Chapter 267 Pushing the envelope
“What a troubled time.”

Outside the North Palace Gate, Liu Ju looked at the figure going away at the end of the street and sighed. After a moment, he stopped sighing and focused his attention and said:
“Let Jin Midi come to see me.”

After saying that, Liu Ju got into the carriage, and the carriage headed eastward.

When they returned to the Crown Prince’s Palace, Jin Midi was already waiting in front of the palace gate. Liu Ju waved his hand to excuse him from the formality and asked, “Have you investigated the noise in the court?”

The two walked one after the other. Jin Midi only needed to think for a moment before he understood what the prince was asking. He said in a deep voice, “We have found the source.”

“Initially, the voices that recommended the General of Cavalry to lead the troops to the north to attack the Xiongnu came from various sources, including officials from various departments. After investigation and tracing the source, we locked on three people.”

“Taiju order, Zhonglei order, Dazai order!”

Liu Ju said coldly: “The Grand Stable Commander is under the Shaofu, the Central Fort Commander is under the Zhijinwu, and the Grand Prime Minister Commander is under the Taichang. It is impossible for them all to be ordered by the chief officer.”

This is true.

Not to mention whether the three ministers, the Shaofu, the Zhijinwu, and the Taichang, are willing to work together to support and kill Huo Qubing behind the scenes.

Let’s just talk about the Prefect of the Guards Li Gan. It is possible for him to report Huo Qubing openly, but it is not Li’s style to ask him to do something secretly.

“Do they have anything else in common?”

Liu Ju asked in a cold voice, and Jin Midi replied solemnly: “Yes! The three of them, the Grand Stable Commander, the Central Fort Commander, and the Grand Prime Minister Commander, all come from famous families!”

Upon hearing this, Liu Ju suddenly stopped, causing a group of eunuchs following him from a distance to stop at the same time.

“Noble family?”

Liu Ju suddenly recalled some distant memories, memories of when Li Cai and Li Ji were alive, “Ha!”

He sneered, his eyes sweeping across the palaces in the distance, “What I have done in recent years seems to be even more outrageous than before. I thought they were just putting up with it…”

“I didn’t expect you to learn how to do this!”

The imperial examination was gaining momentum, and the Crown Prince’s Palace made no secret of its emphasis and favoritism on the imperial examination. How could those prominent families, who had survived by recruiting and recommending each other, not be wary?

The shadow of ‘digging roots’ back then has become a reality today!

Signs of unrest appear again…

“Your target is me, but you are targeting Marquis Guanjun first. Do you want to cut my wings?” Liu Ju rubbed his fingers for a while, took another step, and said indifferently:

“The Zhonglei Ling guys are just minor characters, don’t move, just keep an eye on them and see what other monsters are hiding behind them. If you want to play, I’ll play big with them!”

“Here!”

……

The capital of Korea, Wangxiancheng.

It was dusk, and the residual light of the setting sun shone on the bricks and stones of the city wall, reflecting the dark bloodstains. There was a guard post every two steps and a sentry every three steps on the top of the city wall. The capital of the North Korea has been in this tense situation for two months.

The Han army besieged the city for nearly two months.

“What did Yang Pu say?”

“Reporting to the king, his patience is running out, and he is urging us to leave the city and surrender as soon as possible, otherwise he will not be able to protect us.”

Wei Youqu placed his hands on the battlements, his face grim. “He is a defeated general, who can he save? Humph!”

“Reply to him, it’s not that I don’t believe it, but I’m afraid that Xun Zhu in the north will kill me. As long as he can give me a strong guarantee, I will surrender immediately.”

Prime Minister Han Yin, who was standing beside him, lowered his eyes. He knew that this was just another delaying tactic of the king.

They were defending their own city, while the Han army was on a long expedition, so time was on their side.

The longer it takes, the better.

“Send someone to find out what Xun Zhu has to say.” Wei Youqu then ordered, “See how serious the quarrel between the two of them is.”

Hearing this, Han Yin said solemnly, “My king, are you planning to leave the city and counterattack?”

