Chapter 145
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Three days later, Chu Hechao led the army on the march. The troops moved at a fast pace, and daily military reports were sent back to Youzhou. Half a month later, they had entered the territory of Jizhou.
Yang Zhongfa was left in Youzhou by Chu Hechao, not only to ensure Yuan Li’s safety but also because Yang Zhongfa was already an experienced veteran, and it was better to reduce his travel.
Yang Zhongfa gladly accepted the order to stay in Youzhou.
Compared to the hardships of the front-line army, life in the rear was extremely leisurely. Although Yang Zhongfa was getting older, his abilities hadn’t weakened with age. Despite Chu Hechao taking away fifty thousand soldiers, Youzhou remained as stable as ever, and the people there were not affected by the border war and lived their lives peacefully.
However, on the twentieth day after Chu Hechao’s departure, He Lang, who was stationed at the border, sent a message reporting that the border had been repeatedly invaded by the Xiongnu. Although the Xiongnu raiders were few in number and would retreat after a brief skirmish, their frequent intrusions were becoming a nuisance.
Yuan Li summoned Yang Zhongfa and Yuan Congyun to discuss the matter. Both of them had the same thought, “These Xiongnu must have learned about General’s departure to fight in Jizhou and have come here to test us.”
“That’s right,” Yuan Li nodded slowly. “I can see that too. You two are both veteran generals stationed at the border. What do you suggest we do?”
Yang Zhongfa and Yuan Congyun exchanged glances, and Yang Zhongfa spoke, “Lord Yuan, when you first arrived in Youzhou, our battle with the Xiongnu completely shattered their morale. Although they have recovered somewhat over the years, they still fear the power of the Thunder Cannons. Therefore, they dare only make small moves. If we allow them to keep testing us without retaliation, their actions will only become bolder over time. It’s better to strike back now and show them that we won’t tolerate their antics.”
“I agree,” Yuan Congyun added. “That’s what I think as well.”
Without much hesitation, Yuan Li said, “In that case, let’s strike back and give them a strong deterrent.”
After some thought, Yuan Li continued, “I will go to the border with both of you to see the situation.”
As the Valiant Martial General, it was his first time visiting the northern border.
Yuan Congyun was left behind to guard Youzhou, while Yuan Li, along with Yang Zhongfa and Jia Qing, headed to the northern border.
It was Yuan Li’s first time visiting the northern border, and from afar, he could see a vast expanse of green grassland.
As he looked into the distance, his eyes lit up.
The grassland seemed to have no end, and the fragrance of the grass filled the air, refreshing his senses. The horses seemed to enjoy walking on the grassland, occasionally lowering their heads to graze, their hooves hitting the ground with satisfaction.
People were herding cattle and sheep on the grassland. They were all from Yuan Li’s ranch, specially brought here to let the livestock graze within the Great Wall.
The cattle and sheep were well-fed and not afraid of people. As Yuan Li and his entourage passed through, they didn’t even lift their heads.
Unable to resist, Yuan Li bent down and plucked a handful of wool from a sheep. The lamb being plucked “baaed” and raised its eyes blankly to look at Yuan Li.
Yuan Li couldn’t help but smile, “This sheep is cute. I bet its meat is tender. Let’s slaughter it tonight.”
Jia Qing couldn’t help but smile wryly.
The atmosphere at the border was far from solemn. Knowing that Yuan Li and his party were coming, He Lang had already come forward to welcome them.
“Lord Yuan, this is your first time in the Northern Border, right?” He Lang greeted them warmly, “Later, I will take Lord Yuan for a tour around! Thanks to Lord Yuan’s presence these years, the Northern Border has improved a lot. Our generals and soldiers have long wanted to see Lord Yuan in person and express their gratitude.”
Yuan Li replied with a smile, “There’s no need, no need.”
He Lang then glanced at Jia Qing and chuckled, “General Jia has probably not been to the Northern Border either, right? Well, this is an opportunity to take a good look at the scenery here.”
Both Yuan Li and Jia Qing nodded, and Jia Qing said, “Thank you.”
Soon, they saw rows of orderly and well-organized camps, numbering tens of thousands, almost as large as a town.
Most of these camps were constructed with wood, and some were made from a mixture of grass and mud. Several watchtowers surrounded the camps, where soldiers stood, constantly on guard against enemy attacks.
The road was made of mud but was well maintained and clean. Patrol teams occasionally passed by, curiously glancing at Yuan Li’s group.
