Chapter 421: The Wuxian Offensive Begins
Chapter 421: The Wuxian Offensive Begins
September 25th, 2017
While Lu Hai Kong was at the forefront battling the Wuxian rebels, Wang Jun and Xi Zhi Cai were not idle in the rear.
One was busy settling the refugees constantly arriving from the three provinces, while the other was gathering intelligence and controlling the aristocratic families of the three provinces, spreading Lu Hai Kong's good news.
Lu Hai Kong stepped forward to confront the Wuxian alliance, but why? It was for the position of Governor of Bingzhou, to wash away the stain on his reputation, and to establish his authority.
Lu Hai Kong was of bandit origins, and almost all the aristocratic families knew this. Not only did the aristocratic families know, but during Lu Hai Kong's struggle with Zhang Yi and Ding Yuan, his bandit background was intentionally publicized, making it common knowledge within Bingzhou.
So, Lu Hai Kong's reputation among the citizens was not great, and it even carried a hint of notoriety.
However, Lu Hai Kong's reputation had begun to improve over this period.
Since the Wuxian rebellion, Lu Hai Kong's reputation had warmed up after he started resettling refugees. After all, he was the only one in Bingzhou who took such action.
At this time, those most grateful to Lu Hai Kong were the refugees, those who received his help during their most difficult times.
Recently, after Lu Hai Kong recaptured Wudu County and annihilated the Wuxian's sixty thousand troops, and cleared all Wuxian tribesmen heading towards Dingxiang in Wudu County, Lu Hai Kong's reputation in Bingzhou skyrocketed, even taking on a national hero-like meaning.
Especially after Xi Zhi Cai's men took action, Lu Hai Kong's reputation in Bingzhou grew more prominent each day, even sparking another wave of enthusiasm to enlist among the refugees in Qiang Yin.
Anyone with a keen eye could see that Lu Hai Kong was building up his momentum, but everyone wisely remained silent.
On the one hand, Lu Hai Kong had indeed achieved results, and on the other hand, those who were not on good terms with Lu Hai Kong were also watching, observing the changes in the battle situation on Lu Hai Kong's side, to be precise, they were watching how Lu Hai Kong would die.
Basically, no one believed that Lu Hai Kong could withstand the next wave of Xianbei attacks.
Many people thought that the Wuxian rebels would swiftly annihilate Lu Hai Kong.
At this time, Lu Hai Kong's side was making tense preparations. Almost immediately after Lu Hai Kong annihilated the Wuxian's sixty thousand troops, Wudu County welcomed a special force.
This force, which set off from the mountain stronghold, was a group of elite bandit cavalry recruited by Lu Hai Kong during this period. Lu Hai Kong had known about the Wuxian tribes' rebellion, and three months before the two tribes' uprising, he had begun recruiting elite bandit cavalry in preparation for war, abandoning his business in Qiang Yin.
With the current number of bandits in the mountain stronghold, he could recruit 150 elite bandit cavalry daily. From the time Lu Hai Kong started preparations until now, he had recruited a total of 15,000 elite bandit cavalry—an enormous force. The recruitment alone cost Lu Hai Kong nearly two million gold, not to mention the subsequent training and nurturing.
Now, these 15,000 unorganized elite bandit cavalry were sent to Wudu County to prepare for war.
On the other hand, Lu Hai Kong dispatched the Blackwind Legion to closely monitor the situation in Jiuyuan.
This time, Lu Hai Kong had taken a strong stance and annihilated the sixty thousand troops. He knew that the enemy would not sit idly by...
...
Outside Jiuyuan County, in a small town converted into a military camp where the Wuxian rebels had settled, the high-ranking members of the two Wuxian tribes were gathered.
"The food supplies we sent were intercepted halfway, leaving them without food to replenish their energy. Additionally, Lu Hai Kong launched a night attack with the Blackwind Legion, exhausting their last bit of strength. In the end, they were surrounded and defeated by infantry. That's the whole story of the battle," said a thin Xianbei tribesman in the camp, who was none other than Hu Yinwen, the Xianbei tribesman who had previously encountered Lu Hai Kong.
"Well done, Lu Hai Kong!" exclaimed a thirty-year-old WuHuan tribesman sitting in the chief's seat, his face filled with murderous intent.
This man was Wu Yan Yong, the leader of the WuHuan tribe and the highest commander of the WuHuan tribe in this operation.
Hu Yinwen glanced at him and then at the two Xianbei tribesmen on either side of him, both appearing to be in their thirties, and continued, "Honorable leaders, the current situation is very unfavorable for us. We have been unable to capture Jiuyuan County for a long time, and our food supplies are only sufficient for a few more days. We originally planned to attack Shaling to seize food supplies, but Lu Hai Kong intervened, resulting in not only the loss of our sixty thousand troops but also the unresolved issue of food supplies."
