Chapter 51

Lu Yao spent a night in the study. Early the next morning, he immediately immersed himself in the myriad and complicated tasks. He Yun, whose face was swollen like a pig's head and still bore clear palm prints, followed Lu Yao closely with a serious expression. Shen Jin and Gao Xiang were particularly diligent; the two led the troops out for drills early in the morning and ran several laps around the entire fortress. The sounds of their commands and shouts echoed through the clouds, and even Lu Yao, who was in the center of the fortress, could hear them clearly. Lu Yao enjoyed using long-distance running to train his troops' physical strength, but these two were usually somewhat insincere. Their unusual enthusiasm today clearly indicated their desire to show their attitude. It seemed that the words from the previous night had finally had an effect.

When the sky was bright, the soldiers, holding the yellow household registers, led the clan elders to inspect each household, driving all the residents of the fortress to the open space outside the main gate. The soldiers had already built a platform there the previous night. Lu Yao strode up to the platform and publicly announced a proclamation listing all of Guo Rong's crimes. He then ordered his head to be cut off. At the same time, over twenty of Guo's relatives were also killed. The sight of the heads rolling in the blood was already terrifying, and the soldiers even erected several wooden poles to hang the heads high, their teeth bared and mouths open.

About half of the fortress's residents were surnamed Guo, and many had familial ties to the deceased. At this moment, heart-wrenching cries echoed through the crowd, which then turned into low sobs. However, many others showed signs of satisfaction. These were the refugees from other clans who had been forced to seek refuge in the fortress due to the war, and it was clear that the Guo clan had not treated them kindly.

Taking advantage of the great intimidation, Lu Yao then read out an order from Lord Yue Shi, requiring all the residents of the fortress to immediately relocate to Jinyang. This order was not a big deal for the refugees who had already left their homes, but for the Guo clan, who had lived there for generations, it was an unimaginable disaster. The scene immediately erupted into chaos, with some kneeling to beg and others rolling on the ground.

Lu Yao's mood was clearly much more irritable than usual. He waved his hand coldly, and the soldiers on the outer perimeter, who were all veterans of countless battles and had taken many lives, stepped forward with their weapons raised. The sight of these fierce soldiers, still in their bloodstained armor, was truly terrifying, and the Guo clan's descendants were so frightened that they obediently went back to pack their belongings and set off.

With this matter settled, Lu Yao hurried to the granary. Xue Tong had already requisitioned all the mules and carts in the fortress and was leading his subordinates in a feverish effort to move the supplies. However, because the grain and fodder were so heavy, Xue Tong had to strip to the waist and join in the work.

After all the hustle and bustle, Lu Yao finally succeeded in emptying the fortress's entire stock and organized a sizable contingent to head for Jinyang. Before leaving, he set fire to the Guo family's main residence. The fierce north wind quickly spread the flames throughout the fortress, and the raging fire made the air scorching even dozens of yards away.

Lu Yao stood on Tuomu Ridge, overlooking the long procession in the distance. The firelight cast a cold and stern shadow on his sharp features.

From the howling wind, faint cries of the people could be heard. A soldier spat, "What are they crying for? These people are too unreasonable! If they go to Jinyang, they won't have to fear the Hu people anymore. Isn't that great?"

Walking beside him was Zhu Sheng, the soldier Lu Yao had saved on the mountain road the previous day. He sighed, "After all, it's the house they've lived in for generations, and it's being burned down. If it were me, I'd be a bit heartbroken too..."

Another soldier beside him shook his head, "They're not crying for the house. They're crying for the dead in their families..."

Zhu Sheng nodded, "That's what they deserve! Who asked that old man Guo Rong to collude with the Xiongnu and even accept an official position from the Hu? As the saying goes, 'Heaven's evil can be forgiven, but self-inflicted evil cannot be tolerated!'"

Another soldier complained, "Heaven's evil can be forgiven... What does that mean? Zhu Sheng, stop showing off your knowledge! You're just bullying us common soldiers!"

The soldiers who were enthusiastically discussing this were clearly friendly with Zhu Sheng, and he seemed much more cheerful. There was no doubt that the experience of fighting side by side had quickly bridged the gap between the soldiers.

