Chapter 49 Planning the Defense

After a simple meal, several people saw Zhao Ji off.

The Huben guards who had accompanied Zhao Ji were also well-fed, had changed their horses, and now held burning torches.

Pei Xiu accompanied Zhao Ji out of the camp gate, but harbored other concerns: "A-Ji, I have heard that in military tradition, achievements should not be rewarded too hastily. The worry is that when officers and men receive generous rewards, selfish motives will arise and cowardice in battle will follow, which is unfavorable for the campaign."

Seeing others nod in agreement, Zhao Ji also felt that Pei Xiu's concerns were reasonable; speaking such words directly on the spot could easily offend people.

He paused, thought for a moment, and said, "Seventh Brother, that principle applies to conscripted levies. They come for official ranks and monetary rewards, so once they receive them, selfish motives naturally arise. We Huben guards enlisted to support the state and bring peace to the common people. If anyone takes their reward and wishes to leave, let them go. In such chaotic times, traveling alone with gold is simply a way to invite disaster."

Zhao Ji then looked toward Jia Tong: "Brother Wenzhen, after I leave, you may announce to our comrades and auxiliary troops in the camp that tomorrow we shall distribute the rewards and grant complete freedom to stay or go."

Jia Tong slowly nodded: "Indeed. Although I also worry about the dispersal of our men, we enlisted by sacrificing our lives, and having made achievements, we ought to be rewarded and motivated. Otherwise, leaving merits unrewarded makes it difficult to maintain public morale."

Wei Gu spoke up at this point: "Tonight, Seventh Brother and I will audit the merits. Tomorrow, after conferring the rewards, we can arrange for couriers to transport the bestowed items back to their respective counties and deliver them to their families."

"That works as well, but I still prefer to let our comrades in the camp decide for themselves."

Looking at Wei Gu, Zhao Ji explained: "When Huben guards return home with their rewards and later return, they will bring back three or five comrades at the least, or perhaps a dozen or more at the most. In this way, our strength will grow even greater."

"This is indeed a good method."

Wei Gu no longer stubbornly insisted on his own stance and attitude. Highly agreeing with the idea, he proposed a supplement: "Recruiting five men shall grant a first-class merit; recruiting ten men shall grant a second-class merit, and so on. How does that sound?"

Zhao Ji nodded. Thereupon, Xunqiu Xing spoke up: "Won't this cause the Huben ranks to become severely overfilled?"

Pei Xiu replied, "They can first be incorporated into the auxiliary troops, and selected into the Huben based on merit."

"Let it be done as Seventh Brother says."

Zhao Ji also agreed. Arriving now at the camp gate, he turned and cupped his hands in farewell to the others. They returned the salute and watched as Zhao Ji stepped into the single-sided stirrup and nimbly mounted his horse.

Watching the thirty-odd riders slowly drive away, Pei Xiu sighed with emotion: "A-Ji truly understands military affairs. With this arrangement, we gain yet another camp of auxiliary troops, and since they are our own comrades and fellow townsmen, they are thoroughly reliable."

Wei Gu was in deep agreement. Although this upcoming expedition to Anyi was perilous, he was determined to go in person.

Zhao Ji was no longer the Zhao Ji of the past, even if he was somewhat reluctant to be adopted into Lord Zhao's lineage.

However, since Lord Zhao's lineage lacked an heir, this was no longer something Zhao Ji could simply refuse by saying no.

The former subordinates and students of the Zhao family would naturally elevate and assist Zhao Ji.

For now, one could only hope to lock down the news and prevent Yang Feng and the others from abducting the emperor and fleeing.

As for entangling all the powerful clans of Hedong... let them be entangled. After all, as a secondary son, his personal prospects were far more important than any family estate.

The future prospects of the Huben enterprise were so bright; staying in this large collective was far better for an individual than remaining bound to a single family.

At the Hou family estate, another hundred commandery soldiers had been transferred during the day.

Though called commandery soldiers, they had already been broken up by the Huben, re-screened, and reorganized—their nature similar to that of Huben auxiliary troops.

Recklessly inflating the Huben quotas would only damage current cohesion and morale.

It was better to fill vacancies from the families and hometowns of reduced Huben personnel than to let ordinary soldiers make up the numbers.

Only by establishing sufficient achievements and raising the threshold could one preserve the status of the Huben.

Status was the ultimate guarantee of combat effectiveness.

