Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 54 Suppressing Bandits? Suppressing Bandits.

Zhuo County, Liu Bei's home.

Upon receiving the news, Liu Bei immediately took Zuo Yuan home, intending to settle his mother in a safe place.

But when he got home, he didn't see his mother, but instead met Zou Dan who was waiting there.

"...Liu Xuande of Zhuo County is known for his chivalry and is also familiar with the local culture and geography. In order to eliminate bandits, Xuande was specially summoned to accompany the army as an advisor..."

Zou Dan was reading the conscription order in a very serious manner.

Liu Bei sighed, "This is indeed a fatal mistake."

Gongsun Zan wanted to recruit him to join the army.

When suppressing bandits, the commanders of the troops would often summon local gentry to accompany them, both to familiarize themselves with the local customs and to provide guidance.

This is certainly a normal conscription, and it is a very formal conscription order from the prefect, which is a military order and cannot be refused by reason or emotion.

However, those who died the fastest during the bandit suppression were often the conscripted gentry... This was true whether it was for normal bandit suppression or for harboring bandits for personal gain.

In a normal bandit suppression operation, the mountain bandits would definitely kill the guides first, as the entire family would be in danger. Moreover, they would usually recruit people who had a blood feud with the bandits.

If one harbors thieves to enhance one's own power, then most of the gentry who are conscripted to accompany the army will be silenced, unless the gentry are actually in league with the army.

Of course, refusing to be drafted is also an option—if one has a powerful and influential family backing them.

This isn't a recruitment for official positions; it's a military order to send troops. Refusing it would be tantamount to disobeying the governor's orders, and they could really use that as an excuse to execute you...

Moreover, Mother is not at home...

"I have received your order, but I am worried about my mother's safety. May I ask Clerk Zou, where is my mother?"

Liu Bei inquired about his mother's whereabouts.

"Your mother has been settled in the county and is staying in the guesthouse. Xuande, there is no need to worry. I, Zou, have the responsibility to keep the people safe and sound, and I will ensure your mother's safety."

Sure enough, Liu Bei's mother was already in Zou Dan's hands.

"Then, where will you go to join the army?"

Liu Bei then asked about Gongsun Zan's whereabouts.

"Please ask Xuande to wait at Xinting by the Juma River. My lord will soon be advancing upstream along the Juma River."

Zou Dan even gave a vague description of Gongsun Zan's position.

Even so, Liu Bei was certain that Gongsun Zan intended for him to die at Xinting on the Juma River.

This was an attempt to create a sensation by leveraging the prestige he gained from resettling refugees and his good relationship with Zou Jing.

If one is killed or captured by the 'Taihang bandits,' then the bandits must be wiped out.

The "General Zou's Headquarters" is essentially sending troops to suppress the bandits at the time and under the circumstances set by Gongsun Zan. Most of the powerful families, such as the Lu and Liu families, will also leave their fortified manors to send troops to help.

The tenant farmers in the Juma River area were all refugees from Zhongshan, so starting their raids from that area aligned with the Taihang bandits' intentions.

In this way, the real Taihang bandits could easily break through the fortified manors of the wealthy families, and Gongsun Zan could join forces with the Taihang bandits to easily wipe out Zou Jing's main force at Juma River in open battle.

This was exactly the same operation as the one at the Zishui River last time, only on a larger scale, and Gongsun Zan's ambitions had also grown.

His goal was undoubtedly to protect the Wuhuan Commandant.

If Liu Bei hadn't received advance warning, he probably would have been caught in the trap again, just like last time.

Getting intelligence a day earlier or a day later can make all the difference.

"Isn't Clerk Zou going with the army?"

Liu Bei remained calm and continued to probe for information.

"Zou's duty is to defend Zhuo County, and he is not very talented and is unfamiliar with the local customs and geography, so he would be useless to the army. Xuande is a hero of the time and is highly praised by the local people. He is an indispensable person to suppress the Taihang bandits."

Zou Dan spoke very modestly, revealing no information in her words.

“In that case, I will send Zuo Ji to the residence to take care of my mother.”

Liu Bei didn't ask any more questions. He accepted the military order, sent Zuo Yuan to Zhuo County with Zou Dan, and rode back quickly to the Juma River camp.