Beside the camps were rows of stables.
Soldiers were feeding the horses with hay, mixed with beans. The horses ate contentedly, making soft sounds, burying their heads in the fodder, unable to lift them.
Yang Zhongfa looked at the scene and clicked his tongue, “Feeding them with quality food already? Are we planning to engage with the Xiongnu in the next few days?”
When there was no war to be fought, the horses could get by with just eating grass. However, when they were doing heavy work during battles, the fodder would be supplemented with grain or beans to provide the warhorses with enough energy to sustain prolonged combat without getting hungry.
In the past, they were poor, and even during wartime, they couldn’t afford to give the horses much grain. After all, people were still hungry. Yang Zhongfa couldn’t help but sigh when he thought about the difficult times they had gone through. Seeing the horses being well-fed and cared for now, it was beyond what he could have imagined.
“This is not preparation for war,” He Lang playfully retorted, “Old Yang, you haven’t been in Jixian for a few years, so you might not know. Even when we’re not at war, our warhorses are occasionally fed with quality food.”
He Lang walked over and patted the neck of a brown horse that was grazing. “They love this fodder. If it weren’t for the occasional feeding, how could they grow so fat and strong?”
The horse being patted neighed in annoyance and moved away. Its neck muscles were powerful, limbs robust, and its coat was smooth and shiny.
Jia Qing couldn’t help but say, “These are good horses.”
From the fodder alone, it was evident that the soldiers at the border lived well.
“All thanks to Lord Yuan,” He Lang said, arching his hand toward Yuan Li, “Lord Yuan is generous and provides plenty of grain. If it weren’t for Lord Yuan, they wouldn’t be so well taken care of.”
Yuan Li was pleased to see these horses. He had seen them in the past when they were thin and emaciated, so he waved his hand and said, “There’s no need to thank me. It’s what I should do.”
Not only were the warhorses well-fed, but the soldiers stationed at the border also ate well and dressed warmly. Everyone looked energetic and spirited, their weapons were well-maintained and polished.
Although the annual supply of food and equipment to the border was a considerable expense, it was worth it when one saw the changes in the Northern Border and the strong and healthy appearance of the soldiers. Yuan Li felt a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction.
Other generals, led by Mi Yang and Duan Yuquan, were all waiting at the main tent to welcome Yuan Li’s arrival.
As soon as they saw Yuan Li, the generals warmly welcomed him, constantly inquiring about his well-being and showing their concern.
They had to be enthusiastic; the entire Northern Border knew they relied on Yuan Li for their livelihood.
They were extremely grateful to Yuan Li; if it was the Great General’s support, they would still be living in the harsh conditions they had endured before. It wasn’t that the Great General was not good, but living a difficult life was tough. If given the chance to have a better life, who wouldn’t want to have enough to eat?
Their enthusiasm startled Yuan Li, and seeing his discomfort, Duan Yuquan waved away the others, leaving only a few senior officers present.
“We don’t have much to offer the Provincial Governor here,” Duan Yuquan, a scholarly general, politely said, “The houses in the Northern Border are simple, so I’m afraid we will have to trouble you to stay in the quarters of the Great General.”
Chu Hechao’s room?
Yuan Li was curious, wondering what Chu Hechao’s room looked like, but he maintained a calm expression and said, “I’m not picky. I can stay anywhere, even in the wilderness. There’s no trouble at all.”
Duan Yuquan then smiled and led them to the room, considering their long journey and sparing them from further explanations, giving them time to rest.
Yang Zhongfa and Jia Qing had separate accommodations and were not staying with Yuan Li.
Upon entering Chu Hechao’s room, Yuan Li instinctively looked around.
The room was extremely simple, with almost bare walls. There was only a bed and a desk for handling official matters, along with a table with a water kettle.
A fur of some animal was hanging on the wall, and Yuan Li walked over and touched it, realizing that it was wolf fur.
The bed was covered with animal fur bedding, thick like a whole bear pelt. Yuan Li pulled up the bedding and sniffed it, expecting to smell a strong odor, but to his surprise, it was clean, with only some unavoidable dust.
It seemed someone had cleaned it.
Although he knew it was an illusion, Yuan Li couldn’t help but feel as if he could smell Chu Hechao’s scent from the bedding. He sniffed again, and that faint aroma lingered around his nose.
He thought to himself, could it be that after nearly a month without seeing him, he missed Chu Hechao?
