Chapter 201: Fire in the Royal Court
Pingyang, the royal court of the Chanyu.

The royal court was not far from the imperial road, and one could see a large team marching along the road.

Jia Kui returned to Hedong with the team and had to say goodbye to Pang Tong.

The two men had a certain degree of mutual admiration for each other. After saying goodbye solemnly, Jia Kui stood by the roadside and watched Pang Tong head north.

Then he turned around and returned to the Chanyu royal court where a large number of troops were stationed. Looking at the almost intact livestock sheds and hay piles outside the royal court, Jia Kui's heart beat faster.

He scanned his face all the way and entered the small town in the center of the royal court.

His brother-in-law Liu Fu came specially to receive him and accompanied Jia Kui to have meals in a warm barracks.

Jia Kui was tired from the journey and had a poor appetite. He ate a few bites and said, "The Xiongnu scouts have already passed Jishan. Without a large group of troops to protect Pubanjin and Fenglingdu, it would be difficult for ordinary messengers to escape the Xiongnu's search."

He was also very scared, so he asked, "How many people and animals do you have at General Zhenbei's place that need to be transported?"

"I don't know the exact number, but there is another group between Huocheng and Tangcheng, with a large number of men, women and livestock, about 7,000 to 8,000 people, three times the usual number."

Liu Fu sighed and said, "We suspect this is the last batch of people and animals to be transported, but General Zhenbei's reinforcements continue to move north, and we are very worried."

He explained to Jia Kui, "We had previously estimated that after the transfer of people and livestock was completed, the General Zhenbei would lead his troops to slowly retreat. It would be difficult to achieve a great victory in the Queshu Valley Road even if a large group of Xiongnu came to pursue us. Now it seems that we really underestimated the General Zhenbei, and he might have the intention of swallowing us up."

"Aspiration to devour?"

Jia Kui took a sip of the warm wine and frowned, "If he doesn't leave, will the Xiongnu dare to fight him?"

"The Xiongnu retreated to the left side of the royal court and near the Zi family, and had no intention of advancing to engage in battle."

Liu Fu looked distressed: "I am also at a loss as to where to go in the future."

Jia Kui understood his difficulties as the interests of the Hedong tyrants conflicted with the interests of the county magistrate Cui Yan.

Liu Fu was also a Cao Yuan in the county magistrate's office. From the perspective of scholar's morality, he should advance and retreat with Cui Yan.

But now there are conflicts of position between the Taiyuan soldiers and Qian Zhao, the Hedong soldiers and Cui Yan, and the Hongnong soldiers and Linghu Shao.

Jia Kui thought for a moment and said, "Those who share the same will will win. Although Hei Zhenbei has fewer troops, he has more support from the army. The Xiongnu are fierce and stubborn, and they dare not approach to fight even though they have several times the advantage. As for the motley crowd in Taiyuan and Hedong, how can they be a match for Hei Zhenbei?"

Seeing that Liu Fu did not refute this point of view, Jia Kui asked: "I heard that this royal court was given to Cui Fujun by Hei Zhenbei?"

"Yes, the royal court has a lot of food and grass stationed there. Hei Zhenbei couldn't bear to burn it, so he asked Lord Cui to lead the troops to garrison there. With 30,000 people and 4,000 horses, they can have enough food until March next year."

Liu Fu added: "If nothing unexpected happens, we will have to allocate and replenish food and fodder when the migrating team passes by tomorrow."

After hearing this, Jia Kui stood up, supported himself on the table with his hands, and paced back and forth.

He frowned and said, "Since there are only 4,000 horses in the army, and I see there is a lot of fodder, we might as well burn most of it. This way, we can save a lot of trouble."

Seeing Liu Fu's strange expression, Jia Kui immediately said: "I know what kind of person Hei Zhenbei is better than my brother-in-law. He will not give up the Chanyu court for nothing. If we don't stop him, the Xiongnu will definitely send a large number of troops here. By that time, if we can't besiege and kill Hei Zhenbei, there will be no one left in Hedong!"

If a full-scale fallout really comes, the people of Hedong will definitely join forces with the people of Taiyuan and cooperate with the Huns to surround and kill the Black Bear with their absolute advantage.

The people of Hedong responded to the people of Taiyuan, and the county magistrate Cui Yan would most likely be opposed. At that time, whether Cui Yan was killed or held hostage, the officials in the county magistrate's office would basically be no different from rebels.

Not only will your own reputation be tarnished, but your family will also be implicated.

Unless there is a new county governor appointed by Xudu, everyone will be able to turn against the government and support the new county governor with a clear conscience.

But can the new county magistrate catch up?

Even if they catch up, the Hedong gentry will legitimately support the new county magistrate, but then what?

If they fail to kill the black bear, even if they annihilate the enemy's army, the powerful people in Hedong will still suffer intensive revenge in the future.

There is almost no way to mediate this kind of revenge.

