Why Does Mr. Xie Favor Me? Chapter 20
byChapter 20 Gu Zang Chenqi
A surprise attack on a cold night breaks the dilemma
When the military orders came out of Guzang, they turned into dust and smoke rising on the post road, and torches that never went out in the cold night.
People and horses are competing against time.
Xiao Jue reined in his horse and stopped a hundred steps outside the camp gate, his dark coat covered with a thin layer of white frost.Although the five thousand light cavalry behind him looked tired, their ranks were orderly and silent.
The camp door was closed tightly, and the figures of the garrison on the observation platform were huddled in their leather jackets, seemingly unaware of their arrival.
Wen Boyancai immediately stepped forward and shouted: “General Xiao is ordered to patrol the border, open the camp gate quickly!”
The guard then stuck his head out, squinted for a moment, and shouted slowly: “Is there any document from the Fifth Soldier Cao? A letter with the tiger talisman?”
Xiao Jue took out the gold-lacquered document from his arms and held it high above his head.
I glanced at the camp door and then slowly opened it, but there was only a gap that only allowed a single person to pass through.
An officer who looked like a general came out. He was slightly chubby, wrapped in a thick sheepskin jacket, and had a perfunctory smile on his face. “Li Zhi, the last general, comes to see General Xiao. I didn’t know that the general arrived suddenly, and I missed the welcome. Please forgive me.”
He said he was sorry, but he blocked the door with his body. His eyes glanced at the Qingqi behind Xiao Jue, and there was a trace of imperceptible contempt in his eyes.
Xiao Jue turned over and dismounted, and his leather boots made a crisp “click” sound when he stepped on the frozen ground.
He walked up to Li Zhi, half a head taller than him. Although he had been running around for days and his face was dusty, his back was as straight as a pine tree and his eyes were as bright as a torch.
“General Li.” Xiao Jue spoke slowly, his voice slightly hoarse due to the cold, but his words were clear, “I have been ordered to patrol the border and take over the defense of the camp immediately. Please summon all generals above the rank of captain, and after a stick of incense, discuss matters in the central military tent.”
The smile on Lieutenant General Li Zhi’s face froze, and he said in a deep voice, “General, it’s hard work coming from afar, so why not go to the camp to rest, bathe, eat, and discuss matters…”
“The military situation is urgent and there is no time to delay.” Xiao Jue interrupted him and glanced around the camp. He saw a few shrinking soldiers peeking behind the tent. Their winter clothes were thin and shabby, and their cheeks were purple from the cold. “Wen Boyan, lead people to take over the defense of the camp gate and inventory the arsenal and granaries. The rest of the people will follow me into the camp.”
He passed by Li Zhi and walked straight into the camp. The cavalry filed in behind him, and the sound of horse hooves was particularly harsh in the quiet morning.
Li Zhi stood there, his face changing again and again. Finally, he gritted his teeth and turned around, walking quickly towards the direction of the Chinese military tent.
In the Chinese military tent, the charcoal basin was half-burning, but the heat seemed to only accumulate on the top of the tent, and the ground was still freezing.
Seven or eight generals stood sparsely, some rubbed their hands and breathed, and some had wandering eyes. Only two of them stood upright, looking at Xiao Jue with scrutiny and caution.
Xiao Jue took off his cloak and handed it to Wen Boyan, revealing the dark blue uniform of a military attaché. The shoulder armor and wrist guards had been removed, making him look neat and solemn.
He walked to the main seat, but did not sit down. He just pressed his hands on the cold and rough wooden table, and his eyes slowly scanned everyone in the tent.
“My general, Xiao Jue, has been ordered to patrol the border. Starting today, he will temporarily take charge of the defense of the northern camp.” He spoke in a low voice, which made the tent quiet for a moment. “Everyone’s name, official position, tribes under your jurisdiction, garrison defense, food and grass reserves, and the status of the soldiers must be reported one by one, and no omissions can be made.”
There was silence in the tent for a moment, and then a general with a sallow complexion and heavy bags under his eyes spoke first, with a lazy tone: “The last general, Gao Lei, is the captain of the Zuoying Thousands, with a command of 973 people, and is stationed at the sentry post three miles west of the camp.
He paused and said, “Food and grass are delivered every three days, which is barely enough to eat.The soldiers are all alive.”
“Alive?”Xiao Jue repeated these two words, his eyes falling on his face, “Has Captain Gao Qianfu visited the camp today?”
Gao Lei was stunned: “It’s freezing cold today, the soldiers are all resting in their tents, what’s the point of patrolling?”
Xiao Jue stopped looking at him and turned to Wen Boyan, “Go to Zuoying, randomly inspect the soldiers in the three tents, check winter clothes, bedding, rations and weapons, and report the results.”
Wen Boyan took the order and left, and the atmosphere in the tent suddenly became tense.
The reports from the next few generals were similar. The soldiers were short of food and clothing, their weapons were weak, their defenses were slack, and there were occasional deserters.When talking about food and grass, everyone’s eyes flickered and their words were vague.
