Chapter 130: "Only Unaware of His Voice and Appearance, But Already..."
Li Yao leaned on his crutch and said, "Don't lose your composure. This is merely Bandit Pei's cunning scheme giving him temporary advantage."
After speaking, he instructed the guards to take Li Xun away to rest for a while.
Supported by the guards, Li Xun remained concerned about Fan Yuan's injury, saying, "The military physicians are helpless against the poison in Commander Fan's body. We must quickly return to Xinzhou territory to summon renowned doctors..."
The elderly man who had examined Fan Yuan's pupils and tongue coating stood up and said, "Take two qian each of dandelion and Lobelia chinensis, half a qian of raw licorice root, and one qian each of red peony root and Alisma plantago, decoct and take for two or three days, and the toxin will be cleared."
Only then did Li Xun notice the old man. Though his beard and hair were completely white, his posture wasn't stooped, and his eyes contained a restrained brilliance, possessing a transcendent, carefree aura. He appeared kindly yet carried an imposing dignity that made people hesitant to meet his gaze directly.
Remembering the old friend Li Yao had gone to Wangliang Mountain to invite, Li Xun grew excited and nearly incoherent: "You... are you General Yuchi?"
Yuchi Ba laughed: "When this old man laid down his armor, you likely hadn't yet entered official service. How do you recognize me?"
Hearing this, Li Xun was overjoyed, the tension that had been building in his mind suddenly releasing: "Though you requested retirement before Emperor Mingcheng's grandfather ascended the throne, who doesn't know that half of Great Liang's territory was conquered by your hands?"
Upon hearing this, Yuchi Ba's smile noticeably faded.
Li Yao told Li Xun: "Take Shouyi to rest for a while. First prepare medicine according to this prescription, give Shouyi one dose, then continue rushing back to Xinzhou. Leave two thousand troops with me."
Shouyi was Fan Yuan's courtesy name.
Just as Li Xun found Yuchi Ba's reaction to his praise somewhat strange, he heard Li Yao's words and immediately set aside those thoughts, urgently saying: "Absolutely not, Lord! Pei Song is personally leading troops in pursuit of us this time. Combined with the Chen army under that traitor Dou Jianliang, they number no less than fifty thousand soldiers. Their aim is to annihilate our frontline Liang troops then continue south to directly capture the three prefectures and one commandery sheltered behind Mount Tai'a!"
He revealed the grim reality: "Two thousand troops guarding Wayaobao won't hold off Pei Song's army for long. The Lord and General Yuchi must not suffer any mishap. We'll still need to rely on both of you for the princess's future northern expeditions. You should retreat to Xinzhou with Commander Fan. This official will buy more time here!"
When mentioning future northern expeditions, his voice carried a slight choke.
Wen Yu had initially insisted on capturing Xin and Yi prefectures and Tao Commandering as northern barriers for Pingzhou precisely because the Tai'a mountain range sheltered these three territories, blocking northern armies' southward advance.
Li Yao said: "It's two days' journey from Wayaobao to Xinzhou. To avoid being overtaken by Pei Song, Wayaobao must hold for at least half a day."
Just as Li Xun was about to make some assurance, Li Yao continued: "The most crucial aspect of this battle is that we must severely blunt Pei Song's momentum."
Li Xun stared at him in stunned silence.Li Yao gazed toward the northern horizon, his aged, blue-tinged gray eyes beneath heavily wrinkled eyelids concealing an inscrutable expression. "As you've said, Pei Song personally leads fifty thousand troops southward to scatter the Liang forces at the front before seizing the three provinces and one commandery beyond Mount Tai'a. His audacity to abandon the Northern Border battlefield suggests unforeseen changes must have occurred there that we remain unaware of."
"With Shouyi severely wounded, Dou Jianliang's betrayal and surrender, and our troops being toyed with like mice chased by a cat - what morale and fighting spirit can our soldiers possibly retain? Even if we miraculously retreat to Xinzhou, we'd only be bringing this terror back to the Liang Camp in the rear."
Li Xun fell silent, for there remained one gravest issue they both understood perfectly well, yet neither wished to voice amid such devastating circumstances.
— Wen Yu had secured the Liang-Chen alliance through marriage, yet the Chen Army had betrayed them at the frontlines, surrendering to Pei Song and stabbing the Liang forces in the back. Once this news reached the rear Liang Camp, the three provinces and one commandery would inevitably be thrown into violent turmoil.
Even resentment against Southern Chen might transform into dissatisfaction with Wen Yu herself.
