Control

Chapter 115 Control

Upon receiving the imperial decree, Liu Bei immediately summoned Tian Shao and Gongsun Bai to the main hall of the prefectural government.

The imperial edict was laid out on the table. Liu Bei cut to the chase, saying, "With this imperial edict, Ji City is in imminent danger. You two are both border generals of the Han Dynasty; you should know this matter. There is no room for shirking responsibility!"

Tian Shao and Gongsun Bai exchanged a glance, but they seemed inclined to shirk their responsibility!

Tian Shao bowed first, looking troubled: "Commander, you are wise. The troops of the Liaodong vassal state are already few in number, and they have suffered heavy losses in this battle."

"If we lead our troops away, Changli will be left empty. The Xianbei will leave and then return. Who will defend the city?"

Gongsun Bai echoed, "What Sima Tian said is absolutely right. Our duty is to guard the Liaodong vassal state. The responsibility for rushing to the aid of Jicheng will be borne by the prefectures and other counties. If we send troops, it would be improper and unjustifiable."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei sneered, glancing at the two men with eyes full of sharp words: "Is your name not legitimate and your words not proper?"

"The imperial edict is here, and that is its greatest name!"

"If Jicheng falls, the heartland of Youzhou will be lost, and the Xianbei cavalry will sweep in unimpeded. Can your Changli region remain unscathed?"

"When the imperial court holds you accountable, the first to be executed will be you border generals who command troops but fail to come to the rescue!"

One sentence left the two men speechless, their faces turning pale and sweat beading on their foreheads.

Liu Bei softened his tone slightly and then offered another bait: "Of course, sending troops is not without its advantages."

"The siege of Jicheng was lifted, a tremendous military achievement."

"You who follow me into battle, the heads you capture and the supplies you seize, I will not take a single penny from you, they will all belong to you."

"If we win this battle, I will definitely report to the court. At least a cavalry captain will be caught, which is ten times better than a mere military commander."

"Do you two intend to spend your entire lives holed up in this tiny place of Changli, tending to a few acres of land?"

A flicker of interest flashed in their eyes, but they remained hesitant. They harbored deep resentment towards each other, and each feared that the other would stab them in the back after they left with their troops.

Liu Bei had already seen through their thoughts. He leaned forward and said calmly, "I know what you two are worried about."

"This time, you two will each lead a thousand troops of your own troops to accompany me on this expedition. Neither of you will be able to hold back any tricks."

"Changli, the Marquis of Liu, led five hundred elite cavalry from Liaoxi to assist Gongsha Shao and Gongsha Fu in their garrison duties. Later, he sent more elite cavalry from Liaoxi to provide support. He treated everyone equally and without any favoritism."

"Is there anything you two are still worried about?"

With things said to this point, the greater good weighed heavily on them, their military achievements were already established, and their future had been secured, leaving them with no reason to refuse.

Tian Shao and Gongsun Bai bowed in unison: "We are willing to obey the Commandant's orders and rush to the aid of Ji City!"

The two were easily manipulated by Liu Bei!

Half a day later, Liu Bei mustered his troops.

Marquis Liu led 500 elite cavalry from western Liaoning to defend Changli, and assisted Gongsha Shao and Gongsha Fu in managing the county affairs and recruiting soldiers.

He took the three brothers, Gong Shake, Gong Shaku, and Gong Shafan, with him as his subordinates to train with the army.

He personally led his 1,000 elite cavalry from Liaoxi, with Zhao Yun and Yang Shuo as his generals.

With the addition of 1,000 troops each from Tian Shao and Gongsun Bai, totaling 3,000 soldiers, they left Changli in a grand procession and first returned to Yangle City in Liaoxi.

When the army arrived at the gate of Yangle City, Zhao Bao, the governor of Liaoxi, was already waiting at the gate with a group of civil and military officials.

Cheng Pu, Han Dang, Xu Rong, and Tian Yu stood in armor, with Jian Yong and Wang Lie standing beside them with smiles. The person on the far side, dressed in a scholar's robe, with eyes as sharp as an eagle, was none other than Cheng Yu, Cheng Zhongde, who had recently joined Liu Bei.

When Liu Bei left the city, he only brought two thousand men, but when he returned, he brought three thousand men, and his army was even more impressive than before.