Finally, it was the turn of a young general standing at the end on the right. He was about in his early twenties, with a thin face but clear eyes. Although his armor was old, it was clean. There were frostbite on his knuckles when he held his fists, but he stood as straight as a gun.
“The last general, Zuo Yunci, is in charge of the front camp’s scout team, with 120 people in charge, responsible for reconnaissance and patrol within fifty miles north of the main camp.”
His voice was clear, neither humble nor arrogant, “There are currently 107 soldiers, 13 of whom are wounded or injured in the camp.There was only one set of winter clothes per person, and half of them were damaged.The rations are two meals a day, porridge and noodles, and there is no meat or fish smell in half a month.70% of the weapons, bows and crossbows are usable, and there are less than 20 arrows per person.In the past month, we encountered the Northern Dynasty’s cavalry seven times and fought three times, injuring nine people and killing two.”
He finished speaking in one breath, and there was silence in the tent. The other generals either stared angrily or lowered their heads in silence.
Xiao Jue looked at him and said, “Why are there so few casualties?”
Zuo Yunci raised his head and looked calmly: “Because of the general’s order, if you encounter the Northern Dynasty’s cavalry, it is best to avoid fighting if it is not necessary.The duty of a scout is to investigate and summon information, not to fight to the death.”
“What if we encounter a large group of troops from the Northern Dynasty?”
“Burning the smoke and firing arrows, all personnel dispersed and evacuated, making sure the delivery of information was the top priority.”
A hint of approval flashed in Xiao Jue’s eyes, but it was not shown on his face, “You did the right thing.”
At this time, Wen Boyan happened to return, his face was ashen, and he was holding a few winter clothes with exposed wadding and a few pieces of flour cake as hard as stone: “General, there are thirty-seven people in the three tents of Zuoying. None of the winter clothes are intact, the bedding is thin and damp, and the per capita ration is only enough for one meal of gruel a day.The weapons were severely rusted, the bowstrings were loose, and some soldiers had frostbite on their toes, which had festered and pus-filled, and there was no one to diagnose and treat them.”
There was a dead silence in the tent, no one dared to make a sound. Gao Lei lowered his head when he heard the words, but his eyes kept glancing at Li Zhi beside him.
Xiao Jue walked to the pile of winter clothes, stretched out his hand and pinched the rags. His hands were clammy and had a musty smell.
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly turned around, his eyes sweeping over the generals present like a knife blade: “It is bitterly cold in the north, and the soldiers guard the border, abandoning their homes and careers to defend the country.And you, who receive royal salaries and enjoy the rank of lieutenant general in the army, do you treat your subordinates like this?”
His voice suddenly rose and echoed in the tent: “Is this the defense of the northern camp?Is this what you call everyone alive?”
“General, calm down!”Gao Lei hurriedly stepped forward, “It is true that the court’s food and grass have not arrived for a long time, there is not enough winter clothes, and this year’s winter is particularly severe, so…”
“Court food and fodder?”Xiao Jue sneered and took out a volume of account books from his arms, “Before I left Guzang, I reviewed the documents exchanged between Wu Bingcao and Da Sinong.In October last year, the northern camp had 12,000 sets of winter clothes, 30,000 shi of grain and grass, and 50,000 taels of salary and silver, all of which had been allocated.
He paused and said, “Years ago, Xie Pushe also ordered me to personally escort 400,000 taels of silver. General Li, where are these supplies now?”
Li Zhi turned pale and opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Xiao Jue stopped pressing and threw the account book on the case: “Wen Boyan, take my token and lead 200 people to thoroughly inspect all the warehouses, granaries and accounts of the camp. Anyone who obstructs will be punished for disobeying military orders.”
“Yes!”
“Zuo Yunci.”
“The general is here!”
“Take your people and set off immediately to explore eighty miles north. Focus on the troop deployment, defense change time, and food and grass reserves at the two North Korean strongholds of Wild Wolf Tun and Black Rock Beach. Within three days, I want detailed information.”
“As you command!”
Xiao Jue finally looked at the other generals in the tent and said in a cold tone: “The rest of you, please go back to the camp to reorganize your troops, count the personnel and equipment, and count the troops at the camp tomorrow morning. I want to see the real number of all the deficiencies. If there are any more concealments and false reports…”
He paused and said word by word: “Military law is ruthless.”
The generals hurriedly agreed and hurriedly exited, leaving Xiao Jue alone in the tent.
The charcoal pot crackled as he walked to the tent and opened the heavy curtain.The morning light was already bright, shining on the muddy and frozen soil in the camp, reflecting cold light.
From a distance came the shouts of Wen Boyan leading his men to check the library, as well as the suppressed commotion of the soldiers.
The cold wind blew in, blowing the broken hair on his forehead. Xiao Jue clenched the hilt of the sword at his waist, his knuckles turning white.
The situation was worse than expected, but he didn’t have time to waste it with them.
He remembered what Xie Heng said to him in the study the night before he left: “The erosion of the North is not something that can happen in a day. You are not going to repair it, but to build it up after it is broken.”
