Chapter 171: A Great Brawl

The sky gradually darkened; borrowing the last rays of the setting sun, the troops hidden in the mountains slowly descended.

By this time, the rebels had long since set up their camp and were busy lighting fires to cook.

Glancing at the cooking smoke rising in the distance, Li Mu took a few personal guards and quietly crept to a position one li away from the rebel camp to observe the enemy situation.

"Withdraw!"

After a simple glance at the enemy camp, he decisively chose to withdraw.

This enemy force before him clearly lacked military common sense.

Apart from the patrol units around the camp, there were no scouts deployed nearby.

Of course, it could also be that it was already late, and the scouts had returned to the camp to eat.

In the end, it was a makeshift team; it was impossible for them to be that meticulous.

……

Under the cover of night, Li Mu and his party returned to the camp, dusty and tired.

"You're finally back!

If I couldn't wait for you any longer, I was going to lead troops into the rebel camp to find you."

As he spoke, Zhu Jingyi breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Mu, who was always cautious, suddenly running to the front line himself to scout the enemy situation was truly beyond his expectations.

"I was observing the enemy camp from a mountain peak near the rebel camp, so it took a bit longer.

The sky was too dim to see the specific situation of the enemy camp clearly.

However, based on the distribution of the campfires, it can be roughly judged that the enemy army is divided into three parts, which should be from different units.

According to the intelligence collected beforehand, the enemy's vanguard unit is the Tusi army.

Guangxi Tusi are constantly fighting among themselves; the three families even deliberately spaced out their camps, which is enough to prove that their relationship in private is not harmonious.

The conditions for a night raid on the enemy camp are all met.

However, the prior plan needs to be slightly adjusted.

The troops dispatched tonight do not need to be three thousand; eight hundred elite soldiers will suffice.

Just stir up the enemy camp and let the three enemy forces fall into chaos.

When dawn breaks, we will go over to clean up the aftermath."

Li Mu briefly described the situation.

Observing the enemy camp at close range seemed very dangerous, but in reality, the risk was not high.

When he went over, the sky had already darkened, and he was observing from a distance.

In an era where most people have night blindness, they couldn't see movements in the distance at all.

"If the enemy army has internal contradictions, such a deployment is definitely flawless.

You kid did the work of scouting the enemy camp.

Let me lead the Huai'an Battalion to raid the enemy camp tonight!"

Zhu Jingyi said slowly.

Nominally, both were chief generals, but in reality, whether in military command or specific combat, he played a supporting role.

On one hand, Li Mu had experience in commanding major battles; on the other hand, the strength of the Yangzhou Battalion was more robust.

Taking the Great Battle of Lianzhou as an example, nominally it was a victory won by two battalions together, but the specific battle achievements differed by several times.

It wasn't that the Huai'an Battalion was lagging; it was purely that the two armies were half an era apart.

The advantage in firepower could not be compensated for by cold weapons.

Having rarely encountered a battlefield suitable for the Huai'an Battalion to display its strength, Zhu Jingyi naturally wanted to show off.

Otherwise, always tagging along to sponge off military merit, he wouldn't be able to save face.

"Fine!

But be careful; just weave through the enemy camp, and don't let them bite onto you.

In case the night raid fails, withdraw immediately, and I will lead people to lie in ambush two li away to provide support."

Li Mu agreed without hesitation.

The military merit that everyone in the outside world fought over was everywhere on the Guangxi front line.

Cleaning up this rebel army before them was just an appetizer.

Defeating and even annihilating the main rebel force was the main goal of this campaign.

……

"Clan Leader, we really didn't do it on purpose during the conflict today.

If it wasn't for the Hou clan deliberately provoking..."

Before the young man could finish, Meng Qingfeng waved his hand to interrupt.

"Let's not mention the past, but let this be the last time.

You all go down; I still need to discuss military affairs with the clan elders."

In the conflicts between Tusi, right and wrong were never the point.

The government stirring up trouble behind the scenes was only one of the reasons for the conflict; more of it stemmed from interests.

Guangxi is barren; to survive better, one must fight for resources.

Involving forests, water sources, and land—these core means of production—no one could make concessions.

It wasn't that they hadn't thought about uniting to fight for the outside world.

Unfortunately, they were overlords in the mountains, but once they went down the mountain, they became targets for beatings.

Whenever the world was in chaos, they would join forces to pull off a big one.

Then the new dynasty would be established, give them a sound beating, and then deprive them of a portion of their Tusi states.

Almost every time the Central Plains dynasty changed, the Guangxi Tusi were the victims.