“Not bad!”

Wei Youqu turned around and stepped down from the top of the city wall, with a deep look in his eyes, “The Han army in the south is not a concern, but the one in the north is a serious threat and must be eliminated!”

Han Yin exchanged a glance with several ministers beside him. They all heard that the king had no intention of surrendering, and swallowed back the words of persuasion in their hearts.

Just at this time.

Just as the Korean king and his ministers left the city walls, a series of horse hoofbeats were heard from the south side of the street. “Your Majesty, the Han army is moving out of the city!”

“Judging from their movements, they are bypassing the city and heading north!”

To the north?
Wei Youqu was shocked. Could it be that Yang Pu and Xun Zhu had put aside their past grudges and decided to join forces?
Thinking of this, he immediately turned back to the top of the city wall and said, “General Wang, immediately send someone to the Han army camp in the north to see if there are any cavalry coming out of the camp to support us.”

“Yes!”

Soon, the city gate opened wide and a team of cavalry galloped quickly to the north. The setting sun, a column of dust heading north, and a sudden change made Wang Xiancheng’s already tense nerves even more tense.

When the sun completely set in the west, the scout returned and brought very unfavorable news.

“The Han army’s northern camp no longer has a flag with the word ‘Xun’ on it. Instead, they have a large flag with the word ‘Huo’ on it!”

To the north of Wangxian City, north of the Pei River.

Inside the Han army’s central tent.

The left general Xun Zhu, with a sullen face, stood at the bottom. Someone else was sitting on his main seat, a young man with sharp features and a majestic presence without even getting angry.

The atmosphere in the tent was very depressing. The personal soldiers who came with the young general had murderous intent in their eyes and stared coldly at the generals and lieutenants in the tent.

At this time.

The general sitting in the main seat said, “General Zuo, if I understand correctly, you have been camping here for two months, and you have failed to persuade people to surrender and to unite the troops.”

“Attacked the city more than ten times and still failed?”

Xun Zhui tightened his sword, his face darkened, and he clasped his fists and said, “General Hussar, the walls of the capital of Korea are high and strong. It’s not that I didn’t try my best, it’s just that it’s difficult.”

“Moreover, General Louchuan has been reluctant to join forces, hindering our military strength. He has also repeatedly colluded with the King of Korea in the city. I suspect…”

“Stop spitting blood!”

Xun Zhui was halfway through his words when a roar suddenly sounded from outside the tent. Yang Pu, the general of the Louchuan with a flushed face, lifted the curtain and glared at Xun Zhui as soon as he entered the tent:

“Who is colluding with the King of Korea? Is there any evidence?!”

“I have threatened Wei Youqu several times, and he originally agreed to leave the city and surrender, but you, Xun Zhu, repeatedly attacked the city to obstruct him. I think you have ulterior motives!”

The words have not yet fallen.

The generals of the Zuo general’s corps who were in the tent all stared at him. After many months of division, Xun Zhu finally saw Yang Pu, who had opposed him. He was immediately furious and shouted:

“Yang Pu is colluding with foreign enemies, arrest him!”

“you dare!?”

One side rushed forward in anger, while the other side retreated in cowardice. Just as a riot was about to break out, the other side drew its sword.

bass!bass!bass!
Several personal soldiers in the tent drew their swords in unison, with a flash of cold light, which immediately calmed down the conflicting generals.

“I came here, took the staff and the tiger talisman, although I have always doubted the effectiveness of the tiger talisman.” Huo Qubing glanced at everyone with cold eyes and said calmly:
“But it doesn’t matter. Even without the tiger talisman, I can still control the situation by entering your left general Xun Zhu’s camp alone.”

“Guess why?”

When Xun Zhui, Yang Pu and others looked at each other in bewilderment, Huo Qubing asked himself and answered: “Of course it’s not because I am invulnerable to swords and spears.”

Woo-woo—

Suddenly, the neighing of war horses was heard outside the central army tent. The noisy sound of horse hooves tore through the shouts of “stop!” and rushed straight towards the tent.

