“When we parted in Shangdang initially, it’s been a long time since I last saw the lord,” Xue Ren said with a face full of merchant-style smiles, sitting in the guest seat respectfully.
Seeing Xue Ren, Liang Feng was somewhat surprised. Initially, the Xue family’s tricky little girl was quite annoying, so Liang Feng kept his distance for a while, even entrusting business affairs to the household manager. Unexpectedly, this person had joined the ranks of Pei Dun. But considering the Xue family’s status, it wasn’t surprising that they served as mediators for the Pei family.
“I wonder what brings Xue Lang here. What important matter?” Liang Feng was not going to be polite to such a businessman and asked directly.
“Naturally, it’s for the lord,” Xue Ren adjusted his expression, “I’m afraid the lord is already aware of the current situation in Hedong. Alas, it’s embarrassing to say that although Hedong has several influential clans with vast estates, their private armies are not as experienced as those of the noble families in Bing County. Take the Anyi Wei clan, for example, with nearly ten thousand households under their jurisdiction, but their army is less than three thousand, and they might not even be able to defend their own city. Currently, Hedong relies entirely on the support of the Pei family. I don’t know how long it can last…”
Liang Feng remained silent. There was no place in the world without chaos. Bing County itself was too occupied to care about others.
Xue Ren didn’t mind Liang Feng’s attitude and continued, “The lord may think Hedong is inconsequential. However, your mansion’s business is closely related to Hedong. The lord might consider that just last year, a considerable amount of salt was transported from Hedong to Gaodu. If the salt pool is captured by the Xiongnu, where will there be salt trade? This loss would amount to millions in money and goods! Not to mention if Liu Yuan seizes the salt pool, the Xiongnu can immediately use the salt profits to recruit soldiers and buy horses, making it even more difficult to deal with.”
Liang Feng’s expression remained unchanged. He was well aware of these facts. Because of the critical importance of the salt pool, the Xiongnu would never abandon the idea of attacking Hedong. While there were ways to rescue it, such as sending a large army to flank the enemy, it depended on whether Sima Yue would abandon Sima Ying, who had already declared himself emperor.
Therefore, even if Sima Yue came, he would likely acknowledge Pei Dun’s military actions. In case Bing County’s troops broke the siege in Hedong, it would be a profit. If they failed, Shangdang was still relatively safe, providing a buffer. As long as Luoyang was not threatened, everything else could be negotiated.
Seeing Liang Feng still silent, Xue Ren cleared his throat, “My lord, even now, Bing County is not entirely without resources. General Linghu has been ordered to recruit soldiers, and if we can withdraw some troops from Shangdang, this battle can be stabilized. General Pei has said that if we win this battle, the lord will have a place in the salt pool.”
Liang Feng’s eyes flickered, and he stared abruptly at the person in front of him, “The general wants to conscript troops? Where will these troops come from?”
Staring back with those sharp eyes, Xue Ren whispered, “Naturally, they will be conscripted from husbands or refugees. Just like what the lord did in Shangdang…”
Did he conscript civilians in Shangdang? Those were local garrison troops, not to mention the manpower and resources he spent training them. Now, with just a word from Pei Dun, he wanted to pull these hard-won commoners onto the battlefield?!
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However, the anger in his chest did not show. Liang Feng lowered his eyes again, and after a moment, he said, “Sending troops from Shangdang to assist is not impossible. However, General Pei should be more cautious in his actions. Settling refugees is a policy I recently implemented. How can it be changed so abruptly?”
Is he showing some willingness to negotiate with Pei Dun? Joy appeared on Xue Ren’s face, “General Pei is also anxious and may overlook some details. As long as we can successfully capture Lishi and advance towards Jinyang, everything can be discussed.”
“I will consider this matter carefully,” Liang Feng nodded slightly.
This time, Xue Ren was genuinely relieved. Despite how good it sounded, knowing that he could enter the salt pool was a temptation. Unlike the Pei family, the Liang family, to ascend to the top-tier aristocracy, needed wealth and influence. It was impossible to move forward without money and power. Instead of serving the court honestly, it was better to maintain good relations with the Pei family. Forget about the salt pool; a single word from Sima Yue’s wife’s brother was more useful than ten flattering remarks from others.
Having completed the mission assigned by the commander, Xue Ren, after probing a few more sentences, happily withdrew.
Leaning on the railing, Liang Feng remained silent for a long time, then summoned Duan Qin to discuss the matter in detail.
