Chapter 58

Gao Xiang left Lu Yao and his companions, joining the ranks of General Hengye Long Jimeng. Long Jimeng was quite courteous, and the next day, he specially thanked Lu Yao during a military meeting, leaving Lu Yao speechless. After all, he was a newcomer with no foundation. It was unnecessary to fall out with a capable general of Yuexi Gong over a small officer.

Long Jimeng held Gao Xiang in high regard and indeed recommended him to Yuexi Gong for the position of military commander, with a thousand men under his command, more than Lu Yao's troops. A few days later, General Hengye's forces, led by Gao Xiang, set out for Shangdang.

On Lu Yao's side, the troops originally led by Gao Xiang were divided between two other units, led by Xue Tong and Guo Huan.

Gao Xiang was recommended to Lu Yao by Xue Tong, so Xue Tong felt deeply guilty about this incident and was in a bad mood for several days. When he was in a bad mood, the soldiers suffered, being trained to the point of crying and wailing every day.

Lu Yao seemed to be as usual, as if nothing had happened. However, at night, he repeatedly reflected and blamed himself. He wondered: Was he too strict with his soldiers? Did he lack communication and persuasion with middle-ranking officers like Gao Xiang, taking their loyalty for granted? The soldiers only sought a chance to survive in the chaos, while the officers had more to think about. How could he ensure combat effectiveness while balancing the different needs of the soldiers and officers?

Furthermore, there were many intriguing aspects to this transfer: the transfer of officers clearly fell under the jurisdiction of the General of Yangwu, so why did Wen Qiao, the Chief Secretary of Bingzhou Prefecture, issue the order? Why did Gao Xiang incite a mutiny among the soldiers as soon as the order reached the camp? Why did Gao Xiang, who had no known connection with Long Jimeng, reach an agreement in just a few days? Who was behind the scenes, facilitating and exacerbating the situation?

These questions churned in Lu Yao's mind, but he found no answers. He couldn't discuss these matters with others, so he had to put them aside.

A few days later, Wen Qiao visited again. Lu Yao asked half-jokingly: "Which general is eyeing my troops this time?" This made Wen Qiao somewhat embarrassed, and he quickly explained that he had other important matters.

It turned out that all the armies under Yuexi Gong were currently stationed in Jinyang. This was because when they first entered the city, Jinyang was almost deserted, with plenty of space. Each unit claimed its territory, setting up camps. For example, Lu Yao's unit occupied a large area in the south of the city, with barracks, stables, and training grounds. However, as the population of Jinyang recovered, Yuexi Gong found the city too crowded to accommodate everyone.

Wen Qiao came to convey Yuexi Gong's order, requiring each unit to move to camps outside the city. He also suggested several suitable locations, mostly in the northern part of Jinyang, near the Fen River, primarily to protect the farmland from small groups of barbarians.

The officials of Bingzhou Prefecture had not been idle. They had planned extensive farmland along the Fen River and appointed several field commanders to lead the people in spring planting. Just the distribution of farming tools and livestock took several days.

Fortunately, these lands were originally farmland, only abandoned due to war, saving much of the effort needed for reclamation. Due to a shortage of seeds, they planned to plant millet, wheat, and some soybeans. The soil along the Fen River was known to be fertile, and if the land was well-utilized, the harvest could reach hundreds of thousands of stones of grain.

In areas farther from Jinyang, they also reserved pastures for the various barbarian tribes that had recently joined.

The camps suggested by Wen Qiao were located at strategic points between the farmland areas, with flat and open terrain. Lu Yao found it hard to decide, so he postponed his response for a few days. The next afternoon, Lu Yao invited the officers to inspect the proposed camps. Except for Guo Huan and a few others who had to oversee training, everyone else went along.

After half a day, they finally chose a camp. It was an abandoned village, with many foundations still intact, making it easier to rebuild the barracks.

Coincidentally, this place was Deng Gang's old home. Deng Gang left home at sixteen to join the army, and over twenty years had passed. Since the chaos in Bingzhou began, he had never returned. Today, he found that none of his relatives and neighbors were left, and there were several new graves outside the village, their occupants unknown. In such turbulent times, almost every officer present had lost family members, some to war, some to hunger and disease, and some to the chaos of the army. Seeing this, they sighed and consoled Deng Gang a few times before moving on.

After further inspection, as the sun set, they hurried back to Jinyang, fearing they would be locked out of the city gates if they were delayed.

While on the road, they suddenly heard the sound of galloping horses behind them.

On the plain, the sound of hooves carried far. Initially, they didn't pay much attention. However, the cavalry approached very quickly, and soon they were close behind, their iron hooves thundering on the road, raising clouds of dust.

Seeing the fierce approach of the cavalry, Lu Yao and his companions moved to the side of the road. Deng Gang, with poor riding skills and still lost in his grief, was a bit slower. The leading rider shouted and lashed out with a long whip, striking Deng Gang's back! Unprepared, Deng Gang's clothes were torn, and blood splattered.

The rider didn't stop there, and the whip, whistling through the air, struck again!

Xue Tong, the closest to Deng Gang, reacted quickly, stepping in front of him. The whip, unable to reach Deng Gang, wrapped around Xue Tong's muscular arm like a snake.

The cavalry were riding excellent warhorses, moving at incredible speed. When the whip struck, it was still close to Xue Tong, but by the time it wrapped around his arm, the rider had already moved several yards away, pulling the whip taut.

Xue Tong felt a tremendous force from the whip, and his massive body was about to be dragged into the air. If he were dragged over, he would be trampled to death by the iron hooves.

In a split second, Xue Tong grabbed the whip, roaring with strength. His innate power was extraordinary, and the force from the whip was several times greater than the rider's! The rider, intending to drag Xue Tong off his horse and trample him, was shocked as the whip was torn from his hand.

The rider immediately reined in his horse. The dozens of riders around him turned back, and the neighing of the horses raised a cloud of dust.

Although Lu Yao and his companions were not in armor, they were well-dressed and mounted, with bodyguards, clearly not ordinary civilians. The cavalry's arbitrary and brutal behavior was truly detestable. Their attempt to drag Xue Tong off his horse and trample him was even more vicious!

Everyone was enraged. Despite the overwhelming numbers, they were not afraid, quickly forming a line behind Lu Yao, on guard.

Under the dim sky, the two sides faced each other from a distance, neither daring to make a move.

******

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