Chapter 12: When Autumn Comes, on the Eighth Day of the Ninth Month

Dozens of cavalrymen crossed Shankou.

With autumn arriving and the air crisp, a pastoral scene of green hills and clear waters slowly unfolded beneath a cloudless sky.

Er Zhu Rong exhaled a cloud of turbid breath and praised:

"Southern Xiurong is truly a fine place!"

As in-laws of the Northern Wei imperial family, the Er Zhu clan bore the responsibility of supplying horses to the imperial court.

Er Zhu Rong had walked this southward path again and again, delivering rare treasures to the high officials and nobles of Luoyang.

But this time, the situation was different!

Gazing at this land, Er Zhu Rong already regarded it as his own territory.

"It seems Second Brother has a clear plan on how to take Wan Ziqizhen!"

Li Shuang, riding a dark green-black horse beside Er Zhu Rong, asked with a smile.

"How to defeat Wan Ziqizhen, I had already decided long before he plotted rebellion."

At this moment, Er Zhu Rong no longer cared at all about revealing his ambitions.

In fact, Er Zhu Rong, who had constantly traveled between Northern Xiurong and Luoyang in his early years, had witnessed the various chaos in Luoyang and realized very early that the realm would fall into disorder.

In this land of Jin, Er Zhu Rong had already screened all possible opponents.

Having finished speaking, Er Zhu Rong looked at Li Shuang, as if asking, as if testing!

"Third Brother, what do you think?"

The military system of Northern Wei was very complex; besides the hundred thousand standing imperial guards in Luoyang, the northern border had established the Six Garrisons system and the Mu Zi system centered on Take Pingcheng.

As a Mu Zi of Southern Xiurong, Wan Ziqizhen controlled the most important grain-producing region of this Northern Wei border area.

After rebelling, he quickly captured the prefectural city of Xiurong Commandery, killed the Taipu Qing, and seized control of the pasture gardens and treasury.

With money and grain in hand, Wan Ziqizhen quickly recruited tens of thousands of troops.

"Although Wan Ziqizhen is a Mu Zi, he is at odds with the local Han people. The court has always strictly prevented Han people from serving as soldiers; even though he has now temporarily assembled tens of thousands of troops using grain and jewels, they cannot form combat effectiveness in the short term."

After analyzing, Li Shuang stated his judgment.

"To destroy him, we must fight swiftly and decisively! Lure out his elite Hu Bing and annihilate them in one stroke."

After hearing this, Er Zhu Rong could not help but laugh heartily, and there was even some relief in that smile.

"Fortunately, Third Brother has joined me; otherwise, I would have a headache!"

"What does Second Brother mean?"

"If Third Brother had not surrendered, my first battle upon moving south would have been against Third Brother; at that time, who would win and who would lose would truly be hard to say!"

At this moment, Er Zhu Rong displayed the aura of a hegemon, looking down on all without restraint.

To achieve hegemony, the most important thing is not troops or grain, but time.

Only by taking firm root quickly amidst the chaos can one accomplish something.

Even if Er Zhu Rong were to defeat Li Shuang, he would still waste a vast amount of time and energy.

One step slow means every step slow.

By then, if the big and small warlords across Jin had all taken firm root, then Er Zhu Rong, located in Northern Xiurong, would find it difficult to accomplish anything further.

Northern Xiurong is a pastoral region, incomparable to an agricultural region like Southern Xiurong; one cannot win a war of attrition.

This is the reason Er Zhu Rong spent enormous resources, even forming a blood oath with Li Shuang, just to win him over!

Li Shuang naturally did not wish to get too entangled with Er Zhu Rong on this matter and quickly changed the topic.

"How does Second Brother plan to lure out Wan Ziqizhen's elite troops?"

"I will use light cavalry to challenge him before his formation; if he pursues, we can ambush him halfway!"

"Wan Ziqizhen is also a cautious person; I fear it will not be that easy."

"Therefore, I first presented him with a grand gift."