"Who cares about food supplies? If we capture Jiuyuan County, with its abundant resources, we won't have to worry about food supplies," said a disdainful Xianbei leader.
"But that old thief Ding Yuan has already endured our siege of forty thousand troops for more than ten days. Our current forces are less than thirty thousand, and who knows how long he can hold out? If we can't capture Ding Yuan within five days, our food supplies will be completely depleted, and we'll have no choice but to retreat.
"The Xianbei and Uhuan tribes had mobilized a massive force of 400,000 soldiers, and initially, their momentum was unstoppable. They swiftly conquered all of Wuyuan Prefecture, except for Jiuyuan County, and indulged in a satisfying spree of burning, killing, and looting along the way.
However, after the initial satisfaction, problems arose.
With such a large army, they found it challenging to manage, especially when it came to the distribution of supplies and logistics, which became a significant test for them.
After ten consecutive days of attacking Jiuyuan County without success, many soldiers began to disobey orders. Instead of continuing the siege, they took matters into their own hands and started looting nearby areas.
It was under these circumstances that Hu Yinwen rose to prominence. With his exceptional talents, he gained the recognition of Wu Yan Yong and the two Xianbei tribal leaders, becoming the logistics manager for this vast army and taking control of the logistics for 300,000 soldiers.
Due to this reason, Hu Yinwen, from a medium-sized tribe, had the right to speak at this meeting.
'For us, whether or not we can capture Jiuyuan County is no longer the most crucial issue,' Hu Yinwen said, pointing at a military map in front of him. 'I suggest we allocate a portion of our forces to surround Jiuyuan County, and then concentrate the majority of our troops. As long as we can breach Shuofang Xianyang or Wuyuan County, we can lead our army south. After a massive looting spree, we can return to the grasslands before the Han Dynasty can respond. This is the most beneficial course of action for us right now.'
His words immediately resonated with many in attendance.
The lack of progress after ten days of fighting had left many high-ranking members of the Xianbei and Uhuan tribes dissatisfied. Not everyone had joined the expedition out of hatred or a desire for the leader's position. Many had come with the intention of taking advantage of this opportunity to loot and plunder."
But after the initial looting in Wuyuan Prefecture, there was nothing more. They were forcefully brought here to conquer Jiuyuan.
'Let's just attack Jiuyuan then. Jiuyuan County is also wealthy. As long as we can capture it, we can make a fortune.'
After ten consecutive days of fighting without success, they felt rather disappointed. During this time, the commanders of the two tribes had become increasingly discontent, but they were constantly suppressed by Wu Yan Yong and the two Xianbei chiefs.
At this point, someone suggested they go looting, and many agreed.
'Exactly! Let's just leave that old fool Ding Yuan alone and attack other places.'
'We came here for beautiful Han women and piles of gold, not to smash our heads against rocks.'
'Let's go looting! We can invade from Xianyang or Shuofang!'
As the discussion continued, Wu Yan Yong frowned and slammed his hand on the table. 'Quiet!'
Wu Yan Yong's authority was evident as everyone immediately fell silent.
'You bunch of clueless fools! Have you forgotten how many tribes and people have fallen to Lu Bu's cavalry in the past year? Three hundred thousand! Among them, three hundred thousand Uhuan people died at Lu Bu's hands, more than the total number of Uhuan people here!'
'In just one year, why have they been able to kill so many of us? It's because of you brainless idiots! Right now, the perfect opportunity to eliminate Ding Yuan is right before us, and you want to give up? Today you let him go, and tomorrow, when he regains his strength, he'll turn his blades on your necks.'
'Do you really think an army of 400,000 is powerful? We've only been out for a few days, and in less than half a month, we're down to 300,000. In another half a month, how many of you here will remain? Split our forces? Can we afford to split our forces now? Can 200,000 soldiers hold back Lu Bu? Lu Hai Kong wiped out 60,000 with a single move. What can a mere 100,000 soldiers do?'
'Once Lu Bu and Ding Yuan escape, can you withstand their counterattack? Split our forces to loot? Nonsense!'
Under Wu Yan Yong's stern rebuke, those who had been jumping with joy moments ago sat down quietly.
His scolding made them realize their situation wasn't as favorable as they had imagined. The thought of Lu Bu's terror ravaging the grasslands over the past year sent a shiver down everyone's spine.
Wu Yan Yong scanned the room. 'Regardless, we have no way back. Ding Yuan must die. As for the issue of supplies, don't worry about it. We must capture Jiuyuan County within five days!'
'You want money and women? Once we open Jiuyuan County, everything will be there! I won't stop you from taking whatever you want!'
No one was a fool, and Wu Yan Yong could see that splitting their forces now would be the most foolish decision.
Whether they chose to retreat or continue their rampage, they had no choice but to capture Jiuyuan. Only by eliminating the most dangerous enemy could they ensure their freedom of movement.
(End of Chapter)"
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