Chapter 215

Tens of thousands of Xianbei cavalry launched attacks from nine counties in Youzhou and Bingzhou at the same time.

So the imperial court sent Zhang Huan to attack the Xianbei, and the Xianbei people then left the frontier.

After this battle, Tanshihuai's prestige among the Xianbei increased dramatically, and he became the Great Chanyu of the Xianbei recognized by all tribes.

From then on, he began nearly twenty years of plundering and aggression against the border.

After the first year of Jianning, Liu Hong succeeded to the throne; facing the Xianbei's increasing invasion of the Great Han border, Liu Hong had no way.

In the seventh year of Xiping, Liu Hong sent thirty thousand cavalry, intending to defeat the Xianbei.

However, this battle ended in a miserable defeat for the Great Han.

Of the thirty thousand cavalry, only one or two out of ten returned.

In the following years, the Xianbei's invasions increased, but the imperial court had no way at all.

The Loufan Pass, which was in disrepair and somewhat dilapidated, had mottled walls.

Looking closely, one could even see some bone arrowheads stuck in the cracks of the city wall.

Located at the highest point of the mountain ridge between two mountains, Loufan Pass was like a huge yellow earthen wall, blocking the middle of the road on the high mountain.

Traces of mottled time covered every inch of the city wall.

Dark brown stains that could not be wiped away could be seen everywhere on the battlements.

Soldiers with thin bodies stood behind the battlements, looking at the two sides below the mountain in the distance.

From time to time, there were commoners driving flocks of sheep in and out of the open pass gate, dressed in rags and looking sallow.

Compared to Taiyuan Commandery, Yanmen Commandery was more bitter and cold.

And they often had to face the aggression of foreign races.

So compared to Taiyuan Commandery, Yanmen Commandery had a smaller population and was poorer.

At this time, on the city wall, a young man dressed in old iron armor, with a precious sword hanging from his waist, was leading four soldiers up to the city wall of Loufan Pass.

Seeing the young man, the soldiers immediately stood up straight.

The young man was sturdy and had a firm face; although he didn't look very old, not even twenty.

But his expression was extremely calm.

Even the older soldiers didn't dare to have the slightest contempt after seeing the young man.

The young man led the soldiers to patrol the city wall of the pass.

Checking the arrows, rolling logs, boulders, and other essential equipment for defending the pass.

After checking and finding nothing wrong, the expression on the young man's face relaxed slightly.

"General, there is not much grain and grass left in the pass; the soldiers only have one meal a day now, and it's only thin porridge."

"If this continues, I'm afraid they won't be able to hold on for a few more days even with one meal a day."

Just as the young man was about to walk down the pass, the deputy general behind him took a small step forward and said.

The young man frowned slightly upon hearing this, and then turned to look at the deputy general behind him.

"The Grand Administrator hasn't sent grain and grass yet?" the young man asked with a frown.

The deputy general hesitated for a moment before whispering: "Five thousand shi of grain and grass were sent a few days ago, but most of it was withheld by Colonel Wang."

"Withheld?" the young man frowned.

The deputy general nodded and continued: "Colonel Wang said it was to be kept for emergency use in wartime."

"Nonsense!"

The young man shouted sharply: "If you can't even eat on ordinary days, what wartime are you saving it for?"

As he spoke, the young man flicked his sleeves and was about to walk down the city wall.

"General..."

The deputy general behind him hurriedly blocked him: "General, you can't..."

The young man was pulled, his expression becoming increasingly ugly as he said: "Every time grain and grass are transported, that Wang Han withholds most of it; does he really think I don't know about his dealings?"

"Where did the money for the land he bought, and the money for the mansion and the cattle and sheep he bought while serving as Colonel at Loufan Pass these years come from?"

"If it were ordinary times, that would be fine, but now is the time when the Xiongnu and Xianbei are between the old and the new."

"If the Xiongnu and Xianbei raise an army to invade the south, and the soldiers are not full, who can fight to the death to resist the enemy?"

"Don't stop me, I want to see if this grain and grass filled the warehouse or went into his Wang Han's private pocket!"

The young man threw off the deputy general's arm, and with one hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist, he walked down the city wall of the pass.

Seeing that he couldn't stop him, the deputy general had to follow.

In front of a mansion in Loufan Pass that was obviously much more colorful and prominent than the others, stood several soldiers in bright clothes.

Compared to the soldiers guarding the pass, these soldiers standing in front of the mansion were much better in both clothing and complexion.

"Whoa!"

The young man galloping on his horse pulled the reins and stopped in front of the mansion gate.

With one hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist, he was about to step forward.

The soldiers guarding the gate immediately stepped forward to block him.

The soldiers behind the young man also stepped forward two steps: "Move aside, our General wants to see General Wang."

The soldiers guarding the gate looked the young man up and down, then put down their weapons and said: "Wait here, we will go and report."

The young man took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, and waited at the door.

After a while, the soldiers came out of the mansion and invited the young man into the mansion.

After passing through the garden corridor of the front courtyard, the young man came to a main hall.

"Haha, what kind of wind is this today that blew Colonel Zhang here."

"It really makes my mansion shine."

A man in black robes walked out of the main hall.

"Colonel Wang!" the young man cupped his hands at Wang Han.

Wang Han smiled slightly, then pointed to a seat on the side and said: "Come, come, come, it's rare for Colonel Zhang to come to my mansion, sit down, sit down."

The young man glanced at the seat but did not move.

"I came here just to ask Colonel Wang one thing: why did you withhold most of the military grain sent by the Grand Administrator to Loufan Pass the day before yesterday?"

"There is a shortage of grain in the pass, the soldiers are hungry, what if the enemy comes, how can the soldiers resist?" the young man asked like a string of pearls.

Wang Han laughed and said: "So that's what it's about, is it worth Colonel Zhang running here in person?"

Wang Han sat down with a smile, then waved to call a delicate-looking maid.

The maid carried a tray, and on the tray was a silver wine pot.

The wine pot was carved with exquisite and complicated patterns, and one could see at a glance that it was of grassland style.

The young man frowned.

Wang Han, however, unhurriedly picked up the wine pot and poured himself a cup of wine in a silver cup.

"Colonel Zhang, it is precisely because of the shortage of grain and grass that I ordered to store more grain and grass just in case."

"What if the enemy comes to besiege at this time, if there is no grain and grass in the pass, how can we hold it?"

"Is that not the logic, Colonel Zhang?" Wang Han said with a smile.

The young man gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"Colonel Wang," the young man said, suppressing his anger: "If the soldiers can't even eat when there is no war, why wait until wartime?"

"If there is really a war, how can the soldiers fight to the death?"

"Colonel Wang, you should release the grain and grass to fill the military rations," the young man argued.

Wang Han, who was holding the silver wine cup, stopped his movements, his gaze instantly becoming unkind.

"Colonel Zhang, are you teaching me how to do things?" Wang Han said, narrowing his eyes: "Don't forget, I am the Colonel guarding Loufan Pass, and you are just my deputy."

"If you have any dissatisfaction, you can petition the Grand Administrator; if the Grand Administrator orders you to be the Colonel, then you can be in charge!"

"Right now, I am in charge here!"

"Does Colonel Zhang have anything else? If not, then leave!" Wang Han waved his hand impatiently.

The young man did not move, but the expression on his face already showed his anger.

Petition the Grand Administrator?

That Grand Administrator Wang Rou was Wang Han's uncle.

With their clan relationship, what use would his petition be?