Outside Xiurong City.

Zhu Zhao, leading the three thousand troops Li Shuang had sent him, had already formed up outside the city.

Wan Ziqizhen stood atop the city wall, looking at the troops below, frowning.

"It is that Zhu Zhao again!"

Wan Ziqizhen did not hold Zhu Zhao in high regard; the last time he let him go, aside from fearing Er Zhu Rong, it was also because this reckless and foolish man was no threat.

He did not expect him to return so quickly!

"Who can fight him?"

A Hu Ren general under Wan Ziqizhen quickly volunteered to engage.

The city gates swung wide, and the troops inside poured out in a rush.

Wan Ziqizhen did not deploy his core Hu Bing but instead sent out the newly recruited Han soldiers.

They were meant to be cannon fodder anyway; Wan Ziqizhen did not care how many died.

Zhu Zhao's ferocity exceeded his expectations.

Although the number under his command was far fewer than Wan Ziqizhen's newly recruited Han soldiers, Zhu Zhao, relying purely on sheer boldness, held the line and nearly broke this group of Han soldiers.

"Hmph, the courage of a fool!"

Wan Ziqizhen was deeply contemptuous and waved his hand, summoning the three thousand Hu Ren archers who had been prepared.

Just as the situation was about to collapse, Wan Ziqizhen ordered a volley of ten thousand arrows.

Feathers flew, plunging into the formation; in an instant, both Er Zhu Rong's Hu Bing and the Han soldiers under Wan Ziqizhen perished beneath the arrows.

Watching the cries and pleas for mercy of his Han soldiers, Wan Ziqizhen acted as if he heard nothing and continued to order the shooting.

Wan Ziqizhen did not worry at all about these Han soldiers rebelling, because their families were all within the city.

Serving as cannon fodder was the greatest expectation Wan Ziqizhen had for these Han soldiers.

Even if it took four or five Han soldiers to trade for one Hu soldier under Er Zhu Zhao's command, Wanzi Qizhen still considered it a worthwhile exchange.

Under Wanzi Qizhen's indiscriminate assault, Er Zhu Zhao soon could not hold out and withdrew from the battlefield in a wretched state; of the three thousand Hu soldiers he brought, only several hundred escaped back.

Wanzi Qizhen had no intention of pursuing, speaking coldly:

"Take those Han people who are unharmed, along with Er Zhu Zhao's Hu soldiers, into the city."

"What about the injured Han people?"

"There are not enough medicinal herbs in the city; medicinal herbs are also precious and must be used where they are needed."

Wanzi Qizhen's cold words had already decided the fate of those Han people.

"Uncle, I have been defeated!"

Covered in wounds, Er Zhu Zhao returned to Er Zhu Rong's main camp with a wretched expression.

When he left, he had been full of confidence, saying he would surely return with a great victory.

But he never expected that he had been almost completely annihilated.

Er Zhu Rong was very calm and showed no sign of blame.

"You were defeated very well!"

Er Zhu Zhao raised his head, looking at his uncle, only to see him extend a hand and pat his head, just as he had when Er Zhu Zhao was ignorant and young.

"Uncle, I have let down your trust; next time I will surely win!"

Er Zhu Rong looked at Er Zhu Zhao, a flicker of disappointment passing through his eyes. Nevertheless, he still tried to explain.

"Our forces are far fewer than Wanzi Qizhen's, and we hold no cities; a direct clash is something we cannot win. Since you have lost, Wanzi Qizhen will despise us even more! Only then can we silently set a trap for him."

"Uncle, I do not understand!"

Er Zhu Rong was somewhat tired; at this moment, he missed the atmosphere of his conversations with Li Shuang more than ever.

He needed to explain nothing, for the other party had already understood.

"You should go down and rest first!"

After Er Zhu Zhao departed, Er Zhu Rong helplessly shook his head and sighed:

"If Tu Mo possessed even one-tenth of the talent of my third brother, then our Er Zhu clan would have a successor!"