Tiger Guards

Chapter 501 Possessing a Great Righteousness
On the 13th, Zhao Jizhong's army arrived at the court of Sheyan.

Xu Huang's five vanguard armies, which had gathered here, had already spread westward and were attacking. Zhao Ji directly took over the sand table created by Xu Huang.

The two volunteer armies of Liu Qubei and Xiutu Dada were originally composed of elite troops from various Xiongnu tribes, and were essentially there to fight when the tide was going their way.

Therefore, once the war began, these two militia armies completely scattered, like sparks flying everywhere, chasing and plundering scattered small settlements of various ethnic groups.

Meanwhile, the armies of Xu Huang, Zhang Liao, and Zhao Yun attacked the large settlements of various Hu tribes, which were originally occupied counties and ancient cities.

Like the Xiongnu, the Qiang people lived a pastoral lifestyle, but they placed more emphasis on farming and also had a tradition of building stone fortresses and cities.

Therefore, larger Qiang settlements often built stone fortresses and stockades against the mountains.

If given several generations, the various Hu peoples, whose culture is mainly based on the Qiang people, could build a dense cluster of fortified villages in the mountains and wilderness.

The various Hu peoples in the three prefectures were based on Qiang culture and absorbed a large number of Han border people. They had a strong desire to build cities and cultivate the land.

Therefore, Xu Huang's three armies each entered and besieged large settlements... but failed to launch a surprise attack, indicating that the Qiang and Hu tribes in the three prefectures were already prepared, appearing relaxed on the outside but tense on the inside.

Zhao Ji looked at the sand table map, taking a bite of the wheat cake in his hand every now and then.

Jia Xu, draped in a glossy black bear fur cloak, sat quietly with his eyes closed, meditating. The information from the sand table was already etched into his mind.

Jia Xu was simply waiting for other unexpected information; ordinary military intelligence would no longer have any impact.

The situation is now clearer: the various Hu tribes are already prepared, which means that there must be a jointly formed mobile force.

This mobile force either lay in wait, attempting to attack Xu Huang's three armies, or to attack the Southern Route Army, or to try and overwhelm Zhao Ji in one fell swoop.

The central army cannot move until this mobile force is exposed.

Also, we have to wait for news from the north.

With the various Hu tribes of the three commanderies already prepared, it became highly likely that they would ally themselves with the Xianbei and invite them to move south.

Anyway, the Xianbei people had nothing better to do in the winter, so a trip to the three commanderies might force the various Hu tribes in the three commanderies to nominally submit to them.

The current ruler of the Xianbei is Kuitou, the eldest grandson of Tanshihuai, the founding chief of the Xianbei. However, Helian, who succeeded Tanshihuai after his death, was his second son.

Now, Helian's son, Qianman, has grown up and is attempting to seize the throne from his cousin, Kuitou.

If Kui Tou can defeat Zhao Ji, the Grand Marshal of Han, or intimidate the various Hu tribes of the three commanderies into submission, his momentum and prospects will soar, and he will be able to suppress the division and turmoil caused by Qian Man in the short term.

The Xianbei people did indeed have the motivation and need to intervene in this war.

Guan Shang brought in a plate of food, put it down, and said to Zhao Ji, "Grand Marshal, someone claiming to be Su Ze from Fufeng has sent a letter requesting an audience with you."

Zhao Ji frowned: "Is it the Su from the Su family of Fufeng?"

“I don’t know. My subordinates said that this person claimed to have fled from the north and brought information about the Xianbei army. They dared not conceal it, so they reported it to me.”

"Understood. Arrange for him to come see me."

Zhao Ji picked up a bowl of rice porridge, stirred it, and placed it in front of Jia Xu: "Strategist, do you know this person, Su Ze?"

"This man was known as a famous scholar. I thought he would lose his life in the chaos of the Three Auxiliary Regions. Unexpectedly, he had the foresight to escape the Three Auxiliary Regions and save his life."

Jia Xu took the wooden bowl, stirred it with a wooden spoon, blew on it, and then said, "It is true that the Su clan of Pingling is large and powerful, but its branches are spread throughout the surrounding areas. The Grand Marshal only relocated his clan, relatives, and fellow villagers, and did not implicate any remaining members of the Su clan. There is no need to worry that Su Ze is exaggerating military intelligence."

The Wei family, for example, was able to develop numerous branches including powerful clans and renowned figures. The Su family, which rose to prominence alongside the Wei family, also had an even more complex network of branches.

Faced with Jia Xu's words of comfort, Zhao Ji couldn't help but smile.

After the turmoil in the Three Auxiliary Regions, the branches of the Su family, both near and far, naturally banded together for survival. As a result, he wiped out almost the entire Su family in Guanzhong.

However, there are indeed remnants of the Su clan who, for various reasons, did not go to Pingling to band together for survival.

Well, when a family grows to a certain size, internal conflicts can become greater than the fear of death.

Although people are afraid of death, some would rather live a humble life outside than return to their family and suffer humiliation.

For example, Su Ze, whose fortified village was so strong that even the combined forces of Li Jue and Guo Si could not conquer it, was known as a scholar, yet he never went to the fortified village.

Ultimately, Su Ze's branch of the family must have had some unspoken conflicts with the Su family, who were in charge of the fortified village.

