Chapter 149

Chapter 149

After storming into Shuozhou City, commanders like Xiao Zhen headed straight for the rebel leaders such as Shi Yi. The soldiers behind them fought with exceptional bravery, knowing full well that the Shi family's defeat was inevitable. The more enemies they killed, the greater their share of the battle achievements. When outnumbered, there was little to fear, unlike in one-on-one fights where they worried about their own lives.

The defending soldiers, already demoralized, mostly threw down their weapons unless they were particularly brave or fiercely loyal to the Shi family. They were afraid that if they hesitated, the attackers might think they still wanted to resist and charge at them.

Amidst the chaos, Xiao Mu dispatched Xiao Shouyi, Xiao Yan, Qiao Changshun, and Sun Dian to guard four different parts of the city, with strict orders to prevent soldiers from disturbing the civilians.

These four had earned their battle merits in the battles of Yanmen Pass and Yin City. Now it was time for Xiao Ye, Qiao Changan, and Zhang Wengong to shine.

The three lived up to expectations and captured the leaders Shi Yi, Shi Lin, Shi Jinxiong, and Jiang Kui.

After a little more than an hour, the battle in the city was mostly over.

At the old general's command, the various commanders led their troops and the surrendered soldiers out of Shuozhou City.

The soldiers were puzzled, but Xiao Mu explained loudly, "Military discipline is as solid as a mountain. I followed General Han's orders to attack Shuozhou City. Now that the city is taken, we should camp outside the city and wait for General Han to take over."

Most of these 100,000 troops were ordinary people who had been forced into service. Few were literate and understood the complexities of the situation. Now under the Xiao family's command, they simply did as they were told.

Xiao Mu then selected 400 soldiers from his 40,000 troops to guard the city gates of Shuozhou and assigned several hundred more to secure key locations such as the Shi family's residence, the government offices, warehouses, and granaries. They were to guard but not enter these places. He also ordered Xiao Zhen, Sun Dian, and Zhang Wengong to lead patrols through the city streets to calm the civilians and capture any scattered enemy soldiers, while assigning soldiers to clean up the battlefield, move bodies to one place for cremation, and gather arrows and weapons.

The commanders left outside the city, such as Xiao Shouyi and his son, Xiao Ye, and the Qiao brothers, were also busy. Following the old practice of reorganizing the seven county troops, they first divided the surrendered soldiers into three groups: the able-bodied, the elderly and young, and the wounded. The latter two groups would certainly be sent home, while the fate of the able-bodied soldiers would be decided by General Han Zongping.

The old general went to the infirmary camp, while Tong Sui stayed in the central military tent to receive reports from various locations, which she would organize and present to the old general.

Everyone was busy with their tasks.

By the afternoon, Shuozhou City had become quiet. The bloodstains on and around the city walls had been cleaned up. The nervous civilians remained indoors with their doors tightly shut, while the well-trained soldiers dispatched by the Xiao family patrolled the streets.

Xiao Mu said to Tong Sui, "Madam Qi and her family may not be accustomed to living in the military camp. Now that the city is peaceful, I've asked Qi Yun to find them a house to stay in temporarily. You and Ah Xiang should move there too, and look after them for us."

Though the old general sounded like he was assigning tasks to Tong Sui and her sister, he actually intended to take care of the sisters, allowing them to stay in a comfortable house for a few more nights with all the conveniences of laundry and bathing.

Tong Sui looked at the sky and said to the old general, "We still have time. Later, Ah Xiang and I will steam a pot of zongzi to send over for dinner."

It was the Dragon Boat Festival, and now that they had the means, it would be nice to add some festive flavor.

Xiao Mu smiled and said, "Good, just make plain rice dumplings to be dipped in sugar."

The carriage was already prepared outside. Tong Sui called for Zhou Gui, and the sisters packed a bag together before joining Madam Qi and the others on the carriage.

Inside the carriage, the sisters were alone. Zhou Gui stretched her arms and yawned, "Finally, it's over! I'm going to have a nice, comfortable bath tonight!"

Water was the most inconvenient aspect of following the army. Sometimes even a simple wipe-down was a luxury, let alone a bath.

Tong Sui said, "When General Han arrives, Second Brother will return to Wei County. Why don't you go back with him and stay there?"

Her younger sister was a city girl and might not be able to endure the hardships of following the army for long.

Zhou Gui immediately replied, "No, I'll follow you wherever you go, Sister. Besides, it's not just to watch over you. I also need to keep an eye on our old general. After just a few minor battles, he's already exhausted. When the main army reaches the south and faces regular troops, I'm afraid he won't be able to handle everything on his own."

