Chapter 264: Battle Situation
After waiting two more days, Captain Sun and Tao Feng finally returned.
They had taken two hundred men out, but only more than sixty came back, and all were wounded. Captain Sun had a knife wound on his forehead, Tao Feng’s left arm had been slashed, quite a tragic sight.
The Vanguard Camp’s task of scouting the terrain and clarifying the battle situation has always been the most dangerous errand. If they unluckily encounter a large enemy force, the entire Vanguard Camp could be annihilated clean.
Pei Qinghe’s heart suddenly sank, and she immediately ordered a military doctor to be called over.
There were twelve military doctors accompanying this time. Bao Hao and Lu Dongqing had both come. Lu Dongqing had the best medical skill, while Bao Hao had the most seniority and greater trust, making him the head of the military doctors.
The wounded soldiers were helped to the military tent to apply medicine and bandage wounds. Captain Sun and Tao Feng refused to go first and reported the battle situation they had scouted: “General, the Xiongnu Barbarians and Liaoxi Army are in a great battle, and it is indeed the Liaoxi Army that was defeated. General Li was hit by a stray arrow, and his injury is unknown. In any case, he has not appeared again.”
“The Liaoxi Army suffered a major defeat, with many soldiers fleeing in disorder. They are now hiding behind the city walls of Liaoxi Commandery. The Xiongnu Barbarians are burning, killing, and looting on one side while sending soldiers to surround Liaoxi Commandery, clearly intending to breach the city gate of Liaoxi Commandery.”
“The Xiongnu Barbarians are under strict vigilance in the nearest county town to Liaoxi Commandery. When we were scouting, we got too close and were detected. A team of Xiongnu Cavalry chased us relentlessly, pursuing and killing us all the way. We fought a battle, but couldn’t hold out, and since we had to deliver the message back, we could only flee back in panic.”
This chase-and-escape battle was evidently deeply memorable for Captain Sun and Tao Feng. Both had faces full of lingering fear.
Pei Qinghe’s expression was grave: “It seems that this time the Xiongnu Barbarians have deployed true elite soldiers and fierce generals.”
“The General is right.” Enduring the pain in his left arm, Tao Feng said gravely: “When I was in the Beiping Army before, I fought the Xiongnu Barbarians plenty of times. Not all Xiongnu Barbarians are powerful; they come from different tribes, following different leaders. They have to provide their own warhorses and weapons. Small tribes have average combat power, but the barbarians from large tribes are exceptionally skilled in riding and shooting.”
“The ones who came to raid for grain before were just ordinary Xiongnu Barbarians.”
“Last year the General killed the Xiongnu Commander Wu Yan. Enraged, the Xiongnu Khan sent thirty thousand elite soldiers from his own command this year to trample Youzhou.”
“The Liaoxi Army has some skill in fighting. This time facing the Xiongnu elite soldiers, they collapsed like a landslide, showing the power of the Xiongnu Cavalry.”
“General, you must not underestimate the enemy!”
There were no outsiders in the military tent, all were direct lineage of the Pei Family Army. Tao Feng spoke without reservation, his face full of urgency.
Pei Qinghe’s face was grave as she nodded: “Rest assured, I will not underestimate the enemy.”
Captain Sun said in a low voice: “Not only must we not underestimate the enemy, we must also prepare for prolonged engagements. We have more than twenty thousand men, mostly infantry, with all cavalry combined numbering just over four thousand. Charging head-on against the Xiongnu Barbarians is no different from suicide. We must play to our strengths and avoid our weaknesses, bringing out our advantages.”
Normally speaking, infantry facing cavalry would inevitably suffer. Cavalry charge and maneuver like the wind, while infantry just take the beating.
However, the Pei Family Army had been rigorously training military formations to counter cavalry and had developed many tactics against cavalry. In the past six months, the blacksmiths had produced quite a few new type of weapons, all for dealing with cavalry.
