Jinting Han people

Chapter 187 Hao San and the Camp Exploration (4k)

One afternoon in Linfen City, the sky was still covered with dark clouds, and there was no clear sky at all. The rain was still dripping, hitting the city walls, eaves, and treetops, and finally fell into the mud, accumulating into small puddles, and then connecting with each other, forming small streams of mud, and finally flowing into the moat.

Standing under the eaves of the Linfen County Government, Hao San looked at the scene with a melancholy expression. He turned around and said to his men, "What a miscalculation! We forgot to check the weather before coming here."

This was obviously a gathering of the rear Xiongnu leaders. All the leaders who started the uprising that day were present, but there were also some more people. They were leaders who had defected from Hedong. This brought the number of participants to more than seventy, and the atmosphere was quite lively.

Hao San walked back to the center of the meeting and got straight to the point: "If the rain continues, our march will be greatly slowed down. I'm afraid our original plan to rush to the north will no longer be feasible."

Hao San's original plan was to rest for four days after entering Linfen, then follow the Fen River straight to Longmen Ferry. At a normal speed of forty miles a day, he could reach Xiayang in four or five days, with the entire journey taking no more than ten days. Logically, the Western Expedition Army would have no time to react.

Unexpectedly, the weather was unpredictable and the heavy rain that lasted for several days ruined the entire plan.

At first, the soil between the city and the countryside was merely muddy, but after two or three days, it had almost turned to a yellow paste, then transformed into a swamp. In some places, a careless person could sink two feet into the ground. For ordinary people, a little caution wouldn't be a big deal, but for the Xiongnu, unfamiliar with the terrain and with a large army at the rear, it was a near-fatal obstacle. They were trapped in Linfen City, almost unable to move.

The original plan could no longer be carried out, so Hao San gathered everyone at today's meeting to discuss new strategies for the future.

Qiao Hu, a renowned strongman among the Xiongnu in the rear, was the first to rush into Sun Yuan's bedroom and break his arms and legs one by one during the uprising. He then led the charge, capturing several cities in quick succession. His spirits were high, and he had swept away the depression of the previous few years. Therefore, he did not feel pessimistic at this moment, but instead smiled and said:
"Ha, Marshal, what's the big deal? This heavy rain isn't just falling on us. I think it's affecting Guanzhong as well. Maybe the Western Expeditionary Army can't send troops quickly enough. Let's just stick to our original plan!"

Wu Dousou, who was standing nearby, also agreed. He said, "After running for so long, I don't think the government troops are anything to be afraid of. We haven't fought a war in so many years, and they haven't fought much either. They look just like us. We have more and more people now, so even if we line up our troops one on one, we may still have a chance of winning!"

Their positive attitude mirrored that of the majority. They had initially expected the uprising to be extremely difficult, but unexpectedly, everything had gone smoothly so far. They'd only encountered a minor setback due to the rain, which would only require a few days of rest. And as they watched their team grow in size, it was hard not to feel confident.

So after Wu Dousou finished speaking, everyone began to rush to speak and started to clamor for a fight to the death with the Zhengxi Army.

As the leader, Hao San was naturally pleased to see this atmosphere; confidence was always better than no confidence at all. But he also understood that blind confidence was like a bubble; once faced with setbacks, it would quickly collapse. His subordinates could be optimistic, but they had to remain calm.

Therefore, Hao San just smiled, waved his hand, and waited for everyone to quiet down before saying:
"We have indeed captured several cities, but we must also understand that we have not defeated any capable government troops. They were either unprepared or abandoned the cities and fled. China is a vast country, covering thousands of miles. It is impossible for all of its troops to be so incompetent."

"The Western Expedition Army has always been a reliance of the imperial court. Only trusted officials can control it. There must be capable officials among them."

"As everyone knows recently, I previously sent troops to drive the Jin troops westward, intending to seize the ferry crossing. But two days ago, reports came in of defeat from the Bu Ming, Liu Xiuyun, and Qiu Tong teams. They said they encountered cavalry from the Western Expedition Army. Bu Ming's fate is unknown; he's probably been killed in action."

"After these three defeats, we lost nearly a thousand people. This is no small matter."

At this point, Hao San's mood darkened slightly. He emphasized to everyone, "So, the first message I sent you here today is that you must obey military orders. Do not act on your own or go out without permission. If you have any concerns, consult with me first before taking any action."