Han Dangdang's eyes widened, and he spurred his horse forward, laughing loudly, "My lord! Not only did you lift the siege of Changli on this trip, but you also brought more and more troops! This humble general is truly impressed!"

Cheng Pu stroked his beard and nodded, his eyes full of admiration: "Our lord has taken control of the troops of the Liaodong vassal state without making a sound. His foresight is remarkable. I cannot wait for that."

Jian Yong, waving his feather fan, joked, "Xuande's trip here has probably changed the very color of the sky in Changli, hasn't it?"

Tian Shao and Gongsun Bai stood to the side, looking embarrassed, unsure whether they should find an excuse to avoid the situation.

Liu Bei dismounted, first bowing to Zhao Bao, then smiling and greeting everyone else.

The group then returned to the central military tent of the prefect's mansion, dismissed their attendants, and immediately began a military council.

Liu Bei first explained the situation in Changli, the military factions of the Liaodong vassal states, and the potential threats posed by the Wuhuan Supuyan.

He then said in a deep voice, "Although the siege of Changli has been lifted, the Xianbei may return at any time, so we must be on guard."

"Tian Yu, you are a steady and resourceful person. I hereby order you to lead a thousand elite cavalrymen to Changli immediately to assist Brother Gong Sha in guarding the border and to reorganize the defenses. There must be no mistakes."

"Yes, sir!" Tian Yu readily accepted the order without the slightest hesitation.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhao Bao produced an urgent report, his expression grave. "Xuande, you've returned just in time."

"The situation in Jicheng is even more urgent. Suli's vanguard has already breached the outer walls of Jicheng, and the governor's office is sending three urgent reports a day urging reinforcements."

"But we must also be wary of western Liaoning, especially the Lulong Pass."

Liu Bei nodded, his fingertips tracing across the map, his deployment methodical: "Yang Le is the foundation of Liaoxi. Gao Shun, you will lead 500 elite troops to garrison Yang Le City, pacify the rear, and stabilize the people."

"Yes, sir!" Gao Shun replied in a deep voice, his posture upright like a pine tree.

"Xu Rong, you shall command your 1,000 elite cavalry to patrol the border forts and beacon towers in western Liaoning. If any Xianbei cavalry raids, you shall immediately annihilate them. We must not allow the barbarian cavalry to disturb our territory."

"Yes, sir!" Xu Rong bowed and accepted the order, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

Finally, Liu Bei's gaze fell on Cheng Yu and he said, "Zhongde, if Suli does not go through Youbeiping, he will definitely go through the lower reaches of Shenhe River to Qinglong River Valley. The key node on this route is Lingzhi."

"I would like to request Zhongde to garrison Lingzhi County. What is your opinion, Zhongde?"

Cheng Yu did not immediately accept the order. Instead, he raised his eyes and asked, "Since my lord has ordered me to guard Lingzhi, may I ask how my lord intends to deal with Suli's eight thousand Xianbei cavalry?"

Without hesitation, Liu Bei pointed to the strategic river valley in Youbeiping on the map and loudly proclaimed, "Close the door and beat the dog!"

"First, order Cheng Pu to lead his elite troops on a rapid march to seize the key river valley route from Youbeiping to Youzhou, thus completely cutting off Su Li's return route."

"Then we will join forces with reinforcements from various counties in Youzhou, surround Jicheng, annihilate the Suli tribe, and eliminate any future threat!"

The generals inside the tent all nodded in agreement, and Han Dang even slapped the table in approval: "This plan is brilliant! Cut off his retreat, and Su Li will be trapped like a turtle in a jar. We will surely annihilate him in one battle!"

But Cheng Yu slowly shook his head, his tone resolute: "My lord's plan is inappropriate!"

"In my opinion, if our lord pursues this strategy, it will not only be fruitless in the end, but will also bring about a great disaster."

One sentence instantly silenced the tent.

Everyone looked surprised, and Han Dang asked urgently, "What do you mean by that, Mr. Cheng?"

"This plan is foolproof; it will not only lift the siege of Jicheng but also annihilate the barbarians. How could it possibly bring disaster?"

Only Wang Lie sighed and pointed out the key point: "You all only see the victory of annihilating the Hu barbarians, but you haven't calculated the price that had to be paid behind the scenes."

Cheng Yu nodded, picking up the conversation with sharp eyes, his words hitting the nail on the head: "Not bad!"

"Do you all know what the most important task is for the Luoyang court and the Youzhou governor's office right now?"