※
In the corridor, Linghu Sheng paced back and forth, feeling somewhat restless. After leaving the peace general’s residence, he didn’t dare to delay and immediately sent a messenger to the governor’s mansion, intending to seek advice from Governor Liang. The military orders from the peace general were simply disastrous. Unless he wanted to die, he wouldn’t dare send the hastily gathered strong young men to the front lines. And with the entire army moving towards Lishi, what about Jinyang? Who would defend the city? Was there really no one to stop this new commander?
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Waiting from noon until the sun sets, the messenger finally returns to the mansion, “General, this is a letter from the governor!”
Linghu Sheng snatched the letter and began reading it. However, just the first two sentences made him clench his teeth in hatred.
It turned out that General Pei’s urgency to send troops was for Hedong! How did he not think of this earlier? Right, if it weren’t for the critical situation in Hedong, why would there be such a rush to send troops to Lishi? But knowing this, Linghu Sheng felt even more despair. If it were only for the sake of merit, it would be acceptable. But for one’s own sake, who would desert in the face of battle? This battle was inevitable!
Continuing to read, his ashen heart gradually filled with some hope. It seemed that Governor Liang did stand on the side of Jinyang and Bing County. Alas, if there was such a reasonable person controlling the provincial troops, how could their days be so unbearable?
Looking at the concluding words of the letter, Linghu Sheng couldn’t help but feel that he had grown old. If he were younger, would he hesitate so much? Letting out a deep sigh, he commanded, “Starting tomorrow, recruit labor outside the city!”
The next day, early in the morning, the refugee camp outside the city erupted into chaos. Instead of the usual officials, soldiers armed with knives and guns appeared. What was going on?! Was the lord no longer taking in these refugees?
“The peace general’s office has issued an order to conscript males aged 18 to 50 to assist the army in attacking Lishi!”
Hearing the proclamation, the refugees below erupted in protest. Why go to war? Hadn’t Jinyang just stabilized? They fled to Jinyang to avoid the ravages of war, and now they found themselves facing the sharp end of the spear. What kind of thing was the peace general’s office? What about their Buddhist beliefs? What about Governor Liang?!
Seeing the entire refugee camp about to explode, the proclamation officer, sweating profusely, urgently shouted, “Calm down! This is just for labor, not enlistment! And only one man per household will be chosen, the rest can still enter the city!”
As these words were shouted out, accompanied by the soldiers brandishing their weapons, the commotion gradually subsided. However, the despair in the eyes of the refugees did not diminish much. Should they abandon their families and enter the city? Or should they drag their families to beg for food elsewhere? When people have no hope, life is unbearable. But even a glimmer of hope can intensify the colors of despair, making it unbearable.
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While the refugees and the conscription officers were in a standoff, another large carriage rushed out of the city. Several officials in plain clothes, who had been registering at the city gate every day, stood on the carriage and shouted loudly, “The lord has decreed that if anyone volunteers, their family will be exempt from 20% of the taxes!”
His voice might not be louder than the previous proclamation officer, but the power of the words “lord” and “tax exemption” was much greater. It turned out that the lord had not abandoned them. It turned out that volunteering for service not only meant exemption from taxes…
A buzzing sound echoed through the crowd.
One man couldn’t restrain himself any longer, squeezed out of the crowd, and came to the officials in plain clothes, “May I ask, sir, is it really just labor? Will we be sent to the front lines…”
The official in plain clothes smiled slightly, “Indeed. This is what our lord requested from General Pei. Those in labor are mainly responsible for the logistics, transporting supplies and equipment for the army.”
With these words, the crowd relaxed a bit more. Every time troops were dispatched, a large number of laborers were indeed conscripted, but these people often didn’t go into battle; they just worked as laborers accompanying the army. It was dangerous, but it was better than wandering again, with no fixed place to live. Moreover, the official had said that this was a reward the lord had obtained for them through negotiation. If they didn’t have the lord’s care, would they receive such preferential treatment elsewhere?
Finally, someone stepped out of the queue, ignoring the cries of his wife and children, and walked towards the officials and soldiers. A 20% tax exemption was enough to support another child!
Seeing these men slowly gathering, both the proclamation officer and the official in plain clothes breathed a sigh of relief. As long as there were volunteers, the situation could be handled. Thanks to Governor Liang’s thoughtful consideration; otherwise, chaos would have erupted outside Jinyang immediately!
“This Liang Zixi does have some talent in pacifying the people,” inside the peace general’s office, Pei Dun’s expression improved considerably.