Inside the estate's granary, Jia Jia was manipulating counting rods, repeatedly calculating various logistical consumptions.

He possessed ancestral military texts, focusing mainly on training troops, marching, encampment, and military governance, among which the most complex task remained the calculation of supplies.

"Warehouse Officer, Commander Zhao has arrived."

An auxiliary soldier, formerly a soldier from Xiangling County, reported at the doorway. Jia Jia gathered his counting rods, placed them into a bamboo cylinder, and stood up to leave just as Zhao Ji strode in.

Zhao Ji glanced left and right: "Brother Liangdao, where is Elder Brother Liu?"

"Elder brother is at the smelting yard tonight, supervising the forging of military equipment."

Jia Jia led Zhao Ji inside, and they sat together at a low table. He pushed a scroll of bamboo slips toward Zhao Ji: "A-Ji, take a look at this. This is the roster of rewards I have drafted."

Zhao Ji unrolled the bamboo slip and inspected it from top to bottom.

The calculation of merits was relatively straightforward, divided into three main categories: primarily based on enemy beheads, supplemented by casualties and battlefield participation.

Huben guards without horses contributed relatively less; this time, the rewards would prioritize providing them with horses, while those whose horses suffered casualties would receive replacements.

Since the Huben were organized as cavalry and their short-term primary hypothetical enemy was the Xiongnu, Jia Jia was naturally enthusiastic about strengthening the Huben's mounted combat capabilities.

This left Zhao Ji very satisfied. As for other rewards, there were three methods: first, official ranks; second, money and silk; and third, captives and female dependents.

Zhao Ji then unrolled the second scroll handed over to him by Jia Jia, which detailed the seized granary supplies. He could not help but open his eyes wide in surprise: "There are actually seven thousand two hundred bolts of silk and fabric?"

"Most of it is aged fabric, barely usable."

Jia Jia explained: "I have already sorted them. The new fabric will be assigned to estate maidservants and female captives to sew military uniforms and banners, while the aged fabric will be rewarded to the Huben."

"It's a pity time is pressing, but Brother Liangdao has done the right thing. Unified uniforms and banners indeed help consolidate morale; this matter is of great importance."

Zhao Ji then briefly recounted the attitude of the people inside the camp and said: "If we defeat Yang Feng and the others in a single battle and the Huben return home carrying their rewards, the counties south of the Fen River can recruit over a thousand more men. In that case, we need more military uniforms—let us set the standard at two thousand sets."

Since a consensus had already been reached in the camp meetings, and they could seize the surplus labor of various counties ahead of others... Jia Jia would never refuse such an undertaking.

The more manpower their side controlled, the greater the initiative and right to speak they would hold in the ensuing war against the Xiongnu.

Commandery troops and powerful clan coalitions could not be relied upon; only when the Xiongnu actively crossed the Fen River would the combat enthusiasm of these people be ignited.

To cross the Fen River defense line, one could only rely on the eagerness of the Huben to achieve merits.

The able-bodied youth of Hedong were limited in number, and every family surely needed to leave behind its main pillars.

Therefore, in the short term, the pool of conscriptable military potential was fixed.

Pulling these people into the Huben system was the only way to maximize their utility.

It wasn't that Jia Jia possessed absolute confidence in Zhao Ji or the Huben camp, but rather that he clearly understood the true nature of the powerful clan coalitions and commandery armies.

"Two thousand sets will not be difficult. It's just that time is pressing, and many pieces of armor are hard to repair."

Jia Jia sighed slightly, then shifted topics: "Today Lord Zhao asked for my view on the situation in Hedong. According to Lord Zhao's perspective, there is an intention to send an envoy to invite Duan Wei. Duan Wei is stationed between Weinan and Huayin, securing his borders, pacifying the people, and vigorously developing military farming. His army is well-stocked with grain and fodder, his officers and men possess fine weaponry, and he does not fear the two bandits Li and Guo. If we can secure Duan Wei's assistance, we can block Hangu, and the two bandits Li and Guo will be unable to cross the river from Fengling Ford."

As he spoke, he picked up a writing brush and drew a simple "L"-shaped course of the Yellow River on the table, with Fengling Ford located right at the corner.

Zhao Ji stared at the table: "If we gain the assistance of General Duan, then when the two bandits Li and Guo invade, they will only be able to take Puban Ford. In that case, if our army prepares more boats, can we travel down the Su River and await the exhausted enemy at our ease?"

