Chapter 231 Beware of Fire Attack
In Lishi City, the sentries were neat and tight before nightfall.

Cai Zhaoji heard the sound of troops being mobilized outside the courtyard from time to time, so she asked the maid assigned to her, "General Zhenbei will be here today, why are there so many soldiers and horses being mobilized in the city?"

The maid didn't know either, so she opened the door and went out to observe on the street.

I saw the Hun soldiers stationed in the surrounding courtyards continuing to evacuate, and some people were cleaning up the newly left horse manure on the streets.

The Xiongnu warrior on duty at the door was holding a spear. When he saw the maid coming out, he immediately said, "Don't move. Go back!"

The chief on duty saw the panicked look on the maid's face and stepped forward to explain, "The vanguard of the Great Canal Commander is ten miles away. They are going to withdraw from the city so that the Great Canal Commander's troops can move in."

Seeing that he seemed easy to talk to, the maid asked, "General Zhenbei, will you stay in the city tonight?"

"Ah."

The leader noticed the movement of the large group of people and turned his head to look towards the south of the city. He said with a complicated expression: "From now on, Lishi City will be yours."

The maid naturally understood the meaning of the words, but she didn't dare to respond for fear of angering the other party.

After just a few breaths, a group of Han cavalry holding flags appeared in her sight.

Iron armor, sturdy war horses covered with leather armor, and bright and numerous flags.

With just a glance, the maid knew that this was a Han cavalryman.

She had no memory of having seen the Han cavalry on the border, but after repeated narration by the elders around her, the image of the Han cavalry had long been imprinted in her mind.

Almost in an instant, she concluded that it was the Han cavalry that came, the Han cavalry that would save everyone.

Without thinking, Xiao Sui turned around and walked into the inner courtyard, saying to Cai Zhaoji, who was holding the child, "Madam, the Han cavalry has arrived. The Xiongnu people left the city and gave their houses and cities to the Han cavalry. They are knights under the command of General Zhenbei."

Cai Zhaoji just patted the swaddling clothes in her arms, her expression blank and even a little timid.

Although there is joy in returning home, there is more of a sense of confusion.

After handing her sleeping little daughter to the wet nurse beside her, Cai Zhaoji stood up, put on her cloak, and led the excited maid to the gate.

The five Huns on duty at the gate have joined the surrounding Huns and are walking along the edge of the road toward the outside of the city. A team of ten Han cavalrymen has entered the gate.

The horses were tied in the front yard, and five men were assigned to stand guard at the gate.

When the leader of the team saw Cai Zhaoji dressed, he stepped forward and saluted: "Sima ordered us to stay here tonight."

Looking at the Han cavalrymen whose faces were weather-beaten and cheeks were red from the cold but whose morale was high, Cai Zhaoji felt very aggrieved.

He nodded slightly, controlled his emotions, and said to the maid as calmly as possible: "Go and make some hot soup. Make it rich."

"Here."

The maid walked away quickly, and Cai Zhaoji walked slowly. When she came to her senses again, she found herself back in the bedroom.

The wet nurse was adding firewood to the fireplace. Cai Zhaoji looked at her little daughter who was sleeping soundly. She wanted to cry, but now she could only hold back her grief.

Outside on the street, there were occasional neighs of horses.

More and more troops poured into the vacant courtyards and camps in the city, while outside the city, a team of more than 500 representatives from various Xiongnu tribes and Hu nobles stood on the roadside.

Whether you have seen a black bear or not, you are all very enthusiastic at this moment.

In the tribal culture where the strong are respected, since they cannot win no matter what, they just want to contribute their loyalty.

Teams of knights passed by them, and many older nobles could not help but recall various memories of their youth.

"That's Taishi Wengong!"

Someone suddenly shouted and pointed at the road. Lu Bu drove his horse ahead, with his Fang Tian Ji dragging on the ground as usual. Some Xiongnu nobles immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed devoutly.

On the heavy sled at the back, Black Bear couldn't help but smile as he watched the Hun nobles kneeling one after another.

Liu Bao glanced at him and saw that his smile was genuine and knowing. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Now he was more afraid than anyone else. He was afraid that the black bear would attack again tonight and drain the last of the Huns' vitality.

Give up Lishi City. If Black Bear wants to take action, the city gates will also restrict the army's movements.

