"For the past few days, Yu Fuluo and I have not been idle at Yinmaze," Sun Lang poured drinks for the group and proudly shared his plan.
"A few days ago, I reached an agreement with the leader of the Wuhuan, Budugen. Yu Fuluo and I stayed at Yinmaze to provoke Hu Chuquan into bringing his army to attack, thereby leaving his rear unguarded."
"On the day before Hu Chuquan's army mobilized, I sent a fast messenger to inform Budugen. If my guess is correct, Hu Chuquan must be rallying back to save his capital."
"A brilliant plan indeed. This battle has significantly weakened Hu Chuquan's main forces. With long-distance marches and battles, his troops will surely not match Budugen's forces. "
"Even if they manage to barely defeat Budugen at the capital, both sides will likely suffer heavy losses," Tong Yuan murmured, stroking his chin, impressed by Sun Lang's audacity.
Zhao Yun sighed in relief but quickly looked worried. "General Sun, didn't you receive a letter from the Registrar?"
"The Registrar?" Sun Lang was puzzled, shaking his head before realizing, "Oh, the night before last, Hu Chuquan's nephew Tadun attacked our supply troops, severing our communication with Youzhou. Is there a new order from the Registrar?"
Tong Yuan handed Sun Lang a letter. "The conferment in Luoyang is complete. Our lord has been assigned as the Governor of Langya in Xuzhou. "
"The journey is perilous, but he has sent General Liao Hua back to Youzhou to arrange the relocation, while he himself heads to Langya alone."
"Scoundrels and traitors!" Sun Lang slammed the letter onto the table in anger. "If it weren't for our lord fighting bloody battles in Youzhou, how could those corrupt officials in Luoyang strut around? It's a good thing our lord can endure this, or I'd have rebelled on the spot!"
"Calm down, General Sun," they quickly reassured him. "Our lord must have his own plans. The Registrar's message is clear. We should return to Youzhou immediately and plan further. Liu Yu will arrive in Jicheng soon; we must avoid causing trouble."
Sun Lang calmed down but frowned. "But what about Yu Fuluo? Leaving him alone in the northern desert, if Hu Chuquan regroups and returns, Yu Fuluo won't be able to resist. If he falls, all our efforts will be in vain."
"What worries me isn't whether Yu Fuluo will be defeated," Zhao Yun said anxiously. "If Yu Fuluo sees we are no longer responsible for Youzhou and decides to ally with Hu Chuquan, what will we do if he becomes a future threat to Youzhou?"
"This..." Zhao Yun's concern was shared by the others. Yu Fuluo was, after all, a Xianbei, and the saying goes, "Those who are not of our race are sure to have different hearts." No one knew what he might do.
As they pondered silently, the tent's curtain suddenly opened. Yu Fuluo stood expressionless at the entrance. The group was startled and then became wary, wondering if he had heard everything and might act first.
Yu Fuluo didn't speak but walked to the table, placed his left hand on it, and drew his sword with his right hand, seemingly ready to cut. Sun Lang quickly stopped him, shouting, "Yu Fuluo, what are you doing?"
Tong Yuan and Zhao Yun rushed to disarm him. Yu Fuluo pounded his chest in anguish. "Generals, I may not be a Han citizen, but I value loyalty, filial piety, and integrity as much as you!"
"If you doubt my loyalty to General Qin, then today, I, Yu Fuluo, will sever my left hand to prove my loyalty!"
He reached for the sword again, but the three struggled to hold him down. Sun Lang sheathed the sword.
"Yu Fuluo, calm down. We're not questioning your loyalty. The Han court has reassigned our lord to Xuzhou, making it difficult for us to stay in the northern desert to help you resist Hu Chuquan. And now you're talking about cutting off your hand; how can we be at ease?"
"I..." Yu Fuluo was at a loss for words. Then he knelt and cupped his hands, saying, "Generals, it was a misunderstanding on my part. You may leave the northern desert at once; I, Yu Fuluo, will handle it."
"We were just about to discuss this with you. Now that Budugen and Hu Chuquan have fallen out, our pressure is somewhat relieved."
"But today's battle at Yinmaze has heavily depleted our forces. You should take the Xianbei brothers back to Moqiu City to recuperate. I don't think Hu Chuquan will attempt another southern campaign anytime soon."
"Once our lord has settled matters, we will return to the northern desert to help you unify the grasslands!"
"Yu Fuluo thanks our lord and the generals!" Yu Fuluo was overwhelmed and hurriedly knelt to express his gratitude.
...
"General Zilong, you've been frowning since earlier. Is there something urgent?" As they left Yinmaze with their troops, Sun Lang noticed Zhao Yun's concern. Zhao Yun and Tong Yuan exchanged glances, deciding to share the truth.
