Chapter Thirteen: Taken Hostage

Marshal Geshu, you have been defeated, and defeated utterly! Let’s not speak of other matters—just look at the ten thousand battered, broken soldiers that remain at Tong Pass. There is no way we can hold the gate with them. It would be wiser to petition the Emperor of Great Yan for surrender,” Huoba Guiren spoke calmly, unperturbed by Geshu Han’s astonishment. “The Emperor of Great Yan will claim the realm sooner or later. If you offer Tong Pass and surrender, they will not mistreat you; you’ll be rewarded with rank and wealth equal to what you hold now, and we, your followers, will not be neglected either…”

“Prince of Yan Mountains, Tong Pass is in peril; how can you speak of such things?” Geshu Han’s face was cold as he interrupted Huoba Guiren. “Our army has just suffered defeat; morale is unstable. You must not entertain such thoughts…”

“No!” Huoba Guiren cut him off, roaring in anger. “Marshal, your force of two hundred thousand men has been nearly annihilated. Do you think the court will spare you? Are you prepared to follow the fate of Feng Changqing and Gao Xianzhi? Even if you wish to continue serving the Tang court, will the Emperor or that villain Yang Guozhong let you? The fate of Feng Changqing and Gao Xianzhi is surely yours as well!”

At the mention of Feng Changqing and Gao Xianzhi, the spirit drained from Geshu Han.

This was his greatest worry, even before the defeat, that his refusal to obey orders and to avoid battle beyond the pass would be blamed upon him by certain courtiers, leading to the same fate as those two generals.

He knew Prime Minister Yang Guozhong had always sought to undermine him; stationing Du Qianyun at Ba Shang was a precaution against him. His own officers, Wang Silie and Pang Zhong, had long advised him to lure Yang Guozhong and kill him to eliminate future trouble, but Geshu Han refused, equating such an act to An Lushan’s rebellion.

Now, with defeat, Yang Guozhong had even greater reason to strike, perhaps even to execute him in the name of justice. The Emperor would surely be furious, and mercy was unlikely. If he lost Tong Pass, his guilt would be even greater, and the entire family might be executed. With only these remnants of his army, holding Tong Pass was nearly impossible, unless reinforcements arrived at once.

Surrender to An Lushan? After all these years of reputation, An Lushan would not mistreat him, even though Geshu Han had once plotted against An Lushan’s kinsmen, An Sishun and An Yuanzhen. Huoba Guiren’s words tempted him.

But to betray and abandon loyalty to the Tang court, after decades of service, was a decision he could not make.

Moreover, much of his family remained in Chang’an. If he surrendered to An Lushan, his family would surely suffer.

No, he must not heed Huoba Guiren—not only would his family be harmed, but his reputation would be ruined forever.

Yet, after such a defeat, Yang Guozhong, Wei Jiansu, and others certainly would not tolerate him; they would seek his death. What then?

Huoba Guiren saw the hesitation on Geshu Han’s face and pressed his advantage. “Marshal, you know how Yang Guozhong has treated you. That villain rid himself of Feng Changqing and Gao Xianzhi, two generals of outstanding merit, and you are another he cannot abide. When the court promoted you to Chancellor, he strongly opposed it. With you commanding at Tong Pass, he guarded against you from behind, even seeking to stab you in the back. Had you not anticipated and eliminated Du Qianyun, you might already have lost your head! The Tang court cannot tolerate you; they will surely destroy you. The Yan court, by contrast, will welcome your surrender and employ you well. Why seek death and drag us down with you?”

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One of Huoba Guiren’s deputy generals added, “Marshal, the Prince of Yan Mountains speaks true. With these battered remnants, Tong Pass cannot be held. Rather than being captured in disgrace, it is better to surrender with dignity. We’ll all be treated well! Please, consider the lives and futures of those of us who barely escaped death amidst the chaos—and your own fate as well!”

“Yes, Marshal, if we petition the Emperor of Great Yan for surrender, we will be well received. We are not Han; we are just Hu people who once submitted to Tang…”

“Marshal…”

More voices joined in, urging Geshu Han to open the gates and surrender to An Lushan’s forces.

Disordered and flustered by his officers’ arguments, Geshu Han ordered them sharply to quiet down and let him think. Hands clasped behind his back, he paced the room with difficulty. His trusted officers, Wang Silie and Pang Zhong, had all been sent to defend the city; he had no one to consult, and Huoba Guiren was not a confidant. He would not give in simply because of Huoba Guiren’s words.

