Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 371 We must guide them onto the right path
Cijian City!
Hu Sichun was ordered to lead 30,000 troops to relieve the siege of Cijian City, but the battle was much more intense than he had imagined.

Gao Ang led 8,000 infantry and cavalry to surround Cijian City, but did not attack immediately. Instead, he set up camp and built defensive facilities on the spot.

Cijian City is dozens of miles away from Luoyang, and a large army can reach it in a day by marching at full speed.

After Husichun had reorganized his troops, he did not rush to the rescue.

Firstly, he knew that although Cijian City was small, it was well-defended and could not be taken in a day or two. Secondly, Husichun was also quite wary of Gao Ang and his troops.

After Erzhu Rong was assassinated, Erzhu Zhao entered Luoyang to avenge him, not only killing Yuan Ziyou but also slaughtering many of the forces that stood by Yuan Ziyou.

The Yang family of Hongnong was one of them.

However, Erzhu Zhao did not kill them all; a considerable number of the Hongnong Yang clan members escaped.

This group of people fled west to Guanzhong and were settled in Hongnong. They helped Li Shuang complete the construction of the military system in Hongnong and other places, and they harbored a deep hatred for the Erzhu clan.

Gao Ang commanded 8,000 infantry and cavalry, but they were quite elite.

Husichun's initial plan was to coordinate with the city's garrison to defeat the eight thousand soldiers.

However, Hu Sichun did not expect that Gao Ang would be more troublesome than he imagined. The troops he sent to rescue him were defeated one by one by Gao Ang. Originally, he wanted to boost the morale of the defenders in Cijian City and encourage them to hold on, but unexpectedly, it caused the morale of the defenders in the city to plummet.

Left with no other choice, Husichun set up camp and held out against Gao Ang's army.

"My lord, another letter has arrived from Luoyang, urging us to come back!"

Erzhu Shilong knew that the war on Husichun's side was not progressing, and had sent messengers several times to urge them on.

"You keep nagging me, all you do is nag! If you're so capable, let him do it himself!"

Husichun was very angry.

Husichun was a northerner and was a trusted confidant of Erzhu Rong who participated in secret operations.

Over the years, although he was not used as a vanguard by Erzhu Rong like Hebasheng and Erzhu Zhaona, he was never ambiguous in marching and fighting.

This time, however, Husichun was utterly defeated by Gao Ang, losing several of his generals in the process.

"My lord, things are urgent in Luoyang!"

Husichun looked at his trusted confidant and asked:

"What trouble has Hou Jing gotten himself into this time?"

"Hou Jing is a minor matter now. I heard that the news of Erzhu Zhongyuan's defeat has arrived. Erzhu Shilong is keeping it a secret, afraid of affecting morale, and is not letting anyone know the specifics!"

After listening, Hu Sichun smacked his lips, a playful look on his face.

"Erzhu Zhongyuan was defeated?"

"My lord, if Erzhu's ship really sinks, you'll still be on board."

Husichun shook his head and said:
"Over the past few hundred years, there have been many dilapidated ships like the Erzhu clan's that were on the verge of sinking but did not. The situation is still unclear, so it is not advisable to take any action. Find out what is happening with Erzhu Zhongyuan and report back as soon as possible."

"What about here?"

"Since Luoyang has urged us, we can't just sit idly by. We need to reorganize our troops and launch a series of attacks. After all, these 30,000 troops belong to the Erzhu clan."

"promise!"

……

In the big tent.

Yang Yin hurried in and saw Gao Ang discussing military matters with several generals. He cupped his hands and said:
"General, Husi Chun has sent men to attack again."

Gao Ang already knew about this.

"Just hold the camp and ignore it."

Although Gao Ang craves military merit, he is not mindless and doesn't want any kind of military merit.

Previously, he led his army to fight against Husi Chun, killing several of his generals and dampening the morale of Husi Chun's 30,000-strong army, thus stabilizing the situation.

Now, facing Husichun's repeated provocations, he has not launched a major attack.

It would be good if we could seize the opportunity to defeat Husi Chun's 30,000-strong army, but Gao Ang's most important task is to stabilize the situation, act as the vanguard, and capture Cijian City.

Yang Yin understood Gao Ang's meaning and analyzed:
"Husichun had been keeping the camp closed and guarding it for the past few days, but now this move seems to indicate that Luoyang is getting anxious."

Gao Ang nodded after listening. As a general, he naturally understood Li Shuang's strategic objectives.

"It seems that the situation is already unfavorable for the Erzhu clan."

Yang Yin, however, advised:

“A cornered beast fights most fiercely, and I fear that Husichun will launch a major attack in the next few days.”

The Erzhu clan was able to mobilize an army of over 100,000. Even if Hou Jing could sever the connection between the two banks of the Yellow River, the forces surrounding Luoyang were still not to be underestimated.

If Erzhu Shilong pushes them too far, they will probably be the ones under the most pressure.