It wasn't that they hadn't tried to resist, but the result of the resistance was more land being taken away by the Central Plains dynasty through the policy of replacing Tusi with appointed officials.

Not only them, but the Tusi in Western Hunan, Yunnan-Guizhou, and Sichuan were also declining.

With the influx of outside populations and the continuous development of the local economy, the Tusi's living space was constantly being compressed.

For their own interests, the Tusi became the most conservative force, rejecting all change.

Being tricked by the White Lotus Sect into rebelling was, on one hand, because they couldn't stand the exploitation of local officials, and on the other hand, because of that unwilling ambition.

Most Tusi participated in the rebellion; the few clear-headed ones who didn't want to participate couldn't go against the general trend.

"Clan Leader, the Yang and Hou clans are very close; it is very likely they will be unfavorable to us.

Those fellows from the White Lotus Sect are also very exclusive towards us.

The prospects for this great battle are not optimistic!"

After everyone left, the old man on the side reminded him.

The allied army of the three major Tusi clans was full of contradictions from the very beginning.

The White Lotus Sect commander leading this great battle also had opinions about them; it was simply a hellish start.

"There is definitely danger, but right now the White Lotus Sect is powerful; even if the imperial army wins, they won't have the ability to recover Guangxi in a short time.

Moreover, we killed the Prefect earlier; wanting to accept the offer of amnesty won't be that easy either.

Let's wait and see for now; if the imperial army wins this great battle, we will find someone to operate and seek to turn things around.

If the White Lotus Sect wins a total victory, we will continue to follow them.

Great Dayu has been passed down for more than two hundred years; logically speaking, it should be the end of the dynasty.

There is the threat of the Northern Barbarians from the outside, the White Lotus Sect causing chaos from the inside, and the imperial court is not peaceful either.

Whether they can survive this crisis is also an unknown!"

Meng Qingfeng said with a troubled face.

As a Tusi force passed down for hundreds of years and still able to mix better and better, the Meng clan naturally had its own survival rules.

Regardless of how the situation in Guangxi changes, they always stand on the side of the winner.

When Great Dayu was strong, they supported Great Dayu.

Earlier, when the White Lotus Sect rebelled and occupied Guangxi, they decisively handed in their "letter of intent" to the White Lotus Sect.

Now that the imperial army showed signs of fighting back, they wavered again.

Not only the Meng clan, but most Tusi in Guangxi were a group of fence-sitters.

In order to survive, some Tusi even accepted the investiture of the Annan people.

If the Embroidered Uniform Guards hadn't been abolished, the land of Guangxi would have already started staging spy wars.

It was unrealistic to let them defect directly, but it was possible to operate by not putting in effort on the battlefield.

Caught between Great Dayu, the White Lotus Holy Kingdom, and the Annan people, it was like dancing on three eggs; one had to be careful at all times.

"A broken ship still has three pounds of nails; the Great Dayu Dynasty won't fall that easily.

Even if it is the end of the dynasty, relying on the foundation left by the ancestors, it can still be maintained for decades.

We cannot wait until the situation is clear before running to the government side to operate.

The original Guangxi officials are either dead or have fled; the connections we managed locally are all wasted.

The relationships in the capital all rely on gift-giving to maintain; don't count on them to exert much effort.

Moreover, distant water cannot quench near thirst.

The last Great Battle of Lianzhou is an example; the imperial army was completely playing for keeps.

Regardless of whose family it was, and regardless of what connections they had behind them, they showed no mercy."

The white-clothed old man shook his head and said.

Officialdom is about human relationships, and the battlefield can also be about human relationships.

If the opposite side was the previous local Guangxi troops, everyone could return home after symbolically fighting a battle.

Now the situation is different; the imperial army on the opposite side has no friendship with them worth a copper coin; encountering them means military merit in their eyes.

"It's difficult!

I also want to establish a connection with the Lianzhou imperial army.

Not to mention anything else, just the tribesmen they captured are worth us sending generous gifts to redeem.

Unfortunately, there is a lack of a bridge in the middle, and we can't talk at all.

If we rashly send people over, they won't take us defeated generals seriously."

Meng Qingfeng said helplessly.

Knowing that the White Lotus Holy Kingdom treats them as cannon fodder, they naturally wouldn't be willing to continue selling their lives.

Wanting to hook up with the imperial army, they didn't have enough chips in their hands.

If the situation were clearer, they could defect directly, or if the military strength in his hands were stronger, things would be negotiable.

Yet now, they had nothing.