"The Registrar's letter contained one more thing," Zhao Yun said. "Recently, Generals Guan Yu and Gao Lan went to Liaoxi to rescue Gongsun Zan's son, Gongsun Fan, but suffered a crushing defeat."
"The ten thousand troops they took were all killed. General Gao Lan knocked General Guan Yu off a cliff, and his own fate is unknown."
"What!?" Sun Lang was shocked.
Zhao Yun continued, "Moreover, according to General Guan, when they were trapped at the Beacon Valley in Right Beiping, he saw the military adviser sitting on Gongsun Du's chariot."
"The military adviser?" Sun Lang, like the others, was puzzled. "Didn't the military adviser return home due to illness?"
"The Registrar later sent someone to look for him, but he had already left home. No one knows where he went."
"Could the military adviser be..." Sun Lang looked troubled. "It seems that the situation in Liaodong is not as optimistic as we thought."
"No wonder we've had scouts reporting people from Liaodong entering the northern desert to contact the Xiongnu. It seems Gongsun Du wants to use the Xiongnu to swallow Youzhou!"
Sun Lang's analysis alarmed everyone. If Gongsun Du indeed joined forces with the Xiongnu, defending Youzhou would be uncertain.
Fortunately, Wei You's inadvertent alliance with Yu Fuluo had weakened the Xiongnu, hindering their plans.
In Jicheng, Wei You sat in his seat, looking distressed, while Liao Hua was restless.
"We can't wait any longer. Since returning, I've felt uneasy, fearing something might happen to our lord. Registrar, give me some troops, and I'll lead a detachment to Xuzhou to ensure our lord's safety," Liao Hua said, standing up.
Wei You nodded. "Very well. General Yuan Jian and General Yun Chang, you two take eight thousand garrison troops from the city."
"First, go to Zhuojun and Gong County to gather supplies and transport them to Xuzhou."
"Understood!" The two responded with cupped hands.
"Let's hope our lord is safe..." Watching the two leave, Wei You murmured.
...
However, reality often contradicts expectations. The day after Qin Longyang parted ways with Liao Hua, a small group of black-clad men caught up with him.
"General Qin, you won't escape today!" Surrounded in the wilderness, Qin Longyang faced several masked men, their arrogance palpable despite their concealed faces.
Qin Longyang sneered, "I don't know why you need to hide your faces to kill someone. Do you think I'm deaf or stupid? Dong Kui, you've got quite the nerve to conspire against a court official!"
The speaker was taken aback, then pulled down his mask, revealing Dong Kui.
Dong Kui sneered, "Qin Longyang, drop the official act. You dared to offend several officials in court; you should have expected this! Killing you will earn me a promotion to a Commandant! Hahaha!"
Dong Kui's recklessness revealed all the key information Qin Longyang needed.
"Ha, Zhang Rang wants to kill me but only dares to send a nobody like you. He's afraid of the consequences if things go wrong," Qin Longyang sighed. Dong Kui was enraged by Qin Longyang's nonchalant attitude.
"Enough talk, get him!" Dong Kui ordered, and the men drew their swords.
Suddenly, Qin Longyang shouted behind them, "General Cao! I'm here! Dong Kui wants to kill me!"
"Cao Cao?" Dong Kui and his men turned around, but there was no one there. When they turned back, Qin Longyang had bolted. "Damn, he's getting away, chase him!"
Qin Longyang urged his horse forward, fleeing with all his might as Dong Kui's group pursued.
He galloped recklessly, eventually reaching a cliff's edge. He stopped just in time, looking for another way out as Dong Kui and his men arrived.
"Keep running! Why aren't you running?" Dong Kui laughed. "I doubt you can sprout wings and fly!"
"Damn it, the heavens are against me..." Seeing Dong Kui nock an arrow, Qin Longyang sighed, closing his eyes to await his fate.
With a sharp "thwack," the arrow was released, striking Qin Longyang in the chest. He groaned in pain, staring at the arrow embedded in his chest, then glanced resentfully at Dong Kui's cold smile before slowly falling backward...
"Young master, should we go down and check?"
Dong Kui approached the edge of the cliff, peering down into the misty abyss below. The morning fog had not yet lifted, obscuring the view of the cliff's base.
After considering it, Dong Kui waved his hand dismissively. "Forget it, even if Qin Longyang survived the fall, the wilderness will draw wild beasts to the scent of blood. They'll destroy the evidence for us. Let's go back."
"Yes, sir!"
...
Cough... Against all odds, Qin Longyang's life was spared when he fell into a grove of trees. The interwoven branches broke his fall, preventing what could have been a fatal impact. The ten-meter drop could have easily shattered him into pieces otherwise.
Despite the arrow lodged in his chest, which was a severe threat to his life, Qin Longyang remained barely conscious, suspended in the tree. Through his hazy vision, he saw three to five figures slowly approaching in the distance...
"Help... help..."