novelSusiti Chapter 35 The Aura Reader and the Divine Tiger General
Chapter 35 The Aura Reader and the Divine Tiger General
Just as Liu Bei and his ministers were filled with high spirits, Zhang Yan and others were also plotting in Zhen Ding City.
However, unlike Liu Bei and others who strategized and won battles, the plans of these bandits and brigands had a stronger religious flavor.
At this moment, Chu Yan sat behind the lacquered table where Sun Jin had once sat. The embroidered mat that originally belonged to the prefect of the two-thousand-stone county was now occupied by a bandit leader from the countryside, which seemed somewhat out of place.
The hall was filled with more than ten leaders, all of whom were chieftains of various mountain strongholds in Changshan. Many of them had made their mark in history, such as Zhang Leigong, Guo Daxian, Huang Long, and Zuo Xiao. These people were either rough and fierce or gloomy and brave, and their clothing and armor were a mixed bag.
Chu Yan had only recently integrated these people, relying on his invincible fighting spirit across mountains and marshes, and his formidable power in conquering counties and prefectures.
At this moment, these people were all talking at once, arguing endlessly about how to deal with Liu Bei's army outside the city.
Huang Long leaned towards a conservative approach: "General, the Han cavalry has been unstoppable since entering the prefecture. Du Qing has already been killed by them, and their vanguard has scattered. Now their main army is at the city walls, their crimson banners filling the sky, their momentum overwhelming. It would be better to temporarily avoid their advance and retreat into the Taihang Mountains..."
Chu Yan was furious and shouted, "My army numbers over ten thousand and is invincible. Why should I avoid their sharp edge?"
Even so, some still hesitated, saying, "But that was Liu Bei, after all. In just a few months, he utterly defeated the Yellow Turbans of Youzhou, beheading over ten thousand. Du Qing was also a fierce general, yet he was killed in a single battle without even seeing Liu Bei's face..."
Chu Yan felt a surge of rage. These leaders had just come together, and while things were going well, they could still work together to plunder. But as soon as things took a turn for the worse, they each harbored their own thoughts and wanted to scatter like birds and beasts.
If he retreats without a fight today and collapses at the mere sight of his troops, he may never be able to control these unruly followers in the future.
But he also knew that he could not persuade these leaders who were not loyal to him by his words or even his bravery alone.
He slammed his fist on the table in anger and shouted, "Enough! As for the matter of war and defense, let's first hear what Heaven has in mind. Invite the diviner to the hall!"
A person who observes qi?
The noise in the hall finally subsided. These outlaws from the mountains, leaders of the Yellow Turbans, had little education and were instead extremely superstitious about divination, prophecy, and incantations.
After the city was captured, several people came to the city who claimed to be able to observe the celestial phenomena and predict good and bad fortune. They all said that Zhang Yan was outstanding and had the air of a noble prince.
Chu Yan was overjoyed upon hearing this and kept them all in the city.
The fact that the diviner was invited into the hall at this moment clearly indicates that the army's morale was to be determined by divine will.
A moment later, a middle-aged scholar dressed in a dark black robe and wearing a scholar's cap slowly entered.
This man was a famous astrologer from Hebei named Yin Kui. He often traveled between Yan and Zhao, making a living by observing the qi (vital energy) to predict good or bad fortune. He had many followers in Changshan.
He did not bow upon entering the hall, but merely cupped his hands slightly, displaying a composed demeanor.
The so-called "observation of qi" is an extremely important branch of divination techniques since the Qin and Han dynasties.
Those who observe the qi (vital energy) use the shape, color, and direction of clouds and celestial phenomena to divine good or bad fortune and predict prosperity or decline.
Xu Fu, a man from the early Han Dynasty, used his ability to observe the qi (vital energy) to predict events such as Bo Ji giving birth to an emperor and Zhou Yafu being enfeoffed as a marquis but starving to death, making him famous for a time.
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the study of prophecies and apocryphal texts flourished, and the practice of observing celestial phenomena and interpreting omens merged, becoming an important bargaining chip in political games.
