"Where's Xianfei?" Ji Wei pointed the sword in his right hand at the ground, moved forward a step and looked into Liu Bao's eyes: "Make it clear. Who ran away? How did he escape?"
Liu Bao couldn't care less about etiquette, leaning both hands on his knees, struggling to steady his legs that were slightly trembling, his voice trembling: "General Jiang, when some of my men were on night patrol, they heard a few neighs of horses. They approached the camp gate of the Xianbei and asked the night watchman. They shouted for a long time but no one responded. When they went closer, they found out that the Xianbei camp had been evacuated."
Ji Wei asked again: "Has this matter been spread out?"
Liu Bao hurriedly explained: "The night watchmen were from my own troops, only I know, and no one else knows."
Ji Wei smiled, as if he didn't care at all, and reached out to straighten Liu Bao's collar: "As the Commander of the Left, you are also an official of the imperial court. How can you be so undignified and panic?"
Liu Bao's eyes widened in astonishment as he looked at Ji Wei: "But what about the Xianbei Kebi Encin?"
Ji Wei said: "The Xianbei chanyu was under the command of the general, and the left part commander does not know. Do not spread it."
"Hou Tong," Ji Wei gestured towards Qu Junhou beside him, "you take twenty riders and bring the Left Commander back to his camp quickly. Be quiet and maintain decorum. Understand?"
Liu Bao calmed down and his Adam's apple moved unconsciously, as he quickly nodded: "Understood. General Ji Wei, I will go back now, saying goodbye."
"Hmm, this time is the left commander's way home. Don't lose stability." As Liu Bao turned around, Ji Wei's voice came from behind.
Liu Bao felt a shiver down his neck, and today's events were indeed rather mysterious. Where had Kebi Encin gone? When had Man Chong issued the military order? Liu Bao knew nothing of it, so he mounted his horse and was led forward by the knights of the central army.
Liu Bao's arrival and departure took only a fraction of a breath.
Seeing Hou Tong and Liu Bao et al gradually fade into the distance, Ji Wei hesitated no longer and rushed to the camp of Man Chong, whispering to wake him up from his sleep. Then he spoke about the escape of Kebi Encin's department.
Man Chong's hair was unkempt, and he was draped in a red brocade robe, sitting on the edge of a bed. Upon hearing this, he looked up at Ji Wei with a composed tone.
"Just a Xianbei bandit, he ran away. It's not a big deal."
Ji Wei's composure in front of Liu Bao was nothing but a facade, unwilling to let the Huns know his true intentions. However, when he faced Man Chong, the young commander's anxiety was fully revealed without any pretense.
Ji Wei's voice grew more urgent upon hearing this: "But these are two thousand Xianbei light cavalry. The army should take some action now; how can we let him run away so easily? If Kebi Encin causes trouble in various counties and prefectures along the way, how will we explain to the court?"
Man Chong looked at Ji Wei and nodded towards a pot of water warming on a stove nearby. Ji Wei understood and poured a cup of hot water for Man Chong, who sipped it slowly and continued speaking in a composed manner: "What plan do you have, Bo Yue?"
Ji Wei subconsciously swallowed his saliva: "Since Kebi Encin fled at night, we should send cavalry to pursue and capture him at night!"
"General, please order your subordinate to lead the troops to pursue Kebi Encin. I swear to bring Kebi Encin's head back before your tent!"
"Bo Yue, do you really want to go after Kebi Encin at night?" Man Chong shook his head: "It's possible to pursue Kebi Encin, but your troops are on duty tonight, and they have no energy to pursue him."
Ji Wei pursed his lips and directly bowed: "General, Kebi Encin was whipped by the subordinate yesterday evening. Three hours later, two thousand Xianbei light cavalry broke away at night. It's impossible for the subordinate to escape responsibility. I hope the general will allow me to make up for my sins with my merits!"
It must be said that this was the first time in Ji Wei's career as an official in the Great Wei that he felt he had made a big blunder. With twenty lashes, he had driven away a Xianbei chanyu, and if this matter were to be spread, how would he continue to serve as an official in the future?
Man Chong looked at the anxious expression of this young commander in front of him, and found it amusing for a moment. He stood up and helped Ji Wei stand up, then patted the bedside sofa next to him and indicated for Ji Wei to sit down.
Of course, this also had Ji Wei's status as a favorite of the emperor. Otherwise, how could a common general be allowed to sit next to the former General of the Great Wei?
Man Chong smiled and shook his head: "Bo Yue, at such a young age, you have already reached the rank of 2,000 stones, and you are favored by the emperor. But your experience as a general or an official is still somewhat shallow. I will give you some pointers now."
Ji Wei heard this and stood up, bowing deeply: "The subordinate is willing to listen to the general's teachings!"
"Sit down." Man Chong said: "Bo Yue, do you think that Kebi Encin's departure is related to you?"
Ji Wei nodded.
Man Chong said: "Kebi Encin's escape at night is ultimately due to his own ambition that he could not control. He is not a loyal person to the Great Wei. Whether he left tonight or tomorrow night, whether he left in Qianzhou or Yecheng, it would have happened eventually."
"How is it related to you?" Man Chong glanced at Ji Wei sideways: "You really overestimate yourself. Do you really think you're the one who whipped away a Xianbei chanyu?"
"I... subordinate..." Ji Wei was at a loss for words for a moment, trying to say something, but eventually hung his head, "Subordinate is unaware."
"That's right." Man Chong said: "Kebi Encin ran away because he wanted to cause trouble, which has nothing to do with you. It has nothing to do with the Great Wei. Even if it was really driven away by you, how could a loyal official be driven away by you?"
