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Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Ji, and Fan Chou fled in a panic from Maiwu, eventually finding temporary refuge in the wilderness of Shaanxi. They hid among the dense forest, their remaining troops scattered, and the atmosphere was tense and oppressive. The four gathered together, their expressions grave, fully aware that their situation was precarious.
"Now that Duke Dong is dead, the situation in Chang'an is under Wang Yun's control. I fear we will soon be surrounded by pursuing troops," Li Jue said in a low voice, his eyes clouded with despair.
Guo Si paced anxiously, his voice rising in anger. "In this situation, what hope do we have? We might as well send someone to Chang'an to plead for mercy; perhaps there’s still a chance for survival!"
Zhang Ji frowned in thought and replied softly, "That may be the only thing we can do at this point, but I fear Wang Yun may not be inclined to spare us."
Ultimately, the four decided to send envoys to Wang Yun to seek peace and present a plea for forgiveness in hopes of obtaining clemency. A few days later, the messenger returned with Wang Yun's response. His face was grave, and he hesitated to speak.
Li Jue urged him angrily, "Speak! What did Wang Yun say?"
Taking a deep breath, the messenger replied with difficulty, "The Minister said: 'Dong Zhuo's tyranny was enabled by your four men. Although the court has granted amnesty to the world, you four are not included in this pardon!'"
This news struck them like a bolt from the blue; all four men turned pale and fell silent for a long time. Guo Si slammed his hand on the table in frustration and exclaimed, "Just as I suspected! Wang Yun has no intention of letting us live!"
Zhang Ji shook his head with a bitter smile. "Now that our plea for amnesty has failed, all we can do is save ourselves. What else can we do?"
Li Jue lowered his head in contemplation, despair evident in his tone. "If we scatter and flee, we will likely be exterminated within three days. We can escape today but not tomorrow."
At that moment, strategist Jia Xu stood up, his gaze sharp and calm as he spoke with an air of authority. "Gentlemen, if we flee individually now, it would be akin to seeking death! Even a mere pavilion chief could bind you and send you back to Chang'an! Instead of waiting for death, why not fight for our lives?"
Guo Si turned to him sharply and asked coldly, "Jia Xu, what do you suggest we do?"
Jia Xu smiled slightly, a glint of coldness in his eyes. "The only way forward is to recruit soldiers widely in Shaanxi and regroup the scattered Xiliang Army cavalry. At the same time, spread rumors that Wang Yun plans to massacre the people of Xiliangzhou to eliminate Dong Zhuo's former followers. Once this news spreads, it will surely incite panic among the populace; they will willingly rally to us. Once our forces are strengthened, we can march straight into Chang'an and avenge Duke Dong! If we succeed, we will serve the court and restore order; if we fail, we can still retreat!"
Upon hearing this plan, Li Jue's eyes lit up as he slammed his hand on the table. "Brilliant! Truly worthy of Jia Xu!"
The others nodded in agreement and immediately set their plans into motion. They secretly spread rumors that Wang Yun intended to slaughter the people of Xiliangzhou to completely eradicate Dong Zhuo's remnants. This news quickly spread throughout Shaanxi; upon hearing it, the populace was filled with terror and many fled their villages. Li Jue and his companions then proclaimed that dying without resistance was futile; those willing to join them could save their lives! With no other options left, many desperate people joined them until they quickly amassed an army of over one hundred thousand.
As they gathered their forces, Li Jue divided them into four groups heading towards Chang'an. Along the way, they encountered Niu Fu, Dong Zhuo's son-in-law and General of the Household. Niu Fu led five thousand troops and was filled with righteous anger as he declared his intent to avenge his father-in-law Dong Zhuo.
Li Jue was overjoyed and immediately allied with Niu Fu, appointing him as vanguard to lead the charge into Chang'an. Their four armies swept forward like blades cutting through air—flags waving high amidst flashing swords and fierce killing intent—heading straight for Chang'an.
Upon learning that Li Jue and Guo Si were splitting their Xiliang Army into four forces marching towards Chang'an with great momentum, Wang Yun's expression darkened like water. He summoned Lü Bu to the main hall and detailed the situation gravely: "The Xiliang Army is advancing fiercely; Niu Fu is leading as vanguard with high morale. General, this battle must not be taken lightly."
Lü Bu sneered, his tone filled with disdain. "Rest assured, Minister, those insignificant rabble cannot compete with me, Lü Bu. Once I lead my troops into battle, victory will be assured."
Wang Yun hesitated slightly before nodding. "If the General can quell this chaos, the court will surely reward you handsomely."
Lü Bu quickly assembled his troops and appointed Li Su as the vanguard to march out of the city to confront the enemy. That day, Li Su's forces met Niu Fu on the battlefield, and the two armies clashed in a thunderous battle. Niu Fu's troops charged fiercely, but ultimately could not withstand Li Su's relentless assault, suffering heavy losses and retreating in disarray.
Li Su was overjoyed and seized the opportunity to pursue, driving Niu Fu back several dozen miles. He then returned to camp and held a grand feast to celebrate their victory. Drunk and unguarded in his tent, he was unaware that Niu Fu had not retreated far; under the cover of night, he gathered his remaining soldiers and stealthily approached Li Su's camp.
In the dead of night, Niu Fu's army launched a surprise attack. Flames erupted in the camp, and the sounds of battle were deafening. Li Su's troops were caught completely off guard, thrown into chaos as soldiers fled in all directions. Niu Fu stormed into the camp, wreaking havoc among Li Su's forces, resulting in countless casualties; only a fraction managed to escape, retreating in panic for over thirty miles.
