Liu Jin nodded upon hearing this, not showing any intention to refuse.
After this period of confrontation, although there were no major battles, everyone was still very tired. Now that the war was over, it was natural to rest.
So he led the people behind him and slowly walked towards the city.
The common people on both sides of the street already knew that the person in front of them was Liu Jin, who had defeated the Xianbei army.
Many common people cheered, their high-pitched voices echoing non-stop along the streets.
Riding a tall horse, Liu Jin wore a kind smile and nodded to the surrounding common people, displaying a gentle and refined demeanor.
This scene warmed the hearts of many common people, and their cheers grew even more intense.
Two days later!
In a mountain hollow a hundred li away from Gaoliu City.
A large number of scattered Xianbei soldiers were gathered there, estimated to be two or three thousand.
Ke Bineng sat on a large rock, looking dejected and with a confused expression.
Standing beside him were several Generals, who sighed repeatedly upon seeing their leader in such a state.
One of the Generals, holding a large flatbread and a water flask, handed them over and whispered,
“Leader, you haven’t eaten for two days. You should eat something to fill your stomach first. This can’t go on.”
Several Generals beside him echoed,
“That’s right, Leader. If you don’t eat, how can you go on? You’ll starve yourself eventually.”
Ke Bineng listened to the voices around him, his parched lips slightly parted, and a hoarse voice slowly came out,
“Have you found any news of my younger brother?”
The Generals around him looked grim upon hearing this, hesitated for a moment, and then all shook their heads.
Seeing their expressions, Ke Bineng’s hoarse voice continued,
“You should report truthfully. Whether my younger brother is dead or alive, it has nothing to do with you.”
Upon hearing this, everyone hesitated, and one of the Generals whispered,
“Leader, we just learned from the soldiers who escaped that General Ju Luo Hou was killed by that Han Army General.”
“Before he died, Ju Luo Hou held onto the opponent’s long spear, seemingly to delay time and prevent the Han Army General from leaving.”
Upon hearing this, Ke Bineng’s body trembled slightly, and tears unconsciously flowed from his bloodshot eyes.
His mind continuously recalled his younger brother’s familiar face and his honest and simple appearance, never expecting that at this moment, he would be completely gone.
He wanted to roar with all his heart, but he forcefully suppressed it.
At this moment, he was just a defeated General, and his roar would only be a waste, making the surrounding soldiers laugh.
He deeply hid this unforgettable hatred in his heart, with only one thought: in the future, he would definitely avenge this hatred.
Not only that, but after returning to the prairie, he would deal with those tribes.
They had sneakily fled during the great battle, abandoning him and leaving him to fend for himself, causing his younger brother to cover their retreat and die tragically on the battlefield.
These people were all murderers, and they all deserved to die and be buried with his younger brother.
Ke Bineng directly reached out and took the water skin beside him. He opened the stopper and tilted his head back, gulping down the water.
The Generals around him were slightly stunned by this scene and felt that something was amiss.
They never expected that the Leader, upon learning of his younger brother’s death, would not be enraged, but instead became very calm.
It was this abnormal feeling that made their hearts somewhat creeped out.
After drinking a flask of water, Ke Bineng looked at the Generals around him and asked in a clear voice,
“How many scattered soldiers have we gathered here?”
One of the Generals beside him quickly replied upon hearing this,
“Reporting to the Leader, we have gathered nearly two thousand people over the past two days.”
“As of today, not many more people have fled here. They have either already returned to the prairie or have been captured by the Han Army.”
Ke Bineng heard this and slightly calmed his heart.
He had only led three thousand cavalry on this expedition; the rest were gathered from various tribal leaders.
With the two thousand-plus soldiers currently before him, it was enough to make up for some losses and prevent too much deficit.
Although they had suffered a great defeat, the morale of these people was low, and they had become scattered soldiers. As long as they were brought back to the prairie and properly comforted for a while, they could still regain their spirits.
Ke Bineng immediately ordered the Generals around him in a clear voice,
“You all go and reorganize them, then follow me back to the prairie.”
The Generals immediately bowed in response and went down to reorganize the two thousand-plus scattered soldiers.
Soon, they left this mountain hollow and headed towards the vast prairie.
Inside the county office of Gaoliu City!
Liu Jin sat in the main hall, with Tian Feng, Min Chun, Wei Zhong, and others sitting beside him.
After two days of rest, everyone’s spirits slowly recovered, and they no longer had the tense state they had before.
Tian Feng’s voice slowly came out,
“Marquis, after two days of statistics, the list of meritorious soldiers has all been recorded.”
Liu Jin said, “Oh,” upon hearing this, and immediately waved his hand, signaling for the register to be presented.
After receiving it, he opened it and carefully examined it. It clearly listed the Generals of this battle.
Ranked first, of course, was Liu Jin, the commanding General.
After him were Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhang He, Wu Xing, Zhang Yang, Hao Zhao, Zhao Yun, and others.
After reviewing it for a moment, the allocation of merits was accurate, and there was no deliberate attempt to diminish others’ contributions.
He then looked at some mid-level Generals, who were basically of the Qu Junhou and Tuncun ranks.
However, what surprised Liu Jin was that Gao Shun had emerged from the crowd. He was a Tuncun of Gaoliu City.
He just didn’t know if this Gao Shun was the same as the Gao Shun who was famous in military history.
It should be known that the Trap Camp led by Gao Shun in history was invincible, capable of defeating enemies several times their number, and could be called the strongest army in the Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period.
Liu Jin’s eyes showed joy. He lacked such a person who could train strong armies.
If he could train a powerful Trap Camp, it could still have a considerable effect on the battlefield, and even turn defeat into victory.
Looking at the people in the tent, he immediately asked,
“Who is this Gao Shun? Does anyone know?”
Wei Zhong, the county magistrate of Gaoliu City, who was sitting next to him, immediately stood up upon hearing this and bowed, saying,
“Reporting to Prefect, this subordinate knows.”
Liu Jin heard this, and his expectant gaze turned to him, motioning for him to continue.
Wei Zhong cleared his throat, and his voice slowly came out,
“Gao Shun was poor and sickly from a young age, and he started as a slave. He then joined the army to serve.”
“Because he possessed martial arts and was brave and skilled in battle, he performed excellently in the army and was gradually promoted to the position of Tuncun of Gaoliu City.”
“However, he is strict in governing the army, and his soldiers are very elite, even capable of fighting ten enemies at once.”
