The First Family of the Red Mansion

Chapter 29: Defeat Zhang Jing

"Aunt Liu, Aunt Liu...we have news about Cat Boy."

Since Liu Hu joined the army, the Liu family's life has improved considerably.

Not to mention the money Liu Hu left behind before he left, the Jia family would also send some grain and silk from time to time.

Even their previously dilapidated house was repaired with the help of their neighbors.

At least it won't leak rain and drafts like before, and you won't have to worry about the house collapsing at night.

Hearing Wang Hou's shouts, Liu hurriedly glanced at her daughter, who was sleeping soundly under a brand-new quilt, and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

She immediately dropped the needle and thread in her hand, jumped off the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed), and ran outside without even putting on her shoes.

"Monkey King, what did you just say? Is there news about my cat?"

Liu leaned against the door frame, trying to suppress her anxiety, afraid that she would hear from him that her cat was gone at any moment.

"Aunt Liu!"

Wang Hou was wearing very large winter clothes and looked quite slovenly.

But this was the case for most people at the time. Wang Hou's family was relatively better off, as they had two sets of winter clothes to take turns wearing. Many families only had one set, which was worn by whoever went out, while the others stayed indoors to hibernate.

Upon seeing Liu, a wide smile spread across his face, and he excitedly said, "Aunt Liu, I heard from someone who just came back that the Western Expeditionary Army has sent back news of their victory; the imperial court has won the battle!"

"Kitty, how's Kitty? Any news?"

Liu hurriedly grabbed Wang Hou's hand and asked anxiously.

"No, that person only heard the gist of it. He doesn't know the specifics of what happened to Cat Brother."

Wang Hou scratched his head awkwardly and said in a simple and honest manner.

"But Aunt Liu, don't worry. Now that the battle has been won, it shouldn't be long before Brother Cat and the others return."

Not receiving any definite news about her son, Liu was both disappointed and relieved; at this point, no news was the best news.

She invited Wang Hou inside for a drink of hot water. He had come to deliver a message in the dead of winter, so she had to offer him some hot water.

Look how cold Monkey King is! His face and ears are covered in frostbite, and his hands are cracked.

"Aunt Liu, your house is so warm!" Wang Hou said with a slightly reserved smile, rubbing his hands as he entered the house.

In the past, Liu Hu's family was just like his own, with only a few poor possessions. At that time, he was able to get along with Liu's family without any problems.

But now, looking at the room full of brand-new furniture and clean, thick bedding, he really didn't dare to move around, afraid of getting it dirty.

"Sit down, why are you standing there? Sit anywhere," Liu said to Wang Hou, who was still standing, carrying a water bottle.

"Aunt Liu, no need, I'll just have some water and leave."

Wang Hou quickly waved his hand. If he hadn't been so cold that he couldn't stand it anymore, he really wouldn't have dared to go inside.

Most of the firewood his family chopped this year was sent to the Liu family in exchange for grain. As long as the weather wasn't too cold, the whole family would squeeze onto a cold kang (heated brick bed) and rely on each other for warmth.

Taking the hot water handed to him by Liu, Wang Hou hurriedly held the bowl to warm his hands, and looked at Liu, who had sat back on the kang, and said hesitantly.

"Aunt Liu, if Cat-boy manages to win a title this time, would you consider letting me go with him?"

"Do you think your family would be happy about this?" Liu looked up and rolled her eyes at Wang Hou, not paying much attention, thinking he was joking.

When she returned from the Jia family last time, she knew that her son would definitely be able to earn her an imperial title.

But even the Wang family, the former commander-in-chief, wouldn't be willing to let Monkey King become a servant in her household, let alone his parents and uncles.

If your own relatives become someone else's servants, no one with a shred of decency would stand by and watch.

"Aunt Liu, I'm serious."

When Wang Hou saw that Liu Shi hadn't given him a definite answer, he immediately became anxious.

"As you know, although my family owns about a hundred acres of land, it belongs to my grandparents and uncles together."

"With the number of people in the family growing, this little bit of land is almost not enough to support them. If we don't find a way to make a living, people in the family will definitely starve to death."

"Don't joke like that with your aunt. Even if you don't have enough land, there's still plenty of wasteland around the village. With so many people in your family, you could easily cultivate a hundred or so acres. There's no land that can't grow crops."

Seeing that the child seemed to be serious, Liu hurriedly tried to dissuade him.

You must understand that once Wang Hou joins the Liu family, he will become their slave.

Although life will be better in the future, he's no longer from a respectable family.

"Go back and think about it yourself. If you still don't understand, go ask your parents."

"Honestly, you child, you always do whatever comes to mind, you never have any sense of direction."

Before Wang Hou could continue speaking, Liu cut him off.

Even if she dared to agree, would Liu Hu dare to accept it? If his family really dared to accept Wang Hou today, they could forget about living in the village forever.

