Jinting Han people

Chapter 189: Fighting against the Bandits (4k)

When the heavy rain stopped for a while and Liu Xian led his troops through Fenyin, Zhang Gui, the commander of the Western Expedition Army, had already led his generals to set up camp twenty miles east of Longmen Ferry.

When Liu Xian was in Linfen, he criticized the rebel camp for being lax and undisciplined, but when he returned to Longmen Ferry, he found that the situation at Longmen Ferry was even worse.

Besides the 40,000 to 50,000 refugees who had already crossed the river to Xiayang, nearly 150,000 remained thronging the city walls of Linfen, east of the Yellow River. Unwilling to leave their homes, they cut wood and built huts around the city walls, using tiles to light fires and begging for food. The situation was chaotic. Some even organized a makeshift human market, selling their children outside Linfen. But where could Linfen's wealthy families come from? Even so, they couldn't survive.

The local residents were even more discontented, as the refugees had unjustly occupied their land and repeatedly stolen beans from their fields, disrupting their livelihoods. This led to frequent large-scale fights and even clashes. The atmosphere in the area was tense, and only a few large families were willing to open their granaries and provide some relief.

The main camp of the Western Expedition Army was located between the plain and the plateau on the south bank of the Fen River. A 600-year-old mulberry tree grew on the plateau, giving the area its name, Gumuyuan. They deliberately distanced themselves from the ordinary refugees, hoping to avoid their responsibility for disaster relief.

But this move was clearly a failure. When Liu Xian returned with his troops, he could see tens of thousands of people blocking the entrance to the camp, crying and shouting. When the soldiers drew their swords, they fled like crows, but soon, perhaps sensing the furor had passed, they returned like rats, continuing their meaningless commotion. This left the soldiers guarding the camp feeling extremely embarrassed, but they had no better solution. They could only continue their fly-shooing-away interaction with the refugees.

Similarly, the refugees did the same when they saw Liu Xian. They surrounded him, trying to please him and crying to him, but in fact they were blocking his way into the camp, making it impossible for him to move forward.

Liu Xian said to these ragged people, "Everyone, cross the river and go to Xiayang. I am Liu Xian, the Xiayang magistrate. I have prepared tens of thousands of dan of grain in Xiayang and now distribute porridge outside the city every day. You stay here, except for blocking the military intelligence, and there is no other benefit. It is best to cross the river as soon as possible!"

This statement did resonate with the refugees. Some expressed joy, but many remained dissatisfied. After all, it is difficult to leave one's homeland. Although many people were forced to leave their homes, crossing the river or not is one thing, and crossing the river is not easy either. Whether someone can be found to take responsibility after crossing the river is another matter.

So many people still surrounded Liu Xian and kept talking, getting more and more excited, and they kept saying that the grain must be transported to Hedong for distribution. At this time, a strong man in full armor led about forty soldiers and came over. They were holding wooden sticks and beat the refugees. They injured about ten and captured another ten. As they beat them, they kept saying:
"You're a bunch of idiots who only care about food and not punishment. You're so heartless! If you cause trouble again, I'll send people to arrest you all, drag you back, strip you naked and cook you in a pot! Let's see if you can still make more noise!"

This sentence was really horrifying, and the effect was immediate. Seeing that he dared to hit people and say such terrible words, the refugees immediately fled in all directions. Within a quarter of an hour, the space in front of Liu Xian was empty, and he could see the camp gate not far away.

The sturdy man then leisurely walked over, looked at Liu Xian for a moment, then glanced at the flag beside him. Then he smiled, revealing his fine teeth, and said, "You must be Lord Liu! I'm Zhang Fang, the military attendant at the camp gate. I've long heard of the great name of the Prince of Anle!"

As he studied Liu Xian, Liu Xian was also studying him. The reason was simple: even in the barracks, the officer's words had been somewhat bizarre. Furthermore, he was a burly man, with a broad back and strong waist. Even when he was boasting, he couldn't hide his extreme arrogance. Most importantly, the man's eyes were sharp, filled with clear murderous intent, clearly a man who would risk his life. This made Liu Xian wary from the moment they met.

Liu Xian nodded, dismounted, and asked, "Marquis Zhang, you've worked hard. Is Commander Zhang Gui here?"

Zhang Fang replied nonchalantly, "You've come at the right time. Military Commander Zhang just arrived this morning and is probably still setting up his tents. I'll show you the way."

Having said that, he was in no hurry to lead the way. Instead, he had his men tie up the captured refugees and hang them by the camp gate, saying that he wanted to publicize this and serve as a warning to anyone who dared to cause trouble again. After all this was done, he led Liu Xian into the camp.