Pei Qinghe said: “I know what you said. I will not underestimate the enemy, nor will I strike rashly. You two go and recover from injuries with peace of mind!”
Captain Sun and Tao Feng each breathed a sigh of relief and were helped to the wounded soldiers’ military tent.
The fire candles in Pei Qinghe’s military tent burned almost all night.
Pei Yun, Pei Yan, and others were first summoned into the military tent for deliberation, soon followed by Yang Hu, Yang Huai, and others. Lu Feng, who came later, was also invited into the military tent.
It was Lu Feng’s first time attending such an important military conference; amid his anxiety, he felt some inexplicable excitement and agitation.
There weren’t many people in the military tent; at a glance, just over ten. All were fierce generals who could stand alone. The only exception was Chief Steward Shi, Shi Yan.
Lu Feng was quite curious about this legendary Head Steward and couldn’t help looking at him a few times.
Shi Yan was quite handsome, with gentle brows and eyes, approachable. It was also easy to forget how shrewd and capable he was beneath that handsome and affable face.
The vast Pei Family Army had its internal affairs in perfect order and ample military ration supplies, something only the barracks military generals truly understood the weight of Shi Yan’s role.
Shi Yan smiled and nodded to Lu Feng.
Lu Feng also smiled and nodded back.
Pei Qinghe’s voice rang out, and Lu Feng immediately withdrew his gaze, holding his breath to listen.
Pei Qinghe recounted the battle situation scouted by Captain Sun and Tao Feng, then unfolded a terrain map of Liaoxi Commandery. This terrain map had been secretly drawn and presented by a magnate in Liaoxi Commandery. Two years ago, this magnate had sent his nephews and younger generation to Yan Prefecture, along with a Liaoxi Army terrain map.
Lu Feng knew few large characters and strained to widen his eyes, looking at the terrain map along with everyone else. He couldn’t help but secretly regret it in his heart.
If he had known this day would come, he really should have read properly back then; now with a ready map, he still couldn’t quite understand it.
Everyone was heatedly discussing where to set up ambush and how to lure the enemy; Lu Feng couldn’t interject at all and strained to listen with pricked ears.
Yang Hu was skilled in strategy; the ambush location and strategy to lure the enemy he selected earned Pei Qinghe’s approval: “The ambush spot I had in mind matches General Yang’s.”
Pei Qinghe reached out and pointed to a place: “This area has gentle terrain, suitable for cavalry charges. The Xiongnu Barbarians surely won’t anticipate us daring to set an ambush here.”
“We must catch the Xiongnu Barbarians off guard. The first battle must be a win, delivering a head-on blow to the Xiongnu Barbarians. More and more soldiers from the defeated Liaoxi Army are fleeing, morale is low and dispirited, which is very unfavorable to the warfare. We must boost the Liaoxi Army’s morale. Only by joining hands with them for an inside-outside pincer attack can we truly win this battle.”
Lu Feng couldn’t help but ask: “General Pei, what if General Li has lost his nerve, hunkers down and refuses to cooperate with us?”
Given Li Gouzei’s nature, this was possible.
Pei Qinghe’s eyes flashed as she said indifferently: “We are here to save the common people of Liaoxi Commandery, and also to save the Liaoxi Army. If Li Gouzei isn’t completely stupid, he should seize the opportunity.”
“If Li Gouzei still refuses to come out of the city, he can at least tether some of the Xiongnu Cavalry. However, after this battle, there will be no place left for him in Liaoxi Commandery.”
This was stated without any concealment: after this battle, Pei Qinghe would thoroughly take over Youzhou.
These words applied equally to the Fanyang Army. Fortunately, his father had timely dispatched troops, upholding justice, giving them capital for maneuvering afterward.
Lu Feng listened with heart pounding in shock; as he raised his head, his gaze met Pei Qinghe’s exactly. Like being scalded by boiling water, he quickly lowered his head.
