Chapter 98: Gu Chen Heads North, Five Routes Attack the Xianbei (Seeking Monthly Votes)

The tenth year of Zhangwu, June.

Gu Chen set out from Luoyang once again.

Liu Chan personally led the civil and military officials to see him off from Luoyang; at the moment of departure, he gripped Gu Chen’s hand tightly, tears streaming down his face.

"Foster Father."

"You must return soon."

"I cannot do without you."

Although officials and the masses were present, Liu Chan did not care in the slightest about the dignity befitting an Emperor.

In front of Gu Chen, he was truly like a small child.

Under his influence.

Countless people outside the gates of Luoyang shed tears.

How could the people of Luoyang be willing to let Gu Chen leave?

Sounds of sorrow rose continuously, and this weeping, mingled with the drums beating to bolster the army, made the atmosphere inexplicably solemn.

Zhao Yun’s eyes were filled with envy.

In truth, he also wished to follow Gu Chen into battle.

However, as one of the trusted confidants left behind by Liu Bei.

Gu Chen still kept Zhao Yun behind to prevent chaos within the Great Han.

Gu Chen looked at the Liu Chan before him, a smile flashing across his face; he did not care for etiquette, and like a true father, he gently stroked Liu Chan’s head and said softly, "Your Majesty need not worry about this old subject."

"This battle, I fight for the Great Han and for the people of the world."

"I will absolutely not lose."

"I have already arranged everything in the imperial court."

"Zhuge Liang is a man of measured conduct; I have appointed him as Chancellor, and Your Majesty should heed his words in all matters."

"Your Majesty need only remember the words of the late Emperor."

"Do not deem a small evil as insignificant and commit it; do not deem a small good as insignificant and fail to do it."

"With this, our Great Han shall surely flourish for generations."

Liu Chan nodded while weeping.

Behind him, Zhuge Liang also led the ministers in bowing to Gu Chen.

Gu Chen did not linger, and as he had done in years past, he took one last look at the city of Luoyang—which had changed in no way, yet felt entirely renewed.

Departing once again this day;

Who knows if I can return?

He smiled with detachment, first bowing to Liu Chan, then returning the salute to the court officials behind him:

"Gentlemen, I entrust the Great Han to you!"

Having said this, he turned and mounted his horse.

His expression became solemn once more, and that aura cultivated over years on the battlefield rolled forth.

The drums thundered.

The army began its march, following Gu Chen toward the direction of Youzhou.

Watching this scene, Gu Yi could not help but sigh.

In truth, for the Gu family.

The best course for Gu Chen now would be to stay in Luoyang forever.

With his current status and prestige, living even one more day would be of great help to the Great Han, to the Gu family, and to everything he intended to do in the future.

But as the saying goes.

—He cannot interfere with the choices of every family member at all times.

Gu Chen’s character destined him to walk this path.

To him, death is not terrifying.

He would only press forward along the correct path he had confirmed, until his life reached its absolute end.

The deaths of Gu Ze, Gu Wei, and other sixth-generation Gu family descendants brought Gu Yi nearly one hundred thousand achievement points.

It was not that Gu Yi had not considered drawing more rewards;

Even if it were just the guaranteed common-grade items.

Perhaps they could have helped Gu Chen.

But after a moment’s thought, he dismissed the idea.

Life and death are fated.

Gu Chen had already reached the average life expectancy of the ancient era, especially since he had spent years on the front lines of battle.

Without the support of a longevity card.

Even if he could draw other items, they would not be of much help to him.

Gu Chen had already done enough.

Rather than using items of little help to drag out his life, it was better to let him conclude his journey in glory.

Life and death are left to destiny.

The soldiers who followed Gu Chen in the past had long since perished.

Time is merciless and never spares anyone.

Although Gu Chen had provided them all with good treatment after the Great Han was re-established.

The injuries and illnesses brought by years of campaigning had ultimately taken far too many.

This made Gu Chen feel even more lonely;

He was in no hurry to march, but every time he passed a city along the way, he would inquire whether there were any corrupt officials.

Gu Chen’s concern for official conduct was no less than that of Gu Xi in the past.

This indeed allowed Gu Chen to ferret out some small fry.

Human nature is inherently greedy;

Even with the Great Han as it was today, it was impossible to achieve complete clarity in official conduct.

Gu Chen naturally would not let these people go.

Using these small fry as examples, he continued to intimidate officials across the four provinces.

And along the way;

Gu Chen often chatted with the soldiers, thereby strengthening the army’s cohesion while learning of each person’s talents.

At the beginning, these soldiers were very reserved.

But as the days passed, they grew bolder.

They would ask Gu Chen about the great battles he had experienced in the past.

Gu Chen stood on no ceremony, recounting the past in minute detail, which made the soldiers admire him all the more.

Listening to an elder tell stories.

Was already one of the few forms of entertainment in this era, let alone having someone like Gu Chen personally recount the past.

This could be said to be something these soldiers had never dared to imagine before.

The distance between them closed invisibly;

Although not everyone could hear Gu Chen tell stories in person, through the word-of-mouth of the soldiers, such things spread rapidly throughout the camp.

