"Madman, madman, little crazy donkey!"
In the Han army camp, Zhou Fugui led the White Tiger Banner and fiercely clashed with the Flying Eagle, Iron Fox, and Guan Tun banners. He thrashed the troops of the latter three banners so severely that the Guan Tun banner general, Tubuyan, was enraged. He donned a large helmet and roared in a muffled voice, "Brothers, grab your weapons, and let's go back and kill the crazy donkey!"
With sticks and fists, the three banners combined were no match for the White Tiger Banner. Tubuyan intended to resort to swords, spears, arrows, and other weapons.
"Tubuyan, what do you intend to do?" Wulans, the commander of the Flying Eagle Banner, was startled and quickly said to Tubuyan, "Sticks and fists weren't enough, do you think using weapons will make them a match? You have swords and spears, don't they?"
Wulans was the more level-headed of the three banner generals. He had already seen through Zhou Fugui's group combat tactics, which were formations for battle and had been trained. If the brawl escalated from sticks and fists to armed combat, the Flying Eagle, Iron Fox, and Guan Tun banners would definitely be at a disadvantage. Furthermore, if swords and spears were drawn, there would be casualties, and heavy casualties at that. The outcome was predictable: the Flying Eagle, Iron Fox, and Guan Tun banners would suffer greatly. If the higher-ups investigated, no one would come out unscathed.
Wulans and Balhu, the two banner commanders, now deeply regretted why they had inexplicably gotten involved in this matter. If they had known this would happen, they would have let the unlucky Tubuyan be killed by Zhou Fugui. Now, not only had their "rebels" been snatched by the White Tiger Banner, but two banner generals and their subordinates had also been beaten black and blue.
"Oh, this... so, withdraw back to the camp?" Tubuyan thought about it and agreed, but he was still unwilling. He brandished his steel saber, hesitating, wanting to go forward but not daring, wanting to retreat but unwilling.
At this moment, the "rebels" in the hands of Tubuyan and others had all returned to Zhou Fugui's White Tiger Banner...
Tubuyan's orders were unclear, and his subordinates were in disarray. Some picked up their swords and spears, some were in a panic, not knowing what to do, and some lay on the ground groaning in pain.
"Stop!" Just then, Commander Murong Tengge finally arrived with his troops. Seeing the chaotic scene, he was extremely angry and exasperated. He quickly shouted, "Throw down your sticks and weapons! Those who disobey will be executed!"
A moment later, Murong Bolie's elite cavalry also arrived.
"Clatter!"
The banner generals and soldiers of the Flying Eagle, Iron Fox, and Guan Tun banners heard this and breathed a sigh of relief. Seizing the opportunity, they quickly threw down their swords, spears, sticks, stones, and bricks.
The Flying Eagle, Iron Fox, and Guan Tun banners, having been thoroughly beaten, had already lost their will to fight. Stopping at this moment was not too humiliating.
"Disband!"
Commander Murong Tengge led his troops forward and issued a strict order. Zhou Fugui waved his hand and gave his order. He then thrust his wooden stick into the muddy ground. The soldiers of the White Tiger Banner also followed orders and neatly piled their wooden sticks into several heaps.
"Zhou Fugui, Tubuyan, Balhu, Wulans, you four rascals, get over here." Murong Tengge then summoned the four banner generals, including Zhou Fugui, to his side.
"Your subordinate pays his respects to the Commander!" The four banner generals bowed together.
The current state of the four was rather pathetic, especially the three Xianbei banner generals, Tubuyan, Balhu, and Wulans, who looked incredibly miserable.
Tubuyan still wore his large helmet, his eyes filled with lingering fear. His clothes were torn to shreds. His head, thanks to his foresight and protection, was mostly unharmed, but his body had undoubtedly taken many blows, leaving it bruised and battered.
Balhu had one shoulder higher than the other, making him look extremely awkward. Wulans still had a large bump on his head, making him look like a unicorn...
Of the four banner commanders, only Zhou Fugui appeared to be in better condition. However, having led his men to fight against a larger force, he had also taken many punches and blows, and his clothes were ripped to shreds, hanging on him in patches.
"Why the fight?" Murong Tengge asked the four with a grim face.
"Commander... Commander..." Tubuyan said with a crying face and sobbing, "This junior was ordered to capture rebels. After I finally caught a few people, I ran into Zhou the Madman, who said he had his eye on them first and insisted on taking them from my hands. Isn't this bullying? Commander, Zhou the Madman has gone too far. You must uphold justice for this junior..."
Balhu and Wulans snorted coldly in unison, their expressions filled with disdain.
On the grasslands, when did the men not fight? They fought against heaven, against the earth, against wolves and tigers. This was the life of grassland men. If you lost, you lost. You admitted defeat. Like Tubuyan, acting like a bullied young bride, would earn contempt.
"Hmph, Banner Commander Zhou, you tell me, why the fight?" Murong Tengge also snorted dismissively and asked Zhou Fugui.
