Chapter 81

March 17th, morning.

In the spring of the first year of Yongjia. The Xiongnu Han King, Great Chanyu Liu Yuan, led his troops to invade the southern part of the State of Taiyuan. Within a few days, he successively captured the cities of Zhongyang, Xicheng, Wu County, Jingling, and Zhongdu, sweeping through the southern part of the State of Taiyuan and besieging the important town of Jieyou. Liu Kun, the Governor of Bingzhou, General of Vigor, Protector of the Xiongnu, and Marquis of Guangwu, led the main force of the Taiyuan army south to rescue, confronting the Xiongnu army south of the Fen River. The combined forces of both sides numbered nearly forty thousand, engaging in fierce battles that sent blood and killing intent soaring into the sky.

For a time, the narrow region in the southern part of the State of Taiyuan became the focal point of the struggle between the Jin Dynasty and the Xiongnu rebels. In this mountainous area, the two powerful armies, like two massive beasts with gleaming fangs, tore and fought, determining victory in the most primitive way.

Outside the main battlefield, the siege and defense of Jieyou continued to be brutally intense. On the eastern side of Zhaoyuqi, several thousand Jin and Xiongnu troops were also in a standoff.

In the early morning, Lu Yao leaped up onto a steep boulder on the mountain peak. Dense morning fog still spread over the undulating hills. In the valley below, the fog flowed like water, then surged up. Looking out, he could only vaguely see the tops of the hills, as if many small islands were floating on a milky white surface. Such a beautiful and magnificent scene was almost beyond the realm of the mortal world.

In recent days, Lu Yao had led his troops to garrison at Qishan in Qixian County, facing off against the Xiongnu. At this moment, he led a few of his men to advance about twenty miles south of Qishan, only ten miles from the Xiongnu's Lutai Mountain camp. The sudden heavy fog had concealed their movements, allowing them to approach such a distance without being detected by the Xiongnu scouts. However, the dense fog also blocked Lu Yao's view, making it impossible for him to see the Xiongnu's movements.

A few days ago, the Jin army had launched a surprise attack on the Xiongnu camp, killing many Xiongnu, but the Xiongnu had organized a powerful counterattack faster than expected. If Lu Yao had not retreated in time, he would have been trapped there with his entire army. Due to the thinness of his forces, Lu Yao did not dare to tangle with the Xiongnu and retreated north, setting up camp at Qishan.

On the Xiongnu side, Shi Le, busy reorganizing his troops and establishing his authority, did not immediately launch an attack. They just followed Lu Yao's retreat north and advanced to Lutai Mountain, south of Qishan.

Fortunately, at this time, reinforcements from Taiyuan also arrived in Qixian. This reinforcement was a newly organized army of eight hundred men, led by the Deputy General Huang Su. Although the core of this force was made up of veterans from the old army, the lower-ranking soldiers had not yet completed their basic training and had limited combat effectiveness. After communicating with Lu Yao, Huang Su led his troops to occupy Jiefang Mountain east of Qishan, forming a pincer with Lu Yao's forces to intimidate the Xiongnu army.

For three whole days, the two armies were in a standoff, with no fighting. While the southern counties of the State of Taiyuan were engaged in continuous battles, Qixian County presented an eerie calm. This made Lu Yao somewhat uneasy.

Shen Jin also climbed up the boulder. He looked around and frowned, saying, "It seems there's no movement. What are the Xiongnu thinking? Do they plan to just wait until their supplies run out and they have to retreat?"

"Jieyou is besieged, and the defenders are outnumbered. They can't hold out for long. If Jieyou falls, the Xiongnu can advance directly to the walls of Taiyuan City, and we will have lost this battle!" Xue Tong reminded Shen Jin, "They can wait, but we can't."

"The Xiongnu can't afford to wait..." Lu Yao shook his head, "Jieyou is small, but it has high walls and deep moats. As long as the defenders are capable, it's not easy to capture. The Xiongnu, on the other hand, do not engage in production or agriculture. Although they have gathered over a hundred thousand people in Hedong, they rely solely on plunder. How much supplies can they have to sustain a large army for a long time? Besides, it's the lean season right now... They can't afford to wait!"

"It's not just a matter of not being able to wait. The leader of this army is the Jie person Shi Le. He is a former bandit, known for his bravery and cunning. He was one of the major bandits in Ji Province, almost capturing Ye City at the height of his power. He is skilled in military strategy and would never be content to retreat due to lack of supplies and return without success," Guo Huan added. He was from Guangzong in Ji Province and had always been concerned about his hometown, so he was well aware of Shi Le's notorious reputation in Hebei.

