Chapter 31: Marching North, Crossing the Yellow River Three Times

【At the Battle of Hulao Pass, you proved yourself.】

【Your father trusts you even more, and even Wang Yang personally petitioned for rewards for you and your father and brother.】

【But surprisingly, despite the great victory of the Lu family army—slaying thirty thousand enemies—the court granted only the title of Wugong Daifu and Defense Commissioner of Changzhou to Lu Jiaxuan, supreme commander of the Lu family army.】

【Lu Yu and Lu Chen were awarded only the rank of deputy general in the army.】

【In contrast, Wang Yang was promoted to Military Governor of the Divine Martial Rear Army, overseeing three provinces, and appointed Grand Marshal, second rank.】

【Upon hearing this, Wang Yang repeatedly submitted memorials, earnestly arguing that the Lu family had rendered great service and deserved better—each petition was rejected by the court.】

【Wang Yang sought out his father, his face filled with helplessness: “The Lu family still lacks deep roots; no one in court speaks up for them. But I also reassure you: ‘Jiaxuan, you have won the emperor’s favor—he has mentioned you repeatedly in his edicts. Promotion is merely a matter of time. Do not lose heart.’”】

【“The current emperor is diligent and wise—a rare enlightened ruler, a restorer of the realm.”】

【Wang Yang, who held authority over promotions, elevated Lu Chen and Lu Yu to first-rank, fifty-seventh grade, and appointed them as deputy generals of the army. Otherwise, morale would collapse—such great military merit deserved more than an unranked post.】

【His father did not care.】

【Lu Yu whispered, “The emperor is stingy to the extreme.”】

【In the following year, the Lu family army entered a true period of rest and reorganization. With Wang Yang as their superior, many affairs were handled smoothly.】

【This year you are twenty-two. The Lu family army has trained for two years and now numbers twenty thousand.】

【Though northern winds occasionally raided, all were minor engagements—and in every battle you joined, you won.】

【You have gained some reputation among the northern troops.】

【And Wang Yang’s phrase, “He carries a thousand armies within his belly,” has become widely known.】

【Peace, long absent, has come to the north.】

【You possess the talent of discerning talent—among refugees and soldiers alike, you always spot the capable and astute.】

【Wang Yang, seeing your calm demeanor and orderly conduct, noted that in two years you had never made a mistake, and praised your abilities highly.】

【Wang Yang, being a civil official by origin, disliked military officers; yet he admired your scholarly, Daoist bearing and often discussed state affairs with you—your remarks always struck precisely where he felt most vulnerable.】

【He grew fonder of you.】

【In the third year, Wang Yang decided to betroth his daughter to you—an undeniable recognition of your talent and character.】

【Most of the Wang family opposed it; the Wangs were an ancient clan, whose grandfather and great-grandfather had been great Confucian scholars and served as Grand Tutors in two dynasties, esteemed pillars of the court’s scholarly elite.】

【The Lu family was merely a fallen northern commoner clan—the social gap was immense.】

【But Wang Yang ignored his family’s objections, replying only: “This boy is no fish in a pond.”】

【Yet at year’s end, the northern winds launched another invasion, and the betrothal was put on hold.】

【Forty thousand northern wind troops surged forward, aiming to annihilate Daqing.】

【That year, the Lu family army expanded to thirty thousand, its strength greatly increased.】

【Upon hearing the news, you decided…】

1. Recommend marching north.

2. Hold the city.

3. Participate personally (1/3)

【Yu Ke stared at the three options, thinking for a moment.】

【Three years of cultivation—I’ve fought eight thousand against forty thousand at Hulao Pass. What’s there to fear?】

【And if we hold Hulao Pass, Tuoba Shuyi, who suffered defeat before, will likely split his forces and advance south on two fronts.】

【Better to march north.】

【Yu Ke directly chose option 1: recommend marching north.】

【When your father learned of your suggestion, his heart surged with emotion.】

【For twenty years, Daqing had only defended cities, lost cities, and fled in disgrace—never once launched a northern offensive.】

【When news of the northern wind’s invasion reached the south, panic spread again.】

【After twenty years of defeats, Daqing’s backbone had been bent; the only great victory remained at Hulao Pass.】

The news of the Lu family army's northern campaign spread across the land; southern scholars largely disapproved, calling it reckless ambition—chasing fame and profit while ignoring the Qing dynasty's territorial integrity and state stability.

