The collapse of the Pingyuan commandery troops without a fight came as something of a surprise-to both sides.
But the commanders of the Exorcising the Dragon Army and the Hejian army soon came to the same realization: these few thousand Commandery Troops had never been their target or their hope. For the Hejian army, in fact, having the Pingyuan Commandery Troops hold out for a while would already have satisfied heaven, earth, and their consciences, especially since Governor Qian had very nearly come to blows with them just now.
Zhang Xing likewise issued additional orders, forbidding unauthorized pursuit and demanding that the troops press forward immediately and surround and attack the camp without hesitation.
"Third Brother, should we surround three sides and leave one open?" Xu Shiying rode over to ask as the army surged forward.
"Yes, but the opening must be to the east, and cavalry must be stationed farther out, ready to hunt them down!" Mounted on his Yellow-Brown Horse, Zhang Xing, who had just finished his torrent of talk, agreed without hesitation, but immediately added, "This battle must end in total annihilation. No organized body of government troops can be allowed to escape!"
Xu Shiying showed no surprise. He nodded at once, then hurried off again to deploy the troops.
And sure enough, under Zhang Xing's personal supervision, the Exorcising the Dragon Gang's army swiftly completed its deployment:
Jia Yue and Shang Huaien joined forces with four thousand men of the central army to assault the camp's southern side; Dan Tonghai, Niu Da, and Xiahou Ningyuan combined five thousand troops to attack from the north; Wang Shuyong, Zhai Qian, and Xu Kaitong led four thousand men against the west; Xu Shiying led Guo Jingke, Wang Xiongdan, and over two thousand light cavalry around to the east, but