"Brother, where is this?"
"This is Huaishi Ao."
"Oh, Huaishi Ao. We've been walking for so long, why haven't we seen a single soul? If we don't find people or a village soon, we'll starve to death."
"Alas, there have been wars here for so many years, how can there still be people? Villages? They've either been destroyed or abandoned."
"Hmm, cursed barbarians, may they die a terrible death!"
"The barbarians deserve to be cut into a thousand pieces, but they... hmph... they are not much better."
"What do you mean, brother?"
"In troubled times, bandits are rampant. Many are former government soldiers turned bandits. They plunder the common folk even more cruelly than the barbarians."
About ten li northwest of Guangling Commandery, there is a place called Huaishi Ao.
Huaishi Ao is full of mountains, water, and forests. It is lush and verdant, with a serene landscape. Those who live here feel as if they are in a paradise. However, the continuous wars between Yan and Xia have devastated the beautiful scenery of Huaishi Ao. The people of Huaishi Ao have either died, fled, or hidden in the deep mountains and old forests.
On this day, on a small road in Huaishi Ao, four or five people, who were neither soldiers nor civilians, arrived. If they were soldiers, they would be wearing ordinary civilian clothes, tattered like beggars. If they were civilians, they would be carrying swords and spears.
"Ah? Not good!"
As the saying goes, speak of the devil, and he appears. Just as these people, who were neither soldiers nor civilians, were discussing bandits, a stone suddenly flew out of the woods and struck one of them to the ground with a "bang." The other four immediately panicked, clutching their swords and spears, and nervously looked around.
"Swish... swish... swish..."
In an instant, stones continued to fly out of the woods, striking the four men. Shadows flickered in the trees, appearing as human or beast-like, moving among the branches.
"Mother!"
The four men, unable to distinguish whether these shadows were human or beast, or even mountain sprites, screamed in terror and turned to run, abandoning their injured companion.
After the four fled, more than ten people emerged from the woods, all clad in animal skins. They first knocked the injured man unconscious with a club and then searched him. However, they found nothing, and disappointment was evident on everyone's faces.
The injured man had no money or food on him. The only valuable item was his poorly made spear.
A person wearing animal skins picked up the crude spear and examined it carefully.
"Bang!"
Just then, the sound of an arrow splitting the air suddenly rang out. The arrow flew with exceptional accuracy and great force, hitting the tip of the "beastman's" crude spear. Sparks flew, and the spear fell to the ground.
The group of "beastmen" was startled and quickly turned to look. A person and a horse emerged from the woods. The horse was white, and a young general in red robes rode it.
"Who are you? Surrender quickly, or I shall show no mercy!" the young general in red robes shouted at the "beastmen," and then shot another arrow, which embedded itself in a tree trunk, its tail quivering and humming.
The young general in red robes had indeed shown mercy with his divine archery, otherwise, some of the "beastmen" would have been lying dead here.
The "beastmen" were greatly alarmed and attempted to flee, but they were already surrounded by men wielding swords and spears.
"General, spare us! We are from Meiyu Village in Huaishi Ao. Our village was burned by the barbarians, so we hid in the mountains. We are starving, so we came out to find some food and drink." The "beastmen," helpless and fearful, could only kneel and beg for mercy.
"Hmm, get up. What is your name?" The young general in red robes, having anticipated this, had shown mercy. He pointed to one of the "beastmen" and asked.
"My name is Wang Fushun," Wang Fushun replied, standing up. "What is your honor's name? And... and... which army do you belong to?"
The surrounding soldiers of the red-robed general were numerous, at least a thousand strong.
"Min Wuyan of Hedong," the red-robed general Min Wuyan replied after glancing at his subordinates. "We are the righteous army from Hedong, Hebei, and other regions."
Min Wuyan, in his early twenties, was from Yang County, Hedong Commandery. In his youth, he loved to read books such as the Zuo Zhuan, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, The Art of War by Wu Zi, and The Six Strategies. He also studied martial arts under famous teachers.
When the Xianbei cavalry drank water in the Central Plains and the land was shattered, the sixteen-year-old Min Wuyan indignantly joined the army, serving under generals such as General of the Conqueror of the Barbarians Sima Qin and General of the Resolute Hou Zong.
Although Min Wuyan was young, he was brave and skilled in combat. Soon after, he was promoted to battalion commander. At this time, Min Wuyan was promoted to the rank of Wu Meng Xiaowei by the Xia court due to his merits, a low-ranking ninth-grade military official.
Although his rank was the lowest, he finally had an official title.
General Hou Zong of Xia led troops north to reinforce Guangling Commandery but was defeated by Murong Bole. Hou Zong died in battle, and his troops were scattered. Min Wuyan led a portion of the troops and fought against the Yan army in Hedong and Hebei. With Guangling Commandery in danger, Min Wuyan recruited over two thousand local volunteers to assist in the battle.
"Do you know the situation in Guangling Commandery?" Min Wuyan then asked Wang Fushun.
"I don't know the specifics," Wang Fushun shook his head. "However, we went near Guangling Commandery a few days ago to beg for food and saw a vast army of barbarians. Therefore, I suspect the situation in Guangling Commandery is dire."