Otherwise, how could he still smell Chu Hechao’s scent on the bedding that hadn’t been used in years?
But upon second thought, Chu Hechao had been living here for over a decade, so it was normal for the bedding to retain his scent, which couldn’t be washed away.
If he were in any other place, Yuan Li would have acted politely and reservedly. But he knew this was his man’s territory, and in his man’s room, he didn’t need to be polite; he could act freely and naturally.
The next day, Yuan Li woke up feeling refreshed after a good night’s sleep. He received news that the Xiongnu had launched another raid.
Yuan Li immediately led Jia Qing, along with Yang Zhongfa and Duan Yuquan, to the border town.
When the winding and continuous Great Wall appeared before Yuan Li, even though he had seen the Great Wall in the future, he was still awestruck by its magnificence.
The Great Wall from thousands of years ago was more majestic and imposing than in the future, reflecting the youthful strength to resist foreign enemies. Yuan Li gazed up at it for a while, feeling a surge of emotions, before climbing up the Great Wall with the others.
From the top of the Great Wall, they could see the Xiongnu skirmishers engaging in guerrilla warfare with the Northern Border patrol.
Yuan Li squinted his eyes as he watched.
As He Lang had said, after the disastrous defeat six years ago, the Xiongnu had become much more cunning. They didn’t choose to charge head-on against the patrol but used flanking and surprise attacks, continuously harassing and testing the Northern Border patrol. Once they provoked the patrol, they immediately retreated, rendering the patrol unable to respond effectively.
“Who is the current ruler of the Xiongnu court?” Jia Qing suddenly asked, observing the situation.
Duan Yuquan sighed, “Why don’t you take a guess, General Jia?”
Yuan Li sighed and said, “It’s Huyan Huntu, the second son of Huyan Wuzhu.”
Chu Hechao had mentioned this to Yuan Li before. Initially, Yuan Li thought that Huyan Wuzhu’s eldest son, Huyan Ting, would succeed the throne, given that he had taken away most of Huyan Wuzhu’s military power and was the child Huyan Wuzhu doted on the most, treated as the crown prince. But unexpectedly, it was Huyan Huntu, who had not stood out much, who eventually ascended the throne.
Duan Yuquan nodded, looking towards the fleeing Xiongnu riders in the distance. “Due to the power struggle in the Xiongnu court, it was in turmoil for five years until the winner emerged last year. Huyan Huntu was not favored and had little influence. During the infighting with Huyan Ting, he was once at a disadvantage and was driven out of the court by Huyan Ting. However, he didn’t give up and conquered various barbarian tribes, making them all submit to him. Two years ago, Huyan Huntu made a comeback and defeated Huyan Ting within a year, ascending to the throne.”
“Huyan Huntu,” Yuan Li mused, “His ambitions are not smaller than his father’s.”
“Exactly,” Duan Yuquan said in a grave tone, “He has been the chanyu for only a year and yet dares to send people to probe us multiple times upon hearing of your departure from Youzhou. Such cunning behavior shows he has much more courage than his elder brother, Huyan Ting.”
The faces of the men turned serious.
Naturally, they were not pleased with the prospect of facing a greater threat from the Xiongnu under Huyan Huntu’s command compared to his elder brother, Huyan Ting.
Yuan Li said, “But he is also a very cautious person.”
Pausing for a moment, he continued, “And extremely patient.”
Yang Zhongfa furrowed his brows for a while before nodding in agreement, “Not easy to deal with.”
He Lang chimed in curiously, “You two seem more cautious about him than I expected.”
Yuan Li turned to look at him, pondering for a moment before speaking, “Haven’t you noticed?”
He Lang asked, “Noticed what?”
Yang Zhongfa sneered and replied, “This lad of yours is starting to unconsciously underestimate the Xiongnu.”
Huyan Huntu was cautiously probing the strength of the Northern Border army. Although he made numerous small moves, he didn’t fully break the relationship, making them appear more like annoying rats.
Naturally, rats wouldn’t draw too much attention.
But was this not falling into Huyan Huntu’s trap? He even made the generals, including He Lang, unconsciously let their guard down and begin to underestimate the Xiongnu.
The man who could conquer various barbarian tribes after being driven out of the court certainly had the patience for such a long-term plan. He might be waiting for the day when these generals completely relaxed their vigilance.
In an instant, Yuan Li made up his mind and a sense of killing intent surged within him.
This enemy should be eliminated as soon as possible.
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