L.F-Hist.Novelist Chapter 65 Stop talking!
Chapter 65 Stop talking!
"Yanfang is right!"
Hou Chong took a deep breath, suppressed the panic in his heart, sat up straight again, and regained the composure of a prefect.
"Xuande is not one to be easily defeated. I believe he will definitely be able to bring the men of Liaoxi back."
"Shan Jing, issue the order: a city-wide manhunt for those spreading rumors. Anyone who fabricates stories, stirs up trouble, or undermines public morale must be apprehended and severely punished!"
"Strengthen the defenses of all border fortresses, appease the displaced people, and absolutely prevent any unrest!"
"Yes, sir!" Shan Jing immediately accepted the order.
But they all knew that the real trouble was not in Yangle City, but in the more than 50,000 Xianbei elderly, weak, women and children who were settled outside the city.
These people were Xianbei surrendered peoples who had been sent back by Liu Bei since he left the border.
With their own men now in Liu Bei's hands, they had no choice but to obey.
Secondly, Liu Bei set rules, allocating land and oxen to them, allowing them to settle down and cultivate the land, and forbidding officials from mistreating them or soldiers from bullying them. This finally put these Xianbei people at ease.
But now the rumors of Liu Bei's death in battle have spread throughout Liaoxi, which means that something has happened to their own sons.
These Xianbei people, who already harbored resentment towards the Han Dynasty, instantly became restless.
First, the Xianbei people in several resettlement sites secretly gathered together and refused to pay grain and fodder, which led to a conflict with the local militia.
Later, more and more Xianbei tribes began to secretly coordinate.
Some Xianbei generals even secretly sent people to contact Suli and Huaitou in the north, hoping to coordinate an attack from within and without to return to the grasslands.
The county soldiers responsible for guarding the various resettlement sites numbered less than a thousand, and they were simply unable to control the situation when faced with 50,000 restless Xianbei people.
In just a few days, three incidents occurred in which Xianbei people attacked the village militia fortresses, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries.
The atmosphere in Yangle City grew increasingly tense.
Inside the prefect's mansion, Hou Chong and Wang Lie discussed matters day and night. On one hand, they mobilized troops and generals to appease the surrendered Xianbei people, and on the other hand, they kept sending people to the north to inquire about news, but there was still no news.
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Liu Bei stood atop Black Stone Mountain, gazing at the endless snowfield below, his brows furrowed slightly.
"My lord, we've asked all the Xianbei volunteers under our command, but none of them know where this is!"
Cheng Pu strode to Liu Bei's side, his voice carrying a hint of solemnity.
"Tadun left with the Wuhuan people, and the remaining followers had been herding livestock on both sides of the Liao River in the eastern Xianbei region for generations, and knew nothing about the terrain of the western grasslands."
"All we know is that the central Xianbei royal court lies to the west, but no one can say for sure about the specific pasture routes and passes."
Tian Yu also stepped forward, unfolded the rough map in his hand, and pointed to the large blank areas on it, saying with a wry smile, "The map we brought only marks the border terrain of Liaoxi and Youbeiping."
"Here, there's not even a general outline of the river's course."
"Now we're like blind people, we can't even decide which way to go."
Han Dang gripped the ring-pommel sword at his waist, spat out a mouthful of snow, and cursed, "That brat Tadun, he ran away pretty easily!"
"If he were still here, we wouldn't be unable to find our way!"
Gongsun Zan stood to one side, ice crystals still clinging to the white horse's mane, and said coldly, "It's no use saying all this now."
"The most urgent task is to find a way back to Han territory as soon as possible."
"If we stay here on this snowy plain any longer, even without the Xianbei attacking, we'll all freeze and starve to death once our supplies run out."
The generals echoed his sentiments, and all eyes turned to Liu Bei.
In this desperate situation, this fifteen-year-old lord had already become everyone's sole pillar of support.
Liu Bei withdrew his gaze, glanced at his generals, and said calmly, "Don't panic. No matter how vast the grasslands are, they always have boundaries."
"We didn't know which way to go, so we headed south."
