Chapter 94

March 22nd.

A few days ago, the battle against Shi Le with the use of fire tactics was indeed a rare and great victory, but the Jin army suffered heavy losses. The troops that lured the enemy into the Tuanbai Valley pass were almost entirely annihilated, and Shi Le's desperate counterattacks also caused significant casualties. Adding to the losses from previous battles, the reduction in Lu Yao's troops had already exceeded thirty percent, with more than half of the officers below the rank of squadron leader being killed, and all the generals were wounded. One could say that the entire army was severely weakened and could no longer sustain combat.

In such a situation, Linghu Sheng, the protector general stationed in Jinyang, first ordered Huang Su to be responsible for the defense of the eastern line of Zhao Yu Qi, and then dispatched a military instructor to lead several hundred new recruits to fill the manpower gap, while ordering Lu Yao's troops to return to Jinyang for rest and reorganization.

Lu Yao thus led his troops back.

After several days of intense fighting, the soldiers were extremely exhausted; there were also a large number of wounded and prisoners, so the march was very slow, and they would set up camp after traveling only twenty to thirty miles each day.

On this day at noon, the army passed through Langu Valley to the southeast of Jinyang, which was only ten miles away from Jinyang. The city walls of Jinyang were in sight, and the sunlight shining on the towering walls made the watchtowers appear very majestic.

Strictly speaking, Langu Valley was not a valley but a low-lying area. The official road ran through the center of the low-lying area, with beautiful forests and springs on both sides. At this moment, a gentle breeze blew, and the rustling of the treetops and the chirping of birds could be heard, making one feel refreshed. The soldiers, upon reaching this place, could not help but slightly dispel their heavy moods. Thinking about finally defeating an unprecedentedly strong enemy, their spirits gradually lifted.

Shen Jin had heard from the elders that there were relics of the Qin and Zhao battles from the Warring States period nearby. So he led his personal guards to visit the ancient sites. This man was a fierce warrior who had never read a single history book in his life. What ancient sites did he visit? What victories did he admire? In fact, he just planned to go hunting in the mountains and forests.

Lu Yao was also interested in hunting, but unfortunately, he was one of the severely wounded in the army and was almost unable to move. In the previous battle, he had led the charge and was injured in multiple places, losing a lot of blood. He had only managed to hold on by sheer determination. On the day before, he finally fainted while inspecting the battlefield, causing great alarm throughout the army. After several days of rest, his body was still weak, and he could not easily ride a horse. He could only lie on a soft bed placed between two warhorses, which were led slowly by others. The regular hoofbeats and the gentle swaying of the bed made him drowsy.

Xue Tong tapped the soft bed with his whip and laughed at Lu Yao, "I remember that in history books, the Han dynasty's Flying General Li Guang was once unable to move and lay between two horses like you. Dao Ming, are you admiring the legacy of the Flying General?"

Lu Yao forced himself to curse, "Nonsense! General Li was captured by the Xiongnu, how tragic was that? I am returning victorious!"

As they were joking, they suddenly heard a commotion from the rear. It turned out that more than a dozen cavalrymen were galloping along the official road. They charged into the loosely formed marching formation without slowing down. The soldiers could not avoid them in time, and many were knocked down. Groans and curses filled the air.

Xue Tong was furious and shouted, "Who dares to charge through my formation? Capture them!"

It was wartime, and military law was paramount. Charging through the formation was a serious offense, and Xue Tong could have ordered them to be executed on the spot; but by ordering the soldiers to capture them, he was already being lenient. The soldiers, who had been scattered and relaxed, were suddenly at a disadvantage and were all indignant. Hearing Xue Tong's command, they immediately responded, and over a hundred people surrounded the cavalrymen. Some even took out forks and ropes to drag them off their horses.

The cavalrymen were all dusty and disheveled, with the leader riding a fine, high horse. The horse was temperamental and kept jumping and dodging as the crowd approached. While controlling the horse, he shouted, "Don't attack! Who is the general in front? I am Wang Xiu, the bow and horse officer of Bingzhou, with urgent military news for Jinyang! Quickly clear the way!"

Wang Xiu, Wang Zihao, was a close subordinate of Yuanshi Gong and a friend of Lu Yao. He also had some acquaintance with Xue Tong, and could be considered an old acquaintance. However, he was currently in a very disheveled and desperate state, and Xue Tong, who was a bit far away, did not recognize him at first.

Hearing Wang Xiu's loud announcement, Xue Tong hurried over. Upon getting closer, he realized that Wang Xiu and his men looked as if they had been on a long journey, and their horses were whipped so hard that their hindquarters were bleeding. Wang Xiu's face was full of anxiety, his eye sockets deeply sunken, and his eyes bloodshot.

Xue Tong was slightly startled. As a bow and horse officer under the Bingzhou governor, Wang Xiu did not belong to the Zhenwei General's army. He usually served as Yuanshi Gong's escort and was also responsible for military intelligence. Given his special status, what could have made him so anxious?

