Chapter 133

Chapter 133

With the end of the battle in Wanping involving the Han family army, Xiao Zhen intensified his reconnaissance around Wanping, sending out three scouts at once to relay information back.

Over the next half month, Han Zongping successively captured more than ten large and small towns near Wanping, pushing south until reaching Zhuo Prefecture before temporarily ceasing hostilities. Most of the captured cities surrendered directly upon hearing the news, with only a few county magistrates resisting under orders from the imperial army, only to be swiftly defeated by the Han family army.

By mid-April, Han Zongping mobilized his troops and personally led them westward to Wanping. The northwest regions of Zhulü and Huailai surrendered voluntarily, and Han Zongping continued his advance westward. Wei County, located at the border of Jin and Ji provinces, would be the first to face the brunt of the attack.

The old man issued an urgent order to Xiao Shouyi and the commanders of six other counties, instructing them to bring their troops to Wei City immediately, where the seven armies would converge to prepare for the enemy.

To the south, the Dài and Shùn Princes formed an alliance and sent Military Advisor Deng to persuade the old man to abandon the seven counties and lead his troops to Shuozhou, where they would join forces with twenty thousand soldiers to resist Han Zongping, hoping to secure a glimmer of hope.

The old man: "I swear to live and die with the people of the seven counties!"

Military Advisor Deng: "..."

Military Advisor Deng left, and the people of Wei City became restless again.

Is it really going to come to a fight?

Tong Sui stayed by the old man's side every day, noticing that he was meticulously preparing, wary of General Han treating the Xiao family as rebels and attacking without cause.

At night, she asked Xiao Zhen, "If we really do fight, do we have a chance of winning?"

Children born in the northern border counties knew no greater general than Han Zongping, the Jizhou commander. In conversations, any child who didn't know who Han Zongping was would be mocked by their peers. Tong Sui was no exception. However, over the past half year, she had personally witnessed the old man's prowess and the all-out efforts of Xiao Zhen and others in training their troops.

Since the Xiao family could defeat Li Gang's fifty-thousand-strong army with just ten thousand troops from two counties, perhaps there was a slim chance of victory against General Han as well?

Xiao Zhen saw the hope in her eyes.

If another Xiao family son were in his place, he might boast about their strength, but Xiao Zhen wasn't that kind of person.

He held Tong Sui and said frankly, "We have no chance of winning."

Tong Sui: ...

Xiao Zhen explained, "In a battle between two armies, one must consider the number of troops, the capabilities of the commanders, and the morale of the soldiers."

"In our previous battle against Li Gang, we had advantages in the latter two areas, which is why we won easily. Now, facing General Han, the Han family has more troops, and their generals are seasoned veterans who have fought the nomadic tribes for years or even longer. As long as General Han is present, the morale of his troops will be high. On our side, Fifth Younger Brother is eager to join General Han. The forty-thousand-plus soldiers of the seven counties admire General Han and do not wish to fight him, nor do they have the courage to do so."

In short, the seven counties have no advantages.

Tong Sui leaned closer into his embrace, "Then we can only hope that General Han is willing to recruit us."

Whether the court tries to stabilize the situation or General Han rebels to seize power, neither will tolerate private armies among the people. When faced with a family like the Xiaos, they would either recruit them or eliminate them.

Xiao Zhen held her hand and said, "He will."

Even the two rebel princes know to court them; with forty thousand elite infantry and three thousand five hundred cavalry, Han Zongping would also covet such forces. Otherwise, if a real battle broke out, even though the seven counties would surely lose, they could still deal a significant blow to the Han family army.

---

To the east and north of Wei County lie many rugged mountains. Han Zongping's army had to detour through Zhulü, passing through a perilous pass called Jinjian Pass.

Jinjian Pass was guarded by five hundred imperial troops. When the Xiao family took control of Wei County, these troops hadn't decided whether to pledge allegiance to the Xiaos. After the Xiaos defeated the rebel princes and began distributing land to the military and civilians, these five hundred troops, seeing the benefits received by the soldiers of the seven counties and receiving no reinforcements from the court, eventually joined the Xiaos and continued to guard Jinjian Pass on their payroll.

When Han Zongping's army left Zhuo Prefecture and advanced toward Wei County, the old man personally led five hundred archers and several clan elders, including He Lianqing, to Jinjian Pass.

One evening, Song Lan came to the central command tent to request an audience with Han Zongping.

Han Zongping: "Please enter, sir."

After exchanging pleasantries, Song Lan said, "General, before I joined your ranks, I lived in seclusion in Taohuagou to the north of Wei County for many years. Last March, the daughter of my neighbor, the hunter Tong family, married the grandson of former Lingshui Village's thousand-household head, Xiao Mu. Through this, I had a few encounters with the Xiao family."

Han Zongping, surprised, said, "Is that so? May I ask, sir, is the Xiao family truly as righteous as the scouts reported?"

There are many people in this world with a reputation for righteousness, but most are merely seeking fame and cannot be trusted.

Song Lan said, "Allow me to recount a few deeds of the Xiao family for you to judge for yourself."

Han Zongping listened attentively.

Song Lan's first story was about how Xiao Mu had been teaching martial arts to the villagers free of charge since the chaos, helping them defend themselves.

The second story was about how Xiao Zhen helped catch a group of bandits stealing chickens in Taohuagou when he accompanied Tong Sui back to visit her family, and advised the villagers on how to prevent such incidents.

The third story was about how the Xiao family saved the entire village of Pine Village from being massacred by bandits led by brother Qin, capturing all the bandits with just a few men.

