sovbooks Chapter 75 Northern Roasted Deer
Chapter 75 Northern Roasted Deer
Chapter 77 Northern Roasted Deer
"Sima!"
"That defeated Xianbei general still refuses to continue the story!"
"This is the fifth time I've gone to look for him this past ten days! Every time, Gao Lan has stopped me!"
"I just don't understand. Gao Lan is a member of the Bohai Gao clan, so how could he be such a lackey of Tian Yan?!"
Yunzhong County.
Located on the southern slope of Yinshan Mountain, Beiyu City is a necessary passage for those leaving the border region.
The usually desolate town was unusually bustling with activity, as nearly ten thousand Han soldiers gathered there, their numbers blotting out the sky.
Various non-Han peoples, such as the Wuhuan, the southern Xiongnu, and some Xianbei tribes with a relatively high degree of Sinicization, all came from various places after receiving Tian Yan's orders.
They attempted to join forces with the Han army to take a bite out of the Xianbei tribe, which had been entrenched in the north since Tan Shihuai came to power.
Because the city was too small.
Apart from Tian Yan, the General Who Destroyed the Xianbei, and his close confidants who remained in the city, the rest of the troops were stationed outside the city.
Lü Ping was no exception.
It's already August.
Even though it's in the north, it's still incredibly hot, and cicadas are croaking their hearts out in the forest.
In a slightly remote camp.
Wearing only a single layer of clothing, Lü Ping was personally roasting a skinned and gutted elk, sprinkling seasonings on it from time to time to enhance the aroma and flavor.
His situation.
Surrounded by Cheng Lian, Cao Xing, and a group of familiar soldiers, they smelled the aroma and were extremely envious, wishing they could give Lü Ping a command and eat the deer raw.
Under such circumstances.
Wei Xu, his face full of anger, rushed in from outside, shouting loudly.
He had just walked in.
Seeing a group of soldiers surrounding Lü Ping, he hesitated for a moment before stepping forward without any hesitation, pushing past the soldiers and approaching Lü Ping.
only...
As he walked, he suddenly bumped into an exceptionally muscular man. Just as he was about to frown and mutter a few curses, he saw the man turn his head, his face full of confusion.
Upon seeing the man's appearance and the several rather fierce-looking soldiers standing behind him, Wei Xu immediately chuckled and quickly shut his mouth.
After bypassing the man, he headed back towards his own military commander.
Inside, Lü Ping, who was turning the roasted venison, heard his call, frowned slightly, and chuckled.
"What Gao Lan and Tian Yan?!"
"Is that something you, Wei Xu, can call people? You should call them Commander Gao or General Tian! Military discipline is strict. Be careful, or they might hear you and arrest you and give you a good beating!"
"After all, Gao Sima was personally appointed by the Emperor to accompany General Tian Zhonglang on the northern expedition. He is loyal, intelligent, and benevolent. What's wrong with driving you, Wei Xu, away?!"
Seeing that his own military commander had reprimanded him, Wei Xu was not angry at all. Instead, he smiled and stepped forward to sit next to Lü Ping.
"Sima, with you here, who dares to attack Wei Xu?"
"Not to mention, isn't this all for your own good? You've been the military commander for over half a month now, and that General Tanaka is still unwilling to replenish our manpower."
"With a full song missing, isn't Sima worried?"
Yes.
Not long after Lü Ping led his troops to Yunzhong County, the appointment of military commander on his behalf by Wang Yun was quickly made.
In other words, Lü Ping had only served as a troop leader for a little over a month before he was promoted to a military commander with a salary of 1,000 shi (a unit of grain).
According to Shen Zhengnan.
On the Ministry of Personnel side, a big argument broke out over this, with some arguing that Lü Ping and Lü Zizhi had been promoted too quickly and that their military achievements might have been somewhat exaggerated. They believed that the matter should be investigated thoroughly.
only...
When Shen Zhengnan sent a messenger to the court, he specially brought a hundred or so sheets of Cai Lun paper that had been improved several times and was silky white, and sent them to his lord Chen Qiu, who was then serving as Taichang.
Having witnessed the effects of these hundred or so sheets of Cai Lun paper, Chen Qiu, one of the Three Dukes and Grand Master of Ceremonies, was deeply moved. He then personally stepped forward, doing a favor to help Lü Ping successfully take up his post.
Furthermore, according to custom, a military commander holding the rank of 1,000 shi (a unit of grain measure) was required to travel to the capital to express gratitude and receive his official appointment, a process known as "receiving the mandate at the capital."
Because Lü Ping was going north to fight, the Ministry of Personnel made an exception and told him to come to the capital after the battle was over.
only...