Perhaps sensing Liu Xian's dissatisfaction with him, Zhang Fang explained as they walked, "Haha, County Lord Liu, don't be so kind. The people are just like that. A little bit of rice is a favor, a little bit of rice is a grudge. They'll do anything to get a little more food! Do you think you're saving them? They'll just swarm around you like flies, eat you up, and then forget you completely."

Liu Xian certainly didn't agree with what he said, but he didn't get angry. Instead, he asked, "It sounds like Zhang Junhou knows a lot about this?"

"Haha! You get it, right?" Zhang Fang said in a familiar tone. "I'm from a commoner family in Hejian. I've seen a lot of people like this! I've done some myself, too. There are many things you wouldn't even imagine! Haha!"

The implication was that he was the kind of person he was talking about. This frank self-deprecation made Liu Xian a little surprised by him and curious about what Zhang Fang had experienced in the past. But he also knew not to expose people's scars, so he suppressed his curiosity and asked:
"By the way, I don't know Zhang Junhou's courtesy name yet. Could you tell me?"

"You are so polite, County Master Liu. Didn't I tell you that my family has been tenant farmers for three generations? I can't read, I have no education, and no one has given me a courtesy name. County Master Liu, just call me by my full name."

Liu Xian was once again taken aback by this. Common sense dictated that martial artists often had some savings, otherwise they wouldn't be able to withstand the physical strain. Of the six hundred or so county soldiers under Liu Xian's command, some worked as farmers, but none were landless tenants. Zhang Fang appeared to be a highly skilled martial artist. How had he gotten this far?

However, these questions were very personal, and Liu Xian was not in a position to speak up. Zhang Fang just said some gossip casually. After seeing Zhang Gui's military tent, he quickly withdrew.

But no matter what, Liu Xian was impressed by Zhang Fang when they met for the first time.

After the guard at the door reported, a scholar immediately came out of the tent to greet him. It was the commander of this army, Zhang Gui, the commander of the Western Expedition Army.

Zhang Gui was already forty years old this year, with long flowing beard on his cheeks and chin, a thin face, and deep eyes. He had the typical appearance of a refined scholar, but his temperament was completely different. It hadn't been obvious during our last drink together, but now, dressed in a round-necked, narrow-sleeved gown, a sharp blade dangling from a gold-studded leather belt, and deerskin boots, his steady steps on the wet mud, coupled with his piercing eyes, gave him the air of a wise man and an awe-inspiring, inviolable presence. It was clear at a glance that he possessed both civil and military prowess.

When he saw Liu Xian, he smiled and said, "Huai Chong came at the right time. I was thinking of a good strategy to defend against the enemy!" After that, Zhang Gui took Liu Xian's hand and walked into the tent. It can be seen that there were five people sitting in the tent at this time. Liu Xian knew two of them, namely Xin Ran, the Cao Yuan of the Zhengxi Army, and Bai Yun, the Fengyi Commandant. They sat at the front, and below them sat two warriors, one scholar, and Liu Xian, making three people sitting on each side.

Zhang Gui introduced them to Liu Xian one by one:
"Huai Chong, this is Zhang Guang, the Chang'an officer who has just been transferred to our Zhengxi Army Division. His courtesy name is Jingwu. He was a hero who participated in the pacification of Wu and has considerable military experience. You should learn from him."

Zhang Guang was a serious-looking, middle-aged man. Although he had been in the military for a long time, it was clear that he was not the kind of brave general known for his strength, but rather a capable and experienced commander. He sat there with a meticulous posture, like a stone sculpture.

"This is Li Han, courtesy name Shirong, who took office as Yongzhou's Deputy Governor at the end of last year. He's from the Longxi Li family and a successful scholar. He's a renowned all-rounder in both civil and military affairs in Liangzhou. Unfortunately, if he hadn't been without connections back then, he would have nearly reached the rank of Second Rank."

Li Han was roughly the same age as Lu Ji, and he also looked like a typical scholar with long eyes and a beard. However, unlike Lu Ji, he had no literary air at all, instead, he looked like a lurking tiger. As soon as Liu Xian entered, his eyes, like those of a prey being licked, immediately reminded him of Jia Mi.

"This is my chief clerk, and a good friend I met while studying abroad. Beigong Chun, also known by his courtesy name Zhongyong. Haha, he's a renowned warrior in Liang Province. With him around, I believe defeating the enemy this time will be a piece of cake!"