Xun Zhui, the commander-in-chief of the military camp, changed his expression three times in an instant, but before he could ask loudly, several people had already entered the tent.

The leading general, who had a high nose bridge and gloomy eyes, glanced at the people around him, then stepped forward, clasped his fists towards Huo Qubing and shouted:

“Hu Cavalry Captain Zhuang Huai, I pay my respects to the General!”

Zhuang Huai was a cavalry general commanding 13,000 cavalrymen in the army of more than 40,000 soldiers led by the Left General Xun Zhu – the 13,000 cavalrymen drawn from the Northern Army!

But then again.

Huo Qubing said that he did not trust the tiger talisman. Sometimes, a general was not allowed to obey the orders of the emperor when he was away from the court. The airdropped tiger talisman might not be able to mobilize the soldiers on the front line.

There was a commotion in the tent just now, and Xun Zhui’s words, “Yang Pu is colluding with foreign enemies, arrest him for me,” are clear evidence of this.

Although Huo Qubing was nominally in charge of the army, the soldiers still obeyed Xun Zhu’s orders…

It’s ok.

Who doesn’t have some trusted confidants in the army?

Even if you don’t listen, there are people who will. The cavalry drawn from the Northern Army in Chang’an will listen, and the Hu cavalry captain Zhuang Huai, who commands the cavalry, will also definitely listen.

In the second year of Yuanshou, Zhuang Huai was awarded the title of Zuo Shuzhang for his military merits.

That year, the Marquis of Guanjun led his troops to capture the Hexi Corridor and made outstanding military achievements. The emperor ordered that all the captains who followed the Marquis of Guanjun to the expedition be granted the title of Zuo Shuchang…

Who doesn’t have some trusted confidants or old subordinates in the army?
Outside the big tent, the cavalry forcibly took over the defense of the central army. Inside the big tent, the armored soldiers filed in and quickly stood on both sides with grim eyes.

At this moment.

The commotion in the tent had long since stopped. The left general Xun Zhu’s face turned pale, as did the generals behind him.

On the contrary, Yang Pu, the general of the ship, breathed a sigh of relief and looked excited. In the blink of an eye, the situation suddenly reversed.

However, Huo Qubing, who created all this, did not show any sign of satisfaction. He maintained the same expression as before, and even his sitting position did not move at all.

“I don’t care about the disputes between you two, no matter who is right or wrong. You should tell His Majesty about these disputes when you return to the capital.”

Huo Qubing looked at Xun Zhui and said, “General Zuo, if you want the credit for destroying the country, go and organize your army now.”

immediately.

He looked at Yang Pu again and said, “General Louchuan, if you want to make amends, that’s fine. Didn’t the Koreans surrender only to you? Send someone to persuade them immediately.”

“If they surrender, I will credit you with a merit and accept your favor in front of His Majesty.”

Xun Zhi seemed to want to say something when he heard this, but before he opened his mouth, Huo Qubing’s sharp eyes swept across the whole audience and continued:
“Tonight at midnight, I will wait until midnight. Once midnight passes, no matter whether the Korean monarch and his subjects want to surrender or not, I will ignore them if they are late!”

“At dawn tomorrow, I will personally lead the battle and attack the city!”

As soon as these words were spoken, Yang Pu’s somewhat happy expression became nervous, while Xun Zhi’s anxious expression became a little more excited.

Xun Zhu understood the implication of the General of Cavalry’s words. As long as the king and his ministers of Korea refused to surrender, he would attack forcefully, and he would be the main general who would prepare for war!

The credit for destroying the country naturally belongs to him!

Yang and Xun looked at each other and saw the hostility in each other’s eyes. Without saying much, they both snorted, bowed to Huo Qubing, and left with their confidants.

Huo Qubing gave both of them opportunities and suppressed the conflict. If anything goes wrong later, there will be no excuse…

That night.

There were frequent transfers within the camp.

There were the calls of the soldiers of Qi to join forces, and the sound of horses’ hooves as messengers frequently left the camp. The noise continued until midnight, and time passed in a flash…

The next morning.