"Although clearing land will cost a lot of money, and taxes will be due later, at least you'll still have some semblance of human dignity."

"If you ever really run out of options, and if the cat dares to just stand by and do nothing, you'll see if I don't teach him a lesson!"

"Alright, now that you've finished drinking, hurry up and leave. It's so cold outside, don't wander around, it's tiring for you and your coat."

Fearing he might say something incoherent, Liu hurriedly chased him out after he finished drinking the water.

Watching Wang Hou's departing figure, Liu thought to herself, "Things are different now than before!"

"General, the Prince of Xining on the left wing reports that they have been heading north along the Altai Mountains. They have not encountered any herders from the Durbet tribe along the way, only some Han Chinese and Western Region people who have lost their cattle and sheep."

At the front lines, after defeating the main force of the Oirat Mongols, Zhou's army advanced into the Western Regions.

The Durbet people who stayed behind along the way had long since disappeared, leaving only some Han Chinese slaves and local Western Region people.

Although these people were not killed when the Durbet tribe fled, their cattle, sheep and valuables were looted by the Durbet people.

These people also greatly hindered the Zhou army's marching speed.

There was nothing they could do. The Duerbote people could ignore them, but the Great Zhou couldn't just stand by and watch them freeze and starve to death.

"Immediately send people to appease those people, and give them a portion of the livestock we previously seized, to stabilize their morale first."

"At the same time, he ordered Putila to rebuild Hami Guard as soon as possible and assist Prince Xining and subsequent officials in stabilizing the local order."

"Order the rear to collect surplus cattle and sheep in the Hexi Corridor and transport them to the Western Regions as soon as possible."

Watching Jia Daishan issue orders methodically, Liu Hu, who had come all the way from Yangguan, couldn't help but admire him.

As the commander-in-chief, Jia Daishan not only had to direct and coordinate the operations of various units and ensure logistics, but also had to do a good job in post-war recovery. He was really amazing!

"General!"

Liu Hu entered the command tent and, seeing the messengers and clerks coming and going, immediately clasped his hands in salute.

"Please sit down for a while, I'll finish taking care of these things first."

Jia Daishan looked up at Liu Hu and pointed to the chair next to him.

Through Jia Daishan's orders, Liu Hu finally gained a general understanding of the current situation in the Western Regions.

While Liu Hu and his men were cutting off the Oirat supply lines, some members of the Duerbote tribe had already begun to flee.

After Liu Hu completely eliminated the enemy who were trying to reopen the supply lines, a large-scale exodus of the Duerbote tribe ensued.

By now, apart from those who really don't want to run or can't run anymore, almost everyone in the Duerbote Corps who can run has run.

Therefore, since Zhou Jun entered the Western Regions, he has not encountered any resistance. Instead, his progress has been slowed down by the abandoned Han Chinese and Western Region people.

"Report...!"

"General, Commander Zhao, the vanguard commander of the central army, has sent back a message that they have crossed the territory of the Durbet tribe and discovered that the Torghut tribe to the west is driving a flock of sheep westward, seemingly intending to flee westward."

Commander Zhao asked whether they should stop the pursuit.

"As long as they don't massacre the Han Chinese who remain, there's no need to stop them."

Jia Daishan didn't even look up, speaking as he reviewed the military reports sent by various departments.

"Order the central army to send out cavalry to follow them. If they cross the Yibo Sea, leave them alone and let them stay there to garrison for the time being."

Yibohai was the traditional western border of the Central Plains dynasties during the Han and Tang periods. Once it was recovered, who would dare to say that the Great Zhou was inferior to the Han and Tang dynasties? This was also a place that the emperor ordered to be taken back.

It wasn't that Jia Daishan didn't want to pursue the Torgut people, but rather that he couldn't pursue them or fight them anymore.

Not to mention that winter has already arrived, the winters in the Western Regions are much colder than those in the Central Plains. Many soldiers have already suffered from frostbite, and there have even been cases of people freezing to death.

As for logistics, this western expedition has already depleted the imperial court's reserves accumulated over more than a decade. If they continue to pursue the Torgut people westward, the supply lines will be stretched to an unimaginable length.

I simply can't afford to chase after someone; chasing after someone costs too much money.

Since that's the case, it's better to let go and avoid seeing it from your eyes.

"Liu Hu!"

"General!"

After Jia Daishan finished dealing with the documents on the table, he looked up at Liu Hu with a complicated expression.

Who could have imagined that the peasant boy who overheard his conversation with the emperor would become the key to the success or failure of this western expedition?

He was the first to scale Wushao Pass; he made a long-distance raid behind enemy lines, cutting off the Oirat's supply lines; he led a small force to defend two passes, holding off the enemy's 100,000-strong army for more than 20 days, and finally even annihilated the 100,000 enemy troops.

