xymnovel Chapter 61 Another Unexpected Incident
Chapter 61 Another Unexpected Incident
At daybreak, the army had already broken out of the valley and reached the edge of the Suli tribe's pastureland.
Everyone looked back at the vast grassland behind them, still feeling lingering fear.
If they had arrived half a day later, and the Xianbei had completely sealed off the encirclement, they would never have been able to get out.
After a thorough count, 6,432 riders remained.
This battle resulted in the loss of nearly three thousand men, including those who went missing, those who died in battle, and of course, some Xianbei followers who fled.
Without time to think, Liu Bei ordered his men to take three days' worth of provisions and horses, abandoning the rest of their cattle, sheep, and other supplies, and rush southwest.
After running for more than half a day, they finally shook off their pursuers, and Liu Bei then ordered his men to slow down.
Three days later, the army ran out of food, and there were no tribes to eat from on either side.
Left with no other choice, Liu Bei ordered the killing of horses, prioritizing those with two horses each.
Subsequently, the army marched south without encountering any obstacles, and soon arrived at the edge of the grasslands north of Youbeiping County.
After another three days of travel, we will be able to enter the Youbeiping Pass and escape the danger completely.
Inside the central command tent, the generals gathered around the bonfire, drinking and celebrating.
Han Dang carried the wine flask, took a swig of the full flask, and his face was full of pleasure, as if he were drinking fine wine.
"My lord's sudden counterattack was truly a stroke of genius!"
"With Que Ji killed in battle, the Xianbei will be deterred from raiding southwards in Liaoxi for at least ten years!"
Yan Gang nodded with a smile: "This Northern Expedition has yielded countless spoils and the surrender of tens of thousands of Xianbei tribesmen. Once our 6,000-strong army returns, the strength of Liaoxi will reach a new level!"
Liu Bei held his wine cup, his fingertips gently stroking the rim, but there was no joy on his face.
He always felt a vague unease in his heart. Logically speaking, Youbeiping was in sight, and he had six thousand troops under his command.
What danger could there be in the world?
"Please do not be careless, everyone!"
Liu Bei put down his wine cup, his voice calm yet tinged with a hint of solemnity.
"Queji is merely a high-ranking official of a branch of the Xianbei in the east; Tanshihuai is the true master of the grasslands."
"If we kill Que Ji, it will inevitably invite Tan Shihuai's revenge."
"Pass down the order: the entire army shall break camp first thing tomorrow morning and enter Youbeiping territory as soon as possible, lest anything untoward happens!"
"promise!"
The generals all accepted the order in unison. Although they felt that their lord was being a little too cautious, they dared not disobey.
But what Liu Bei feared eventually came to pass.
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Two months ago.
In the Protectorate of Wuhuan, far away in the Liaodong vassal state, Xia Yuzheng stared wide-eyed at the Liaoxi report presented by his subordinates.
The list is densely filled with various supplies recently sent from the grasslands to Liucheng and western Liaoning.
There were 1,200 horses, nearly 100,000 sheep, nearly 20,000 cattle, more than 1,000 sets of leather armor, and countless gold, silver and pearls.
He slammed his hand on the table, his face filled with greed and envy.
"What a shrewd Liu Bei!"
"He's just a minor Marquis of Guannei and Magistrate of Yangle County, yet he dares to reap so many benefits in the borderlands!"
"These things should have belonged to my Protectorate of the Wuhuan Commandery!"
The trusted aide beside him quickly echoed, "What you say is true, sir!"
"Liu Bei just got lucky and happened to be caught in a major plague outbreak among the Xianbei."
"My lord, you have guarded the northern frontier for many years, and your merits are immense. How can you let a mere child steal the great achievement of pacifying the Xianbei?"
Xia Yu stroked his beard, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and a thought instantly came to mind.
He strode to the desk, picked up his brush, and began writing a memorial to the emperor for Luoyang.
"Your Majesty, I, Xia Yu, Protector of the Wuhuan, report: A great plague has struck the entire Xianbei territory, killing seven or eight out of ten people. The tribes are scattered, and their fighting strength has been completely lost..."
He made no mention of Liu Bei's great victory over the Xianbei, only saying that the Xianbei suffered heavy casualties due to a major epidemic, and exaggerating the prospects of the Northern Expedition.
