xymnovel Chapter 55 Conspiracy
Chapter 55 Conspiracy
White Horse Cavalry!
Upon hearing the name again, Liu Bei's hand, which was resting on the map, suddenly stopped, and he seemed to be frozen in place.
The composed smile on his face vanished abruptly, and a hint of bewilderment, barely perceptible to others, flashed across his eyes.
The soft rustling of armor plates and the crackling of candlelight faded into the distance, leaving only the image of a lifetime of battles and cavalry from a dream, crashing into my mind.
He knew all too well the weight of those four words.
In his dreams, during those turbulent years, he witnessed the brilliance of this cavalry.
Armored in silver and riding a white horse, he galloped with lightning speed. The Xianbei people of the northern frontier fled at the sight of the white horse and trembled at the mere mention of Gongsun Zan's name.
That was the most dazzling legend of Youzhou, and one of the most renowned light cavalry in the chaotic late Han Dynasty.
Countless times, as he looked at his routed troops and gazed at the smoke of war across the Central Plains, a single thought would surge in his mind.
If I, Liu Bei, had such an invincible cavalry force, why would I have suffered repeated defeats and been forced to live under the roof of others?
The envy is real, and so is the nostalgia.
Even if it was just a dream, the image of the white knight is like an indelible mark etched into one's bones and blood.
A hint of hesitation crept up into his mind.
The opportunity is right in front of us.
Gongsun Zan now serves under his command, and Yan Gang has long been convinced of his abilities. Liaoxi has warhorses and brave knights who dare to fight on the border.
If he so chooses, the title of "White Horse Cavalry" will be firmly in his hands, and his childhood dream will come true in the blink of an eye.
But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he forcefully suppressed it.
wrong.
The spirit of the White Horse Cavalry has never been just an empty name.
It is the iron-fisted military discipline forged by Yan Gang, the Youzhou soldiers who share life and death, and the original aspiration to defend the frontier.
Yan Gang is now under his command and his heart is already with him. Sooner or later, he will be his right-hand man in pacifying the world.
The roots of this unit are already in his hands, so why should he need to seize a title?
Moreover, the one he truly cherished and treasured was Zhao Zilong, who would later single-handedly rescue his lord and display unparalleled courage.
Only that person could push the brilliance of the white horse rider to an unprecedented peak.
By then, what will it matter what this elite force is called?
Why not use the Xianbei Yi Cong?
Are the Righteous Cavalry of Youzhou not up to the task?
Even the Youzhou Iron Cavalry?
What he wanted was never a fame that would shake the world, but a battle-hardened army that could protect the people, quell the chaos, and secure the Han dynasty.
As for Gongsun Zan...
At this moment, forcibly seizing it is merely a name.
Upon realizing this, the confusion and hesitation in Liu Bei's eyes vanished, leaving only clarity and certainty.
He slowly loosened his unconsciously clenched fingers, a gentle smile returning to his face, and his aura returned to that of a composed and insightful ruler.
He neither reprimanded nor immediately agreed.
Looking at Gongsun Zan, whose face was full of stubbornness and whose chest was still heaving violently, she slowly opened her mouth, her tone calm but her words clear.
"I naturally approve of Bo Gui's plan to establish the White Horse Cavalry!"
In short, all the arguments that Gongsun Zan had been holding back suddenly got stuck in his throat.
He thought Liu Bei would reprimand him for overstepping his bounds and demanding credit, and would suppress his request.
But Liu Bei changed the subject, adding, "But not now."
He rose from his seat, walked to Gongsun Zan, glanced at the generals in the tent, and his tone turned serious.
"Firstly, since Que Ji's troops have not yet been destroyed, our primary task is to reorganize the surrendered soldiers and strengthen our combat capabilities, rather than rashly expanding our forces. Yan Duwei's troops are the strongest, so they are the most suitable."
"Secondly, the number of Xianbei prisoners is limited, but it's only temporary. More and more will follow, so why should Bo Gui be in such a hurry!"
He looked intently at Gongsun Zan, his tone conveying both unwavering certainty and heartfelt sincerity.
Gongsun Zan's expression softened slightly, and he fell silent.
Then, Liu Bei looked at Tadun and said, "I wonder if the young commander also intends to deploy auxiliary troops and volunteer soldiers?"
