The Rebirth of Han Yuxi

Chapter 0607 Starting A War (1)

Leng Bufeng was one of Ji Xuanʼs most capable officers and the leader of this campaign. When he learned that a scout had escaped, he was furious and cursed, ”Useless! How could you let someone escape?” Even with so many men, they still let a single scout escape.

The soldier who delivered the news bowed, not daring to make a sound.

Leng Bufengʼs subordinate asked, ”General, what should we do now?” The scout had escaped, which meant Yun Qing was now aware of their ambush. There was no point in continuing to lie in wait.

Leng Bufeng said, ”Since weʼve been discovered, thereʼs no need for an ambush.” A direct attack would suffice—after all, they were already close.

It was a pity. The Northwest Army had marched unchallenged from Yu City to Wucheng, and yet, despite the lack of obstacles, Yun Qing had remained cautious. If Yun Qing hadnʼt sent out the scouts, Leng Bufeng could have annihilated him at Gaojia Ridge.

His subordinate hesitated before saying, ”General, the Northwest Army is formidable. Iʼm afraid we wonʼt have the advantage if we meet them head-on.” Besides, the soldiers were heavily clothed in this freezing weather, making them clumsy in battle.

Leng Bufeng scoffed, ”No matter how strong they are, theyʼre only thirty thousand men.” He had brought ninety thousand troops for this ambush—three times their number. If Yun Qing had fallen into the trap, the Northwest Army would have suffered devastating losses. In war, a single moment of carelessness could lead to complete annihilation.

Yun Qing soon learned that the enemy had ninety thousand troops. Usually, a smaller force would panic upon hearing such overwhelming odds. However, the thirty thousand men under Yun Qingʼs command were the most elite soldiers in the Northwest—veterans of countless battles. Many had crawled out from piles of corpses. Despite being outnumbered three to one, none showed any fear. On the contrary, they seemed almost eager, as if they had been waiting for a real fight. After days of relentless marching without a single battle, they were itching for action.

Given the overwhelming numbers of the enemy, a defensive strategy would have been the logical choice. But Yun Qing did the opposite—he sent three thousand cavalry to attack first. He had confidence in his troops; these cavalrymen could rival the steppe warriors of the northern nomads. They would cut through the infantry like a knife through butter.

Yun Qingʼs move completely caught Leng Bufeng off guard. When he heard that Yun Qing had sent cavalry to launch an assault, he couldnʼt help but curse, ”Madman. Heʼs a d*mn madman.” Knowing he was at a disadvantage and still choosing to attack—if that wasnʼt madness, what was?

Leng Bufengʼs subordinate reported, nearly in tears, ”General, the rebel cavalry is too fierce—we canʼt hold them off.” These cavalrymen were slaughtering their troops like chopping melons, cutting them down with ease. He had heard rumours of the Northwest Armyʼs ferocity, but only now, after facing them in battle, did he truly understand. These Northwest Army soldiers werenʼt just fierce warriors; they were ruthless killers who didnʼt even blink as they cut men down. A general like Yun Qing had trained his soldiers to be just like him.

Leng Bufeng roared, ”Hold the line! I refuse to believe that ninety thousand men canʼt defeat thirty thousand! Pass on my orders—we will attack in full force!” Three against one—no matter how fierce the Northwest Army was, they couldnʼt possibly win.

Leng Bufeng remained stubborn. Even as his subordinates continued to report heavy losses and worsening conditions, he refused to order a retreat. The battle raged on until nightfall. As darkness fell, making it impossible for anyone to see, they had no choice but to stop fighting.

Covered in blood, Yun Qing turned to Guan Tai and Yuan Ying and ordered, ”Check the casualties.” With the odds at three to one, even he had to go to the battlefield personally.

Gao Song, Yun Qingʼs personal guard, carried in two buckets of water and said, ”General, why donʼt you wash up and change your clothes before dinner?” He was worried that Yun Qing might feel uncomfortable. It had never been an issue before, but ever since the General married his wife, he had become more particular about such things.

Yun Qing shook his head, ”Just leave the water in the tent.” He would wash before sleeping—there was no time for a bath right now.

The casualty report was quickly compiled. Yuan Ying reported, ”General, 1,685 men were k*lled in action, and 2,935 were seriously wounded. Among them, the cavalry lost 67 men, with 198 seriously wounded.” The cavalry had the best equipment and the strongest combat power, so their losses were the lowest.

Yun Qing ordered, ”Make sure the wounded receive proper treatment.” He had brought all the military physicians with him on this campaign, but with limited medical supplies, it was still difficult to treat the wounded. If they couldnʼt survive their injuries, death was the only outcome.

Yuan Ying said, ”Weʼve already gathered all the local physicians, but without enough medicine, thereʼs not much they can do.”

Yun Qing fell silent for a moment before instructing Gao Song, ”Summon Feng Dajun, Yu Cong, and the others immediately.” They needed to hold a discussion.

Once the message was delivered, everyone quickly gathered. Feng Dajun spoke first. ”General, our earlier intel said there were forty thousand defenders inside Lanzhou City. How did ninety thousand soldiers suddenly appear? Could Ji Xuan have transferred troops from the southern city?”

Yun Qing shook his head. ”No. If he did that, Lanzhou City would be exposed to attacks from both sides. Besides, the force we fought today was not weak.”