Just as Yang Yin finished speaking, another report came from outside the tent.

"General, Husi Chun has led his army to break through our front camp."

Upon hearing this, Gao Ang's expression changed, and he said:
"Armor me!"

Seeing Gao Ang put on his armor, Yang Yin, following behind, was also filled with worry.

"General, the battlefield is dangerous; please be cautious!"

Gao Feng nodded and sighed:

"It may be difficult for us here, but it's probably even more difficult for Hou Jing."

……

Yellow River sandbar.

Dozens of warships were anchored in the temporary port, and camps had already been set up on the sandbar.

However, this makeshift camp exudes a sense of simplicity, forming a stark contrast with the heavily fortified Beizhong City, which is just across the water.

Even though the soldiers in Beizhong City who were loyal to the Erzhu clan looked at the camp on the sandbar with gritted teeth, they still couldn't do anything about it.

The dozens of warships anchored on the water possessed absolute dominance, causing the Erzhu clan's army, which wanted to attack the sandbar, to be annihilated midway.

All they could do was send out scouts to patrol the shore from time to time, harassing the supply ships coming from Shaanxi to see if any ships were stranded and to save face.

Hou Jing, dressed in a single garment, lay on a chair, holding a palm-leaf fan in his hand.

"It's so hot today!"

No sooner had Hou Jing finished speaking than someone walked up in front of him.

"General, these are gifts from my lord to help you beat the summer heat. There are also two beauties outside the tent. My lord has said that he has long been willing to serve the King of Qin, and he hopes that you, General, can introduce him to them."

As he spoke, the man handed the food box in his hand to Hou Jing's attendant.

Hou Jing's servant didn't think much of it, but when he actually took the food box, his hand suddenly felt heavy and he almost dropped it.

Hou Jing looked at the heavy gift and was very satisfied.

"Your lord is an old Fei Yetou, so don't worry about him. As long as he doesn't follow Erzhu and resist the royal army, he'll be fine."

"Thank you, General!"

After the man left, Hou Jing tossed aside the palm-leaf fan in his hand and hurried to look at the contents of the food box.

Looking at the jewels in the food box, Hou Jing exclaimed:

"As expected of Old Fei, he's really rich!"

Just as Hou Jing finished his sigh, someone else outside the tent requested an audience. He immediately ran back to the reclining chair, not forgetting to retrieve his palm-leaf fan.

When Hou Jing saw the person who came, his face immediately fell.

The reason was simple: this person came empty-handed.

Consequently, Hou Jing's attitude turned somewhat colder.

"Who are you, and why have you come?"

The other party noticed Hou Jing's attitude but was not angry.

"My name is Wang Wei. I have long admired the great general's reputation and have come here specifically to pay my respects!" Hou Jing was delighted to hear this.

He never imagined that anyone in this world would admire his fame.

"If that's the case, why come empty-handed? Isn't that impolite?"

Wang Wei, dressed in a simple cloth robe and possessing a refined demeanor, bowed respectfully in response to Hou Jing's questioning:
"I did not come empty-handed, but to serve the Great General."

Well, you've come here to freeload!
Hou Jing stood up and laughed:
"I have always respected scholars the most, but this place is far too dangerous, so I will not keep you here any longer."

Hou Jing was about to send the guests away when Wang Wei said:

"Wait a minute!"

"Does the gentleman have anything else to say?"

"I know something worth a thousand pieces of gold."

Hou Jing listened, somewhat curious, and asked:

"What's the matter?"

"Gao Huan, the Grand Chancellor of Hebei Province, has already persuaded the Zheng family of Xingyang to rise up against the Erzhu clan soon. If things go well, they will join forces and march into Hulao Pass."

After listening, Hou Jing murmured:

"When did He Liuhun get involved with the Zheng family of Xingyang? Could it be from back then..."

Hou Jing looked at Wang Wei and asked:

How could you know about such a confidential matter?

“My father was once the magistrate of Xuchang, but later the family fell into decline, and I went to Xingyang to serve as a guest minister. My master was not discreet and leaked the news to me. I fear I will be killed, so I came to serve the general and offer my advice.”

"Tell me!"

"Given the current situation, the Erzhu clan is already at its wit's end. If they are defeated, they will inevitably face annihilation. If the General were to take advantage of the Zheng clan's uprising in Xingyang and send a force to seize Luokou, the credit would not be solely awarded to the Yecheng army."

Just then, Hou Jing's attendant came up and reminded him:

“General, you just promised the messenger from the head of the Fei family that you would not attack their camp.”

Hou Jing was about to speak when Wang Wei said:
"This is not an attack, but a military remonstrance. The general is doing this so that they may realize their mistakes and return to the right path more quickly!"

Upon hearing this, Hou Jing looked at Wang Wei and found the young man quite pleasing to the eye.

"Sir, you know me so well! From now on, you'll stay here and eat... no, advise me on important matters!"