The military commander returned to his original position.
Although it seemed that Lü Ping had successfully taken office as military commander, in reality, the only soldiers under his command were the five hundred county soldiers he had brought from Jiuyuan.
The reason is very simple.
According to the original words of Tian Yan, the Xianbei general:
With a major battle imminent, the number of soldiers is limited. Which unit doesn't want more men? Where am I supposed to find more men to replenish your ranks, Lü Ping?!
Since Tian Yan refused to allocate manpower to him, Lü Ping had no choice but to endure it. With a force of a thousand men, he only managed to support five hundred soldiers. However, he maintained a good attitude and spent his free time wandering around the military camp, getting to know the soldiers.
This is not.
He actually managed to find out about a few historical figures.
"What's the use of being in a hurry?"
"There aren't many able-bodied men in Beiyu City to begin with. Do you think I can conjure up a whole bunch of people out of nowhere?"
Lu Ping gave Wei Xu a disgruntled look.
"If we wait a couple of days and head north, we can see what General Tanaka has planned. If a real battle breaks out, we might be able to gather some of the defeated soldiers and form a band."
talking.
Lu Ping took the initiative again, cutting off a piece of slightly charred venison and handing it to the young man who was standing on the side, who had startled Wei Xu just by standing there.
"Wendai."
"You should try it first and see if Ping's skills have deteriorated."
Yes.
This young man was none other than Sun Jian, also known as Sun Wentai, who had been summoned by Zang Min, the Xiongnu general, and had come all the way from Wu.
Originally, this man was going straight to Yanmen County to seek refuge with his former master, Zang Min. However, Tian Yan found out about this and specially kept him for a few days. Firstly, to see the appearance of this rather intimidating Sun Wentai, and secondly, to teach him to act as an envoy to deliver a message to Zang Min.
While Lü Ping was hanging around the camp these past few days, he heard about Sun Jian's reputation and made a special trip to get to know him and befriend him.
This is not.
Cheng Lian finally managed to hunt a deer on the mountain, which had been almost stripped bare by the Han army, with his men. He then sent men to find Sun Wentai to eat with him.
He saw the venison that Lü Ping handed over.
Sun Jian, full of curiosity, was not polite at all. He picked up the venison with his bare hands and was about to put it in his mouth, but after chewing it once, he swallowed it whole.
"This tastes good!" Sun Jian's eyes lit up immediately.
"I've never tasted anything like this before, even in the Wu region!"
That's all.
Seeing Lü Ping smilingly cut off a piece of meat and hand it over, he didn't hesitate and directly passed the meat to a young man from Wu who looked somewhat similar to him, only a little younger.
"Youtai, come and have a taste."
The young man was his younger brother, Sun Jing, also known as Sun Youtai.
Sun Jian started his career by following Zang Min, who was then the governor of Yangzhou. When the rebellion was quelled, it was his younger brother who led five or six hundred villagers to join him as his troops.
This time, he brought with him three hundred men from Wu, who were also elite troops who had been through many battles.
Seeing his younger brother eat the venison with a look of astonishment, Sun Jian smiled and looked away. He then looked up at Lü Ping.
Sun Jian's gaze swept over Wei Xu, who was sitting next to Lü Ping. He paused slightly, as if he had thought of something, and the smile on his face faded a little.
"I am very grateful for your hospitality, Zizhi."
"Before Jian came, he heard that the arrangements for this trip north had been made, and the order should be issued in the next two days. At that time, Jian will continue eastward to find my General Zang, and will not be able to see Zizhi or enjoy such good food."
Before Lü Ping could even speak with a smile, this young man from Wu, who was only in his early twenties but had already made a name for himself, sighed softly again.
"It's just a pity."
"Besides Zizhi, Jian has also met several good men in the army in the past few days who are quite to his liking and capable. He originally wanted to befriend them, but since he is leaving in a couple of days, he will not be able to see them again."
"Which men were they? What were their names?"
Lu Ping raised an eyebrow, his eyes gleaming slightly. After all, could a man who could teach Sun Jian such skill be just an ordinary person?!
"Ping has always admired good men, so why didn't Wentai introduce him to one?!"
As he spoke, Lü Ping feigned anger.
"Does Wentai think Ping is an outsider?!"
Sun Jian was slightly taken aback, but shook his head and said with a smile.
"Not at all!"
"It's just that Jian has only been here a few days and isn't very familiar with those two yet! That's why I didn't introduce them to Zizhi!"
"Both men were from Youzhou; one was named Han Dang, and the other was named Cheng Pu."
"I wonder if you know Zizhi?!"