Jinting Han people

Although Lu Ji had long anticipated that the war would not proceed smoothly, he was still astonished when Sima Ying's order reached Chenggao Pass.

The reason is simple: the King of Chengdu changed his mind far too quickly.

Before leaving, Lu Ji made three agreements with the King of Chengdu: first, the generals at the front were not allowed to communicate with Ye City; second, the King of Chengdu was not allowed to urge him to fight; and third, if he really had any opinions on the war at the front, he should at least listen to the views of his friends Jiang Tong and Zao Song.

These three agreements, in essence, had only one purpose: to prevent Sima Ying from acting impulsively and ordering the front lines on a whim. However, the result was that, less than half a month after the army marched south, the Prince of Chengdu voluntarily broke the agreement, and in the very way he least wanted to see it, directly sending an envoy to the army to publicly announce the order, commanding Lu Ji to lead the troops in a decisive battle.

This order completely contradicted Lu Ji's plan.

His choice to cross the river south to Xingyang and capture Hulao Pass was to avoid a direct confrontation. By utilizing the narrow valley terrain between Hulao Pass and Luoyang, he aimed to shorten the battle lines as much as possible, preventing either side from deploying their full forces. Consequently, they could only use small numbers of troops to repeatedly exchange blows, wearing down each other's manpower until the Imperial Guards were exhausted.

How could the Northern Army possibly win a decisive battle in this terrain? If Lu Ji had planned it this way from the beginning, he would have chosen to advance from the river bridge or engage the Imperial Guards in a duel in Hanoi County, and would not have seized Hulao Pass at all.

Therefore, upon receiving the military order, Lu Ji immediately decided to disobey.

He first inquired with the envoy from Ye City about the reasons and process by which the King of Chengdu had sent an envoy. After learning that the court had dispatched Liu Kun to Ye City, he seized the time and drafted a reply overnight, attempting to analyze with Sima Ying that this was an enemy's trick, and that a decisive battle would play right into their hands. He argued that his current strategy was foolproof and hoped that the King of Chengdu would change his mind.

But Lu Ji also knew that written words were ultimately insufficient to move people's hearts. Therefore, he also sent letters to his friends in Ye City, such as Jiang Tong and Zao Song, imploring them to intercede with Sima Ying in the palace. He emphasized the principle that "a general in the field may disobey orders," and urged Sima Ying to uphold the pre-battle agreement.

And most importantly, Lu Ji also wrote a letter to Meng Jiu, in which he repeatedly expressed his feelings: their cooperation had long been intertwined, with both sides sharing both glory and loss. If he succeeded, he would never forget Meng Jiu's kindness; if he failed, it would not only be his own honor or disgrace, but the entire Northern Expeditionary Army and the entire Chengdu Prince's Mansion would suffer enormous losses. Therefore, he hoped that Meng Jiu would think carefully and not secretly hinder him.

Lu Ji began to deliberate in the evening, and by the time he finished writing these letters, the sky was already beginning to lighten, and the night had passed just like that. After the ink on the paper had dried slightly, he rubbed his wrists and examined them one last time. Then he called his personal guard and instructed him to send the letters out as soon as possible. He then returned to his bedside, intending to take a short rest.

However, considering Sima Ying's attitude and the upcoming battles, Lu Ji found it difficult to sleep soundly. He knew that once the rule of remote command was broken, it would be very difficult to stop.

But could he not have foreseen this development? Lu Ji felt a touch of self-mockery: he knew all too well. But the clearer one is, the harder it is to let go of that sliver of obsession and fantasy. This was probably the only chance in his life to lead troops and prove himself; once lost, it would likely never come again.

Thinking of his rival Liu Xian, he felt both ashamed and jealous: the two had been friends for so many years, and both believed their talents were roughly equal, so why was Liu Xian always able to persevere and find people willing to support him? Was it because of different luck? Or was it because he had taken the wrong path?

Lu Ji pondered this question repeatedly, but ultimately found no answer: because everything had already happened, he had no way back, nor could he imagine a path he had never taken before; he could only take it one step at a time.

This is a lesson learned by two generations of Lu family heads: in politics, there are no other principles; only survival is the sole truth. Therefore, one can sacrifice everything and repeatedly waver on political stances.

