Chapter 5, Promotion
Indeed, as he had anticipated, upon seeing Xu Cheng, Dong Zhuo immediately changed his demeanor, saying, "Bogong! Come in quickly!" Xu Cheng, upon hearing his call, hurriedly took a few steps forward and knelt to pay his respects. However, Dong Zhuo quickly supported him with both hands, stopping his actions, and said, "Oh! Bogong need not be so formal. You have achieved great merit today, and I have yet to properly reward you!"
The Xianzhanying!" Gao Shun!" Xu Cheng gritted his teeth as he spoke these two names. Since most of Xu Cheng's troops were behind him, only a few hundred were surrounding Lü Bu. They were quickly broken through by the Xianzhanying, who rescued Lü Bu. As soon as Lü Bu mounted his horse, his momentum changed immediately, and he commanded the Xianzhanying to charge at Xu Cheng's troops. They were blocked by Yang Er's armored soldiers, while the spearmen behind occasionally struck at the enemy. However, the soldiers of the Xianzhanying disregarded their wounds, instead seizing the spear shafts, countering with their swords to sever them, and continued to charge against the formation of the armored soldiers
Ah, what is so remarkable? I hereby appoint you as the Colonel of the Imperial Guard, responsible for overseeing the Western Garden's forbidden troops!" Dong Zhuo stroked his beard and laughed with satisfaction.
However, Xu Cheng is not worried about losing military power. After all, two formidable figures among the Eight Great Commanders, Central Army Commander Yuan Shao and Military Commander Cao Cao, are about to flee, and he does not regard the others highly. Nevertheless, it is essential to prevent the influence of these two, especially Yuan Shao, within the Imperial Guards, as he intends to use this group as his foundation. If others manage to escape with a single move, what will he have left? Moreover, time waits for no one; it is imperative to quickly develop the combat effectiveness of the Imperial Guards, otherwise, how will he cope with the impending great battle?
Xu Cheng was furious; that was the hard-earned capital he had painstakingly accumulated
Upon hearing his words, the generals immediately began to shout, all demanding to engage in a life-and-death battle with Lü Bu the next day. Dong Zhuo, upon hearing this, also realized that his side still held the advantage, and his anger slightly diminished. Seeing the generals still kneeling on the ground, he snorted and said: "All of you, get up!"
At last, Dong Zhuo's desire for power surpassed everything, and he decided to recruit Lü Bu. To this end, he even offered the Red Hare horse. Lü Bu's fellow townsman, the General of the Tiger Ben, Li Su, was tasked with persuading him to surrender.
Although the pikemen are specialists in dealing with cavalry, they are clearly outmatched when facing Lü Bu. The crescent blades on Lü Bu's Fangtianhua halberd quickly sever the pikes that block his path, while simultaneously introducing a few soldiers to the underworld. Fortunately, the soldiers trained by Xu Cheng never adhere to any so-called rules of chivalry; if a direct confrontation does not result in death, why not attack from other directions? Soon, Lü Bu found himself surrounded by thrusting pikes from all sides—front, back, left, right, above, and below. By the time Xu Cheng turned around, Lü Bu was already encircled by pikes, and at that moment, he appeared to be nothing more than material for a sieve. Unfortunately for them, he is Lü Bu. Before the pikemen could react, he executed a move—dismount! Dismount? The general actually dismounted in the midst of battle; doesn't that mean he is giving up his legs? Unfortunately for them, he is Lü Bu.
"Very well, our army will leave the city tomorrow to engage in battle again," Li Ru said, "We are sure to achieve a great victory." Although he did not understand military affairs, it was clear this time that it was a case of many bullying the few, and they should not lose again
Upon hearing Li Ru's words, Dong Zhuo slapped his forehead, feigning a sudden realization, "Ah, I was only thinking about recruiting Lü Bu, but I forgot that we have someone here who can rival Lü Bu." He pointed at Xu Cheng and said, "Bogong! You have made a great contribution this time and provided me with counsel; you should certainly be rewarded. Tell me, what kind of reward do you desire?"
