Yun Qing's troop faces off with Xie Junxiong for Yongcheng; Ding Qingyu shows off his actual talent as a strategist and a native of Yongcheng;
Yongcheng was surrounded by mountains on its east, west, and north sides, with the Wei River flowing through the middle and expanding to the east. More than three-quarters of the area was covered by hills and woodlands, making the city easy to defend but difficult to attack.
The army advanced until they were twenty li1 from Yongcheng's walls, at which point the scouts returned. They informed Yun Qing that the general defending Yongcheng was called Xie Junxiong.
Upon hearing the name, Cui Mo said, "General, I've never even heard of this man. It looks like Ji Xuan has no one else left to use!" Although Yongcheng was easy to defend and hard to attack, it would be pretty easy to capture if it did not have a competent general guarding it.
Yu Cong's opinion was precisely the opposite of Cui Mo's. "Ji Xuan and his men are unpopular. Having them defend the city might actually work to our advantage. This Xie Junxiong, on the other hand, might be harder to deal with."
Yuan Ying suggested, "General, I think we should send someone to meet this Xie Junxiong." Since Feng Dajun was now dealing with the affairs of Lanzhou, Yun Qing's troops were short on manpower, which was why Yuan Ying had to come over. He made this suggestion because he believed that Xie Junxiong would surrender if he had a clear view of the current situation. Sending an envoy would avoid unnecessary casualties; if they refused, they could attack later.
Cui Mo wasn't too agreeable. He argued, "Even if this Xie Junxiong has some weight to him, we have a hundred thousand troops—are we supposed to be afraid of him?"
Yu Cong looked at Yun Qing and asked, "General, what do you think?" He only followed Yun Qing's orders and paid no attention to anyone else's opinions.
Before Yun Qing could respond, a guard announced outside that Ding Qingyu was requesting an audience. Although Ding Qingyu knew medicine, he was fairly average and could only treat minor wounds.
The fact that he had come at this time definitely meant that something was going on. Yun Qing said, "Let him in." He wanted to see what information Ding Qingyu might have.
Ding Qingyu had come to inform Yun Qing about Xie Junxiong's background. "General, Xie Junxiong is from Haocheng and is thirty-five this year. He is not only brave in battle but also skilled in strategy." This was quite a high compliment coming from him.
However, Cui Mo clearly didn't believe him, questioning, "If he's really that impressive, how come we've never even heard of him?"
Ding Qingyu cleared his throat before replying, "Xie Junxiong's second wife is Zhang Wenjie's niece. Ji Xuan and Zhang Wenjie are sworn enemies—how could Ji Xuan have possibly promoted him? Yet, despite these circumstances, Xie Junxiong still managed to climb to a third-rank post. What do you think this man's ability is?"
Cui Mo raised his voice in reply, "Maybe he's just good at stroking his superior's beard and patting the horse2!"
Yun Qing ignored Cui Mo's words entirely and asked, "In which battles has this man made his mark?" A Junior Third-Rank Guerrilla General who rose through military merit was definitely not to be underestimated.
Ding Qingyu outlined Xie Junxiong's background. He was a descendant of the prestigious Xie military family from Hao City, which had deep roots in the northwest. Zhang Wenjie had previously arranged for his niece to marry Xie Junxiong as jishi3 in order to win over the Xie family. "Xie Junxiong started out by gaining military merit by suppressing bandits. Later, he spent three years in Xihai, achieving significant success and rising quickly through the ranks. Eight years ago, he earned a double promotion for his role in a major battle." For a civil servant, being promoted two ranks in one go was a big deal; a triple promotion would make headlines nationwide. However, in the military, promotions could come quickly as long as you accumulate enough merit. Otherwise, Yun Qing would not have reached the Second Rank by the age of twenty-four.
Yun Qing still remembered that battle quite well and asked, "I recall that the commanding general in that war was Ji Xuan, wasn't he?"
