Chapter 2: The Stormy Weather of Yan and Zhao Chapter 27

  Two days later, the troops arrived at Feiyun Mountain. This place is fifty miles away from Baoqiu River. After crossing the Baoqiu River and heading northeast for one hundred and fifty miles, it is Yuyang City.

  "Fei Xiong, you said the reinforcements would arrive, but why haven't we seen them yet? According to our calculations, they should have arrived before us." Li Hong gazed at the gradually greening mountains, speaking with concern.

  Xian Yu Fu did not make a sound. He also didn't know why the reinforcements hadn't arrived at Fei Yun Shan yet. This was where he and Yan Rou had agreed to meet up initially.

  "Is Yan Rou, the military advisor of Guangyang County, very powerful?"

  "Yan Rou and Yanzi Yu are both from Youzhou, just like me. He lost his parents at a young age and joined the horse team with several villagers to make a living on the grasslands. He is very familiar with the Wuhuan people, Xianbei people, and Xiongnu people, and can speak their languages. Yanzi Yu has excellent martial arts skills, is skilled in archery, and can shoot arrows with precision. He is a man of his word, values loyalty, and helps those in need, making him a good guy; on the grasslands, people call him Huo Shao Yun."

  "Why is it called 'Fire Cloud'?" Li Hong asked curiously.

  "Yan Rou likes to wear a fiery red cloak, and on the grasslands he leads his brothers like clouds, coming and going with the wind, so he has this nickname."

  Li Hong nodded suddenly enlightened and turned to ask Lei Zi standing beside him:

  "Do you know this fire cloud?"

  "In the north, he was as famous as Hu Zi, with dozens of men under his command. A few years ago, I heard that he suddenly stopped being a horse thief and took his brothers to make a living in the Great Han State. It turned out that he had become an official of the Great Han State."

  "Does Huzi know him?"

  "I don't know. Generally, horse gangs don't know each other and mind their own business."

  Li Hong smiled: "Really want to see him immediately."

  Yan Rou is indeed a good fellow. He has a tall and sturdy build, slightly taller than Li Hong, with a clear-cut face, firm and strong jawline, and a pair of deep eyes that sparkle with cleverness and ferocity. Perhaps due to his early days of wandering in the jianghu, he has an extra layer of maturity and worldliness compared to his peers.

  Li Hong and he were like old friends, they immediately became familiar with each other. Compared to Xian Yu Fu, Yan Rou's personality was open and generous, and she was a straightforward and uninhibited person. Xian Yu Fu seemed more introverted and steady, polite and courteous.

  "Yan Cheng and Yongnu's reinforcements are gathering too slowly, and there are too many infantrymen, so it's really not possible to hurry." Yan Rou and Li Hong explained the reason for their tardiness as soon as they met.

  "How many troops did Brother Zi Yu bring?" Li Hong asked anxiously.

  "Guangyang Commandery has 600 cavalry. Lucheng and Yongnu City each have 200 cavalry. The total number of infantry in the three places is one thousand." Then Yan Rou called over the two city's armed county lieutenant, Dou Qiao, and Zhang Xun. Both men looked at the rumored leopard cub and saw that it was even smaller than Yan Rou, their faces showing an expression of disbelief.

  "We can't compare with you people from Youbei Ping Prefecture, you have a large and powerful force, as soon as you take action, it's two thousand cavalry, how formidable!" Yan Rou said with a smile.

  Li Hong bitterly smiled, "Why so little?"

  "Local lords did not believe that Yucheng could be defended, so they put their main forces on defending their own cities. According to convention, after the Hu troops entered the interior, they were worried about the supply of troops and generally stayed in the interior for a short time. Once they encountered resistance when attacking the city, they would plunder the surrounding villages and then retreat. Therefore, local lords were not very enthusiastic about sending troops to support." Xian Yu Fu explained in a low voice on the side.

  "Are rural villagers not also children of the great Han?" Li Hong said indignantly, "Without them growing grain and weaving cloth, city dwellers would have starved to death and frozen to death long ago."

  "Your Majesty, think about how to cross the river and fight instead of getting angry for no reason. The people in Yucheng are still waiting for reinforcements." Xian Yu Fu immediately whispered.

  Li Hong kicked the weeds on the ground in anger and shouted loudly: "Set off, to Baoqiu River!"

  Zheng Xin's scouting team soldiers returned one after another. The news they brought back was all bad.

  Murong Chui's army launched a fierce attack on the south gate of Puyang City. Xiong Ba's troops had arrived at the east gate of Puyang City and were deploying to attack. Lie Kuangfeng led 5,000 soldiers to arrive in Guangping, and they had already left the city, marching along the Baoqiu River towards Puyang.

  Inside the city, 4,000 defenders under the command of Governor Liu Yu, Youyang Taishou He Yi and Wei Jun Tian Kai defended the city to the death. Both sides suffered heavy losses.

  The enemy's scouts were densely distributed along the banks of the Baoqiu River, and it was almost impossible to cross the river quietly.

