A well-founded argument.

Liao Hua, having just ascended to the city walls of Cloud City, took in the chaotic scene below and immediately ordered his soldiers to sweep along the ramparts toward the four gates, cutting down fleeing enemies wherever possible. Any who dared resist were to be executed on the spot, while those who surrendered were to remain where they were. As for the east gate, now thoroughly blocked by debris and enemy corpses, all they could do was curse under their breath while directing their men to clear away the rubble as quickly as possible.

An hour later, the dust settled. Of the twenty thousand Xianbei cavalry defending the city, two or three thousand were slain in the chaos of the assault. Several thousand, protecting Budugen with desperate valor as he broke out through the west gate, were pursued for dozens of miles by the Red Tiger Cavalry, suffering heavy casualties before the survivors managed to flee south to the nearest tribal stronghold—Shaling County. The remainder, over ten thousand men, threw down their arms and knelt in surrender.

A tally of the spoils revealed tens of thousands of elderly, women, and children of the Xianbei tribe still within the city, as well as Han slaves who, having been abducted for years and lost all will to resist, had mostly gathered here in panic upon hearing of the Han army’s approach. There were also vast herds of cattle, sheep, and horses.

Riding into Cloud City amid the cheers of his soldiers, Wang Bo surveyed his conquest with satisfaction before giving orders: all severely wounded prisoners were to be executed; the rest formed into labor battalions to clean the battlefield and fortify the city’s defenses. The countless corpses inside and atop the city walls were to be burned or buried swiftly, while enemy heads were to be piled into a grisly mound as a warning to the Hu tribes—such was the fate of those who opposed the Rising Han Army.

The Rising Han Army had not come off lightly either. Most of their cavalry losses—over three hundred—occurred in the fierce fighting outside the city, but all their tack and harnesses were recovered, and even the legs of slain horses were severed to delay the enemy from discovering their equipment. Sword-and-shield and spear infantry suffered nearly a thousand casualties, while only a few dozen heavy shield and great blade soldiers fell, most succumbing to severe internal injuries. Some of the great blade troopers, having been knocked down and unable to rise, lost their feet but otherwise remained unharmed—a bitter fate.

The bow and crossbow units suffered unexpectedly heavy losses, nearly eight or nine hundred men, making Wang Bo painfully aware of his oversight in their protection. The short Xianbei bows could not penetrate heavy shields or armor, but easily found their mark in the lightly armored archers, explaining the high casualties.

In keeping with Wang Bo’s doctrine of preserving skilled troops, the Rising Han Army placed great emphasis on ranged combat. Nearly forty percent of the Red Tiger Army were archers, and training expert marksmen was no simple task. On the field, selecting the strongest and most accurate archers to concentrate fire on enemy officers often caused more chaos than slaughtering rank-and-file soldiers.

Watching Niu Da weep silently over the fallen archers, Wang Bo felt a wave of sorrow and regret. At the post-battle debriefing, he took personal responsibility for his mistakes and vowed to improve the archers’ protection. The assembled officers, lamenting the losses, were further impressed by their lord’s humility and magnanimity.

That night, the weary Rising Han Army, sated with victory, fell into deep slumber, the camp echoing with snores as several thousand logistics troops stood guard over the bound Xianbei prisoners. Wang Bo, unable to sleep, instead toured the camp with Xu Chu, comforting the wounded and visiting the rescued Han slaves, who wandered in a daze. After some thought, he assigned most of the Han to the logistics camp, to supervise the Xianbei prisoners at their labor.

At dawn, word arrived from the Blue Wolf Army: their campaign had swept clean the Xianbei settlements within a hundred miles north and south of Cloud City. Apart from what they kept, they burned countless supplies, slaughtered or scattered the Xianbei able-bodied men, and left behind only the old, infirm, and large herds of livestock, requesting the Red Tiger Army send men to collect them. Many of the Xianbei cavalry routed by the Red Tiger Army outside Cloud City had also been intercepted and slain.

Scouts brought further news: the Xianbei of Shaling and Yangshou counties had regrouped under Budugen, gathering what soldiers they could, while the Xianbei Southern Route Army had abandoned their positions and was converging on Shaling. Niu Feihu warned Wang Bo to prepare for a large cavalry assault. No reports had yet been received about the Fulohan tribe moving south from Beiyu and Wuquan, perhaps because they had not yet learned of the defeat at Cloud City.