When this was said, everyone was a little skeptical. Jin Xiu shook his head and said, "The commander is too cautious. I've inquired, and there were only about a thousand people crossing the river. Bu Ming and his men were hasty and careless, which is why they suffered losses. The man who came here is indeed quite capable. It is said that he is the son of the Anle Duke, the highest-ranking county magistrate in Guanzhong, and it was Du Yuan who was recruited by him."

"But what can we do? There are only a few thousand of them. If he were the commander-in-chief of the Western Expedition Army, he might be worthy of fear, but he is only a county magistrate, which just proves that the court doesn't know how to employ people! Isn't the head of the Western Expedition Army the one named Sun Xiu? He is good at making money, but fighting a war, hehe..."

When everyone heard this, they couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Seeing everyone's relaxed look, Hao San knew that if they continued to discuss like this, they would probably not come to any conclusion.

Instead of continuing pointless discussions, it is better to give clear orders yourself. This way, you can maintain your authority and give everyone a clear goal.

So his expression immediately turned stern, he snorted coldly, and said in a pretentious tone: "You are too unbecoming! What kind of nonsense are you talking about? He can't fight, but you can fight?!"

"If everyone is really as capable as they say, why would we go to Shuofang to seek refuge with Du Yuan? Wouldn't it be more convenient to attack Chang'an directly?"

"We have a lot of people now, but is having a lot of people useful? How many people did Zhang Jue have back then? Millions! And what happened? Emperor Ling of Han sent 40,000 to 50,000 men, and they slaughtered all of them! If the Jin Dynasty was truly so foolish, they would have waited until we caused trouble? Are the Xianbei people in the north all fools? They would have thrown away such a great foundation?"

"To put it bluntly, you just killed some unarmed civilians. How dare you brag about it here? You're so shameless!"

"If you think you're truly capable, step forward now! I'll let him take the position of rear commander! Even if something goes wrong and you get beheaded, at least I won't be the first to die!"

When Hao San was the rear commander, he was known for his fairness, popularity, and prestige. When they heard he was quitting, everyone panicked and rushed to try to dissuade him, blaming themselves for their own mistakes.

Hao San seized the opportunity to speak: "If you still recognize me as the commander-in-chief, you must sign a military order. From today on, you are not allowed to act on your own and must consult with me on everything! If you violate the military order I issued in public in private, I will execute you without mercy! This is absolutely not an empty promise!"

He spoke with such conviction that everyone looked at each other for a while, realizing that this was something they had to do, and finally agreed.

Hao San was overjoyed when he received the promise, but he still kept a stern face and immediately ordered everyone:

"Bu Zhi, from today on, you will collect all the food captured by the various tribes and take care of it. From now on, all expenses for each tribe will come from you. Five liters per person per day, no less, no more. The future is uncertain, and no one knows how many difficulties we will encounter. If something unexpected happens and the accounts don't add up, I will hold you accountable!"

"Qiao Hu, I'll give you eight thousand men. The four tribes of Wudousou, Jinxiu, Weidima, and Qiutong are all at your disposal. After the rain stops, you will lead them south to attack Anyi!"

"Liu Xiuyun! You suffered a defeat earlier and claimed you were unprepared, which is understandable. But from today on, you will be on night watch. If anything goes wrong, I won't kill anyone, and I'm afraid no one will be convinced!" As expected, Hao San, with a solemn tone, issued a series of orders without pause. Everyone in the hall immediately stopped daring to act rashly and bowed their heads in obedience. From this perspective, Hao San was right. At times like these, people often need an absolute leader, not a mediator. They often need to know what to do next, not why.

The meeting ended just like that. Hao San looked at the rain outside, and the rain in his heart continued to fall.

His men were truly a mob, completely unaware of the gap between themselves and a real army. As the Xiongnu rearguard commander, Hao San had actually visited Yecheng and witnessed the real situation. The two were simply incomparable. Furthermore, his men weren't just able-bodied men; more than half were women, children, the elderly, and the weak.

If it really happened as Qiao Hu said, and Hao San had a one-on-one battle with the Zhengxi Army, he could not imagine himself winning.

But even so, he was shouldering the mission of finding a way out for this group of rabble, because this was his responsibility as the rear commander.

Just now, Hao San temporarily took back some power, but as someone who was familiar with the scriptures, he knew that this was far from enough.

At present, his subordinates consisted entirely of tribal soldiers. In battle, they obeyed their leaders' orders, not his own. If one of the leaders harbored ulterior motives, the entire tribe's able-bodied men would follow suit, leading to significant omissions on the battlefield. In contrast, regardless of the Jin army's command, their orders were at least well-executed.