Right there on the journey.

Gu Chen used his own methods to create a bond and cohesion among them.

Coupled with their admiration for Gu Chen.

If it came to wartime, the power this army could exert would exceed everyone’s expectations.

Youzhou.

In truth, Gu Chen’s decision to mobilize troops again was not just because of his judgment of the future.

It was also influenced by the current situation.

—The Xianbei had unified!

This indeed exceeded Gu Chen’s expectations; a man named Kebineng, who hailed from a branch of the Xianbei, had swept through the tribes.

Although there was still much resistance.

In the grand scheme of things, it could be considered a complete unification of the Xianbei.

The previously divided Xianbei were not weak in strength.

If not for the rift between the Eastern and Western Xianbei, perhaps during the chaotic times of the Nine Provinces, the Xianbei would have had the ability to intervene in the wars of the Central Plains;

Gu Chen absolutely could not permit such a nearly unified force to constantly threaten the borders of the Great Han.

Throughout the journey, Gu Chen made no attempt to hide his tracks.

Kebineng naturally received the news.

Unlike previous leaders of the Xianbei.

Perhaps because he had lived on the borders of the Great Han since childhood, Kebineng understood the extraordinary nature of the Gu family, and his character was one that knew how to endure.

He suppressed the desire of the various tribal leaders to fight a decisive battle and take Gu Chen’s head to establish their prestige.

Gu Chen had only just arrived in Youzhou.

Kebineng immediately dispatched an envoy to meet Gu Chen, stating his willingness to submit to the Great Han and pay tribute.

Regarding this, the officers and soldiers felt no surprise at all.

After all, Gu Chen was here.

In this world, who would dare to ignore the heavenly might of Gu Chen?

Everyone assumed Gu Chen would agree to this matter; after all, it was already a tradition for these barbarians to pay tribute to the Great Han.

But unexpectedly, Gu Chen directly refused the matter.

No, it could not be called a refusal either.

Rather, Gu Chen proposed a condition that the Xianbei could never agree to.

Youzhou.

The Xianbei envoy stared fixedly at Gu Chen, his face full of disbelief.

"My lord Gu, please do not jest."

"My Xianbei Chanyu is wholeheartedly devoted to the Great Han; why does my lord Gu wish for my Xianbei Chanyu to take his own life?"

The envoy spoke fluent Han Chinese.

Apart from some differences in clothing and appearance, he was just like a Han person.

The atmosphere suddenly froze.

The expressions of the officers present also involuntarily turned serious.

Although they did not immediately understand why Gu Chen would make such a demand, they still felt Gu Chen’s fighting spirit and were influenced by it one after another.

"I never jest."

Gu Chen did not hesitate at all and said calmly: "If the Xianbei wish to submit, the only way is for your Chanyu to take his own life."

"If not."

"You shall surely face the iron hooves of our Great Han."

His voice remained as calm as ever, but the aura about him still made people feel pressured.

The Xianbei envoy could not help but avoid Gu Chen’s abyss-like gaze, yet he still braced himself and questioned: "Does my lord Gu truly think my Xianbei are easy to bully? That we fear your Great Han?"

"Hmph."

Gu Chen scoffed and shook his head: "Whether the Xianbei fear our Great Han or not, I do not care."

"But I believe."

"The Xianbei surely fear my Gu clan."

His tone paused slightly, his gaze becoming increasingly sharp: "Go back and look at your Xianbei historical records; do you still remember the matter of the one hundred and twenty sons of the tribes taken as hostages in the past?"

"Do you still remember the matter of my Gu clan ancestor defeating several generations of your Xianbei Chanyu single-handedly?"

Gu Chen’s tone remained as calm as before.

But these words were like a needle, piercing directly into the heart of the Xianbei envoy.

How could he forget these things?

Although a long time had passed since these events.

The legend of Gu Xi still circulated among every Xianbei tribe.

This was almost a nightmare for every Xianbei child; whenever they cried, their elders would say things like "Gu Xi is coming."

A look of anger immediately appeared on the Xianbei envoy’s face.

But he dared not show his anger at all, and did not even have the courage to meet Gu Chen’s eyes. After pondering for a long time, he only said resentfully: "Must the Han official truly be like this?"

—The address changed from "my lord Gu" to "Han official."

Gu Chen did not answer, only waving his hand.

Seeing this, the anger on the Xianbei envoy’s face grew, and as if he had nothing left to lose, he scanned the people present: "Hmph! The whole world says the Great Han is a land of ritual and propriety."

"Now my Xianbei are willing to submit."

"A mere Han official actually threatens the leader of my Xianbei."

"Is this the so-called land of ritual and propriety?"

Having said this, he immediately turned to leave.

"Audacious!"

The generals present stood up instantly, looks of anger flashing across their faces.

Their worship of Gu Chen was unimaginable.

How could they tolerate him being insulted?

But Gu Chen waved his hand directly, signaling the officers and soldiers not to stop him.

How could he be angered by a few words?

A mere envoy.

