The Great Victory at Yanzhou

The rebels were surrounded, trapped at the foot of the mountain. The death of their commander only added insult to injury.

What followed was much simpler. With their banner fallen, the rebels’ morale plummeted to rock bottom. Without needing the church knights to persuade them, they knelt down of their own accord, disarmed, and surrendered.

Luan Yi immediately set up camp on the spot and offered words of comfort—an easy task for him.

At dawn the next day, the rosy glow of the morning sun bathed the walls of Shanyang City and illuminated Liu Dai’s face, lending a radiant glow to the weary provincial governor who had been exhausted by days of relentless defense. Of course, Liu Dai’s renewed vigor was not solely the effect of sunlight. The continuous assaults by the Yellow Turban rebels had taken a heavy toll on him, and the temporary lull yesterday had granted him a peaceful night’s sleep, allowing his frayed nerves to recover somewhat.

Yet, as he savored this brief respite, Liu Dai pondered why the Yellow Turbans had ceased their attacks so abruptly. He vaguely surmised that something must have happened outside the city to divert the rebels’ attention, preventing them from making any bold moves.

But who could have managed to hold the Yellow Turbans at bay? Was it the small contingent of soldiers from the State of Jinan that had appeared last night?

Impossible... Their numbers were far too few, and their combat strength limited—not enough to draw the rebels’ focus. Perhaps by now, they had already been wiped out.

“Who else but them?” Liu Dai was still perplexed when a subordinate officer suddenly exclaimed, “Governor, look!”

“Hm?” Liu Dai raised his eyelids and looked toward the horizon, where a pale white glow met the morning light. It was that same so-called Blood-Red Cross banner. Recalling the poor performance of the army represented by that banner just yesterday, he sighed deeply and lowered his head again.

But then a commander shouted from below, “Governor! That is the army of the State of Jinan! They are coming to reinforce us!”

Liu Dai snorted coldly without looking up. “So what? They came yesterday too.”

“This time is different!” The officer’s voice cracked with excitement. “Governor, look quickly!”

Irritated, Liu Dai lifted his eyes and glanced over. The sight stopped him in his tracks, and he stepped forward to peer over the parapet.

At the northern horizon, a towering blood-red cross banner led the way. Upon closer inspection, this banner differed from yesterday’s. The previous one had a simple red cross formed by two intersecting lines on white silk, but today’s banner depicted a finely detailed female deity at its center—her body human, her feet serpent-like, her expression serene, and her arms outstretched in a cruciform pose.

Behind this banner fluttered thousands more, a magnificent and imposing sight. Underneath them marched nearly ten thousand soldiers.

“An entire army?” Liu Dai’s face lit up with joy upon seeing such reinforcements, roughly equal in number to the rebels below the city. “The reinforcements have arrived! If we do not strike the enemy now, when will we? Follow me, we shall sally forth and engage!”

The great gates of Shanyang City swung open. The Yanzhou troops, besieged for nearly a month, poured out in a surge, sweeping away yesterday’s gloom and unleashing the pent-up fury of their confinement with wild cries as they charged into the enemy ranks.

To the north, the church’s army advanced swiftly. The 1,500 knights of the Sacred Temple Cavalry, led by Zhao Yun, pierced the rebel lines like a blade. Dust billowed in their wake; rebels fell in disarray, the carnage fierce and brutal. In moments, the rebel formation was thoroughly broken.

On the flanks, Zhang Fei’s Divine Rock Battalion and Huang Zhong’s Divine Wind Battalion quickly took their positions. Zhang Fei’s ferocity was palpable; the eight-foot-long serpent spear in his grasp was less a weapon and more a reaper’s scythe. Each thrust left wounds the size of bowls, blood gushing like a torrential flood.

At close quarters, Huang Zhong discarded his beloved bow to a bodyguard and seized his ancient moon-shaped elephant trunk blade, swinging it with lethal ease. Even in his old age, Huang Zhong was renowned for his battlefield prowess; now in his prime, his strength and vigor were unmatched. Each move was swift, ruthless, and unpredictable—no one could stand against him. Within moments, over twenty rebel heads had fallen.

He called out to Zhang Fei, “Yi De, I have slain twenty-four!”

Zhang Fei grumbled begrudgingly, “Big deal—only three more than me!” Then he raised his arm and shouted, “Men of the Divine Rock Battalion, do not let the Divine Wind Battalion outdo you! Kill!”

Remarkably, the two rivals were competing over who could kill more enemies.

Luan Yi watched in surprise, glancing at Dian Wei on his left and Xu Chu on his right—two of the Han Empire’s most formidable warriors. Intrigued, he proposed, “Brothers, shall we join this contest? But one condition: no surrendering soldiers shall be slain.”

Dian Wei nodded, stroking his halberd. Xu Chu rubbed his fists eagerly, excitement shining in his eyes.

Luan Yi raised his hammer and commanded, “For the glory of the Holy Mother, kill—”

“Kill!” came the resounding cry.

