GSY Chapter29

Avoiding war is not a long-term solution. On the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month, when the sky cleared up after the snow, Cen Yelan asked Cen Yi to stay at Beicang Pass, and he personally led his troops to attack Yan Le’s camp.

 

The Hu people were defeated and abandoned their camp, avoiding the frontier troops of Dayan and resorting to guerrilla warfare, which was their best skill. The morale of Dayan was greatly boosted. They were brave and good at fighting, and they were a frontier army that rode on horses and swung swords. After being bullied for a few days, they suddenly became wild beasts that had escaped from their cages, wishing to eat the flesh and blood of the Hu people alive and drive them out of the country.

 

It was a great victory in the first battle.

 

In the following several battles, Yan Le failed to match Cen Yelan’s spearhead and retreated again and again, gradually showing his decline. He took a different approach and swept through several small villages adjacent to Hedong and Beicang Pass. He also slaughtered all the old, weak, women and children in the village who were unable to escape. The bloody heads were hung outside the village, shocking the young and old, as if it was a barbaric and bloody mockery and provocation.

 

Even the soldiers who had been fighting on the northern border for many years showed sympathy, shock, and anger, not to mention Yuan Zheng and the dandies from the capital, all of whom were so angry that their eyes turned red, and they raised their swords, determined to capture Yan Le alive and cut him into pieces.

 

Cen Yelan didn’t say anything.

 

He just felt it was a little strange. Based on his understanding of Yan Le, this kind of delaying and provocative tactic was not what he was used to. Cen Yelan keenly smelled a bit of crisis. The longer the time went, the heavier the sense of crisis became. This was his innate instinct, as if a net had been buried under the vast snow at some point, and he was in it, unable to find a solution.

 

The deadlock was broken after a few days. Chen Qing, the defender of Heshan Prefecture in Hedong, was unable to withstand the offensive of the Hu people and fled the city, resulting in the loss of Heshan Prefecture.

 

When this news came out, everyone in the North was shocked.

 

“Yan Le’s troops were divided into three groups, and together with the Hu people who attacked Hedong, they attacked Heshan Prefecture. For some reason, Chen Qing of Heshan Prefecture only defended the city for two hours before abandoning it and fleeing!”

 

The soldiers in the room were furious and cursed, “What a coward! How can he retreat like this?”

 

“No wonder Yan Le has not dared to confront us head-on these days.” Said another person, “He took advantage of our burning of food and supplies to deploy troops and cover up his tracks. He is really cunning!”

 

Cen Yi said, “Even so, it’s too strange that Heshan Prefecture was lost.”

 

One of them pounded the table and said, “General, what’s so strange about this? It’s obvious that Chen Qing is as timid as a mouse and doesn’t dare to fight!”

 

“I’ve said it before, officials from the capital know nothing about marching and fighting!”

 

“It’s possible that they are collaborating with the Hu people.”

 

Cen Yelan glanced at him, and the man immediately fell silent. Cen Yelan said, “Heshan Prefecture has been lost. Yan Le has Heshan Prefecture as a supply. I think they will come back in a few days. It will be a tough battle then.”

 

“Chen Qing was the top martial arts champion six years ago and was transferred from the capital to Hedong three years ago.” Fang Jing said. “The border defense of Dayan has always employed border defense soldiers, most of whom were promoted based on their military achievements. They have lived on the border for a long time, and as time goes by, some people say that the border soldiers only recognize the marshals and generals, but not the emperor.”

 

Yuan Zheng was playing with his gyrfalcon. Probably because it was cold and he had detained it for quite some time already, the gyrfalcon stood listlessly on the small table and pecked at Yuan Zheng’s fingers with its sharp beak.

 

Yuan Zheng said, “I remember that a few years ago, the Imperial Censorate criticized the border troops every day, saying that they had no respect for the monarch and were self-centered.”

 

Fang Jing watched and couldn’t help but pick up a piece of raw meat as thin as a cicada’s wing with his jade chopsticks to feed the gyrfalcon, saying, “Chen Qing was transferred here at that time, and the border states changed several garrisons. Hey—why don’t you eat?”