So Hao San had no other choice. He had to try his best to avoid the war. Even if he failed to avoid the war, he had to find a way to seize some opportunities and transform this group of rabble into a combat-ready army.

He had just sent Qiao Hu south to attack Anyi in order to give the enemy the illusion that he intended to move south, crossing the river at Puban Ferry and heading west. But in reality, Puban Ferry was located in the very center of the Guanzhong Plain. Once inside Guanzhong, it would be difficult to leave north. He still wanted to cross the river at Longmen Ferry.

The mere thought of the numerous difficulties he might face next gave Hao San a headache. Although he didn't know what the Zhengxi Army's plan was, Liu Xian, the Xiayang commander in charge of Longmen Ferry, had already become alert. If Liu Xian burned all the boats at the ferry before he arrived, what would he do?

Should he first send light cavalry to seize some of the boats? Or should he make a real move and wait for the Western Expeditionary Army to reach Longmen Ferry before actually crossing the river via Puban Ferry?
Hao San sat alone in the county government office, looking at the map on the table, pondering his next move for a long time. Amid the incessant sound of rain, he suddenly felt a sense of loneliness and helplessness, as if he was the only one in the vast world, with no one to share his worries.

It was not until the evening of the 10th hour, when it was already dark, that he realized he had not yet had dinner. He quickly asked his subordinates to bring him a bowl of wheat rice and three boiled eggs, which he considered his dinner.

While he was peeling the egg and eating it, a servant suddenly ran in from outside and said to Hao San:
"Marshal, Marshal, something happened!"

Hao San quickly drank some water, swallowed the egg yolk in his mouth, frowned and asked:

"What's all the fuss about? Could someone be calling?"

This was a joke. Of course, no one was calling, otherwise he would have heard the roar of the camp outside the city.

Sure enough, after catching his breath for a while, the attendant said to Hao San, "General, your son was beaten!"

Hao San was surprised when he heard this and quickly asked for details.

It turned out that his only son, Hao Suo, had been drinking in the military camp outside the city that night and had gotten drunk. He had gone berserk and was beating his men for no reason. Suddenly, several men appeared and accused Hao Suo of beating and scolding the soldiers without reason, damaging the morale of the army. They then tied Hao Suo up and hung him at the camp gate, where he was beaten. The surrounding soldiers, also resentful of Hao Suo, watched the scene from the sidelines. The men, unable to defeat the men, had no choice but to report to Hao San.

Hao San's face darkened upon hearing this. He said, "Well done! Drinking in the army is already wrong, but beating up your own men for no reason is even more wrong! Where is this rebellious son? Take me to him immediately. I'm going to lock him up for a few days!"

After saying that, he took a sword, asked his friend to take dozens of followers, and rushed directly to the military camp outside the city.

At this point, most of the Xiongnu were scattered outside the city, living in houses or tents. With no curfew, even on rainy nights, bonfires and figures could be seen everywhere, creating a chaotic scene that annoyed Hao San. Perhaps because they were having fun, a few steps further in, he could see a crowd gathered at the camp gate, watching the excitement, noisy and disorganized.

Hao San's desire to reorganize the various departments grew stronger. He thought, this was an opportunity. Although those who attacked Hao Suo were guilty of rebellion, their intentions were good. He might as well reward them and correct the situation.
However, what Hao San didn't expect was that before he and his men reached the camp gate, only a few dozen steps away, he saw several people on horseback rushing out of the camp gate in the rain. He frowned and asked, "What's going on?"

After walking a few dozen steps forward, he saw several more cavalrymen chasing out of the camp gate. Hao San quickly sent someone to stop one of them and inquired about the reason.

It turned out that the people who had attacked Hao Suo had heard that Hao San was coming with his men, and they were frightened and ran away first. Those who came out later were going to chase him.

Hao San said jokingly, "How could I be so narrow-minded? Hurry up and bring them back. Prove that they have done nothing wrong, and I will reward them handsomely!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the cavalrymen who were running ahead suddenly turned around and shot arrows. With two or three plops, two people fell to the ground in the mud, and the pursuing troops were all stopped.

The soldiers present were in an uproar, obviously not expecting things to develop in this way.

Hao San was stunned at first, but then he reacted and shouted, "Catch them! They are spies from the Jin Dynasty!"

They were indeed spies from the Jin Dynasty. More precisely, the four were Liu Xian, Xue Xing, Lü Quyang, and Zhang Gu.

They had just completed a camp expedition.

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　　Logically, I should update the chapter, and I'll try to finish it next week. I've been a bit exhausted lately, so I don't know if I can do it.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)