At that moment, another loud shout rang out, "General, do not panic, Gao Shun is here!" The voice startled Xu Cheng, who was deep in thought. He looked up and discovered that the 300,000 Xiliang troops were actually... actually retreating, being chased by merely one-tenth of the enemy. Moreover, the figures of Dong Zhuo and others, who had been by his side, had long since vanished. "Damn it! They ran away!" Xu Cheng cursed under his breath. He could not have imagined that even with Lu Bu blocking him, the Xiliang army still failed to hold back the enemy, and they were defeated so quickly; it was rather abrupt, wasn't it? Was it predetermined?
Ironclad soldier! Xu Cheng roared, aren't you getting off your horse? I wonder how many ironclad soldiers you can handle
Oh? What ideas do you have? Please feel free to share! Dong Zhuo now believes that Xu Cheng is still a person of potential, but unfortunately, his background is not very good
As Xu Cheng's words fell, one of the pikemen wailed and collapsed, their legs broken
The pike soldiers had a long defensive range, and for a moment, Lü Bu was blocked and unable to advance, which relieved Dong Zhuo. Upon seeing Xu Cheng approach, he praised, "Bogong, this time we owe it all to you! (Xu Cheng, styled Bogong, follows the ancient ranking of 'Eldest, Second, Third, Fourth,' where 'Eldest' signifies the first, and 'Gong' naturally means success, so Xu the Eldest has succeeded!)" Xu Cheng humbly responded a few times, glanced at the envious expressions of the other generals, and wisely turned to command the efforts against Lü Bu.
It is like this, Xu Cheng, striving to present himself to Dong Zhuo, said: "This subordinate sees that Lü Bu is exceptionally brave and can be said to be hard to find in the world. Why does the lord not recruit him and make use of him?"
Indeed, upon hearing these words, both Dong Zhuo and Li Ru fell into deep contemplation, while the other generals displayed expressions of discontent. Guo Si was the first to jump out and exclaimed: "This is unacceptable. Today, Lü Bu has brought great shame upon our army. If we were to seek his surrender, would it not imply that our army is without capable leaders?"
Xu Cheng knew that the battle would soon come to an end with Lü Bu, so he took his leave from Dong Zhuo, intending to return and reorganize his troops, but was stopped by Li Ru.
Xu Cheng does not feel sorry for these people. Although they are all elite soldiers, they are nothing but a bunch of rascals. If it weren't for his own strict discipline, he would have long...! ... But he has wasted three years of his effort. Elite soldiers! Just look at the other Xiliang soldiers, and you will know that these are elite soldiers that cannot be found anywhere else in the country.
At this moment, a group of approximately several hundred people charged forward, forming an orderly line, each person bare-chested and armed only with a short sword. Led by an officer on horseback, they clashed with Xu Cheng's armored troops, and with a resounding "bang!" it was as if tens of thousands had collided at once, the fierce momentum rapidly spreading.
After entering the city, Xu Chengman was filled with anger. His own troops, which he had painstakingly gathered, had suddenly lost more than 1,000 men. What was even more important was that the vast majority had perished under the arrows on the city wall. Xu Chengman was even more enraged that he could not seek revenge; these men had died in vain
Xu Cheng was also taken aback, jokingly exclaiming that Lu Bu actually did not want his horse! Wasn't it the Red Hare? Soon, he came to his senses and hurriedly shouted, "Watch your feet!"
The pikes of the long spearmen measure as much as two zhang, and they are used by the Xiliang army to counter the cavalry of the Qiang people. Originally, everyone thought that today was their day to perform, and naturally, there would be no need for the defensive long spearmen. However, no one anticipated that the enemy would charge into the center of the army, and even more unexpectedly, the long spearmen, who were meant to defend against large-scale cavalry charges, would actually be used to guard against a single individual. Nevertheless, even if they had thought of it, they would not consider it an exaggeration in the current situation.
Upon hearing this, the generals felt a sense of relief in their hearts and gradually stood up
The residence of Dong Zhuo was originally the abode of the former General of Cavalry, Dong Chong. When Emperor Ling passed away, He Jin took the initiative to assist his nephew, Emperor Sha Liu Bian, in ascending the throne. In a bid for power, Empress Dong appointed her nephew Dong Chong as General of Cavalry to counter He Jin. Dong Chong then acquired this residence. However, He Jin, employing the schemes of his subordinates, claimed that Empress Dong was originally a feudal consort and not a palace consort. Since Emperor Ling had already passed away, she could no longer reside in the capital and should return to her hometown. Regardless of Empress Dong's consent, he sent people to expel her, and midway, he dispatched others to poison her. With her support gone, Dong Chong's position as General of Cavalry naturally became ineffective, yet the residence was still retained. After Dong Zhuo arrived, he initially intended to occupy He Jin's residence, but Li Ru believed that would appear too ostentatious. As a compromise, Dong Chong had no choice but to move, as the same surname was in conflict.
