Chapter 166: Requesting Reinforcements, Taking the Initiative

**Chapter 166: Calling for Backup and Striking First**

Bing Wengu had seen the Huns’ plans coming from miles away. That’s why he’d sent a memorial to the emperor early on, asking the imperial guards in Bianjing to send reinforcements.

Although the frontier army had made big strides in training over the past year, they were still green. Despite rapid progress, their capabilities were ultimately limited.

What’s more, even though they’d been recruiting all year, hardly anyone had signed up. As a result, their numbers remained low.

With the end of the year approaching and the Huns desperate, they were bound to launch an all-out assault. With such meager forces, keeping the city and its people safe would be next to impossible.

That’s why Bing Wengu had sent his memorial early.

Zhan Yu scanned the report before passing it to the crown prince. Seeing Bing Wengu’s name at the end, the crown prince read it carefully.

“Father, Prefect Bing’s request makes sense. The Huns and Wusun have been fighting nearly nonstop this whole year—must’ve burned through their supplies and soldiers. Their remaining rations won’t last the winter, so they’ll definitely set their sights on Fengzhou,” said the crown prince.

Zhan Yu nodded. “I’ve heard that Minister Bing has been trying to recruit men, but hardly anyone’s signed up. Not his fault—there probably aren’t many households left in Fengzhou with men fit to fight.”

The crown prince looked at Zhan Yu. “Then, Father, will you send the imperial guards to reinforce Fengzhou?”

Zhan Yu glanced at another confidential report. “Crown Prince, Minister Bing has only been there a year, yet he’s already got folks stockpiling food and raising livestock. The people are getting a fresh shot at life. If I don’t send help now and the Huns break into Fengzhou, not only will all his hard work be destroyed, but the people of Fengzhou will lose faith in me forever.”

Zhan Yu ordered Su Fuan to call Jiang Jinghuai in.

It happened to be Jiang Jinghuai’s day off, and he was having a meal at home with Elder Marquis Jiang.

Elder Marquis sighed as he mentioned Jiang’s father. “Your father’s been stuck as prefect forever. Who knows when he’ll finally get transferred back to the capital?”

Jiang’s grandmother chimed in. “I always hear you two talking about that ex-champion scholar, Bing Zhuangyuan. They say he’s a prefect now too. Once his three-year term ends, isn’t he almost certain to be recalled to Bianjing?”

“It’s not just likely—it’s guaranteed,” Elder Marquis said firmly. “The only question is what rank he’ll come back with. If your son had even half the talent of Prefect Bing, I could’ve pulled strings to get him back to Bianjing by now.”

Jiang’s grandmother glared at her husband. “Like I could’ve given birth to him alone—isn’t he *your* son too?”

Unbothered by his wife’s retort, Elder Marquis sighed again. “Though it pains me to admit, we can’t deny the truth. The heir our marquisate poured everything into cultivating doesn’t hold a candle to a top scholar born into a farming family.”

Jiang Jinghuai shrugged. “Grandfather, no need to put yourself down. Bing Wengu isn’t human. Even if our house weren’t in decline, none of these big-shot families today have produced an heir who can match him.”

Elder Marquis felt slightly better. “Let’s hope your friend can hold Fengzhou. I’m not asking him to defeat the Huns—just keep the city standing for two more years without falling. If he comes back with neither glory nor disgrace, he can still land a decent post.”

Jiang Jinghuai replied solemnly, “Bing Wengu will succeed.”

Elder Marquis blinked. “You really trust him that much?”

“Grandfather, you don’t understand Bing Wengu. His mouth’s as deadly as his skills.”

“So how sharp is his tongue exactly?”

“One lick from him could drop a horse,” Jiang Jinghuai declared.

Elder Marquis Jiang: “….”

A servant burst in. “My lord! Eunuch Su’s at the door!”

There were plenty of eunuchs named Su in the palace, but only one—the emperor’s personal attendant—had that kind of clout.

Elder Marquis snapped to attention. “Who’s he here for?”

“The young lord.”

Old Marquis Jiang shot a glance at Jiang Jinghuai and saw his grandson just as confused, clearly clueless about what was going on. Frowning, he asked, “Jiang Jinghuai, did you stir up any trouble on duty?”

“No.”