The three banners combined had six to seven hundred men, yet they were thrashed by Zhou Fugui's less than two hundred men of the White Tiger Banner, leaving them defeated and in disarray. And he had the nerve to complain here?
"Commander..." Zhou Fugui stood tall and replied loudly, "This junior was also ordered to capture rebels and caught quite a few. But for some reason, Tubuyan insisted on snatching people from my hands. How could this junior agree? This junior tried to reason with him, but when persuasion failed, he resorted to force and attacked first. As the saying goes, when pushed too far, there's no need to endure further, hence this junior and his men merely rose in resistance!"
"I... you..." Tubuyan was so enraged that his face turned red and then pale. However, his face was covered by the mask, so others couldn't see it. He pointed at Zhou Fugui and angrily said, "You clearly snatched the people, and now you're blaming me? Commander, to twist black and white like this is rare in this world. Commander, this junior is wronged!"
Tubuyan was both angry and anxious. The overwhelming anger almost made him faint.
"Did you snatch the people and the credit?" Murong Tengge asked Zhou Fugui again with a dark face.
"Haha, Commander, whoever has the people has them. He says they are his, but who can prove it?" Zhou Fugui laughed heartily.
"My Guan Tun banner, over a hundred men, can all testify," Tubuyan replied angrily.
"My White Tiger Banner, over a hundred men, can also testify," Zhou Fugui smiled. "If you can't get them back with fists and sticks, do you think you can get them back with mere words?"
Everyone present nodded repeatedly. Even some of the Xianbei people nodded in agreement.
On the grasslands, different tribes fought each other, snatching horses, cattle, sheep, and territory, even women. This was a common occurrence, more normal than anything else. Zhou Fugui's actions were even more like those of a grassland person than a grassland person.
Was he not Han, but from the grasslands? The trace of wildness emanating from Zhou Fugui's bones made people's imaginations run wild.
"Slap!"
"Snatched credit? Don't you know when to stop!"
"Slap!"
"Disgraceful, making me lose all face!"
"Slap!"
"Do you think you are still on the grasslands? This is in the army, in the army of our Great Yan Empire! Where are the rules? Where is the military law?"
"Slap! Slap! Slap!"
Murong Tengge could no longer contain himself. He swung his riding crop, whipping Zhou Fugui and the other three banner generals across their faces.
Murong Tengge had not detected the rebellion within the army in advance and had been severely reprimanded by Murong Bolie, losing all face. He had hoped to make amends by capturing the rebels, but instead, he encountered this situation, which made Murong Tengge furious.
Murong Bolie's elite troops were watching from the side.
Zhou Fugui, Balhu, and Wulans, the three banner generals, raised their hands to shield their faces and let him whip them. Tubuyan, however, due to his foresight, wore his helmet, so he appeared smug. The riding crop struck his helmet with a crisp "slap, slap."
Finally having vented his anger, Tubuyan looked at Zhou Fugui with great satisfaction.
"Where are the commanders of each battalion?" Murong Tengge asked after he got tired of whipping.
"Your subordinate is here!" Albugu and two other battalion commanders stepped forward in response.
"Imprison them in the stable and await further orders!" Murong Tengge ordered hatefully.
So, the two battalion commanders escorted the four banner generals away. Albugu led his men to escort Zhou Fugui and Tubuyan towards the stable.
"Banner Commander Tubuyan, you can take off your iron helmet now."
"You've lost all your sticks, why are you still wearing that iron helmet?"
Along the way, Albugu's subordinates, seeing Tubuyan's comical appearance, couldn't help but tease him.
"I like wearing it, can you do anything about it?" Tubuyan retorted angrily, turning his head with difficulty.
Now Tubuyan wasn't afraid of sticks, nor was he afraid of his nose getting beaten. But his nose had been so badly beaten by Zhou Fugui that it was disfigured, severely affecting Tubuyan's handsome appearance...
Everyone present couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Hehe, Tubuyan... Hey, hey, Zhou Fugui, where are you going?" Albugu chuckled, then asked in surprise as he saw Zhou Fugui walking to the side.
"I'll be right back after I give a few instructions," Zhou Fugui replied without looking back.
"Oh, go and come back soon," Albugu nodded.
Albugu was a little afraid of Zhou Fugui, this stubborn and crazy colt.
Whether in battle or in a brawl, he was highly skilled. Albugu thought to himself that his own fat body was no match for him.
"You few, come here."
After Zhou Fugui walked to the front of the White Tiger Banner soldiers, he beckoned Li Qing, Dian Meng, Xu Mancang, Suo Dacheng, Feng Cheng, and Pan Jiangui over.
"Take those people back to the camp first and get some testimony from them," Zhou Fugui instructed. "Old Ghost, you're clever, give them some advice. Save as many people as you can."
Everyone nodded.
"Brother Fugui, you..." Xu Mancang then asked worriedly.
Xiao Qing also looked at Zhou Fugui with concern.
"It's just sleeping one night in the stable, it's nothing," Zhou Fugui waved his hand.
Compared to a military prison, a stable was like heaven. This was probably the treatment for Yan generals.