Whenever cracks and discord emerge within any faction, external pressure will only shatter it into disarray.
This was precisely why Pei Song felt confident leading his troops southward.
Another lurking danger lay in Wei Qishan potentially losing ground on the Northern Border battlefield. Should the Pei Army gain further momentum, Liang's military morale would completely collapse - how could they possibly resist Pei Song then?
Seeing Li Xun's sorrowful silence, Li Yao knew he had grasped the gravity of their situation. "Besides us two old relics, no one in this world can stop Pei Song here and make him stumble hard. Your responsibilities won't be any lighter when you return to the rear Liang Camp - rebuilding morale, planning the northern expedition anew, none of these will be easy tasks."
Tears streamed down Li Xun's aged face as he listened.
Li Yao continued, "The Liang Camp must not fall apart. Even if recapturing Luoyang from Pei Song seems hopeless, you must maintain this framework for Her Highness's safety. If that day ever comes when Great Liang is restored to our sovereign, don't forget to pour a cup of thin wine in offering beneath the yellow earth."
The white-haired elder's final instruction was: "Zhongqing, I entrust our princess to your care."
Li Xun clasped his hands and bowed deeply, his heart wrenched with pain as he choked out: "My lord..."
Clouds veiled the sun as winds whipped the banners on the city tower walls.
Standing before the battlements, Li Yao watched Li Xun's retreating forces with Fan Yuan and the remnants of the Great Liang army fading into the distance. "Old friend," Li Yao said, "it seems I picked the wrong time to invite you out of retirement."
Yuchi Ba stroked his beard with a laugh. "In my view, it's the perfect timing."
The two old friends exchanged glances and shared a smile.
After a moment, Li Yao still sighed with profound emotion. "Pity you can't meet our sovereign one more time."
Yuchi Ba replied, "Though I haven't witnessed her countenance, I've already met her in spirit."
Li Yao looked at his old friend in surprise.
Yuchi Ba explained, "To maneuver three provinces and one commandery from the Southern Border in defeat, and to earn such devotion from capable ministers - is this not the mark of an emperor?"
Hearing these words, Li Yao laughed heartily while leaning on his cane. When he turned his gaze toward the southern mountains again, the wrinkles on his face seemed to smooth slightly, though his eyes still held an elder's regret and faint sorrow.
"You say Great Liang's destiny remains unfulfilled - I believe it," Yuchi Ba continued. "That you could track me down at such a time must be heaven's will.""The heavens will me to protect the final breath of Great Liang one more time."
Li Yao's heart was filled with complex emotions, but in the end he only uttered: "Thank you."
Yuchi Ba laughed: "For what? This is also the Great Liang I built with my own hands."
Nowadays, people only know that Ming Chengdi unified the realm and established Great Liang, ending the civil war that had lasted over thirty years in the previous dynasty. Few are aware that half of Ming Chengdi's empire was actually conquered by his sworn brothers.
But when the birds are gone, the bow is stored away. When the world was finally pacified, the sworn brothers to whom Ming Chengdi had promised shared wealth and the title of Co-equal Prince instead became his greatest threats.
Yuchi Ba had no intention of contending with Ming Chengdi. With the mortal world settled, he quietly took his leave before Ming Chengdi established Liang and declared himself emperor, becoming once again a wandering cloud and wild crane with no fixed abode.
Li Yao had witnessed with his own eyes how the previous dynasty gradually marched toward its end. He held too many aspirations for this world, and even though he knew Ming Chengdi had begun centralizing power since those days, he still didn't want to give up.
It wasn't until Ming Chengdi passed away, the new emperor ascended the throne, maternal relatives interfered in governance, court officials formed cliques for personal gain, and corruption grew increasingly severe, that he watched this new dynasty embark on the path of decline once more. Finally disillusioned, he resigned and retreated into seclusion.
Had it not been for Changlian Wang later making several personal visits to his hermitage, discussing with him in depth the world's situation and political views on various accumulated malpractices in the court, he wouldn't have been persuaded to emerge from retirement for the sake of those lingering aspirations.
That young woman in the Pingzhou courtyard, who neither humble nor pushy asked him to plan for her, represented his final choice.
Pei Song didn't pursue the remnant Liang army too closely. He intentionally employed this cat-and-mouse tactic to gradually wear down the Liang army's morale, accumulating fear in their hearts.
It didn't even matter that the Liang army, after numerous narrow escapes, fled back to Xinzhou behind the Tai'a Mountains in a sorry state with their remaining troops.