Lu Yao nodded, becoming even more confident in his assessment of the Xiongnu. He said solemnly, "I believe the Xiongnu will make a move in the next few days. Old Xue, when you return, make sure to arrange the camp's defenses well. Dig deep trenches and build high walls, and be cautious in your defense. The Art of War says, 'Do not rely on the enemy not coming, but on being ready to meet him.'"

Xue Tong responded solemnly, "Understood!"

Lu Yao called out, "He Yun!"

"Here!" He Yun stepped forward and saluted.

Since the incident at Guo Family Manor, Lu Yao had relieved He Yun of his position as the commander of the personal guards and demoted him to a regular squad leader as a punishment. He Yun, aware of his fault, maintained a positive attitude and became even more meticulous in his duties. In recent days, he had led the scouts to monitor the enemy day and night, using his skills as a hunter to navigate the mountainous terrain effectively. At this moment, although he tried to appear calm, he could not hide his joy.

"Take ten scouts and get as close to Lutai Mountain as possible to investigate. You must find out the Xiongnu's movements!"

"Yes!" He Yun loudly accepted the order and disappeared into the dense fog with his men.

Lu Yao continued to gaze in the direction of Lutai Mountain, deep in thought.

In the past few months, he had established a strong presence in the army. At this moment, with him silent, the other generals did not dare to speak. They waited quietly.

After about half an hour, the sound of hooves echoed through the fog.

He Yun and several scout cavalrymen rushed over, calling out from a distance, "General! General!" His voice was slightly off due to excitement: "Report to the general, the Xiongnu... the Xiongnu are on the move!"

"What happened?" Lu Yao asked in surprise.

He Yun dismounted, stumbling to Lu Yao's side, panting, "We scouted towards Lutai Mountain, avoiding several Xiongnu patrols along the way. Under the cover of the fog, we got close to the foot of Lutai Mountain. We found that the Xiongnu camp at Lutai Mountain is mostly empty! There are at most a thousand people in the entire camp!"

For a moment, the generals were silent, and the only sound was their sharp intakes of breath. Only a thousand people in the Lutai Mountain camp? Where did the rest of the Xiongnu go?

The hearts of the soldiers turned cold. It was like two people fighting with weapons, if the area was defined and they faced each other fairly, the outcome was uncertain. But if one person was in plain sight while the other was hidden, the situation was extremely unfavorable.

Shen Jin urged, "We must return to the camp quickly! If the Xiongnu attack, it will be a disaster!"

Xue Tong gestured for Shen Jin to calm down, then asked solemnly, "He Yun, are you sure there are only a thousand people left in the enemy camp?"

He Yun, sweating profusely, replied, "Absolutely sure! I took two men to get close to the Xiongnu camp. At the closest point, we were only fifty paces away, and we saw clearly. The camp is fully constructed with many flags, but there are at most a thousand people inside!"

Xue Tong nodded and asked, "Did you notice anything unusual when you scouted the enemy camp yesterday?"

He Yun loudly replied, "General Xue, we took turns monitoring the enemy camp and did not slack off. There was nothing unusual about the enemy camp yesterday."

Shen Jin, angry, scolded, "Nothing unusual? Several thousand troops disappeared overnight, and you didn't notice... What are you eating for?"

"This is not the fault of the scouts," Lu Yao interrupted Shen Jin's scolding. "If the enemy used the fog to move, it was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. It must have been planned for days, with significant intentions. He Yun, you did well. If it weren't for you, we would have been deceived for much longer!"

He patted He Yun's shoulder and said, "I'll remember this, and we'll reward you after the battle."

Although the situation had suddenly changed, Lu Yao remained calm. His mind worked quickly, and in a few moments, he had a plan. He mounted his horse and said sternly, "Shen Jin, take your cavalry and the scouts, including He Yun, to patrol within fifty miles of Lutai Mountain and find the main force of the Xiongnu!"

"Xu Mu, take ten cavalrymen and inform General Huang Su at Jiefang Mountain of the enemy situation. Ask him to strengthen his vigilance and guard against a Xiongnu ambush! Hurry!"

"Guo Huan, take your troops to the checkpoints along the major and minor roads, double the number of guards at all checkpoints, and keep a sharp eye out. Anyone who is negligent will be executed immediately!"

Lu Yao issued orders rapidly, and the officers accepted them solemnly, then dispersed to carry out their tasks.

Lu Yao galloped back to the camp and ordered Xue Tong, Fei Cen, and others to prepare the troops and equipment to defend against a Xiongnu attack.

He himself took out a map of Qixian and the surrounding areas from the main tent and studied it for a while, but found no useful information. He pushed the map away in frustration and began pacing back and forth in the tent.

******

There are too many troubling matters. I will take a break tomorrow. I apologize for any inconvenience. Crayfish bows.

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