usatvline Chapter 47 The Situation of the Xianbei
Chapter 47 The Situation of the Xianbei
Earlier, Liu Bei had instructed Cheng Pu to recruit some Wuhuan cavalrymen in order to gather intelligence on the grasslands.
Judging by the timeline, there should be news by now.
Just as Liu Bei was thinking this, he heard the rapid sound of horses' hooves behind him.
A knight galloped up, dismounted, knelt on one knee, and loudly reported, "My lord! Inspector Cheng has sent me with a message!"
"The scouts sent to the grasslands have returned with crucial military intelligence!"
Liu Bei's heart stirred, and he immediately turned his horse around, leading his men back to the Yangle County government office at full speed.
Inside the main hall of the county government, Cheng Pu had been waiting for a long time. Upon seeing Liu Bei enter, he immediately stepped forward and bowed, saying, "My lord, three of the five scout teams sent out have returned."
"You've brought back news from the grasslands. Just as you predicted, something big has happened on the Xianbei side!"
Liu Bei sat down in the main seat and said in a deep voice, "Tell me the details!"
"The scouts crossed the Liao River and traveled north for over a hundred miles, but they did not find any trace of the Xianbei tribes."
"All I saw along the way were many hastily buried bones, abandoned yurts, and scattered herds of livestock; everywhere was deathly still."
Cheng Pu's tone was grave. "We finally managed to capture two lone Xianbei herdsmen, but after interrogating them, we learned that all four major tribes of the Eastern Xianbei had been hit by a major epidemic!"
These words startled everyone in the hall.
Only Liu Bei, Tian Yu, and Xu Rong had a knowing look in their eyes.
His unintentional remark ultimately led to Qiu Liju accomplishing this.
The attempt to shift the blame eastward ultimately led to the Xianbei people suffering the consequences of a major epidemic.
As for further information, those abandoned Xianbei herders knew nothing more!
After thinking it over, Liu Bei immediately sent Tian Yu to Qiu Li's residence to find out what was going on.
Comparatively speaking, Qiuliju, as the overlord who controlled more than 5,000 Wuhuan tribes, was certainly more well-informed.
Sure enough, the next day, Tian Yu reported that the Xianbei had suffered a major epidemic.
The epidemic first broke out in Queji tribe, where the most people died. 30% of the entire tribe was killed or injured, and most of the cattle and sheep also died from the disease.
Seeing that the situation was not good, the Miga tribe immediately abandoned their southern pastures and led their people to retreat northward into the depths of the grassland, minimizing their losses.
The Suli tribe was also affected, with many people dying. They had no choice but to abandon the infected tribes and retreat to the Xianbei Mountains.
Huai Tou retreated to the north of Xuantu County, staying indoors and refusing to come out; no one knew the specifics of the situation.
Tian Yu paused for a moment, then added, "Most importantly, the Queji Department was excluded by the other three departments because it was the hardest hit by the epidemic."
"They are not allowed to follow us northward into the grasslands, for fear that they will bring the plague with them."
"Now the Queji tribe can only live scattered in the wasteland of the upper reaches of the Liao River. They have been broken up into more than a dozen small towns by Queji to prevent them from spreading."
"Qiuliju also said that the Xianbei were a people who preyed on the weak. The worst-off small towns might not even have enough food to get through the winter, and they were already at their wits' end."
"Great! This is truly a stroke of luck!"
Liu Bei slammed his hand on the table, stood up abruptly, his eyes flashing with brilliance, his face full of undisguised joy.
The Queji tribe was the mastermind behind the constant raids on western Liaoning.
Over the years, they have burned down countless villages in western Liaoning, abducted countless people, and robbed them of a great deal of money and grain. The blood feud has been deeply rooted for them.
Previously, the four Xianbei tribes banded together, and Liaoxi Commandery had few soldiers, so it could only passively defend.
But now, the Queji tribe has been severely damaged by the plague, the tribe is scattered and isolated, and this is a golden opportunity for revenge!
Everyone in the hall looked at Liu Bei and saw excitement in his eyes.
Military generals like Xu Rong, Cheng Pu, and Han Dang gripped their sword hilts, their blood boiling with fervor.
