Kebi'ne, Buduogen, and Liu Yuan immediately bowed down to show respect.
It's just about fighting after all; how could these people be afraid? They are fighting against the Sun family of Liaodong, not the Great Wei.
If they were to attack themselves, Kebi'ne would still be worried about it. However, when it comes to harassment and flanking support, Kebi'ne naturally has full confidence.
Specific trivial matters do not need Cao Rui to elaborate, as there are already Man Chong and Sima Yi to arrange them. After Cao Rui gets up and slowly walks out of the tent, he only leaves Man Chong and Sima Yi on the left and right to watch the three Hu people.
For some reason, it seemed as if their faces had turned in a different direction, and instantly they appeared completely unkind compared to when the emperor was around.
Sima Yi had recently become thinner, and his eyes slightly raised when he looked at the three people, showing a few more traces of coldness and inspection: "When the emperor was here, your three speeches were all right. But I have to give you a few words of advice. Remember them well."
Kebi'ne and the other three couldn't afford to offend the emperor or the West Hall or East Hall, so they had to agree and ask Sima Yi for instructions, showing even more humility in their attitude.
Sima Yi said coldly, "Among you three, there's a Xianbei Khan, a Xianbei Elder, and a Left Commander of the Huns, but none of you hold an official position in the court. I have already asked the emperor about it, and the title of Marquis and rewards apply to you as well."
As he spoke, Sima Yi pointed at Kebi'ne and said, "For example, you Kebi'ne, being a Xianbei Khan is an official position, and adding a title is not unreasonable. It's not the same as the former Prince of Xinjiang who was just a title."
Can we also be conferred with the title of a Marquis?
Be enfeoffed as a Marquis like Han people generals? Be enfeoffed with the Marquis of the Great Wei?
Liu Bao bowed and greeted first, and Kebi'ne and Buduogen exchanged a look and were about to bow, but they were stopped by Sima Yi's hand gesture.
"Don't thank me yet, Your Excellency hasn't finished speaking," Sima Yi said. "If your fighting is not effective, the punishment will be no different from that of Great Wei generals. Whether it's imprisonment, exile, or even execution, it's all uncertain."
"Are you having some thoughts in your mind."
While the three were secretly startled, Man Chong couldn't help but laugh on the other side: "Being able to have a direct chat with the Minister of the Palace Affairs is your good fortune. Come, let me tell you about military affairs."
"Kebi'ne will head south early tomorrow morning. The remaining Xianbei and Huns will set off in three days."
"Kebi'ne, I am sending General Duan Mo with you. After reaching Liaokou, you will take a sea vessel eastward. Once you land, you will follow the arrangements of General Cao Zhao's brother."
"As for the position of General Cao Zhao's brother, you must be aware of it."
Kebi'ne bowed: "I am aware, it is one of the five camp generals, with a salary of two thousand taels of rice."
"All right, when you return, get yourself organized. Leave at daybreak tomorrow, as soon as it gets light. Only bring your weapons, not supplies. Got it?"
"The general's instructions are clear, and I understand them!"
……
The next day, Kebi'ne set out at dawn and arrived at Liaokou before noon.
Pei Hu's fleet had already been waiting here, and the second batch of ships arriving were still unloading food, grass, and other supplies at the pier.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." Pei Hu's expression was neither kind nor indifferent, as if he was merely going through the motions of official business: "Single you have already informed your troops of the situation on board, right?"
Kebi'ne dismounted, bowed, and returned the greeting: "Greetings, Yanzhi Pei. I already knew the details at the camp last night. I have chosen someone who is good at taking care of horses to tend to the horses, and I will do my best to ensure safe transportation on the sea."
"All right, then proceed in an orderly manner to board the ships," Pei Hu said. "Your troops and the General Duan's department together have six thousand cavalry. The first batch must be disembarked before midnight. Single you, hurry up and divide your troops into twenty groups. I still need to go to the ships to command."
"Thank you, Yanzhi Pei," Kebi'ne bowed.
Today's wind direction is general, so the ship delayed a bit. When Kebi'ne led 2000 cavalry to get off the ship and set up tents to live in, it was already near the back half of the night.
Lying on the felt blanket, looking at the top of the tent, Kebi'ne experienced his first sleepless night in his life.
For the first time, he saw the vastness of the sea, and for the first time, he transported his army by ship. Kebi'ne couldn't help thinking about the magnificent sea-sky scenery he saw on the ship in the afternoon, and for a moment, he was so lost in thought that he even forgot where he was.
Kebi'ne had traveled as far east as Fuyu and as far west as Dunhuang. In his life, he believed that the only expanse greater than the vast grasslands was the endless heavens.
During his conversation with Pei Hu on the ship, he heard that the ocean's vastness even surpasses that of the grasslands, and one can sail from Liaodong directly to the southernmost Jiaozhou. Moreover, there are countless islands in the seas south of Jiaozhou.
Thinking about it, he became entranced. The vastness of the ocean left a deep impression on this Xianbei who was born on the grasslands, and it was hard to erase from his mind.
It must have been quite a while before Kebi'ne finally fell asleep.
Just as the sky began to lighten, Kebi'ne was awakened by the sound of horse hooves coming from the ground, as if an alarmed grass fox jumping up instinctively.
Shortly after, his bodyguards rushed into the tent to report: "Your Majesty, there is a General Cao from Wei here."
General Cao? Is it General Cao Shuang, the General of Archers?
In Man Chong's orders, he mentioned this person. Kebi'ne dare not neglect him and hurried out to welcome him. After exchanging greetings for a while, General Cao Shuang suddenly interjected: "I feel quite familiar with your majesty, as if we've met before."