If it were someone else, they would have asked what had happened. But Xue Tong was a man of firm and steady character, even somewhat rigid. Although he was puzzled, he did not ask any questions. Instead, he shouted for the soldiers to move to the sides of the road to clear a path for Wang Xiu and his men, and then said to Wang Xiu, "Brother Zihao, please."

Wang Xiu did not say much and galloped away.

Xue Tong felt a vague sense of unease. He stayed at the rear for a while, gathering the soldiers who were scattered on both sides of the road. These soldiers were under Shen Jin's command and were usually somewhat lax, even more so after the battle. Xue Tong, somewhat impatient, ordered them to speed up their march and sent some soldiers to find Shen Jin.

After taking care of these matters, he turned his horse and returned to the front of the formation.

The rear had been delayed, but the front had not stopped. They had already reached the Wuli Pavilion outside the western gate of Jinyang. The officers sent from Jinyang to guide the troops and Deng Gang, who was responsible for guarding the old camp, had already come out to greet them and were talking with Lu Yao.

Lu Yao, being weak, managed to respond to a few questions but felt very tired. However, he had to make an effort to keep up. Deng Gang was fine, but the officer in charge of guiding the troops, surnamed Fan, was an old subordinate of Yuanshi Gong from Ji Province, now a colonel under Protector General Linghu Sheng. The few people who came with him were also old subordinates of Yuanshi Gong. These people, who were usually somewhat arrogant in front of the remaining Bingzhou troops, were now extremely polite, addressing Lu Yao as "General Lu." It seemed that Lu Yao's achievements, such as defeating the famous Xiongnu general Qiao Xi and burning five thousand Xiongnu troops, had greatly impressed them.

Xue Tong hurried back to greet them, asking Guo Huan, Yang Ruo, and others to receive them, and then took Lu Yao to the other side of the formation.

"Dao Ming, I fear something unexpected has happened!" he said solemnly, and then recounted what had just happened with Wang Xiu.

While Xue Tong was speaking, Lu Yao listened quietly. He seemed to subconsciously press the bones of his other hand in sequence, making a cracking sound. After a while, he said slowly, "I fear there has been a change in Shangdang."

"What!" Xue Tong exclaimed in shock.

Lu Yao said gravely, "From Hedong to Taiyuan, there are only three main routes. One is from the Lishi Chanyu court to the east, crossing 160 miles of rugged mountains, passing through the Huanglu Pass, and entering Taiyuan territory at Zishi County. This route is rugged and difficult, unsuitable for large forces, and besides, our main army is stationed in Zishi and Zhongyang, cutting off this route."

"Another route is through Huoshan in Yong'an County into Que Shu Valley, then dividing into two routes along the east and west banks of Zhao Yu Qi, converging at Wuxian County, and reaching the city of Jinyang. The Xiongnu used this route this time. However, General Lu Chang held his position at Jieyou, making it difficult for the Xiongnu to deploy their forces. The battles on both banks of Zhao Yu Qi were not favorable... The Xiongnu did not achieve the expected results. If the two armies continued to stalemate, the Xiongnu would have no choice but to retreat."

"Having mobilized a large force and ultimately failing, the Xiongnu would naturally be unwilling. Therefore, they would seriously consider the third route, which is to go east, through Zhi Pass or Yewang, north to Shangdang, and then turn west to threaten Jinyang. This route is long, with high mountains, deep valleys, and numerous rivers, and there are many natural barriers that are difficult to breach. With a brave general defending, even with tens of thousands of troops, it would be hard to break through quickly. But..."

Before he finished speaking, the sound of drums and horns suddenly rose from Jinyang, and a thick, black smoke signal rose from the watchtower at the city gate!

At this moment, the generals on the other side of the formation were greatly alarmed. The colonel Fan was the first to exclaim, "This... this is an alarm? Where did the enemy come from?"

Everyone present was experienced in military affairs and knew the current situation well. Unless a large enemy force reached Jinyang, there would be no reason to raise the smoke signal. However, the Xiongnu's two routes of attack, with the main force in the west being blocked by Yuanshi Gong's army, and the eastern flank already defeated by Lu Yao, should not have posed a threat to Jinyang, which was in the rear.

Could it be that the soldiers guarding the city gate had accidentally lit the smoke signal? Many people suspected this. However, shortly after the first smoke signal, three more were lit. The four smoke signals, standing straight like pillars, carried a menacing aura. Four smoke signals indicated that the enemy force was at least ten thousand strong!

At this moment, Lu Yao and Xue Tong arrived together. Xue Tong said solemnly, "This is not the time for discussion. We must first calm the soldiers and then quickly enter the city."

******

This week, the number of red tickets for "Fufeng Song" reached its highest since the serialization began. I am extremely grateful for the trust and encouragement of all the readers. I will always remember this.

Additionally, I would like to thank the readers Chunlou Yetingyu and Changdao Wuhengke for their support.

I have created a minor character forum in the book review section, and I welcome anyone interested to sign up. The story of "Fufeng Song" is very long, with a large number of characters, and there will be space for all kinds of characters to shine. I will try to create unique personalities, ways of dealing with things, and motivations for each character, and use meaningful plots rather than cliché confrontations to drive the story. If any friends are willing to make a cameo appearance, it would be a great help to me.