The memorial was sent to Luoyang by fast horse, as Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, was always ambitious and fond of grand achievements.
Seeing Xia Yu speak with such conviction, he was overjoyed and, disregarding the opposition of the court officials, issued an edict to launch a northern expedition.
He ordered Xia Yu, the Protector of the Wuhuan, to lead 10,000 cavalry out of Youbeiping.
He ordered Zang Min, the Xiongnu general, to lead 10,000 cavalry out of Yanmen Pass.
Protector of the Qiang, Tian Yan, led 10,000 cavalry out of Yunzhong, and the three armies advanced together to launch a northern expedition against the Xianbei.
When the imperial edict reached the Protectorate of the Wuhuan, Xia Yu laughed triumphantly and said to his trusted aide, "Just you wait!"
"Once I achieve a great victory in my northern expedition, being ennobled and appointed as a general will be just around the corner!"
"As for that brat Liu Bei, he's nothing more than a stepping stone on my road to success!"
Meanwhile, on the grasslands beyond the Great Wall, messengers from the Xianbei royal court were galloping to various tribes.
When Tan Shihuai learned of the Eastern Han Dynasty's three-pronged northern expedition, he was not flustered at all; instead, he sneered.
"That Han boy is truly arrogant!"
"Do you really think a major epidemic can defeat the Xianbei?"
He immediately ordered his troops to split into three routes to meet the Han army.
He ordered Mi Jia to lead 15,000 cavalry eastward to Youbeiping to confront Xia Yu.
He ordered his son and Lian to lead 15,000 cavalry westward out of Yunzhong to confront Tian Yan.
He personally led 20,000 main forces south to Yanmen Pass to confront Zang Min.
The three armies stood ready, waiting for the Han army to walk right into their trap.
Thus began a major Northern Expedition triggered by Xia Yu's greed for merit.
Meanwhile, Liu Bei, far away in the grasslands, was completely unaware of this and was leading his army slowly toward Youbeiping Pass.
Three days later, Liu Bei's army arrived at the grassland area north of Fancheng.
This place is less than a hundred miles from the territory of Youbeiping. Along the way, they could already see scattered Han Chinese merchants and travelers, and the generals' hearts, which had been hanging in suspense, gradually settled down.
"My lord, we will be able to enter Youbeiping tomorrow."
Tian Yu rode up to Liu Bei's side, pointed to the distant horizon and laughed, "Once we enter Han territory, we'll be completely safe. Even if Tan Shihuai wants revenge, he won't dare to venture too far into Han territory."
Liu Bei nodded, about to speak, when the scout galloped back at full speed, his face filled with panic: "My lord! Something terrible has happened!"
"A large-scale cavalry standoff has been spotted thirty miles ahead!"
"Judging by the banners, on one side are the troops of our great Han Dynasty, and on the other side are the cavalry of the Xianbei people, each numbering in the tens of thousands, arrayed in preparation for battle!"
These words shocked the entire army.
"What? The Han army?"
Yan Gang abruptly pulled on the reins, his face full of astonishment. "When did the imperial court send a large army on a northern expedition?"
"Why haven't we received any news?"
Cheng Pu frowned and said in a deep voice, "This matter is suspicious."
"If there's a major battle in the northern frontier, the imperial court will surely order all prefectures to coordinate their operations. Even though we've been out of contact with Liaoxi Prefecture for many days, we should have heard about it by now!"
The unease in Liu Bei's heart instantly reached its peak.
He immediately ordered: "The entire army shall halt its advance and form ranks on the spot!"
"Xu Rong, lead the scouts to investigate again. Make sure you ascertain the strength of both sides, their commanders, and the reason for this battle!"
"promise!"
Xu Rong accepted the order and immediately led dozens of scouts to rush forward.
Half an hour later, Xu Rong galloped back with definite news: "My lord! Ahead lies the force of Xia Yu, the Protector of the Wuhuan, with 10,000 cavalry, currently confronting 15,000 cavalry from the Xianbei Mija tribe."
"The imperial court issued an edict half a month ago, launching a three-pronged northern expedition against the Xianbei. Xia Yu led the army from Youbeiping, Zang Min from Yanmen, and Tian Yan from Yunzhong. Now, all three armies have entered the grasslands!"