The Rebellious Officials and Traitors of the Late Han Dynasty

Chapter 546: Defining Liaodong

Qin Shou frowned when he heard this, and tapped the table with his fingers, making a dull sound. Outside the tent, the autumn wind howled, and the yellow sand hit the tent, making a rustling sound.

"Gongda, what do you think about this?" Qin Shou did not answer directly, but asked instead.

Xun You pondered for a moment and said slowly: "Zhuge Liang's move may seem like letting the enemy go, but it is actually a wise move. The barbarians in the south are fickle, and if we suppress them blindly, it will only provoke stronger resistance. Releasing Meng Huo can not only demonstrate the benevolence of our Tang Dynasty, but also win over the hearts of the barbarians. But..."

"It's just that those corrupt scholars in the court won't understand, right?" Qin Shou sneered, with a sharp flash in his eyes, "Pass my oral order to the prince: Entrust Zhuge Liang with full authority to lead the southern expedition. If there is any criticism in the court, let him suppress it for me."

Xun You nodded slightly, but reminded: "Your Majesty, the Second Prince..."

"Chengji?" Qin Shou looked towards the south with deep eyes and said quietly, "If he can't even bear this little pressure, how can he take on the big responsibility? Send him a message, asking him to cooperate with Zhuge Liang and not interfere in military affairs."

"Your Majesty is wise." Xun You hurriedly praised.

"Zhuge Liang is quite capable. He knows the situation of the southern barbarians. These guys will not admit defeat unless they are beaten hard." Qin Shou suddenly laughed and said, "That's not the kind of benevolence. In fact, these barbarians are afraid of power but not virtue. Once they are beaten hard, they will know how powerful the Central Plains is."

"Your Majesty is right." Xun You nodded repeatedly.

Qin Shou's words hit the nail on the head and made Zhuge Liang's decision more straightforward.

As they were talking, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the tent. A guard hurried in and knelt on one knee: "Report! The Liaodong army crossed the river at night to attack our right wing. General Zhou Yu requests support!"

Qin Shou stood up suddenly, and his armor made a crisp clash sound. He strode out of the tent and said coldly: "Gongsun Kang knows how to pick the right time. Tell Dian Wei to attack as planned! I will go to meet this Liaodong hero in person!"

The night was as dark as ink, and flames shot up to the sky on both sides of the Liao River. Qin Shou personally led 3,000 elite cavalrymen, piercing the enemy's heartland like a sharp knife. The sound of horse hooves shook the earth, and wherever they passed, the Liaodong army was scattered.

"Your Majesty, Gongsun Kang's central army camp is ahead!" the guards shouted.

Qin Shou narrowed his eyes and saw a large banner with the words "Gongsun" embroidered on it in the light of the fire. He raised his long sword and shouted, "Kill!"

At this moment, a strange horn sounded from the east. Then, the ground began to shake slightly, as if a huge army was approaching.

"Report! Goguryeo reinforcements arrived ahead of schedule and are encircling our army from the flank!" the scout reported in panic.

Qin Shou's expression remained unchanged, and he asked in a deep voice: "Where is Xu Huang's army?"

"General Xu will take some time to arrive."

Before he finished speaking, a black mass of cavalry had already broken through the night and attacked the flank of the Tang army. The general in the lead, holding a spear, was none other than the famous Goguryeo general Bachi.

"Protect His Majesty!" The guards quickly formed a defensive formation.

Qin Shou sneered, "You've come just in time! Pass the order down, change the formation to 'Fengshi', follow me and go straight to Gongsun Kang!"

War horses neighed, swords flashed and slashed. Qin Shou led the elite troops to charge into the enemy camp. His armor was soon splattered with blood, and no one could stop him from going forward with his long sword.

Just when the Tang army was about to break through the enemy's formation, a cold arrow suddenly shot from the darkness and went straight to Qin Shou's throat!
"Your Majesty, be careful!" Xun You warned loudly. Qin Shou's two swords crossed and blocked in front of him. A sound of metal clashing rang out, knocking the sharp arrow away.

Qin Shou looked back and saw a cavalryman putting away his longbow and quickly disappearing into the darkness.

"Your Majesty, they are Wuhuan people." Xun You's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he snorted coldly: "These guys are really unreliable."

"Deal with the enemy in front of us first, and then deal with Wuhuan."

Qin Shou snorted coldly.

The situation changed rapidly. Just when the Tang army was caught in a critical moment of being attacked from both sides, the sound of war drums suddenly rang out from the south. A navy unit with a flag bearing the Chinese character "Zhou" rushed from downstream. It was the reinforcements led by Zhou Yu.

"Your Majesty, General Lu Xun has cut off the enemy's retreat!" Zhou Yu's personal soldiers reported loudly.

Qin Shou laughed loudly: "Okay! All the troops, listen to my order. We must capture Gongsun Kang alive today!"

At dawn, the Liaodong army was finally defeated. Gongsun Kang fled eastward in panic under the protection of his personal guards. Although Xu Huang tried his best to intercept him, he still let him escape. Ba Qi saw that the situation was hopeless and led the remaining troops to break out.

"Your Majesty, we encountered the Xianbei people on the way." Xu Huang came to report covered in blood, carrying the head of a Xianbei general.

Qin Shou nodded, his eyes swept across the battlefield littered with corpses, and he said in a deep voice: "Pass on my order, conquer the entire Liaodong area and wipe out the rebellion of Goguryeo. As for the Three Han areas, I will conquer them after I pacify Goguryeo!"

Xun You looked at Qin Shou's back and sighed in his heart. He knew that this war might have just begun.
Thousands of miles away, the rainy season in Nanzhong had just passed, and the mountains and forests were steaming with humid heat. Qin Chengji stood outside the tent, looking at the rolling mountains in the distance, his brows furrowed. His armor was still stained with blood from yesterday's battle, which was left when Meng Huo was captured for the third time.

"Your Highness, many soldiers in the army have complaints." Deputy General Wang Ping strode over with obvious worry on his face. "We captured Meng Huo three times and let him go back to the mountains three times. The soldiers said that we were playing a trick on them."

Qin Chengji did not answer immediately. He reached out to wipe off a piece of mud on his armor, his eyes still looking into the distance. That was the deep mountain where Meng Huo's tribe was located, full of miasma and mysterious.

"Where is Military Advisor Zhuge?" Qin Chengji finally spoke in a low voice.

"I am studying the map in the tent." Wang Ping hesitated for a moment, but could not help but said, "Your Highness, I dare to say that Meng Huo is unruly and unruly. If we let him go, I am afraid there will be endless troubles."

Qin Chengji turned and walked towards the central army tent. When he opened the curtain, a scent of herbs and ink hit him. Zhuge Liang was leaning over a topographic map of Nanzhong, tapping on several key passes. Hearing footsteps, he raised his head, his deep eyes gleaming with wisdom.

"Your Highness." Zhuge Liang bowed slightly.

"Military Advisor, our army has captured Meng Huo three times and released him three times." Qin Chengji got straight to the point. "Now there are complaints in the army, and the soldiers don't understand what they mean. I am a little worried."

Zhuge Liang put down the bamboo slips in his hand and motioned Qin Chengji to sit down. The candlelight in the tent flickered, casting a flickering light and shadow on his gaunt face.

"What are you worried about, Your Highness? Are you worried about the questioning of the ministers and the Crown Prince? Or are you worried about the morale of the army? Or are you worried about the accountability of His Majesty?"

Zhuge Liang looked at Qin Chengji with a smile.

(End of this chapter)