  Due to the authorization of Governor Liu Yu, Military Commander Li Hong had full command over this army of more than 4,000 people. During the march, Li Hong arranged Yan Rou's 600 cavalry as the vanguard, Xianyu Fu's 400 cavalry plus the 200 cavalry from Yongnu City and Lucheng as the rear guard, with 600 cavalry as the rearguard. Li Song was appointed as the army scout, Dou Jian and Zhang Xun were appointed as the left and right camp commanders, leading 1,000 infantrymen behind the cavalry.

  Zheng Xin rushed over on horseback.

  "Sir, according to this, there is a place twenty li away that is suitable for the troops to cross the river. The terrain there is relatively hidden, and the water flow is slow, only the river surface is slightly wider. But the enemy's scouts are keeping a close watch on that place, it's impossible to make a secret crossing."

  Li Hong nodded and immediately shouted at the orderly: "Bring in Old Man Chang Jing."

  Yan Rou stared at Tian Chong, her eyes wide with surprise. There were soldiers as old as him in Li Hong's troops? Xian Yu Fu hastily explained to her in a low voice. Yan Rou put away her disdain and looked at Tian Chong with admiration in her eyes.

  "Old man, have you found the boats for crossing the river at your rear camp?" Li Hong asked with a smile.

  "Don't worry, sir. There are boats, but there aren't enough of them. The troops are numerous and will need at least a day." Tian Zhong said cautiously.

  "It will take so long to cross the river that we'll definitely expose our tracks. A surprise attack is probably impossible." Xian Yu Fu said to Li Hong.

  "We can first dispatch two or three hundred soldiers to attack the enemy's scouts along the riverbank and clear out their hidden pawns." Yan Rou suggested on one side.

  Li Hong did not utter a word. He took out the map from his bosom, looked at it again and again, then pointed to a place on the map and asked Zheng Xin (Zheng Xin's courtesy name was Shouyan) beside him: "Shouyan, is there a ferry here?"

  "There is. This place is sixty miles away from Yucheng, and the Hu people pay great attention to it."

  "Please, General Li, come. Order the troops to enter the mountain forest and rest. Prepare boats for us, we will cross the river tomorrow. The scouting team immediately dispersed, clearing out the enemy within a 20-mile radius." Li Hong immediately issued consecutive orders.

  Riding a swift horse, Song Fei rushed over.

  "Long Yi, you immediately lead the troops to rush to this ferry overnight." Li Hong pointed at the map and said: "After arriving there, make a big show of it, pitch more tents, actively prepare for crossing the river, and attract the attention of the enemy scouts. As long as the enemy scouts gather around you, the main force will start crossing the river from here."

  Li Song nodded repeatedly.

  Xian Yu Fu Zan exclaimed: "Sir, this plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain is indeed brilliant. The nearby enemy will be lured away by Li Jun's troops, which is much easier than sending troops to hunt them down."

  "This time, the rescue of Yuancheng mainly relies on the cavalry's surprise attack, and the infantry has not had a chance to use their strength. However, if the infantry were to participate in crossing the river, it would take longer, which would seriously affect the speed and concealment of the troops. So I want them to lure the enemy, paralyze the enemy, divert the enemy's attention, and cover the main force's secret crossing of the river. What do you think?" Li Hong asked the surrounding officers Xian Yu Fu, Yan Rou, Zhao Wen, Tian Zhong and several others.

  Everyone was convinced and nodded in agreement, with no one raising any objections.

  "Is there anything else you'd like to add?" Li Hong asked again.

  "Tomorrow, after the cavalry has crossed the river, will the rear guard follow the main force forward or take the boats upstream to meet with the troops inside?" Tian Zhong asked.

  "Follow the main force. Now the number of troops is small, and one more cavalry warrior is better. Longyi, you leave a hundred people behind. After we cross the river, let them take the boats to meet with you."

  "Sir, when will we cross the river?" Li Song asked further.

  "If everything goes as planned, we will launch the operation the day after tomorrow at dawn. If all goes smoothly, by the afternoon of the day after tomorrow, you won't see any enemy scouts around Baochuan River. At that time, you immediately cross the river and rush to Yuyang City overnight to meet up with us."

  Li Hong looked at Li Song and said with a smile: "Chang Yi, set off immediately. The 60-70 li road will take more than three hours even if the troops march hastily. You must remember to make a big show of force, making the enemy think that you are the main reinforcements."

  "Don't worry, sir. I'm leaving now." Li Song bowed and mounted his horse, galloping away.

  Murong Ji gazed at the fishing city's castle tower where the killing sounds shook the sky, his eyebrows tightly furrowed.

  The troops have been attacking intermittently for seven days since the siege, with losses of over 2,000 people. However, Xiong Ba's troops dragged on and on, until they finally arrived at Yuyang City yesterday.

  "What's the situation with Xiong Ba's attack on the east gate?" Murong Ji asked his younger brother Murong Lin.

