Chapter 54: Blame This Treacherous World

Shuozhou was once the place where the Tuoba clan rose to power in the early days.

As the beacon fires of the Liuzhen ignited, this place inevitably suffered the flames of war; as for now, only a lone city in Yunzhong remains, holding firm.

The soldiers and people of the Liuzhen, joined by the Eastern and Western Chiles, fought in a manner close to that of refugee armies; wherever they passed, not a blade of grass remained.

However, because the Liuzhen and the Chiles were originally half-pastoral and half-agricultural, and had fought the Rouran for years, their resilience and martial prowess far exceeded those of the refugee armies.

Li Chong led his troops out of Woyang, crossed the Great Wall, and arrived within the Shuozhou Region; here, the former scenes of abundant cattle and sheep and merchants weaving like shuttles were gone.

The grandeur brought forth when the Tuoba clan rose to power in days past ultimately vanished along with the Tuoba clan's decline.

Li Chong's reputation as the "Lying Tiger" still carried its lingering awe.

When news came that he had led his troops out, the rebel forces who had been scattered grazing across Shuozhou gathered together, even voluntarily retreating to the foot of Yunzhong City.

The garrison troops inside Yunzhong City dared not come out, and the Liuzhen' army did not exert much effort to attack.

All they left for the Northern Wei official army was a desolate expanse of ruined walls and broken tiles with no supplies whatsoever.

Inside the main tent.

"Army Master Li Shuang has long been known for his courage and strategy; his subordinates are skilled in battle. At this time, he can serve as the vanguard to lift the siege of Yunzhong."

"Do you all think the same?"

"We, your subordinates, all think so!"

Li Chong looked at the generals in the tent speaking with such certainty, and felt worry in his heart.

His gaze turned to Li Shuang, and he asked:

"What do you say?"

Before Li Shuang could open his mouth, Li Shen stepped forward and said first:

"No, my sworn younger brother is young; how can he face the tiger and wolf armies of the Liuzhen? What if something goes wrong? If it really cannot be helped, I should go myself!"

Li Chong's expression changed drastically; if before he had only felt worry, now only despair remained.

Just then, Li Shuang said:

"My sworn elder brother is a great general and should command the main army; how can he serve as the vanguard? How about I serve as the vanguard, with the other generals providing support on the side? That would be the safe course."

Seeing that Li Shen was about to say something again, Li Chong hurriedly agreed.

"Then it is settled!"

Saying this, Li Chong called Li Shuang over, handed him the military travel token, and whispered his instructions:

"Be careful in all things!"

"Great Governor-General, rest assured!"

Hearing these words, Li Chong already had a plan in mind. Immediately, he assigned tasks to the other generals under his command.

Even Li Shen was given a task to supervise the rear logistics supplies.

Only the Auxiliary National General Fei Mu was kept behind by Li Chong.

Inside the military tent, big eyes met small eyes; finally, Fei Mu could no longer bear the pressure and spoke:

"Great Governor-General, ask whatever you wish!"

Li Chong did not ask anything; he simply looked at Fei Mu and, as if making small talk, said:

"I heard you and Er Zhu Rong have a good relationship!"

Cold sweat streamed down Fei Mu's face; for a moment, he did not know what to say. His secret dealings with Er Zhu Rong were top secret; he never thought they had not been concealed from Li Chong.

"It is merely the friendship of colleagues!"

"Is that so?" Li Chong sneered, "Do not go too far; I fear some people lack restraint."

"Understood!"

"Do you truly understand?"

"Great Governor-General, rest assured; Third Master will be fine."

Third Master?

Hearing this title, Li Chong thought to himself, "This truly sells me out completely!"

"You still do not understand!"

"How is it?"

Yuan Shen's former subordinates in Pingcheng gathered on a high ground, gazing at the distant dust clouds, and still felt somewhat nervous in their hearts.

"Everything has been arranged properly; once Li Shuang leads his troops to engage the rebel forces, we will immediately seal off all mountain passes and strategic gaps, trapping him and those Han people to death within the formation."

"Is there any problem with Fei Mu's side?"

"A blood oath has already been signed; if we encounter trouble, he will not fare well either."

"If he is not sensible, we will push him to the front and claim he was the one who ordered it all."

When the distant dust clouds completely disappeared from sight, and Li Shuang led his retinue into the encirclement they had set, unable to turn back, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Li Shuang, do not blame us; blame only the treacherous ways of this world!"

At this moment, some still felt doubt in their hearts.

"Could there be any mistake?"