Seeing that he wouldn’t get a clear answer right away and not wanting to keep Su Fuan waiting, Old Marquis Jiang led Jiang Jinghuai out.

“Greetings, Elder Marquis,” Su Fuan said to Jiang Jinghuai. “The Emperor’s calling for Young Master Jiang. Please come with this old servant to the palace.”

Old Marquis Jiang hurriedly took out a heavy pouch and pressed it into Su Fuan’s hands. “Could you give me a hint, Lord Su? What does the Emperor want him for? Not knowing the reason keeps my heart uneasy.”

Su Fuan tucked the pouch into his sleeve and smiled. “This old servant can’t say much, but I’ll put it like this: For other families, this might be bad news. But for your household, it could be a blessing. If Young Master seizes this chance, he might just rise to greatness.”

Old Marquis Jiang immediately thought of one possibility, but looking at his inexperienced grandson, he dismissed the idea.

Even if there was a war coming, no way they’d put a rookie in charge of an army! Not that he meant to downplay his grandson—though Jiang Jinghuai had martial skill, he lacked real battlefield experience. How could a complete newcomer lead troops?

Su Fuan escorted Jiang Jinghuai into the palace, where Zhan Yu wasted no time and handed him Bing Wengu’s memorial directly.

Jiang Jinghuai scanned it quickly and finally understood why the Emperor had summoned him.

It turned out Bing Wengu feared Fengzhou City wouldn’t hold until the year’s end and had requested temporary reinforcements from Bianjing. As for the commander, he specifically recommended His Majesty appoint Jiang Jinghuai. His reasoning was straightforward—he had a good working relationship with Jiang Jinghuai, and they got along well. He worried that if another commander were sent, they might look down on him as a scholar and refuse to cooperate fully, leading to Fengzhou’s fall.

The more Jiang Jinghuai read, the harder his heart pounded. He was so pumped he almost leapt to his feet.

Su Fuan had been right—going up against the Xiongnu? For other families, this would be a disaster, like the sky falling. Who wouldn’t be scared?

But for Jiang Jinghuai, a warrior’s path to advancement lay only in battle. They weren’t afraid of war—they were afraid of missing it.

Zhan Yu observed Jiang Jinghuai’s flushed face and barely contained excitement before speaking sternly. “You should know your experience is far from enough to qualify you as commander.”

Jiang Jinghuai pressed his forehead to the ground. “Your servant understands.”

“But Minister Bing strongly recommended you, even using the excuse of potential conflict with others to push for your appointment. Knowing how hard it is for Minister Bing to defend Fengzhou, I couldn’t bring myself to turn him down. That’s why I agreed to let you take command.”

At this, Jiang Jinghuai shivered with barely contained excitement.

He’d been waiting for this chance forever, and now it had finally come.

“I have no other demands. Though I’ve named you commander of the Imperial Guard, once you reach Fengzhou, Minister Bing will be the true commander—you are his deputy. You must support him fully. Do you understand?”

“Your servant understands.” Jiang Jinghuai felt no offense. Without Bing Wengu, this opportunity would never have been his. Though he had the pride of noble birth, he wasn’t ungrateful. He knew who had helped him. “Your servant will follow all of Lord Bing’s orders.”

Zhan Yu was pleased with Jiang Jinghuai’s pragmatism. “I only ask one thing—fully support Minister Bing and ensure Fengzhou holds. Don’t let the Xiongnu break through.”

“And once in Fengzhou, don’t get reckless chasing glory by pushing Minister Bing into provoking the Xiongnu.”

“Yes.”

Zhan Yu’s sharp gaze swept over Jiang Jinghuai. “If Fengzhou falls, Minister Bing’s fate may be uncertain—but you… you’ll answer with your head.”

Jiang Jinghuai didn’t flinch. “Your servant will do everything possible to assist Lord Bing in defending Fengzhou. Should the Xiongnu breach its walls, I will return with my head.”

Satisfied, Zhan Yu gave a nod and sent him off to prepare.

Jiang Jinghuai had no time to go home first. He headed straight for the Imperial Guard to organize the soldiers under his command, just sending word home briefly.

By moonlight that night, when Jiang Jinghuai returned, Old Marquis Jiang grilled him thoroughly before finally relaxing.