The most renowned fortune teller of our time is Dong Fu, courtesy name Mao'an, a native of Mianzhu, Guanghan. He studied divination and prophecy at the Imperial Academy in his youth, and later returned to his hometown to teach. He was highly respected, and the famous scholar Chen Shi also praised him for "being able to know the rise and fall of people and their fortunes."
His influence on the imperial court, the political situation, and even the course of history was profound.
When the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, Emperor Liu Hong, in a state of panic, consulted the Grand Astrologer and various astrologers. Someone reported that "there is an aura of war in the capital." Dong Fu replied, "Although war has broken out, it will not bring disaster to the Han Dynasty."
This stabilized the emperor and ensured that he never abandoned Luoyang during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, eventually receiving news of victory from generals such as Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun.
However, it was only when Liu Yan consulted Dong Fu about the state of the world that Dong Fu uttered the prophecy that changed the entire landscape of the late Han Dynasty: "The capital will be in chaos, and the region of Yizhou will have the aura of an emperor."
Therefore, Liu Yan, who originally sought refuge in Jiaozhou as governor, changed his request to Yizhou.
It was precisely because of the prophecy that Yizhou possessed the aura of an emperor that Zhuge Liang later regarded it as the foundation for his imperial enterprise.
However, Yin Dao clearly did not possess the same talent as Dong Fu. Moreover, even if Dong Fu had discerned the imperial aura in Yizhou, he could not have predicted that the imperial aura would not materialize for decades.
The idea of observing qi (vital energy) is ultimately just far-fetched speculation.
Yin Dao cupped his hands and solemnly said, "I just climbed the city wall to observe the qi. I saw a red qi covering the outside of the city, with clouds that looked like dragons and tigers. The color was bright red and it neither dispersed nor disappeared."
Chu Yan immediately asked, "What is the meaning of this?"
Yin Dao replied, "The *Wangqi Jing* says: 'Red qi like a canopy is the qi of a king. The emperor's qi is red inside and yellow outside.' In the past, when Emperor Gaozu hid in the marshes of Mangdang Mountain, Empress Lü and others went to search for him and always succeeded. Emperor Gaozu was surprised and asked her why. Empress Lü said, 'There is always cloud qi above where Ji (Emperor Gaozu) lives, so we always find him by following it.'"
"As far as I know, within Anding City, only Lord Chu is experiencing the gathering of clouds. Therefore, I assert that this battle is a sure victory, and victory will increase the clouds. Otherwise, there is no way to explain why the luck is so intensely red."
Chu Yan was overjoyed upon hearing this.
Before the Yellow Turban Rebellion, no one who could predict the weather said he was any different.
However, after the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, he gathered young men and fought in the mountains and forests, gaining tens of thousands of followers. He then attacked Zhen Ding, and a fortune teller said that he had the aura of a feudal lord.
Now, there are red flags like canopies outside the city. Doesn't this mean that after his great victory in this battle, he will go even further and gain the aura of the emperor?
Excitedly, he drew his sword and shouted at the crowd, "Have you all heard what the master said? We are certain to win this battle! Anyone who dares to speak out and sow discord among the troops, are you trying to test the sharpness of my sword?"
The bandits inside the hall, upon hearing this, dared not utter any objections.
Moreover, they firmly believed in the theory of observing qi.
Du Chang, a loyal follower of Zhang Yan, immediately exclaimed with enthusiasm, "Since our leader gathered the troops, we have been invincible! Why should we avoid the mere Liu Bei? We should have gone all out to crush the enemy!"
"In my opinion, the Han army has been nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs throughout all these battles. As long as you give the order, I will lead my elite troops to take Liu Bei's head!"
Such bravery immediately delighted Zhang Yan, who, filled with immense pride, laughed loudly, "Excellent! Excellent! Then you shall be the vanguard, first slaying Guan Yu, then eliminating Liu Bei! I will mobilize an army of over ten thousand to support you!"
Killing Guan Yu in battle?
I?
Du Chang didn't see anything wrong with it. He was also known for his bravery among the mountain bandits. These Taihang Mountain bandits forged their own armor and weapons, loved martial arts and fighting, and valued strength. They moved through the many valleys and mountains. Whenever they ascended a mountain to go to a dangerous place, they broke through thickets and thorns, just like fish running in the abyss or monkeys leaping over trees.
