one hand, it was a slight relief to the people, and on the other hand, it saved the soldiers the hard work of chopping firewood.

As for the cavalry stationed outside the city, although the wind was biting, fortunately Liu Bian had prepared winter clothes for everyone early on. Even if they had to travel light and in a hurry, Liu Bian would rather have the army carry less food and fodder than not carry winter clothes.

Liu Bian even changed his usual practice of strictly prohibiting drinking during wartime, and allowed every soldier, regardless of rank, to receive a small pot of wine every day to warm themselves.

However, compared to the Han army's calmness in the face of the severe cold, the Black Mountain Yellow Turban Army was complaining bitterly, and even huge conflicts broke out within the army.

In the Black Mountain Yellow Turban Army camp, the fire in the tent flickered, and the fire in the brazier made Zhang Niujiao's face flicker, just like his fluctuating mood at the moment.

Zhang Niujiao sat cross-legged on a straw mat, his rough fingers gently stroking the short knife at his waist. He cut a piece of bloody meat from a cow placed in front of him, and hung it over the brazier with the short knife to roast it.

"How's the morale, brothers?"

Zhang Niujiao lowered his head, looking at the piece of beef on the short knife that was sizzling as it was roasted by the flames. He deliberately did not look up to meet Chu Feiyan's gaze. His voice was low, as if he was a little tired.

"Brother, the brothers are short of winter clothes. Even if we huddle in the camp and light a fire every day to keep warm, it's no use." Chu Feiyan sighed and looked at Zhang Niujiao, who still lowered his head and didn't look at him. Suddenly, he said in a more serious tone, "Brother, do you know that there was a sudden heavy snowfall last night, and this morning we received reports that 328 brothers had frozen to death?"

"There are eight to nine hundred elderly, weak, women, and children who froze to death, and thousands more who have frostbite and contracted cold diseases!"

Zhang Niujiao's hand holding the knife trembled slightly, and the short knife almost slipped out of his hand, but in the end he just turned the blade half a circle, turned the beef over, and remained silent.

Although Zhang Niujiao didn't respond, Chu Feiyan sensed his wavering intentions and advised him, "Brother, retreat! We are too weak to fight anymore! Without winter clothing and exposed in the wilderness, our thirty thousand brothers will sooner or later be frozen to death in the snow and wind without the Han army even needing to intervene!"

Upon hearing Chu Feiyan's words, the generals in the tent started arguing with each other, and their opinions were so different that Zhang Niujiao was in great pain.

Although the Black Mountain Yellow Turban Army was named "Yellow Turban", it actually had nothing to do with Zhang Jue. Instead, it was formed by the mountain people in the Black Mountain area who gathered a group of farmers and bandits under the banner of the Yellow Turban Army. There were dozens of leaders in the army of more than 30,000 people, and they also gave themselves names.

The one riding the white horse was Zhang Baiqi, the nimble one was Chu Feiyan, the one with the loud voice was Zhang Leigong, the one with a thick beard called himself Yu Digen, the one with big eyes called himself Li Damu, and so on. There were a total of twenty-six leaders of all sizes in the entire Black Mountain Army, excluding Zhang Niujiao himself.

Each chief had his own trusted followers, ranging from tens of thousands to thousands. Because Lu Zhi had achieved remarkable results in Jizhou despite being outnumbered, which was frightening, the chiefs united and nominated Zhang Niujiao as their leader to establish the Black Mountain Army.

In fact, the Black Mountain Army did not have only these 30,000 people, but nearly 100,000 people. However, the remaining 70,000 were all elderly, weak, women and children, and only these 30,000 people were young and strong enough to fight.

It was also because he had to worry about the food, drink, defecation and urination of a full 100,000 people that Zhang Niujiao chose to attack Handan City, which had high walls, deep moats but abundant treasury.

If Handan City is captured, the brothers will live in harmony and friendship, eat meat and drink wine with hearty mouthfuls, and divide gold and jade by weight.

However, not only did they fail to capture the city after a long siege, but eight thousand cavalrymen came to support them. How could they have any chance of winning?
Zhang Niujiao remained silent, staring at the brazier with empty eyes. He didn't even notice that the beef in his hand was burnt by the flames.

Upon seeing this, Chu Feiyan fell to her knees with a plop, her knees scraping against the ground as she walked in front of Zhang Niujiao. She grabbed the corner of Zhang Niujiao's clothes tightly with both hands and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Brother! If you don't retreat, we'll be wiped out!"

Zhang Baiqi glanced at Chu Feiyan sideways, snorted coldly, and said disdainfully, "I actually think this is a good thing. The Han army has reinforcements, and that red-faced thief in Handan City will definitely take the initiative to come out of the city to fight. When we attack the city, we have to climb the top of the city wall. If we fight in front of the two armies, can we not be his opponent with our superior numbers?"