"Hmm, are you willing to join the army?" Min Wuyan asked after nodding. Min Wuyan then glanced worriedly in the direction of Guangling Commandery.
If Guangling Commandery falls, the north of the Yangtze River will be wide open, and the Xia court will be in danger. However, Min Wuyan is only a low-ranking ninth-grade official, and his troops are few and pieced together. How can they be a match for the Yan cavalry? The three Xia reinforcements, totaling over 300,000, were all defeated by the Yan army, let alone Min Wuyan's mere two thousand rabble?
Min Wuyan and his men bravely marched forward. As they approached Guangling Commandery, they were unsure what to do.
"This..." Wang Fushun considered for a moment and then said, "We are used to living in the wild, we can't be soldiers."
"Hmm..." Min Wuyan turned to the army's Recorder of Military Affairs, Hong Wuji, and said, "Give them some food."
The Xia army had suffered continuous defeats, not only lowering the morale of the Xia soldiers but also that of the Xia people. They had lost all spirit and confidence. Min Wuyan did not force Wang Fushun and his group, as they were unwilling to join the army or go to their deaths.
"Commander, this..." Hong Wuji, the righteous army's Recorder of Military Affairs, hesitated and said, "The food... the food is all gone..."
Hong Wuji, having narrowly escaped death, happened to meet Min Wuyan, who had recovered from his injuries and returned. He then joined Min Wuyan's command. As he was literate, he temporarily served as the Recorder of Military Affairs in Min Wuyan's army.
"Give it to them!" Min Wuyan's expression darkened. "We came here for justice, isn't it for the sake of the people? How can we watch them starve to death?"
Hong Wuji, with no other choice, ordered his men to distribute the meager rations to them.
Wang Fushun and his group thanked them profusely and left.
"Order the entire army to rest here. Send scouts to gather information and hunt for some game," Min Wuyan ordered, then dismounted and leaned against a large tree, closing his eyes to rest.
However, after closing his eyes, Min Wuyan's mind was in turmoil. He opened his eyes and looked in the direction of Guangling Commandery.
"Commander, what are you worrying about? Is it about Guangling Commandery?" Hong Wuji asked, sitting beside Min Wuyan.
Min Wuyan had saved the helpless and abandoned Hong Wuji, who had no one to turn to. Naturally, Hong Wuji was deeply grateful to him.
"More than just Guangling Commandery?" Min Wuyan sighed. "Our Great Xia is in peril!"
"Commander, do not worry!" Hong Wuji comforted him. "As the saying goes, there is always a way out. Our Great Xia is not destined to perish."
"Hmm? What do you mean by that?" Min Wuyan asked.
"The barbarians are cruel, burning, killing, and looting, which is outrageous. Our Xia soldiers and civilians are determined to fight them to the death. Those who commit evil deeds will eventually be punished by heaven!" Hong Wuji cursed through gritted teeth, then continued, "I, Wuji, have heard that Grand General of the Protectorate, Zhang Huchen, has already gathered troops on the southern bank of the Great River. Therefore, I believe a counterattack is not far off!"
"Hmm, that makes sense!" Hearing such encouraging words, Min Wuyan's spirits lifted slightly. He glanced at Hong Wuji and asked, "East Neighbor, does this mean we are not going to Guangling Commandery now, or not to reinforce it?"
Hong Wuji's full name was Hong Wuji, and his courtesy name was Donglin.
"Indeed!" Hong Wuji had always wanted to persuade Min Wuyan to give up reinforcing Guangling Commandery. Now that he had found an opportunity, he nodded. "The barbarians are powerful. Guangling Commandery has held out for four months, and its fall is inevitable. Therefore, Commander should not go to his death."
In truth, Hong Wuji also wanted to go to Guangling Commandery. If he went to Guangling Commandery, he might see that beautiful barbarian woman again, and even one more glance would be good. However, his reason told him not to.
"Go to my death?" Min Wuyan glanced at Hong Wuji and said, "Even if it is to my death, am I the kind of person who fears death?"
Hong Wuji was instantly enraged and shouted, "Even if you don't consider yourself, you should consider these two thousand living people! They lack food and supplies, and their weapons are scarce and crude. How can they be a match for the barbarians? To rush there recklessly is no different from seeking death!"
"Hmph!" Min Wuyan had no words to refute, and could only snort coldly.
"Commander, leave the remnants of the lotus to listen to the rain..." Hong Wuji persuaded again, "When the Grand General counterattacks, it will be the day we take revenge."
Hong Wuji's entire family was killed by the barbarians, so he naturally harbored immense hatred for them, especially that traitorous Han, Zhou Fugui...
"But... but... Min... Min..." Hong Wuji's words were reasonable, but Min Wuyan felt unwilling to give up just like that. Allowing Guangling Commandery to fall into the hands of the Xianbei made him feel uneasy. After a long period of hesitation, he finally nodded in agreement.
"Donglin, is the person who harmed your entire family truly named Zhou Fugui?" After a long silence, Min Wuyan suddenly asked.
Min Wuyan had learned from the abbot of Longtan Temple that the person who saved him was Zhou Fugui.
"It's him. Even if he turned to ashes, I would recognize him," Hong Wuji replied through gritted teeth.
"Commander, Commander! A barbarian cavalry army has come down from the mountain!" At this moment, a scout rushed over to report.