One couldn't just send someone over to say hello without any substantial performance and expect them to believe that these rebels were loyal to the imperial court!

"It's simple to talk to the imperial army.

The few gentry children we saved all have tribesmen serving as officials in the capital; they are the best intermediaries.

But the prerequisite is: we must preserve our strength in the great battle.

Only by preserving the army in the clan do we have the qualifications to negotiate with the imperial court.

In case the war goes poorly, don't have the slightest hesitation; just take the tribesmen and run!"

The old man's words left Meng Qingfeng very helpless.

In the last great battle, he was the one who reacted the fastest, decisively taking his tribesmen and running away.

The Tusi who had conflicts with the Meng clan gave him the nickname "General Runaway."

If he ran again, he would completely solidify the name.

From then on, among the Guangxi Tusi, he shouldn't hope to have any prestige.

……

The Meng Tusi was dealing with the brawl, and the neighboring Yang and Hou Tusi were also doing ideological work for their tribesmen.

There were plenty of opportunities for revenge, but not now.

If they started fighting each other now, not only would the White Lotus Holy Kingdom not let them off, but the imperial army would also kick them while they were down.

"Clan Leader, the Meng clan is really bullying us too much!

And the Yang clan people are not good goods either.

When we had a conflict, they were constantly provoking on the side..."

Hearing the report from his subordinates, Hou Xiangyu rubbed his forehead helplessly.

The grievances between Tusi are simply too complex.

For a pheasant, a wild rabbit, or a nest of honey, two villages could have a brawl.

Many private contradictions were unknown even to him, the clan leader.

"Alright, let's record these accounts for now and settle them later.

……"

While they were talking, fighting sounds suddenly erupted in the camp.

The Huai'an Battalion soldiers lying in ambush near the camp, borrowing the cover of night, ran to the junction of the three camps to cause destruction.

"Send someone to see what's happening outside?"

Hou Xiangyu ordered angrily.

Brawls in the camp had happened countless times along the way.

Not only had brawls occurred between the three major Tusi, but even between the villages within the Hou Tusi, there had been no lack of friction in private.

But playing like this at night was the first time.

The three families chose to camp separately, leaving a gap of more than ten meters, just to reduce conflict.

"Clan Leader, there are enemies raiding the camp!"

Upon receiving this news, Hou Xiangyu, who was full of anger, became even more furious.

Internal contradictions were hard to deal with, but there was no need to be polite to external enemies.

"Pass the order down, be sure to keep this enemy force; absolutely do not let them run!"

After the order was issued, the Hou soldiers in their sleep woke up one after another, picked up weapons, and joined the battle.

It was just that the battlefield kept moving; at first it was in the Hou camp, but as they fought, they entered the Yang and Meng camps.

A similar scene was playing out in other areas as well.

The Yang and Meng soldiers attracted by the Huai'an Battalion also had many enter the Hou camp.

The three Tusi armies, which had originally camped separately, soon mixed together.

At first, they were all chasing the imperial army, but soon the situation changed.

Whether it was intentional or an accidental accident, a Hou soldier's spear pierced into a Meng soldier.

Too busy to investigate the cause, seeing their own tribesmen killed, the nearby Meng soldiers immediately took revenge.

After seeing this scene, the nearby Hou soldiers also joined the battle.

Soon, the Yang soldiers were also drawn into the melee.

At first it was just a corner, but soon it spread to the entire camp.

After the full-scale brawl started, the Huai'an Battalion soldiers who provoked the war had already broken out of the encirclement.

Watching the scene spiral out of control, the high-level leaders of the three clans realized the situation was bad and hurriedly ordered the fighting to stop.

Unfortunately, no matter who it was, they could only command their own tribesmen; the soldiers of the other two families wouldn't buy it.

If you don't kill others, you will be killed by others.

The contradictions accumulated in the past all erupted at this moment.

"Stop quickly!

This is the enemy's conspiracy; don't fall for the imperial army's..."

Before Hou Xiangyu could finish, an incoming arrow pierced into his throat.

After struggling a few times, he fell to the ground and died.

In the pitch-black night, it was impossible to see who had dealt the black hand.

Seeing this scene, the Hou soldiers immediately decided to record this account on the other two families.

Under the blessing of anger, they erupted with twelve points of combat effectiveness and launched revenge against the Yang and Meng soldiers who entered their camp.

Facing the crazed Hou soldiers, the Yang and Meng soldiers were not to be outdone and launched a sharp counterattack.

The brawl between the three major Tusi clans was suddenly pushed to a climax.

……

(End of chapter)