The frigid northern lands saw another heavy snowfall last night.
After a day and a night of snow, White Wolf City was draped in a pure white shroud, its tree branches transformed into silver strands. The heavy snow adorned the boughs of trees like beautiful coral, or like peculiar deer antlers. The wilderness was covered with a thick quilt. Heaven met earth, and earth met heaven; the snow was vast and boundless, turning the entire landscape into a world sculpted from jade and silver.
Within White Wolf City, soldiers of the White Tiger Camp trod through the snow, their boots emitting a soft crunching sound. Smoke curled from chimneys, and the early risers busied themselves. All these signs indicated that the soldiers of the White Tiger Camp had not unduly harassed the common folk of White Wolf City or interfered with their normal lives.
A ray of golden morning sunlight, piercing through the windowpanes, illuminated the room and fell upon Zhou Fugui, who had just awakened.
Zhou Fugui yawned, stretched lazily, and immediately sprang out of bed.
Last night's sleep had been exceptionally comfortable for Zhou Fugui. He slept soundly until dawn, and it was the most comfortable sleep he had enjoyed in half a year. However, that was all it was.
The current situation of Zhou Fugui and his White Tiger Camp did not allow for him to sleep soundly every day or to indulge in a life of ease and comfort. Last night's sleep had already been a luxury.
This little girl... Upon waking, Zhou Fugui saw Abiya, who was still asleep, nestled by the fireplace.
In winter, even with a fireplace for warmth, sleeping like this could easily lead to catching a chill. So, Zhou Fugui covered her with a thick blanket and gently lifted her onto a soft couch, allowing her to sleep more comfortably.
Zhou Fugui threw on a thick fur robe and pushed open the door.
...
"Master!" The personal guards outside the door, who had taken turns sleeping last night, heard him. Pi'e, who had stood guard all night, immediately bowed upon seeing Zhou Fugui emerge.
Zhou Fugui now commanded a considerable force. He had meticulously selected fifty soldiers from the White Tiger Camp to serve as his personal guards and retinue. Pi'e, known for his exceptional bravery and profound gratitude towards Zhou Fugui, was the leader of these guards.
Personal guards and retainers were the bodyguards or trusted troops of a commanding general or a high-ranking official. The soldiers were, of course, the most elite and loyal. Although Pi'e had not followed Zhou Fugui for long, there were those in the world who, once they recognized a master, would follow him for life, until death, regardless of the circumstances, even willing to lay down their lives without regret. Pi'e was precisely such a person.
"You didn't sleep all night?" Zhou Fugui asked, tightening his fur robe.
Pi'e nodded with a simple smile.
"You've worked hard. Go get some rest," Zhou Fugui said to Pi'e with a smile.
Having just captured White Wolf City, Zhou Fugui, as the commanding general, required protection while he slept. But now that he was awake, such protection was no longer necessary.
Zhou Fugui was not someone who could not defend himself. His martial arts and bravery were renowned, especially after enduring the harsh training of the Ice Bone Camp, two years of hardship in the Nether Valley, and the bloody battles on the battlefield. He could be considered a valiant general of the war.
"Master, Pi'e is not tired. It's fine," Pi'e replied with a simple smile.
"Really not tired?" Zhou Fugui patted Pi'e's sturdy body and asked.
Pi'e straightened his broad chest and nodded.
"In that case..." Seeing this, Zhou Fugui instructed Pi'e, "Go summon Ye Guantian and Li Qing. After that, you will go rest. This is an order, and you must not disobey."
"Yes, Master." Pi'e bowed respectfully, then strode away. His steps were vigorous and imposing, showing no sign of a sleepless night.
Zhou Fugui watched Pi'e's retreating back, shook his head, and then entered a side room to await the arrival of Ye Guantian and Li Qing.
Ye Guantian and Li Qing could essentially be considered the strategists and advisors of the White Tiger Camp. However, as Zhou Fugui had not yet officially formed an army, the title of strategist was not yet applicable.
An army and a camp were different. At the very least, the ranks in an army were much higher and more numerous than those in a camp.
In this era, within the Great Yan Kingdom, the military structure was generally as follows: five men formed a 'wu', led by a 'wu zhang'; ten men formed a 'shi', led by a 'shi zhang'; fifty men formed a 'dui', led by a 'dui jiang'; a hundred men formed a 'qi', led by a 'qi jiang' or 'qi zhu'. Above this were camps, armies, 'yi tong', and 'kai fu'. A fixed establishment for a camp was one thousand men. Three camps formed an army, consisting of around three thousand men. Three armies formed an 'yi tong', and a 'kai fu' commanded two 'yi tong'.
The military structure of the Xia was broadly similar to that of the Great Yan Kingdom, with only differences in nomenclature. After the Xianbei occupied the Central Plains, many military structures were imitated from the Han armies of the Central Plains, including many official posts.
