Chapter 2: The Stormy Weather of Yan and Zhao Section 15

  "The Xianbei troops were originally stationed at the Bailin Pastures, and by the time they arrived at Honghuagou, their cavalry had all become infantry. All of their warhorses were left behind at the Bailin Pastures, with at least five thousand warhorses. If we add to that the warhorses brought by the later reinforcements, there may now be seven or eight thousand warhorses at the Bailin Pastures. Gentlemen, do you know what this means? As long as we seize them all, we will have a powerful cavalry force and can engage in a decisive battle with these Wuhuan and Xianbei on the grasslands."

  "The Xianbei people lost these war horses and also lost 7,000 to 8,000 cavalrymen. In addition, they lost nearly 6,000 soldiers in this battle at Lülong Pass. Calculating the losses, the Xianbei suffered unprecedented heavy losses. It's likely that within three or four years, they won't be able to recover. Of course, this only refers to the central and eastern Xianbei."

  "Wuwan's three thousand troops under Wu Yan were almost all lost at the Lülong Pass. He would need several years to recover, and as long as the forces threatening the safety of the Lülong Pass no longer existed, we could turn our attention to dealing with other Xiongnu tribes invading the Han Dynasty."

  "The Huns' sudden and inexplicable defeat, despite their previous victories, was a devastating blow to their morale. They hastily retreated back to Bailin Pasture overnight, and the soldiers must have been exhausted, in urgent need of rest and reorganization. As for Wuyan and Khagan, the leaders of the Huns, they were severely hit and, being mentally and physically exhausted, would certainly be remiss in their vigilance. Therefore, at this time, their alertness was at its lowest."

  "The barbarians think that we have also suffered a heavy blow, and the defensive strength of Lulong Pass cannot be restored in the short term. In their opinion, we must hide in the fortress to recover our energy as much as possible. They have always thought that we Han people are timid and weak, and dare not take the initiative to attack easily. Recently, the monitoring on the side of Lulong Pass will definitely be very lax."

  "So at this moment, we launch a surprise attack on Bailing Grassland, which will be far beyond the enemy's expectations, and our chances of winning should be over 90%."

  Youzhou Governor Liu Yu stroked his goat beard, lost in thought. The Right Beiping Prefecture Governor Liu Zheng's expression was uncertain, his eyes gazing at the roof, no one knew what he was thinking about.

  Li Hong waited patiently for a while, seeing that they still didn't respond, so he knelt down again and said loudly:

  "Sir, this matter cannot be delayed. I only need 400 cavalrymen and we can launch a surprise attack on the pasture tonight!"

  Liu Yu remained silent and pensive as before.

  Liu Zheng smiled slightly and said to Li Hong: "Zi Min, get up. Go change your clothes and go eat something. Let me discuss with Mr. Liu."

  Li Hong hastily agreed and bowed his head in respect, bidding farewell and withdrawing.

  Liu Zheng saw him walk out the door and immediately said, "This man is just as rumored, either an idiot or a madman. He can think of such crazy things."

  Liu Yu smiled and said, "What does your excellency think of this idea?"

  Liu Zheng sighed and said, "Alright. This plan can solve both future and present problems. If this isn't a good idea, then what's better?"

  "Does that mean we can give it a try?" Liu Yu asked.

  Liu Zheng sat back in his chair, not saying a word. As the county magistrate, he naturally didn't want to take any initiative in front of the provincial governor. Moreover, this plan was extremely risky, and from the bottom of his heart, he didn't want to take the risk. Although if it succeeded, the benefits to Youbei Ping County would be obvious. But after all, that was just a hypothetical scenario.

  Liu Yu knew what was on his mind and didn't say it out loud.

  "This time we were able to retake Lulong Pass, it was truly a narrow escape. If not for Lord Tian's foresight in sending us a distress signal ahead of time, Lulong Pass would have been lost this time. These crafty barbarians are now lawless and disregarding the majesty of our Great Han Empire, doing as they please. If we don't take advantage of this opportunity to thoroughly defeat them, it will be very troublesome in the future. I think Zimin's idea is not bad, we can send troops."

  "Do adults think Li Zimin's words are credible?"

  "What is an adult?" Liu Yu asked in surprise.

  "War horses. I'm talking about war horses. Seven or eight thousand war horses, placed in a pasture, what a tempting huge wealth, how could the Wuhuan and Xianbei people not be on guard? Li Ziming said it so lightly, there's probably a possibility that he's deceiving us. He wants revenge. More than a thousand people died at the Lulong Pass, he must want revenge."

  "The remaining Wuhuan and Xianbei soldiers, in our estimation, number at least over two thousand. Two thousand cavalrymen are not something we can defeat. Moreover, it's on the Wuhuan plains, engaging in a cavalry battle with them. Even if we launch a surprise attack, the chances of victory are extremely low."

