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The flames roared skyward. The hay, doused with oil, burned exceptionally fast. Outside the courtyard, soldiers were still throwing bundles of straw into the compound...
Although the courtyard walls were made of earth and stone, many of the buildings inside were constructed of wood. As soon as the soldiers under Zheng Jian's command hurled the burning hay inside, the structures within the courtyard quickly caught fire. In an instant, flames surrounded them from all directions—above, below, left, and right.
Zheng Jian stood at the entrance of the small courtyard, flanked by shield-bearing soldiers. Behind them were twenty or thirty archers, their bows half-drawn and aimed at the gate, ready to loose their arrows at any moment.
The posthouse courtyard had only one entrance. By guarding it, Zheng Jian had effectively cut off Fei Qian's last escape route.
Zheng Jian didn't need to come personally, yet he had chosen to do so.
Originally, he held no deep hatred for Fei Qian. It was merely an unfortunate coincidence that Fei Qian had encountered the soldiers Zheng Jian had sent to ambush the supply convoy from Luoyang, disrupting his plans. This interference had forced Zheng Jian to abandon his scheme to intercept the convoy near Gucheng.
Gucheng was too close to Luoyang, making it difficult to carry out large-scale operations. At most, they could only resort to minor sabotage. If they deployed too many soldiers, it would inevitably alert the Luoyang garrison. Moreover, with the loss of several soldiers—especially the commanding officer—the remaining troops had no choice but to sneak back inside the pass.
Zheng Jian had initially worried that the missing officer might be noticed by Guo Pu, but to his surprise, Guo Pu had recklessly led his troops out of the pass!
This was nothing short of a godsend!
At first, Zheng Jian had intended to spare Fei Qian out of respect for Cai Yong, allowing him to leave Hangu Pass. Yet Fei Qian had refused...
If he wouldn't leave, then he would die here.
What was the He-Luo Fei clan compared to the fate of the Great Han Dynasty?
Once Fei Qian was dead, Zheng Jian could confirm arrangements the next day, open the western gate of Hangu Pass, and allow the forces outside to enter...
Finally, he would send a dead man's report to the authorities, claiming that Guo Pu had recklessly led his troops away, leaving the pass undefended and resulting in its fall...
Perhaps he could even accuse Fei Qian of colluding with the Yellow Turban rebels outside the pass, setting fires within to incite chaos...
Yes, that might further muddy the waters, buying more time. All Zheng Jian needed was to delay Dong Zhuo's forces at Hangu Pass for a single month. By the time the allied armies from the east reached Luoyang, the fate of those Xiliang brutes would be sealed.
Through the raging flames, Zheng Jian seemed to glimpse the near future—himself standing in the grand hall of Luoyang's Northern Palace, receiving honors and rewards. The corners of his lips curled slightly in satisfaction.
Suddenly, a dark figure dashed through the flames at the courtyard entrance. The archers behind Zheng Jian immediately released their arrows, the shafts thudding into the object. Only when it fell to the ground did they realize it was merely a long bench wrapped in robes, thrown out as a decoy...
Soon after, another shadow flew out from the gate, drawing another volley of arrows...
Seeing this, the commanding officer in front shouted, "Archers, alternate your shots! Do not fire all at once!"
Meanwhile, Fei Qian and the others had gathered in the courtyard's open space. The buildings were now completely uninhabitable. Huang Cheng was directing several soldiers to hurl wooden chairs and other furniture out of the gate—partly to exhaust the archers' arrows, but also to reduce the flammable materials inside.
Huang Cheng assessed the situation and turned to Fei Qian. "Young Master Fei, there are too many archers ahead. A direct charge is impossible! What should we do?"
But if they didn't break out, they would be burned alive!
Fei Qian could almost feel Death's cold touch.
In his panic, his mind was a whirlwind of chaos. He had no idea what to do.
Although the rooftops were tiled, the beams and eaves were made of wood—now already ablaze. The dry timber burned with terrifying speed. At this rate, the main beams would collapse within minutes!
Once those beams gave way, even if they weren't burned to death, they'd be buried alive!
The temperature around them rose rapidly. The air grew thin.
Smoke began to spread.
Just as Fei Qian and the others were choking on the fumes, coughing uncontrollably, the sound of fierce fighting erupted from the rear courtyard. Huang Xu, whom Fei Qian had earlier stationed there with guards, had noticed the danger and rushed to their aid. He and his men had already cut down several soldiers who had been throwing hay over the rear wall and were now pressing forward...
Huang Xu's battle cries jolted Fei Qian like an electric shock, igniting a spark of hope. His thoughts racing, he grabbed Huang Cheng and shouted, "Forget the front gate—smash through the wall!"
Though Fei Qian's words were abrupt, Huang Cheng understood immediately. He let out a sharp whistle, then roared a command in his native Jingxiang dialect.
From outside the wall, Huang Xu responded in the same dialect.
With reinforcements at hand, Fei Qian's mind finally kicked into gear. Pointing at the water vat in the courtyard, he yelled, "Dunk yourselves in the water! Soak your clothes!"
Outside the courtyard, Zheng Jian, furious, grabbed the posthouse chief by the collar and snarled, "Weren't they all inside the courtyard?! How are there people outside?!"
"I don't know! They were all inside when I left!"
Zheng Jian flung the man to the ground in disgust and bellowed, "Officer Chen! Stop them!"
Officer Chen acknowledged the order and immediately led a group of soldiers toward the rear courtyard, charging straight for Huang Xu and his men...
Soon, the rumble of cart wheels came from the rear, followed by Huang Xu's loud shouts. Huang Cheng, hearing this, immediately ordered, "Scatter! Get away from the back wall!"
A thunderous crash echoed, then another. The rear wall, where it connected to the building, split open with a gaping crack. Tiles rained down, revealing a sizable breach!
Just as Huang Xu's men were about to pull the cart back for another ramming attempt, Officer Chen arrived with his troops. Without hesitation, he roared and charged forward, swinging his blade wildly.
Huang Xu and his men desperately held their ground...
"Damn it!" Huang Cheng took a running leap, trying to scale the breach in the wall, but his fingers fell just short. He slid back down.
Fei Qian, spotting the nearly empty water vat, quickly ordered it overturned and placed beneath the breach.
Huang Cheng backed up, sprinted forward, and vaulted onto the upturned vat. This time, he managed to grab the edge of the breach and haul himself up.
A cheer erupted from both inside and outside the courtyard—even Fei Qian couldn't help but shout in triumph.
Officer Chen, seeing this, let out an enraged howl. Abandoning all defense, he launched a reckless, suicidal attack, forcing Huang Xu into a desperate retreat.
Seizing the momentary advantage, Officer Chen feinted a strike, then wheeled around and led his men straight for the breach. Raising his sword, he slashed at the Cui family guards below, aiming to reclaim the opening and trap Fei Qian's group inside the burning courtyard!