It should be noted that when Sun Ce conquered Lujiang Commandery, he massacred nearly half of the Lu family. If Lu Xun hadn't abandoned his family's blood feud and submitted to Sun Ce, how could he have been entrusted with a critical mission and achieved victory at Yiling? Later, Sun Chen staged a coup and exterminated the Zhuge clan. Lu Kang's wife, Lu Ji's mother, Lady Zhang, was none other than Zhuge Jin's granddaughter. If Lu Kang hadn't promptly divorced his beloved wife, causing her to die of grief, how could he have regained trust and been appointed to govern Xiling?
Both Lu Xun and his son Lu Kang paid a heavy price and sacrificed countless emotions to become renowned generals. Lu Ji also entered politics with the same awareness. Now in his forties, he seems to have achieved his goal, yet he feels more regret than joy. Why is that? Has he become weak? Or was he wrong from the start?

Lu Ji couldn't get a good answer, and there are no perfect answers in the world anyway. He could only continue on the path of his father and grandfather, and he would also face his greatest rival, who was once his best friend...

When he awoke again, two hours had passed. It was broad daylight, the sun high in the sky, its rays even illuminating the fine dust motes floating at the tent flap. Lu Ji changed his robe, donned a scholar's cap, washed his face with cold water, and after bowing to the north for a quarter of an hour, he planned to send someone to convene another military council. Before he could speak, his eldest son, Lu Wei, rushed in, panting, "My lord, something has happened!"

"Hmm?" Lu Ji stared at his eldest son, frowned and criticized, "Wencai, how many times have I told you, no matter what happens, you must guard against arrogance and impetuosity, remain calm and composed, otherwise, as the heart of the army, how can you command respect?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Wei immediately straightened his hat and stamped his foot, bowing to Lu Ji. He was seventeen years old this year, and he never dared to be disrespectful in front of his father's authority. But even so, he could not hide his panic.

After taking a deep breath, he reported to Lu Ji, "My lord, something terrible has happened! Commander Meng has gone to storm the execution ground!"

"Do you remember? Yesterday, one of his military officers robbed and disturbed the people in Xingyang, stealing nearly a hundred taels of gold. Your Honor, you sentenced that military officer to death and beheaded him at noon today. But as soon as the military officer was brought to the execution ground, Governor Meng arrived with about a hundred men to seize him, and a fight broke out on the spot!"

Lu Ji was startled upon hearing this, immediately stood up, and said to his eldest son, "Go! Lead the way for me!"

The worst fears have come true! With Sima Ying's order arriving, the generals in the army will undoubtedly speculate that Lu Ji has lost Sima Ying's favor. Lu Ji, a man from Wu, without the support of the Prince of Chengdu, has no authority in the army. As a result, various violations of discipline will inevitably occur. Now, only one day after Sima Ying's order arrived, such things have already happened; he must immediately stop this unhealthy trend!
Upon arriving at the execution ground, they saw two groups of people pushing and tearing at each other in the middle, surrounded by soldiers who were pointing and gesturing at the center of the execution ground. The noise was deafening, just like a marketplace, completely lacking the tranquility that should be present in a military camp.

Enraged by this, Lu Ji strode to the center of the execution ground, snatched the executioner's broadsword from a bystander, and slammed it into a wooden stake with a "clang." He then roared, "How dare you cause such a disturbance in the military camp! Silence!"

All eyes turned to him, and the execution ground fell silent. The audience dispersed, while the soldiers remained in their fighting stances, somewhat bewildered.

Lu Ji sneered twice and rebuked, "What? Aren't you going to let go? Do you want me to come and invite them one by one?" Meng Chao knew he was in the wrong, but he acted as if he had been the one who had suffered a loss. He preemptively stopped his men and asked Lu Ji, "Commander, what do you mean by this?"

Lu Ji stared at him and said calmly, "What do you mean? To uphold military discipline! Lord Meng, this is an execution ground. Apart from the executioner, the executioner, and the prisoners, no one else is allowed to enter! I remember that you are neither the executioner nor the executioner. Could it be that you are a prisoner?"

Seeing Lu Ji's sharp gaze, Meng Chao was initially a little guilty, but when he remembered Sima Ying's care for his brothers, he suddenly became bolder and argued, "My men have done nothing wrong, so what punishment are you talking about?"

Lu Ji smirked and said sarcastically, "Oh? Lord Meng, if I remember correctly, your military commander robbed about ten households, not only taking a hundred taels of gold but also raping two young girls. Is that all right?"

“Soldiers are there to fight and kill. Since they are selling their lives, what’s wrong with taking some property? This has been the case since ancient times. Emperor Guangwu’s restoration was achieved by confiscating property. Are you going to kill people for this? Isn’t that making things difficult for them?”

Upon hearing this, Lu Ji finally lost his temper and angrily cursed, "You idiot! Henan is a vital area around the capital, the foundation of the Jin dynasty. If we want to save the country, we must appease the people. Your subordinates treat this place as an enemy state. Do you think we don't have enough enemies already?"

