Chapter 119: First Entry Into Taihang
That night, Xiao Yi and Li Rong camped outside Chan Prefecture.
He deliberately paid attention and found that although the officers and soldiers were still elite, there was a subtle difference.
As he led Wuzhui across the drill ground, he overheard some hushed words.
“We’ll take Kaifeng and then leave, won’t we?”
“I’ve already thrown away my rough clothes, waiting for the Marshal to sit on the Dragon Throne. And now he’s back.”
“…”
Facing the Hedong campaign, morale was somewhat stagnant, and the generals’ orders were noticeably less impassioned than in the past.
Feeling this, even Xiao Yi felt a touch of worry.
If the army didn’t advance, and he and Li Rong went deep alone, what if they were trapped in Hedong? After all their hardship to achieve merit by following the Dragon, such an outcome would be too absurd.
After strategizing, Li Rong pulled Xiao Yi to share a military tent with him.
“You wrap this up.”
Xiao Yi took a thick felt blanket. The stale smell of blood and foot odor assailed him, and a shake released a cloud of dust.
Li Rong rubbed his hands and moved closer to the brazier, sighing intermittently, finally unable to hold back.
“Tell me, how did we end up with this task?”
“Doesn’t the General like fighting?”
“That depends on the timing!”
Li Rong spat into the brazier. Perhaps feeling he couldn’t explain it clearly, he simply used an analogy.
“It’s like I like roast meat, but I’m in a hurry to defecate. Can you ask me if I want to eat roast meat at a time like this?”
Xiao Yi asked, “What kind of shit is the General preparing to defecate?”
“Good shit, of course! Don’t you know? You’re a clever one.”
“I know, but Liu Chong is standing by with a knife. Wouldn’t it be more satisfying to kill him first and then defecate?”
“Nonsense!” Li Rong scoffed. “I’m not a delicate young lady. If he wants to stand there, he can. It won’t kill me, will it?!”
Xiao Yi smiled and said, “Since you’ve signed the military order, why is the General still thinking about these things?”
Li Rong’s face remained anxious, his voice hoarse. “You don’t understand. Entering Hedong in this damn weather will freeze your toes and fingers, causing more casualties than on the battlefield. The terrain is treacherous, the roads are unfamiliar, and the grain and fodder are not guaranteed. Why wouldn’t the soldiers murmur?”
“If Luzhou surrenders and Qinzhou is secured, why should we fear the cold or hunger?”
“You still don’t understand.”
Li Rong glanced at the silhouettes of the guards flickering outside the tent, lowering his voice.
“The Emperor is dead, what are the soldiers fighting for? That position is empty, if the Marshal doesn’t take it, who can be at ease? Don’t speak, I understand the principles, I’m not stupid, but can the common soldiers understand? A bunch of ignorant peasants, what do they know of complexities? Let me give you another analogy…”
“No need for analogies.”
“It’s like this: you’re with a young lady from Kaifeng, doing this and that, undressing her, in a hurry, just about to… and then she says, ‘Wait, go kill that ghost in Hedong first, and then I’ll be at ease and yield to you.’ Does that make sense?”
Xiao Yi fell silent.
He found Li Rong to be quite eloquent.
“You see.”
Li Rong spread his hands, his palms covered in thick calluses.
“I’ve held a sword all my life, I’m not afraid of fighting, let alone dying. But to be honest, I’m not confident about this battle.”
Xiao Yi shook his head. “General, you are greatly mistaken. Our Lord has foresight and bears responsibility. If you and I are in Hedong, he will never abandon us.”
Li Rong said, “I’m not afraid of Liu Chong’s strong and numerous troops, but I’m afraid of missing the big event.”
“Big event?”
“To be frank, several old generals have sent people to Ye Du to ask Madam Bai. They want to invite the Marshal to ascend the throne. Such a grand occasion, my men don’t want to miss it.”
Xiao Yi said, “So what? Our Lord is not short of people to support him as Emperor. What he lacks are people who understand and implement his strategies…”
“But I’m uncomfortable!”
Li Rong picked up his wine pouch and took a deep drink. Finally, he said, “I won’t think about it anymore. If we kill that damn Liu Chong, you and I will be the greatest contributors!”
They went to bed early. Because he was so tired, Xiao Yi even found Li Rong’s thunderous snoring quite conducive to sleep.
