Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 260 Movement
Such commotion, of course, could not be kept secret from the Fanyang army.

The county magistrates, filled with anxiety, asked General Lü whether they should also take action before the Xiongnu barbarians arrived.
Two years ago, he led an army, only to be utterly defeated by Pei's army. He was taken prisoner and his forces were emptied of the Fanyang army's coffers before he could redeem himself. General Lü is no longer arrogant or haughty; he even regrets his decision to join forces with King Qiao.

King Qiao and Situ Xi were constantly at war, and the capital city fell time and again, with the rebel army and the imperial guards taking turns occupying it. The Fanyang army, being far away, wasn't drawn into the conflict. But the future of the Fanyang army, like General Lü's heart, was bleak and hopeless.

"General, the Xiongnu barbarians are burning, killing, and looting wantonly in Liaoxi Commandery, and the Liaoxi army can't stop them at all." A general under his command sighed in a low voice, "Once Liaoxi falls, where will the Xiongnu barbarians go next? Beiping Commandery has elite troops, the Guangning Army has already surrendered to Pei Qinghe, and Yan Commandery is the Pei family's stronghold. They are all tough opponents. If you were a Xiongnu general, would you rather face the tough ones or try to bully our weaker ones?"

General Lü felt a chill run down his spine and muttered to himself, "It's over! Our Fanyang army is doomed!"

Another trusted subordinate also sighed, "I just hope that the Liaoxi army can hold out for a while longer, until General Pei takes the initiative to lead the troops to fight the Xiongnu barbarians. Then we can safely escape this calamity."

"What a pipe dream! No matter how powerful the Pei family army is, they don't have that many warhorses; they're all infantry. How could they possibly send troops to fight the Xiongnu barbarians on their own initiative!" General Lü scoffed. "Pei Qinghe isn't stupid. She spent years building up the Pei family army; how could she possibly commit all her forces to fight the Xiongnu barbarians to the death? What's in it for her? Does she really intend to fight to the death for the people?"

The generals looked at each other and said, "The general is right."

"If Pei Qinghe doesn't send troops, the Xiongnu barbarians will most likely come to attack our Fanyang army. We're finished! We're really finished!"

His men looked dejected and groaned, and General Lü's expression wasn't much better.

Of the four garrisons stationed in Youzhou, the Fanyang army was the smallest and weakest. He was able to become the commander-in-chief because he had powerful connections in the imperial court; he knew his own capabilities best.

They're passable at fighting bandits, robbing wealthy families, and oppressing ordinary people. But against the Pei family army, they're like clay chickens and earthen dogs. To think that such a bunch of bandits could fight the Xiongnu barbarians is simply a joke.

Now how to do?
General Lü gritted his teeth: "Issue my order: Fanyang County, like Yan County, Beiping County, and Guangning County, shall relocate all villagers into the county town. Fanyang Army, prepare for war! Have the government officials and wealthy households raise funds and provisions for the army and send them to us."

After General Lü gave the order, chaos erupted throughout Fanyang County, with chickens running wild and dogs barking and cries filling the air.

Some thugs took advantage of the chaos to loot, some soldiers slipped out of the barracks to steal valuables, and some wealthy families exploited their tenants to raise funds for the army, leaving the tenants with no way to make a living, so they ran away at night. There was also a village that was unhappy about being forcibly relocated, so they fought with the people from the county government, beat several constables to death, and then started a riot.

General Lü, his face dark, dispatched troops to suppress the unrest. The unarmed civilians, unable to mount any significant disturbance, were quickly quelled after a brutal massacre. However, the atmosphere in Fanyang County grew increasingly gloomy and oppressive, so stifling it was hard to breathe.

General Lü, overwhelmed with worry, couldn't help but ask himself, "After Pei Qinghe issued the military order, everything in Yan County was peaceful. Why did Fanyang County turn into chaos after I issued the order?"

"Am I really that much worse than Pei Qinghe?"

"General!" A bodyguard rushed in to report, "General! Something terrible has happened! The Liaoxi army has been utterly defeated by the Xiongnu barbarians!"

General Lü snorted coldly, "This was all expected, what's the panic!"

"It's not surprising at all that the Liaoxi army suffered a defeat. How many of them died in this battle? How long can they hold out?"

The guard, with a bitter face, continued to report: "We don't know the exact number of casualties, but it was a crushing defeat with countless dead and wounded. Nobody knows how much longer we can hold out."

"What a load of bull! The King of Liaoxi is utterly useless!" General Lü was so angry that steam was practically billowing from his head, and he kept cursing and swearing.

Upon hearing the news, the generals of Fanyang Army rushed over and surrounded General Lü, awaiting his orders. General Lü, trying to sound optimistic, said, "Don't panic, everyone. Last year, the Xiongnu barbarians split into two groups, and one of them was stopped by the Pei family army of Guangning and suffered a great loss. Perhaps this year, after they finish raiding Liaoxi, they will go directly to Beiping County or Guangning County and Yan County, and won't come to our Fanyang County."

In short, the Fanyang army was in such a panicked state that launching a preemptive strike was absolutely out of the question. If they could barely hold off a few waves of attacks when the Xiongnu barbarians arrived and reduce the number of casualties in Fanyang County, they would consider their mission accomplished.

A few days later, the latest news reached General Lü's ears.

"What?" General Lü stood up abruptly: "The Pei family army, in conjunction with the Guangning army, has taken the initiative to send troops?"

“It’s absolutely true. The entire Guangning Army has been mobilized, and the Pei family army has gone out in full force, one group departing from Yan County and the other from Beiping County, all heading to Liaoxi.”

Everyone mobilized!

They've all come out in full force!

They've all gone to western Liaoning!
General Lü's mind went blank, and he swayed a few times. He reached out and grabbed his personal guard, his voice suddenly sharp: "Pei Qinghe actually dared to send troops out on her own initiative! How dare she send troops to fight the Xiongnu barbarians?"

The Xiongnu barbarians were a nightmare for the troops stationed in the north.

In previous years, the Beiping Army was largely responsible for resisting the Xiongnu barbarians. The Fanyang Army was not good at fighting, but they were relatively fast at running away, or they would hide and wait for the Xiongnu barbarians to leave before coming out.

In General Lü's view, actively preparing for war against the Xiongnu barbarians was already a heroic act. How could Pei Qinghe dare to take the initiative to send troops to Liaoxi?

Several military officers were stunned: "The Pei family army is indeed different!"

Regardless of the outcome, this confidence and domineering presence alone is enough to make the Fanyang army feel utterly ashamed.

“General, we have fought against the Pei family army before, and we are enemies, not friends,” a military officer said in a low voice. “However, it depends on the situation. Right now, we need to deal with the Xiongnu barbarians, so we should advance and retreat together with the Pei family army.”

“Yes, even the Pingyang army has sent a thousand cavalry. We should also send troops to join the Pei family army to fight the Xiongnu barbarians in Liaoxi.”

General Lü glared at him fiercely: "Easy for you to say! The Fanyang Army only has so much resources. If they are all wiped out in Liaoxi, what will happen to them?"

The military officer gritted his teeth and continued to speak: "If the Pei family army cannot stop the Xiongnu barbarians, then our Fanyang army will be the next to suffer. If Youzhou is in chaos, where will we have a place to settle down?"

"General, send out the troops!"

"Yes, we'll send troops too!"

The military generals still had some backbone and clamored to send troops.

General Lü's head was buzzing, and he gritted his teeth: "Fine! We'll send troops together!"

(End of this chapter)