Just as Zhang Gui had said, although Beigong Chun was sitting very leisurely, his muscular body made him look like a ferocious beast ready to take someone's life at any time. However, he had a carefree smile and a generous personality. After hearing Zhang Gui's evaluation, he clapped his knees and laughed:

"Hahaha, Shi Yan, you're praising me so much, aren't you asking me to fight for you on the battlefield?"

Add in Xin Ran, Sun Xiu's spy, and Bai Yun, who was in charge of Fengyi's military, and it was clear this was the leadership team leading the rebellion. As Zhang Gui introduced Liu Xian to the crowd, Liu Xian saluted and sighed inwardly: "I thought I'd met many outstanding people last time in Chang'an, but I didn't expect to see so many more this time. Everyone here, with the exception of Xin Ran, possesses visible talent. How many heroes are there in this world!"

It seems that this campaign against the rear of the Huns will most likely be a crushing victory.

After Liu Xian sat down, Zhang Gui did not rush to speak, but leisurely made a bowl of tea. After the tea boiled, he personally poured a bowl for everyone present, and then leisurely said to Liu Xian:
"Huai Chong, you came just in time. We just started discussing our strategy against the enemy, and we happened to be talking about you!"

"When this rebellion broke out, everyone in the government was deeply concerned. Three imperial edicts were issued to Sun Changshi to dispatch troops, causing panic among us. You were the first to report the news to the military commander and then led your troops across the river to stop the rebels. A few days ago, you won several small battles in a row, killing and capturing over a thousand people, which greatly boosted our morale! We were just discussing whether we should write a memorial to you to report your achievements!"

Zhang Gui highly praised Liu Xian's achievement in crossing the river and stopping the enemy. Although there was a lucky element to the weather, it still prevented the number of refugees from increasing further, maintaining the situation at the Longmen Ferry, allowing the Zhengxi Army to cross the river first, rather than passively blocking the enemy at the ferry.

At this moment, he noticed the wound on Liu Xian's shoulder and asked what had happened. Liu Xian did not hide anything and answered truthfully, saying that he had led his men to Linfen City to explore the situation. He reported everything he had seen and heard along the way, including the thrilling experience of escaping from the jaws of death.

Zhang Gui smiled again and said, "Great! Huai Chong is still very brave! I happen to have some herbs for treating external injuries. Take a bottle back and apply it twice a day. I guarantee that you will be back to normal within half a month."

He then said to Liu Xian, "I originally wanted to let you rest well, but since you have been through so much, you know more about the enemy situation than any of us. So why not trouble you again to listen to our military consultation and see if it is appropriate."

Liu Xian was well aware that while his reputation was high, his military rank was certainly not high. His sworn brother Li Ju, who was also in the army but had not attended the meeting, demonstrated the high level of authority within the meeting. However, Zhang Gui, despite Liu Xian's awkward political position within the Western Expedition Army, allowed him to participate in the military meeting, much to Liu Xian's surprise.

Liu Xian agreed casually, but secretly weighed it in his heart. Although he didn't understand Zhang Gui's inner thoughts, he thought about it carefully and realized that he couldn't frame him by holding a meeting. The only reason was that he really valued his ideas and wanted to establish a good relationship with him.

While thinking, Zhang Gui was already talking with Xin Ran about the army's food and fodder supply.

Zhang Guitui: "Xin Caoyuan, let's get back to what we said before. Our first batch of 12,000 soldiers arrived in Fenyin with 30,000 hu of coarse wheat, enough to last for 20 days. But suppressing the bandits won't take only 20 days. When do you plan to ship the next batch of food and fodder? And how much will it be?"

Xin Ran replied, "Don't worry, Commander Zhang. When I set out with the army, Chief Secretary Sun had already gathered another 20,000 hu of wheat and beans and was also preparing ships. He and I have already agreed that the next batch of grain and fodder, at least 40,000 hu, will be shipped here via the Wei River within ten days."

"Isn't that enough?" Zhang Gui picked up the Guanzhong map on the table and pointed to the location of Puban Ferry. "We agreed when we came here that General Jia and General Huangfu would block the crossing. They'd probably have to send 5,000 men. Don't they need food and fodder?"

"Well..." Xin Ran wiped the sweat off his face and quickly replied, "Of course, they're doing it separately. They're collecting grain right here in Puban. But Commander Zhang, aren't you only in charge of this route? Why are you asking so many questions?"

"Those who seek to protect a small part of the country must also consider the overall situation. If you don't understand this principle, then don't fight a war. This is a matter of great importance to the country. As a soldier, if you don't understand the impact of war on the country, how can you fight well?"

Zhang Gui glanced at Xin Ran, then turned to the crowd and said, "Everyone, please take a look at how we should deal with the enemy next!"

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(End of this chapter)