If the Huns still stay in Lishi City and Black Bear turns against them, no Hun in the city will be able to escape.

"We've been exhausted from the march today. If there's anything, we can talk about it tomorrow."

The sled stopped, Black Bear started talking, and Liu Bao also bowed and agreed.

Liu Bao then got off the sled and watched it arrive near the city gate, where Black Bear got off the sled and rode into the city on horseback.

Subsequent sleds were parked near the city gate, and horses were used to carry tents, arrows, food, and the like.

The troops that entered the city first also dispersed and checked various places in Lishi City, from small wells and cellars to large warehouses and soldier caves.

Liu Bao could only relay the message to the Xiongnu tribes and the Hu nobles, especially those who were ready to surrender, and emphasized: "The commander of the Great Canal will not meet you rashly. He wants to investigate your origins in detail. In the next few days, those who are unwilling to apologize can return to their tribes and wait for the war."

"If you sincerely apologize and prepare gifts tomorrow, I will take you to meet the generals under the command of the Great Canal Commander. I think the Great Canal Commander will forgive you if they persuade him."

Liu Bao's plan was to keep these people stable, wait for the follow-up troops to arrive, and then cooperate with the Xiongnu army to wipe them out completely.

But the ultimate initiative was in the hands of the black bear, and Liu Bao was also worried that he would be eaten.

As for those people who were stabilized... Liu Bao just wanted to forget them as soon as possible.

Inside the city, Black Bear entered a warm hall and looked around the front hall. He saw that the screen was very fine with passages from the Analects of Confucius written on it.

Looking at some other furniture and utensils, most of them are exquisite lacquerware.

After turning the screen and entering the inner hall, we saw a cowhide map hanging on the wall. Black Bear took off his cloak and handed it to his personal guard, followed by a helmet, a warm hat, deerskin gloves, and soon armor.

Flexing his arms, he stood in front of the map and studied it.

This is a map of Lishi City, which shows the layout of the streets and alleys in the city, as well as the surrounding cities.

For example, the Lishi Royal Court is just north of Lishi City, not too far away. It only takes twenty or thirty miles to reach the Royal Court area.

When the Xiongnu moved inland, they temporarily established the royal court in Lishi. Later, when the heroes fought against Dong Zhuo and the Baibo Army rebelled, the royal court was moved to Pingyang.

While Black Bear was observing the map, the generals of a thousand men who had settled their troops after entering the city, as well as some generals of five hundred men, came to pay their respects and gathered in the corridor outside the hall.

Not long after, several of Black Bear's personal soldiers returned and entered the inner hall: "Commander Qu, we have completed the inspection of all parts of the mansion. There are no secret rooms, and no hidden objects that could start a fire."

"Well, each of you select some people and go check around the city to prevent fires."

Black Bear smiled as he spoke. He would never forget the imagined scene of the burning of Xinye in Romance of the Three Kingdoms when he was a child. Later, he also played the burning of Xinye level in the arcade game.

Water and fire are merciless. Apart from assassination, the only thing that can defeat me now is the power of nature.

These personal soldiers withdrew, and Black Bear also sat down. Waiting outside were the generals of a thousand and five hundred who filed in, and the thirteen people sat in two rows.

They all took off their helmets and had serious expressions, and at worst, they didn't smile.

"Before the troops were dispatched, I repeatedly stated the military discipline. Now I repeat it once again. If there is a conflict with the Xiongnu, I will deal with it impartially according to the oath of Fenshui. You are soldiers, so your crime will be even more serious. In order to alert you, I will appoint Jia Kui as the commander of the army tomorrow."

Looking around, Black Bear said, "Many people are not suitable for military service. This time, I just want to bring everyone home, arrange for their wives, and let them live a stable and prosperous life. Therefore, you must not quarrel with the Xiongnu. When going out to buy and trade, you must go together in a group, go and come together. If one person is missing, everyone will be punished. If you go alone, you will be punished even more severely!"

"There will be a military market tomorrow, and Jia Kui will also serve as the city inspector. No forced buying or selling is allowed. I will let Jia Kui handle all disputes. As I said before, I will let him handle it strictly and severely."

"In the end, it's still a question of men and women. When I was fighting in Hedong and Taiyuan, I killed at least 300 people for this. I don't mind killing another 300 people. You guys should think about it carefully."

