The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 65 Oath-Taking Ceremony (Thanks to "Rukawa's Maple" for the generous donation)

At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), the sound of a wooden clapper rang out.

Each camp set up cooking pots and lit bonfires one by one, sending up wisps of smoke.

The rustic aroma of millet and dried meat dispelled some of the winter chill, as the cooks carried huge wooden buckets through the ranks.

Xiao Yi dozed off for less than an hour before getting up again to eat with his comrades who were under the same command.

Although everyone was excited, they had no time to talk and quickly squatted down to eat in silence.

The sounds of chewing, clinking bowls and chopsticks, and distant clappers intertwined, conveying the cold, orderly atmosphere unique to the military.

"Let's go, let's raise the tent and discuss matters."

After finishing the last mouthful of millet porridge, Xiao Yi and Guo Xin hurried towards the central command tent.

As the deputy commander, he was not originally qualified to participate in military affairs. In such discussions involving military secrets, he could at most serve as a bodyguard outside the tent.

However, perhaps because Guo Wei valued his merit in protecting his relatives and knew the inner workings of Kaifeng, he intended to cultivate him and specially allowed him to enter the tent for guard duty, to be consulted, and to stand by the tent without interrupting.

This is one of the fastest ways to accumulate strategic experience.

"Report! The newly appointed Deputy Commander Xiao Yi and Left Commander Guo Xin have arrived."

"Enter."

Inside the main tent, Guo Wei, clad in gleaming armor, stood calmly, clearly ready to convene a meeting of generals.

Xiao Yi hurried in and stood beside Guo Xin in the corner to his left, his body ramrod straight, his expression solemn, and he remained silent.

At this moment, several low tables were placed in the center of the tent, on which a simple sand table was laid out. Sand, gravel, wood blocks, and strips of cloth of different colors were used to depict the approximate terrain from Yedu to Kaifeng.

The winding strips of cloth represent the Yellow River and the Zhang River; the mounds of sand and gravel symbolize the Taihang Mountains; the small wooden blocks mark important cities such as Yedu, Cizhou, Mingzhou, and Xingzhou; and the small flags of different colors indicate the troop strength of both sides.

The orientation of mountains and rivers, the location of cities, and major transportation routes are not necessarily immediately obvious, but they are at least more intuitive than a map.

Xiao Yi thought to himself that this sand table was still too crude. Famous generals and great generals had their own ideas and could understand it, but it was not practical for ordinary military academy students. If the concept of scale could be introduced to conduct specific surveys of the locations of mountains, rivers, and cities, it would improve the combat effectiveness of the entire army.

Soon after, the generals gathered and bowed to Guo Wei.

"Let's have a military council."

Guo Wei didn't waste any words. Holding a copper whip, he walked to the sand table and gave instructions.

"Guo Rong".

"Your son is here!"

"Stay in Yedu to guard our base. This place is the foundation of our army's retreat route, and we must not lose it."

Guo Rong stepped forward, solemnly accepted the order, and said, "Your son will certainly guard Yedu well, procure grain and protect the roads, and await Father's triumphant return!"

"Guo Chongwei".

"exist!"

"You're the vanguard, go this way."

The bronze whip pointed to the shallow ditch representing the official road and drew a straight line southward.

Guo Wei's voice was calm and his tone decisive; the previous grief was no longer discernible.

"You shall lead your elite cavalry, carrying two days' worth of provisions and fodder, and set off immediately, traveling day and night. Do not concern yourself with the cities along the way. If you encounter any obstacles, make decisions on the spot. Travel day and night to Chanzhou and have Wang Yin prepare provisions. If he does not respond in time, then levy them locally."

"Here!"

Wei Renpu immediately picked up a military order from the commander's desk, which was originally intended for Wang Yin, and handed it to Guo Chongwei.

Guo Wei continued to point at the sand table, tapping the Yellow River twice with the tip of his whip.

"You must order the Chanzhou army to first control Majiakou and Yangliudu, and send men to cut down trees to build bridges and rafts to pave the way for the central army to cross the river. There must be no mistakes!"

"Here!"