The next morning, Li Su returned to Lü Bu's camp in utter disgrace, kneeling before him with a face full of shame. "General, I was careless in my command and caused our great defeat. Please punish me!"
Lü Bu was furious, his eyes blazing with rage as he drew his Fangtian Halberd and shouted, "You boast of your bravery yet have suffered defeat at the hands of mere vermin! How can such an incompetent person hold a position of responsibility?"
Li Su hurriedly bowed his head in supplication. "General, I am guilty; please grant me another chance. I will fight to repay this debt!"
Lü Bu snorted coldly, ignoring him entirely. With a wave of his hand, he commanded sternly, "Take Li Su away and behead him! Hang his head at the military gate to uphold discipline!"
Moments later, Li Su's severed head hung high outside the military gate, blood dripping into the dust below. The soldiers trembled at the sight and dared not show any signs of slackness. Lü Bu stood outside the tent, coldly watching the fluttering banners while gripping his Fangtian Halberd tightly, his eyes glinting with icy murderous intent.
The following morning, Lü Bu personally led his troops to confront Niu Fu again. The two armies faced off against each other amidst billowing flags and an atmosphere thick with hostility. Niu Fu rode out to challenge Lü Bu, brandishing his spear as he roared, "Lü Bu! You have repeatedly defeated my forces; today I shall fight you to the death!"
Lü Bu smiled coldly and showed no signs of backing down. With a swift motion of his Fangtian Halberd and a squeeze of his horse’s sides, Red Hare surged forward like a flash of red light aimed straight at Niu Fu. The two warriors clashed fiercely; after only a few exchanges, Lü Bu's strikes were swift and fierce as he knocked Niu Fu's spear aside with his decorated halberd, nearly unseating him from his mount.
Niu Fu felt panic rising within him as he struggled to maintain composure. He turned his horse around and retreated hastily; his army followed suit in disarray as they fled in all directions. Lü Bu pursued relentlessly for several dozen miles until only a handful of Niu Fu’s remaining soldiers made it back to their camp.
That night, Niu Fu sat in his tent with a troubled expression on his face. Beside him stood his trusted confidant Hu Chi Er as they whispered together. Niu Fu spoke solemnly: "Lü Bu is unmatched in bravery; we cannot hope to contend with him. If we continue like this, we will only await total annihilation. Instead, let us secretly hide our treasures and take a few loyal followers to escape while we still can."
Hu Chi Er nodded in agreement but a glint of treachery flashed in his eyes. "The General speaks wisely; I am willing to withdraw alongside you and will not betray you."
Niu Fu was overjoyed and that night ordered people to quietly gather their gold and jewels while taking three or four trusted aides to flee under cover of darkness. When they reached a riverbank and were about to cross it, Hu Chi Er suddenly drew a knife from behind and plunged it into Niu Fu’s back before pushing him into the river.
As Niu Fu fell lifelessly to the ground with wide eyes filled with shock and anger, he could no longer resist. Hu Chi Er sneered as he picked up the gold and jewels before severing Niu Fu’s head and wrapping it in cloth to hastily make his way back to Lü Bu’s camp.
The next day, Hu Chi Er presented Niu Fu’s head before Lü Bu with respect in his voice. "General, Niu Fu is dead; the remaining rebels are no longer a threat!"
Lü Bu looked coldly at Hu Chi Er, his voice laced with suppressed anger. "How did Niu Fu meet his end?"
Hu Chi Er lowered his head and replied, "I saw that he intended to escape privately, so I executed him to prevent future troubles for the general."
Upon hearing this, Lü Bu's gaze turned icy as he scanned the soldiers present. "Is this true? Who can testify?"
Suddenly, a trusted aide stepped forward and knelt down to report, "My lord, Hu Chi Er plotted for wealth and murder; Niu Fu did not betray us but was harmed by this villain!"
Lü Bu was enraged by these words. Gripping the Fangtian Halberd tightly, he declared with a voice like thunder, "This man harbors treachery! If we do not eliminate him today, he will become a disaster! Someone, take Hu Chi Er out and behead him!"
Hu Chi Er cried out in protest, but it was of no use. Moments later, his head hung at the military gate for all to see. Lü Bu snorted coldly and led his troops forward to continue pursuing Li Jue and the rebel forces.
As they traversed a narrow mountain path, Lü Bu encountered Li Jue's army head-on. Without waiting for Li Jue to form ranks, he urged Red Hare straight into the enemy lines. The Fangtian Halberd pierced through like lightning, and his soldiers followed suit with fierce attacks. Li Jue's troops were thrown into disarray and unable to resist, forced to retreat over fifty miles to camp at the foot of the mountain.
That night, Li Jue gathered Guo Si, Zhang Ji, and Fan Chou to discuss strategies. Reluctantly, he said, "Lü Bu is exceptionally brave; facing him head-on offers little chance of victory. However, he lacks strategy and can easily fall into a trap. If we use cunning against him, we can turn the tide!"
Guo Si's eyes lit up as he asked, "What brilliant plan does the general have?"
Li Jue replied solemnly, "I will personally lead our main forces to guard Ren Valley Pass, sending troops daily to skirmish with Lü Bu and wear him down. General Guo can lead his troops on a detour to launch a surprise attack from behind, emulating Peng Yue's tactics against Chu in the past. As for General Zhang and General Fan, they will split their forces into two routes directly targeting Chang'an to cut off his resources. Lü Bu will be unable to defend both fronts and will surely suffer a great defeat!"
Everyone nodded in agreement upon hearing this plan and that night set out according to their respective roles.
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