Tiger Guards

Chapter 545: Follow authority in urgent matters

As night fell, Yuan Shao once again came to the top of Xindu city wall and looked out at Gongsun Zan's newly established camp.

It is difficult to collect building materials and dig trenches in winter.

Gongsun Zan's vanguard units were scattered across the battlefield, each with its own fortifications. At night, the campfires flickered, making the overall formation appear somewhat chaotic and numerous.

Gongsun Zan's central army did not camp in the open, but instead moved to a village a dozen miles outside the east gate of Xindu.

Due to the distance, Yuan Shao could not clearly see the outline of the campfires of Gongsun Zan's central army camp.

A cold wind blew across his face as Yuan Shao gazed into the distance. There lay Guanjin and Wuyi, the strongholds behind Gongsun Zan, positioned on either side of Gongsun Zan's retreat route.

At this moment, Wen Chou, feeling uneasy, led his fellow villagers and soldiers to patrol the city walls.

He was from Nangong in Anping Kingdom, and his home was south of Xindu.

Personally, he wanted to end the war between Shinto and Kanjin, but the clash of tens of thousands of troops on both sides resulted in a chaotic rout of soldiers who, like bandits, caused immense damage.

In particular, Gongsun Zan has a large number of cavalry. If they cannot be lured into a desperate situation for a decisive annihilation, but instead scatter like sparks, it will cause more settlements and villages to be lost.

Villages that could be ravaged by rebel armies were naturally those registered as households by the prefecture and county.

Hidden households, relying on the estates of powerful families, have their own proper protective forces; displaced people, gathered together to defend themselves, cannot be quickly conquered or destroyed by defeated and chaotic armies.

Meanwhile, in Wuyi City, Cao Ren sat on the city tower, drinking wine.

Suddenly the curtain was lifted, and Xiahou Yuan strode in: "Zixiao, Gongsun Bogui's rear guard is lingering and seems suspicious."

"The rear guard?"

Cao Ren was surprised. They were trying to trap the enemy by closing the gate. If the enemy's rear guard didn't go in but instead moved around outside waiting for an opportunity, how would they close the gate?
"The rear army was under the command of Xianyu Fu."

Xiahou Yuan looked puzzled: "Xianyu Fu's actions are unusual. According to common sense, he should have set up a fortified camp nearby to prepare for our attack."

"Ignore him. Once Yuan Shao's order arrives, our army will launch an attack."

Cao Ren replied with a sullen expression, and Xiahou Yuan didn't look pleased either.

Both their families were sent to Yuan Shao by Cao Cao. If they disobeyed, neither they nor their families would have a good end.

Yuan Shao not only took their hostages, but also sent the families of military officers with some status to Ye City before Cao Cao's death.

Later, the families of Cao Cao's core troops also moved to Hebei, and Yuan Shao had seized control of the army.

With his family in hand, Yuan Shao's great reputation and prestige made it easy for him to develop many spies.

Although Yuan Shao made them unhappy, Zhao Ji was their mortal enemy.

Cao Ren was even pressured by Zhao Ji to attack and seriously injure Zang Hong, an act that aroused the resentment of the court and virtuous officials. Although Cao Ren is still alive and well, the careers of his descendants are essentially over.

Even decades later, when the world is at peace, based on Zang Hong's death, any official with even a slight sense of justice, or who claims to be righteous and wants to gain a reputation for justice, will surely make things difficult for Cao Ren's descendants.

This hatred is greater than that caused by Cao Cao's death, and it is difficult to resolve.

After exchanging a brief message with Cao Ren, Xiahou Yuan left with a few personal guards.

Now their mindset has changed. When they were under Cao Cao's command, they had greater autonomy and were more proactive in their work, unafraid of making mistakes.

If they had encountered such an unusual situation at that time, they would not only have dared to investigate it themselves, but they would have even dared to communicate or meet with Xianyu Fu.

Now that he serves the Yuan family, his mindset and stance have naturally changed. He no longer seeks merit, but only to avoid mistakes.

Outside Wuyi City, Xianyu Fu led several hundred cavalrymen on patrol.

Under the cover of night, they carried many torches.

He dismounted every now and then, brushed away the fresh snow, and examined the footprints in the snow. There were still many marching marks on the roadside that the fresh snow could not cover, and Xianyu Fu was already able to determine that the main force of Yuan's army was not in Xindu.

It's not that the Yuan army that retreated into Xindu was small; it must have numbered at least 20,000 to 30,000. But this could only be considered Yuan Shao's central army, not his main force.

Most of Yuan's army, which rapidly retreated south from the Hejian region, must have sought refuge in the closer Wuyi and Guanjin areas.

Looking at the brownish-yellow pits formed by clumps of warm urine under the fresh snow, Xianyu Fu felt the urge to urinate.