"Afterwards, your troops reached a hundred miles outside Kaifeng, intimidating the court and ascertaining the truth."

"The general will get the order!"

Guo Chongwei clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice booming like thunder.

Guo Wei moved the bronze whip in his hand westward and said, "Wang Jun."

"exist!"

“Cizhou and Mingzhou control the Fukou Pass. If Liu Chong attacks from Hedong, he will definitely take this route. Chang Si is in Luzhou. If he assists the court, he will also attack our flank. If you take these two prefectures, you can both block Liu Chong and suppress Chang Si, ensuring our army's rear is secure.”

The tip of the whip drew a circle around the small wooden blocks representing the two states.

Guo Wei said, "We must lock down the Taihang Mountain passage as quickly as possible. After the defenses are arranged, lead your troops to join my central army at the Yellow River. This is a major matter, and only you can take charge of it. Do not let me down."

"Rest assured, Commander!"

Wang Jun accepted the order with a confident and resolute expression, clearly indicating that he was well-prepared.

"Cao Wei".

"The general is here!"

"You will take over the old archers and crossbowmen, cover the right flank of my central army, clear away obstacles, and then follow the main army south, heading straight for the Yellow River."

"Order!"

"He Fujin".

"exist!"

"You will follow my left wing of the central army..."

Guo Wei's decisions were clear and his tone decisive, which convinced his generals.

The generals then received their orders and departed.

Wei Renpu stepped forward, took out a prepared memorial, and said, “My lord, although weapons are powerful, the ability to win hearts and minds is equally important. I believe that we should send envoys to the capital every day to present memorials, thus placing the court in an unjust and untrustworthy position. Please review this memorial, my lord.”

Guo Wei didn't take it, but closed his eyes, nodded, and gestured for Wei Renpu to read the memorial.

"Yesterday I received a secret edict ordering Guo Chongwei to execute me and Wang Jun. This must be because treacherous officials like Li Ye and Liu Zhu have misled Your Majesty and framed loyal ministers. Now, the troops under my command are indignant and request that I travel south to the capital to plead my case. If I refuse, I fear the army will mutini, Hebei will be in chaos, and the Khitan will seize the opportunity to invade, jeopardizing the late Emperor's legacy. I have no choice but to lead the troops south. It is not that I dare to defy Your Majesty, but I truly wish to ask Your Majesty for three things: first, to investigate the crimes of me and Wang Jun; second, to execute the treacherous officials like Li Ye, Liu Zhu, and Su Fengji; and third, to show compassion to the soldiers in Hebei and not let their loyalty be dampened..."

Wei Renpu had only read this far when Guo Wei raised his hand to stop him.

"What if Your Majesty really executes Li Ye and Liu Zhu? As for Liu Zhu, I will personally tear him to pieces."

“The emperor’s power grab relies entirely on these treacherous officials; he would never cut off his own arm,” Wei Renpu said. “Even if that were the case, now that you have arrived in Kaifeng, how could you not go to the capital to pay homage to the emperor?” Guo Wei pondered for a moment and said, “Alright, as you say, immediately make a copy, affix the seal, and send it to Kaifeng.”

Xiao Yi, who was listening nearby, thought to himself that Wei Renpu had come up with another brilliant plan to win people's hearts.

Guo Wei made a swift decision and issued another order.

"Beat the drums, muster the troops!"

"..."

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

As dawn broke, the continuous sound of drums echoed through the camp, piercing the morning light.

On the vast training ground, a cold wind blew and battle flags fluttered.

Xiao Yi followed Guo Wei and strode towards the reviewing stand.

He could feel countless eyes looking in his direction. Looking around, tens of thousands of armored soldiers gathered like dark clouds, forming a solemn and orderly square formation.

Spears stood like a forest, armor reflected the pale morning light, and a murderous aura permeated the land.

Before me stood Guo Wei, draped in a cloak, his back to me imposing figure, standing tall and majestic.

The drumming stopped.

Tens of thousands of people stood silently in the drill ground, the only sounds being the wind and the rustling of flags, filled with unease and anticipation.

"Soldiers!"