Therefore, Cui Yan is not important. Falling out with others or losing face is not important. What is important is whether we can finally surround and kill the black bear.

Jia Kui ran back and forth in Guanzhong several times. The journey that took him three or four days was completed by the black bear in half a day.

It is difficult to successfully chase and kill a black bear using ordinary methods.

In his eyes, there was no problem with the two counties joining forces with the Huns to wipe out the Guanzhong soldiers. The problem lay with Black Bear himself.

Therefore, Jia Kui once again advised: "This matter must be reported to Cui Fujun, and it must be done quickly. Otherwise, when the Taiyuan envoy arrives, people's hearts will be shaken, and it will be difficult to burn the fodder. Burn the fodder first, no matter who lives and who dies between the Xiongnu and Hei Zhenbei, we in Hedong can sit back and watch the outcome."

Liu Fu nodded. There was no need to hide anything from Jia Kui at this time: "I'm just afraid..."

"There is nothing to be afraid of. The Taiyuan people are too far away from us. As long as Hei Zhenbei's vitality is still there, even if the Taiyuan people hate us, it will be difficult to hurt us at all."

Jia Kui's tone became tough for a rare time, fearing that his brother-in-law might be confused at this time.

On paper, the total strength of the Taiyuan soldiers and the Hedong soldiers was 60,000; plus the Huns, that was almost five times the number of the Guanzhong soldiers. How could they possibly fail?
Now the people of Hedong have occupied the royal court's fodder and grain. As long as the Huns send 30,000 to 40,000 troops, they can eat and drink peacefully here for two months.

By then, the soldiers in Guanzhong will be trapped from both north and south and unable to move!
Liu Fu stopped making excuses and immediately stood up to explain the matter to Cui Yan.

But Jia Kui didn't dare to gamble. He had just come from Guanzhong and knew what the mood was like there.

Even if all the Guanzhong soldiers in Queshu Valley were wiped out in this battle, as long as Black Bear escaped back to Guanzhong, he would still be a hero for the people of Guanzhong.

Then the next time Black Bear sends troops to Hedong, how many troops can the people of Taiyuan send to rescue? How many reinforcements can the Xiongnu send?

The people of Hongnong suffered two losses and learned their lesson.

Since there is the example of the people of Hongnong, why should the people of Hedong suffer again?

Out of distrust for the Hedong folks, after Jia Kui sent Liu Fu out, he immediately used facial recognition to ask for directions and found the Hongnong military camp.

The county governor Linghu Shao was away, so Jia Kui visited Yang Liang who was with the army. The light in the tent was dim, so Jia Kui went straight to the point: "It is said that if the Hu people are gone, the Han will prosper. Now the Han and the Hu cannot coexist, and the hegemony of Guanzhong will be established. Would you like to help the Hei Zhenbei, or the Xiongnu?"

Yang Liang thought without hesitation: "With my family's reputation, how could I help the tyrant to commit atrocities?"

"In this case, please quickly dispatch soldiers to burn all the grass and only keep one tenth of it."

Jia Kui had a blank expression on his face. "Based on my understanding of Hei Zhenbei, he intends to borrow the royal court's fodder and grain to divide the Xiongnu's troops. Once they fall into the trap, the Xiongnu in front of them will surely suffer heavy losses, and then they will attack and kill those who betrayed the Han and followed the Huns. Given the Xiongnu's mentality, if they are defeated in the north, even if there are 50,000 or 60,000 Xiongnu here, they will plunder and flee, and it will be difficult to use them as a help."

"When Hei Zhenbei has cleared Taiyuan, he will return to attack Hedong and we will exterminate the entire clan, leaving no survivors."

Seeing Yang Liang's suspicious look, Jia Kui said, "The Xiongnu has sent 30,000 to 40,000 troops here. It is difficult for us to trust them. If we stay in one place and guard against each other, it will be difficult for us to defeat the enemy together or even live in peace. Most of the troops of the powerful families come from poor families, and they hate the Xiongnu."

"If they see us joining forces with the Xiongnu, they will certainly be patient. When the Black Zhenbei army arrives, they will cause chaos inside. How should we deal with them?"

Jia Kui sighed deeply, "People are not plants or trees, who can be heartless? The soldiers in Hedong and Taiyuan have already turned their hearts to Guanzhong. If the two counties insist, I, Jia, will have no choice but to go to the Nanshan Mountains with my hair untied to avoid disaster."

After saying this, Jia Kui stood up and bowed deeply.

Yang Liang remained silent and watched Jia Kui leave.

Should we burn hay?
If Jia Kui's analysis was correct, then if he led the Hongnong soldiers to burn the fodder, it would actually help the Taiyuan and Hedong people who were on the edge of the cliff.

It is hard to say whether these people are grateful or not. If this really ruins the Zhenbei Army's plan, the Yang family will be hated.