Black Bear looked around and said, "I have finished talking about my business. Now tell me about the problems you have encountered."

A general with a thousand men spoke up: "Commander Qu, the Huns are clearing the roads in the city, and it is difficult for our army's snow vehicles to enter the city. The snow is piling up outside the South Gate tonight. Should we set up a sentry?"

"You guys go into the city and rest. I will inform Liu Bao about this matter and ask him to send someone to watch over it."

Black Bear looked around at the others and saw that no one had any special questions, so he said, "Each team will be divided into two shifts, taking turns to guard the front night and the back night. The curfew password is lightning."

"Here."

These people saluted, and Black Bear nodded. Then these people stood up with their helmets in hand and retreated to the corridor outside the hall before putting on their helmets.

After simply dealing with the night curfew, Black Bear prepared to eat.

At this time, the personal soldiers came to report that Liu Bao wanted to see him.

It was getting dark, and Liu Bao took off his armor and put on a fur coat.

Following the guidance of the guard, Liu Bao turned into the familiar middle door and saw Black Bear standing in front of the attic door waiting for him.

Liu Bao hurriedly quickened his pace and stepped forward to bow, "I dare not trouble the great commander to come and welcome you personally. I am so overwhelmed."

Seeing that Liu Bao seemed to be really a little panicked, Black Bear raised his hand to help him up: "We are just about to visit this garden, Shanyu, don't think too much."

Liu Bao nodded and said, "This is the first time that the Great Commander has come to Lishi. I am afraid that I cannot entertain him well enough. The nobles in my clan are also worried, so I ask you to come and consult the Great Commander."

"I don't care much for pleasure."

Black Bear extended his arms to invite Liu Bao in, and continued, "I have only two wives and concubines so far, and I have little interest in beauty, fancy clothes, delicious food, fine wine, etc."

"This... Commander Daqu, this makes Xiao Wang embarrassed."

Liu Bao sat down and said with a bitter face: "The nobles in the clan are quite worried. Even if the commander of the Great Canal has no intention, please take him in for the time being. This way, when I return, the nobles in the clan can feel at ease and will not doubt themselves."

"In that case, I will take them in."

"Would you like to take a look? Perhaps there is something that suits your taste?"

Liu Bao smiled warmly: "Among all the noble families of the Xiongnu, the Lan family has many beautiful women for generations. Wouldn't it be a pity if the commander-in-chief didn't meet them?"

"Don't try to persuade me about this. Chanyu should have heard that when I was in Hedong and Taiyuan, I killed many officers and soldiers because they violated women during the war. This is unlucky for me, so I killed them. How could I commit this crime myself?"

"Yes, Xiao Wang will arrange for them to move into the backyard and warn them not to disturb Daqushuai."

Liu Bao looked solemn, and Black Bear nodded: "That's it, Shanyu, arrange these women first, and then come to eat with me."

"Yes, Xiao Wang will be back soon."

Liu Bao stood up and said goodbye, left quickly, and came back quickly.

Because he was going to eat, Liu Bao took off his big leather coat. While eating, he said, "General Daqu, many of the nobles in my clan are in a state of panic and do not dare to ask to marry the noble daughters of your clan. If you can offer your sisters, wives and daughters to your side, or let your sons and daughters guard you, everyone will be at ease."

"Since you have repeatedly requested, I will accept these women. However, in the future, I will allow them to return home or marry on their own. I hope the Chanyu will not misunderstand anything."

Black Bear stirred the corn in the bowl and expressed his views: "I also know your concerns, and I ask you to understand my concerns. For example, Tan Shihuai's death may be related to a woman. I am not suspicious of you, I would be suspicious of anyone."

Hearing Tan Shihuai, Liu Bao put down his chopsticks, stood up from the table, knelt and kowtowed: "Master Daqu, please understand. I have no ill intentions."

"I know you have no ill intentions, so I told you about Tan Shihuai. I will take them to Guanzhong and give them some property, so don't worry."

Seeing Liu Bao kneeling down and apologizing at every turn, Hei Xiong felt helpless and really missed the Zuo Xian Wang who had escaped decisively.

The higher the official position this person holds, the smaller his courage becomes.

(End of this chapter)