After dispersing unhappily that day, Pei Dun sent Xue Ren to the Liang residence and took the initiative to allocate some benefits from the salt fields. It seemed that the fellow who could sell white porcelain at sky-high prices still had some greed in his heart. Not long after, that person yielded. However, he set a condition: conscripted civilians could only serve as laborers and not as regular soldiers. If he agreed to this, the Governor’s mansion would be responsible for pacifying the people.
In fact, Pei Dun knew very well that sending new recruits into battle was extremely risky. Using these people to charge into the fray was not as effective as having them escort supplies at the rear, easing the pressure on the main army. This way, the military strength would still slightly increase, and there would be less public resentment. Moreover, the grain and supplies depleted due to tax exemptions would be replenished by the Governor’s mansion, costing him not much.
With this arrangement, along with the people recruited by Linghu Sheng from the military households, the total military strength should be able to reach around twenty thousand, constituting a considerable force.
“When will the troops from Shangdang arrive?” Pei Dun inquired.
“Lord Liang said that preparing the troops and horses will take some time. Moreover, if the entire army departs from Jinyang together, it will be time-consuming and laborious, and it’s also easy for the enemy to be prepared. It’s better to use the Shangdang troops as a wing, entering the Western River State from the distant Gu Valley direction and joining forces with our army on the front lines,” hastily replied Liu Changshi beside him.
“That’s also a feasible plan. Hmm, in a few more days, the military supplies allocated by the court should also arrive. This battle should be able to withstand.” Pei Dun had not been idle; he had already sought assistance from the court. He couldn’t obtain more troops, but there shouldn’t be major issues with food and military supplies. Even if his brother-in-law understood his intentions, he wouldn’t cause trouble. After all, Hedong was the hinterland of Si County, and beyond the Yellow River was Luoyang. Could Sima Yue, even if he knew, watch Hedong fall without doing anything?
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This battle was not just about the fate of the Pei family.
“Spread the order, all armies prepare their troops and horses, and mobilize the entire force! Leave Jinyang City to Liang Zixi and his troops.”
Several days later, after three thousand laborers were organized into a civilian camp, no one noticed that among the two thousand soldiers brought by Liang Feng, more than three hundred were missing.
“When we parted in Shangdang initially, it’s been a long time since I last saw the lord,” Xue Ren said with a face full of merchant-style smiles, sitting in the guest seat respectfully.
Seeing Xue Ren, Liang Feng was somewhat surprised. Initially, the Xue family’s tricky little girl was quite annoying, so Liang Feng kept his distance for a while, even entrusting business affairs to the household manager. Unexpectedly, this person had joined the ranks of Pei Dun. But considering the Xue family’s status, it wasn’t surprising that they served as mediators for the Pei family.
“I wonder what brings Xue Lang here. What important matter?” Liang Feng was not going to be polite to such a businessman and asked directly.
“Naturally, it’s for the lord,” Xue Ren adjusted his expression, “I’m afraid the lord is already aware of the current situation in Hedong. Alas, it’s embarrassing to say that although Hedong has several influential clans with vast estates, their private armies are not as experienced as those of the noble families in Bing County. Take the Anyi Wei clan, for example, with nearly ten thousand households under their jurisdiction, but their army is less than three thousand, and they might not even be able to defend their own city. Currently, Hedong relies entirely on the support of the Pei family. I don’t know how long it can last…”
Liang Feng remained silent. There was no place in the world without chaos. Bing County itself was too occupied to care about others.
Xue Ren didn’t mind Liang Feng’s attitude and continued, “The lord may think Hedong is inconsequential. However, your mansion’s business is closely related to Hedong. The lord might consider that just last year, a considerable amount of salt was transported from Hedong to Gaodu. If the salt pool is captured by the Xiongnu, where will there be salt trade? This loss would amount to millions in money and goods! Not to mention if Liu Yuan seizes the salt pool, the Xiongnu can immediately use the salt profits to recruit soldiers and buy horses, making it even more difficult to deal with.”
Liang Feng’s expression remained unchanged. He was well aware of these facts. Because of the critical importance of the salt pool, the Xiongnu would never abandon the idea of attacking Hedong. While there were ways to rescue it, such as sending a large army to flank the enemy, it depended on whether Sima Yue would abandon Sima Ying, who had already declared himself emperor.
Therefore, even if Sima Yue came, he would likely acknowledge Pei Dun’s military actions. In case Bing County’s troops broke the siege in Hedong, it would be a profit. If they failed, Shangdang was still relatively safe, providing a buffer. As long as Luoyang was not threatened, everything else could be negotiated.
