"Lockdown? Scorched earth?" Luo Qi, the border guard's censor, proposed the tactics of lockdown and scorched earth. The border army commander, Hu Yan Sheng, remained noncommittal, but a grin spread across his face.
"Hmph, Grand Governor, what do you mean by that?" Luo Qi, seeing this, asked with a cold snort.
It was clear that Hu Yan Sheng disagreed.
"The Three Passes region, when has it not been plagued by barbarian cavalry raids?" Hu Yan Sheng said, casting a cold glance at Luo Qi and the assembled generals. "For a mere handful of barbarian riders to attack, and for the Three Passes to implement lockdowns and scorched earth policies? Implementing lockdowns and scorched earth hurts the enemy as much as it hurts us!"
"Grand Governor..." Fan Gu Xi reminded him softly, "The Duoyongjian tribe's advance this time is not small. According to reports, there are at least tens of thousands of cavalry."
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately became flustered, exchanging whispers and discussing amongst themselves.
"Mmm, tens of thousands of cavalry." Hu Yan Sheng said, gently stroking the tiger tally and tokens, "This commander has heard that the enemy force attacking this time numbers two hundred thousand, even more, far more than tens of thousands of cavalry!"
"Ah? Two hundred thousand? Oh dear, this is dire..." Luo Qi immediately let out a sharp cry, no longer bothering to mask his shrill voice with his usual hoarseness. Upon hearing this, he shrieked, "Quick, quick, quick! Give the order! Shut the gates tightly, prepare to defend against the enemy, and also dispatch gold-plated fast horses to urgently report to the imperial court, requesting reinforcements!"
While Snow Frost City and the other two passes were said to have a hundred thousand troops, fewer than thirty thousand were true elites. The rest were miscellaneous laborers, regional militia, and so on. These fewer than thirty thousand elite Zhenrong troops had to be distributed among Ghost Valley Pass, Kylin Pass, Snow Frost City, and other fortifications.
"Grand Governor..." The commander of Ghost Valley Pass, General Wu Fen, Gao Huai Zhong, looked at Luo Qi and then said to Hu Yan Sheng, "The official Luo speaks wisely. Requesting the imperial court to quickly dispatch reinforcements is the only way to defend against the enemy."
"Distant water cannot quench a near fire," sneered Sun Qi, the commander of Kylin Pass, General Wei Kou. "Across these thousands of mountains and waters, imperial reinforcements? By the time they arrive, the Three Passes may already be in enemy hands."
"Sun Qi, according to your opinion, how should we defend against the enemy?" Luo Qi asked angrily.
"Official Luo, do not worry..." Sun Qi quickly bowed and replied, "Your subordinate believes the barbarian army is too strong to confront directly. It would be better to abandon the Three Passes and retreat temporarily to another location, to avoid the enemy's sharpest thrust. Once the imperial army arrives, we can join forces and recapture the Three Passes."
Luo Qi, as the supervising censor of the border army, had the right to send secret memorials directly to the court. Not only were Sun Qi and others afraid of him, but even Hu Yan Sheng had to show him some deference.
"Fleeing from the enemy? That is not a bad strategy either..." Luo Qi misunderstood, and thus nodded, saying, "However, who will bear the responsibility for losing the Three Passes?"
In truth, Luo Qi was still pained by the thought of his private property. Fleeing the Three Passes would certainly save his life, but his private property... would surely be destroyed by the flames of war. As for the responsibility for losing the Three Passes, Luo Qi could easily shift the blame onto Hu Yan Sheng and the others.
Thus, whether to fight, defend, or abandon the passes fell upon the border army commander, Hu Yan Sheng. Everyone looked at Hu Yan Sheng in unison, awaiting his decision.
"As the defender of the Three Passes, I will naturally bear the responsibility alone!" Hu Yan Sheng said after looking at everyone. "Sun Qi, Gao Huai Zhong, you two have followed this old man for quite some time. Why are you still so reckless, so heedless of consequences, so ignorant of military matters?"
"Grand Governor speaks the truth." Sun Qi and Gao Huai Zhong's faces flushed slightly as they bowed in unison.
In fact, Hu Yan Sheng's words were also an insult to Luo Qi, causing him to secretly feel indignant.
Hu Yan Sheng then cast a cold glance at the assembled generals and said, "The more critical the moment, the more we must not lose our composure. We must remain as steadfast as Mount Tai before us, and as unblinking as a startled deer. Implementing lockdowns and scorched earth is indeed a sound strategy, and it is feasible, but not at this moment."
Hu Yan Sheng's final statement offered some small comfort to Luo Qi, allowing him to save a little face, and consequently, Luo Qi nodded.
"The Three Passes of Ghost Valley, Kylin, and Snow Frost have stood on the northern frontier of our Great Yan for a long time, and have been harassed by barbarian cavalry for just as long," Hu Yan Sheng then said slowly. "The Three Passes are still in our hands. When have the barbarian cavalry ever not been repulsed with heavy losses? Therefore, gentlemen, there is no need to panic. We will meet the enemy as they come, and block the water as it flows. With the Duoyongjian forces advancing, what is there to fear?"
"Grand Governor speaks wisely, 'We will meet the enemy as they come, and block the water as it flows.' What is there to fear?"
"Let us fight! Grand Governor, give the order."
Upon hearing this, the generals were immediately invigorated, rising to their feet in unison and responding loudly.
"Grand Governor, when we are about to fight a major battle with the barbarians, are we really just going to open the gates wide like this?" Luo Qi was still preoccupied with his "sound strategy."