"Yes. I intend to stockpile timber along the upper reaches of the Hui and Su rivers to build more rafts."

As if showing off, Jia Jia took up the brush and sketched the winding courses of the Su River, the Fen River, and their tributary, the Hui River.

Zhao Ji kept his eyes lowered and stared: "Very well. The powerful clans of Hedong are even more afraid of the two bandits Li and Guo entering our territory than we are. We don't need to worry about this matter; as long as they hold Puban and defend it for half a month, we will naturally be able to reinforce them."

Zhao Ji pointed his finger at Puban in the lower reaches of the Su River: "Stationing a thousand troops is enough to hold it firmly. We must also deploy deceptive forces at Fenyin in the lower reaches of the Fen River. That way, when the two bandits Li and Guo cross the river, they will have no choice but to uproot Puban first."

Unless they captured Puban, the troops stationed at Fenyin could take boats down the Yellow River and cut off the retreat and supply lines of Li Jue and Guo Si.

Another locust plague was striking this year. If the two bandits Li and Guo rushed over and wanted to plunder, they could only plunder the powerful clans.

By the same logic, unless they cracked Puban, they would not dare to divide their forces to raid.

This battle would resemble the one from years ago, when Li Jue, Guo Si, and their peers followed Niu Fu to campaign against the Baibo army, finding it extremely difficult.

At that time, they remained stationed long-term at Shanzhou Ford and dared not cross the river.

Whether crossing from Shanzhou Ford in the south or Puban Ford, any single point of attack required a grueling siege that would exhaust their sharpness.

Meanwhile, if the defending side maintained a mobile force, they could sit back and watch the frontline defenders exhaust the enemy through defensive fortifications.

Only when the enemy grew exhausted could they strike with ease.

That was precisely how Niu Fu had suffered his disastrous defeat back then.

Listening to Zhao Ji's train of thought, Jia Jia asked counter-intuitively: "A-Ji, what if the two bandits Li and Guo divide their forces to invade Fenyin and Puban?"

"They are no longer what they used to be. They can still fight when their forces are combined, but if they split up, who would be willing to risk their lives in desperate combat?"

As he spoke, Zhao Ji tapped Anyi with his finger: "The most crucial place is right here. The generals of the Baibo have been executed, and the court shows signs of resurgence. The loyal and righteous men under the command of the two bandits Li and Guo will naturally defect to the court. With Wang Yun's precedent before us, I believe the court will naturally open its doors wide, letting bygones be bygones and permitting the generals of Guanzhong to turn over a new leaf."

"Turn over a new leaf?"

Jia Jia murmured, a smile blooming on his face: "With Lord Zhao present, this matter should not be difficult. Discussing affairs of state with A-Ji is truly a joyous occasion."

"Both Brother Liangdao and I harbor public-spirited intentions, so naturally we see eye to eye."

Zhao Ji, however, wore little smile: "The realm has rotted to this extent, and the root cause still lies above. My only worry is that the moment the situation improves slightly, those scoundrels will bewilder the emperor and move the capital east to Luoyang."

Upon hearing this, Jia Jia gradually reined in his smile. In any case, he felt Zhao Ji's curses were justified, and they wouldn't fall upon his own Jia family.

His father had died early, and his grandfather, due to the Prohibitions of the Partisans, had long shut himself up at home, unconnected to the chaos of the past decade or so.

However, their friendship was not yet deep enough; such rebellious remarks were currently unsuitable for discussion.

Faced with Zhao Ji's probing, Jia Jia sighed: "Indeed, the two Yuans of the East are contending, and various baleful figures have risen together. If the capital is moved to Luoyang, although there are the defenses of the Eight Passes, there will be no troops to defend them. Going to Luoyang now is no different than walking into a tiger's den."

With the oil lamp beside them, the two locked gazes, and a sudden sense of kindred spirit arose between them.

Zhao Ji felt he ought to give Jia Jia a strong push and send him to serve as a Gentleman of the Palace Secretariat.

It would amount to no more than massaging the shoulders and beating the legs of the old man; Lord Zhao still possessed at least that much influence.

Furthermore, by arranging two or three hundred Huben guards to keep watch over the emperor—given Jia Jia's fierce temper—he would truly dare to kill.

Wei Gu looked impressive on the surface, but in reality he was soft and easily manipulated.

Unwittingly, a sense of anticipation began to stir within him.