"Ahead are the rebel forces; behind are us. The surrounding passages are guarded either by us or by the rebels. For Li Shuang to fly out, he would have to dare to collude with the rebels!"

"General Hulu... no, we should call him King!"

"Brother, do not mock me; that would slap me in the face. Just call me Aludun!"

Along the river valley, tents stretched endlessly.

When the two armies met, there was no life-and-death battle as Yuan Shen's former subordinates had expected; instead, they got along in great harmony.

Upon meeting, Li Shuang and Hulu Jin shared a huge embrace.

To the side, Hulü Guang stepped out and called out.

"Father!"

It had been a long time since they last met; Hulü Guang's demeanor was completely different. The roughness he had possessed while in the Hulü tribe was gone, and his conduct and attire had become increasingly proper.

Seeing his son in this state now, Hulü Jin was very satisfied.

Immediately, he ordered the people of the tribe to slaughter oxen and sheep to entertain the guests.

Inside the great tent, everyone took their seats.

"A-Liu-Dun, what are your plans for the future?"

Hulü Jin shook his head.

"I will not hide it from you, brother. Before the Chiles rebelled, things were tolerable for me over there. But after the rebellion, while the momentum grew, life became increasingly hard. It is not just me; the people of the Huaishuo and Wu Chuan garrisons are the same."

After all, the Huaishuo and Wu Chuan garrisons had been conquered; they were not the first to respond to Piluhan Baling. Having been defeated and surrendered, they naturally ranked at the very bottom within the Liuzhen army.

In Hulü Jin's heart, there were countless sorrows.

Now, he poured them all out.

"Although I hold the high title of King, I am not well-utilized over there. When I establish merit, I receive no rewards; instead, I must spend my own money and goods to reward my subordinates. Now, the grain and fodder of the Liuzhen army are dwindling. If we cannot capture Take Pingcheng..."

At this point, Hulü Jin realized Li Shuang's identity and closed his mouth.

Li Shuang, however, did not mind.

"In that case, have you considered returning to us?"

"Returning to us?"

Hulü Jin was somewhat hesitant.

Li Shuang knew Hulü Jin's concerns and advised:

"Yuan Shen has already left Take Pingcheng. Now, the one in charge of Heng and Shuo affairs is Grand Marshal Li Chong. A-Liu-Dun, there is no need for concern."

"It is not that I am unwilling. I also know that if the momentum of the Liuzhen continues as it is, defeat is inevitable sooner or later. But if I return, how can I establish myself? Moreover, my people are still in Wuyuan, held hostage by Piluhan Kong Que. If I rebel, they will have no chance of survival."

Li Shuang smiled.

"This matter is simple!"

"How so?"

"Yuan Shen's old subordinates are plotting a rebellion, intending to take the Grand Marshal hostage, seize control of Hengzhou, and proclaim Yuan Shen as Emperor. If we can eliminate this great threat for the Court and the Grand Marshal, brother, do you still fear being unable to establish yourself in Hengzhou in the future? Why worry about how to explain this to Piluhan Kong Que?"

Upon hearing this, Hulü Jin became interested.

"Is such a thing true?"

"I will not hide it from you. I have now sworn allegiance to the General Who Conquers the North as my adoptive father, and he has granted me full authority to handle this matter."

As he spoke, Li Shuang took out the token Li Chong had given him.

Seeing this jade pendant that Li Chong kept close to his person, Hulü Jin believed him completely.

"In that case, just tell me what to do!"

"You open the path, allowing my troops to take a detour to the rear, forming a pincer attack with you."

Wildfires spread across the fields. Yuan Shen's old subordinates never expected that the rebel army, which should have been fighting Li Shuang in the front, would attack them directly, while Li Shuang's troops, who should have been in the encirclement, had silently slipped to the rear and blocked the roads.

"Li Shuang, you bastard! You stand by and watch without saving us!"

Beneath the pass, the shouts of the Take Pingcheng army echoed, yet the great gates remained tightly shut, showing no sign of movement.

Upon the pass, watching the Take Pingcheng army fighting with the Hulü tribe, Li Shuang said calmly:

"This commander engaged the Liuzhen rebels in battle, was unable to prevail, and the various generals, seeing this, fought desperately to save me, but unfortunately became trapped in the formation!"

After Li Shuang finished speaking, he looked at Hou Jing beside him.

"Did you all record it?"

"We recorded it!"

Li Shuang turned around, no longer looking at the battlefield whose outcome was already determined.

"Even if this world is treacherous, the loyalty and righteousness of the various generals are enough to illuminate our path forward."