Li Ru had been following Dong Zhuo closely, understanding that this was not the time to lose his temper. If they did not quickly defeat the Bingzhou army, it would be difficult to suppress the opposing forces in the capital, and at that point, the situation would truly become troublesome. However, he did not dare to step forward at this moment; if he offended Dong Zhuo, he could not guarantee his own safety as Dong Zhuo's son-in-law. He was feeling anxious when he looked up and saw Xu Cheng arriving at the door. Today, he had also been with Dong Zhuo and was naturally well aware of the performance of the various divisions of his army. Among them, only Xu Cheng's division had performed satisfactorily, and if it had not been for Xu Cheng's timely intervention, Lü Bu might have charged under Dong Zhuo's banner. Given the opponent's martial prowess, just thinking about the outcome sent shivers down one's spine
The pikemen immediately crouched down, while the soldiers of the ambush camp on the opposite side, upon hearing the shout, thought that something had happened above. Although they did not look up, they could not imagine that the enemy would adopt a crouching position. However, they paid no mind to this; the ambush camp would kill gods when encountering them and kill demons when encountering them. They continued to charge forward as usual, but they could not advance beyond the distance of a long spear.
At this moment, Xu Cheng arrived just in time. Li Ru said to the blazing Dong Zhuo: "My lord, Colonel Xu has arrived!"
"Captain Xu, this appointment by the Chancellor carries profound significance!" Li Ru interjected, saying: "Although you have been appointed as the Chief Military Officer, overseeing the Imperial Guards, the Western Garden Imperial Guards are divided into eight divisions, each led by different commanders. You need to eliminate the influence of these other commanders for the Chancellor to gain full control over the Imperial Guards. This is no small task! It is indeed a heavy responsibility, but if you succeed, your contributions will be substantial, and the Chancellor will certainly not treat you unfairly."
Upon hearing this, Xu Chengyi nearly jumped up, but being quite seasoned, he restrained himself as much as possible and slowly said: "I am willing to go through fire and water for the Chancellor, but the Imperial Guards..."
Indeed! Li Ru, noticing that Dong Zhuo's attention had finally shifted, immediately approached and said: "Today, Captain Xu has bravely turned the tide, disregarding personal safety to block Lü Bu, ensuring that although our army suffered defeat, it did not retreat in disarray. Otherwise, if Lü Bu were to charge into the city, it would be quite troublesome"
Do not panic, those who retreat without permission will be executed, a stern command rang out, halting everyone's retreat. "Pikemen, advance!" Xu Cheng led his subordinates forward, as he could not allow Dong Zhuo to die here, even if the possibility was slim, it was unacceptable, after all, if Dong Zhuo died, everything would be over
Upon hearing the two men making excuses for themselves, the quick-witted Li Cui immediately said: "My lord, this defeat was merely due to underestimating the enemy. In terms of martial skills, we are no match for Lü Bu. Tomorrow, we shall certainly command the army to engage him in battle, vowing to avenge this great humiliation! I refuse to believe that this scoundrel Lü Bu can withstand millions of soldiers!"
Xu Cheng also remained silent, adopting an attitude of merely offering suggestions while the decision-making power lay with them. However, he was secretly formulating his own plans, thinking, "If I don't summon Lü Bu, won't Dong Zhuo be able to escape death? What am I even doing here! As a person, one must respect history, right?"
Moreover, not to mention that Xu Cheng is making excuses for himself, beside him, Dong Zhuo is already reprimanding Guo Si, "A single Lü Bu is worth a hundred thousand troops, far stronger than all of you. If I were to have Lü Bu, who in the world could stand against me?"