Just as a hint of paleness appeared on the horizon, a black line slowly appeared across the plain. When it got closer, one could see that it was an endless stream of weapons and cavalry.

“Xu~”

Yang Pu, who looked tired but could not hide his excitement, ran to the front of the army, reined in his horse and said: “Report to the General of Cavalry, the Crown Prince of Korea has led his men out of the city to surrender.”

Last night, around 11 p.m., perhaps due to pressure from the Han army or because he heard about General Huo’s reputation, the King of Korea agreed to surrender.

Surrender immediately this morning!

However, judging from the feedback this morning, the decisive King of Korea seems to be a little hesitant again.

“Since the whole country has surrendered, why didn’t Wei Youqu leave the city himself, but instead sent a prince? What is your intention?” Left General Xun Zhu snorted coldly.

He thought last night that Yang Pu’s attempt to persuade them to surrender would fail, but he never thought it would actually succeed. He had been angry all night, and when he heard that only a prince was leading the group, Xun Zhi finally found something to find fault with and immediately criticized them.

Upon hearing this, Yang Pu subconsciously prepared to defend himself, but…

A sharp gaze pierced over from under the fluttering general’s flag, and both Yang Pu and Xun Zhi shut their mouths.

Huo Qubing turned his head, and at dawn, he mounted his horse and waited quietly in front of the three armies.

this moment.

All was quiet except for the breeze and the sound of war horses’ hooves.

Half a quarter of an hour later, a scout reported:
“Report——”

“Report to the General of Cavalry, the surrender delegation led by the Crown Prince of Korea has as many as 10,000 people, including fully equipped with armor and cavalry!”

After saying this, Xun Zhu sneered, and Yang Pu wanted to speak.

Huo Qubing ignored them and ordered, “Tell them to put down their weapons and move forward slowly.”

A quarter of an hour later, the scout reported again: “The other side refused to obey. The Crown Prince of Korea claimed that he brought the soldiers and spears to lure them into a trap, and the five thousand war horses were a tribute!”

Ah.

A fierce look flashed in the eyes of the Left General Xun Zhu, and he clasped his fists and said, “General Hussar, the enemy is obviously pretending to surrender. I am willing to lead the troops to charge!”

Yang Pu, the general of the Louchuan, hesitated for a while and said, “General, can we wait a little longer and let the other party come to the front to talk?”

Huo Qubing said nothing and remained silent as before.

Seeing this, Yang Pu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, while Xun Zhi was a little impatient, but he finally held back and tried to dissuade him again.

When the golden light in the east occupied most of the sky, an army of nearly 10,000 mixed infantry and cavalry came into view. Although they were still far away, the opposing army had already stopped.

The two sides were separated by a tributary of the Pei River, which was just enough to block a cavalry raid.

As if to avoid misunderstandings among the Han army, a group of soldiers and horses rushed out from the Korean army and shouted from a distance: “General Xun, don’t misunderstand, our lord is sincerely coming to surrender.”

“My lord, Wei, was once a Yan person, and now Korea is also a country of etiquette. The enemy is at the gates of the city, and my lord knows he cannot defeat them. He is willing to offer war horses and food to surrender to show his sincerity!”

“I hope General Xun will understand!”

After hearing this, Yang Pu, who was in charge of communicating surrender matters, was somewhat stunned, while Xun Zhi, who had been advocating a war, grinned and glanced at Yang Pu with disdain.

Didn’t the North Koreans surrender only to you?
Why didn’t I call you?
Xun Zhu looked at Huo Qubing and clasped his fists again, saying, “General Huqi, how can a whole country surrender by only offering war horses and food? The other side is clearly feigning surrender!”

“I am willing to lead the troops to attack the enemy!”

The left general Xun Zhu was eager to kill the enemy, or in other words, he was eager to make a contribution, very eager.

Xun Zhui went to the battlefield many times, but each time he just followed behind the general as a small soldier, which resulted in him repeatedly missing out on the opportunity to be granted a title of nobility or a general.