"Thank you, General!"
-
Luoyang.

The more Erzhu Shilong read the battle reports, the more anxious he became.

Erzhu Zhongyuan has been defeated!

Erzhu Shilong kept this battle report under wraps in order to stabilize the morale of the people in Luoyang.

Erzhu Shilong also knew that this news could not be kept secret for long, at least not to the officials and generals in Luoyang.

In fact, Erzhu Zhongyuan's defeat caused the situation north of the Yellow River to spiral completely out of control.

Xue Xiuyi led a contingent of troops from Hedong through Zhiguan Pass and joined forces with the southward-bound army from Shangdang to sweep through Hanoi.

Erzhu Shilong then realized that Li Shuang intended to block Luoyang's exits and trap them there.

Whether Li Shuang's plan would succeed was still unknown to Erzhu Shilong, but the situation was indeed shifting in that direction.

Local forces are stirring, and there has been no breakthrough on the other fronts.

Erzhu Shilong had hundreds of thousands of troops, but he didn't know where things might get out of control, so he could only take it one step at a time.

Erzhu Yanbo entered the room, and seeing Erzhu Shilong's worried expression, asked:
"Has Husichun not defeated Gao Ang yet?"

Erzhu Shilong did not answer, but his attitude spoke volumes.

"This waste!"

After Erzhu Shilong finished speaking, he looked at Erzhu Yanbo and said:

"Huston pleaded with you again, didn't he?"

Erzhu Yanbo nodded. He had a good relationship with Husichun's family, and usually treated Husichun like a brother.

At this moment, Husichun was locked in a stalemate with Gao Ang on the front lines without any results. Seeing that Erzhu Shilong was about to punish him, Husichun's father, Husi Dun, also came to plead for help.

Erzhu Yanbo advised:

“I have read the battle report. Gao Ang’s eight thousand troops are indeed elite. Hu Sichun’s lack of results is not due to his shirking of responsibility.”

Erzhu Shilong knew in his heart that Husichun was truly no match for him.

"But this will dampen the morale of the troops. Don't forget, this is only Gao Feng and Hou Jing; Da Ye Shuang hasn't even arrived yet!"

Erzhu Yanbo said:
"No matter what, we must defend Cijian City. Why don't we send Hebasheng with his troops to provide support?"

Erzhu Shilong hesitated upon hearing this.

Because Hebasheng's knife was too sharp.

When Erzhu Rong was in battle, if he encountered a difficult target, he would send Hebasheng and Erzhu Zhao as the vanguard to eliminate it.

Hebasheng was granted the title of County Duke based on his military achievements when Erzhu Rong first promoted the Northerners, which shows the prestige of his position.

Erzhu Shilong feared he wouldn't be able to hold the sharp knife properly.

“The three Heba brothers have a close relationship with Da Yeshuang. I’m afraid that once this knife is released, it will be impossible to take it back.”

"It's alright. Hebasheng's family is in Luoyang. He won't betray us."

After listening, Erzhu Shilong nodded and said:
"In that case, let him go!"

……

The sun is shining brightly.

Outside Cijian City, Gao Ang led his army to fight against Hebasheng's army. Husi Chun watched from the sidelines, his heart filled with complex emotions.

He usually presents himself as a sycophantic official.

But as a northerner, you can't get to this level just by being good at flattery.

If you can't lead your troops into battle, no one will care.

In short, Husi Chun doesn't have much of a heroic spirit, but she does have a bit of it.

But now, when he actually saw how the world's top generals were in battle, Husi Chun was shaken.

At first, when Hu Sichun faced Gao Gao, he couldn't understand why Gao Gao, who clearly had the advantage in numbers, couldn't win.

They thought that he was only slightly inferior to Gao Ang.

But when Hebasheng faced Gao Ang, Husichun finally understood how big the gap was.

The two of them were like a lion and a tiger, while he could only be considered a wolf at best.

However, in the end, Hebasheng had the upper hand in the situation on the battlefield.

The reason is simple: Gao Ang's troops had been fighting for many days, while Hebasheng brought fresh reinforcements.

Seeing that the battle was about to turn around, Hu Sichun was preparing to give the order to join the battle and reap the rewards.

A bugle call stopped Hu Sichun in his tracks.

In the direction of Cijian City, the narrow river valley was shrouded in billowing dust.

Accompanied by the thunderous sound of hooves, two cavalry units suddenly charged out from behind and headed straight for the battlefield.

Husichun was surprised to find that although the two cavalry units were few in number, their combat power was quite formidable.

Led by their respective generals, they charged into the battle formation, catching Hebasheng off guard.

Husichun felt a sense of unease.
These two cavalry units were clearly also fresh troops.

Looking back, the appearance of that flag confirmed Husi Chun's thoughts and turned his unease into fear!
That's the banner of the King of Qin!
……

(End of this chapter)