The combined forces of thousands, pressing from both sides with the Yanzhou troops from the city, encircled the Yellow Turban rebels like a dumpling. Within the time it took an incense stick to burn, the rebels were completely routed, and countless surrendered.

With the battle decided, Liu Dai stepped forward with his retinue to express gratitude. Seeing Liu Dai’s banner from afar, Luan Yi quickly dismounted, wiped blood droplets from his hat brim, straightened his attire, and strode forward to meet him.

Liu Dai dismounted and bowed, asking, “Are you the esteemed Master Ziqi?”

“It is I, at your service, Governor,” Luan Yi replied, immediately helping Liu Dai to his feet. “I am but a humble servant, unworthy of such honors from you.”

“You have come from afar to aid Yanzhou, truly a benefactor to all its people! As their parent and guardian, I must offer my sincerest thanks. Please accept this bow from Liu Dai!” With that, Liu Dai prepared to bow again.

Luan Yi quickly knelt first and steadied Liu Dai. “Governor, you flatter me. It is not proper for a superior like yourself to bow to a subordinate. Moreover, I came at Heaven’s command to relieve the suffering of the Holy Mother’s faithful in Guizhou and, under your orders, to break the rebel sieges in the various counties. It is my duty; you need not dwell on it.”

Liu Dai scrutinized Luan Yi with admiration, thinking to himself: Beyond his talents, this man’s humility is rare and remarkable. Surely he is destined for greatness. As a scion of the Han imperial family witnessing the dynasty’s decline and corruption, with state calamities mounting, how could he not be anxious? Now, with a man like Luan Yi emerging, truly a “talent to save the world” as the strategist Xu Zi once said, the day of the Han’s salvation is not far away.

In that moment, Liu Dai’s face brightened with hope—forgetting that only yesterday he had dismissed Luan Yi as “nothing special.”

Liu Dai grasped Luan Yi’s hand warmly. “Master Ziqi, you must be weary from your journey. Why not rest within the city and partake of some wine and food?”

“Your kindness is appreciated, Governor, but although the fighting has ceased here in Yanzhou, the people of Qingzhou still suffer terribly. The longer I delay, the more lives and families may be lost. I cannot bear it; I must depart immediately. Please forgive me, Governor, for my preoccupation with military matters.”

“You speak nobly. Your compassion for the realm and its people commands my respect. If there is anything I can do, ask without hesitation.”

Luan Yi pondered and then said thoughtfully, “There is indeed a matter I wish to discuss with you.”

“Speak freely.”

“Jinan is a small and impoverished state, with scant resources. The chaos has only worsened our poverty. Our recent campaign southward to Yanzhou consumed much of our supplies, making it difficult to support further operations eastward into Qingzhou. Therefore...” Luan Yi feigned humility while appraising Liu Dai, “I must humbly request some provisions from the governor to sustain my army.”

Liu Dai inwardly smiled. It was true that Jinan was small, more like a large prefecture than a kingdom, with less territory and population than Yanzhou, one of the nine great provinces. It was plausible that their grain supplies were insufficient. After all, their arable land was limited, and their harvests modest. But to say Jinan was poor—he simply didn’t believe it. Anyone who had visited Jinan knew it was one of the wealthiest places in the Han Empire. Caravan after caravan passed through, bustling workshops produced prized goods—glassware, textiles, wooden furniture—highly sought after throughout the realm. To call it prosperous was an understatement; its wealth was measured in thousands daily, not mere hundreds.

Some even claimed it was hard to find a beggar in Jinan. If even the poor were scarce, how could it be destitute? If so wealthy, why not purchase supplies outright?

Of course, Liu Dai kept these thoughts to himself. Since they had come so far to help defeat the rebels, it was only proper to provide support. This was customary, and an unspoken rule throughout Han. Without such aid, next time Yanzhou was in trouble, Luan Yi might not come to their rescue—or if he did, only after the rebels had ravaged the city. So Liu Dai assured, “I will prepare everything properly. Please accept it graciously, Master Ziqi.”

“Thank you, Governor! Furthermore...”

“Oh? What else, Master Ziqi?” Liu Dai’s expression darkened slightly, thinking, “Just praised you for your humility, and now you ask for more. What else could you want after supplies?”

“Governor,” Luan Yi said solemnly, “We have captured many rebels in this battle. I wonder if I might take charge of these prisoners to handle them?”

“Ah?” Liu Dai raised his eyebrows. He had been troubled over what to do with the captives. To slaughter them all would be cruel and against the natural order, risking his own fate. To release them all would be unwise—so many rebels set free might regroup and launch another assault on Yanzhou. Detaining them would strain resources. Now that Luan Yi volunteered to take them, he was only too happy to comply. “If you wish, take them at once!”

Luan Yi bowed deeply in gratitude. “Rest assured, Governor, when I report this, I will not forget to credit you for the capture of the enemy!”

Thus, the alliance between the Yanzhou forces and the State of Jinan’s army secured a decisive victory against the Yellow Turban rebels, turning the tide of the conflict and kindling hope for the Han Empire’s restoration.