"The South is the territory of the Han Dynasty. No matter where you go, whether it's Youbeiping or Yuyang, as long as you go south, you'll always have a place to return to."
He paused for a moment, then continued to order: "The entire army will rest here for a day to fully recover and take stock of supplies and weapons."
"Tomorrow morning, we will break camp and set off south along the pastoral route."
"Leave a mark wherever you encounter streams and valleys along the way."
"Whenever you encounter Xianbei cavalry, capture them if you can, or appease them if you can, and be sure to find out the terrain ahead."
"promise!"
The generals accepted the order in unison, and their hearts, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.
Even if the road ahead is uncertain, as long as Liu Bei sets the direction, they have a backbone.
The next day, just as dawn broke, the army broke camp and set off.
More than 5,000 cavalrymen formed a neat marching formation, with Han Dang leading 300 cavalrymen as the vanguard to clear the way.
Yan Gang led the main force as the central army, Cheng Pu was stationed in the rear army, and Xu Rong led his personal guards to protect Liu Bei and the central army's supplies.
Tian Yu, accompanied by Xianbei followers familiar with the grasslands, explored the terrain along the way and adjusted their course.
As the wind and snow gradually subsided, the accumulated snow slowly melted away in a few days, revealing a thin layer of grass.
After marching for more than ten days, the soldiers' morale gradually declined, and even the bravest knights showed signs of fatigue and confusion.
Just when everyone was about to give up, the scout who had been exploring ahead suddenly rode back like a madman, his face full of shock and anxiety.
Before they even got close, they roared, "My lord! There's a large-scale battle thirty miles ahead!"
"The battle cries shook the heavens! Look at the banners—on one side is the army of our great Han, and on the other is the main force of the Xianbei!"
These words shocked the entire army.
Why does this scene seem so familiar?
Wasn't this the same before? How come we're facing a large-scale battle again?
Liu Bei abruptly pulled on the reins, his eyes gleaming: "Scout again! Make sure you find out the commanders and troop strength of both sides!"
"promise!"
The scout responded and rode off again.
Liu Bei immediately ordered the entire army to halt their advance, climb a nearby high ground, and look south.
Thirty miles away on the grassland, dust billowed and shouts of battle echoed faintly through the wind and snow. Even from this distance, one could feel the overwhelming aura of slaughter.
The black-clad Xianbei cavalry surged towards the Han army's formation wave after wave.
The Han army's formation was like a reef in a stormy sea; though it seemed about to collapse, it remained firmly planted on the snowy plain.
The sound of metal clashing could still be clearly heard dozens of miles away.
Half an hour later, the scout returned at breakneck speed, bringing definite news.
"My lord! We've investigated thoroughly!"
"The Xianbei army was the main force of the royal court, personally led by Tan Shihuai, numbering a full 30,000 cavalry!"
"The Han army, consisting of 10,000 cavalry under General Zang Min, the envoy of the Xiongnu, marched north from Yanmen Pass and was besieged here by Tan Shihuai!"
"Sandalwood?"
The generals inside the tent were instantly in an uproar, their faces filled with shock.
No one expected that, after going around in circles, they would first run into the battlefield between Xia Yu and Mi Jia.
After a long and arduous journey of nearly a month, they arrived at the main battlefield of the Northern Expedition in Yanmen County, where they encountered the main force personally led by Tan Shihuai, the ruler of the Xianbei!
This luck is beyond words!
"My lord, let's go quickly!" Zou Dan immediately stepped forward and said urgently.
"Tan Shihuai has 30,000 elite troops, while General Zang Min only has 10,000, who are already at their last gasp."
"We only have five thousand men, and they are exhausted. If we are discovered by Tan Shihuai, we will be like lambs to the slaughter, certain to die!"
"We'll immediately detour westward and then find a way back south!"
Han Dang's mind went blank, and he shouted in his heart, "Stop talking! You said the same thing last time!" Then, the Xianbei rushed over.
Han Dang hurriedly looked around and turned his head to find that he was not the only one; Cheng Pu, Yan Gang, and Xu Rong were all doing the same thing.
The generals exchanged glances, then turned to look at Zou Dan with resentful eyes!
Stop talking!