Chapter 419: Xiao Pass Encounters the Vanguard Riders

"On this march beyond the frontier, the first obstacle we've met isn't the Xiongnu — it's logistics, the plight of having no grain!"

Several days after departing Yiqu City, the Northern Commandery's army encamped at Huan Town, their final stop before crossing the border. Heifu assembled his subordinate officers and came to the town command post to discuss the expedition.

As the three officers commanding the three hundred young men of good family, Qiang Hua, Fu Zhi, and Gan Chong were permitted to stand at the back of the hall and listen in. The moment Heifu launched into "An army without baggage train perishes, without grain perishes, without stockpiles perishes," Gan Chong winked at the other two, meaning: "I wasn't wrong, was I? The Commandant is repeating his old refrain again."

Qiang Hua and Fu Zhi sat bolt upright, but in truth, their ears were practically calloused from hearing it. Every time they halted along the journey, what the Commandant and his officers discussed most was how much food the army still had, where the grain carts had reached, how much they could requisition at the counties and towns along the way...

Heifu could hardly be blamed for this. When he had first petitioned Qin Shi Huang to go to war, he had envisioned the Northern Commandery contributing around seven thousand troops. Qin Shi Huang's first reaction was "I fear that is too few" — little realizing that this was already the absolute limit for this military operation...

It was not that the Northern Commandery could not field more soldiers; if Heifu had been willing, he could have led ten thousand men beyond the frontier. The crux was that the supply lines beyond the border could not sustain any more men and horses.

A great army marching and fighting over long distances is nothing like a primary school organizing a spring outing where everyone just brings a few snacks. Heifu was an old campaigner and knew full well the enormous consumption of men eating and horses chewing — even in the interior it costs a thousand in gold each day, let alone beyond the frontier.

"North of Xiao Pass, the terrain stretches out flat all the way to the desert. For a full four hundred li, there are no inhabitants, no trees, and water and grass are exceedingly scarce — they only begin to appear when you reach the Huamachi salt lakes. The land in between is barren and desolate. The main army must not hope for the slightest grain resupply, and water sources are intermittent at best!"

Population density per square kilometer is closely tied to surplus grain. According to what Wu Shiyan and Chen Ping had scouted, before reaching Huamachi, even if the Qin army wanted to "live off the enemy," there would be no opportunity — not a single grain of food could be procured along the way. Having the soldiers hunt for themselves was even less reliable. So everything had to be brought from home.

Back in Yiqu City, Chen Ping had already done the arithmetic for Heifu: a journey of over four hundred li, at the Qin infantry's normal marching speed with baggage — forty-odd li per day — would take about ten days. One able-bodied man requires five dou of grain for ten days; seven thousand men would require 3,500 shi of grain.

Averaged out per person, each man carrying an extra half-shi of grain was not too heavy, and it could also be loaded onto the donkeys or packhorses — two of which were assigned to every squad of ten.

"Thankfully, the Commandant had everyone bring guokui flatbread as marching rations..." Qiang Hua stuck out his tongue.

This was an upgraded version of the "baked flatbread" eaten by immigrants from Guanzhong and Shandong, and was said to have originated from the kitchens of Commandant Heifu's own household.

The things were as large as a man's face and could be cut into strips and packed into bags. In the dry Northern Commandery, they would keep for months without spoiling, and they were dry, hard, and chewy.

The drawback was that they were too hard. It was no exaggeration to say that a guokui left to air-dry for a long time could kill a man if thrown at him. Qiang Hua once had Gan Chong, who was skilled at stone-throwing, test this. Gan Chong's leather sling spun like a blur, but the small stone he hurled only punched a tiny hole in the guokui...

Gan Chong was dumbstruck at the time, while Fu Zhi, standing beside him, roared with laughter and said the thing could practically be used as a shield.

Sure enough, from that day on, Fu Zhi actually swapped the shield on his back for a guokui, prompting Qiang Hua and Gan Chong to call him "Fu Guokui" or "Guokui Centurion" behind his back!

When Commandant Heifu overheard the young men's joking and teasing, he did not rebuke them; instead, he showed a deeply meaningful smile.

The three had no idea that Heifu was secretly rejoicing that someone else had taken a nickname off his shoulders...

But guokui could only serve as rations for rapid marches. If you chewed them every day without enough water to soften them, your teeth would shatter. Accounting for the time they would spend beyond the frontier, Heifu still needed to add a month's worth of grain — roughly ten thousand shi of millet.

What did that mean in practical terms? If civilian laborers were used to transport it, a handcart could carry two shi of grain. With two men pulling each cart, that would still require five to six thousand laborers. The route was long and treacherous, and the laborers would consume most of the grain they were transporting along the way, leaving almost nothing by the time they reached the destination. Moreover, they would have to face lightning raids by the Xiongnu...

The Northern Commandery was sparsely populated to begin with, so Heifu much preferred to use livestock.