Kebi'ne, not understanding what he meant, still smiled and said: "I have heard scholars say 'Having a friend come from afar is not a joyful thing?', I think it's like this."
General Cao Shuang's mouth still wore a faint smile, but his mind suddenly flashed back to three years ago, to the days when he had been busy for several days outside the city of Maiyi because of Kebi'ne's invasion.
I wonder if Kebi'ne, who has come from the main camp, has seen Guanhou Jian multiple times. I don't know if Guanhou Jian has told Kebi'ne that his former son-in-law Yuzhu Jian was killed by Guanhou Jian?
Cao Shuang held back from mentioning his own past experience and merely slightly bowed: "When we fight tomorrow, I hope that the Khan will cooperate well with me, and do not let the affairs of the court be delayed."
"I hope that General Cao will take care of it," Kebi'ne replied: "Yanzhi Pei has already arranged it. The transport of troops will take three days. I will come on the first day, and General Duan will come on the third day."
"I'm aware of this," Cao Shuang said: "The main force will advance on the fourth day, so this arrangement won't delay things."
As he spoke, Cao Shuang's expression gradually became serious: "At that time, Khan, just watch how I coordinate. Without orders, do not pursue privately, seek spoils, or advance beyond my department to the north."
Kebi'ne said, "General Cao, you can rest assured. Man Chong has instructed me, and I will definitely not miss the important matters."
……
Both the northern and southern sides were busy preparing for the general attack on the seventh day of the sixth month. Some were repairing roads and preparing supplies, while others were hurriedly transporting troops to bypass Liaokou.
While Cao Rui himself was much more leisurely in the main camp. He ran over to the site of the throwing stone car to visit.
Cao Rui picked up a stone ball that weighed ten jin, looked at the hemp net attached to it, and the wooden items hung on the net like whistles. He asked Ma Jun, the grand master of construction beside him:
"Has this stone ball been tested? Are there any problems?"
Ma Jun excitedly explained: "All according to Your Majesty's orders, the stone ball has been tested. In the past, the stone balls were from thirty to fifty pounds, and could shoot at least a hundred feet. Now they are about ten pounds, and can shoot at least two hundred and fifty feet. From this side of the river, they can throw them to the rear of the embankment on the east bank of the river."
"Where was it tested?" Cao Rui asked again.
Ma Jun laughed and said, "I tested it five miles behind the main force. Your Majesty, please be assured, the enemy cannot see the scene of the trebuchet testing this type of stone ball."
"When all the throwing stones are thrown at once, the scream of the stone balls will sound terrible. The enemy will be terrified. Your Majesty's ingenuity is amazing, and I cannot help but feel humble."
Cao Rui's lips curved up slightly: "I am a theorist, but to actually create things, I still rely on Master Ma."
Ma Jun said, "Reducing the weight of the stone ball from thirty to ten jin not only increased the range by more than double, but also made the throwing speed even faster. Moreover, there is no need to worry about the wooden arm of the trebuchet breaking."
Cao Rui laughed and explained, "This is a problem of energy conservation. Just like throwing stones with an arm, the same force is thrown, but big stones are slow and close, small stones are fast and far."
"This battle does not require stone balls to destroy the city, but only to frighten the enemy. Are the trebuchet sites set up in three places?"
Ma Jun bowed and said, "One is outside the main camp, and the other two are five miles to the north and six miles to the south respectively. There are sixty trebuchets at each location, which should be sufficient for the needs of the army."
Cao Rui nodded, "Very good, prepare enough stone balls. The floating bridges and trebuchets are all prepared by Master Ma. I want to tell you here, doing this well is also a war merit!"
Ma Jun bowed and said, "I do not seek war merits, but only wish to repay the favor of Your Majesty's knowledge and encounter!"
Cao Rui laughed, "All right, I'll see your performance tomorrow."
……
On the sixth day of June, close to noon, General Liu Ye of the Commandery of Beihai led 8000 light cavalry to the place fifteen li north of Gosul City in Anputu Prefecture.
Five days later than the scheduled time.
On a rising mound of a grassland, Liu Ye and a few others rode their horses to the top, raised their hands to shade their eyes, and gazed southward, sighing:
"I thought it would take thirty days to reach Gosul City, but it took fifteen days longer. Being late is a serious crime, and I wonder how the battle is going at Your Majesty's side?"
Liu Ye led 8,000 light cavalry in the northern route this time. Among the 3,000 middle cavalry troops under his command, except for Xun Zhuo, an old general, and Cao Insan, a young general, Cuan Xia was a relation who was brought in due to his connections. The 5,000 Wuhan light cavalry were led by Ti Du, who had previously established merits in attacking Kebi'ne.
The four men beside Liu Ye also gazed in the direction of the distant Gosul City in the vast grassland, and their brows were full of concern.
Xun Zhuo said: "The main force has arrived at the Gosul City, and it's no longer meaningful to talk about whether it's too late or not. Moreover, along this route, the roads are damaged, the terrain is complex, and the supplies are difficult to carry. If the court asks for an account, I am willing to explain for General Liu that it is not his fault."
Cao Zhaofei replied, "I too am willing to vouch for him."
Cuan Xiang said, "I am the same."
Cao Zhaofei was the son of Cao Xiu, the former Grand Marshal. Cuan Xiang was the emperor's cousin, so their faces were not small. However, Liu Ye did not become any more relaxed because of their words. His brows were still tightly furrowed, pointing to the southern city:
"Whether you punish me or not, we must probe and try to conquer the Gosul City."
"Gentlemen," Liu Ye turned to face everyone: "Light cavalry are fast as the wind. I plan to immediately encircle the city with cavalry, to either deceive the enemy into opening the city gates or attack and capture it!" (This chapter ends)