Yang Liang also stood up and paced, thinking about the future for himself and his family.

In short, we cannot follow the example of the big families in Taiyuan and Hedong, as their relationships with the Huns are limited.

Just as Jia Kui analyzed, the price of offending the Zhenbei Army is too high. Look at Wang Yun, he could destroy three clans at will.

I really want to take away even the Wang family’s fields and land.

The price of offending the Zhenbei Army is very high. If during this period one is also branded as having colluded with the Huns, it would be normal to exterminate the three clans again.

So what is the inevitable connection between the survival of the Xiongnu, Taiyuan and Hedong people and his Hongnong Yang family?
Yang Liang immediately picked up his helmet and put it on, then hung up his cloak and walked out of the tent, looking around the camp: "Beat the drum, raise the tent!"

When Jia Kui heard the drumbeats, he felt a little relieved and returned to the small city of the royal court.

He wanted to meet Cui Yan, but unfortunately Cui Yan and Linghu Shao were holding a banquet and it was not convenient for him to meet anyone.

Not to mention Jia Kui, even his brother-in-law Liu Fu could only wait for the banquet to end.

The person being entertained at the banquet was none other than Wang Yun's other son-in-law, Guo Huai, the leader of this generation of the Yangqu Guo family.

After drinking, Guo Huai said, "I often see mountain people raising hunting dogs. After winter, when the mountains are closed due to heavy snow, they let the hunting dogs run wild to chase pheasants and rabbits. Good hunting dogs are trained from childhood. If they bite and steal chickens and ducks, they must be killed. If they are left alone, they will cause endless harm."

Holding the wine glass, Guo Huai sighed helplessly: "How can a dog that is used to eating fat chickens at home go to the trouble of chasing a hare?"

Cui Yan laughed when he heard this. Since there were no outsiders around, he asked, "The three clans of Prince and Master of Heizhenbei were not involved with the Guo and Linghu clans. How did the Guo clan conclude that there would be endless harm?"

Linghu Shao also suggested: "Yes, if you feel uneasy, you might as well move to Yecheng to avoid the sharp edge."

Guo Huai said: "Escaped slaves from various families are vying to join us, and our foundation is being damaged day by day. Isn't this an endless disaster?"

Looking at Cui Yan, Guo Huai said sincerely: "Hei Zhenbei relied on his strength to bully Hebei in a temporary predicament. How can we trust such an alliance? How can we use him as a helping hand? As far as I know, he had previously agreed with the general to share the two counties of Hedong and Hongnong. Now his troops have invaded Taiyuan and forcibly relocated nearly 200,000 men and women!"

"Taiyuan is empty."

Taking a deep breath, Guo Huai continued, "There is a valley near the entrance of Queshu Valley, near the Fen River. Locals call it the Ghost Child Valley. That's where they forced women to move here, forcing mothers and children to separate, leaving the mothers behind and killing the children. There are so many corpses in this valley that it's hard to count them!"

Linghu Shao looked embarrassed, but Cui Yan made his position clear: "I am trusted by the general and entrusted with Hedong. With the support of the people of Hedong, I naturally have the responsibility to protect the territory and the people."

Looking at Guo Huai, Cui Yan said without a smile: "We don't care about the war in the north. Whoever comes to disturb Pingyang is an enemy of the people of Hedong."

Guo Huai just sighed and stopped trying to persuade her: "We are drunk today, how about we discuss it tomorrow?"

"That's exactly what should be done. How can we discuss military and national affairs after drinking?"

Cui Yan responded, ending the meeting.

So he took his leave immediately, leaving Linghu Shao to communicate with Guo Huai.

Before Cui Yan left, Linghu Shao was about to read a stack of letters from fellow villagers that Guo Huai had brought, but he did not expect his personal guard to approach him and whisper in his ear, "Mingsir, the soldiers from Hongnong are packing up their luggage and marching north, intending to surrender to Heizhenbei."

"Oh, I see."

Linghu Shao remained calm and began to concentrate on reading letters from fellow villagers.

Halfway through, I heard a loud noise outside.

When Guo Huai, Linghu Shao and others left the house, they saw gray and black grass clippings, ashes or residues falling all over the sky.

The two men climbed up the watchtower one after the other, and saw that fires were burning in various hayfields outside the city, and black smoke was rising, which was blown southward by the strong wind.

On the tower, Guo Huai and Linghu Shao looked at each other, and Linghu Shao immediately said: "The Hongnong soldiers are beating drums and heading north, I can't just sit there and do nothing. Please also tell the elders in my hometown that the alliance with Hedong is not something I can influence."

"..."

Guo Huai was speechless and could only follow Linghu Shao down the tower.

A few yards away, Cui Yan put his hands behind his back and raised his chin to look at the ashes and grass clippings swirling in the cold wind.

He had a blank expression on his face as he thought about the letters from Taiyuan and Yecheng.

(End of this chapter)