Zhang Baiqi was the leader of the Black Mountain Army, second only to Zhang Niujiao and Chu Feiyan in number of troops. He was known for leading a small force to defeat a government army, killing a military commander and stealing his white horse. While riding his white horse, Zhang Baiqi often boasted of his prowess and refused to yield to anyone, resulting in him having very few connections within the Black Mountain Army.

"You're a fool who picked up a white horse and keeps showing off all day. How could you possibly know the advantages of cavalry?" Yu Digen, who was warming his hands by the brazier, sneered, his lips curled up slightly in a mocking arc. "Haha, a few days ago, I don't know which idiot was riding a white horse and showing off his power outside the city, but he was shot by an arrow by that red-faced thief and fell off his horse."

"you!"

Zhang Baiqi's arm veins popped up, and he slammed the table so hard that the earthenware bowls jumped up. He stood up with a "swoosh" and glared at Yu Digen, as if he was about to fight with him, but was stopped by Li Damu who was standing beside him.

Li Damu sighed, and pulled Zhang Baiqi and Yu Digen apart with both hands: "Enough, it's already this late and you're still acting like a tyrant."

Guo Daxian pondered for a long time and said slowly: "Yes, no matter what, the leader still has to make a decision."

"Whether to fight or retreat, we must make the decision as soon as possible. Even if all our brothers die in battle, we'll accept it. It's all for nothing!"

"It's not like now, neither fighting nor retreating, why is that?"

Guo Daxian's words were also echoed by people like Liu Shi, Zhangba, Pinghan, Dahong, Lei Gong and others. They were all small leaders who were subservient to Zhang Niujiao, and they were unwilling to continue to suffer in the cold in this snowy and icy place.

Seeing that Zhang Baiqi and Yu Digen had no intention of continuing the attack, Li Damu did not respond to Guo Daxian's words. He stepped forward to help Chu Feiyan, who was kneeling on the ground, and looked at Zhang Niujiao with a serious expression. He said slowly: "Boss, I am a rough man. I don't know any military strategies. I only know how to be a bandit."

"When I was a bandit, I followed one principle: fight if you can win, run if you can't. And when it's time to run, run without hesitation or greed." Li Damu reached out and took two pieces of firewood from the pile and threw them into the brazier, his voice adding a hint of helplessness. "But we can't win, and we don't want to retreat."

"I'm really worried that, just like Brother Feiyan said, the brothers will either freeze to death here or be wiped out by the Han cavalry."

Li Damu looked at Zhang Niujiao for a long moment. Zhang Niujiao finally sighed heavily, picked up the wine jug, and drank it down in one gulp. The turbid wine dripped down his beard. He smiled bitterly, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to deepen a little. He said slowly, "How could I not know that it's time to retreat?"

"But have you ever thought about where we should retreat?"

"The Han cavalry has four legs, and we have two. Even if we retreat to the mountains, I don't know how many of our brothers will die under the iron hooves of the Han army along the way."

Seeing the dead silence in the tent, Zhang Niujiao took another swig of wine as if emboldened by alcohol and continued, "As for those old, weak, women and children, we might be able to escape with our lives, but what about them? I'm afraid they'll be slaughtered before they even enter the mountains!"

"Well, even if we manage to escape into the mountains safely and avoid being captured by the government troops, what good will it do? We don't have enough food to feed a hundred thousand people. I wonder how many of them won't survive this winter!"

As Zhang Niujiao finished speaking, the tent fell into complete silence.

The leaders had no idea what Zhang Niujiao said. Many of them were even complacent, thinking of taking this opportunity to gain power. However, they did not expect that the situation of the Black Mountain Army was so serious.

Faced with such a situation, the Black Mountain generals, who came from humble backgrounds, naturally had no idea what to do. After arguing for a long time, they were silent.

Seeing this, Zhang Niujiao waved his hand and asked everyone to go back to their tents to rest to avoid giving him a headache from the noise. However, when he turned around, he saw his second brother Chu Feiyan still in the tent with his eyes closed, and had not left.

Zhang Niujiao patted Chu Feiyan's shoulder, but saw Chu Feiyan with his eyes closed, took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently. When he opened his eyes again, he had a cold and solemn look, with a determination in his eyes, which startled him slightly.

"Brother, the Han army is led by the Crown Prince himself. I don't think they will massacre the unarmed young and old. Why not have the young and old carry banners, beat drums and shout to lure the enemy, while you and I take the opportunity to escape back to the mountains!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Niujiao couldn't help but widen his eyes, his face full of surprise.

He and Chu Feiyan are sworn brothers, vowing to live and die together. Although the two brothers are not biological children, they are better than biological parents.

However, at this moment, he seemed to be meeting his second brother for the first time. He had never seen such a terrifying and cold expression on Chu Feiyan's face.

Looking at the cold expression on Chu Feiyan's face, Zhang Niujiao couldn't help but feel the blood in his body instantly turned cold.

(3040 words)
(End of this chapter)