A donkey carries two shi; a mule or packhorse carries three shi; an oxcart carries twenty shi. Just the oxcarts hauling grain alone would need five hundred vehicles. Add the grain, beans, and green fodder the oxen and horses themselves had to eat, plus all manner of military equipment, medicine, bandages, and expendable arrows, and it would likely take over a thousand carts — stretching out for several li.

Using oxcarts and pack animals also meant accounting for injuries, sickness, and other problems. With winter setting in, even once they reached Huamachi, there would be little pasture to graze on. When fodder and grazing are irregular, many animals sicken and die. Heifu had already mentally prepared himself that by the end of this campaign, half the livestock might die, or even all of them, at which point they would be slaughtered for meat and then replenished on the spot.

For this reason, Heifu had to bring elite troops and could not be greedy for numbers. Don't be fooled by the imposing sight of a vast host at the outset — once they were in the desert and salt marshes, hah, everyone would go hungry. Every extra mouth added one more measure of pressure on the logistics.

After the final council of war, Heifu decided to divide the seven thousand troops he was bringing into several sections:

One thousand cavalry of the Daliang Rong would serve as the vanguard, led by Yiqu Bailang, Officer of the Realm. Each rider had one man and two horses and carried five days' rations. As the advance force, they would set out first, covering a hundred li a day, and strive to reach Huamachi within five days!

After handing the split wooden tally to Yiqu Bailang, Heifu instructed him: "Although the Lord of Xuyan has betrayed the Xiongnu and submitted to Qin, he still fears Xiongnu reprisal. Those people are prone to flip-flopping. The advance force must travel day and night, reach Huamachi City swiftly to set his mind at ease, and then order the Lord of Xuyan to prepare rations and fresh water for our main army."

"Your subordinate understands!"

Unlike the Gongsun clan, whose rank had been built up over generations, Yiqu Bailang's rank had mainly been earned through repeated military achievements during the unification wars.

After several years without fighting, this fierce warrior of mixed Hua and Rong blood had long been itching for action.

And the Daliang Rong cavalry he commanded — the five clans of Kill Ox, Tiger Fall, Penglu, Wild Fox, and Pengyang — had long been howling with excitement ever since their chieftains were summoned to the commandery seat by Heifu for a meeting, where he hinted that after defeating the Xiongnu, they could migrate to the better pastures of the Helan Mountains!

Heifu said to the five tribal chiefs: "I have proposed to His Majesty that in this campaign, Rong warriors who join the Qin army may be granted pastures according to the land-grant system, with each rank of nobility receiving five hundred mu of pastureland..."

At these words, the eyes of all five Rong tribes lit up. The Rong people regard death in battle as glorious and death by sickness as shameful. Rather than idle at home fighting each other, they would far rather go beyond the frontier and earn a better, larger pasture!

At that moment, Heifu's gaze shifted to the three young-men-of-good-family centurions at the back of the hall.

Qiang Hua, Fu Zhi, and Gan Chong immediately puffed out their chests. They knew that the vanguard advance force offered the easiest chance for merit and the greatest likelihood of clashing with the enemy, so each of them hoped to be chosen!

However, Heifu's eyes skipped over Qiang Hua. After looking between Fu Zhi and Gan Chong, he selected Fu Zhi.

"Centurion Fu Zhi, take one hundred young men of good family and follow Commander Yiqu's orders."

Fu Zhi was overjoyed, while Gan Chong stole a glance at Qiang Hua and saw that he looked utterly crestfallen.

Afterward, Commandant Heifu selected two more units. He himself would lead the four thousand better-trained commandery troops and county soldiers, forming the main army, carrying ten days' rations and striving to reach Huamachi within ten days. Qiang Hua was chosen to accompany the Commandant as a personal attendant.

As for the rear echelon, Heifu assigned the capable Gongsun Bailu to escort the thousand oxcarts of baggage with two thousand men, advancing slowly. Gan Chong joined them with the remaining one hundred young men of good family...

"We are to go our separate ways."

After they had received their orders and come out, Fu Zhi said this to his two comrades. Although they came from different counties, after half a year together, having become centurions at the same time, trained together, and spent every day in each other's company, they had come to regard one another as friends.

"Indeed. I thought we would fight together; I never imagined we'd be split among three different units."

Gan Chong sighed, then bumped the sullen Qiang Hua with his shoulder. "Zihua, you're moping — could it be you're dissatisfied with the Commandant's arrangements?"

"How would Qiang Hua dare..." Qiang Hua was the sort of person who wore all his emotions on his face. Though his mouth said he dared not, his face flushed bright red. He was the grandson of Qiang Hui, the Governor of Shang Commandery, born into a military family, and had practiced riding and archery since childhood. He had once led his household riders in pursuit of a band of brigands, taking many heads and captives, and had earned a modest local reputation.

In his view, if the bravest and most battle-worthy of the three was to be chosen to join the vanguard advance force, he himself was the obvious choice. Why had the Commandant chosen Fu Zhi instead?

