Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Zhang Yan stroked the worn lines on his sword handle, listening to the howling north wind outside the tent, carrying the soldiers' coughs. One hundred thousand strong men, clad in patched leather armor, could not protect three hundred thousand elderly, weak, women, and children from hunger and cold. The snow on the Taihang Mountains seemed even colder than in previous years.

"General! Du Xiong is back!" The shouts of the guards tore through the dead silence. A general wearing a wolfskin cloak pushed open the curtain, the ring-handled sword on his waist still hanging with icicles: "News has come from Longxi. King Ma Chao of Liang led his cavalry to sweep across the Di people, chasing them all the way to the west bank of the Yellow River, and even erected a 'Monument to the Great Power of the Han Dynasty'!"

The tent suddenly fell silent. Zhang Yan abruptly stood up, knocking over a ceramic bowl on the table. On the sheepskin map, Ma Chao's sphere of influence spread across Longxi like a raging fire. "Have they really utterly annihilated the Di people?" He grasped Du Xiong's shoulders, and icicles rustled off his armor.

"It's absolutely true!" Du Xiong unfolded the blood-stained silk scroll. "The followers of the Tianshi Dao spread the rumor with great detail, saying that King Ma Chao of Liang slaughtered the Di people so badly that their blood flowed like a river!"

Before he finished speaking, a buzzing sound suddenly arose in the tent. Du Xiong's veins bulged as he clutched the blood-stained silk scroll. He raised his voice to drown out the noise: "The teachings of the Heavenly Master are truly miraculous! They say that Ma Chao has golden scales on his face and the character 'king' in his palms. It's clearly destiny!"

"That's right!" Another general slammed the table, causing the snow water in the ceramic bowl to splash everywhere. "My cousin heard the other day that the Tianshi Dao was the foundation of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect. If you join the sect and pay five pecks of rice, you will be taken care of in your life!"

The tent erupted in an uproar. Someone shouted in a raucous voice, "Isn't this a replica of the Taiping Dao? Back then, the Great Sage was attacked by the princes of the world!" Someone else lowered their voice and said, "I heard that the Tianshi Dao served under Ma Chao..." Zhang Yan remained silent, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the broken blade at his waist—the gaping wound from the previous year's battle with Yuan Shao's generals.

"Which of the princes doesn't mind religious followers forming associations?" The old counselor in the corner suddenly spoke up, a gleam in his eyes, "But Ma Chao was able to sweep across the Qiang and Hu tribes, and at the same time, he allowed the Tianshi Dao to spread..." He looked at Zhang Yan meaningfully, "Could it be that this King of Liang really has the means to change the world?"

A chill wind blew into the tent, causing the candlelight to flicker. The crowd's chatter gradually mingled with the whistling mountain wind, transforming into speculation about an unknown fate. Zhang Yan stared at the flickering flames, vaguely seeing on the parchment map that the crimson mass of Longxi was transforming into a raging fire, burning through the thick haze of the Taihang Mountains.

Zhang Yan's knuckles rapped against the mottled wooden table, producing a dull echo. The dim oil lamp inside the tent cast shadows on the rock wall, like a riot of demons. "When the Western Liang cavalry swept across Guandong, even Yuan Shao had to temporarily retreat." He glanced at the tense faces of the other leaders. "Now that Ma Chao can accommodate the Tianshi Dao, it's clear he's not a pedantic person who clings to the 'nonsense' doctrine."

Du Xiong clutched the dagger at his waist, the leather cord on the scabbard worn white: "But our Black Mountain Army is known as 'bandits'..."

"That's the title!" Zhang Yan suddenly stood up, his armor knocking against the candlesticks, "Ma Chao dared to bear the stigma of 'butcher' for the people of Longxi and slaughtered all his enemies. With such courage, why would he care about empty reputation? On the day he erected the 'Monument of the Heavenly Power of the Han Dynasty', even the Qiang and Hu people fell to the ground and pledged their loyalty. How could he despise us men who fight for our lives?"

The old strategist twirled his beard, a glint in his eyes. "What the Marshal said is absolutely true. Back then, the Five Pecks of Rice Sect took root in Hanzhong by providing relief to refugees and protecting the people. Although our Black Mountain Army started out as a looting thief, we always opened our warehouses to distribute grain. This is somewhat similar to the teachings of the Celestial Master Dao."