And Xu Shuhuai’s winking expression when he climbed over the wall to send a secret message: “General Xiao, I have staked all my fortune on you. If we lose, we will lose our heads together.”
He took a deep breath of the cold air, turned back to the case, spread out the map of the North, and traced the location of Wild Wolf Tun with his finger.
There was the food and grass he desperately needed, the hope of breaking the situation, and the first victory he had to win.
There was a sudden noise outside the tent. Xiao Jue frowned and unconsciously put his hand on his sword and walked out of the tent.
On the school grounds, dozens of ragged soldiers gathered around. In the middle was Wen Boyan and several personal guards, confronting Li Zhi.
Scattered on the ground were some moldy corn and bags of coarse salt mixed with sand.
“General!” An old soldier suddenly knelt on the ground, kowtowed and cried, “These are the only grains and grass left in the storehouse. General Li and his friends usually eat white rice and fine noodles. We can’t even eat enough of this moldy rice!”
Li Zhi’s face turned livid and he yelled anxiously: “What nonsense are you talking about? These are old grains that have been dampened and were ready to be disposed of.”
“Dispose of it?” Xiao Jue walked to the pile of moldy rice, squatted down and grabbed a handful. The rice grains were gray and black and exuded a pungent musty smell. There were also rat droppings and insect corpses among them.
He stood up slowly and looked at Li Zhi with a cold light in his eyes: “General Li, will you eat these old grains?”
Li Zhi was suddenly speechless.
Xiao Jue turned to the more and more soldiers gathered around him. Most of them were sallow and thin, with sunken eye sockets. They were shivering in the cold wind, but their eyes were burning with long-suppressed anger and expectation.
“Everyone.” Xiao Jue spoke, and his voice spread throughout the school grounds, “I, Xiao Jue, have been ordered to patrol the border. From today on, I have the final say in the northern camp.”
He paused and spoke loudly, word by word: “Anyone who withholds food and salary and resells military supplies, regardless of official position, will be thoroughly investigated and dealt with according to military law.”
He looked at Wen Boyan and said, “Immediately bring the food and grass I brought with the army. For lunch today, the whole army will have a full meal. From tomorrow on, we will rebuild the camp defenses and train the soldiers. If the Northern Dynasty dares to invade the border, we will fight back within a foot.”
The school ground was silent for a moment, and then burst into suppressed cheers. Many soldiers had red eyes, and the old soldier fell to the ground and cried bitterly.
Xiao Jue turned around and looked at Li Zhi, who was ashen-faced: “General Li, should you explain yourself, or should you wait for me to find out?”
Li Zhi’s legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground, digging his fingers into the soil with a look of resentment on his face.
The curtain was lifted again, and Wen Boyan returned with a chill and anger. He placed several account books on the case: “General, we have found out. Nine out of ten rooms in the granary are empty, and most of the weapons in the arsenal are rotten wood and iron. Li Zhi and others colluded with the Wang family of Langya to resell military supplies to enrich their own pockets. The account deficit is huge.” He reported an astonishing figure.
Xiao Jue didn’t look away from the map and just asked: “There is food in the camp. How many days will it be enough?”
“Less than three days.” Wen Boyan’s voice was stiff.
Xiao Jue’s fingers finally pressed hard on Yelangtun.
Without food and grass, the morale of the army will collapse.There is a powerful enemy outside, watching with eager eyes.He must win back the supplies and the soul of this army with a quick and beautiful victory.
“This is it.” His voice was low but firm.
At night on the third day, Xiao Jue was already lying behind the cold rocks five miles away from Yelangtun. He was wrapped in a fur coat of Northern Dynasty military uniform and his face was smeared with charcoal ash.
The five hundred elites behind him were similarly disguised, lurking silently like wolves in the dark night.
Zuo Yunci came quietly and said in a low voice: “General, we have found out. There are 520 garrison troops in the camp, of which 200 are gathering in the camp tonight to gamble, and 100 people are taking turns to watch the night. The rest are fast asleep. There are three granaries, the largest one is on the east side. There are ten guards, and the shift changes every two quarters of an hour. The interval between shifts is about thirty breaths.”
Xiao Jue nodded and looked at the outline of the fort in the distance.There were lights, faint noises, and the food he desperately needed.
“Wen Boyan led two hundred men and raided the barracks to create chaos and attract the attention of the defenders.” He ordered in a low voice, “Zuo Yunci led one hundred men to eliminate the granary guards and open the granary door. The rest will follow me to control the Tuen Gate and the observation tower.”
“Remember, what we want is food and grass, not a life-and-death fight. Leave as soon as you win, don’t be reluctant to fight.”
The generals agreed in a low voice.
Xiao Jue looked up at the sky. There was no moon in the sky, which was a good opportunity for a night attack.He reached into his arms and touched the warm jade pendant, and Xie Heng’s clear eyes flashed in his mind.
Wait for me to come back.
He took a deep breath and pulled out the long knife from his waist.
“Action.”
Five hundred black shadows swarmed towards Tunbao like a tide, silently.