Upon witnessing this tactic, Lü Bu in the arena let out a sinister laugh and swung his halberd towards the extended spears. However, unexpectedly, those spears retracted. Just as he intended to advance, several more spears thrust forward, forcing him to retreat once again. Thus, he moved back and forth; although Lü Bu charged to the front of the armored soldiers several times, killing many of them, he was quickly pushed back by the spearmen behind. At that moment, more armored soldiers filled the gaps, and before long, Lü Bu was covered in holes. If it were not for his good armor and quick reflexes, he would have long since met the King of Hell. Even so, he could not hold out much longer, and in his desperation, he cried out loudly, cursing Xu Cheng as despicable and cowardly, challenging him to a one-on-one duel.
After a long period of frustration, Xu Cheng finally regained his composure amidst the distress of incurring losses. He instructed Yang Er and the others to lead the team back to the camp, while he took the guards to meet Dong Zhuo, as he was curious to see what these fellows would say.
Indeed! Dong Zhuo also echoed, as Xu Cheng observed him continuously praising himself upon arrival, while the other generals remained kneeling nearby. He thought to himself, you two scoundrels, isn't this creating division
Dozens of long spears flew over, piercing their bodies heavily before they could react, and even those following behind were impaled. As they fell, they saw a row of people ahead, similarly bare-chested, each wielding two long spears.
Xu Cheng displayed a look of astonishment, expressing his immense honor at being entrusted with such an important responsibility, and vowed to exert his utmost efforts for the Chancellor
Li Ru was a staunch follower of Dong Zhuo. Upon seeing that Xu Cheng not only excelled in warfare and military training but also consistently considered Dong Zhuo's interests, he couldn't help but feel a stir in his heart. He nudged Dong Zhuo, who was lost in his fantasies, and whispered a few words.
Upon arriving at the Dong residence, before even entering the main hall, Xu Cheng heard Dong Zhuo's roar, yes! It was indeed a roar!
At this time, apart from Xu Cheng's troops, the Xiliang army had also retreated into the city of Luoyang, beginning to shoot arrows from the city walls, leaving no choice but for them to retreat. The other units of the Bingzhou army, which had originally charged in to encircle Xu Cheng's troops, also had to withdraw under the rain of arrows. After all, Xu Cheng's forces were not numerous, and the Xiliang army could disregard their lives and launch indiscriminate attacks, but they had thirty thousand men and could not afford the losses.
"My lord, ... ..." Dong Zhuo turned around and saw Xu Cheng with a look of hesitation, so he said: "If you have something to say, Bo Gong, please feel free to speak!"
"Indeed, indeed," Li Ru quickly said, "After all, our army is numerous while the troops of Bingzhou are few. Alas! If we only had one general in position today, we would have already won!" He was keenly seizing the opportunity to curry favor with several generals.
Xu Cheng watched from behind and saw Lü Bu trapped, secretly lamenting that among the top ten generals of the Three Kingdoms, Ma Chao had already died at his hands. It seemed that this time Lü Bu would not escape either! Could it be that he was destined to be the terminator of fierce generals?
Seeing the opponent's spear was invincible, Lü Bu, after desperately blocking two strikes, had no choice but to order Gao Shun: Retreat! Gao Shun glanced at Xu Cheng under the opposing banner and, filled with resentment, issued the order to retreat.
The Xiliang army was numerous, and before long, they had surrounded the Bingzhou army. However, they could not contain Lü Bu. At this moment, Lü Bu did not have the Red Hare, but he possessed the Fangtianhua halberd. Wherever the blade passed, it was unstoppable. He quickly charged to the front of the central army, not far from where Dong Zhuo was located. The generals of the central army were greatly alarmed; Lü Bu's valor had already left a deep impression on their hearts, and now, as he approached, some were already preparing to flee on horseback. Dong Zhuo, seeing Lü Bu charging towards him, was also filled with inexplicable panic, trembling in fear. However, the dignity of being the commander prevented him from fleeing immediately. The generals of the central army were greatly alarmed; Lü Bu's valor had already left a deep impression on their hearts, and now, as he approached, some were already preparing to flee on horseback. Dong Zhuo, seeing Lü Bu charging towards him, was also filled with inexplicable panic, trembling in fear. However, the dignity of being the commander prevented him from fleeing immediately. He could only grasp Li Ru beside him and repeatedly ask, "What should we do, what should we do?" But Li Ru only understood schemes and plots, and was almost completely ignorant of military matters. At this moment, he was so frightened that his soul seemed to be scattered, unable to provide an answer! At this time, Lü Bu was getting closer! The blood-red tip of the halberd flashed with a deadly brilliance, as if it were a Shura from hell, and that momentum caused the warhorses of the generals to continuously retreat.