Outside the tent, the wind and snow suddenly intensified, the whistling sound mingled with the cries of children. Zhang Yan looked at the leaky tent curtain. "If I surrender to Ma Chao..." His voice was low but firm. "At least the old and weak can have a hot meal, and the young and strong will no longer have to fight each other for half a bag of corn."

赌局

The torches in the tent crackled and sparked. The old counselor's skinny fingers gripped the corner of the desk tightly. "General! Ma Chao owns the granary in Chang'an and the Xiliang cavalry. In his eyes, our small force is nothing but a defeated army!" His voice trembled as he glanced at the old, weak, women and children huddled in the wind and snow outside the tent. "If we are turned away, how will 300,000 people survive this winter?"

Zhang Yan suddenly laughed out loud, shaking the icicles off his head. He grabbed the sheepskin map from the table and slammed it down in front of everyone, his fingertips rubbing over the winding route from Chang'an to Longxi: "Look! Ma Chao just took Chang'an, but instead of gaining a foothold in this imperial capital, he rushed a thousand miles back to Longxi!" His bloody nails pierced the paper. "If Xiliang hadn't been torn apart by foreign tribes, why would he take this risk?"

Du Xiong raised his head abruptly: "Even if Xiliang is in danger, we should leave people to guard Chang'an..."

"That's why!" Zhang Yan's eyes swept through the tent like a hawk, "Chang'an's defenses must be empty! Ma Chao is short of soldiers, and we are short of ways to survive. At this time, surrendering with tens of thousands of Black Mountain troops is like timely help to him!" His voice suddenly lowered, with the fierceness of a wolf, "Don't forget, we have been fighting guerrilla warfare in Taihang Mountains for several years. When it comes to surprise attacks and desperate defense, which prince's troops can compare with us?"

The old counselor was still shaking his head: "But the risk..."

"Risk?" Zhang Yan grabbed the wine jar on the table and took a gulp. The wine mixed with blood dripped down the corners of his mouth. "Three hundred thousand people are trapped in the Black Mountain, hundreds of them starve to death or freeze to death every day. This is a dead end!" He smashed the wine jar heavily on the ground. The cold light from the splashing fragments illuminated the madness in his eyes. "As long as there is a glimmer of hope, even if Ma Chao goes on a killing spree, I will lead my brothers to fight my way out!"

Outside the tent, the wind and snow were raging, but they couldn't drown out the relentless clash of swords being drawn. Zhang Yan gazed at the crowd's reddened eyes, suddenly remembering that snowy night ten years ago—his father's legs chopped off by government troops, his dying breath clutching his hand and saying, "Live!" He gripped the sword at his waist tightly, slashing fiercely at the dark Taihang Mountains: "Pass the word down, break camp tomorrow! This round, we're on a gamble!"

Everyone was silent for a long time, and finally someone clenched his fist and said, "Let's go all out! Rather than being trapped and dying in the Black Mountains, it's better to go to a wise leader!" Amidst the echoes, the cold wind from the Taihang Mountains swept snowflakes into the tent, but it couldn't blow away the hope that had been rekindled in everyone's eyes.

Zhang Yan's banner fluttered in the north wind as three hundred thousand troops snaked out of the Taihang Mountain Pass like a long black snake. Young and strong soldiers, carrying worn swords and spears, guarded both sides. The elderly, weak, women, and children pushed wheelbarrows, their ruts carving deep furrows in the frozen earth. The cold wind blew through the thin armor, but it couldn't dispel the occasional children's rhyme in the ranks—the children recounted the story of Ma Chao erecting the monument.

"General, scouts report that Yuan Shao's army has deployed in Zhongshan County and there are no signs of pursuit." Du Xiong wrapped himself tightly in his wolfskin cloak, and the white air he exhaled instantly condensed into ice crystals. Zhang Yan gazed at the faint beacon tower in the distance and tightened his grip on the broken blade at his waist: "Yuan Benchu ​​has just swallowed Youzhou and is consolidating his foundation. He has no time to care about us refugees." Despite this, he still ordered the elite soldiers to be divided into three teams, taking turns on guard.

By the time the troops reached Henei County, the river was already thick with ice. Zhang Yan watched his men, carrying the elderly and children across the river, suddenly hear the sound of horse hooves from the other side. Everyone panicked, only to discover that the arrivals were fur traders. "Black Mountain Army?" The leading merchant's eyes widened. "You still don't know? Generals Yuan Tan and Yan Liang have set out from Youzhou with 50,000 troops, claiming they're heading for Chang'an!"