  "But his analysis is very reasonable. After the defeat of Wuma and Xianbei, morale was low and they were lax in their defense. At this time, if we go to launch a surprise attack on them, the chances of winning are indeed great. It's just that we ourselves lack confidence, lack courage, and dare not try." Liu Yu immediately continued his words.

  "Gentlemen, have you ever thought that if we successfully launch a surprise attack, what do these many war horses mean to us? They are money, they are the people's food, they are this year's winter clothing, they are next spring's seeds, they are the peace and warmth of the people of Youzhou."

  "Seven or eight thousand war horses, if sold at a good price, can make the people of Youzhou live a slightly better life this winter. And with the Xianbei's Wudang Shuli, he can also bring us a substantial income. We can let the Xianbei pay more to redeem him, so as not to waste our food."

  Liu Zheng looked at Liu Yu with an astonishing gaze, as if he didn't dare believe that he would say such a thing.

  "Sir, how can you..."

  "Are you speaking like a greedy merchant?" Liu Yu sighed, looking at him and said: "The Youbei Ping Prefecture did not suffer from the impact of the Yellow Turbans this year, so it can barely make ends meet. Do you know about the lives of the people in Guangyang Prefecture? The people of Guangyang have been displaced by tens of thousands since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, with no clothes to cover their bodies and no food to fill their bellies, with corpses scattered all over the fields, it's a miserable sight."

  "I am the governor of Youzhou, located in the northern border. The land is vast but sparsely populated. In recent years, our borders have been repeatedly raided by foreign tribes, and the war has not stopped. Although we only have a population of one million, our treasury is empty, and our finances are strained. The difficulties faced by our people are also my top priority. Originally, we could still receive financial support from Jizhou and Qingzhou every year. However, this year, the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Jizhou has been particularly severe, followed by Qingzhou. Where can they find money to support us when they themselves don't have enough? Money, that's what I need now. I cannot let the people of Youzhou starve or freeze to death. Sir, do you understand?"

  Looking at Liu Yu's simple and coarse linen clothes, Liu Zheng felt a little ashamed and lowered his head without saying a word.

  "Now that you have the most troops, and the Longzhong Pass is under your jurisdiction again, give me a straight answer: are you going to do it or not?" Liu Yu pressed on, looking at Liu Zheng with a serious expression, as if to say that he wouldn't let him off easily if he didn't comply.

  Liu Zheng still hesitated, he lowered his head and thought for a moment before saying: "If the sneak attack doesn't work out, our losses will be great. That would be like trying to steal a chicken but ending up losing a handful of rice instead. It's not easy for Lulong Pass to take such a heavy blow, it's better not to take risks."

  Liu Yu let out a helpless sigh and said with a heavy heart, "Sir, can't you see which is more important?"

  "Governor, with such heavy losses in the troops, our county can no longer afford it. You should know that for one thousand soldiers, their military pay and equipment cost how much money? Now the imperial court doesn't give us any money, and your provincial government not asking our county for money is already a blessing. I'm just a small county magistrate, where am I supposed to get the money from? Don't pressure me anymore."

  "This battle is won, isn't it just a matter of having money?" Liu Yu said in annoyance.

  "Sir, you and I are both civil officials, we don't understand this business of fighting. Li Zimeng is just a young kid who still doesn't have hair on his upper lip, he's like a newborn calf that isn't afraid of tigers, he's extremely reckless, we can't go crazy with him. If we fail, it will be adding insult to injury, the loss will be even greater."

  "Lord Liu, to put it bluntly, you're just afraid of losing out for yourself, aren't you?" Liu Yu's expression turned unpleasant, and his words began to take on a tone that was no longer polite.

  Liu Zheng shook his head, "Sir, your words are wrong. What loss can I have myself? What I'm afraid of is that the Youbei Pingjun Prefecture will suffer losses. The Lulong Pass border army needs to be rebuilt, and this large sum of money, I don't know where to borrow from yet! Do you have money to lend me?" Liu Zheng asked bluntly.

  Liu Yu gazed at him indignantly, momentarily speechless. His troops had suffered heavy casualties during the counterattack on Lulong Pass, with over a thousand men lost and only three hundred remaining. If his troops were still intact, he wouldn't need to waste words with this person. Liu Yu regretted fleeing too hastily. This old slippery head was indeed formidable, always keeping his troops close behind him. As a result, his troops had barely fought at all, and the counterattack on Lulong Pass had ended.

  Liu Yu did not want to quarrel with him, so he retreated and sought the next best thing. "Sir, if you are determined not to send troops, how about this? You lend me 300 war horses. My troops still have more than 300 people left, but the war horses are really too few. If we win this battle, I will give you the money to rebuild the Lu Long Sai Bian Jun."

  "What if I lose?" Liu Zheng seemed unwilling to suffer a loss and immediately asked back.