“Bing Wengu has helped you twice now—this is the second time, a huge favor too,” sighed Old Marquis Jiang. “When I first heard about your friendship, I didn’t think much of it. I figured it was fine for young men to get along. A common-born scholar, though not necessarily extraordinary, wouldn’t affect your future anyway. Yet today, it’s this very person I once overlooked who’s given you this boost.”

Jiang Jinghuai was still buzzing with excitement. "Dad, thank goodness you’re not like other elders who look down on commoners and stop me from associating with them. Otherwise, I would’ve missed this golden opportunity."

"Jinghuai, you must seize this chance. Opportunities like this don’t come twice."

"I will, Grandfather."

The reinforcements were ready just in time, and three days later, Jiang Jinghuai rode out with his men at breakneck speed.

After a hard ride to Fengzhou, he met up with his old friend and said gratefully, "Wen Gu, I really owe you one—only someone like you would think of me for such a great opportunity."

Bing Wengu gave him a sidelong glance. "That’s because you're easy to handle and don’t overthink things."

Jiang Jinghuai didn’t mind. Bing Wengu had always had a wicked tongue—whoever expected sweet talk from him clearly hadn’t met Nan Jinping. As long as he got the benefit, that was fine by him.

Once Jiang arrived, Bing led everyone to the military camp and gave the frontier soldiers a pep talk.

"The New Year is almost here. I wish you all happiness and prosperity in the coming year—may you and your families be safe, healthy, and enjoy good fortune!" Instead of jumping straight into talk of the fight ahead, Bing opened with a heartfelt message.

"I know many of you have families right here in Fengzhou. This year, I pushed through policies to help folks—I’m sure you’ve heard. For many of your households, this has been the first prosperous year in a long time."

The frontier soldiers received letters from home, and those whose families lived locally were well aware of all Bing Wengu had done for Fengzhou over the past year. In previous years, their families barely had enough to eat, let alone raise livestock. But this year was different—any household with even a little courage now had animals.

Many soldiers’ families had raised sheep, and before the New Year, their ewes had given birth to five lambs. Five sheep! The Dayong people loved mutton, and its price was high—even in this border town, sheep were valuable. Soon, those five lambs would grow and reproduce, and selling the adult sheep would bring in hard cash, lifting their families out of hardship.

At this thought, the soldiers' spirits fired up. And when they considered that these changes were all thanks to Bing Wengu, their admiration for him deepened.

"Thank you, Governor! My family’s good fortune today is all because of you!" someone in the ranks shouted.

Others quickly joined in, expressing their gratitude.

"Thank you, Governor!"

"Thank you, Governor!"

Bing Wengu raised his hand for silence. Once the crowd settled, he spoke again.

"You all know that due to some of my strategies, the Xiongnu and Wusun have been at each other’s throats. By now, both armies must be running on empty. As the New Year approaches, they’ll surely come to raid our towns."

This wasn’t surprising. Even in years when the Xiongnu weren’t fighting the Wusun, they would raid Fengzhou—it had become routine. The soldiers were well aware.

"But this time, we won’t sit back and take it—we’re going to bring the fight to them."

Jiang Jinghuai was stunned. When he left the capital, the Emperor’s orders were crystal clear: defend the city. He had even been explicitly warned not to provoke conflict or stir trouble—just keep the gates shut.

But Jiang didn’t call him out. He listened silently.

"This past year, our frontier army has fought the Xiongnu and Wusun many times—and won many battles. The Xiongnu aren’t so tough. And now, with reinforcements from the capital’s imperial guards, why shouldn’t we wipe them out in one go?"

Bing Wengu raised his voice. "Why should the Xiongnu always be the ones to raid us Dayong? Why can’t we raid them instead? We’re all men with one life, one head—what makes them better than us?"

What made them better, of course, was their natural prowess in battle—a people born to fight on horseback. Many Dayong folk had never even touched a horse in their lives.

But Jiang Jinghuai couldn’t say that. Instead, he had to play along. To his surprise, the frontier soldiers bought into it—they agreed wholeheartedly with Bing Wengu, their blood stirred by his words.

"That’s right! Why should the Xiongnu always rob us? Why can’t we rob them instead?"

"Raid the Xiongnu!"

"Raid the Xiongnu!"