Seeing Liang Feng still silent, Xue Ren cleared his throat, “My lord, even now, Bing County is not entirely without resources. General Linghu has been ordered to recruit soldiers, and if we can withdraw some troops from Shangdang, this battle can be stabilized. General Pei has said that if we win this battle, the lord will have a place in the salt pool.”
Liang Feng’s eyes flickered, and he stared abruptly at the person in front of him, “The general wants to conscript troops? Where will these troops come from?”
Staring back with those sharp eyes, Xue Ren whispered, “Naturally, they will be conscripted from husbands or refugees. Just like what the lord did in Shangdang…”
Did he conscript civilians in Shangdang? Those were local garrison troops, not to mention the manpower and resources he spent training them. Now, with just a word from Pei Dun, he wanted to pull these hard-won commoners onto the battlefield?!
Advertisement
However, the anger in his chest did not show. Liang Feng lowered his eyes again, and after a moment, he said, “Sending troops from Shangdang to assist is not impossible. However, General Pei should be more cautious in his actions. Settling refugees is a policy I recently implemented. How can it be changed so abruptly?”
Is he showing some willingness to negotiate with Pei Dun? Joy appeared on Xue Ren’s face, “General Pei is also anxious and may overlook some details. As long as we can successfully capture Lishi and advance towards Jinyang, everything can be discussed.”
“I will consider this matter carefully,” Liang Feng nodded slightly.
This time, Xue Ren was genuinely relieved. Despite how good it sounded, knowing that he could enter the salt pool was a temptation. Unlike the Pei family, the Liang family, to ascend to the top-tier aristocracy, needed wealth and influence. It was impossible to move forward without money and power. Instead of serving the court honestly, it was better to maintain good relations with the Pei family. Forget about the salt pool; a single word from Sima Yue’s wife’s brother was more useful than ten flattering remarks from others.
Having completed the mission assigned by the commander, Xue Ren, after probing a few more sentences, happily withdrew.
Leaning on the railing, Liang Feng remained silent for a long time, then summoned Duan Qin to discuss the matter in detail.
※
In the corridor, Linghu Sheng paced back and forth, feeling somewhat restless. After leaving the peace general’s residence, he didn’t dare to delay and immediately sent a messenger to the governor’s mansion, intending to seek advice from Governor Liang. The military orders from the peace general were simply disastrous. Unless he wanted to die, he wouldn’t dare send the hastily gathered strong young men to the front lines. And with the entire army moving towards Lishi, what about Jinyang? Who would defend the city? Was there really no one to stop this new commander?
Advertisement
Waiting from noon until the sun sets, the messenger finally returns to the mansion, “General, this is a letter from the governor!”
Linghu Sheng snatched the letter and began reading it. However, just the first two sentences made him clench his teeth in hatred.
It turned out that General Pei’s urgency to send troops was for Hedong! How did he not think of this earlier? Right, if it weren’t for the critical situation in Hedong, why would there be such a rush to send troops to Lishi? But knowing this, Linghu Sheng felt even more despair. If it were only for the sake of merit, it would be acceptable. But for one’s own sake, who would desert in the face of battle? This battle was inevitable!
Continuing to read, his ashen heart gradually filled with some hope. It seemed that Governor Liang did stand on the side of Jinyang and Bing County. Alas, if there was such a reasonable person controlling the provincial troops, how could their days be so unbearable?
Looking at the concluding words of the letter, Linghu Sheng couldn’t help but feel that he had grown old. If he were younger, would he hesitate so much? Letting out a deep sigh, he commanded, “Starting tomorrow, recruit labor outside the city!”
The next day, early in the morning, the refugee camp outside the city erupted into chaos. Instead of the usual officials, soldiers armed with knives and guns appeared. What was going on?! Was the lord no longer taking in these refugees?
“The peace general’s office has issued an order to conscript males aged 18 to 50 to assist the army in attacking Lishi!”
Hearing the proclamation, the refugees below erupted in protest. Why go to war? Hadn’t Jinyang just stabilized? They fled to Jinyang to avoid the ravages of war, and now they found themselves facing the sharp end of the spear. What kind of thing was the peace general’s office? What about their Buddhist beliefs? What about Governor Liang?!
Seeing the entire refugee camp about to explode, the proclamation officer, sweating profusely, urgently shouted, “Calm down! This is just for labor, not enlistment! And only one man per household will be chosen, the rest can still enter the city!”
