Seeing the situation unfold, Zhang Xin immediately issued an order to Zuo Bao, sending him to lead the cavalry in wide patrols, waiting for the right moment to strike.
At times like this, cavalry must keep moving.
Once trapped by infantry—or worse, once they lose speed charging blindly into enemy ranks—they become nothing more than easy prey.
"The Blue Heaven is dead! The Yellow Heaven shall rise!"
The Yellow Turbans surged forward in waves from every direction, their cries shaking the battlefield.
"The Han army is mighty!"
The two sides collided head-on.
The Yellow Turbans, having watched the earlier fighting, were brimming with energy. The Han troops, fresh from victory, had soaring morale.
For a time, the battle reached a brutal stalemate.
Men fell constantly on both sides, only to be replaced by others stepping forward.
Climbing to higher ground, Xu He observed carefully. He soon noticed a weakness—half of the Han army's circular formation had shields, while the other half did not.
Seizing the opportunity, he ordered a concentrated assault on the unshielded section.
Pressure on Zhang Liao's position surged instantly.
"Hold the line! Hold the line!"
Zhang Liao rushed back and forth along the formation, shouting himself hoarse.
Seeing this, Zhang Xin quickly dispatched Xu Huang with reinforcements.
According to military principles, a square formation must be strong on the outside and light in the center. The outer perimeter bears the brunt of combat—once it breaks, the enemy can crash straight into the core, collapsing everything regardless of how many troops remain inside.
With Xu Huang's arrival, the pressure eased slightly.
But as time dragged on, Han casualties began to rise steadily.
Thirty. Fifty. One hundred. Two hundred…
In ancient warfare, losing one-tenth of an army often meant collapse. Even elite troops rarely held beyond three-tenths.
Zhang Xin's force had only eighteen hundred men to begin with. After previous losses, nearly three hundred had fallen.
One-sixth gone.
These soldiers—veterans of earlier campaigns—could still hold, but their morale had begun to waver.
The Yellow Turbans weren't faring much better.
They lacked armor and training. On average, it took six or seven of them to bring down a single Han soldier.
Their morale, too, was fraying.
Xu He noticed this and quickly sent his personal guards into the fray, shouting:
"The Han army is about to collapse!""The Han army is about to collapse!"
Hearing this, the Yellow Turban soldiers roared, forcing themselves to press on.
"The Blue Heaven is dead! The Yellow Heaven shall rise!"
Zhang Xin glanced at the sun.
It was nearing Shen hour—late afternoon.
"Why hasn't Zhang Niujiao arrived yet?"
Though anxiety stirred within him, his expression remained calm.
"Send word to the troops—tell them to hold a little longer. Reinforcements are on the way."
Messengers rode out immediately.
"My lord says—hold on! Reinforcements are coming!"
At the same time, Zhang Xin sent Dian Wei into the fight.
Aside from the central reserve of a few hundred men, he had nothing left to commit.
Dian Wei's arrival, combined with news of reinforcements, steadied the line—for now.
Xu He smiled coldly.
He could see it clearly—the Han army was at its limit under relentless pressure.
Even ten thousand pigs would exhaust their killers.
Another hour… no, even half an hour—and victory would be his.
On the city wall, the Governor of Pingyuan watched in fear.
"Strategist, Mu Bo is surrounded. Should we send troops to rescue him?"
He didn't particularly care about Zhang Xin's life—but if Zhang Xin fell, the city would be impossible to defend.
Xun You smiled faintly.
"Has he asked for help?"
"No…"
"Then there's no need to worry. He has already made arrangements."
Suddenly, Xun You's eyes sharpened.
"Look—the Yellow Turbans are retreating."
—
"What did you say? Han cavalry—thirty li away?"
Xu He stared at the scout in disbelief.
"When I saw them, yes," the scout gasped. "But they ride three horses per man—they're fast. They're likely within ten li now!"
Ten li could be covered in a quarter hour.
Xu He's heart sank.
His army was fully engaged—withdrawal would be chaotic. But if they stayed, they would be crushed between two forces.
The only hope was to break Zhang Xin's formation within fifteen minutes.
But judging by the enemy's discipline…
Impossible.
"Our army… is defeated."
Xu He looked up at the sky and sighed.
So that was Zhang Xin's confidence.
Not arrogance. Not pressure.
Reinforcements.
"Sound the retreat!"
The order went out.
The Yellow Turbans, already exhausted, needed no encouragement. They broke off and fled.
"Zhang Niujiao has arrived!"
Zhang Xin's eyes lit up.
"Order Zuo Bao to intercept—do not let them reach their camp!"
Then he raised his voice:
"Soldiers! Reinforcements are here! Reform ranks and attack!"
The central troops roared in response.
With the enemy retreating, pressure vanished. Morale surged to its peak.
"Form ranks! Advance!"
The Han army reorganized swiftly and pursued.
The battlefield lay only six or seven li from Pingyuan, while the Yellow Turban camp was just ahead.
But what runs faster—men on foot for six li, or cavalry for ten?
Before the Yellow Turbans could reach safety, Zhang Niujiao's cavalry caught them.
Seeing Zhang Xin's formation still intact, Zhang Niujiao breathed easier.
"Change horses!"
At his command, his riders leapt onto fresh mounts, releasing the reins of their exhausted ones.
Thunder rolled across the plain.
The fleeing Yellow Turbans turned—and panic exploded.
"The Han cavalry is here! Run!"
Order dissolved into chaos.
"Draw bows! Shoot from horseback!"
Arrows rained down.
The Yellow Turbans scattered, their formation shattered completely.
"Spears! Charge!"
The cavalry crashed into them, turning retreat into slaughter.
"Run! We'll be safe once we reach camp!"
Xu He shouted desperately, trying to rally his men.
Just as the camp gates came into view—
A cavalry force burst out from the flank, cutting them off.
"Xu He! Do you still recognize Zuo Bao?"
Zuo Bao's eyes blazed.
"Why not surrender?!"
At the sight of Han cavalry, Xu He's fragile force collapsed entirely.
"So even Zhangba… has betrayed us…"
Xu He was shaken to the core. He dared not engage, ordering his guards to hold Zuo Bao while he fled.
By the time Zuo Bao broke through, Xu He had vanished.
Xu He fled east in disgrace, with only a handful of riders, all the way to Ande County.
Each county he had occupied still held garrisons—some over a thousand, others several hundred.
Looking up at the city walls, seeing Yellow Turban banners, he finally felt a trace of relief.
"Once inside, I'll gather troops from the other cities… five or six thousand more. Then I'll cross the river and join Guan Hai in Beihai…"
Reaching the gate, he shouted:
"It is I, Xu He! Open the gate!"
The gates opened.
He rode in—
And suddenly, soldiers surged forward, surrounding him.
Xu He froze.
They wore Han armor.
A young general stepped forward—tall, imposing, with a magnificent beard.
"With Taishi Ci of Donglai here—why not surrender, traitor?"