Tong Sui said, "I thought you'd say it was for Wengong."

Zhou Gui smiled and said frankly, "Four parts for Sister, five parts for Grandfather, and only one part for him."

---

When the Qi family was still aligned with the Shi family as rebels, they lived in a grand house arranged by Shi Yi, which originally belonged to some official or wealthy merchant. Now that the Shi family had fallen, Qi Heng and Qi Ling were awaiting punishment from General Han Zongping. Naturally, Qi Yun wouldn't take his mother and sister to that grand house but chose a two-courtyard house instead.

The courtyard was guarded by soldiers selected by Xiao Zhen.

The four strong female guards around Tong Sui stayed in the reverse house in the front courtyard, while Tong Sui and the others entered the rear courtyard. Out of respect for elders, Madam Qi was given the main room, Tong Sui and her sister took the east wing, and Qi Yun's elder sister-in-law with her two children stayed in the west wing. Four women responsible for laundry and cooking stayed in the wing rooms.

Madam Qi had originally intended to offer the main room to Tong Sui and her sister, but the sisters, eager to make zongzi, left her no chance to decline.

As it was only a temporary stay, Tong Sui wasn't concerned about such trivial matters.

Qi Yao, not wanting to listen to her mother's worrying, said, "I'll help make zongzi too."

In the kitchen, Tong Sui and Zhou Gui were already busy. The bamboo leaves and glutinous rice had just been bought by Xiao Zhen from a zongzi shop in the city. They had been soaked and were ready to use. Since the shop owner had no idea the Xiao family would buy them, and was running a business, there was no chance of poison being added beforehand.

Nevertheless, as a precaution, Zhou Gui carefully sniffed them to ensure there were no issues before rinsing them again with boiling water.

There were too many of their men and relatives. The three girls made a total of 100 zongzi and steamed them in three layers.

They set aside a dozen for the women and children in the courtyard and sent the rest out with the steaming baskets.

The guard outside happened to be Zhang Wengong.

Zhou Gui, unprepared to run into her fiancé, felt her face heat up and asked, "Why are you delivering the rice instead of my brother-in-law?"

Zhang Wengong's face turned even redder as he lowered his eyes and explained, "The second master asked me to come."

Tong Sui smiled and said, "It's the same whoever comes. Hurry and take them away, while they're still hot."

Zhang Wengong quickly mounted his horse, placed the three-layer steamer in front, and rode away after a quick glance at his fiancée.

The sisters joined the Qi family for dinner and, after the meal, couldn't wait to clean themselves and bathe.

Sitting in the same bathtub, Tong Sui felt awkward under her cousin's steady gaze and turned away, muttering, "A young lady shouldn't act so improper."

Zhou Gui laughed and said, "Sister, you've only been married to your husband for a little over a year, and you've changed quite a bit."

Tong Sui could only pretend not to hear.

Back in the military camp, as soon as Zhang Wengong brought the zongzi to the old general's central command tent, young men like Xiao Ye, Xiao Yan, Xiao She, the Qiao brothers, and Tong Gui all crowded in, drawn by the smell. By the time Qi Yun arrived with Xiao Zhen, everyone was already eating. Each person had a zongzi on a chopstick, dipping it in a bowl of sugar before moving aside to chat while eating.

Qi Yun had the feeling of entering a den of wolves.

There were still two pairs of chopsticks on the table. Xiao Zhen first looked at the open steamer basket, his gaze pausing for a moment, before he picked up a zongzi and began to peel off its leaves.

Xiao Ye asked, "Second Brother, can you tell which one was wrapped by Second Sister-in-law?"

Xiao Zhen shook his head: "I just picked one randomly."

Qiao Changan: "Then give me the one in your hand?"

Xiao Zhen handed over the peeled zongzi leaves, earning a round of chuckles from everyone.

Xiao Mu said to Qi Yun, "I just sent a bowl to your father and the others; it also has some wrapped by your sister."

Qi Yun: "My sister must have told you not to share with my father and the others."

Zhang Wengong, who was eating zongzi, choked a bit. The young lady Qi had indeed said that.

Xiao Yan: "Serves you right. Your sister is too obedient. If it were our Yu Chan, she wouldn't care if it were Father or even Grandfather trying to marry her off to an old man; she'd be ready to challenge them with a kitchen knife."

Xiao Ye: "Shi Yi may not look great, but he's only in his forties, so he's not exactly an old man. Look at Uncle Two, could you call him an old man?"