As these words were shouted out, accompanied by the soldiers brandishing their weapons, the commotion gradually subsided. However, the despair in the eyes of the refugees did not diminish much. Should they abandon their families and enter the city? Or should they drag their families to beg for food elsewhere? When people have no hope, life is unbearable. But even a glimmer of hope can intensify the colors of despair, making it unbearable.
Advertisement
While the refugees and the conscription officers were in a standoff, another large carriage rushed out of the city. Several officials in plain clothes, who had been registering at the city gate every day, stood on the carriage and shouted loudly, “The lord has decreed that if anyone volunteers, their family will be exempt from 20% of the taxes!”
His voice might not be louder than the previous proclamation officer, but the power of the words “lord” and “tax exemption” was much greater. It turned out that the lord had not abandoned them. It turned out that volunteering for service not only meant exemption from taxes…
A buzzing sound echoed through the crowd.
One man couldn’t restrain himself any longer, squeezed out of the crowd, and came to the officials in plain clothes, “May I ask, sir, is it really just labor? Will we be sent to the front lines…”
The official in plain clothes smiled slightly, “Indeed. This is what our lord requested from General Pei. Those in labor are mainly responsible for the logistics, transporting supplies and equipment for the army.”
With these words, the crowd relaxed a bit more. Every time troops were dispatched, a large number of laborers were indeed conscripted, but these people often didn’t go into battle; they just worked as laborers accompanying the army. It was dangerous, but it was better than wandering again, with no fixed place to live. Moreover, the official had said that this was a reward the lord had obtained for them through negotiation. If they didn’t have the lord’s care, would they receive such preferential treatment elsewhere?
Finally, someone stepped out of the queue, ignoring the cries of his wife and children, and walked towards the officials and soldiers. A 20% tax exemption was enough to support another child!
Seeing these men slowly gathering, both the proclamation officer and the official in plain clothes breathed a sigh of relief. As long as there were volunteers, the situation could be handled. Thanks to Governor Liang’s thoughtful consideration; otherwise, chaos would have erupted outside Jinyang immediately!
“This Liang Zixi does have some talent in pacifying the people,” inside the peace general’s office, Pei Dun’s expression improved considerably.
After dispersing unhappily that day, Pei Dun sent Xue Ren to the Liang residence and took the initiative to allocate some benefits from the salt fields. It seemed that the fellow who could sell white porcelain at sky-high prices still had some greed in his heart. Not long after, that person yielded. However, he set a condition: conscripted civilians could only serve as laborers and not as regular soldiers. If he agreed to this, the Governor’s mansion would be responsible for pacifying the people.
In fact, Pei Dun knew very well that sending new recruits into battle was extremely risky. Using these people to charge into the fray was not as effective as having them escort supplies at the rear, easing the pressure on the main army. This way, the military strength would still slightly increase, and there would be less public resentment. Moreover, the grain and supplies depleted due to tax exemptions would be replenished by the Governor’s mansion, costing him not much.
With this arrangement, along with the people recruited by Linghu Sheng from the military households, the total military strength should be able to reach around twenty thousand, constituting a considerable force.
“When will the troops from Shangdang arrive?” Pei Dun inquired.
“Lord Liang said that preparing the troops and horses will take some time. Moreover, if the entire army departs from Jinyang together, it will be time-consuming and laborious, and it’s also easy for the enemy to be prepared. It’s better to use the Shangdang troops as a wing, entering the Western River State from the distant Gu Valley direction and joining forces with our army on the front lines,” hastily replied Liu Changshi beside him.
“That’s also a feasible plan. Hmm, in a few more days, the military supplies allocated by the court should also arrive. This battle should be able to withstand.” Pei Dun had not been idle; he had already sought assistance from the court. He couldn’t obtain more troops, but there shouldn’t be major issues with food and military supplies. Even if his brother-in-law understood his intentions, he wouldn’t cause trouble. After all, Hedong was the hinterland of Si County, and beyond the Yellow River was Luoyang. Could Sima Yue, even if he knew, watch Hedong fall without doing anything?
Advertisement
This battle was not just about the fate of the Pei family.
“Spread the order, all armies prepare their troops and horses, and mobilize the entire force! Leave Jinyang City to Liang Zixi and his troops.”
Several days later, after three thousand laborers were organized into a civilian camp, no one noticed that among the two thousand soldiers brought by Liang Feng, more than three hundred were missing.