Ding Qingyu said, "Although Ji Xuan was in command of the troops, Xie Junxiong was just a deputy general back then. Ji Xuan had not yet firmly established himself back then, so he did the Xie family a favour. However, once he had done so, he began suppressing the Xie family. Nonetheless, the Xie family is a prestigious clan with a century-long legacy. They knew how to act tactfully, which has allowed them to remain unharmed to this day. That battle was Ji Xuan's most glorious moment, allowing him to secure his position in the northwest."
Yun Qing's face darkened as he said, "I remember that eight years ago, in the battle against Tubo, our army lost 110,000 men just to win. You call that a victory?" At that time, Tubo sent out an army of 80,000, but their side ended up losing 110,000 men. A victory built on the flesh and blood of soldiers was a f*cking worthless victory!
When Ding Qingyu heard Yun Qing say 'our army', his mouth twitched slightly. No wonder Yun Qing looked down on the three of them—he never even considered himself a traitor, still seeing himself as a great general!
Ding Qingyu coughed and explained, "Ji Xuan was only nominally in charge. The actual fighting was done by Leng Bufeng, Dai Xingguang, Xie Junxiong, and the others."
Yuan Ying looked at him with a fox-like suspicion4 and asked, "Why do you know so much about Xie Junxiong's background?" This Ding Qingyu was definitely not a simple man.
Ding Qingyu smiled as he replied, "Not just Jie Junxiong — I'm familiar with every well-known figure in Shaanxi." This was his capital and also his confidence.
Yun Qing didn't particularly like Ding Qingyu, but at this point, it didn't matter who he used as long as they were useful. "So, do you think we should launch a direct assault or attempt to persuade them to surrender?"
Ding Qingyu's eyes lit up; he hadn't joined Yun Qing to be a military physician—he wanted to become his strategist. Suppressing his inner joy, he calmly said, "First, try to persuade them to surrender. If that fails, attack."
Cui Mo asked, "What do you mean? Are you so sure that Xie Junxiong won't surrender? What if he actually does defect?"
Ding Qingyu shook his head. "Impossible. Xie Junxiong is a very proud man; he would never surrender before the battle began. Even if he agreed to surrender, it would be a lie."
Cui Mo muttered, "Then what's the point of sending someone to negotiate? Why not just attack directly? There's no need to waste time—our time is valuable too!"
Ding Qingyu smiled. "Xie Junxiong is proud, but those around him are not." Just because he refused to surrender didn't mean his subordinates felt the same way. After all, the Northwestern Army had a fearsome reputation and a force of 100,000 troops, so the other Yongcheng commanders might not be confident enough to defend the city. Rather than trying to persuade Xie Junxiong, the focus should be on undermining those around him.
Yuan Ying frowned. "Then who should go to negotiate the surrender?" They were fine with fighting, but this kind of high-difficulty task was beyond them.
Ding Qingyu cupped his hands in salute and said to Yun Qing, "Though I am unworthy, I am willing to go to Yongcheng and persuade Xie Junxiong to surrender."
Cui Mo sneered, "You're not afraid of death, are you?" If Xie Junxiong got angry and killed Ding Qingyu, that would truly be a wrongful death.
Ding Qingyu smiled and replied, "When two armies fight, envoys will not be executed. I believe Xie Junxiong wouldn't be so dishonourable." How could he earn Yun Qing's trust with mere words without taking action?
Yun Qing nodded. "State any conditions you have. If I can manage it, I will grant them." If the negotiations failed, they would launch a direct assault. Time was precious—they had to occupy the Northwest before the Imperial Army arrived.
Ding Qingyu made no requests. "I can set out immediately."
Yuan Ying stepped forward and offered, "I'll go with you." He wanted to seize the opportunity to assess Yongcheng's defences so that they would have the upper hand later on.
Ding Qingyu shook his head. "The moment you step out, it'll be obvious that you're of high rank. If they detain you in the army camp, it won't look good." As he himself was insignificant, even if Xie Junxiong detained him, Yun Qing wouldn't delay the assault because of it.
