Tiger Guards

Chapter 468 Unable to Rest
After receiving Zhao Ji's reply, Ju Shou began to order Yan Liang, the vanguard, to withdraw.

The fleet of ships under Ju Shou's command remained stationary, and the more than fifty transport ships under Gan Ning's command, which were confronting Yan Liang, also remained stationary, without pursuing them.

As Yan Liang's vanguard ships turned left, passed through the middle of the river, and headed downstream, Ju Shou watched Yan Liang's troops retreat rapidly, feeling a heavy weight in his chest.

He felt more and more certain that his prediction was correct; the opposing Zhao Da Sima really didn't want to fight.

In other words, the enemy army, with so many people tied up in it, was actually in a very weak state.

It's like someone who's seriously overeaten; a gentle push might cause their intestines to rupture.

However, Hebei lacks naval tradition and technical expertise, and Zhao Ji somehow acquired such an elite naval force, making it impossible for them to fight!
Once Zhao Ji withdraws his troops and consolidates his gains, he will likely not have another opportunity to march east into the Central Plains the following year.

That's right. If you suddenly push Zhao Ji or trip him, he'll explode on the spot.

But Zhao Ji also has a sharp weapon in his hand. If you dare to reach out, Zhao Ji can chop off your hand with the first strike.

The fact that the other party is letting me go now is not because they are kind-hearted, but because they have a sword in their sheath and don't want to take any extra risks.

As long as Zhao Ji has the emergency response team in hand, he can definitely kill the first attacker.

In Zhao Ji's view, he was sitting on a wood-burning cart filled with kerosene, with a slow-loading hunting rifle in his hand. As long as he didn't fire, his deterrent power would always be there.

This was a clash between courage and reason, and Zhao Ji watched quietly.

Seeing that the fleet under Ju Shou's command in the distance on the north bank had also turned around and left, he turned to Guan Shang and said: "Order Guan Cheng and Guan Hai to cross the river, and order Gan Ning to retreat to the south bank to transport the troops from Yanzhou to cross the river."

"Here!"

Guan Shang hurried off to relay the order, while Pei Xiu looked at Zhao Ji with suspicion: "Does the Grand Marshal intend to question Hanoi about his crimes?"

“I can let Ju Shou go, but the defenses of the towns and cities in Hanoi are practically non-existent and must be severely punished.”

Zhao Ji smiled as he spoke: "The pride of the people of Hanoi, which now allows the troops of Jizhou to come and go freely, seems to have vanished."

Hanoi was Sizhou, within the royal domain; Jizhou was an outer province, outside the royal domain.

The participation of the Hanoi troops in the Luodu coup, regardless of victory or defeat, constitutes a mutiny; the involvement of the Jizhou troops is treason and rebellion.

Hanoi was already crippled in the early stages of the campaign against Dong Zhuo, and now it truly lacks the strength and courage to resist Ji Province.

However, the troops from Jizhou crossed the border and went straight to Shequan, a distance of two hundred li, passing through four counties. They even captured Shequan, the garrison town of Huai County, the county seat of the prefecture. As a result, all five counties pretended to be deaf and dumb. This required a heavy blow.

Zhao Ji pondered the severity and method of punishment, and seeing that Pei Xiu seemed about to say something, he asked, "What are your thoughts, Wen Li?"

“If we punish the officials of Hanoi, we will lose Zhang Yang’s favor and also greatly disappoint Hanoi.”

Pei Xiu suggested, "Could we differentiate between these cases and conduct a thorough investigation before taking any action?"

"This kind of thing can't be delayed. If it's left for another ten days or so, the people of Hanoi will think I'm making a mountain out of a molehill and bringing up old grievances. I'm not the kind of person who holds grudges for the past. Why let such a small grudge linger overnight?"

Zhao Ji gazed at the distant outline of the north bank, the north wind blowing against his face: "The people of Hanoi have never been loyal to me, so how can they be so disappointed? If even the people of Hanoi are so presumptuous and manipulative, how rampant will other places become in the future?"

Pei Xiu remained silent; he disliked treating the gentry of Hanoi harshly.

The war potential of the Hanoi people had long been exhausted, which is why Zhang Yang had been unable to achieve anything for so many years.

Zhang Yang took many able-bodied men with him when he entered Yanzhou. Now, the people of Hanoi can only leave their gates open, allowing their own troops or those from Jizhou to come and go freely.

Pretending to be deaf and dumb out of necessity is understandable.

Seeing his reluctance, Zhao Ji patiently explained, "If I had crossed the river last night, what would have happened if Ju Shou had come under cover of darkness and launched a surprise attack on the south bank? Now that I have severely punished Hanoi, if such a thing happens again in the future, the local officials and clans will fear my execution and will send envoys to inform me."

Pei Xiu nodded, then said, "The army's provisions last for nine days. The wheat and millet from the Luoyang military garrison are enough to support the army's return to Hedong. If we leave the local officials and their families in Hedong, we can eliminate them when things get urgent next year, which can also help in the short term."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ji glanced around and saw that the nearest guards were seven or eight paces away. He then whispered, "Seventh Brother, do you think I'm that kind of person? But what you said is right. If I don't take action, the Hebei soldiers will take action later to make up for their temporary shortage."

Pei Xiu sighed silently, turned around and looked away, no longer paying attention to Zhao Ji.

It was obvious that Zhao Ji deliberately misinterpreted his meaning. He meant that the productive forces of the powerful clans in the eastern counties of Hanoi should not be touched, as they could be used in future battles. Taking them all in one fell swoop would alleviate the burden of transporting supplies to the rear.