After some deliberation, Wang Bo ordered the reserve troops to select Han slaves familiar with livestock to collect the herds, horses, and noncombatants from the Blue Wolf Army, and to reinforce the city’s damaged walls. With no nearby quarries, they erected wooden palisades packed with wet earth, raising the weakest points of the walls, and hauled stone from within the city’s buildings to the ramparts. Outside, they dug trenches and horse traps.

Amid these preparations came an urgent dispatch from Yang Feng, relayed through Wu Jin County: a few days prior, the Inspector of Bing Province, Ding Yuan, had sent his adopted son Lü Bu leading over ten thousand cavalry through Xinghan City, intending to reinforce the Rising Han Army against the Xianbei. After careful consideration, Yang Feng had granted passage, on condition that Lü Bu’s men disarm, their horses be led, and that they were escorted through the passes, even gifting them a batch of Han wine. Lü Bu’s forces were now believed to be attacking the Fulohan tribe.

Wang Bo now understood why the Xianbei to the north had not moved south. Consulting his officers, all agreed that Ding Yuan’s actions posed no threat, and Yang Feng had handled the matter wisely. Ding Yuan remained loyal to the Han; if the Rising Han Army could guard the border or even crush the troublesome Xianbei, it would be to his great advantage. With just over ten thousand men, he could not possibly seize the heavily defended Xinghan City.

In his reply, Wang Bo praised Yang Feng’s prudence and urged him to watch the Hu tribes east of Yuhu Pass, ready to act decisively if trouble arose.

Within two days, vast herds of cattle, sheep, and horses were driven into Cloud City from north and south, filling the city with a cacophony of animal sounds. Before long, the Niu clan brothers in charge of logistics came to complain: the numbers were too great, and if all were herded inside, it would impede the army’s movements.

Wang Bo had no better solution; he could hardly return them to the Xianbei. He ordered more pens built and the range of movement restricted, with dedicated hands to drive and feed them, to prevent disease and mass death. If necessary, the weakest animals would be slaughtered for provisions.

Cloud City now resembled a massive livestock farm, with herds of cattle, sheep, and horses packed into its five-square-mile circuit, occupying more than half the city. Fortunately, Wang Bo had already cleared many buildings; otherwise, they would never have fit. All archers were relocated to the walls, the Xianbei noncombatants were moved to tents outside the walls, and the wounded finally had space to rest. The Xianbei prisoners had to crowd together by night and were supervised by Han civilians and the reserves by day, gathering grass to feed the animals.

Standing atop the walls, Wang Bo gazed out, troubled. Inside the city, the restless herds milled about; outside, the Xianbei army gathered, slowly drawing closer. Budugen, it seemed, was not yet resigned to defeat and was preparing for a final reckoning. Should the Rising Han Army hold fast, or sally forth? Wang Bo could not decide.

At that moment, Niu Dazhuang approached, leading a dozen sturdy young men who knelt respectfully at a distance and, through Niu Dazhuang, voiced their concerns. They were all former peasants of Yanmen Commandery, well aware of the value of oxen and the laws against their slaughter, which had been ingrained in them since childhood. They could not understand why the Rising Han Army would butcher the animals and tearfully begged Wang Bo to spare them. Niu Dazhuang, unable to refuse or rebuke them, came to Wang Bo, red-faced and hesitant.

Wang Bo, hearing them out, had no answer and dismissed them with a wry smile, lost in thought as he watched the bustling herds.

Suddenly, a commotion among the cattle caught his eye: two powerful bulls, refusing to yield, locked horns and tails in a fierce contest, driving the cows into a panic in the cramped space.

As he watched, inspiration struck Wang Bo, and he burst into laughter, clapping Niu Dazhuang on the shoulder and hurrying off, leaving the others bewildered.

He found Chen Dao and Liao Hua and shared his idea. They listened in astonishment, then broke into boisterous laughter. Liao Hua was first to praise him, exclaiming, “Our lord’s vision truly soars above us all! To fight by your side is the honor of my life. If the Xianbei come to attack, this battle will be remembered for generations!” The group, swept up in rare camaraderie, laughed heartily.

Afterward, Wang Bo gave two orders: the Blue Wolf Army was to regroup and move toward Cloud City; Niu Dazhuang was to cease slaughtering livestock and instead select several hundred wild-tempered bulls, gathering them near the south gate under strict supervision. Wang Bo then returned to his tent, set out a small feast, and entertained his officers, awaiting the Xianbei army’s arrival.