Before he finished speaking, Zhang Yan reined in his horse. The old strategist behind him asked in a trembling voice, "Yuan Tan? Yan Liang is following too?" The merchants chattered about the dusty scene outside Jizhou City, saying that Yuan's army was heading west and had even brought enough food and fodder to last three months.

Du Xiong's ring-handled sword fell to the ice with a clang: "What are they doing in Chang'an? Could it be that..." Zhang Yan said nothing, just staring at the western sky.

The troops erupted in a flurry. An old woman pushing a cart accidentally dropped a pottery jar, and the cries of children mingled with the shouts of soldiers and the neighing of war horses. "Summon the old strategist!" Map frowned, his knuckles pressed firmly against the route between Youzhou and Chang'an.

"We can't go any further!" The old strategist suddenly raised his head, his gray beard covered with ice. "Yuan's army is fifty thousand strong and fierce. If we take our women and children with us to Chang'an, we won't be surrendering to them, we'll be committing suicide!"

"Then retreat back to Taihang Mountains?" Zhang Yan sneered suddenly, snatching up a frozen flatbread from the counter and slamming it to the ground. "Go back and keep eating tree bark? Have you forgotten last winter, when we killed each other over half a bag of corn?" He ripped open his shirt, revealing the hideous scar of an old arrow wound. "Yuan Shao had just taken Youzhou, how could he let us breathe?"

Du Xiong gripped the ring-handled sword at his waist, the scabbard clinking against the armor. "The commander is right! Hu Shang said that Yuan's army was marching lightly and hastily, surely predicting Chang'an would be empty. If we can get there before Yuan Tan... and hold Chang'an, that would be Ma Chao's token of loyalty!"

The old strategist was still shaking his head: "But Yan Liang is the bravest of the three armies, and Yuan Tan is full of tricks..."

"Brave?" Zhang Yan picked up the broken blade, his red eyes reflected on the blade. "Back in Black Mountain, how many times didn't we outnumber the enemy? The Yuan army has come from afar and must be exhausted!" He thrust the broken blade firmly into the map at the location of Chang'an. "Only by holding Chang'an can we shed the stigma of 'bandits'! Let the old and weak have food to eat, and let the young and strong have dignity!"

The cold wind blew up broken ice from the river, hitting Zhang Yan's face painfully. He looked back at the stumbling troops behind him, then at the clouds looming in the west. Suddenly, he whipped his whip and pointed it at the other side: "Speed ​​up! Even if it means facing mountains of swords and seas of fire, we must reach Chang'an before Yuan Tan!"

Heavy snow fell rustling against the arrow towers atop Chang'an City. Ma Chao's crimson flag, shrouded in ice, rustled in the fierce wind like streaks of frozen blood. Ma Teng, wrapped tightly in his fur cloak, gazed at the vast expanse of snow outside the city. His aged fingers unconsciously stroked the jade belt buckle at his waist, his breath instantly condensing into ice crystals. "Mr. Wen You, the snow is falling so fast in Chang'an..." He paused, his voice thick with worry. "How cold must it be in Xiliang right now? Chao'er..."

Li Ru added a piece of charcoal to the brazier, and sparks crackled. He stared at the dancing flames, his eyes reflecting the blood-stained words on the military report: "Early October battle report: Your Majesty has led the cavalry to lift the siege of Longxi, pursued the Di people into their territory, slaughtered them all, and stained the Yalu Zangbu with blood." The firelight illuminated his pale face, flickering. "Urgent report from the end of the month: The Xianbei are wreaking havoc in Beidi County. Your Majesty has personally led elite cavalry to their aid, and they should be fighting the enemy outside Gaonu City now."

Ma Teng clenched his fists fiercely, his knuckles hitting the wooden pillars of the arrow tower with a dull sound: "Xianbei! Chao'er has just experienced a fierce battle, and now he has to..." Before he finished speaking, a gust of wind swept snow into the tower, blowing sparks from the brazier. Li Ru gently pressed Ma Teng's trembling shoulders and cast his eyes to the north: "With your courage, you will surely deter the enemies. But..." His voice suddenly lowered, "The Chang'an garrison is only 20,000, and the Yuan and Gongsun families are eyeing us covetously. We have to be on guard."