Chapter 60: They Are Too Eager to Advance

They had just repelled Wei Kegu's surprise attack, yet there was no atmosphere of joy within the Wei army's main camp.

Before the main tent, the imperial guards of Luoyang and the nearby bandits and marauders stood clearly apart, each looking down on the other!

The imperial guards of Luoyang looked down due to their origins, while this group of bandits and marauders looked down because of the Luoyang imperial guards' cowardly performance just now.

Inside the main tent, there were only Li Chong and Li Shuang!

"Foster father, they saved your life; how can you be ashamed to pay?"

"No, no!"

If it were a thousand or eight hundred people, it would be one thing; good heavens, that vast sea outside—if you had looted Luoyang, you could probably scrape together a reward fund.

"You old man, why are you being unreasonable now?"

"How am I being unreasonable! Go ask the market rates outside; is this how one robs?"

Li Shuang smiled.

"If the Grand Commander cannot provide it, that's fine, but you must at least give them a chance to serve the court!"

"What do you mean?"

"Shuozhou has now been beaten into a barren wasteland; those loyal hereditary soldiers have either rebelled or died. Giving some land to those brothers outside, issuing them weapons and armor, and letting them guard the Great Wei's border—would that be too much?"

Li Chong looked at the "Memorial Petitioning the Court to Pacify the People" submitted by Li Shuang; the signature was actually that of Pingbei General Li Shen.

"You boy planned this from the start!"

"What plan?"

"You implemented your three strategies for bandit suppression, incited Qing Zhun to fight the rebels to the death, and drove all the Hu Ren from Heng and Shuozhou provinces—was all that just for today?"

Driving the Hu Ren away, letting the bandits and marauders descend the mountains, and turning Shuozhou, which had already been beaten into a barren wasteland, into a place to settle refugees.

The key is that the number of these refugees is not hundreds or thousands, but tens of thousands.

"Foster father, how can this be me planning from the start?"

Li Chong snorted lightly; just as much as he had missed this boy earlier, he now found him just as annoying.

"I was originally the leader of a righteous army in the mountains; later, I was blessed by Liang Jungong's patronage and given the opportunity to serve the court. Of course, I'm not saying being a righteous army leader is bad, but serving the court offers a larger place to display one's talents!"

"Hmph!"

"Tell me, since I have pledged loyalty to the court, what should be done with my righteous army brothers? They begged me; how could I not help?"

Li Chong stared at Li Shuang with cold eyes, wishing he could tear this boy apart.

"I think if you had the chance, you would even drag the dogs from your village here to eat imperial rations."

"Foster father is mistaken!"

Li Chong laughed in anger.

"How am I mistaken?"

Just then, a dog bark came from outside the tent.

"Woof!"

A Chinese rural dog, wagging its tail, rushed in cheerfully.

Li Shuang bent down, stroking the head of this local dog, and the other enjoyed being petted.

"Da Huang, bark for the Grand Commander!"

"Woof, woof, woof!"

"Da Huang, so good; from now on, you are the Grand Commander's personal guard dog!"

Li Chong clutched his chest, feeling his liver ache from the anger.

How can someone be so dirty!

Night mist.

In the mountains, Wei Kegu sat on the ground, chewing on grass.

The bonfire blazed, radiating heat in the cold night, offering warmth to people.

"General!"

Heba Duba and Yuwen Gong arrived together, coming to explain why they had not reinforced Wei Kegu during the day.

Heba Duba and Yuwen Gong were both handsome and upright men, but their frames were a size smaller than Wei Kegu's; combined with their age, their aura was naturally a few degrees weaker before Wei Kegu.

"General, we..."

Wei Kegu did not let them finish, asking only:

"Were the provisions secured?"

"We detected something suspicious; to avoid our rear being cut off, we did not reinforce the General. After driving away that group of bandits, we counted, and only sixty percent of the provisions remained."

"Sixty percent!"

Wei Kegu repeated this number, thinking about something.

Heba Duba spoke:

"General, since matters have come to this, we might as well retreat!"

The Heba and Yuwen families were both famous clans among the Liuzhen; talented individuals emerged from their clans, all being valiant generals.

There was a reason they wanted to retreat.

Since the surprise attack failed, there was no need to remain.

Moreover, wearing down the official army was not what they desired.

"I know your concerns, but the True King has his own plans; we do not lack a chance to win!"

Heba Duba and Yuwen Gong exchanged a glance, neither understanding where the chance to win lay.

It is said: strike with one surge, then wane, then exhaust.

If the situation develops to the point where they must use human lives to wear down Li Chong's official army, then even winning would be losing.

Han Baling and the Liuzhen Army won, but they were the ones who lost.

In this northern border, everyone knows that sacrificing your own troops for the so-called greater good makes you no hero; instead, they will ruthlessly devour even what little remains of you while you are weak.

"Wait a bit longer!"

Wei Kegu murmured, with an air of unquestionable authority.

Heba Duba and Yuwen Gong stood nearby, silent.

"Army Commander, hurry to the Grand Marshal's main tent! The Grand Marshal has fallen ill!"

Li Shuang heard this report and rushed to Li Chong's tent in the dead of night.

On the bed, Li Chong lay, his face devoid of color.

Beside the bed stood Li Chong's Chief Clerk, Wei Langan.

"What has happened to the Grand Marshal?"

Wei Langan bowed deeply beside him and said:

"A letter arrived from Luoyang. The Grand Marshal's eldest son, Li Shizhe, passed away from illness not long ago. Upon hearing this, the Grand Marshal immediately fell ill!"

After hearing this, Li Shuang glanced at Wei Langan, then kicked him to the ground.

"Guards, seize this traitor!"

Li Chong's troops, upon hearing this, asked no questions and immediately apprehended him.

"Governor of Ma Yi, why do this?"

Li Shuang sneered:

"You are an old follower of the Grand Marshal for many years. With powerful enemies outside, knowing full well how deeply the Grand Marshal loves his son, you still bring out this death notice at this moment. It is clear you are colluding with external traitors!"

"I did not!"

"You still dare to argue!"

On the bed, Li Chong coughed twice.

"Shuang'er, do not make things difficult for him!"

Li Shuang helped Li Chong sit up, seeing him stare at Wei Langan.

"I value your talent and cannot bear to kill you. Go! Also, tell the person behind you: stabbing someone in the back is not the act of a hero. Let him take care of himself!"

Wei Langan's expression was agitated, as if he had much to say, but in the end he said nothing, only kowtowing and saying:

"Grand Marshal, take care!"

Li Chong on the bed seemed to have aged ten years, suddenly losing his usual vigor and spirit.

"Shuang'er, whatever you wish to do, I will no longer interfere. If you want Shuozhou, take it. Just one thing: you must protect Qingzhun!"

"Rest assured, Father!"

By Li Chong's ear came the bark of the Great Yellow Dog; it too seemed worried about the old man's health.

Deep in the quiet night, Li Chong lay on the bed, unable to sleep. His gaze turned to the Great Yellow Dog that had been crouching beside the bed, and he smiled.

"A lifetime of battles, my spirit overshadowing the age, yet in the end, my heart full of sorrow, with only this dog to hear it!"

As for the Great Wei Jiangshan, let whoever loves it have it!