After guarding the border for so long, they finally had the opportunity to take the initiative and seek revenge on the Xianbei!
"My lord, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
Han Dang was the first to step forward, his voice booming like a bell, "The Queji Department is now like a sick wolf; why not strike while the iron is hot and kill it!"
"This humble general is willing to lead his brothers as the vanguard, strike straight at the lair of the Queji tribe, and avenge the blood debt they owe us in Liaoxi, with interest!"
Wang Lie's brows furrowed suddenly, and he abruptly rose from his seat, bowing deeply to Liu Bei, and said urgently, "My lord, you mustn't!"
"The Queji Division claims to have 13,000 archers; even if that number is exaggerated, it's definitely an elite force of 13,000!"
"Even with a 30% loss, we still have 7,000 archers, along with over 40,000 soldiers!"
"But our entire Liaoxi Commandery has fewer than three thousand soldiers available for battle!"
As Sun Tzu said, "If your forces are inferior, you should defend; if your strength is overwhelmingly disparate, you should avoid the situation!"
"With three thousand infantrymen, they fought against seven thousand Xianbei cavalry; the strength of a small enemy led to their capture by a large one!"
"This is gambling with our lord's safety and the very foundation of Liaoxi; the risk is too great, and the losses outweigh the gains!"
"Your subordinate humbly begs your lord, you must not act rashly!"
"The best course of action would be to immediately report to the imperial court and request the Protectorate of the Wuhuan Commandery to send troops to suppress the rebellion!"
Before the words were even finished, Cheng Pu suddenly raised his eyes and retorted in a booming voice, "Sir, I cannot agree with your statement!"
"Over the years, how many times has Xia Yu led the imperial army beyond the Great Wall? And every single time, has he suffered heavy losses and returned empty-handed?"
"With their resources, the bones of the people in western Liaoning could pile up into mountains!"
As Sun Tzu said, "Throw them into a place of certain death, and they will live; trap them in a deadly situation, and they will survive!"
"Under our lord's rule, Liaoxi is thriving, but the Xianbei's size is what it is. Who knows when we'll have enough strength to confront them head-on!"
"Now that Queji is afflicted by the plague, his people are scattered across the pastures of the upper reaches of the Liao River, like stars in the sky. We don't need to face seven thousand men directly!"
"By using light troops in rapid raids, defeating them one by one, first sweeping away the small towns and clipping their wings, then encircling the main force, the chances of victory are over 80%!"
Wang Lie was astonished. He had always known Cheng Pu as prudent and upright, but he never expected that this man was well-versed in military strategy and had such insightful views.
But he still shook his head, his tone full of pain and worry: "Even if we can divide and conquer them, the Xianbei have many cavalry, while our army has few horses!"
"To fight on foot and cavalry, and then launch a thousand-mile raid into the heart of the grasslands! Even the legendary generals Wei Qing and Huo Qubing wouldn't dare take such a risky move!"
The hall fell silent instantly. The fighting spirit that had been burning in Han Dang, Cheng Pu, Xu Rong, and the others was doused with cold water, and they hesitated.
The lack of horses is indeed Liaoxi's Achilles' heel!
Xu Rong retorted, "The Queji tribe has been raiding our borders every year, killing our elders and abducting our women and children. Now that they are severely weakened, this is a golden opportunity!"
"If we defeat Queji, Liaoxi will at least enjoy three years of peace!"
"The people can focus on spring planting without worrying every night about the barbarian cavalry knocking on their gates!"
"We can also seize cattle, sheep, and warhorses, gather refugees, and bolster the prestige of western Liaoning! Are we really going to let such a golden opportunity slip by?"
Han Dangdang stepped forward, his tiger-like eyes wide open, his voice booming throughout the hall: "My lord! This battle is not only about avenging our blood feud and securing the border! It's also about using the grassland battles to train our own elite cavalry!"
"Once we eliminate Queji, we can push our defenses three hundred li north and seize the fertile pastures of the upper reaches of the Liao River!"
"Then we'll be able to attack or defend as needed, completely seizing the initiative against the Xianbei!"
"My lord, we can't hesitate any longer!"