Yu Cong added, ”If they didnʼt come from the southern city, then Ji Xuan must have transferred them from Shaanxi. But to move troops to Lanzhou so quickly... itʼs as if he has prepared in advance.”

The speaker might have intended no hidden meaning, but the listener could read between the lines. Feng Dajun expressed, ”General, Iʼve been wondering about this for a while. No matter how weak the local troops are, they shouldnʼt be so easily led by the nose by thirty thousand insurgents. It seems that Ji Xuanʼs real target was you all along.”

Yun Qing remembered how Yuxi had previously insisted on stockpiling large amounts of grain, but Ji Xuan had shown no reaction when they had passed through Shaanxi. It had seemed strange at the time. Yun Qing had explained to Yuxi that Ji Xuan was too afraid to act because of what had happened in the past. But looking back now, Ji Xuan wasnʼt afraid at all—he probably did it on purpose. He had deliberately made it easier for Yun Qing to rebel.

Cui Mo frowned. ”That doesnʼt make sense! Could that old dog Ji have really predicted that our General would rebel against that d*mned Emperor?”

Yun Qingʼs expression darkened. If Cui Moʼs words were true, then the person behind the assassination attempt on Yuxi was most likely Ji Xuan. Ji Xuanʼs goal was to force him to rebel and then eliminate him. Of course, this was just a suspicion.

Yuan Ying, who was always observant, noticed Yun Qingʼs reaction and asked, ”General, whatʼs wrong? You look like you just thought of something bad.”

Yun Qing quickly returned to his usual impassive expression. ”We donʼt have enough troops to lay siege to the city. We need to wait for Du Zhengʼs reinforcements before we attack.” His forces had gone ahead as the vanguard; Du Zheng had been delayed because he needed to transport supplies.

No one objected to this. After a lengthy discussion, they all dispersed to rest. After fighting all day, they needed time to recover.

However, Feng Dajun returned after leaving and noticed Yun Qingʼs worried expression. ”General, whatʼs troubling you?” Back when they were surrounded by the Northern Barbarians and facing almost certain death, Yun Qing hadnʼt even raised an eyebrow. This time, it wasnʼt just because Ji Xuan had mobilised troops.

Yun Qing said, ”Iʼm worried something might happen in Yu City.” He wasnʼt afraid of Ji Xuan. Even if Ji Xuan had moved all his forces out of Shaanxi, he still wouldnʼt have been concerned. The total number of troops in Shaanxi was only two hundred thousand. After deducting the troops stationed in the southern city and the troops deployed today, Ji Xuan had already used up most of his forces.

Yun Qing wasnʼt afraid to fight Ji Xuan head-on, nor was he worried about a prolonged conflict. They had enough supplies to last until spring. But he was worried about Yu City—Uncle Huo, Yuxi, and their children were all there. If something happened in Yu City, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Feng Dajun reassured him, ”General, General Fu would never betray you. And even if he did, thereʼs still Yifu and Wei Guo to rely on!” People often said that even heroes couldnʼt resist the pull of love—his Generalʼs greatest weakness was now his wife.

While they were talking, a scout returned with a report: ”General, Leng Bufeng has withdrawn his troops back to Lanzhou City.”

Hearing this, Yun Qing finally let go of some of his anxiety. ”Looks like we wonʼt celebrate the New Year in Lanzhou City this time.” Leng Bufengʼs retreat indicated that he was preserving his forces. Yun Qingʼs army couldnʼt take the city by force with only twenty thousand men left. Even if Du Zheng hurried, he wouldnʼt arrive before the New Year. It looked like they would be spending the holidays in this small town instead.

Feng Dajun laughed. ”Thatʼs no problem. Next year, weʼll celebrate in Haocheng—itʼll be much grander.” Haocheng was the heart of the Northwest and the most prosperous city in the region. Celebrating the New Year there would mean they had won the ultimate victory.

Back in Lanzhou City, Leng Bufeng knelt before Ji Xuan and said, ”Daren, I have failed you.” It wasnʼt that he was incompetent—the rebels were simply too strong.

Ji Xuan asked, ”How many men have we lost?”

Leng Bufengʼs expression was heavy. ”We lost more than forty-five thousand.” After saying this, he added, ”Daren, the rebel cavalry was too powerful. A third of our losses were due to them.” Of course, their infantry was also stronger. But compared to the rebel cavalry, there was a huge gap.

Ji Xuan remained expressionless. ”And what about their casualties?” He had long heard about the Northwest Armyʼs cavalry prowess, so he wasnʼt surprised. What he wanted to know was how great the disparity between their forces really was.

Leng Bufeng replied, ”The rebels have probably suffered over ten thousand casualties.”

Ji Xuan calculated aloud, ”If weʼve lost over forty thousand while theyʼve lost just over ten thousand, then weʼd need more than four times their number to match them.”

Leng Bufeng shook his head. ”Daren, their cavalry has suffered very few losses.” Those cavalrymen had been a nightmare for his forward units.

One of Ji Xuanʼs advisors suggested, ”General, the enemy only has twenty thousand men left, and they have no natural defences or strong fortifications. Now is the time to attack before their reinforcements arrive.”

Still on his knees, Leng Bufeng dared not ask for command of the next battle. The Northwest Army was simply too formidable. He wasnʼt sure he could win even if given a hundred thousand troops. It was better to let someone else do it—he wanted no part of it.