Chapter 260: Movement
Such movement, of course, could not be hidden from the Fanyang Army.
The county magistrates, uneasy in their hearts, all inquired of General Lu whether they should also make a move before the Xiongnu Barbarians arrived.
Two years ago, when they marched out, they were greatly defeated by the Pei Family Army, he himself became a captive, and the Fanyang Army’s family fortune was emptied to ransom back his life. General Lu was no longer arrogant or proud, and even regretted the decision to seek refuge with King Qiao back then.
King Qiao and Situ Xi had been fighting continuously, the Capital City had fallen several times, and the Rebel Army and Imperial Guard took turns occupying the Capital City. The Fanyang Army was far away and was not dragged in. But the Fanyang Army’s future was as bleak and hopeless as General Lu’s heart.
“General, the Xiongnu Barbarians are wantonly burning, killing, and looting in Liaoxi Commandery, and the Liaoxi Army cannot resist them at all.” A subordinate military general sighed softly: “Once Liaoxi falls, where will the Xiongnu Barbarians go next? Beiping Commandery has elite soldiers, the Guangning Army has already sought refuge with Pei Qinghe, Yan Prefecture is the Pei Family Army’s main base. They are all tough nuts. If you were a Xiongnu military general, would you want to tackle the tough nuts, or come squeeze our soft persimmon?”
General Lu felt a chill in his heart and muttered to himself: “It’s over! The Fanyang Army is doomed!”
Another confidant subordinate also let out a long sigh: “We can only hope that the Liaoxi Army holds out a bit longer, until General Pei proactively leads troops to attack the Xiongnu Barbarians. Then we can safely dodge this disaster.”
“What a pipe dream! No matter how powerful the Pei Family Army is, they don’t have that many warhorses, they are all infantry. How could they possibly proactively march out to attack the Xiongnu Barbarians!” General Lu snorted disdainfully: “Pei Qinghe is not stupid, she spent years of effort to build the Pei Family Army, how could she commit all her troops and fight to the death with the Xiongnu Barbarians! What would she gain? Could she really fight to the death for the common people?”
Several military generals looked at each other: “The general is right.”
“If Pei Qinghe does not march out, the Xiongnu Barbarians will most likely come to attack our Fanyang Army. It’s over! We are really done for!”
The subordinates looked dejected and wailed, and General Lu’s face was no better.
Among the four garrisons in Youzhou, the Fanyang Army had the fewest troops and the weakest combat power. He became commander by relying on connections at the Imperial Court, and he knew best his own capability.
Fighting bandits, looting magnates, and bullying the common people were still manageable. Facing the Pei Family Army, they were like chickens and dogs. Relying on this band of bandit soldiers to fight to the death with the Xiongnu Barbarians was simply a joke.
What to do now?
General Lu gritted his teeth: “Pass my military order: Fanyang Commandery will follow Yan Prefecture, Beiping Commandery, and Guangning Prefecture by relocating all villagers into the county towns. The Fanyang Army prepares for battle! Have the county offices and magnates raise funds for military expenses and military rations, and send them to us.”
After General Lu issued the order, Fanyang Commandery was thrown into chaos with dogs and chickens flying and cries shaking the sky.
Some ruffians took advantage to loot, some soldiers sneaked out of the barracks to rob wealth, some magnates squeezed their tenant farmers to raise military expenses, the tenant farmers with no way to survive sneaked away at night. There was also a village that, resentful at being forcibly relocated, clashed with people from the county office, beat several constables to death, and then directly raised banners to make trouble.
General Lu, with a dark face, sent troops to suppress them. The common people without weapons could not make much trouble, and after a brutal killing, things quickly quieted down. But the atmosphere in Fanyang Commandery became even more depressed and low, suffocatingly oppressive.
General Lu, at his wits’ end, could not help but ask himself: “After Pei Qinghe issued the military order, Yan Prefecture was stable. Why did my military order turn Fanyang Commandery into a pot of porridge?”
“Am I really that much worse than Pei Qinghe?”
“General!” A personal soldier rushed in to report: “General! Big trouble! The Liaoxi Army was greatly defeated by the Xiongnu Barbarians!”
General Lu snorted coldly in annoyance: “This was expected, what are you panicking about!”
“The Liaoxi Army losing a battle is not unusual at all. How many people did the Liaoxi Army lose in this battle? How much longer can they hold?”
The personal soldier said with a bitter face as he continued reporting: “We don’t know the exact casualty figures, but it was a major defeat with countless dead and wounded. No one knows how much longer they can hold.”
“That damn King of Liaoxi is completely useless!” General Lu was so angry his head seemed to smoke, cursing non-stop with foul words.
The Fanyang Army’s military generals all came rushing upon hearing the news, surrounding General Lu and waiting for his military order.
General Lu tried to make the best of a bad situation: “Everyone, don’t panic first. Last year the Xiongnu Barbarians split into two routes, one was blocked by the Guangning Army and Pei Family Army and suffered heavy losses. Maybe this year, after looting Liaoxi, they will go directly to Beiping Commandery or Guangning Prefecture and Yan Prefecture, and not come to our Fanyang Commandery.”
In short, the Fanyang Army prepared for battle in fear and trepidation, a proactive attack was absolutely impossible. When the Xiongnu Barbarians came, if they could barely resist a few waves of attacks and let Fanyang Commandery lose fewer people, that would be merit accomplished.
A few days later, the latest news reached General Lu’s ears.
“What?” General Lu suddenly stood up: “The Pei Family Army has joined with the Guangning Army for a proactive attack?”
“Absolutely true. The Guangning Army has fully mobilized, the Pei Family Army has even emptied the nest, one route setting out from Yan Prefecture, one from Beiping Commandery, all heading to Liaoxi.”
Fully mobilized!
Emptied the nest!
All went to Liaoxi!
General Lu’s mind went blank, his body swaying. He grabbed the personal soldier beside him, his voice suddenly shrill: “Pei Qinghe actually dared to proactively march out! How dare she proactively march out to attack the Xiongnu Barbarians?”
The Xiongnu Barbarians were the nightmare of the Northern Lands garrisons.
In recent years, most relied on the Beiping Army to resist the Xiongnu Barbarians. The Fanyang Army was no good at fighting but ran fast, or hid away. They came out only after the Xiongnu Barbarians left.
In General Lu’s view, actively preparing to resist the Xiongnu Barbarians was already heroic. How dare Pei Qinghe proactively march out to Liaoxi?
Several military generals were all stunned: “The Pei Family Army is indeed different!”
Regardless of the battle outcome, this confidence and dominance alone was enough to make the Fanyang Army ashamed to the point of no place to hide.
“General, we fought the Pei Family Army, we are enemies not friends.” A military general said softly: “But it depends on the time. Now to deal with the Xiongnu Barbarians, we should advance and retreat together with the Pei Family Army.”
“Right, even the Pingyang Army sent out one thousand cavalry. We should also send troops to follow the Pei Family Army to Liaoxi to fight the Xiongnu Barbarians.”
General Lu glared fiercely: “Easy to say! The Fanyang Army has only this little family fortune, if we send them out and they all perish in Liaoxi, what then?”
That military general gritted his teeth and continued: “If the Pei Family Army cannot stop the Xiongnu Barbarians, the next to suffer will be our Fanyang Army. With Youzhou in chaos, where will we have a place to stand?”
“General, march out!”
“Yes, let’s march out too!”
The military generals still had some guts and clamored to march out.
General Lu’s head buzzed, he gritted his teeth again and again: “Fine! We will also march out together!”
