Jinting Han people

When the other troops arrived at Caogu Pavilion, which was thirteen miles away from Haozhi, they finally learned the news that the main force had been defeated.

By this time, the fog had mostly dissipated, leaving only a faint layer. The vanguard of the Jin army, galloping across a wasteland littered with footprints and horse hooves, had reached the starting point of the battle between the two armies. Looking east, everywhere they could see discarded flags, swords, broken spears, and corpses. The golden sun shone with exceptional brilliance, but those beneath it felt no warmth.

The rebels were practically invisible here, as the Hu people had already pursued the defeated Jin troops as far as Haozhi City and continued eastward. The battle, involving tens of thousands of people, stretched the battlefield's breadth and dimensions beyond imagination. But the direction of the fallen bodies on the ground was enough to tell which side had triumphed.

Smoke was already rising from the distant Haozhi City, and the air was filled with a faint smell of burning. Everyone was familiar with this smell. It was someone burning corpses, which meant that someone was cleaning up the battlefield, and that the situation had deteriorated to an unimaginable level.

Although they had a bad premonition, when the news reached the central army, Liu Xian, Suo Jing and Li Han still felt incredible, because the outbreak and end of this battle completely exceeded ordinary people's imagination.

With inferior forces, it would be suicidal to abandon the advantage of terrain and attack a side with stronger forces, equipment, and quality. The only thing they could rely on was a thick fog.

While thick fog can conceal one's movements, it also makes it impossible to effectively command. Fighting a decisive battle under such circumstances is essentially a gamble. Without a commander, the bet is on whose troops will be more obedient and who will fight more courageously. The loser will pay an unacceptable price, and even if they win, total victory may not be guaranteed.

But the result happened right in front of everyone. Qi Wannian not only won the bet, but also won a big victory.

After the great victory, the problem arose before the generals of other divisions: what should they do next?
Originally, Liu Xian and his men had thought that if the main force could hold out at the front for a while, they could lead the cavalry to the battlefield and attack from the rear, attacking from both inside and outside, and perhaps even win the battle. But that was no longer possible.

Of course, they could not launch any more attacks on the rebels at the moment. Suo Jing quickly made a decision. He wanted to withdraw the army back to Rufeng first. The fortifications at Rufeng were ready, and even if someone besieged them, they could hold out for a while.

Fortunately, no one noticed them, and after the other troops retreated to Rufeng, no rebels pursued them. Apparently, the Hu people were still immersed in the joy of victory, celebrating the occasion and paying no attention to anything else. But the Jin troops at Rufeng were forced to swallow their bitter dry rations in the cold wind.

After confirming that there was no danger for the time being, Suo Jing ordered all the generals under his command to gather together to discuss the next way out.

Suo Jingxian summarized the overall situation and said, "The current situation is unclear. We only know that His Royal Highness Prince Liang has been severely defeated. We have no idea of the exact casualties, how many people survived, or even where they retreated."

"But one thing is very clear right now. If we stay here now, with neither much baggage nor much food, and rely solely on the fortifications left by these barbarians, we will undoubtedly be courting death."

"We must make a decision soon! The sooner we leave, the more chance we have of survival!"

Everyone agreed with this judgment, but they could not reach a consensus on where to go.

Suo Jing's message was straightforward. He said, "No matter how the battle unfolds, the main force will surely advance towards Chang'an. We should try to reach Chang'an and reunite with our colleagues there. Chang'an's defenses are strong. Once we enter the city, the rebels will be helpless."

But Li Han objected, "I don't think so. Now that the rebels have won a great victory, the next step is to pursue them. Where will they go? They must be heading to Chang'an! What if we meet them halfway? Can we win? If we lose, or if we are evenly matched, as long as the situation drags on for a while, our army will have no rear support and will be outlasted by them!"

Suo Jing's son Suo Chen asked unconvincedly:

"But if we don't join up with the main force, where will we get the rear?"

Li Han pointed westward and replied calmly:
"You can go to Liangzhou."

"what?"

This proposal was obviously beyond everyone's expectations. Because Qinzhou had already fallen, to go from Fufeng to Liangzhou, they would have to cross the Longban Pass and pass through enemy territory. No one knew the current situation in Liangzhou, so taking the army to Liangzhou was obviously extremely risky.