Guo Wei's voice was hoarse, yet it contained a powerful force.

He held up a silk edict.

"We fought valiantly, pacifying the three towns and driving out the Khitans, shedding blood and sweat to defend the borders for the court. Last night, I finally received an imperial edict from the capital, not one of reward or consolation, but one of execution!"

He unfolded the silk scroll in front of everyone and read the contents of the edict with all his might.

By the time he finished reading the sentence, "Reduce the power of Hebei and eliminate the threat of regional warlords to reassure me," he was already hoarse and exhausted.

A decree was thrown off the battle platform.

One of the officers picked it up and showed it to each of the generals in formation, while the messengers loudly repeated the order to the ordinary soldiers.

Like a spark falling into boiling oil.

A fierce, angry shout suddenly erupted on the training ground.

Looking down from his vantage point, Xiao Yi seemed to see the fury of tens of thousands of people burning fiercely and soaring into the sky.

"You dog emperor!"

"You son of a bitch!"

"They're not giving us a way to survive!"

a long time.

Guo Wei didn't say a word until the soldiers had finished cursing, then he suddenly drew his sword and pointed it to the sky.

"Now, treacherous officials have deceived the emperor and are slaughtering meritorious ministers. Rather than sitting idly by and waiting to be killed, with our entire families being slaughtered, we should lead our troops south to cleanse the court of corrupt officials, punish the treacherous ministers, and bring peace to the world. Are you willing to follow us?"

"We are willing to follow the Commander!"

"Good! Those who follow the army south today will be rewarded with five strings of cash for beheading one enemy; those who are the first to breach a city will be promoted three ranks and granted one hundred acres of land; those who capture and kill treacherous officials will be appointed governors, and their descendants will be granted their positions, while those who assist in the capture will be rewarded with one hundred strings of cash; those who die on the battlefield will receive three shi of millet per month for their families, and their sons who wish to join the army will fill their fathers' positions, with their stipends never ending..."

Immediately, cheers erupted.

Guo Wei raised his voice and shouted, "The treasury currently holds 200,000 strings of cash and 50,000 shi of millet, all for your military merits; once we capture Kaifeng, the imperial treasury will be overflowing with gold and silk. If there is even the slightest falsehood in any of the rewards you are entitled to, you may cut off my head to appease the world!"

"Purge the court of corrupt officials! Execute the treacherous ministers!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill..."

The roar was deafening, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing.

Driven by fear or rage, the armored soldiers swung their weapons wildly, their blades striking their shields with thunderous booms.

An astonishing fighting spirit erupted from despair and greed.

Their overwhelming momentum, filled with a shared hatred of the enemy, seemed poised to crush everything.

Guo Wei then issued the final order.

"The whole army marches out!"

"The whole army marches out!"

On the command platform, the command flag was waved, and the messengers shouted the words with all their might.

The army, like a sleeping behemoth, began to gradually awaken.

"Woo-wu-wu-"

A deep and desolate bugle call rose into the sky, resounding throughout the capital city of Ye.

The black behemoth began to turn around, its heavy footsteps raising clouds of dust and causing the earth to tremble slightly as it slowly moved south.

Outside the gate, scouts and cavalrymen went out twenty miles to explore the way, and then Guo Chongwei's several thousand elite cavalrymen took the lead, their hooves thundering as they swept away and quickly disappeared into the horizon.

After the vanguard had traveled fifty li, the main army set off.

Thus, from the interception of the secret edict to the preparation of troops, Guo Wei had only been at it for two or three days. Such a swift and decisive counterattack, though hasty and rushed, was also orderly.

This would surely catch the imperial court off guard.

Xiao Yi led his troops and was assigned to the left wing of the central army, marching to the side and rear of Guo Wei's banner.

He was surrounded by soldiers on all sides, stretching as far as the eye could see.

The world was filled with the tragic grandeur of burning one's boats and the unwavering determination to conquer mountains and rivers, making him feel as if he were in the torrent of history, rolling downstream with it.

No longer just a bystander, he joined the raging storm sweeping across the land, crushing everything in his path...

(End of this chapter)