 

Yuan Zheng slapped his hand away and said, “It’s full.” He looked at the gyrfalcon in front of him, tickled its sharp beak, and said with a smile, “Isn’t that right, General Xiao Cen?”

 

Suddenly, the gyrfalcon pecked him. Yuan Zheng immediately laughed, “Even throwing a tantrum. Even after being fed, you still ignore me. Who does this bad temper resemble, huh?”

 

He raised his head and looked at Fang Jing and said, “Being at the border is different from back in the capital. Are they even willing to do that?”

 

Fang Jing said, “Some people were naturally unwilling at first. After they returned to the capital, it looked like they were promoted, but in fact, they lost their military power; after all, that was not at all the case.”

 

“The next few came here in the name of military supervisors. Three went to Hedong, and one came to the North. Over the years, there have been more or less transfers between the garrisons of various states.”

 

Yuan Zheng responded casually. Dayan was conquered by the enemy. At the beginning of the dynasty, military power was valued over civil power. Anyone who made great contributions could be granted the title of marquis. In recent years, the Cen family in the north and the Si family in Hedong were like this. Although the Jingbei Commandery, which mobilized the troops in the north, was in Cen Yelan’s hands, but it was Cen Yi who inherited the title of Marquis Wangbei from the Cen family.

 

In recent years, the border troops have become more powerful. Although the capital has imperial guards and city defense camps to protect it, but it will be a big problem if there is any change in the border defense.

 

Yuan Zheng thought, no wonder those old men in the capital were so afraid of the border troops, even his uncle felt worried when he mentioned it.

 

After all, not everyone is Cen Yelan.

 

Holding military power and controlling hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the border army, what a great temptation.

 

Yuan Zheng touched the gyrfalcon’s glossy feathers, and the gyrfalcon was invigorated, flapped its wings, and flew onto his shoulder. Yuan Zheng said, “Let’s go get some fresh air.”

 

He said to Fang Jing, “Write a letter to my uncle and ask him to check Chen Qing.”

 

Fang Jing asked in confusion, “What do you want to check him for?”

 

Yuan Zheng tilted his head to glance at Fang Jing. The flamboyant gyrfalcon stood on the young man’s shoulder, looking as sharp as an unsheathed sword. “Chen Qing abandoned the city without sending out a distress signal. Don’t you find it strange?”

 

Fang Jing was stunned for a moment, then nodded, “It’s a bit strange… But what if the barbarians really attacked fiercely and Chen Qing was defeated…”

 

He spoke in a lower voice, and Yuan Zheng calmly said, “He is the top martial arts champion and has been training at the border for three years.”

 

“My uncle once asked three martial arts champions to teach me martial arts. As a martial arts champion, not only must one have high attainments in martial arts, but military tactics are also included in the exam. Do you think that the martial arts champion of Dayan would be such a coward?”

 

Yuan Zheng said, “Chen Qing is an official from the capital who has only been in Hedong for a few years. All of his family is in the capital. He has no reason to collaborate with the enemy.”

 

Fang Jing stared at Yuan Zheng, and Yuan Zheng frowned, “Why are you looking at me?”

 

Fang Jing said, “If Lord Meng saw you like this, he would definitely be very pleased.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Fang Jing sighed: “Ah Zheng, you have grown up.”

 

Yuan Zheng looked at Fang Jing expressionlessly and said, “General Xiao Cen, scratch him!”

 

Fang Jing’s eyes rolled and met the gyrfalcon on his shoulder. The moment he heard the sound of the gyrfalcon flapping its wings, he let out a cry and ran out of the door with his head in his hands.

 

Within a few days, Yan Le came with his troops to attack with a huge force, and their offensive was even more fierce than when Cen Yelan first arrived.

 

The two sides fought fiercely for two days. The corpses piled up like a hill under the city, and the blood soaked the cold and hard mud outside Beicang Pass.

 

To make matters worse, the food and supplies transported from Shangwei to Beicang were robbed. Shu Dan actually abandoned Shangwei and directly blocked the food and supplies routes to the northern states.

 

When the news came, Cen Yelan’s face darkened, and Cen Yi said softly, “Ah Lan, the food and supplies in Beicang Pass will not last long.”