Xu Cheng secretly cursed, "Old bastard, you just promised to reward me, and now you've forgotten!" Of course, this was something he could only keep to himself; he absolutely could not say it out loud. He pretended to ponder for a moment before saying, "My lord, I have an idea, but I am unsure whether I should speak it or not!" When selling something, one naturally has to wait for the right price.
After expressing gratitude, Xu Cheng returned to his camp, contemplating the methods to receive the Imperial Guards. During the reign of Emperor Ling, the Western Garden Imperial Guards were established, along with the Eight Commanders. The Eight Commanders were: the Upper Commander Jian Shuo (a eunuch), the Military Commander Cao Cao, the Central Commander Yuan Shao, the Lower Commander Bao Hong, the Left Assistant Commander Zhao Rong, the Right Assistant Commander Feng Fang, the Left Commander Xia Mou, and the Right Commander Chunyu Qiong. Among them, the Upper Commander held the authority to command the entire army. In that year, the Upper Commander Jian Shuo attempted to assassinate the Grand General He Jin using this power, but ultimately failed.
Upon hearing this, Xu Cheng spat inwardly and thought to himself: "What are you pretending for? If you don't want to promote me, just say it directly. Why make me say it myself? What a joke! If I say it, will you really give it to me?"
Li Ru was also quite dissatisfied, and he quickly poked Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo was taken aback for a moment, then realized that he had misspoken. He hurriedly said: "How about this! Bo Gong, you are skilled in training troops. Although the Western Garden Imperial Guards have been established for many years, they have rarely experienced formations. This time, they were the first to retreat. It would be better to entrust them to you for training, what do you think?"
"You bunch of useless fools," Dong Zhuo shouted, "What use do I have for you? Just one Lü Bu made you run faster than rabbits, and you almost left me to him as well. Aren't you all supposed to be great fighters? Each one of you claims to be the best in the world, and now what? Have you all lost your courage?"
Upon hearing Xu Cheng's military order, Yang Er immediately commanded the armored troops to increase the distance from the vanguard camp, and then retreated. The pikemen, however, fought while retreating, utilizing the length advantage of their weapons to avoid close combat with the enemy. At this moment, a voice came from behind: "Charge!"
With Xu Cheng's command, a group of heavily armored soldiers rushed forward, quickly positioning themselves in front of the spear-wielding soldiers to block Lü Bu. The spear-wielding soldiers did not retreat; instead, they followed closely behind the armored soldiers, continuously thrusting their spears forward.
He hurriedly knelt down and said: "I report to you, my lord, that our army's failure this time was merely due to underestimating the enemy. We did not anticipate that Lü Bu would be so valiant. As a result, many of our troops left their positions, and I was unable to command the entire army. I have only fulfilled my duties. If any of the generals had remained in their positions, we would undoubtedly not have faced today's defeat"
By the time Xu Cheng came to his senses, many people had already fallen. Xu Cheng looked at the bodies scattered on the ground and cursed himself under his breath, then immediately shouted: "Spear throwers!"
Xu Cheng selected ninety strongmen from his own troops, divided into groups of thirty. Each man held three long spears, specifically designed for dealing with tough opponents. The spears were crafted by skilled artisans at Xu Cheng's request, featuring a design that was heavy at the front and light at the back, making them suitable for throwing. On their first deployment, they encountered the elite troops of Lü Bu, known as the First Guard, a formidable adversary, and engaged in battle.
Xu Cheng knew that he had suffered a loss this time, even the lives of those who died at the hands of Lü Bu were included in the cost. Damn! That ungrateful bastard is about to become Dong Zhuo's adopted son! Yang Er and Pang Pei, who were beside him, noticed his grim expression and did not dare to disturb him. After all, anyone would find this situation unbearable. Xu Cheng's ability to endure until now had left them in deep admiration. However, they thought Xu Cheng was upset about being shot with arrows, while Xu Cheng was actually lamenting the loss of his own capital.
All the generals knelt in the hall, silent as cicadas in winter. At this moment, whoever speaks up will be in trouble! Li Cui and Guo Si, one clutching his chest and the other crossing his arms, intended to convey to Dong Zhuo with their injuries that they had fought bravely and should not be troubled!