  "Report to the general, it's fierce, extremely fierce. Lord Xiong Ba has mobilized all troops today, as if he won't stop until he takes down Yu Yang City."

  "According to plan, his troops should have arrived at Fuyu four days ago and joined us in attacking the east and south gates of Fuyu City. But he was slow to act and missed the opportunity, causing us to lose many men for nothing. Now that we've taken Fuyu City, just you wait and see how I'll deal with him!" Murong Ji said furiously.

  "Sir, the one guarding the east gate is Tian Kai, the chief of Guyang County. This man is extremely formidable and has fought battles with both the Wuhuan people and us in the past, with each side having their own victories and defeats. If Xiong Ba encounters him, it will definitely be a fierce battle. No need for you to trouble yourself looking for him, Tian Kai alone will be enough to give him trouble. Last year at Lulong Pass, he was defeated by someone surnamed Tian, and this time he's encountered another person surnamed Tian, I reckon things won't go well for him." Murong Lin said with a mixture of concern and schadenfreude.

  "Han people can't beat us on the plains, so they hide in the city and defend it to the death, no guts, a bunch of useless cowards. If I had known that Yuyang City was so hard to take, I wouldn't have come. I begged and pleaded with Murong Feng, and all I got was this good job, what bad luck."

  Arrogant and domineering, what's so divine? When you're down on your luck, aren't you just like a dog, getting beaten and running around everywhere? If it weren't for knowing that this invasion of the Great Han will bring rich rewards, who would bother to ask for your help? Once I capture Fishing City, and get all the wealth and women I want, watch me deal with you.

  Murong Ji and Murong Qian were very dissatisfied with Murong Feng. The three of them belonged to the same tribe and shared a common ancestor. In last year's internal conflict, both of them had turned against Murong Feng at the critical moment, joining forces with the eastern Xianbei chieftain Mijia to defeat the Red Sun tribe's army, making great contributions to the stability of the Xianbei state. However, after the event, not only did the king and his officials fail to reward them, but even Murong Feng treated them coldly. Although they had guilty consciences and didn't dare ask for rewards openly, they secretly harbored deep resentment towards Murong Feng.

  This time, Murong Feng launched an invasion of the Great Han State, and thousands of Xianbei tribes in the central region actively requested to participate. This is a good opportunity. Every time the Xianbei people attack the Great Han State, they can return with full loads and make a fortune. The Great Han State is rich, and after burning, killing, and looting, the obtained wealth is enough for an ordinary tribe to live for a year or two. Therefore, Murong Ji and Murong Ren could not bear the temptation of great wealth, and with a thick face, they personally visited Murong Feng at Huayun Plains.

  Murong Feng finally gave them a face-saving gesture, agreeing to compensate for their losses in the Star Dream Plains battle last year. He allowed them to lead the vanguard and capture Yuyang City first. Everything inside the city, including women and children, would be theirs as spoils of war. The two men were overjoyed, grinning from ear to ear as they returned to their tribe. They each gathered their closest tribal leaders and assembled a force of 6,000 troops. They then joined forces with the 2,000-strong army of the Tuhulu Tribe in Baitan City. The combined force of 8,000 men charged straight for Yuyang City.

  It turned out that things were far beyond their expectations. The grassland knights who lost their war horses also lost the advantage of winning the battle. Although they also made preparations and prepared a large number of siege engines, the horseback nation was not very good at attacking cities. As a result, the soldiers' morale was greatly damaged, and it became a stalemate.

  Murong Ji felt somewhat uneasy in his heart.

  Last year's defeat at Lu Long thoroughly shattered the Xianbei people's undefeated myth.

  Since the great victory of Zu Luojing, this is the first time in eight years that the Xianbei people have suffered a disastrous defeat, and it was a complete defeat. Although the Han garrison at Lülong Pass also suffered a complete defeat, they had only over 2,000 men, while our side was an allied army of Wuhuan and Xianbei tribes with 11,000 men. The disparity in strength is so great, but the outcome is unbelievable. Has heaven already stopped favoring the brave Xianbei people?

  The Battle of Luoyang was not only a heavy blow to the Xianbei people's confidence, but also gave birth to a hero who emerged from nowhere. This man, called Li Hong by the Han people and Baozi by the Hu people, was the one who dealt a ruthless blow to the already defeated Xianbei people, making them taste the pain of total defeat for the first time.

  Murong Ji was familiar with him. Last year when Murong Feng escaped from the Tiger's Den, his name began to appear in the mouths of the Xianbei people. By the time he escaped from the Xianbei, he had already become a legendary figure who shook the northern borders.

  This man has become a nightmare for the Xianbei people. Is it him who took away the heavenly protection of the Xianbei people?

  "Adult..."

  Suddenly a hurried voice interrupted Murong Ji's random thoughts. He suddenly woke up and looked back.

  "Sir, the leopard of Ludongze has led his troops to arrive at Baoqiu River, sixty miles away from Yuyang City."

  Murong Ji's face changed greatly.