【Memorials poured into the prosperous yet heavy capital like snowflakes; the war faction and the surrender faction argued fiercely, the court in constant dispute.】

【Finally, in the same year, the court issued its decree: some forces would hold Hulao Pass, others would march north with the Lu family army.】

【The following spring, the Lu family army marched north.】

【Crossing the Yellow River, you encountered Tuoba Shuyi again.】

【After three years of trials, you had fully proven your ability; your father entrusted you with full command, and you took central position.】

【The Lu family army was disciplined; all its officers were promoted by your own hand—you knew their strengths and weaknesses intimately.】

【Your father, meanwhile, stood by to fill gaps and correct errors.】

【Tuoba Shuyi learned that the true commander of the Lu family army was a youth barely in his twenties—his heart brimmed with contempt.】

【When he further heard that the brilliant strategy at Hulao Pass had originated from this twenty-year-old, he sneered inwardly: “No heroes in this age—only a boy has made his name.”】

【Tuoba Shuyi coldly laughed: “Lu Jiaxuan, that old fox, is surely too old and feeble to command, unwilling to entrust power to others—so he passes it to his son, paving his way.”】

【Many northern wind generals agreed.】

【Tuoba Shuyi’s disdain for the Lu family deepened; a fire of revenge burned fiercely in his chest.】

【His defeat at Hulao Pass was not his true strength—it was merely due to momentary carelessness.】

【This time, he would erase the shame of Hulao Pass.】

【Tuoba Shuyi led one hundred thousand troops and met your Lu family army.】

【The two armies faced each other.】

【You sat calmly in your command tent, issuing orders with composure and precision—each command struck like an arrow to the vital point, swiftly transmitted through the army, obeyed without question.】

【In their first clash, Tuoba Shuyi immediately sensed your extraordinary talent—you were young, yet your tactics were seasoned.】

【After several engagements, Tuoba Shuyi attempted to deceive you, feigning weakness to lure you deeper.】

【But you saw through his ruse, turned his trick against him, and achieved a small victory.】

【Within that month, you clashed dozens of times.】

【Your troop deployments were steady, your tactics prudent, yet decisive—Tuoba Shuyi began to regard you with new respect. He repeatedly moved your name higher on his list; his regard for you grew daily.】

【At the battle of Chan County, you leveraged terrain advantage, sacrificing three thousand men to slay ten thousand enemies.】

【After this battle, Tuoba Shuyi feared you even more—you understood timing, mastered terrain, and excelled in winning men’s hearts.】

【In only three months, his view of you had turned completely around—he repeatedly called you in his tent, “A great general of this age, a master of military art.”】

【He knew even a lion must use full strength against a rabbit; he gathered three hundred thousand troops, determined to crush you in a decisive frontal battle.】

【Yet you did not choose to fight him head-on, nor did you flee south.】

【You led your troops across the Yellow River, pretending to march north, but secretly crossed at Chen Cang.】

【Tuoba Shuyi pursued relentlessly, unaware you crossed the Yellow River again, splitting your forces into three routes, leaving him chasing shadows.】

【Tuoba Shuyi hastily divided his forces to encircle you, aiming to capture you outright.】

【Tuoba Shuyi grew furious—he could not believe you had crossed the Yellow River again and vanished.】

【Taking advantage of his divided forces, you descended like divine troops, slaying over twenty thousand, shaking the entire army.】

【When he reformed his encirclement, you crossed the Yellow River once more and withdrew.】

(End of Chapter)