The heavy rain had turned to a drizzle, pattering down from the roof. The wind had also lessened, but a chill still cut through the body.
"We are outnumbered. Our immediate course of action is to report to the Grand Commander and request reinforcements," Suo Dacheng said from within the shelter to Xu Mancang, Yelihu, Fu Zhuo, and Du Li.
The four nodded in agreement.
"General Suo's words are most appropriate. But what about them...?" Fu Zhuo, the clerk of Muyang County, asked, recovering from his despair, pointing to the medical officers and villagers seeking treatment within the shelter.
Fu Zhuo worried that Suo Dacheng would abandon them, and what would they do if they encountered the rebels again?
"Clerk Fu need not worry. This general has his arrangements," Suo Dacheng said, sensing Fu Zhuo's concern. "Gather the troops from all locations. Yelihu, send scouts to quickly ascertain the situation of the rebels. Mancang, you and Du Duting will proceed to Muyang County to escort the civilians to this location. Remember, if you encounter rebel soldiers, avoid battle if possible. Retreat to this place and await the Grand Commander's reinforcements before making any decisions."
"As you command!" the four responded in unison.
"Brother, what if those scoundrels are relentless?" Xu Mancang asked.
"Are you not engaging them in a fight? Dare they pursue you?" Suo Dacheng glared at Xu Mancang and said, "These are mere rebels, mostly ordinary people incited to violence. This general is retreating for three reasons: Firstly, I do not wish to harm these poor civilians. Secondly, I do not wish for the lives of my Snow Bear Army soldiers to be lost in vain here. Thirdly, with the chaos caused by the rebels, the epidemic will only worsen."
"General Suo... you... are indeed benevolent..." Fu Zhuo said, deeply moved, his voice choked with emotion.
The Han generals were indeed much better than the Xianbei generals. At the very least, they cared for the Han civilians, the four thought to themselves.
"Benevolent?" Suo Dacheng heard this and said, "This general is not a benevolent person. I have merely followed my Grand Commander for too long. Clerk Fu, my Grand Commander is a person who truly cares for and cherishes the people."
As the saying goes, one who stays near cinnabar turns red, and one who stays near ink turns black. What Suo Dacheng said held some truth.
"Clerk Fu, we must move camp," Suo Dacheng then said to Fu Zhuo.
"Move camp? General Suo, look at this... How can they move?" Fu Zhuo said with difficulty, glancing at the people in the shelter.
The rain showed no sign of stopping. Though it had lessened, the ground was covered in puddles, with countless water pits, making the terrain muddy and treacherous. The people in the shelter were mostly patients, or medical officers and assistants. For the sick, walking would be exceptionally difficult, and the medical personnel were already exhausted.
"It is better to die of exhaustion or illness than at the hands of the rebels," Suo Dacheng said coldly, having no time for further explanations to Fu Zhuo and the others.
This place was a desolate wilderness with flat terrain, making defense extremely difficult. If the rebels were to attack and swarm them, even the brave Snow Bear Army could at best defend themselves and would be unable to protect the patients, medical officers, civilians, and others. Therefore, they had to move camp to higher ground, preferably a location that was easy to defend and difficult to attack. This would not only provide shelter from the rain but also maximize their protection and conserve the Snow Bear Army's strength.
...
"Thump... thump... thump..."
"Splash! Kerplunk!"
"Giddy up... giddy up... giddy up..."
"Ouch! Spit! Spit! Spit!"
At dusk that day, over a thousand cavalry approached from a distance. The riders on the warhorses were clad in rain gear, all burly and stern-faced, escorting a young general as they galloped forward. The mud they kicked up reached heights of three feet. Mud clung to the horses' hooves and bodies, and even the riders were splattered with a significant amount.
A large clod of mud splattered directly onto the face of one of the riders. As the rider spat out the mud, they grumbled in a woman's voice.
"Whoa..." The young general at the forefront gripped the reins, pulling his warhorse to a halt. The other cavalry also stopped. The young general then looked at the woman and said indignantly, "I still don't understand why you insisted on following. This is a pacification mission, involving fighting rebels, not a sightseeing tour!"
The young general was Zhou Fugui, the Marquis of Yanpingliang, Grand Commander of Donghai, General Jianzhong, and Prefect of Donghai Commandery. The woman, still disguised as a man, was Huang Daimei.
"I want to, and you can't stop me," Huang Daimei said after spitting out the mud.
"If you wanted to come, why didn't you follow your brother and insist on following me?" Zhou Fugui asked, still annoyed.
"I want to, and you can't stop me," Huang Daimei said with a smile like a blooming flower.
The surrounding personal guards, except for Pi E, couldn't help but stifle their laughter.
When Zhou Fugui in Donghai Commandery City received Suo Dacheng's urgent report, he was so furious he almost blew the roof off. He was both angry and anxious. It was truly a case of bad luck piling up—the plague was not yet quelled, and now there were rebellions in Quyuan, Shuyang, and Houqiu counties. It was a never-ending string of troubles! Most importantly, at a time when Zhou Fugui was already angry and resentful of the outrageous and detestable actions of the Yan court, such events occurred, making Zhou Fugui understandably anxious and furious.
