Yue Fei, far away in the frontier, was unaware that his flattery had missed its mark.
He was still contemplating.
Indeed, there were quite a few decent-looking individuals among the Wuhuan captives.
Perhaps he should send some back?
Although Yue Fei was known in history for his integrity and lack of sycophancy, he wasn't foolish.
His lord's obvious preferences were clear to almost anyone.
Most importantly,
he felt he could never repay his lord's immense kindness!
To rise from a commoner to the commander of a hundred thousand troops?
That was beyond mere gratitude!
Therefore,
despite his usual reserved demeanor, he was constantly pondering how to reciprocate.
Otherwise,
he wouldn't have sent the condemned merchant caravan back upon hearing of the selection of women in Youzhou.
Such coincidences were rare in this world.
It was purely a matter of repaying kindness!
"Report..."
"Reporting to the Legion Commander, Wuhuan cavalry have been spotted ten li ahead!"
"Oh?"
Yue Fei, jolted back to attention, raised an eyebrow and said with a hint of joy:
"Are these fellows afraid we won't find their tribe?"
"Guards!"
"Dispatch men to follow those scouts and locate their tribal settlement!"
"Also..."
"Have the troops advance at a steady pace, and the heavy infantry prepare to defend against cavalry!"
"Yes, sir!"
At Yue Fei's command, the orderlies immediately waved their flags.
Soon, the troops, who had been marching rapidly, slowed their pace.
The heavy infantry donned their armor and picked up their sturdy shields.
They were waiting!
Waiting for the Wuhuan cavalry to charge, so they could give them an unforgettable surprise.
Unfortunately,
the Wuhuan, having lost most of their young men, were more cautious than expected.
Upon merely spotting their scouts, they turned and fled.
"Have someone follow them closely!"
Receiving the report, Yue Fei waved his hand dismissively:
"I don't believe they won't send someone back to their tribe to report!"
"Send out more scouts, search in the opposite direction of those cavalry!"
"Yes, sir!"
...
While Yue Fei and his men were thoroughly searching the grasslands for the Wuhuan tribes.
A Wuhuan tribe, some ten li away, was also engaged in a heated debate.
"Move!"
"We must move!"
Sunlight, the Great Elder of the Yangping tribe, with his greying hair, declared with firm resolve:
"The King has been captured, and our young men have not returned. We must consider our escape route."
"Those Han will not let us go!"
"Rather than wait for them to bring their army, it's better for us to leave ourselves!"
"I, I disagree!"
Yang Que, another tribal elder, paused for breath, his voice hoarse:
"Is a complete relocation as easy as it sounds?"
"Winter is fast approaching. If we cannot find a suitable location before winter sets in, how many of our people will survive?"
"Besides... it's not certain those Han will attack!"
"Even if they do attack, they have to find us first!"
"That's right!"
Another tribal elder chimed in with agreement:
"Our tribe's young men are almost all lost. Those remaining are either old bones or infants crying for milk. We cannot easily move them!"
"Cannot move?"
The Great Elder glared at the two, as if disappointed by their lack of foresight.
"If we cannot move, shall we stay here and wait for death?"
"If we leave now, there's still a glimmer of hope. Once those Han find us, the Yangping tribe will cease to exist!"
"I, I don't care~!"
Seeing that the Great Elder seemed to have made up his mind, Yang Que, knowing his time was limited, resorted to stubbornness.
"If you want to go, then go. This old man cannot move anymore!"
"Rather than die on the road and have my body lie exposed in the wilderness, I'd rather stay here and wait for death!"
"You..."
The Great Elder was momentarily speechless, a flicker of hesitation appearing on his face.
Indeed!
Let alone Yang Que, whose health was not good, even he was not sure if he could survive to a new settlement.
If even the elders of their tribe felt this way, what about the other old people in the tribe?
Undertaking a long-distance migration at this time would be tantamount to abandoning them.
Was it worth it?
As Yang Que said, what if the Han did not attack in the end?
Wouldn't they have sacrificed needlessly?
...
It wasn't just the Yangping tribe that was hesitating; the Nanlou and Qiuliuju tribes were also in a quandary.
The cost of relocation was simply too great!
Even when their young men were still present, a long-distance migration would result in many deaths.
Even more so now, with the entire population consisting of the old, weak, sick, and young.
The most crucial factor was,
they had only received news of the Wuhuan coalition's defeat and capture. They had no information on whether the Han had continued their advance.
This led them all to harbor a glimmer of hope.
What if?
What if the Han didn't come?
If they were given a few years to recover and recuperate, and the next generation of young men grew up, everything would be manageable.
But would the Han give them this opportunity?
Or rather,
the First Legion, led by Yue Fei, would absolutely not give them this chance!
Therefore,
these Wuhuan tribes squandered their last chance for survival.
When the soldiers of the First Legion approached within ten li of them.
There was no question of escape; they wouldn't even have a chance to kneel and surrender!
"Kill~!"
"Leave no one alive except the young women!"
"The Governor has decreed, ten taels of silver for every enemy killed!"
"Charge~!"
Accompanied by the rousing sound of war drums, a dense formation of heavy infantry surrounded them from all sides.
Yue Fei's contingent was naturally the first to engage.
They were already within Yuyang's territory, making it easy to find the Yangping tribe.
Moreover,
to increase the inventory in his treasury, Qin Feng had specifically sent a command:
Ten taels of silver for every non-Han head, excluding the Wuhuan women!
Instantly,
not only did the loyal soldiers go wild, but even the Great General Taishi Ci was tempted.
Ten taels of silver per head!
What did that mean?
If he could kill just ten or eight non-Han, he could buy a large mansion back home.
Then...
"Legion Commander~!"
Unable to contain his excitement, Taishi Ci looked at Yue Fei with urgency.
"You remain here to direct the command, allow your subordinate to charge into battle!"
"Charge into battle?"
Yue Fei looked at Taishi Ci with some surprise.
"Zi Yi, as the commander of the army, our most important task is to control the entire battlefield!"
"I want money!"
"Only by grasping the various situations on the battlefield can we respond calmly!"
"But I still want money!"
"???"
"I just want money!"
Meeting Yue Fei's bewildered gaze, Taishi Ci said earnestly:
"With money, I can buy a big house and bring my mother to live there."
"Even..."
"I can hire a few maids to serve my old mother, so she doesn't have to suffer anymore."