  Liu Yu looked at him with a disappointed face and reluctantly said: "I'll pay you back in wheat next year."

  Liu Yu was furious in his heart. What kind of world is this, where a poor and humble person can't even sell their own account? The current Han Dynasty has indeed changed a lot.

  Seeing Liu Zheng's smug face, he suddenly said: "If we win this battle, Li Zimin will have made great contributions. If the adults still don't promote Li Zimin to be a military governor, I'll transfer him to the Youzhou Governor's Mansion as a deputy governor."

  Liu Zheng was surprised, "Although Governor Tian strongly recommended him to take the position of Military Marshal and lead troops to guard the Lulong Pass before his death. He is too young and holds a high position in the army, I'm afraid that older veterans will not obey him, which will affect the combat effectiveness of the troops. Didn't you think it was inappropriate at the time?"

  "The news of the great victory at Lu Long will soon spread throughout the Great Han, and it will be a cause for celebration among all people. Tian Jing and his men will become heroes of our Great Han, and His Majesty the Emperor will surely personally erect monuments and write their biographies. The reward we gave to Li Ziming is so light, won't we be impeached by those with ulterior motives?"

  Liu Zheng silently cursed in his heart. It was you who didn't want to promote him at first, and now it's also you who wants to promote him. You're trying to win him over, but you're going too far. Filing a complaint? Who else would file a complaint against me besides you? Are you out of your mind? Wanting someone to risk their life for you without even considering taking the lead yourself. The saying "a higher official can crush people to death" is really true, there's no way around it.

  "Don't worry, adults. This idea was proposed by Li Zimin, and he's the only one familiar with the terrain. He's also the only one who can fight this battle. As for the official position, if we win, it's natural that he'll be promoted. However, in our great Han country, it's probably rare to see an ordinary soldier being promoted to military governor within a month due to repeated meritorious service."

  "It's not uncommon for imperial relatives and young nobles to become generals overnight, so why should it be rare?" Liu Yu said with a good mood, hearing that Liu Zheng promised to let Li Hong lead the troops on an expedition.

  "Li Zimin is a humble commoner from a poor family and was once a slave of the Xianbei people. His origins are lowly, surely you know that?"

  Liu Yu burst out laughing, "Sir, your words are quite off the mark. Wasn't our great Han dynasty's former General Wei Qing also a humble horse slave in his past? Does being from a poor background mean one can't hold office?"

  Liu Zheng was about to speak, but Liu Yu stretched out his hand to stop him. "No more arguing, no more arguing. Since the adults have already agreed to send troops, I will arrange the specific matters. This matter should be done sooner rather than later, for delay will give rise to changes and opportunities are fleeting. Come on..."

  Xian Yu Pei appeared at the door.

  "Go get Li Junhou over here. Hurry up."

  Li Hong paid his respects at the graves of Tian Jing, Wang Jin, Chai Ting and many familiar and unfamiliar comrades. Finally, he returned to Ji Ming's grave again. He sat on the ground, looking at the wooden stake in front of the tomb and the name on it, and took out the sachet from his pocket. At the sight of these objects, tears flowed down uncontrollably.

  Xian Yu Fu asked a few people and finally knew that Li Hong had left the Lu Long Building and went straight to the cemetery outside the New Moon Building. Xian Yu Fu had already heard from his elders that he was the leopard. He felt that this rumored leopard was very different from the one he imagined in his mind. The rumor said that he was a slave of the Xianbei people, an idiot who killed people like hemp, cold and ruthless, cruel and venomous. But the leopard he saw was a clever, brave, and passionate man with rich emotions. He saw Li Hong's lonely figure from afar, kneeling alone in front of the tomb, motionless. A person who always remembered his deceased comrades, this emotion, this person, is worthy of respect.

  Xian Yu Fu did not disturb him, standing at the foot of the mountain, silently gazing upwards.

  Li Hong's mind was in a state of utter confusion, thinking this and that. Sometimes he felt extremely depressed, sometimes very calm, then suddenly angry, and the next moment empty and hollow. He sat there dazed and didn't even know how long he had been sitting until a gust of cold wind struck him, jolting him awake.

  Li Hong stood up, looking around in a daze, unsure of where to go or what to do next. Should he leave Lu Long City behind and continue searching for his memories in the Central Plains of the Great Han Empire? Or should he stay in Lu Long City, but then what could he do next? War would never end, with endless bloodshed and killing, all for what? For survival? Was war just a means to an end, so that there would be no more war in the future?

  "General Junbo..."

  Li Hong suddenly woke up with a start, he calmed down his disturbed mind and slowly turned around.

  Xian Yu Fu stood behind him, respectfully clasping his fists and bowing.

  "Lord Xianyu, is there something I can help you with?"

  "His Excellency Shi has invited you."

  Is he in favor of sending troops or against it? Li Hong thought silently. A rare opportunity, once lost, would never come again.