Lu Yao glanced at the soldiers. Since the Eastern Ying Duke, a high-ranking official, had fled to Ji Province, Bing Province had effectively become the territory of the Xiongnu's "Han State." The powerful clans, seeking to protect themselves, could not avoid dealing with the Hu people. During this period, more than just Guo Rong had privately accepted positions from the Hu. The reason for attacking this Guo clan fortress was ostensibly to punish traitors, but in reality, it was because Guo Rong, misjudging the situation, had dared to conspire with other clans to negotiate with Lord Yue Shi. The charge of colluding with the Hu was, strictly speaking, a trumped-up charge. However, Lu Yao would not tell the soldiers this.

At this moment, he suddenly thought of the girl from last night. She thought she could save her father's life with her body, but the fate of the Guo clan was already sealed, and Lu Yao was powerless to change it.

Lu Yao shook his head, driving these thoughts from his mind. Suddenly, he heard the sound of hooves behind him. Shen Jin, leading his cavalry, galloped up and dismounted from a distance, calling out, "General!"

Looking at the cavalry behind him, each man was flushed with excitement. They were all carrying various bags, and some even had an old hen tied to their saddles. It seemed that the looting after the attack on the fortress had been very profitable for them. Shen Jin seemed to have completely forgotten the unpleasantness of the previous night. He chuckled, "General! There are two more fortresses nearby. Why don't we take them while we're at it? Don't worry, this time we'll definitely follow orders and won't cause any trouble!"

Lu Yao waved his whip in the air and laughed, "Old Shen, are you crazy? Those two fortresses belong to the Wen clan of Qixian! If you dare to touch them, I'll have your head by military law!"

The withdrawal went very smoothly. The journey there had been arduous, but the return trip was along the main road, and they were at ease.

After traveling just a few dozen miles, four powerful clans sent their laborers and vehicles to help, along with a large amount of additional supplies. The leaders of these clans, or influential elders, came to Lu Yao's horse one by one, praising the decisive actions of the imperial army and lamenting that they had not received the news earlier and could not have sent their troops to support sooner. It seemed that for these local power players, the dozens of heads and the fire at the Guo clan fortress were more effective than any order.

Since the mission had been a complete success, Lu Yao did not push the clans too hard. After exchanging a few polite words, he ordered them to join the procession. As more clan leaders and their subordinates joined along the way, by the time the entire army returned to Zhongdu Fenyang Pavilion, the size of the contingent had more than doubled.

The scene near Fenyang Pavilion was even more spectacular.

This day was the one Lu Yao had asked Zhang Zhao to notify the powerful clans to gather. Apart from the Guo clan fortress, which no longer existed, all twelve major clans and thirty-four fortresses within the scope of Lu Yao's summons had arrived, along with their followers, subordinates, and children, totaling over a thousand people.

Most of these people had rushed over after hearing about the harsh treatment of the Guo clan by the imperial army. Some had originally planned to go to Tuomu Ridge to discuss with Guo Rong how to resist Lord Yue Shi's orders, but they were terrified when they saw the fire at the Guo clan fortress and turned around to rush to Fenyang Pavilion.

At this moment, they all professed their loyalty to the court and the new Governor of Bing Province, Liu. They were all willing to abandon their homes and join forces to resist the Xiongnu. The meeting between Lu Yao and the clan leaders lasted for two days. At the meeting, all parties agreed that this gathering was a united, victorious, and inspiring assembly, a meeting to unify thoughts and凝聚共识. The leaders of the various clans, after extensive discussions, unanimously agreed to accompany Lu Yao to Jinyang to meet the new Governor of Bing Province, Lord Yue Shi, expressing their support and loyalty to the new leadership centered around Governor Liu.

Lu Yao lavishly praised these "loyal and righteous men," showering them with compliments like a flood. He also, according to Lord Yue Shi's prior arrangements, granted official positions to Zhang Zhao and two other clan leaders who had responded first. The other powerful clans, envious and jealous, again expressed their sincere loyalty to the court. The wealth of dozens of fortresses was considerable, and they immediately raised the various supplies that Lord Yue Shi urgently needed, exceeding Lu Yao's expectations.