A shichen5 later, Ding Qingyu returned. Cui Mo hurriedly asked, "What did Xie Junxiong say? Is he willing to surrender?"
Ding Qingyu shook his head. "Xie Junxiong said he would surrender, but only if the General entered the city to negotiate with him personally." Unless Yun Qing was mad, he would never agree to enter the city alone.
Yun Qing instructed, "Let the soldiers rest well. We'll attack the city at dawn tomorrow." It was already late, and the troops had been marching for days. They needed to rest and build up their strength.
The next day, at dawn, the Northwest Army began the assault. After a day of battle, which cost them over eight thousand casualties, they finally captured Yongcheng. Unlike Leng Bufeng and Chen Wei, Xie Junxiong did not flee or surrender; he fought until the very end.
The fall of Yongcheng was not Xie Junxiong's fault; the ordinary soldiers had already lost confidence in the court and Ji Xuan. They also heard that Yun Qing not only spared prisoners but even provided travel expenses for soldiers who wanted to return home. Moreover, the Northwest Army fought ferociously, and no one was willing to risk their lives under such circumstances. If the soldiers wouldn't fight, no matter how capable the general was, it would be useless. Holding out for a day was enough to demonstrate Xie Junxiong's abilities.
Upon hearing this, Yun Qing ordered, "Give General Xie a proper burial." He was a true soldier and someone whom Yun Qing respected.🦊
Cui Mo responded, "Yes." He, too, had a lot of respect for Xie Junxiong. Along the way, they had only encountered Ji Xuan's generals, none of whom he thought much of. Today, however, he had finally encountered a true soldier and realised that the Northwest did have capable commanders; they had simply been overlooked.
Yun Qing looked at Ding Qingyu and asked, "What do you want?" Anyone who recommends themselves must have an agenda. Otherwise, he wouldn't have risked his life to persuade Xie Junxiong.
Ding Qingyu said, "I want to follow the General." He wanted to earn merits and achievements alongside Yun Qing. Chaotic times give rise to heroes7. Despite Yun Qing's flaws, Ding Qingyu saw great potential in him.
Yun Qing had already said that if it was within his ability, he wouldn't refuse: "Alright. But I don't keep useless people by my side." If one wanted to stay, one needed to have real ability.
Ding Qingyu proudly said, "Great General, whether I am useful isn't determined by words but by actions." This was only the first step; he still had a long way to go before fully gaining Yun Qing's trust.
The journey from Yong City to Hao City was about 400 li1 and could be completed in two and a half days. Ding Qingyu asked, "Should we press the attack while riding on the momentum of our victory, General?"
Yun Qing paused and asked Ding Qingyu, "Do you have a map from Yongcheng to Haocheng?" Maps were extremely important.
Ding Qingyu shook his head and replied, "I don't have a map, but I've travelled this route to Haocheng three times before, so I remember the way."
Yun Qing said, "Then go back and write down everything you can remember!" They could easily fall victim to an ambush if they weren't familiar with the route.
Footnotes Full List
- 里 lǐ: a traditional unit of length, equal to 150 zhang (市丈), and equivalent to 0.5 kilometres or 0.311 miles
- The idiom, 溜须拍马 (liū xū pāi mǎ), means to flatter excessively, to butter someone up, or to kiss up to someone — often in a sycophantic or insincere way.
- 继室 jìshì: Second wife (after the first wife's death)
- 狐疑 (hú yí) — literally "fox-like suspicion"; a metaphor for being highly suspicious.
- 时辰 shíchen: 2 hours
- Aww.. I was hoping he would survive!
- This idiom, 乱世出英雄 (luàn shì chū yīng xióng), conveys the idea that extraordinary individuals are more likely to rise to prominence, demonstrate exceptional leadership, courage, or wisdom, and make a significant impact in periods of great upheaval, conflict, or crisis. These difficult circumstances serve as a crucible that forges and reveals true heroes.
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