Thank you to Beverly for the ko-fi~ ♡⸜(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⸝♡
He couldn’t help but feel excited. Since Shi Le left Bing County and wandered, he had not returned to his hometown for seven years. His elderly mother, who had stayed in Wuxiang, had long disappeared. He had sent people several times to secretly search Bing County, only to find his hometown deserted. Could it be that his mother had died during those dreadful famine years? Shi Le had even prepared for the worst, but he refused to give up.
Until today.
Suddenly lifting the curtain, Shi Le’s eyes reddened. He quickly stepped forward and threw himself at the feet of the elderly woman sitting in the tent. “Mother, your child has been unfilial!”
In just a few words, his voice choked.
“Bow, Le!” Seeing her son, Lady Wang raised her hand to cover her mouth, trying to stifle her gasp, but tears had already fallen. The next moment, she cried out in pain and tightly hugged Shi Le. How many villagers had died of starvation, and this powerless old woman managed to survive, seeing her beloved son again. Wasn’t it a blessing from the gods?
Hearing his mother’s crying, Shi Le felt intense pain in his heart, and tears couldn’t help but fall. The mother and son embraced and cried for a long time before they barely stopped their tears.
Gently helping his mother onto the soft couch, Shi Le handed her a handkerchief and whispered, “Mother, you must have suffered a lot these years. Now that we are in Yan County, your child will make sure you have no worries about clothing and food.”
As if touching upon a sensitive topic, he paused before continuing, “By the way, where are the other family members? Why haven’t I seen Ah Hu?”
Ah Hu was Shi Le’s nephew, raised by his mother. When he left Bing County, the kid was only seven or eight years old, and now he should have grown into an adult.
Hearing her son mention Shi Hu, Lady Wang shed more tears. “Ah Hu was young and reckless, injured someone with a slingshot, and was killed by someone…”
Shi Le didn’t actually like this mischievous nephew much, but hearing his mother say this, he couldn’t help feeling sentimental. He quickly said, “When I marry an official wife and have a child, I will bring them to your side, Mother. I won’t let your knees be empty1the idea of standing by someone’s side and ensuring that they are supported or taken care of, symbolically represented by not allowing their knees to be empty or unsupported. It’s a way of expressing loyalty, commitment, and the intent to provide assistance or help.”
Upon hearing her son mention marriage and having children, Lady Wang suddenly became excited. “I heard people say that you had several children who died young?”
This was also a sore spot for Shi Le. In his early years, he was unable to marry due to poverty. Later, after leading troops and gaining status, Shi Le took in several concubines. However, none of the children born to them survived. He sighed deeply and nodded, “The chaos of war and the urgency of military affairs delayed my marriage. However, once Yan County is stabilized, I will marry a noble girl and take good care of you, Mother.”
But Lady Wang, as if hearing something dreadful, tightly grasped his arm. “This, this is punishment from the Buddha! Fu Le, you must listen to your mother. Do not oppose the followers of the Buddha again!”
Upon hearing this, Shi Le’s heart sank. “Mother, you are confused. There are no followers of the Buddha!”
However, Lady Wang refused to be convinced. “If it weren’t for the followers of the Buddha saving Wuxiang, I and our clansmen would have died a long time ago! And yet, you want to raise an army and oppose the followers of the Buddha! Isn’t this breaking trust and forgetting loyalty? Hurry and submit to Bing County, bow to the feet of the Buddha!”
How could this be possible? No one knew better than Shi Le himself that he had become an archenemy of the Jin Dynasty. Just like the Marquis of Sima, he had killed countless people and clashed with Bing County’s troops several times. If he gave up his current foundation and surrendered to Bing County, the most likely outcome would be getting killed by the enemy. His only standing option was the side of the Han Dynasty.
But why would his mother say such things? Shi Le’s expression darkened. “Who told you this? Is someone trying to sow discord and persuade you to convince me to surrender?”
Lady Wang suddenly became furious. “Do you want the Buddha’s followers to persuade you to surrender? If they don’t punish you, it would be a great fortune! Only by repenting can you find redemption. Don’t get trapped in a hopeless situation!”
Did someone in Bing County officials tell his mother this? Shi Le couldn’t take it lightly. After pondering for a moment, he said, “Mother, you just arrived at the camp and must be tired. Rest for a few days. Your child will come to accompany you later.”
Saying this, he instructed the maidservant in the tent to attend to his mother, while he walked out of the tent. After a brief pause, Shi Le suddenly asked the servant beside him, “Who found my old mother?”
The servant hastily replied, “It’s the ones sent into Shangdang back then. It took quite a bit of effort to escort your old mother out of Bing County.”
“Are there others around my old mother?” Shi Le inquired further.
“I haven’t seen anyone else,” replied the servant.
It seemed that his mother wasn’t manipulated by someone. However, Shi Le didn’t feel relieved. Glancing at his trusted aides, he noticed many of them with complex expressions on their faces.
This was quite troublesome.
Since Shi Le led the “Eighteen Riders” to raise troops, his trusted aides included various ethnicities like the Xiongnu, Yuezhi, Tianzhu, and Wuhuan, most of whom were devout followers of Buddhism. What was more problematic was that, to avoid the epidemic, he allowed the medical officers to spread the epidemic avoidance methods of Bing County, stabilizing the military’s morale. Since then, the Buddhists in Bing County have become a well-known presence.