Huoba Guiren gestured for his subordinates to hold their tongues, waiting for Geshu Han’s decision, while quietly signaling his own guards to be ready for anything.

After pacing several times, Geshu Han stopped and made his decision. With a stern gaze, he looked at Huoba Guiren and his men and spoke almost word by word: “Prince of Yan Mountains, I cannot grant your request. I do not wish to become a traitor. His Majesty has given me the highest trust, appointing me Chancellor and commander of Tong Pass. I cannot betray that trust. I will live and die with Tong Pass and will not surrender or lose my honor. Let us speak no more of this. Today, I will pretend this never happened and will not report it to the court. Return to your posts and defend the city. The rebels may attack at dawn!”

Geshu Han’s refusal left Huoba Guiren disappointed. Unwilling to give up, he pleaded again: “Marshal, Yang Guozhong is hell-bent on destroying you. After such a defeat, he will not spare you. Perhaps the court’s order to strip your rank and escort you to Chang’an is already on its way. Are you content to follow the path of Feng Changqing and Gao Xianzhi?”

“Prince of Yan Mountains, enough! I will not allow you to speak such madness and undermine morale. Otherwise, you will be severely punished! Withdraw at once and defend the city. We must guard against the rebels attacking at dawn!” Geshu Han roared.

Geshu Han had commanded troops for decades, his authority forged in blood, and his command was terrifying. At his shout, many officers dared not speak further and quietly prepared to withdraw.

But Huoba Guiren was no ordinary officer. As chieftain of the Huoba tribe, his rank was above Geshu Han’s, even though Geshu Han was marshal. He was not afraid, for he had already resolved to surrender to An Lushan’s rebels. Staring unflinchingly at Geshu Han, he pressed again: “Marshal, will you truly ignore the lives and futures of your men? Will you consider only your reputation, and pit less than ten thousand battered soldiers against the Emperor of Great Yan?”

Sensing danger in Huoba Guiren’s words, Geshu Han did not answer but called loudly outside: “Guards! Arrest this traitor who sows chaos and undermines the army, and await further orders!”

Seeing Geshu Han turn hostile, Huoba Guiren was ready. He ordered his guards to act first. Four guards drew their blades and pressed them to Geshu Han’s throat.

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Hearing Geshu Han’s command, over a dozen guards rushed in to carry out his orders, but Huoba Guiren’s men, prepared in advance, cut them down. Huoba Guiren and his officers’ guards quickly subdued and killed all of Geshu Han’s guards outside.

They acted swiftly and efficiently, causing little commotion; even the patrolling soldiers atop the nearby battlements were unaware.

After all of Geshu Han’s guards had been killed, Huoba Guiren approached the furious, disgraced Geshu Han, who was held at knifepoint, and bowed respectfully: “Marshal Geshu, forgive my disrespect. I was forced to take this step for your own good. My reasons have been made clear. Please bear with this indignity; I will offer my apologies in the future.”

“Huoba Guiren, you dare defy your superior and hold me captive? Release me at once, or you will not be spared!” Geshu Han, though restrained, still commanded the bearing of a fierce general, his voice thunderous. “Do you think you can control Tong Pass with your orders?”

Huoba Guiren was unmoved and sneered. “Marshal, cease your futile resistance. If you heed my request and do not waste these battered soldiers in pointless struggle, surrender to the Emperor of Great Yan and grant us a path to survival, we will still honor you as Marshal. I beg you once more: issue the order for the troops to cease resistance, open all gates, and welcome the Yan army into the city!”

“Impossible!” Geshu Han refused without hesitation. “Huoba Guiren, I will not yield to your threats or commit such dishonor. I will not let my reputation be destroyed in a single moment!” Yet even as he spoke, his resolve was weaker than before.

“Marshal, you were once a prince of the Tujue; you surrendered to Tang and lost your honor. We are the same—what harm in surrendering again? What honor is truly lost?” Huoba Guiren’s lips curled in slight contempt. “An Lushan will claim the realm. The Tang army is weak; how can it resist the Yan forces? Please, Marshal, don’t ignore reality and waste your efforts!”

With that, Huoba Guiren ignored Geshu Han’s cursing and gave a loud order: “Escort the Marshal out of camp to the South Gate, and immediately issue the Marshal’s order—summon all officers to the South Gate for council!”

Geshu Han’s stubbornness forced Huoba Guiren to change his plan: he would use Geshu Han to summon the officers in his name, then gain control of the rest. If any refused, he would strike first.

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