Then they blocked the main force of the Oirat army, buying time for the main force to fight a decisive battle.

Finally, they captured the leader of the Durbet tribe and Gushi Khan alive.

These miracles are truly unbelievable, accomplished by a boy who is only sixteen years old.

Although they had only been apart for less than three months, upon seeing each other again, Jia Daishan felt as if he had been through a lifetime, and for a moment he wondered if he had really grown old.

"You've worked hard; you deserve the greatest credit for this western expedition!"

All those words can be summed up in this one sentence.

"You flatter me, Commander-in-Chief! I am unworthy of such praise!"

Liu Hu hurriedly said that he understood that Jia Daishan could say that, but he absolutely could not accept it!

Despite Liu Hu's numerous battles and escapes during this western expedition, he wouldn't have been able to achieve his full potential without Jia Daishan leading the main force to protect him.

"You're not flattering me at all. If it weren't for you, we probably would have already slunk out of the Hexi Corridor by now."

Jia Daishan patted Liu Hu on the shoulder, then walked behind the table with a solemn expression.

"Liu Hu, the Vice Commander of the Cavalry of the Lantian Camp, receives the imperial decree."

"Your subject Liu Hu receives the imperial decree!"

Liu Hu immediately knelt down, bowed his head, and clasped his hands in a fist. The others in the tent also stopped what they were doing and immediately knelt down to receive the order.

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"

Since the great calamity that struck the Central Plains, the Oirat Mongols have been a thorn in the side of our dynasty. Since I ascended the throne, I have been seeking wise men day and night to plan for a great undertaking. Fortunately, I have been blessed by Heaven and have found a capable general in Lu Ye.

There is a man named Liu Hu, who possesses both virtue and talent, and is unparalleled in military strategy. He cut off the enemy's supply lines behind enemy lines and captured the enemy chieftain on the battlefield. He is loyal to the country and wise in his work, and is truly capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities.

Therefore, I hereby appoint you, Liu Hu, as the escort commissioner to escort Gushi Khan and the leaders of the Oirat tribes back to the capital within a specified time.

I hope you will live up to the Emperor's favor, do your utmost, and work together for the well-being of the nation.

So be it!

"Your subject Liu Hu obeys the decree!"

Although Liu Hu felt strange that Emperor Anping was transferring him back now, he still respectfully accepted the decree and expressed his gratitude.

"Liu, the escort commissioner, His Majesty has ordered you to set off as soon as possible and to deliver Gushi Khan safely to the capital before the New Year's Day court ceremony."

Receiving the bright yellow imperial edict, Liu Hu resisted the urge to open it and examine it closely, and solemnly said, "This subordinate understands!"

After reading the imperial edict, Jia Daishan looked at Liu Hu's youthful face and said earnestly, "After returning to the capital and delivering the edict, answer His Majesty's questions truthfully."

"If someone visits, avoid them if possible; if you can't avoid it, don't readily agree to their request."

"His Majesty has his own plans!"

"Thank you for your guidance, Duke Rongguo!"

Liu Hu knew that Jia Daishan was worried that his youth might lead him to be manipulated into the power struggles of the court, which would disrupt Emperor Anping's plans.

This could not only cause Liu Hu to lose the emperor's favor, but also allow others to take the opportunity to completely ruin his future.

Although Liu Hu had never been involved in court intrigues, he dared not underestimate the civil and military officials who had already mastered political maneuvering skills to an extreme degree.

They've been learning this since they were little, and those high-ranking officials have personally experienced it for decades.

Liu Hu didn't think that he, a recluse from a later era, could outwit those old foxes.

No, let alone whether he could win or not, he probably wouldn't even have seen the other person before he was completely taken advantage of without even knowing it.

The rules there are different from those on the battlefield. There, people kill each other silently, and it's impossible to tell who is the enemy and who is your own.

"I really want to go back, but I'm too scared to!"

Liu Hu was terrified; he was truly afraid that he might accidentally drown in the unfathomable depths of the imperial court.

Despite his reluctance, Liu Hu had no choice but to muster his troops and set off with more than ten prison carts.

Unlike the other prison vans, three of these were not surrounded by wooden bars and iron chains, where people were simply shoved inside.

The canopies of these three carriages were made of thick wooden planks, and the inside was lined with thick felt to keep the people inside warm, for fear that they would get cold.

"Gushi Khan, we meet again!"

When they met again, Gushi Khan had lost much of his will to die, but there were clearly a few light bruises on his face.

"Hey, where did you bump into?"

"How could you be so careless? You can bump into yourself while walking."

Facing the only enemy who had caused him to suffer a setback during this western expedition, Liu Hu couldn't help but step forward and make a few sarcastic remarks.

"snort!"

Seeing the culprit who caused his army's crushing defeat, Gushi Khan didn't give Liu Hu a kind look. He snorted coldly and then climbed into a carriage and locked himself up.