Xiao Yan: "..."

He glared at the fourth brother, then awkwardly looked at his father sitting quietly at the table, eating zongzi.

Xiao Shouyi didn't care about these young wolves' teasing; he only found the crowd too large, the smell of blood and sweat in the tent almost overwhelming the aroma of the zongzi.

Xiao Mu complained, "Hurry up and eat, then go where you need to. Don't all crowd here."

Sun Dian asked, "Old Sir, where do you think General Han and his men are now?"

Xiao Mu looked at Qi Yun. Han Zongping's army had set out from Wei County, moving south to Ping County, then westward, making a large circle to reach Chixian in the southwestern part of Shuozhou, passing through Dingwu Pass, and then heading north to Shuozhou.

These were small towns temporarily abandoned by the Shi and Qi families. Han Zongping's army would sweep through them easily, but the detour would delay their march.

Qi Yun, more familiar with the terrain and situation of the southern counties of Shuozhou, speculated, "They should reach Dingwu Pass in another two days."

Xiao Yan: "They probably don't know we've already taken Shuozhou. They might be preparing for a fierce battle at Dingwu Pass, only to find us opening the gate as soon as they arrive. Hahaha!"

Xiao Mu glared at him: "Are you proud of taking Shuozhou?"

Xiao Yan: "..."

Xiao Mu looked at this group of young wolves and said, "Do you really think we took Shuozhou so easily because of our own abilities? Do you think the 150,000 troops on the other side were afraid of our Xiao family? Without General Han's prestige and support, Shi Yi wouldn't dare to attack the seven counties directly instead of defending strictly. His troops wouldn't fight without spirit. Even Yun, knowing that Second Brother used a sowing discord strategy, would certainly find a way to control Shi Jinhu rather than confront him outright."

Qi Yun lowered his eyes, tacitly acknowledging the old man's words.

Xiao Mu continued to scold the group of grandsons, nephews, and young men he had watched grow up: "The soldiers outside may win or lose in confusion, but you commanders cannot be confused. You cannot become arrogant just because of a few insignificant victories. Let me tell you the truth: without General Han, I wouldn't have dared to think about attacking Shuozhou. Even if I had a chance to win, it would have been at the cost of the lives of 40,000 able-bodied men. What would I gain from such a victory? My own glory?"

"I can risk my own life, but I cannot ignore the lives of my soldiers. Remember this deeply, stay humble and composed, and approach every battle seriously and steadily. Winning each battle with the least loss of life is what truly makes you great and worthy of pride."

The young men put down their zongzi and responded in unison.

On the afternoon of the seventh day of the month, when Han Zongping's army was still dozens of miles away from Dingwu Pass, the scouts he had sent out returned with scouts from the Xiao family.

Han Zongping asked the Xiao family's scout, "Why are you here?"

The scout replied respectfully, "Reporting to the general, thanks to your prestige, Right General captured Shuozhou on Dragon Boat Festival. Right General is now at Dingwu Pass, waiting to welcome you and your army into the pass."

Han Zongping remained calm, but the two advisors and the generals around him were shocked and began asking questions. Some asked how the Xiao family had fought, while others inquired about the casualties.

The scout answered each question. Since the old man had fought at Yanmen Pass and besieged Shuozhou under Han Zongping's banner, the scout did not need to embellish his words; he simply told the truth.

Fan Zhao proudly said, "A bunch of ragtag forces, they were already terrified by the general's reputation and naturally dared not oppose the general."

Wei Qi looked at Song Lan: "What do you think, Brother Song?"

Song Lan spoke frankly: "The victory at Shuozhou was smooth for two reasons: one, the general's reputation shattered the morale of the rebel king's army; two, Right General skillfully employed psychological warfare. Both were essential."

Han Zongping: "Mr. Fan, there's no need to take credit for me. Right General is well-versed in military strategy. I regret meeting him so late. If I had met him thirty years earlier, such talent wouldn't have been buried in the countryside. Lu Gong, Feng Ji, you two lead the main army slowly. The rest of you come with me to enter the pass and meet Right General!"

In Wei County, he had appointed Xiao Mu as Right General, both to recognize the old general's martial skills and righteousness, and because Xiao Mu commanded 40,000 troops, enough to warrant a generalship.

But only now, with the clear results of the Shuozhou campaign, did Han Zongping truly place the Xiao family on equal footing with generals like Fan Zhao.

Right General Xiao Mu, a title he truly deserved!