"Can it be you don't see the Commandant's intent?" Gan Chong's talents went beyond stone-throwing; he was also very perceptive.

"What intent?"

Qiang Hua said, "My elder brother, in the Longxi army, is already a cavalry commander who can independently lead a thousand men. It's said he has often accompanied General Li on woodcutting expeditions beyond the frontier. Why am I only allowed to stay by the Commandant's side as his bodyguard?"

He spoke without restraint, glaring at Fu Zhi. "Whether in swordsmanship, horsemanship, or archery, I surpass you. Why did the Commandant choose you for the advance force? It's not fair!"

Fu Zhi, a rather blunt and straightforward fellow, was a bit stunned. But Gan Chong said coldly: "Fair? Indeed, it is extremely unfair. We enlisted at the same time and became centurions at the same time, but from today onward, our future prospects will diverge greatly. Fu Zhi, as part of the advance force, will be scouting a path in the utterly unknown wilderness beyond the frontier, liable to encounter large Xiongnu forces at any moment. He will have many chances for merit — and may also die in battle. Whereas you, Qiang Hua, can safely remain at the Commandant's side. Yes, you must stay by his side at every step, without freedom, unable to gallop freely across the battlefield — but you will be present at his councils of war, privy to all matters great and small, and may even offer advice and suggestions..."

"Whatever the outcome of this campaign, I fear you will still come away with a line on your record and a share of the credit! That is the advantage of being a personal attendant. I heard from Officer of the Realm Gong Ao that back in the day, the Commandant himself gained favor by serving as the personal centurion bodyguard to the son of the Commandant of Justice!"

Gan Chong had the humblest origins of the three — his family were mere holders of the second rank — so he paid closer attention to such matters.

"Why would the Commandant treat me this way!"

Qiang Hua was completely dumbstruck. Seeing that he still didn't get it, Gan Chong spat in exasperation: "Because you are the grandson of the Governor of Shang Commandery!"

Only then did Qiang Hua suddenly understand. Immediately ashamed of his own recklessness, he lowered his head. "It's not as if I wanted this. I still want to charge the front lines," he said stubbornly.

"And do you think I want to go to the rear echelon to stare at oxcarts, smell dung, and eat dust?" Gan Chong mocked his comrade who never seemed to grow up.

At that moment, Fu Zhi, who had been silent for a long while, finally spoke: "Gan Chong, have you misunderstood? I once heard the Commandant say: 'If the farmer does not produce, food will be scarce; if the craftsman does not produce, goods will be scarce; if the merchant does not trade, the three treasures will be cut off; if the forester does not harvest, wealth will be depleted.' Farmer, craftsman, merchant, forester — each has their own duty."

"The Commandant says it is the same in the army. Whether vanguard, personal guard, or baggage train, each has its own duty — not one can be missing. Without the vanguard, the forward scouts are cut off; without the personal guard, the commander is imperiled; without the baggage train, the great army perishes. The Commandant has assigned us to different battle formations, perhaps to let us gain experience in every position. Gentlemen, do not fixate on which post makes it easy to earn merit, or which is safe and good for quick promotion. In my view, on the battlefield, things shift in the blink of an eye. No matter where you are, there is always a chance to win renown!"

This was a lesson Heifu had given the three hundred promising sons of good families — upon whom he placed high hopes — when he inspected the troops. They were like blank sheets of paper: possessing martial skill, yet also cultured and from proper households, they were first-rate seedlings for officers and commanders... That was precisely why Heifu had placed them in different positions to gain experience. Among them, he had sent Gan Chong to watch over the grain carts because, when Heifu had discussed logistics, Gan Chong had shown a dismissive expression...

In this war it is so; in the next, I fear the roles will be swapped again. There is no deliberate favoritism toward anyone.

At this, it was Qiang Hua and Gan Chong's turn to feel ashamed together. They murmured, "It is still Fu Guokui who remembers the Commandant's words. We nearly measured a gentleman's heart with a petty man's mind..."

"No matter what, this is the first battle for the three hundred sons of good families from the Northern Lands. Do not lose to those Rong barbarians!"

Fu Zhi clasped his hands toward his two comrades: "Strive hard!"

Qiang Hua and Gan Chong also cupped their fists and nodded: "Indeed, we shall all strive together!"

The next day, the vanguard force of over a thousand cavalry set out ahead first, basically one man with two horses each, galloping out beyond the frontier fortifications!

Heifu's main force of four thousand followed close behind, reaching Xiao Pass one day after the forward scouts had departed the Long Wall.

On the twenty-eighth day of the tenth month of the twenty-eighth year of the First Emperor of Qin, as the great army rested at Xiao Pass, Heifu received word sent back by the mounted scouts of the White Wolves of Yiqu:

"The Lord of Xuyan has sent an envoy with an urgent report! Over a thousand Xiongnu cavalry have already roamed as far as the Flower Horse Pool!"

(End of Chapter)