This time, I finally get the chance to lead an army on my own, and the opportunity to be granted a title of nobility is right in front of me!

He had been besieging the capital of Korea for several months and was about to get the ripe fruit when suddenly a cavalry general named Huo Qubing appeared from the sky.

To be honest, Xun Zhi was somewhat dissatisfied.

It was so yesterday and it is so today.

It’s even worse now!

Seeing that Huo Qubing was indifferent and the other side was still pretending to surrender to him, Xun Zhi simply rode forward, frowned and said loudly:
“General Hussar, if you don’t want to join the battle, that’s fine. You can leave the cavalry to supervise the battle, and I will lead the infantry to attack!”

“The 30,000 Yan and Dai infantry are strong and brave. They still have their fighting power and morale. We don’t need to be afraid of them!”

Hearing this, Yang Pu wanted to say: “If the other party is not to be feared, why have you been working in vain for two months? You are not afraid of getting your tongue twitched when you brag!”

just.

Yang Pu knew that his situation was even more embarrassing and he had no right to speak.

At this moment, all the generals in the central army looked at Huo Qubing who was leading the way. Huo Qubing, who was being watched, just glanced at Xun Zhui and said two words:
“No.”

Xun Zhu frowned and said in a deep voice: “General Hussar, if you delay the battle, you will…”

choke!
puff!
The sword flashed, the head fell, the head of the left general Xun Zhu fell!
At this moment, the army seemed to fall into a deathly silence. When a headless body fell to the ground with a plop, the generals suddenly realized that

General Zuo was killed! ?

Huo Qubing, who had drawn his sword to kill someone, slowly put away the sword without even looking at the head that was rolling down.

“Do you really think that I wouldn’t dare to kill you just because you’ve driven for His Majesty for a few years?”

“Those who disobey military orders will be killed without mercy!” Huo Qubing glanced at the generals standing there in shock, “Are there any of you who have driven for His Majesty?”

This statement came out.

Regardless of whether they were Xun Zhi’s confidants or not, they all felt a chill in their hearts and immediately shook their heads.

Seeing this, Huo Qubing shook the reins and shouted, “General Louchuan!”

“Yes, I will be here!”

“The Koreans have used their divisive tactics twice. If you believe their slander again, don’t blame me for killing you in battle.” Without waiting for Yang Pu to respond, Huo Qubing said:
“Xun Zhu is dead, you come and lead the infantry to attack the city!”

“Here!”

As soon as Yang Pu finished his response, Huo Qubing on the other side turned his horse around. As he moved, the big flag with the word “Huo” on it moved.

Then, ten thousand elite cavalry of the Northern Army followed closely behind, but instead of charging directly towards the enemy, they turned to the northwest.

In just a moment, the horse’s speed was pushed to the limit.

To the northwest, there is a river shallow area that was discovered early by scouts. This tributary of the Peishui River has a small flow rate and there are many places where it can be crossed by force.

When the Han cavalry launched their attack, the Koreans on the opposite side also realized what the Han cavalry was going to do. The rear team became the front team and they immediately turned to retreat.

The North Koreans are indeed pretending to surrender!

The retreat was so fast, but unfortunately, they were not fast enough!

Rumble!
In a very short time that was beyond the belief of the Korean soldiers, a dull sound appeared on the south side of the Peishui tributary, and it was getting closer and closer like the scythe of the god of death.

The good horses that Liu Ju had allocated to the army for the expedition really came into play at this moment – in the hands of Huo Qubing!

The tall and powerful horse, which was crossbred with fine horses from the Western Regions, galloped across a foreign land for the first time. The speed of the horse was getting faster and faster, but Huo Qubing felt that it could be even faster!

The horse under his crotch was galloping, his blood was boiling, and the wind was whistling in his ears. He could already see the enemy troops fleeing in panic ahead.

Huo Qubing raised his sword and pointed forward, while the brave soldiers beside him shouted loudly:
“charge–!”

(End of this chapter)