Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 264 Battle Situation
After waiting for two more days, Sun Cheng and Tao Feng finally returned.

They went out with two hundred men, but only sixty-odd returned, all of them wounded. Sun Cheng had a knife wound on his forehead, and Tao Feng had been stabbed in the left arm, a rather gruesome injury.

The vanguard battalion's task of surveying the terrain and assessing the battle situation was always the most dangerous. If they were unlucky enough to encounter a large enemy force, the entire vanguard battalion could be wiped out.

Pei Qinghe's heart sank suddenly, and she immediately ordered someone to summon the military doctor.

There were twelve military doctors accompanying the group. Bao Hao and Lu Dongqing were both present. Lu Dongqing had the best medical skills, while Bao Hao was the most senior and trusted, serving as the head of the medical team.

The wounded soldiers were helped to their tents to have their wounds treated and bandaged. Sun Cheng and Tao Feng refused to go, and instead reported the battle situation they had gathered: "General, the Xiongnu barbarians and the Liaoxi army fought a great battle, and the Liaoxi army was indeed defeated. General Li was hit by a stray arrow, and we don't know the extent of his injury. In short, he hasn't shown his face since."

"The Liaoxi army suffered a great defeat, and many soldiers fled. They are now hiding behind the city walls of Liaoxi Commandery. The Xiongnu barbarians are burning, killing, and looting while sending troops to besiege Liaoxi Commandery, clearly intending to break down the city gates."

"The Xiongnu barbarians were heavily guarded in the county town closest to Liaoxi Commandery. When we were scouting, we got too close and our presence was discovered. A group of Xiongnu cavalrymen relentlessly pursued us. We fought them once, but we were no match for them and had to send a message back, so we had to flee back in panic."

This chase was clearly a vivid memory for both Sun Cheng and Tao Feng. Both of them looked shaken.

Pei Qinghe's expression was solemn: "It seems that this time the Xiongnu barbarians have dispatched truly elite troops."

“The general is right.” Tao Feng endured the pain in his left arm and said in a deep voice, “When I was in the Beiping Army, I fought many battles with the Xiongnu barbarians. Not all Xiongnu barbarians were strong. They had different tribes and followed different leaders. They had to provide their own warhorses and weapons. The small tribes were of average strength, but the barbarians in the large tribes were particularly good at horse archery.”

“Those who came to raid the grasslands before were just ordinary Xiongnu barbarians.”

"Last year, the general killed Wuyan, the chief general of the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu Khan was furious and this year he sent 30,000 elite troops to crush Youzhou."

"The Liaoxi Army is quite capable in battle. This time, when they faced the elite Xiongnu troops, they suffered a crushing defeat, which shows how formidable the Xiongnu cavalry are."

"General, you must not underestimate the enemy!"

There were no outsiders in the military tent; everyone was a direct descendant of the Pei family army. Tao Feng spoke without any pretense, his face showing eagerness.

Pei Qinghe nodded solemnly, "Don't worry, I won't underestimate my opponent."

Sun Cheng said in a low voice, "Not only can we not underestimate the enemy, but we must also be prepared for a long-term protracted battle. We have more than 20,000 men, mostly infantry, and all the cavalry combined only amount to a little over 4,000. Charging into battle against the Xiongnu barbarians is no different from suicide. We must play to our strengths and avoid our weaknesses."

Logically speaking, when infantry clashes with cavalry, the infantry will inevitably suffer. Cavalry charges into battle with incredible speed, leaving the infantry defenseless.

However, the Pei family army had been diligently practicing formations to counter cavalry and had also developed many tactics for doing so. In the past six months, the blacksmiths had created many new weapons, all designed to deal with cavalry.

Pei Qinghe said, "I know what you've said. I won't underestimate my opponent, and I certainly won't attack rashly. You two should focus on recovering from your injuries!"

Sun Cheng and Tao Feng breathed a sigh of relief and were helped to their respective military tents for the wounded soldiers.

The candles in Pei Qinghe's military tent remained lit almost all night.

Pei Yun, Pei Yan, and others were first summoned into the military tent for a meeting. Soon after, Yang Hu, Yang Huai, and others were also called in. Later, Lü Feng was also invited into the military tent.

This was Lü Feng's first time attending such an important military conference. He felt a mix of trepidation and inexplicable excitement. The tent was not large; at a glance, there were only about ten people. All of them were capable generals, each able to command independently. The only exception was Chief Steward Shi Yan.

Lu Feng was quite curious about this rumored Grand Steward and couldn't help but take a few glances at him.

Shi Yan was quite handsome, with gentle features and an approachable demeanor. It was easy to forget how shrewd and capable he was beneath that handsome and friendly face.

The vast Pei family army was well-organized in its internal affairs and had ample military supplies. Only the military officers in the camp truly understood the weight of Shi Yan's importance.

Shi Yanchong smiled and nodded to Lü Feng.

Lü Feng nodded with a smile.

As soon as Pei Qinghe's voice rang out, Lü Feng immediately looked away and listened intently.

Pei Qinghe recounted the battle situation that Sun Chengtao had scouted out, and then unfolded a topographical map of Liaoxi Commandery. This map was secretly drawn and presented to him by a wealthy family in Liaoxi Commandery. Two years ago, this wealthy family sent their nephews and descendants to Yan Commandery, along with the Liaoxi army's topographical map.

Lu Feng, who barely knew any characters, strained his eyes to look at the map with the others. He couldn't help but feel secretly annoyed.

If only he had known this would happen, he should have studied harder back then. Now that there are ready-made maps, he can hardly understand them.

While everyone was enthusiastically discussing where to set up an ambush and how to lure the enemy, Lü Feng couldn't get a word in edgewise and tried his best to listen.

Yang Hu was skilled at devising strategies, and his choice of ambush locations and tactics to lure the enemy earned Pei Qinghe's praise: "The ambush locations I had in mind were the same as General Yang's."

Pei Qinghe pointed to a spot: "The terrain here is flat, suitable for cavalry charges. The Xiongnu barbarians certainly wouldn't expect us to dare to set up an ambush here."

"We must catch the Xiongnu barbarians off guard. We must win the first battle and give them a crushing defeat. More and more soldiers in the Liaoxi army are deserting, and their morale is low, which is very detrimental to the war. We must boost the morale of the Liaoxi army. Only by joining forces with them and coordinating from within and without can we truly win this battle."

Lu Feng couldn't help but ask, "General Pei, what if General Li loses his nerve and refuses to cooperate with us?"

Given Li Gouzei's nature, this is possible.

Pei Qinghe's eyes flashed, and she said calmly, "We are here to save the people of Liaoxi County, and also to save the Liaoxi Army. If Li Gouze isn't completely stupid, he should seize the opportunity."

"If Li the scoundrel refuses to leave the city, at least he can hold back some of the Xiongnu cavalry. However, after this battle, there will be nowhere for him to stay in Liaoxi Commandery."

There's no attempt to hide it; after this battle, Pei Qinghe will completely occupy Youzhou.

These words also apply to the Fanyang army. Fortunately, my father sent troops in time, upholding the greater good, which gave us leverage in future dealings.

Lu Feng was startled and looked up, only to meet Pei Qinghe's gaze directly. As if scalded by boiling water, he quickly lowered his head.

(End of this chapter)