Li Han also knew what everyone was worried about, so he explained:

"The main force of the Hu bandits is right before our eyes. They are bound to advance eastward, not return to Qinzhou. Qinzhou is now only left with a few scattered soldiers, and we now have tens of thousands of cavalry. If they are determined to leave, who can stop us?"

Xue Xing questioned from the side:

"But what about food? We're only carrying dry rations, which will last us five days at most. How can we possibly get through Qinzhou? Even though I'm not very talented, I know the journey to Shanglong is difficult. It's at least a thousand miles, and most of it is mountainous."

"What's so difficult about this?"

Li Han said, "Warfare is all about taking the enemy by surprise. Isn't that what the Hu people do? I'm from Liangzhou, and I know the situation in Qinzhou. There are mostly Hu settlements there, and they don't live in concentrated cities. They certainly can't imagine that we dare to fight back."

"This allowed us to take advantage of the enemy's food supply. We burned down all the villages and towns we encountered along the way, seizing the food and supplies they contained. We also killed any soldiers and civilians who fled. At the same time, we raised multiple flags so that the enemy would not know our strength and would have no choice but to allow us to pass."

"The Hexi region is rich in water and grass, and its terrain is strategic. Only a small force is needed to resist the enemy. Although we don't know the details, the rebels' failure to reach Liang Province suggests it's a prime location. If we retreat into it and receive supplies from the Liang Province military and civilians, we can advance to Qin Province and retreat to protect ourselves. This would be a great achievement."

Li Han's words convinced many present. While the journey might indeed involve many casualties and hardships, the difficulties encountered were surmountable, and the future held a brighter future. After all, it was preferable to another battle with the main force of the rebels.

But Liu Xian disagreed. He hated the disregard for life that Li Han seemed to suggest, and he retorted, "But if we do that, aren't we abandoning the land?"

Li Han was baffled. "What does Huai Chong mean? I don't understand." Liu Xian sighed and said, "I'm the governor of Beidi, and you're the internal historian of Qin. We have the responsibility to protect the country and its people. If it weren't for the imperial court's orders to suppress the bandits, we wouldn't be able to leave the county. According to what Shi Rong said, if we go to Liangzhou, wouldn't that be a crime of abandoning our territory and neglecting our duties? The imperial court will never allow it!"

At this point, everyone realized that they had been thinking from a purely military perspective, but in reality, it was also a political issue. If they left the Western Expedition Army Headquarters and headed for Liang Province alone, would the King of Liang later blame them for the defeat? Everyone secretly weighed the situation and felt that it was indeed very likely.

Li Han's expression was not very good either, but he also knew that this was a matter of principle and indeed could not be underestimated. However, he was somewhat unwilling to accept this and asked:
"In extraordinary times, common sense doesn't apply. Going to Liangzhou might still offer a chance of survival, but going elsewhere is a sure death, isn't it?"

"Of course there are other ways to survive!"

Liu Xian pondered for a long time. He picked up a wooden stick and drew a line from west to east on the sand. Pointing to the south, he replied, "Just as Brother Shirong said, if we go to Chang'an, we will definitely run into the Hu bandits on the way. This is definitely not a way to survive."

He pointed the stick to the north of the line, knocked it, and said, "But what if we don't go to Chang'an, but go to the north?"

"North?" Suo Jing rubbed his chin in thought for a moment, then realized what Liu Xian was referring to and asked, "You mean to Beidi County? Your place?"

"That's right," Liu Xian nodded. "We can go through the northwest along the Ziwu Ridge. With our horses galloping, traveling day and night, it should only take two or three days to reach Niyang in Beidi County."

But Li Han scoffed, "How can this be considered a way out? While it solves the immediate problem, in the long run, since we can't join up with the main force in Chang'an, and the rebels can't take Chang'an, they'll inevitably sweep north of Wei. When they mobilize their forces to attack the north, do you really expect Chang'an to send reinforcements? If the Luoyang court doesn't send reinforcements, they'd rather die in Chang'an!"

Liu Xian also agreed with this view, but he never imagined that Chang'an would send reinforcements. Instead, he argued:
"It's not important. What I want is another reinforcement."

This statement surprised everyone, and they couldn't help but ask in unison: "Are there any reinforcements?"

Liu Xian pointed his stick further north and said, "Don't forget what caused this Hu people's rebellion? Wasn't it caused by the Tuoba Xianbei's westward expedition? After we return to the north, we can send envoys to Shuofang to request reinforcements from the Tuoba Xianbei."