Zhao Ji nodded and picked up his bowl of millet porridge to eat.

Military mobilization is a major event, and a delay of a few tens of minutes in military intelligence will not have any impact.

He was confident in the range of his scouts' reconnaissance, within which the Xianbei could not possibly infiltrate.

Besides, even if the Xianbei people advance to within twenty miles, what can they do?
Zhao Ji patiently ate his porridge and wheat cakes before going to see Su Ze. Su Ze could not be described as ragged; he wore a knee-length fur coat made of pika skin, with the fur turned outwards and large areas worn and filthy.

Even Su Ze himself had disheveled hair and beard, and a thin face.

But he looked quite well, and his sharp gaze gave Zhao Ji a stereotypical impression of being very businesslike.

After Zhao Ji sat down, he asked, "Why are you dressed like this, sir?"

"I and my friend lived in seclusion in the Taibai Mountains in the north, making a living by hunting, hence this attire."

Su bowed to Zhao Ji and smiled, "The Grand Marshal also once lived in seclusion in Jishan, and so did I."

“There is a difference between you and me. When I lived in seclusion in Jishan, I wore leopard skin, tiger skin and deerskin clothing.”

Zhao Ji turned to look at Guan Shang: "Brew some ginger tea for Mr. Su to warm him up."

"Here."

Guan Shang turned and walked away quickly. Zhao Ji then asked, "Did you come alone, sir, or with a friend?"

"Of the three of us who went south, only I and Ji Mao from Chiyang in Fengyi have now joined the Grand Marshal's army."

"Ikehiro Yoshimo?"

Zhao Ji thought for a moment and then asked, "Is he a relative of Ji Ping, the Imperial Physician? I heard that Minister Zhao recruited Ji Huang from Chiyang as an aide this year. Is he a close relative of Ji Mao?"

Upon hearing this, Su Ze's eyes lit up and he immediately replied, "Ji Mao is Ji Huang's younger brother. He is currently suffering from frostbite on his legs and feet. I urge the Grand Marshal to send a skilled physician to treat him."

"I will send someone to treat him myself. Tell me about the military situation, sir."

Seeing that Su Ze was sitting there shivering uncontrollably, Zhao Ji stood up and stretched out his arms, saying, "Please come over to the stove to talk things over."

"Thank you for your concern, Grand Marshal."

Su Ze did not refuse and followed Zhao Ji into the inner hall. He saw the burning iron stove in the partition wall and couldn't help but quicken his pace to reach over and warm his hands by the fire.

He turned around and leaned against the fire wall between the walls, feeling even colder. He couldn't stop shivering, as if he was exhaling cold air.

After warming up for a few breaths, Su forced himself to stand up straight, cupped his hands and replied, "We originally made our living by hunting in the Taibai Mountains. When we entered the city to exchange for salt, we saw that the Xianbei were gathering. So we discussed it with our companions and decided to travel down the mountain together, day and night."

They also had to travel day and night, as it was easy to freeze to death in the mountains in such weather.

Su Ze looked relieved: "I encountered the Heavenly Soldiers in Yulin. With their help, I was able to enter the Grand Marshal's army and save my life."

"Sir, you've concluded that the Xianbei are gathering to march south and fight us?"

"Indeed, there are also exiled scholars among the Xianbei. It was with their help that we were able to set off."

Su Ze looked on with a sigh: "If the Xianbei succeed, given their ferocity and cruelty, there will never be a day of peace in the Qin and Jin regions."

"Understood. Our central army has assembled here to await the Xianbei."

Zhao Ji took off his bearskin cloak and draped it over Su Ze's shoulders: "Sir, please rest and warm yourself to avoid damaging your health. Once you've recovered, we can discuss military matters in detail."

Su Ze gripped the sides of his cloak, shielding himself with his hands, and asked directly, "Did the Grand Marshal have a plan in place?"

"It is not that I am arrogant, but my subordinates Xu Gongming, Zhang Wenyuan, and Zhao Zilong are all men who are well-versed in military affairs. Their future achievements will be no less than those of the Three Ming of Liangzhou in the past. I followed these three generals for the purpose of fighting against the Xianbei."

Zhao Ji spoke calmly, looking into Su Ze's eyes: "I am very glad that in this border region, amidst the chaos of war, there is still a man of great righteousness like you, sir."

Su Ze was speechless for a moment. He really didn't expect that Zhao Ji, the young Grand Marshal, had come to fight against the Xianbei.

Zhao Ji was too lazy to explain in detail. Taking the initiative to go beyond the Great Wall to fight the Xianbei would inspire the Xianbei people to unite against a common enemy. Moreover, the journey was too long, and it would be easy to get bogged down in a war of attrition while dealing with the Xianbei.

However, the situation was different when defending the border, as the number of Xianbei people attacking was limited.

At the same time, as the attacking side, the Xianbei leader had to achieve results, otherwise it would be difficult to win over the people.

Therefore, the Xianbei people took the initiative to fight, which meant that a clash was inevitable.

Even if this Xianbei group is severely damaged, it will not provoke collective hatred from other Xianbei tribes and leaders.

This defensive counter-offensive warfare is well-suited to the current situation.

By eliminating the Xianbei people's ability to intervene in the short term, we can have three to five years of true peace.

(End of this chapter)