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After Guo Pu's defeat, it seemed that the enemy had little interest in pursuing the scattered infantry. They merely drove them off and slaughtered a few before withdrawing without giving chase.
The routed soldiers fled in panic for a long while, only slowing down and regrouping when they were certain no one was pursuing them. Starved and ragged, they eventually made their way back to Hangu Pass.
These foot soldiers had been truly unfortunate. First, they had been forced into a grueling march by Guo Pu, given little time to rest. Then, out of nowhere, Guo Pu suffered a crushing defeat, and they were scattered like frightened ducks. Most of their supplies and weapons were abandoned during the chaotic retreat. If not for the mountains on either side, leaving them no escape route, these deserters might not have even returned to Hangu Pass.
The problem was that these soldiers had "lost their commanding officer."
If they had fled entirely, they would have been labeled as "deserters"—a crime punishable not only by blacklisting but also by the enslavement of their families and wives to the state.
Fortunately, Guo Pu had been killed during the advance, in the midst of battle. This meant the charge of "losing one's commanding officer" could be mitigated to some extent. Had it been peacetime, or if they had been his personal guards who failed to protect him, every surviving guard would have been punished, even if they had fought bravely.
As the defeated soldiers entered Hangu Pass, news of the disaster spread like wildfire.
"What? Commander Guo has been defeated? Is he alive or dead?" Fei Qian asked.
Huang Cheng shook his head. "There's no definite news on that. But since the infantry have returned without a single trace of the Liangzhou cavalry… I fear the worst."
Fei Qian fell silent, a chill running down his spine.
The Liangzhou cavalry were no pushovers—how could they have been completely annihilated without a single survivor? The enemy's combat strength must be terrifying!
And yet, they had been told that Xin'an was only occupied by a thousand or two Yellow Turban rebels?
What a joke.
Even if the rebels had outnumbered Guo Pu's forces two or three times over, without cavalry of their own, they should have had no way to completely destroy the Liangzhou horsemen. At most, they could have driven them away—but annihilation? Impossible.
Unless Guo Pu had marched straight into a death trap. But even then, he should have been able to send messengers back. How could the defeat have been so total?
This could only mean one of two things:
Either the initial intelligence about Xin'an had been false, and the Yellow Turbans there were far more numerous than reported—perhaps even fielding a large cavalry force—leading to Guo Pu's complete destruction and death.
Or, Guo Pu had been ambushed unexpectedly, suffered defeat, and then fled rather than return to Hangu Pass. Given the circumstances, returning would have meant certain execution, so escaping westward to Liangzhou might have been his only option. However, this possibility seemed far less likely.
Because Guo Pu's troops were not mercenaries he had recruited himself—they were registered regular soldiers of the imperial army. According to Han military law, if a commander suffered heavy casualties in battle, he would be held accountable. The reasons for such losses could vary—being outmatched, poor command decisions, or abandoning his troops to save himself—but the last offense was the gravest. Even if he paid a hefty fine to redeem himself, he would still be stripped of rank and dismissed from service permanently.
Fei Qian couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about the whole situation. The sudden appearance of Yellow Turban rebels in Xin'an, the initial reports claiming only a thousand or two poorly armed bandits—yet these so-called ragtag rebels had not only defeated eight hundred elite Liangzhou cavalry but left no survivors?
A thought flickered in Fei Qian's mind, but before he could grasp it fully, a courier arrived, interrupting his thoughts. The man handed him a name card and informed him that Commander Zheng of the Pass wished to see him.
Commander Zheng?
Why summon me at this time?
Though puzzled, Fei Qian decided to go. After all, Zheng might have more accurate and detailed information.
Zheng Jian greeted him with the same smile as before, but Fei Qian sensed a subtle change in his demeanor.
"I heard Commander Guo was defeated—is this true?" Fei Qian asked after exchanging pleasantries.
Zheng Jian glanced at him and nodded slightly. "Indeed. Commander Guo has suffered a defeat."
"Then… is he alive? And what caused the defeat?"
"He pushed his troops too hard, rushing for glory. How could he not lose?" Zheng Jian replied coolly. "As for whether he lives or not, that remains unclear… I heard that before setting out, Commander Guo had a rather… pleasant conversation with you, Assistant Secretary Fei. What exactly did you discuss?"
Fei Qian's heart skipped a beat. He carefully recalled his earlier exchange with Guo Pu. While he had subtly encouraged Guo Pu to leave the pass and engage the enemy, he had never explicitly said anything incriminating.
"When did I have a 'pleasant conversation' with Commander Guo?" Fei Qian feigned confusion. "Ah, Commander Zheng, you were present as well—why ask me?"
The phrase "pleasant conversation" was deliberately vague. If Guo Pu were later found guilty of some crime, and Fei Qian had been known to have had a "pleasant conversation" with him, suspicion would naturally fall on him.
"Did you tell him anything?"
"No."
"And who would believe that?"
So Fei Qian played dumb and dragged Zheng Jian into the matter—after all, hadn't Zheng been the one to introduce Guo Pu to him in the first place?
Zheng Jian chuckled, narrowing his eyes. "Not here. I meant at the armory."
"Ah! Now that you mention it, I had almost forgotten." Fei Qian clapped his hands as if suddenly remembering. "I did run into Commander Guo there."
He selectively recounted the encounter, then added, "Had it not been for you, Commander Zheng, I wouldn't even have known Commander Guo."
Seeing that Fei Qian kept tying Guo Pu's connection back to him, Zheng Jian realized he wouldn't extract anything useful. He laughed lightly and changed the subject.
"The situation west of the pass is dire. The Yellow Turbans are growing in strength. Perhaps Assistant Secretary Fei should consider moving east for now and return once the chaos has settled?"
Oh? He wants me to leave Hangu Pass?
Right now, the Yellow Turban rebels in Xin'an were like a tiger blocking the road, cutting off the westward route. Fei Qian couldn't possibly charge through with just a few dozen men.
But the ones most anxious about this situation weren't Fei Qian—it was Dong Zhuo and Li Ru. Once they learned Hangu Pass was blockaded, they would surely dispatch a large force to attack. No matter how many Yellow Turbans were in Xin'an, how long could they hold out against a pincer assault from the Mianchi camp and Luoyang's garrison?
So what was Zheng Jian's real intention? Did he doubt Xin'an could be retaken? Was he worried the Yellow Turbans would attack Hangu Pass? Or was he genuinely concerned for Fei Qian's safety?
…Or did he have another motive?
Should I stay or leave?
If Fei Qian turned back now to take a detour, not only would the journey be much longer, but the river crossings in Henei were already sealed due to the coalition forces in the east. Securing passage would require obtaining another travel permit from Li Ru, arranging boats, and avoiding capture by the coalition troops, who might mistake him for a scout.
After some thought, Fei Qian decided it was better to wait at Hangu Pass. The fortress was famously impregnable—even if the Yellow Turbans were foolish enough to attack, breaching it would be no easy feat.