Throughout the next day, scouts brought reports on the approaching enemy: the Xianbei forces from Shanan and Yangshou had merged, forming a cavalry of five or six ten-thousands, moving slowly toward Cloud City and expected to arrive within half a day. Oddly, their advance was uncharacteristically sluggish, covering only a dozen miles a day—strange for usually swift Xianbei riders.

Wang Bo puzzled over this: if the Xianbei sought revenge, they should attack before the Rising Han Army could fortify; if they feared the Han, they should hole up or flee west to Xianyang. Why this slow, deliberate approach?

Moreover, why was there no sign of the Fulohan tribe from Yuanyang and Beiyu? Surely they must have heard of Budugen’s defeat by now; the battle outside Cloud City had routed over thirty thousand Xianbei, with at least twenty thousand survivors escaping. The Fulohan could not be unaware. Budugen and Fulohan were brothers, always acting in concert. Could they have been stopped by Lü Bu? But Lü Bu had left Wu Jin not long ago—was Bingzhou’s cavalry even faster than the Rising Han Army?

The officers were equally confused. Wang Bo hoped Budugen would attack, ending the war quickly. Unable to see the pattern, he ordered Niu Feihu to divide the Blue Wolf Army: one detachment was to sweep south across the Arid River toward Yuanyang and Beiyu, avoiding large enemy forces but gathering intelligence; the other, with several hundred Red Tiger troops, was to escort the Xianbei noncombatants and some livestock west to Wu Jin County, abandoning them if intercepted by large enemy forces.

On the third day, Budugen arrived outside Cloud City with sixty thousand troops.

He established a solid camp, complete with chevaux-de-frise, palisades, arrow towers, trenches, and mounted patrols—preparations more thorough than ever before. From the city walls, Wang Bo could see hundreds of Xianbei warriors bearing large shields within the enemy camp.

This was unprecedented; previously, the Xianbei relied on three tactics—cavalry charges, archery, and skirmishing. Now, having been bloodied, they brought every protective measure to bear.

Yet Budugen, once settled, showed no sign of attacking, content to send out skirmishers to probe the Han lines. Several minor clashes occurred within the day. Later, Budugen sent an envoy to accuse Wang Bo of treachery: why had he broken their prior agreement and attacked Cloud City?

Wang Bo, in his tent, scoffed at the battered envoy—when had he ever made a pact with Budugen? Had his generous terms ever been accepted? As he berated the envoy, Niu Er burst in with startling news: Lü Bu’s army, missing for days, had seized Yuanyang two days prior and was preparing to cross the river to attack the Fulohan strongholds at Beiyu and Wuquan.

This intelligence, relayed by the Blue Wolf scouts from fleeing Xianbei refugees, had been passed to Niu Feihu, who sent word to Wang Bo at once.

At last, Wang Bo realized: Budugen hesitated outside Cloud City, awaiting his brother’s arrival from the north. Fulohan, upon hearing of the defeat, had begun to gather his forces to march south, only to be caught off-guard by Lü Bu’s sudden assault.

As Wang Bo pondered this, Chen Dao slapped his forehead and exclaimed, “My lord, we must immediately send the Red Tiger Cavalry to cut off all communication along the White Canal, preventing Budugen from learning Fulohan cannot come to his aid. Otherwise, Budugen might retreat to Yangshou and force us into another costly siege. We should strike tonight—I beg you for this command!”

“Very well—your counsel is wise!” Wang Bo replied, turning to Niu Dazhuang. “Is everything prepared as I ordered?”

“All is ready, my lord!” Niu Dazhuang replied, puffing out his chest.

“Excellent! Pass the order: all troops except those on garrison duty are to rest and recover. At midnight, prepare rations; at the hour of the Ox, we break the enemy!”

“Yes, my lord! Victory to the Rising Han!” The officers pumped their fists, suppressing their excitement, and filed out.

Time crawled by. As always before battle, Wang Bo found it unbearably slow, wondering if he was afflicted with anxiety. After battle, though seldom in the thick of it, he would sleep as if dead. Not even Zhang Ning’s sedative pills helped; finally, he rose and went out with Xu Chu to inspect the camp.

At last, the hour came. Wang Bo, energized, gave Xu Chu a kick to rouse him from his mutterings, then climbed the walls to admire his troops’ martial bearing, ready for the decisive engagement to come.