Before dawn, two thousand elite cavalry, along with necessary auxiliary soldiers and pack horses, set off westward.
As they passed, snow dust flew.
Xiao Yi seemed to recall when he was rushing to Ye Du with Chen Guang Sui, battling wind and snow, forgetting himself in a frantic sprint.
He tightened his battle robe, wrapped his head in a felt blanket, not even showing his eyes, looking ahead through the gaps in the rough cloth. In reality, there was nothing much to see; the world was a vast expanse of white, and the horses followed closely behind the old lead horse.
They passed through Xiang Prefecture without entering.
After that, there were even fewer people and the villages were desolate. Upon reaching Fukou Pass, their speed finally slowed down.
Xiao Yi almost fell off his horse every time he dismounted, his body frozen stiff.
After resting for a night, scouts reported that there was no trouble ahead, and they entered the pass.
Fukou Pass wound for hundreds of miles through the Taihang Mountains. The cliffs on both sides were as if cut by knives, and the narrow path wound between precipices and deep valleys, only wide enough for two horses to pass at its narrowest point.
It was deep winter, and no one was walking in the pass. The snow was knee-deep. The ice on the shaded paths was thick and slippery, and a moment’s carelessness could send one tumbling down the cliff. The cold wind whistled through the pass, sounding like ghostly cries. Collapsing snow from the cliff tops could also kill people.
Xiao Yi had often traveled these routes before, but he had never been to such a treacherous place in such harsh weather.
Fortunately, he wasn’t in sole command, otherwise his subordinates would have mutinied.
Li Rong shed tears and executed a guard who spoke of retreating before allowing the troops to march.
The old guide taught them a folk method: collect horse dung and wrap it around their feet to prevent their toes from freezing in the snow.
Li Rong then dispatched auxiliary soldiers to lead the ice-cutting team. It took them two days to laboriously squeeze through this icy and snowy pass.
The scene suddenly opened up, and they had reached the territory of Luzhou.
The next day, the troops advanced towards Luzhou city. About ten miles from the city, scouts reported that a large contingent of Zhaoyi army had appeared ahead.
The atmosphere immediately tensed. Li Rong muttered, “Our life and death depend on the hands of Wang Pu, a scholar. If he cannot persuade Chang Si, alas!”
Xiao Yi looked back. The two thousand elite cavalry were extremely exhausted and likely unable to fight the Zhaoyi army.
Later, the scouts reported again that Chang Si, the Military Governor of the Zhaoyi army, was leading his troops to meet them.
Li Rong was still uneasy. “Who knows if this is a trick?”
They continued to march for another seven or eight miles and saw the Zhaoyi army in the distance. Judging by the flags, they numbered three to four thousand.
“Damn it, Wang Pu tricked me,” Li Rong spat from his horse. “The old scoundrel brought so many people, my life is over.”
A group of people on horseback surrounded two individuals and rode out.
One of them had a smile on his face and a composed demeanor. It was Wang Pu.
The person accompanying him was clad in silver armor over a sable coat, about fifty years old, with a refined face that exuded the authority of one long in power and the fortitude of a warrior. He was undoubtedly Chang Si.
“Your subordinate, Li Rong.”
“Xiao Yi.”
“Greetings, Duke Chang!”
Chang Si reined in his horse and surveyed the Tianxiong Army cavalry, his eyes showing a hint of shock.
Xiao Yi then understood. In fact, the Zhaoyi army had also been weathering the winter and was not at all prepared for battle. The sight of his cavalry traversing Fukou Pass, though perilous, had given them considerable shock.
Chang Si’s expression changed several times. He cupped his hands and said, “Wenbo has informed me of Duke Guo’s sincerity and the general trend of the world. I am not someone who is stubborn or goes against the tide. My decision is made; I will follow heaven and respond to the people, and surrender to Duke Guo!”
With Luzhou taken, the troops finally had a good night’s rest and replenished their grain and fodder.
That night, Wang Pu came to chat with them, smiling. “Chang Si was hesitant at first, but seeing our army’s imposing momentum, he immediately made up his mind. I deeply thank both generals.”
Since they were here, Li Rong’s fighting spirit grew, and he cast aside his concerns about the “big event” in Chan Prefecture. “This is nothing yet! When I defeat Liu Chong, he’ll be scared to death!”