Everyone suddenly realized. Because Shuofang had always been an unmanaged and chaotic area in the past, everyone had always regarded it as a barren land and had not considered it in the overall strategic considerations. But now that Liu Xian pointed it out, they suddenly remembered that Shuofang was now controlled by the Tuoba Xianbei.

Others might not understand the Tuoba Xianbei's strength, but Liu Xian, having met Tuoba Yilu, knew that they were an armed force capable of deploying 100,000 cavalry, far more powerful than the current Western Expedition Army and the rebels. As long as they were willing to join the war, the rebels would have no chance of victory.

Suo Jing was obviously moved, but still had some doubts. He pulled Liu Xian aside and asked in a low voice:

"Huai Chong, tell me the truth, how confident are you in convincing Tuoba Xianbei to send troops?"

Liu Xian whispered back, "Lord Suo, the Tuoba Xianbei have fought against the Tiele and Xiongnu for hundreds of years and have a blood feud. How could they possibly sit back and watch Qi occupy all of Guanzhong for thousands of years? In my opinion, as long as we explain the pros and cons, they won't remain indifferent, right? If things really get out of hand and we can't hold on, we can retreat from Beidi to Shuofang, which is a way out!"

Suo Jing was satisfied with this answer and immediately announced:
"Early tomorrow morning, we will set out with our entire army to the northern land of Niyang!"

Li Han snorted, expressing no objection, and the others naturally agreed. They slept for the night by the unsheltered campfire, and the next day they rode on their way again.

They did not dare to approach Haozhi County again, but deliberately passed through the mountains and forests, bypassing the deep mountains and dense forests in the northeast through Liumo, and directly crossed the Jingshui River Valley in Qiaoshan Mountains. Then they walked along the river until they reached the mouth of Zhengguo Canal built by the Qin State in the past, and they led their horses across the river.

The Zhengguo Canal, due to its age and difficulty in maintenance, had long since lost its former role in irrigating thousands of miles of fertile land. However, some tender green weeds had begun to sprout from the dry riverbed, serving as a guide for the Jin army. They needed only to follow the canal, needing no further attention. After about two days, they successfully reached Fuping County in Beidi Commandery.

Just as Liu Xian had anticipated, Beidi County hadn't been harassed by any rebel forces. In a few days, February would soon arrive, and farmers in Beidi were cultivating their fields and sowing seeds. A peaceful atmosphere reigned across the fields and hills. But this was simply because they hadn't received any news yet.

After learning that a large number of Jin troops had arrived, Fu Xi, as the leader of the northern gentry, led a group of scholars to welcome them and to inquire about the news. After all, at the border of the empire, they received news relatively slowly.

Liu Xian made no secret of this. He said, "His Royal Highness Prince Liang has been defeated, and his troops are now scattered. I don't know the details."

This statement immediately caused an uproar. The Jin army's repeated defeats had clearly exceeded the soldiers' imagination, and their faces turned pale, no longer daring to imagine what would happen next.

Suo Jing wanted to embellish his words a bit. He told the scholars, "Don't worry. Even though the Hu bandits may have won for a while, what good will it do? As long as they can't capture Chang'an, they will be defeated sooner or later."

But Liu Xian was unwilling to give them such illusions. He first said to Suo Jing, "Mr. Suo, at this point, it's useless to say nice things. Now is the time for unity, and we must be honest with each other."

Then he said to the scholars: "Everyone, the barbarians are powerful and will soon sweep across Guanzhong again. We cannot expect the court to send reinforcements, because there is no time. We also cannot expect the enemy not to attack here, because that is impossible."

"Only by dedicating every bit of our strength, like burning ourselves to death, can we ignite the flames of victory. I hope you will entrust me with everything, including your lives. We will do our utmost to prepare for the next battle and secure final victory."

Liu Xian's voice was slightly deep. In reality, he never gave passionate speeches, instead expressing himself through steady actions. But words aren't spoken; they're actions. Those who treat words as empty words boast of being transcendent, but only those who see words as shackles can be heard.

When the scholars remembered Liu Xian's achievements in regaining the north, their panic soon dissipated and they began to discuss the specific details with Liu Xian.

This is a good start, but it is only a start. (End of this chapter)