The fourth story was about how the Xiao family organized the villagers of Taohuagou to help manufacture guns and trained the men of Lingshui Village to repel the bandits from Imprisoned Dragon Ridge, leaving two hundred young men to occupy the ridge for strategic advantage.

As Song Lan spoke, Han Zongping's expression grew increasingly serious. When Song Lan finished, Han Zongping exclaimed, "From what you've said, the Xiao family, both grandfather and grandson, are not only righteous protectors of their community but also brave and wise. No wonder they have trained forty thousand soldiers to defend the peace of the seven counties. In my view, the Xiao family is a natural military lineage, far superior to the lazy and incompetent commanders of many garrisons. They deserve to be given important roles."

Song Lan bowed, "If the general trusts me, I will go tonight to meet Xiao Mu and persuade him to bring the soldiers of the seven counties to serve you."

Han Zongping stood up, "I will see you off, sir! If your mission succeeds, not only will our army pass through Jinjian Pass smoothly, but we will also gain several valiant generals!"

Song Lan: "I will depart now."

Soon, the two rode away from the Han army camp on two fine horses.

Song Zhishi held a lantern, looking at the dark mountain path ahead and then at his father beside him. His feelings were mixed, "Father, when we left Wei County, we never imagined the Xiao family would rise to such prominence."

Song Lan: "I underestimated the Xiao family, repeatedly misjudging them."

Song Zhishi: "Actually, it was their good fortune. If County Magistrate Liu hadn't fled and held the city firmly, how could the prominent families of Wei County have chosen Grandfather Xiao?"

Song Lan: "The times create heroes. Which great achievers lack luck? Some have luck but fail to seize opportunities or achieve temporary success without maintaining it. The Xiao family has stabilized the seven counties and earned the admiration of the general. What more do you have to be dissatisfied with?"

Song Zhishi fell silent, his mind filled with the news from Wei County brought back by the scouts, especially the rumors about the second lady of the Xiao family.

Song Lan was also lost in thought until they reached the sturdy gate of Jinjian Pass and were halted by the guards with drawn bows.

Song Lan smiled and called up to the wall, "I am Song Lan, strategist under General Han and an old friend of General Xiao, who once resided in Taohuagou. I have been sent here to seek an audience with General Xiao. Please inform him."

The guard immediately went to notify Xiao Mu.

Xiao Mu had not yet retired for the night and heard Song Lan’s words from outside. In fact, he had only met Song Lan once, when the latter delivered a memorial service for the two hundred young men from Lingshui Village who pretended to die at Imprisoned Dragon Ridge. It had been a year since then, and if not for Song Lan mentioning Taohuagou, Xiao Mu might have forgotten him.

"Open the gate!"

Xiao Mu personally led a group to welcome Song Lan.

"I have always said that you possess great talent and will one day be renowned throughout the land. Today, your promise has come true!"

"You flatter me, sir. It is you who is like a tiger lying low in the mountains, concealing your true strength!"

After some pleasantries, everyone took their seats in the council hall. Behind Song Lan stood only Song Zhishi, while on the elder's side sat He Lianqing and several elders of Wei County.

Song Lan first condemned the various acts of treachery by Imperial Uncle Dou, declaring that General Han Zongping’s uprising was not a rebellion but a righteous act to uphold the young emperor.

Xiao Mu sighed over the various calamities that had befallen the seven counties, stating that the Xiao family had no intention of rebelling but only wanted to protect the people of the seven counties.

Seizing the opportunity, Song Lan proposed that the Xiao family join General Han, who was known for his love of the people and strict military discipline, never harming civilians after capturing a city. By joining, the Xiao family could ensure the continued peace and prosperity of the seven counties and continue to display their military talents.

Xiao Mu: "We are humble and lack talent, and do not seek favor from General Han. If General Han agrees to three conditions, I will open the gates to welcome him tomorrow morning."

Song Lan: "Please, speak freely."

Xiao Mu: "First, after General Han takes control of the seven counties, he must recognize the land grants I have issued to the people of the seven counties, and not reclaim them for any reason. Furthermore, his troops must not trample the crops on either side of the roads upon entering."

Song Lan: "That is reasonable. General Han also hopes for the people to live in peace."

Xiao Mu: "Second, there are currently over forty thousand soldiers in the seven counties. They joined the army to defend their homeland and may not have the courage or ambition to follow General Han south. I hope that when General Han accepts the seven counties, he will give these soldiers the freedom to stay or leave."

Song Lan: "General loves his soldiers as his own children and will certainly agree."

Xiao Mu nodded, paused for a moment, and then said apologetically, "The last condition is for the Xiao family and our relatives. Although our actions in taking control of Wei County and the seven counties were for the benefit of the people, we have distributed land and houses without authorization and used military funds and public resources such as copper and iron, which ultimately violates imperial law. Therefore, I humbly request that General Han pardon us and allow us to return to being ordinary citizens and continue farming."

Song Lan smiled, "Rest assured, your families have protected the people, and the general will not only forgive you but also entrust you with important tasks."

Xiao Mu modestly replied, "The general has many talented officers under his command, and we dare not show off our skills. We only ask that the general agrees to these three conditions."

Song Lan: "Very well, let us draft the document now, and I will take it back for the general to decide."

Two hours later, Song Lan and his son rode away from Jinjian Pass.

Song Zhishi asked, "Father, didn’t Old General Xiao deliberately use a retreat strategy? I don’t believe he really wants to go back to farming."

Song Lan: "Of course not."

Song Zhishi: "But he is over seventy, will the general really make use of him?"

Song Lan: "Some people remain as brave as tigers even past seventy, while others, in their prime, cannot lift a finger."

Song Zhishi, hearing this, thought of General Han’s only son, Han Bao, and nodded subconsciously.

Song Lan: "..."