In short, he was bragging to intimidate Chang Si.
Wang Pu had been in Luzhou for two days and had gathered some intelligence and maps, which he handed over to them.
Xiao Yi’s purpose for this trip was for Li Rong to lead the troops, with guides and the support of Chang Si and Wang Pu. He spent most of his time understanding and familiarizing himself with the situation in Hedong.
After a night’s rest and regaining his energy, the next day, they first sent scouts to report to Guo Wei that Chang Si had surrendered, and the army could advance into Hedong.
The next task was to defeat Li Cungui.
Thus, the two thousand vanguard elite cavalry went ahead, leaving the auxiliary soldiers to advance slowly behind, and marched directly towards Qinzhou.
This was the heart of the Taihang Mountains, and the troops wound their way through snowfields and valleys.
Xiao Yi looked out. The mountains rose and fell, ravines crisscrossed, covered in white snow, and the trees were sparse. Between heaven and earth, there were only black and white.
That night, they reached Tunliu County under the jurisdiction of Luzhou. The city walls were low adobe, and the city gate was closed, appearing desolate and silent.
Li Rong wanted to station troops in the county town and sent soldiers with Chang Si’s order to call at the gate.
However, a basket was lowered from the city wall. Inside sat an aged official, wearing a tattered light green official robe, layered with so many inner garments that he appeared quite bulky. He had a wry smile on his face.
“Your subordinate, Li Jichou, County Magistrate of Tunliu, greets both generals.”
“Whatever your name is, open the city gate and let us rest for a night.”
“General, there are old Zhaoyi army encampments outside the city. I will lead you there, and then send someone to bring food.”
Li Rong was displeased, flicked his horsewhip, and said with a curse, “Did you not hear me? I want to enter the city to rest.”
“General, Tunliu is a poor place. There are not many walls within the city, so it’s truly not as good as the old Zhaoyi army encampments.”
“Old donkey ball, I think you want to die!”
Xiao Yi looked and saw that Li Jichou was hunched over, hands tucked into his sleeves, looking quite pathetic. Yet, in the depths of his eyes, there seemed to be no fear, but rather a kind of stubbornness.
He secretly thought that the other party had decided not to let them into the city, no matter what.
They had Chang Si’s order, and entering the city would not harm the county magistrate. Therefore, Li Jichou must be protecting the people within the city.
“General, let’s rest at the old encampment,” Xiao Yi said. “I think these city walls are about to collapse.”
“Let’s go!”
Li Rong had no intention of arguing and spurred his horse away.
Li Jichou thanked them profusely, his gaze lingering on Xiao Yi for a few extra moments.
Xiao Yi rode away, glancing back at Tunliu County. He mused that if they were to fight Liu Chong here, the city gates would not withstand two blows… it was too poor.
The next day, they departed, and Li Rong incessantly cursed Li Jichou.
“That damn old fool, the hard biscuits he sent made my teeth ache. If I meet this fellow again, I’ll kill him.”
“General, please calm your anger,” Xiao Yi said with a smile. “Those biscuits could be swallowed with hot water.”
Li Rong said, “You need firewood to boil water. In this broken place, he was really unlucky to become an official here.”
Xiao Yi, however, felt otherwise.
As he had traveled, he had been observing. This area was high in the west and low in the east, with plains in the east, crisscrossed by the Jiang River, Lan River, and Gu River, with dense tributaries, suitable for farming. The central area was hilly, suitable for building cities. The western mountains could serve as a barrier.
Furthermore, it was a thoroughfare connecting Bing, Lu, Ze, and Fen Prefectures, with ancient postal routes passing through it. It was also close to Fukou Pass, making it significant for commerce and military strategy.
If a protracted war with Hedong ensued, and if he were to replace Chang Si as the Zhaoyi Military Governor, he would build canals along the Jiang River to irrigate fields, open waterways, establish water defenses, and develop agriculture to harvest grain. Then, he would build mountain cities, attract refugees, develop commerce, and train mountain troops, turning Tunliu into an advance post for taking Hedong.
Of course, this was just a fleeting thought for his own practice.
Thinking of this, Xiao Yi realized that even he was not fully confident in Guo Wei’s campaign to conquer Hedong.
He brought his thoughts back, looked at the snowy road ahead, and seemed to smell the approaching scent of war.