"Official Luo..." Hu Yan Sheng shook his head slightly upon hearing this. "Appearing lax on the outside while being tight on the inside is the superior strategy! The key to this battle is the morale of the army and the people. If we panic before the battle, what will the army and the people think? There are countless soldiers and civilians fleeing from beyond the passes, are we to abandon them all? Therefore, we will not close the gates for now. Soldiers will patrol outside the passes, strictly examine all who enter, and all units will make preparations and stand ready to defend against barbarian attacks."
Hu Yan Sheng then looked at Luo Qi and smiled slightly, "Official Luo, the barbarian cavalry is still far from here, there is no need to panic."
"Grand Governor speaks wisely." Luo Qi replied, his face flushing slightly.
"We are stationed at the Three Passes under imperial decree. The people of Great Yan within the Three Passes rely on us. How can we allow the fertile lands of Great Yan south of the Three Passes to be trampled by barbarian cavalry?" Hu Yan Sheng then cast a cold glance at Sun Qi and loudly ordered, "From today onwards, anyone who dares to speak of abandoning the passes will be executed!"
"Your subordinates obey the Grand Governor's command!" Hearing this, the generals all solemnly accepted the order.
...
Indeed, the older the ginger, the spicier it is. Hu Yan Sheng's composed command, his fearlessness in the face of danger, his deployment of troops, and his arrangements were all carried out in an orderly fashion, leaving Zhou Fu Gui, who had been standing at the entrance for a long time, greatly impressed.
No wonder Hu Yan Sheng could long serve as the commander of the border region and earn the trust of the Yan court, Zhou Fu Gui thought in admiration.
"Guard Zhou, come in." Hu Yan Sheng and the assembled Yan generals discussed matters until late at night. After they and Luo Qi had departed, Hu Yan Sheng suddenly called out to Zhou Fu Gui.
Zhou Fu Gui was deep in contemplation when Hu Yan Sheng suddenly called him. He was momentarily stunned, but showed no outward reaction.
"Zhou Fu Gui, the Grand Governor is calling you." Tu Ti Si walked up to Zhou Fu Gui with a smile and reminded him, patting him on the shoulder.
That Hu Yan Sheng valued Zhou Fu Gui was no longer a secret. Many of the personal guards were aware of it, except for Zhou Fu Gui himself...
Zhou Fu Gui was not an unobservant person, but perhaps the saying "those involved are blind, while bystanders see clearly" applied to him.
Tu Ti Si was happy for Zhou Fu Gui, while other personal guards felt either jealous, disdainful, indifferent, or puzzled.
Why could this newcomer, who also considered himself rather clever, be so highly valued by Grand Governor Hu Yan Sheng? Many personal guards were utterly bewildered.
"Oh, oh..." Zhou Fu Gui heard him, tidied his armor, drew his saber, and pushed open the door to enter.
...
As Zhou Fu Gui entered the room, Hu Yan Sheng was pushing open the wooden window. An autumn breeze gusted into the room, causing the oil lamp inside to flicker.
"Winter is approaching. Guard Zhou, have you adapted to the harsh cold weather here?" Hu Yan Sheng asked after Zhou Fu Gui entered.
"I'm doing alright..." Zhou Fu Gui replied with a shrug. "What else can I do? If I adapt, I live. If I don't, I freeze to death and that's that."
"Haha! You are quite carefree," Hu Yan Sheng chuckled heartily upon hearing this.
"Carefree? Not really." Zhou Fu Gui shook his head. "There are many things I cannot let go of in my heart."
"What things? The white bear or the two Western female slaves?" Hu Yan Sheng asked, looking at Zhou Fu Gui. "The white bear has already been released? You really didn't need to do that. The 'Flying Bear Army' of our Snow Frost City... perhaps that white bear was a good omen."
Zhou Fu Gui was stunned by this. He stared blankly at Hu Yan Sheng, cursing in his heart, *Old man, why didn't you say so earlier?*
Zhou Fu Gui had released the white bear, Chi You, into the wild, leaving it to fend for itself. He still regretted it and felt heartbroken.
The white bear, Chi You, saw Zhou Fu Gui as its reliance, even as a parent. Yet, Zhou Fu Gui had cast it aside like worn-out shoes. Thinking about it made Zhou Fu Gui feel miserable.
"You were willing to release the white bear, so why did you keep those two Western female slaves?" Hu Yan Sheng continued to ask, ignoring Zhou Fu Gui's glare.
"They are human, not beasts, and certainly not livestock," Zhou Fu Gui replied somewhat angrily.
"Compassion? This old man doesn't see it." Zhou Fu Gui was so angry his face turned red and his neck bulged, but Hu Yan Sheng remained unfazed, calmly saying, "Beauty is before one's eyes, and few can resist temptation. Zhou Fu Gui, for one who wishes to achieve great things, why cling to two lowly slaves?"
"I... you..." Zhou Fu Gui replied indignantly, "This humble one harbors no grand ambitions, so what great things do I wish to achieve?"
"Oh, is that so?" Hu Yan Sheng looked at Zhou Fu Gui and asked.
Hu Yan Sheng's gaze seemed to penetrate Zhou Fu Gui's thoughts, making the indignant Zhou Fu Gui appear somewhat flustered.
"Leave them then..." After a long pause, Hu Yan Sheng sighed and said, "Regarding the current battle situation, what are Guard Zhou's astute opinions?"
"The battle situation? Astute opinions?" Zhou Fu Gui replied in surprise, "Grand Governor, this humble one is in the dark, knowing nothing. Regarding the current battle situation, what astute opinions could I possibly have? And how would I dare to have any?"
"Oh..." Hu Yan Sheng nodded and, pointing to a stack of documents on the desk, said to Zhou Fu Gui, "Go take a look. You have the time it takes for one stick of incense."
The stack of documents on the desk were all urgent reports from various parts of the border. Some were real, some were fake, some were crucial, and some were trivial. In the time it took for one stick of incense, it would be extremely difficult to select and analyze useful information from them.