The north wind was strong at night. He faced south and his back was to the north. He loosened his belt. His leather jacket, which was a bit bulky for keeping warm, was loosened and a surge of heat rushed out, making him feel instantly comfortable.

His mood improved somewhat, and he said to the powerful generals of Youzhou who were accompanying him, "The former general has already entered the ambush, but what I am worried about is not the Yuan family, but the Grand Marshal. The Grand Marshal has pacified the four commanderies of Yunzhong, and Budugen seems to have the intention to surrender and return to Han. If he leads his troops eastward, we will naturally follow the former general and raise troops in response. This is also the reason why I oppose the former general's pursuit of Yuan's army, but the former general has his own selfish motives."

Wang Song, the minor warlord of Yuyang, also frowned: "There's no point in saying more now. I've heard that the Grand Marshal's military campaigns are swift and fierce, often unpredictable to us. Perhaps the Grand Marshal's failure to issue military orders to Youzhou is a prelude to a surprise attack, forcing the General of the Vanguard to submit."

"No, compared to military strategy, the Grand Marshal is actually more skilled at governing the people."

Xianyu Fu fastened his belt, rubbed his hands together while holding his cloak, and continued, "The Xianbei have been strong for two generations. The Grand Marshal has repeatedly defeated them, and his officers and soldiers must be exhausted and in dire need of rest. When winter turns to spring, it will be just right for the Grand Marshal to pacify the four prefectures and then send troops to the east."

What will happen to the small Xianbei and Wuhuan tribes that overwinter in Dai, Yuyang, Shanggu, and Liaoxi counties when spring comes?
Should they venture beyond the Great Wall to live a nomadic life, or remain within its borders?

Senegal has limited resources, and Hanhaoqiang also needs grasslands and pastures.

Therefore, when the Grand Marshal marches eastward in the spring, he can directly force the various Hu tribes in Youzhou to make a choice, leaving these tribes with no room for avoidance or delay.

Raise the net and let these small fish jump in on their own; it's infinitely easier than sending troops to hunt them down.

Xianyu Fu predicted that Zhao Ji would launch an eastern expedition in the spring, and then sweep westward from the north of Yinshan. Even if it was an armed march, he could reproduce the great achievements of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing and promote the prestige of the Han Dynasty.

This is also the fundamental reason why Gongsun Zan made an unusual choice. Before the Grand Marshal launched his spring offensive, Gongsun Zan wanted to annex the people of Ji Province so that he could negotiate with the Grand Marshal.

This is also why Xianyu Fu conducted a thorough investigation.

If Gongsun Zan was so anxious, how could Yuan Shao not be?
Even if Gongsun Zan was down on his luck, the Grand Marshal could still tolerate him, treating him as an ornament or decoration; but Yuan Shao and his group had no room to back down.

Even a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone Yuan Shao's group on the edge of a cliff.

As a result, he wandered around outside Wuyi City for half a day, but the garrison inside the city did not make contact, which made Xianyu Fu extremely discouraged.

He observed his surroundings and found that those who accompanied him on his patrols were all powerful and influential Han people who were close to him and trusted him.

All these people were looking at Xianyu Fu, waiting for his decision.

If they switch sides, or even pretend to be deaf and dumb, then Gongsun Zan is finished.

If things are handled poorly and Gongsun Zan's blood is spilled, then there will be no way to explain it to the Grand Marshal later.

As things stand, the former general is still in the Grand Marshal's camp, a governor of a prefecture recognized by the Xu Du court, and a bulwark of the state.

After much deliberation, Xianyu Fu, under pressure from the Grand Marshal's prestige, decided to do something about it.

After coughing twice, Xianyu Fu said, "We have already discovered that Yuan's army has set up an ambush here. Please report this to the General in secret. We might as well turn the tables on them and defeat Yuan's ambush."

Another Han hero spoke up: "I fear that the former general is stubborn and will knowingly commit a crime, and will not believe our good intentions."

At this moment, Wang Song spoke up: "How about forging the Grand Marshal's military dispatch? I have a descendant of the Marquis of Xixiang in Zhuojun, named Fang, who is most skilled in calligraphy. He can forge the Grand Marshal's military dispatch, forcing the former general to return to our army and break Yuan's ambush together. With the Grand Marshal's magnanimity, even if the matter is found out in the future, he will blame the former general for being stubborn and arbitrary, not us."

As he spoke, he went to observe Xianyu Fu's expression. Xianyu Fu nodded: "In urgent situations, we should act expediently and leave it at that! If the Grand Marshal has any complaints, I will take full responsibility."

Zhao Ji feared the merger of Youzhou and Jizhou, but the powerful Han families in Youzhou, who were at a disadvantage, wanted to sell the Youzhou and Jizhou regions for a good price.

Zhao Ji had no idea how strong the Xianbei people's power and pressure were over the powerful clans of Youzhou, and therefore no idea how much the Han powerful clans of Youzhou feared him after his great victory over the Xianbei.

(End of this chapter)