Having said that, he immediately gave the order, pointing at the prisoner and saying, "Bring him here!"

Lu Ji was, after all, the overall commander-in-chief. Meng Chao dared to disobey him, but no one else did. The prisoner was quickly brought over. Lu Ji didn't waste any time. He knew that no one else dared to offend Meng Chao. He pulled the prisoner over and asked, "Do you know your crime?"

The prisoner hesitated, too afraid to answer, and dared not even look up. Seeing this, Lu Ji said nothing more, picked up his swift knife, and brought it down with a thunderous strike. Caught completely off guard, the crowd saw a flash of light, heads separated, and blood gushed out, most of it splashing onto Meng Chao and Lu Ji, staining half of their clothes red.

Meng Chao was stunned for a moment. He looked down at the bloodstains on his sleeve, then at the head rolling around beside him. It took him a while to react, and then he flew into a rage, cursing at Lu Ji, "You scoundrel, how dare you?!"

Lu Ji's eyes remained unmoved. He brandished his swift knife, splattering blood onto the ground and revealing a chilling glint. This startled Meng Chao, who instinctively took two steps back. Then, feigning bravado, he said, "I am a brother of the Meng Huangmen. What can you do to me?!"

"Without my brother's support, you, you bastard, are you even fit to be a governor?! You're not even worth a toe of Lu Zhi's!"

Lu Ji remained noncommittal. He turned his head and gestured to Sima Sunzheng with his eyes, then said to Meng Chao, "You have raided the execution ground without cause, failed to manage your subordinates properly, and insulted your superiors. According to the rules, you should be executed!"

Upon hearing this, Meng Chao immediately sensed something was wrong and turned to run away, but Sun Zheng and his men had already surrounded him and pinned him to the ground. Meng Chao roared, glaring at Lu Ji, and threatened loudly, "You scoundrel! You dare kill me! My brother will never let you get away with this!"

Lu Ji sneered, "Of course I won't kill you, but I won't let you off easily either. De Shi, give him two hundred lashes so he'll learn his lesson!"

He then pointed to Meng Chao's other followers and said, "The rest of you who violated military discipline will also be punished. Considering that you were accomplices, your punishment will be halved, and you will receive one hundred strokes of the cane!"

For a moment, the execution ground was filled with wails of agony, a sound too painful to bear. The most miserable of all was Meng Chao, his back a bloody mess from the whippings. Though it didn't impair his mobility, the pain was excruciating. He had never suffered such humiliation in his life. So, groaning and howling, he shouted curses, "Lu Ji, you're plotting a rebellion! You'll die a horrible death! You're nothing but a treacherous, ungrateful wretch, everyone in the world knows that! What are you pretending to be, a saint! You're plotting a rebellion! You'll die a horrible death, you bastard! I'll kill you sooner or later!"

The execution lasted for a full half hour. After Meng Chao and his group were dragged away, Lu Ji stared at the congealed blood on the execution ground, his expression somber.

Sun Zheng whispered in his ear, "Commander, why don't we just kill Meng Chao? We've made such a big grudge today, it's bound to cause trouble sooner or later!"

Lu Ji remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "A great battle is about to begin. Killing a general is an ominous sign. Don't say such things!"

Sun Zheng was startled upon hearing this. He was Lu Ji's confidant and knew Lu Ji's original plan. Wasn't Lu Ji planning a series of battles? Why was he talking about a major battle? Could it be that Lu Ji had changed his mind and was really going to have a decisive battle?

Lu Ji knew his doubts and sighed, "Can't you see? The moment His Highness's order came, the morale of the army was already in chaos. The longer it drags on, the more chaotic the morale will become! How can we possibly proceed according to plan? Now that I have offended Meng Chao, His Highness will no longer speak up for me."

"I have no other choice but to fight the King of Changsha to the death."

Was it worth offending Meng Chao and Meng Jiu for the sake of mere military discipline? To an ordinary person, it would undoubtedly seem unworthy. But Lu Ji asked himself honestly, if even this last shred of principle were abandoned, what meaning would the Lu family's reputation hold?

Let it be a decisive battle then. Although this is not what I want, a decisive battle is not without a chance of victory. Lu Ji thought that he still had a hidden trump card. If used properly, he might be able to win in a direct confrontation.

With this in mind, Lu Ji returned to his command tent. He studied the map and said to Sun Zheng, "Go and invite the Central Army Advisor. I have something to ask him."

Having said that, he placed his finger on the map, gently tracing the contours of Mount Mang, gazing intently at the pulse of victory. (End of Chapter)