However, after his initial rage and subsequent calm, Zhou Fugui began to consider his options. He couldn't simply conjure a solution out of thin air; he had to rush to Quyuan, Shuyang, and Houqiu counties and react accordingly.
Thus, Zhou Fugui summoned his troops and planned to lead them personally to quell the rebellions in the three counties.
In his despair, Zhou Fugui could have simply ignored it. Let the three counties be in chaos; it would be best if the Great Yan Kingdom turned upside down. Zhou Fugui could have, like those Xianbei people, simply fled.
But at this moment, the Yan court had blockaded Donghai Commandery with its armies, clearly intending to let the people of Donghai Commandery, including Zhou Fugui and his Snow Bear Army, fend for themselves. This meant Zhou Fugui couldn't escape Donghai Commandery even if he wanted to, unless he led his army out by force. But where would he go after breaking out? Become a bandit?
Although Zhou Fugui dearly wished to do so, reason prevented him.
The saying "sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall" and "three thousand Yue soldiers can swallow Wu" sounded magnificent. Leaving aside whether three thousand Yue soldiers could indeed swallow Wu, the act of "sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall" was not easy to endure.
At the same time, Zhou Fugui once again experienced the cunning, or rather, the ruthlessness, of Empress Dowager Murong Qing of Yan.
Empress Dowager Murong Qing had ordered Zhou Fugui to lead his troops to quell the rebellion of Murong Hong in Donghai and had conferred upon him titles such as Grand Commander of Donghai and Prefect of Donghai Commandery. Ostensibly, it was to commend Zhou Fugui and his troops for their loyalty and bravery, giving him an opportunity to achieve great merit. In reality, it was for Zhou Fugui and his Snow Bear Army to shed blood for her. Appointing Zhou Fugui as the chief official of Donghai Commandery to govern the region was, in fact, Murong Qing's cunning tactic of "ruling the Han with the Han," which was particularly insidious!
If the rebellion was quelled and the region governed well, it would naturally be good for the Yan court. In this way, Zhou Fugui would deplete his troops, increase the taxes for the Yan court, and then, with some excuse, be transferred elsewhere, or perhaps, as in the past, the Snow Bear Army would be disbanded and divided.
If Zhou Fugui and his Snow Bear Army failed to quell the rebellion, or if their governance of Donghai was chaotic, with rampant bandits and suffering populace, would Zhou Fugui and his Snow Bear Army still exist? Even if a few scattered soldiers returned, they would be severely punished by the Yan court, and Zhou Fugui would surely lose his head, possibly even implicating his family.
The Xianbei people, including Murong Qing, inherently distrusted Han generals or Han armies. Murong Qing had merely hidden it well and never revealed it in daily life. Letting Donghai Commandery fend for itself this time was a clear indication of this.
Zhou Fugui was gradually becoming aware of this but had no choice but to obey. Disobeying the imperial decree would soon lead to a tragic fate, while obeying would at least delay it.
This was Murong Qing's open scheme, forcing Zhou Fugui to march forward with trepidation, knowing the path ahead was fraught with peril.
After much deliberation, Zhou Fugui could only muster his troops and rush to Quyuan, Shuyang, and Houqiu counties to quell the rebellion. As Zhou Fugui's forces were stretched thin, he had to borrow troops.
Zhou Fugui not only borrowed money and provisions from the Huang family but also, utilizing his new identity as the Vice-Leader of the Yi Qing Society, borrowed three thousand clan soldiers from the Huang family. Combined with five thousand Snow Bear Army soldiers, a total of eight thousand troops marched to Quyuan, Shuyang, and Houqiu counties to suppress the rebellion.
The three thousand Huang clan soldiers were led by Huang Shìbà, but Huang Daimei insisted on following. For unknown reasons, she insisted on staying close to Zhou Fugui, as if she didn't trust him...
Zhou Fugui was helpless in this regard. If Huang Daimei were not a member of the Huang family, Zhou Fugui could have tied her up and left her in Donghai Commandery. However, Huang Daimei was not under Zhou Fugui's command, so Zhou Fugui had no choice but to let her have her way.
"Alright, alright, I can't control you, but don't come crying to me on the battlefield..." Zhou Fugui said angrily, pointing at Huang Daimei. "Don't blame me if you get hurt or killed!"
"Hehe..." Huang Daimei giggled and said, "I haven't cried since I was a child... But... Grand Commander... I am but a weak woman, shouldn't you protect me?"
"Protect you? Protect you from what?" Zhou Fugui asked, rolling his eyes.
Huang Daimei said coquettishly, "Protect me from the harm of the rebels!"
"Hahaha!" Zhou Fugui laughed heartily. "Where would I find the time to protect you? Speaking of these rebels, they are fierce and brutal. If a delicate young lady like you were to fall into their hands..."
"What if I fall into their hands?" Huang Daimei tilted her head and asked.
"They'll strip you naked and throw you into the main camp. What do you think?" Zhou Fugui, still unwilling to give up, tried to scare her off.
"Ah? Spit! You scoundrel!" Huang Daimei's delicate eyebrows shot up, and she glared at Zhou Fugui before spitting at him.
"Giddy up... thump..." At this moment, a rider flew in and approached Zhou Fugui.