The Han soldiers and the Yellow Turbans were no match for him. Throughout his many battles, he had never encountered a single enemy who could withstand his attack.
So he immediately led his six hundred-plus bandits and fierce brigands out of the city.
He had only gone five miles out of the city when he saw the Han army's crimson banners and armor gleaming in the sun, slowly approaching.
Their imposing formation, with its forest of halberds and spears and shields forming a formidable wall, immediately commanded Du Chang's respect.
In particular, the Han army was arranged in a series of inter-unit formations, with each unit having its own section within another. Although there were only a little over two thousand soldiers, from the perspective of the Yellow Turbans, the Han army appeared to be arrayed for six or seven li, with banners covering the fields, making it impossible to discern the boundaries or the thickness of their ranks!
After a moment of shock, Du Chang felt a surge of anger. He could not accept that he had any fear of the enemy's advance.
When he looked back at the men behind him and saw that they too were terrified by the enemy, their faces filled with fear, he immediately roared, "Brothers, do not panic! The Han traitors are merely bluffing! Let me ride into their ranks and observe their strengths and weaknesses, then I will know their true strength!"
He was also a hero of Yan and Zhao. Especially after seizing a fine horse, he rode like the wind. In every battle, he charged into the enemy lines and no one could stop him. He charged into the enemy lines several times. His bravery made great contributions to Zhang Yan in uniting the mountain bandits and defeating the county troops.
Upon hearing his words, a group of fierce bandits were immediately emboldened and shouted, "We are willing to follow our leader and ride into the enemy ranks to investigate their strengths and weaknesses!"
Du Chang then handed over his troops to his trusted confidants to command, and they continued to deploy in formation and advance. He himself led eight or nine elite cavalrymen, charging straight into the Han army's formation.
Tian Yu was now commanding over three hundred archers, who were lined up in front of the entire army and slowly advancing. When he saw several Yellow Turban riders riding towards them, seemingly trying to break into the main army's formation, he immediately knew that these were the enemy's most valiant and elite soldiers, who wanted to show off their troops and move in and out.
He immediately wanted to command the arrow formation to shoot down these valiant generals and elite soldiers, thus blunting the enemy's momentum.
But when he turned to look at the central army, he saw that under the central army's banner, his lord had given no military orders whatsoever. Instead, he was calm and composed, pointing at the enemy and laughing with several generals beside him.
Even Liu Bei, who was known for his composure, couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.
Even if Lü Bu or Zhang Liao himself came, they wouldn't dare to charge into their ranks with just a few cavalrymen when facing their elite troops!
Who gave these bandits the courage to swagger around like this?
So Liu Bei smiled and said to Zhao Yun, "I see these men as nothing more than targets to be sold. Can you, Zilong, capture them for me?"
Zhao Yun immediately spurred his horse forward, spear in hand, and declared, "Commander Liu, watch as I, Yun, single-handedly defeat the enemy!"
Before he finished speaking, he had already sped off like lightning, his white battle robe fluttering in the wind, holding a long spear, heading straight for Du Chang.
Du Chang saw a rider emerge from the Han army and charge forward with lightning speed.
Before he could react, the two riders in front of him were already stabbed off their horses. Then the young general in white robes arrived with lightning speed, his spear stained with blood, its cold light like a dragon!
Even though he was known for his bravery among the bandits, he was terrified at this moment.
Only today did I realize that heroes are as numerous as carp crossing a river, and there are countless outstanding individuals among them; he was merely a fish in a pond.
The next moment, before he could react, Zhao Yun's spear pierced his throat.
Zhao Yun possessed incredible strength; with a flick of his spear, he lifted Du Chang up and threw him off his horse!
The riders behind were immediately terrified!
Zhao Yun had already charged into their ranks on horseback. His white horse neighed, and his spears flew everywhere. In an instant, Zhao Yun killed three or four men.
Yu Qi was utterly terrified and dared not show off his martial arts skills any longer. With a scream, he turned his horse and fled.