Was not enough to catch his eye.

If he were to execute the envoy, it would only make him appear narrow-minded.

Seeing this, the generals could only calm down.

The Xianbei envoy looked back at Gu Chen once, then walked out with a serious expression.

The moment he stepped out of the tent.

The officers and soldiers immediately rose one after another, bowing to Gu Chen to request battle.

Out of absolute trust in Gu Chen, they did not need to consider the reason for this battle; as long as Gu Chen wanted to fight, they would definitely fight.

Jiang Wei, Guanqiu Jian, Deng Ai, and others were all filled with fighting spirit.

However, since Gu Chen had come in person.

Then this battle was destined to be led by him personally.

Gu Chen immediately stood up and walked to the map, telling the generals the tactics he had thought over countless times.

He did not intend to wait for Kebineng to react.

To him, this battle was already destined to be unavoidable!

Scouts from both sides were constant.

Kebineng was naturally not going to accept his fate.

Although he was unwilling to clash with Gu Chen head-on and wanted to play for time to wear Gu Chen out.

But to ask him to take his own life, how could that be possible?

Things had reached this point.

Why should he make any more concessions? The fighting spirit of the various Xianbei tribes was not just empty talk!

And who said they had no chance of winning?

Although the whole world was now saying that Gu Chen was the reincarnation of Gu Xi.

But he, Kebineng, did not believe it!

However, Kebineng was not relying solely on hot-bloodedness; he also contacted the Wuhuan.

He exaggerated Gu Chen’s attitude toward the various foreign tribes.

And won the support of the Wuhuan.

The great war quietly descended amidst the various clashes between the two sides.

Gu Chen’s strategic goal this time was extremely simple.

Originally, he intended to at least weaken the foreign tribes, but now he added one more item: eliminate Kebineng.

He set his targets on the grasslands south of the Raole River at the Xianbei Chanyu’s royal court, as well as the grasslands at the southern foot of Mount Tanhan.

In fact, the greatest difficulty in wiping out these barbarians was that they were too agile.

But they also had a fatal flaw, which was their reliance on the grasslands.

The eleventh year of Zhangwu, April;

Gu Chen divided his troops into five routes and officially stepped out of Youzhou.

—The first route;

Led by Jiang Wei and two Gu clan descendants, commanding several thousand elite Liaodong cavalry, they crossed the Lengkou Pass of the Yan Mountains to launch a surprise attack on the Wuhuan royal court at Liucheng.

Not seeking to break the city;

Only to burn the grasslands and grain supplies that the Wuhuan relied on for survival.

The second route;

Led by Guanqiu Jian, commanding twenty thousand troops, moving north from Juyong Pass and advancing west along the Yang River valley;

Striking directly into the Xianbei heartland at the Raole River.

The third route;

Led by Gu Wei, the most skilled in martial arts among the current Gu clan descendants;

Increasing the number of cooking stoves daily from Yuyang Commandery to feign movement, advancing north along the Chao River.

To disturb the hearts of the Xianbei.

The fourth route;

Led by Deng Ai, bypassing the Yan Mountains to take the grasslands at the southern foot of Mount Tanhan.

This was a choice Gu Chen made after careful consideration.

Deng Ai’s ability in surprise attacks was extremely extraordinary.

And the fifth route;

Was led by Gu Chen himself.

Engage the Xianbei grand army on the frontal battlefield, drawing their attention from the front.

The five-pronged army moves in unison!

Gu Chen had made detailed preparations for this.

Nothing was too small to be overlooked.

Only when truly facing someone like Gu Chen head-on can one fully realize just how terrifying Gu Chen really is.

For this battle, Gu Chen had already made preparations many years ago.

And beyond that.

Gu Chen also did not forget the offensive on the hearts and minds of the people.

The prestige of the Gu Shizi among the foreign tribes was not something merely boasted about.

Just before the troops marched out of Youzhou.

Gu Chen issued an edict for the first time in the capacity of "Great Han Envoy of the Ten Directions," ordering the world.

The edict stated: "Wherever the Royal Army points, all shall be Han territory; those who side with the invaders, regardless of whether they are leaders or followers, shall all be treated as enemies, and though they may be in perilous lands, they shall be slaughtered!"

With scouts constantly moving in all directions, this edict spread immediately.

——The world was shaken!

This was Gu Chen's first decree, and the influence it brought far exceeded that of Liu Chan's imperial edicts!

Besides this, Gu Chen also extended goodwill to the Eastern Xianbei tribes.

Kebineng had not yet completely unified the Xianbei!

The speed at which Gu Chen mobilized his troops was too fast!

Even now, there were still forces within the various Eastern Xianbei tribes that resisted Kebineng!

Gu Chen intended to strike from both the battlefield and the hearts of the people.

Only when facing Gu Chen head-on.

can one clearly feel just how terrifying Gu Chen is.

He is adept at infinitely magnifying his own advantages;

and using this to cause a massive impact on his opponent!

PS: Brothers, please give me some monthly tickets; I am missing so many this month, boo hoo!

(End of this chapter)