If he completely annihilated the frontline Liang forces, it might sufficiently intimidate the rear Liang troops.
But he preferred to use fear as a weapon to breach cities, undermining the forces in the rear Liang Camp from within.
Therefore, when Pei Song led his troops to the Wayaobao region, it was already early morning of the second day. Scouts reported detecting an unidentified army in the rear, bearing no military banners and wearing no unified armor. They mostly moved through dense forests, making it impossible to determine their exact numbers, but estimated to be under ten thousand.
After hearing this, Pei Song pondered briefly before summoning his personal guard and ordering: "Just a motley crew. Let Dou Jianliang deal with them."
The guard immediately rode to the rear formation to find Dou Jianliang, instructing him to contain that unidentified ragtag army.
Only after Pei Song's personal soldier left did Dou Jianliang spit fiercely on the ground, cursing: "What does he take me for? Having been someone's dog for so long, he thinks everyone is like him!"
His aide, having borne much of Dou Jianliang's anger these days, knew that if he didn't offer comfort and a way to save face during his fury, he would likely become the target of vented rage. Immediately flattering, he said: "General, please calm your anger. In my humble opinion, dealing with that ragtag army that came from who-knows-where is actually a good thing."
Dou Jianliang glanced at him sideways. The aide continued obsequiously: "Just a bunch of riffraff - scare them off and be done with it. If we were ordered to attack Wayaobao, with Pei Song watching from behind, we'd have to fight with all our might. Exchanging casualties for some merit in Pei Song's eyes may not be beneficial. For now, preserving our strength is the best strategy."Dou Jianliang finally felt somewhat relieved. He tugged on the reins and ordered, "Pass the command to turn back! Follow me to clear out the ragtag troops!"
Xiao Li, leading two thousand Tongzhou righteous army soldiers, had been cautiously trailing behind the Pei Army. However, during a long march, no matter how well concealed, traces were inevitably discovered.
Pei Song, being a seasoned commander, had his Scouts not only investigate ahead but also periodically circle back to check for enemy forces following behind.
When the Pei Army's Scouts first detected their trail, Xiao Li killed the Scout.
But if a Scout failed to report back on time, it was tantamount to exposure.
By the time the second wave of Scouts came to investigate, Xiao Li's troops were already prepared for battle.
As Dou Jianliang led the Chen Army into their ambush zone, Zheng Hu lay prone in the pine needle-covered forest, peering clearly through the gaps in the low shrubs.
He turned his head and gestured toward Xiao Li nearby in inquiry.
When Xiao Li saw the "Chen" character on this army's banner, his eyes turned cold, and he responded to Zheng Hu with a hand signal.
Receiving the reply, Zheng Hu immediately signaled to the righteous army soldiers lying in ambush.
As the Chen Army drew closer, a sudden "clang" rang through the forest, followed by dense rows of bamboo spears swinging out from both sides, along with massive logs suspended by ropes.
Instantly, the Chen Army ranks were thrown into chaos with men and horses tumbling, panicked cries filling the air.
Dou Jianliang, positioned in the middle to maintain formation, was horrified to see the vanguard in such disarray. Realizing this ragtag army might be particularly troublesome, he quickly commanded the rear Chen Army troops: "Into the woods! Flank them from both sides!"
The rear Chen Army troops rushed nervously into the forest, but the righteous army soldiers hidden at the forest edge—covered in pine needles with shrub branches on their heads—immediately swung their blades at the soldiers' lower bodies, instantly taking down another group of Chen Army troops.
Though the total casualties from these two ambushes weren't high, they successfully created panic and disrupted the Chen Army's morale.
When Xiao Li then led the righteous army soldiers in a charge, the already reluctant Chen Army put up weak resistance, scattering in all directions.
But Xiao Li didn't dare let his guard down. Their forces were limited, and they only gained temporary advantage because the Chen Army didn't know their exact numbers and had been unnerved by the two ambushes.
If they failed to drive back this Chen Army force in one push and became entangled in prolonged combat, once their true strength was revealed, the Chen Army—with several times their numbers—would quickly recover and counterattack.
Fortunately, the weather favored them today. A thick fog had risen in the mountain forest, and using the dense mist as cover, they could temporarily confuse the Chen Army's vision.
Amid their fierce battle cries, they faintly heard fighting sounds coming from several miles ahead.
Clearly, the Pei Army had also engaged the Liang Army from Wayaobao up ahead.
Author's Note: Wait for me to post a rough map on Weibo, my dears—that should make the territorial divisions a bit clearer~
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