Man Chong's speech was a bit like an argument. In summary, it boiled down to one point. Kebi Encin's departure was entirely his own fault. Ji Wei of course understood it, so he asked again: "I hope the general can show me the way. Now what should we do?"
Man Chong stroked his beard: "Since Bo Yue wants to lead the troops, it's not impossible. Select a thousand men from your own unit, equip them with light armor and supplies. I will also have Cao Changsi and Cao Zhao Bo accompany you."
Cao Changsi and Cao Zhao Bo are actually two of Cao Xu's sons, respectively the son of Cao Xu and the son of Cao Zhen. Although each has only 1,000 mounted archers in his command, their military strength is by no means weak.
Ji Wei was overjoyed, stood up and bowed deeply: "The subordinate will follow orders! General, please give me two hours. I'll set out immediately!"
Man Chong smiled: "Kebi Encin is at the end of his rope. Even at night, how far can he travel? Wait an hour before you set out, giving your soldiers some time to prepare and allowing the two officers some time as well."
"Yes, the subordinate will follow orders!" Ji Wei took the deployment order from Man Chong with both hands, then walked out of the tent.
Man Chong watched Ji Wei's back leave, and couldn't help but chuckle softly. He blew out the lamp and lay back on the bed again.
In such an unexpected event, the court and the emperor would not blame Man Chong at all; on the contrary, it was an opportunity to win merit. Man Chong sent the emperor's close confidant, Ji Bozhou, and also ordered Cao Zhao and Cao Shuang to lead troops, effectively distributing the merits.
Man Chong, the more than sixty-year-old General Man Chong, has served the Great Wei for nearly four decades and has handled countless serious political events. As Man Chong said, Kebi Encin's escape is essentially due to Kebi Encin's own difficult control of his ambitions.
How can one expect too much from a barbarian?
Ji Wei's state of anxiety just now can only be said to show that he is a bit too young. Victories and defeats are common in military affairs. At just over twenty years old, he has yet to face many things in his future, so it's best to take it all lightly.
After Ji Wei left the camp, he sent someone to notify his subordinates, and personally went to find Cao Zhao and Cao Shuang in the camp of the Five Commanders. Both generals were under thirty years old and readily agreed upon hearing this news.
The pursuit of barbarians by the imperial forces is a standard military operation both in terms of logic and perception, and even possesses a primitive aesthetic quality reminiscent of Cao Cao's dream of becoming 'the Western General of the Han Dynasty' in his youth.
Less than an hour later, the 3,000 light cavalry of the central army set off under the faint glow of dawn, fully armed and riding north. At this time, Man Chong was still sound asleep in his tent.
...
There are many routes from Yanling to Luoyang. If it is convenient for the large troops to march, the nearest route is still from Yanling through Anyang, Wangyin into Henan Prefecture, southwest across the entire Henan Prefecture, and then cross the Yellow River at Mengjin to Luoyang.
In any case, Henan Prefecture is a necessary route.
At noon on the ninth day, Cao Rui led his army through Xiuwu County in Henan Prefecture and asked Sima Yi, who was riding beside him on horseback: "Is this Xiuwu County? What are the local specialties here?"
Sima Yi thought for a moment: "If we talk about Xiuwu County, it's no different from other counties in Henan Prefecture. I do remember something, Your Majesty, do you know the Zhang family in Xiuwu?"
Cao Rui slightly shook his head: "Please go ahead, Prime Minister."
Sima Yi said: "The Xiuwu Zhang family is the descendant of Zhongshan Zhuang Liang. Your Majesty, do you remember a Yelu called Zhang Shen, who was a member of the Legislative Council? He came from this place. Zhang Shen's father, Zhang Fan, and his younger brother Zhang Cheng and Zhang Zhao were collectively known as the 'Three Zhangs', all of whom had served in Emperor Wu's government."
"Where are Zhang Cheng and Zhang Zhao?"
"In the year of Jian'an, both died of illness," Sima Yi replied.
"Ah," said Cao Rui, looking at the Xiuwu County town not far away, with a sense of melancholy: "Whether it's the legacy of ancestors or the genius of the land, it all comes down to being reduced to a heap of dust. With Zhang Liang's descendants, how could there be another person with his same wisdom and cunning?"
"Your Majesty's words make sense," Sima Yi replied.
Since they were marching in the middle of the day, they naturally did not enter Xiuwu County. After passing Xiuwu, when the troops stopped for a rest in the afternoon, Cao Rui asked Xiahou Xian for a cartographic map, looked at it for a while, and then smiled as if suddenly enlightened:
"I remember something," said Cao Rui, looking at the crowd and smiling. "Since we're in Xiuwu, Shanyang County is just around the corner. Although Henan Prefecture is adjacent to Henan Prefecture, I haven't visited much."
"Gentlemen, why don't we let the emperor take us to visit the Marquis of Shanyang?"
The court officials looked at each other in confusion, not knowing how the emperor had come up with such an unusual idea. However, given the emperor's frequent remarkable actions, visiting the Marquis of Shanyang could be considered somewhat reasonable.
Liu Xie cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, the Marquis of Shanyang treats his county as a kingdom. As clearly stated when the late emperor received the throne, the Marquis of Shanyang can report affairs without addressing himself as a subject, and he does not bow when receiving an edict. He uses the vehicles, clothing, and sacrifices to the heavens and earth of the emperor, and his official attire is in accordance with the Han dynasty's system."
"I request to be appointed as an envoy of the emperor, to go to Shanyang County first to declare formalities and etiquette, in order to prevent any possible offense in Shanyang's words and actions towards the emperor." (Chapter complete)