When Liu Bei returned to the camp at Juma River, Jian Yong was waiting for him there.

Jian Yong was also conscripted to join the army, and both of their mothers were taken to the guesthouse.

Gongsun Zan did indeed lead his troops to the Juma River, a force of nearly two thousand men, including more than two hundred cavalry. Liu Bei and Jian Yong's mother were detained, so they could only accompany the army as advisors.

Gongsun Zan even summoned the heads of various pavilions to discuss and understand the geographical environment, which really seemed like he was going to suppress bandits.

However, the troops remained near the Juma River military camp, only three miles away from Zou Jing's main military camp.

The steward of the Lu family came to report that there did indeed appear to be a large group of bandits lurking upstream of the Juma River to the west, but they did not attack the Lu family village. It seemed that they were coming along the Juma River.

Upon hearing the news, Gongsun Zan sent men to Zou Jing's main military camp to request that Zou's troops join forces to suppress the bandits.

At this moment, only Duan Jiong was in charge of the military camp, but he did not show up and remained firmly in the camp without even opening the gates.

Only one recruit captain came out and refused the request, saying that Governor Zou was not here, nor was Consort Qian, and no one could make the decision, so the troops could not be dispatched.

Gongsun Zan didn't take it seriously and led Liu Bei, Jian Yong, and others upstream along the Juma River.

Upon arriving near the Lu Family Manor, it was already late. Gongsun Zan decided to set up camp and sent Liu Bei and Jian Yong, two local guides familiar with the terrain, to scout out the enemy's situation.

Liu Bei and Jian Yong agreed to the matter and each led several dozen of Gongsun Zan's men upstream.

……

Meanwhile, in Beixincheng.

Beixincheng is a small town. Although it is still designated as a subordinate county, it no longer has a county head.

This place used to be a military garrison, belonging to a military settlement and fortress.

However, since Liu Wei became the governor of Zhuojun, the number of soldiers in the region has been drastically reduced and has never been replenished, resulting in a lot of empty pay being taken.

The result of this massive embezzlement of public funds was that the wealthy families in Beixincheng, fearing an invasion by bandits from Taihang Mountain, moved to Fanyang, leaving behind only the common people.

Based on household registration, Beixincheng is now at most a township, so naturally no one wants to be the county head.

Gongsun Zan, who held the part-time position of Separate Division Commander, thus became the de facto manager of Beixin City.

However, Gongsun Zan was not here at the time.

Instead, a group of people, including Jiu Chi Zhang Ba, appeared here, as did Zhang Baiqi.

They brought a group of "bandits," more than two hundred people.

To be honest, these guys don't need to disguise themselves when leading a band of thieves. They can just change their clothes and they'll be thieves anyway.

These two hundred-plus people were the original executioners and the underworld soldiers under Zhang Baiqi.

"The Taihang White Cavalry are here! Open the city gates immediately!"

Zhang Baiqi, riding a white horse and calling himself "White Rider," was knocking on the city gate.

Zhang Baiqi is currently the most experienced commander in the army besides Duan Jiong.

Beixincheng is small and dilapidated. The city wall is only one person high and has many gaps. You can see the scene inside the city from outside the city.

Gongsun Zan's banner was in the city, but his troops were not there.

Only a few elderly and weak people remained in the city, numbering no more than two hundred.

These must be Gongsun Zan's auxiliary troops; their equipment is tattered and their clothes are worn out, suggesting they have never been trained.

Yan Gang was the one guarding Beixincheng.

"I have never heard of the Taihang White Cavalry. May I ask which leader they belong to?"

Yan Gang stood on the city wall and asked.

"Brother Zuo Zi sent us here, open the door immediately!"

Nine Feet answered, confirming that his friend was indeed named Left Beard, though it was just a nickname.

Upon hearing the name, Yan Gang immediately opened the city gate: "Brother Zuo Zi, you've arrived early. Where are the other leaders?"

But no one answered, and Zhang Baiqi led his troops into the city on his own.

Only Zhangba, wielding a massive spiked club, responded to Yan Gang.

With one blow, Yan Gang immediately fell silent.