"Ah! You thief, don't run away!" Zhao Yun immediately brandished his spear and spurred his horse forward, giving chase.
One of the last bandits looked back and saw the white-robed general moving with lightning speed, chasing after him.
He was instantly terrified, his face turning pale. He hurriedly drew his halberd from his waist and threw it backward. Zhao Yun didn't even try to block it; the halberd grazed past his armor. Such a display of skill made people marvel at his divine generalship.
The bandit had never seen such divine power before. He was so frightened that he couldn't even rein in his horse. As the horse slowed down, Zhao Yun spurred his horse to catch up and thrust his spear into the bandit's heart.
The bandit screamed and fell to the ground. His horse, startled, galloped alone towards its own lines.
The remaining three or four riders whipped their mounts desperately, galloping frantically toward the six hundred troops left behind by Du Chang.
As the main camp drew ever closer, the rider at the front was overjoyed—if he could hold out for just a few more moments, he could escape into his own camp!
Even if that white-robed general is brave, would he dare to charge into a formation of hundreds of men on horseback alone?
But at that moment, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly thundered behind them.
The cavalryman turned back in alarm, only to see Zhao Yun had caught up to within a few feet. His white horse raised its head and galloped forward, while the white-robed general on the horse had blood dripping from the tip of his spear, his eyes flashing like lightning.
Just as the cavalryman was about to draw his sword to parry, Zhao Yun thrust out with his spear, sending him flying more than ten feet off his horse.
The other two riders fled into the main camp as if their lives depended on it, their eyes filled with tears, as if they had just escaped from the gates of hell.
If I survive this, I will definitely give way to this young general in white robes if I see him again in the future!
However, before they could even recover from their shock, a chorus of exclamations came from their own ranks.
He looked back and saw that the white-robed Han general had indeed charged into the enemy ranks alone, and the dozens of bandits in front of him could not stop him and fled to the left and right.
The next moment, Hanjiang arrived with lightning speed and stabbed him to death amidst the chaos of the army.
However, Zhao Yun did not rein in his horse. After killing all the enemy cavalry, he noticed a banner with the character "Du" on it slowly retreating amidst the crowd. It was Du Chang's deputy trying to stabilize the situation.
Zhao Yun was filled with courage and roared as he charged straight into the formation of hundreds of men on horseback!
The cold light flashed like lightning, and the spear shot out like a dragon.
Before the bandits could even raise their weapons, the white horse knocked them over and stabbed them with spears.
Zhao Yun went straight for the central army banner. Two guards who were protecting the banner roared and swung their swords to meet him, but he stabbed them to the ground one by one with his spear.
When the flag-bearing junior officer saw Zhao Yun charging towards him, he turned and fled in terror, only to find his hand suddenly lightened—Zhao Yun had snatched the flagpole from his grasp.
Then Zhao Yun, holding the flag in one arm, turned his horse around and charged out of the formation amidst the horrified gazes of hundreds of bandits.
Wherever it went, no one dared to challenge its might; they all retreated and made way for it.
From the moment they set out to the moment they captured the flag and returned, it took no more than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
In that instant, he killed more than ten people and seized a flag.
Zhao Yun spurred his horse back to Liu Bei, dismounted, threw the captured "Du" banner to the ground, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and proclaimed loudly, "I have not failed in my mission; I have slain the traitorous general Du Chang and seized his banner!"
The entire army fell silent!
More than two thousand soldiers stared in awe at the young general whose spirit soared to the heavens, and only today did they know what the might of a divine general truly meant!
Even Zhang Fei's eyes widened in amazement and admiration: "No wonder Brother Zilong is so highly praised. His bravery is in no way inferior to Second Brother's or even to me, Old Zhang!"
Liu Bei was overjoyed and personally dismounted to help Zhao Yun up, saying, "Zilong's divine might, his charge into battle, I am greatly impressed! The entire army is also greatly impressed!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a thunderous cheer erupted from the Han army ranks, shaking the entire plain.
The sight caused even the tens of thousands of enemy bandits, who were slowly lining up in formation, to turn pale.