Tadun shook his head, saying soberly, "My Wuhuan and Xianbei are originally of the same ethnicity, but after hundreds of years of development, an insurmountable divide has long since formed between us!"
"We do not condone the actions of the Xianbei, just as the Xianbei will not condone the actions of the Wuhuan!"
Liu Bei seemed thoughtful. The Xianbei were still too powerful; perhaps...
A glint flashed in Tian Yu's eyes, and he said, "My lord, the Wuhuan have helped us; we shouldn't let them return empty-handed!"
"My suggestion is that 60% of the cattle and sheep captured in this battle should be given to the Wuhuan as a reward for their service!"
Liu Bei's eyes flashed, and he thought to himself that Tian Yu was indeed clever and had the same idea as him.
So, before anyone else could speak, he said, "Guorang is absolutely right, we'll do as you say!"
"Sixty percent of the cattle and sheep captured in this battle will go to the Wuhuan!"
"Thank you, my lord!"
Tadun was overjoyed and immediately cast a grateful glance at Tian Yu, never expecting this man to treat the Wuhuan with such courtesy.
This battle yielded nearly 100,000 sheep and nearly 20,000 cattle. 60% of that is 60,000 sheep and 12,000 cattle.
This amount is considerable even for the Wuhuan, especially considering this is only their first battle!
Although the crowd was puzzled, since their lord and Tian Yu had already spoken, they naturally wouldn't say anything more!
After all, when it comes to brains, these two are probably the smartest.
At this moment, Tian Yu looked troubled and asked, "But, Xiao Shuai, how do you plan to arrange these cattle and sheep?"
"We can't keep carrying it with us all the time, can we?"
Tadun confidently replied, "What's so difficult about that? I only need to send a small number of cavalry to drive away the Xianbei people, and then let them control the cattle and sheep to return south to Liucheng!"
"You wouldn't understand, but we grassland people know this very well!"
"only……"
Tadun hesitated slightly before saying, "However, we were ordered by our lord to assist you, and now that we have just finished the first battle, we are sending people back..."
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei smiled magnanimously and said, "It's alright, my lord has already contributed greatly in this battle!"
"I think the Xianbei, scattered and living in isolation, are nothing special!"
"Furthermore, with the Wuhuan brothers returning south and using the Xianbei people to drive the cattle and sheep, it would be a good opportunity to send the captured Xianbei people and the remaining 40% of the cattle and sheep to Liaoxi!"
"In that case, you've done us a great favor!"
"really?"
Tadun was overjoyed. He was worried that Liu Bei would use the excuse that he would have to rely on the Wuhuan troops to prevent him from sending people to escort the cattle and sheep back.
"Of course it's true!"
"However, there are over four thousand Xianbei prisoners. How many men should the young commander send to escort them?"
Before Tadun could speak, Tian Yu suggested again, "In my humble opinion, we should send four hundred cavalry!"
"What does Xiaoshuai think?"
Although Tadun felt it was a bit too much, he had already done Tian Yu a favor, and it wouldn't be good to offend him now.
"The clerk is right; four hundred is just right!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei made the decision, saying, "Very well, this matter is settled then."
"We will need the help of our Wuhuan brothers to bring the Xianbei people intact to Liaoxi along this journey!"
"Your Excellency is too kind, it is only right!" Tadun then went to arrange the relevant matters.
After Tadun left, Cheng Pu laughed and said, "Now our Han army is four times their size, and we can finally get a good night's sleep!"
Han Dang suddenly realized, slapped his forehead, and exclaimed, "So that's how it is! That's the intention!"
"Haha, Guo Rang's plan is a clever one! As long as the Wuhuan covet these cattle and sheep, they will reduce their own troops!"
"They'll even help us escort prisoners, but it's such a waste to lose 60% of their cattle and sheep!"
Zou Dan hesitated, saying, "Is this really necessary? There are still many more battles to come..."
Xu Rong said leisurely, "Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts!"
"With Commandant Yan's method of assisting the troops, we will no longer lack soldiers."
"It will only increase with each major war!"
Yan Gang nodded silently, pretending that he had already figured this out long ago.
Only Gongsun Zan scoffed, thinking they were making a mountain out of a molehill and that there was no need for such roundabout methods.
If you truly suspect something, then just kill him!