Although the Great Yan Kingdom had fixed numbers for 'kai fu', 'yi tong', armies, camps, banners, and teams, this was not rigid. The troop numbers were not strictly enforced and could be increased or decreased according to need. For instance, during the southern campaign, the White Tiger Camp had over three thousand men, which was enough to form an army. However, without a decree from the court, it remained a camp and could not be an army. Zhou Fugui could only be a camp commander or leader, not an army commander or leader.
...
"You two have arrived. Please be seated." Zhou Fugui, who had been waiting in the side room, gestured to the chairs upon seeing Ye Guantian and Li Qing enter.
"Thank you, Master!" Ye Guantian bowed and then took a seat. Li Qing, being from the same hometown as Zhou Fugui, was very familiar with him. Li Qing knew that Zhou Fugui disliked or even detested excessive formalities, so he simply nodded with a smile and also took a seat.
"Gentlemen, did you sleep well last night?" Zhou Fugui asked with a smile after Ye Guantian and Li Qing were seated.
Normally, Zhou Fugui would casually call Li Qing "scholastic" or "pedant". However, with Ye Guantian present, addressing him that way would be disrespectful. Therefore, he referred to them as "gentlemen."
"Thank you for your concern, Master. I am humbled," Ye Guantian replied.
"Not as well as you did," Li Qing said, giving Zhou Fugui a look. "There are countless trivial matters, and you, master, simply ignored them all and slept soundly?"
Posting announcements to pacify the populace, appeasing the civilians of White Wolf City, cataloging captured treasures, weapons, armor, horses, and arranging defenses against Hun raids – these were indeed numerous trivial matters. Zhou Fugui had acted as a hands-off manager, leaving these tasks to Ye Guantian, Li Qing, and others.
It would be false to say that Li Qing harbored no resentment. However, it was typical for Zhou Fugui to be overwhelmed by such trifles and delegate them to meticulous individuals like Li Qing.
Furthermore, having a beautiful young woman from the grasslands attending to him only intensified the displeasure of Li Qing and the others, though they were unaware that Zhou Fugui had done nothing.
"Haha, Donglin, you've worked hard..." Zhou Fugui was unfazed by Li Qing's grumbling. He smiled and said, "It is my fault. I will certainly host a banquet to apologize another day."
"What banquet?" Li Qing asked with a worried frown. "You know I don't drink. I get drunk with just one sip... Fugui, I am worried about the next step... What should we do next?"
The White Tiger Camp had defeated two Hun armies and captured White Wolf City, but this was far from the end. They could not rest easy and enjoy a life of peace and comfort. Instead, they faced the possibility of a furious counterattack from the Huns. If the Hun Great Chieftain Duoyongjian received the news, he would surely lead his army back, and ten thousand Hun cavalry would return to the royal court to annihilate the White Tiger Camp. The White Tiger Camp, by any means, could not withstand such a force, and their fate would be death. Therefore, Li Qing was extremely anxious.
In truth, Zhou Fugui was also worried, but he had not shown it to maintain morale.
Every nation or ethnic group has its stronghold. The stronghold of a nation is called its capital. The stronghold is the foundation; once it is shaken, the consequences are unimaginable.
Therefore, Zhou Fugui and the White Tiger Camp's actions in the Hun royal court, though successful and comparable to those of Zhou Fugui's divinely appointed mentor, Huo Qubing, were also exceptionally perilous.
Operating without a base was akin to being bandits or brigands, and the fate of such individuals was well-known.
Those who caused trouble and fought fiercely in the end almost always met defeat and slaughter.
Yuan Bolong's forces on Feilong Mountain were remnants of the former Xia. They too sought to establish themselves as kings, needing a base, however small or remote.
Even Huo Qubing, Zhou Fugui's divinely appointed mentor, who led a grand expedition against the Huns, achieved victory after victory at Mount Langjuxu with almost no defeats, had to return to Han territory and dared not linger in the heart of the Hun lands for too long.
"Brother Li, do not worry. Our Master surely has a plan," Ye Guantian said with a smile.
Ye Guantian had spoken with Zhou Fugui several times and knew his thoughts or rather, his strategies, although they mostly discussed grand overarching plans rather than immediate responses.
Zhou Fugui glanced at Ye Guantian and sighed, "What plan could I possibly have? If I had a plan, I wouldn't be seeking your counsel today."
Should they continue fighting, conquering more territory? Or should they flee south back to Yan or simply capture a territory as a base to develop and grow? At this moment, Zhou Fugui's mind was in turmoil, unsure of what to do.
Zhou Fugui was not a man of indecision. However, as the commander of an army, his every word and action would determine the lives of thousands of men in the entire camp. Especially in the Hun royal court, one wrong step could lead to complete annihilation. Therefore, Zhou Fugui had to be extremely cautious, as if treading on thin ice.
Both Zhou Fugui, Ye Guantian, and Li Qing were acutely aware of this. After a long silence, Li Qing finally spoke, "At this juncture, there are only two options: fight or flee. If we fight, how do we fight? Where do we attack? If we flee, how do we flee? Where do we go?"