Fortunately, many of the various ethnicities had not truly been to Bing County, and he also had non-ethnic members in his ranks, barely maintaining a balance. However, after the recent battle in Ye City, Wang Mi’s surrendered troops and those civilian laborers were completely scattered. Those who followed him back to Yan County were mostly his trusted aides among the various ethnicities. Among these people, how many would recall, because of his mother’s words, who they suffered a disastrous defeat against in this battle?
No matter how strict the military discipline is, and despite blocking countless mouths, there’s no way to stop his mother, who gave birth to him and raised him! However, if everyone starts to fear the Buddhist monks from Bing County, how can the army continue to fight? Wouldn’t that shake the foundations?
“The old lady has just arrived in Yan County. Take good care of her and don’t let her go out and labor. Send the women from the inner courtyard over to keep the old lady company and alleviate her boredom,” Shi Le decisively made a decision.
He would take good care of his mother, but she shouldn’t appear in front of outsiders. Ah, if only he could have brought her back earlier, then she wouldn’t have believed these sweet words.
Glancing at the trusted aides standing on both sides, Shi Le fell silent and strode out of the tent.
However, despite his efforts, the effect was not as significant as he had hoped. A few days later, rumors spread throughout the army. The reason for the great defeat in Ye City was that the General had offended the Buddhist monks, leading to a divine intervention that broke the camp at night. This was not the first time he suffered a major defeat in front of the Bing County army. When the General invaded Ye City in the past, he was driven away by the Buddhist monks’ light cavalry. In Ji County, he was even said to have been defeated with only a few survivors, fleeing in a sorry state.
And that was not the worst part; some even claimed that the severe drought in Yan County was a result of disrespecting the Buddha. Otherwise, how could Ye City have produced crops? It was said that the harvest in Bing County was even better, similar to a bumper year!
Faced with waves of rumors, Shi Le couldn’t find a way to respond. In battles against Bing County, he had indeed never won. This was his weak point, and many of the things circulating in the army were said to come from his old mother. Whether these matters were true or false couldn’t be determined, but punishing the masses was not the solution, and adding fuel to the fire was even worse.
If only he could win a battle. Just one victory could turn the tide!
While Shi Le was in distress, an order arrived from the Han court. Bing County was planning to attack Pingyang, and Shi Le was ordered to lead the troops to support.
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“The drought has not receded, and there is no guarantee of summer harvests everywhere. Now, there are starving people waiting for relief in Yu County and Yan County. Even if we recapture it, it will only add to the burden. But Shi Le has just suffered a defeat, and the Xiongnu still need to defend Yong County and Qin County. The surroundings are empty, isn’t this the opportunity to raise an army?” In the strategist’s seat, Zhang Bin spoke confidently.
Among the generals present, who didn’t have some strategic insight? Linghu Sheng twirled his beard and said, “General Zhang, are you suggesting… Pingyang?”
“Exactly!” Zhang Bin didn’t beat around the bush and had his subordinates unfold the map. “Now that Luoyang has been captured, Lishi is also secure. If our army splits into three routes and directly attacks Si County, there is a great chance of capturing both prefectures! Not to mention that Pingyang is located on the flank of Bing County. Just the salt pool in Hedong makes it irresistible!”
On the map, both Pingyang and Hedong were marked in bright red. Now, the generals began to discuss. The importance of the salt pool in Hedong, who among them didn’t know? It can be said that the previous Xiongnu Han army, with tens of thousands of soldiers, relied on salt smuggling for ninety percent of its income. In theory, the military strength in Hedong should not be small, but by coincidence, there was also a salt pool in Yong County, making Hedong no longer the only reliance. Occupying Chang’an and with the main force of the Xiongnu heading west, defending Yong County and Qin County would be their priority. The old capital Pingyang, with its defenses already weakened and the added factor of severe drought, was unexpectedly vulnerable.
“I’m willing to lead the troops!” Li Jun shouted beside him.
General Yi, who is currently stationed in Ye City, might not be able to return in time to participate in the major battle. This attack on Pingyang is likely to require the troops stationed in Jinyang. After a year of training and with full support from the provincial government, it is not impossible to capture Pingyang. If Li Jun is allowed to participate in this battle, he will surely achieve great success!
Hearing Li Jun’s words, Linghu Kuang couldn’t sit still. Regardless of his uncle being present, he loudly declared, “I’m also willing to lead the troops!”
Now that the young men had expressed their willingness, Linghu Sheng, being more mature and composed, pondered for a moment and asked, “Hedong is the salt warehouse of the Xiongnu and has many aristocratic fields. They might send troops for reinforcements. It’s one thing to deal with the enemy in Yong County, but what if Shi Le is ordered to come and assist?”
He deeply understood the strength and cunning of Shi Le’s forces. Even if they suffered a setback in Ye City, it might not affect their fundamental strength. Judging from the several escapes from General Yi, it was clear that Shi Le was a very tricky character. If such a formidable enemy came to assist, it might change the course of the battle.
However, Zhang Bin smiled slightly and said, “General Linghu, there’s no need to worry too much. Our Lord has made early arrangements.”
With these words, everyone was taken aback. It seemed that the Lord had planned meticulously, and victory in both prefectures was almost certain!
“If that’s the case, I’m willing to lead the troops to advance from Lishi.” Linghu Sheng decisively expressed his willingness, clasping his fists.
Seeing the eager expressions of the generals, Zhang Bin couldn’t help but smile. This attack on Pingyang and Hedong had long been planned, and the battle in Ye City was just one part of it. As for that bandit Shi Le, it was time to make a decisive move.