However, in Zhao Ji's eyes, these people were already flirting with the Hebei side. If the war with Hebei really came to a head, the people of Hanoi would definitely become the front-line supply and production base for the Hebei soldiers.

Having this idea, there's no way we can hold back.

Zhao Ji also turned to look at the accompanying officials and saw that Gao Chong, the official in charge of the capital, had also left Luoyang to come to Xingyang to welcome him.

The Du Guan Congshi (都官从事) were subordinate to the Sili Xiaowei (司隶校尉), and their numbers were variable. They were responsible for leading the armed officers and servants of the Sili Xiaowei's office to investigate and apprehend officials on the spot. They were the kind of officials who would act swiftly upon hearing a report, arrest first, interrogate later, and determine guilt based on the interrogation results. In short, they were the primitive versions of the Jinyiwei (锦衣卫) and Dongchang (东厂).

The other party also had business competition with the Imperial Guards under the command of the Commander of the Imperial Guards. The previous Commandant of the Capital Region would not personally handle cases; these officials were responsible for doing so.

A more affectionate way to address them is as "Big Boss".

Gao Chong noticed Zhao Ji's gaze and stepped forward, bowing respectfully: "Grand Marshal?"

"The Hanoi prefectures and counties allowed foreign troops to suddenly enter Sizhou, which may indicate collusion and cover up the foreign troops' movements. This is a crime equivalent to treason. This matter must be thoroughly investigated."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey your command."

Gao Chong bowed again, took a few steps back and returned to the queue. He didn't need any documents or written agreements; officials didn't need so many procedures to get things done.

With the main army at their side and the Hebei troops having all withdrawn, dealing with some powerful local strongmen in Hanoi was a piece of cake.

They were not afraid of the fierce resistance from the powerful clans of Hanoi; the more they resisted, the more it proved that they deserved their fate.

Many troops did not achieve enough gains, and compared to the risks of fighting the Hebei army and Lü Bu's army, bullying the powerful families of Hanoi was like taking a vacation or a hunting game.

As for whether it would cause a great loss of popular support... Zhao Ji didn't care.

If we send troops to the Northeast again in the future, we must be prepared to fight behind enemy lines.

When they send troops out again, they will face strong hostility and vigilance from powerful figures in the Guandong region, as well as Lü Bu, Yuan Shao, Sun Ce, and Liu Bei.

Rather than vaguely believing in the grand principles of the imperial court or the alliance, it's better to expose the truth yourself and make everything clear who is friend and who is foe.

Zhao Ji looked north and saw Guan Cheng and Guan Hai's troops advancing by boat, using their sails to the side to propel themselves diagonally upstream towards the opposite bank.

I have a feeling that even if I want to recuperate my troops and restore productivity after this retreat, Yuan Shao and Lü Bu will not let me have my way. They will definitely find a way to sabotage and interrupt my recuperation plan.

Only three people broke the deadlock this year: Yuan Shu was one, I counted myself as another, and Sun Ce also broke the deadlock by clearing his name.

Only he himself can truly break the deadlock and gain a foothold. Sun Ce has only returned to the ranks of heroes after a desperate situation. Now he will soon have to undergo Yuan Shao's test and judgment. Only if he survives and gains a foothold in Qingzhou can Sun Ce be considered truly resurrected.

The real enemy at present is neither Yuan Shao nor Lü Bu, but the emperor and the court; they will certainly not sit idly by while I recuperate, and will definitely try to drag me into trouble through Lü Bu and Yuan Shao.

Everyone looked utterly exhausted, as if they were about to die... Who dared to close their eyes and rest? Who dared to allow themselves to recuperate?
Seeing that he was lying down to rest, he knew these bastards would definitely pull him up so they could party together.

If I were in their shoes, I wouldn't allow anyone who disrupted the situation to recover and strengthen their foundation.

This principle is the fundamental reason why Zhuge Liang repeatedly launched campaigns against Cao Wei.

For some reason, Zhao Ji turned his head and looked towards the distant west.

Lu Bu will definitely cause trouble for himself. Now, the only ones who can really make things difficult for him are probably Ma Teng and Han Sui.

Zhao Ji doesn't want to fight them in the short term.

If Ma Teng and Han Sui take another year off, they will likely remain unchanged, making little progress.

He only needs to rest for a year, and when he goes out to fight next year, he can take turns fighting with his troops and drive Han Sui and Ma Teng into the Xiliang region.

If they can recuperate for three years, they can pursue them relentlessly and annihilate them!
However, Ma Teng and Han Sui would not quietly wait for their deaths, nor would the court or scholars from all over the country sit idly by while they recuperated for three years.

Therefore, not only will Ma Teng and Han Sui provoke him, but they will also try to use their home advantage to stall him.

At the same time, the various Hu tribes will be instigated, and even internal rebellions may be incited.

Zhao Ji stood alone in thought, the north wind blowing his crimson and purple cloak, making him appear lonely, yet he stood steadily beside the lookout tower.

The shogunate's staff, along with a group of captains and lieutenants, stood not far away, gazing north as they watched Gan Ning's fleet change its sails and accelerate toward the south bank.

Many people on the south bank thought that Gan Ning would be dissatisfied with the ceasefire and the release of the Hebei soldiers who had come to harass them.

On the flagship, Gan Ning smiled, clearly in high spirits.

He was not only a skilled general, but also possessed remarkable strategic vision and courage.

Today, his commanding presence across the Yellow River, overwhelming the armies of Hebei, has already established his future status.

(End of this chapter)