The Third Year of Zhongping, mid-June!
The fiery red sun hung in the sky, casting down its scorching rays.
Yanmen Commandery, Prefect's Mansion, in the pavilion of the back courtyard!
Liu Jin, dressed in a grey robe, sat in the pavilion, accompanied by his three wives: Yin Yue, Zhen Yu, and Zhen Jiang. They were all there to escape the heat.
Nearby, several maids were continuously fanning them with folding fans.
Yin Yue slightly raised her beautiful eyes, looked at the scorching light in the sky, and frowned, saying,
“Husband, the weather has been getting hotter and hotter lately. Even wearing one extra layer is unbearable.”
Liu Jin nodded upon hearing this and said with concern,
“It’s already mid-June. In a while, the weather will become even more muggy and hot. All of you ladies must stay in cooler places to avoid the heat.”
“Do not suffer from heatstroke, otherwise, you will feel dizzy and nauseous.”
Upon hearing this, the three women obediently nodded.
As they sat in the pavilion, chatting with each other, a maid slowly walked towards them.
With a respectful expression, she bowed slightly and said,
“Reporting to Lord, Military Advisor Tian, Military Advisor Cheng, Chief Clerk Jian, and others are waiting in the main hall. It seems they have something to discuss.”
Liu Jin was momentarily stunned upon hearing this. Without thinking further, he immediately stood up and said with a smile to his three wives,
“Wives, I must go attend to some matters.”
The three women gently nodded, all showing expressions of concern.
After bidding farewell, Liu Jin left the back courtyard and headed towards the main hall in the front courtyard.
He mused to himself that Tian Feng, Cheng Yu, Jian Yong, and others seeking him out simultaneously clearly indicated an urgent matter; otherwise, they wouldn't all appear at once.
Soon, he arrived at the main hall. He saw Tian Feng, Cheng Yu, Jian Yong, and Li Li seated on either side, chatting with each other.
Hearing footsteps, they saw Liu Jin enter. The crowd dared not be negligent, promptly stood up, and bowed, saying,
“Greetings, Lord.”
Liu Jin smiled and waved his hand, then sat down alone in the main seat, asking,
“What matter brings all of you here together?”
After exchanging glances, Tian Feng stepped forward and said loudly,
“Reporting to Lord, an order has been issued by the court and just delivered.”
Liu Jin was startled upon hearing this, his face instantly filled with solemnity. An order from the court? Could there be some deployment?
He immediately waved his hand, signaling Tian Feng to continue.
Tian Feng’s voice slowly came,
“Due to the Xiongnu in the Hetao region frequently causing trouble, dispatching small groups of soldiers to raid nearby villages, especially in recent days, the Xiongnu tribes have become restless, showing signs of impending rebellion.”
“After unanimous discussion by the officials in the court, it was decided that Lord should lead his own troops to suppress them, to subdue the Xiongnu tribes and make them behave.”
“Additionally, Lord has been granted the authority to control six commanderies: Yanmen Commandery, Dingxiang Commandery, Yunzhong Commandery, Wuyuan Commandery, Shuo Fang Commandery, and Shang Commandery. You may independently raise provisions and consolidate troops for the suppression.”
Liu Jin trembled slightly upon hearing this, his eyes showing shock, and his breathing became rapid.
He hadn't expected to be given such great authority, to control six commanderies.
Although these commanderies were relatively desolate and sparsely populated, they were still six commanderies, with territory larger than a province in later generations.
Moreover, these six commanderies would all be under his control, which was an enormous power.
Historically, the Sun Wu regime rose to power relying on the six commanderies of Jiangdong, establishing a foundation and a separatist regime that lasted for decades.
He now controlled six commanderies. Although they couldn't compare to the six commanderies of Jiangdong, if developed well, they could also become his foundation.
Everyone seated on either side showed excited smiles.
At the very least, the territory controlled by the Lord had increased by half. As long as it was developed well, his strength would gradually increase.
After a period of excitement, Liu Jin slowly returned to normal.
Although he controlled six commanderies, his strength was still not strong. Even Shuo Fang Commandery was still within Xiongnu territory.
If he wanted to reclaim it, he would naturally have to defeat the Xiongnu and demonstrate his strength to hold onto these six commanderies.
If he couldn't even deal with the Xiongnu, he naturally wouldn't be qualified to hold onto these six commanderies, nor would he be able to make them his foundation.
Looking at everyone in the hall, he asked,
“Since the imperial decree has been issued, I must naturally lead the army to campaign. What are your thoughts on this Xiongnu force before us?”
Upon hearing this, everyone began to whisper among themselves. They had discussed this earlier and had some good ideas.
Tian Feng once again stood up and said,
“Reporting to Lord, the leader of the Southern Xiongnu stationed in the Hetao region is named Yufuluo. He has many tribal leaders under his command. All their troops combined amount to about six to seven thousand cavalry and around twenty thousand foot soldiers.”
“Their royal court is stationed at Zuoguo City in Shuo Fang Commandery, which is a gathering place for the Xiongnu tribal people, numbering around three hundred thousand.”
“If we wish to teach the Xiongnu a lesson or drive them out of Han territory, we must deploy all our elite forces to have a chance of engaging them in battle.”
Liu Jin nodded upon hearing this.
The strength of the Southern Xiongnu was not very strong. They had always been subservient to the Han, and the Hetao region was a place of recuperation given to them by the Han, essentially a fostered canine tribe.
It was just that in these turbulent times, the Xiongnu began to stir up trouble, wanting to continue encroaching on territory and acquiring population and resources to expand their strength.
Tian Feng’s voice continued,
“Also, if we are to campaign against the Xiongnu, it would be best to first deal with the horse bandits around Shang Commandery and Wuyuan Commandery, stabilize the internal situation, and then deal with the Xiongnu after freeing up our hands.”
“This is to avoid the horse bandits in the surrounding areas suddenly attacking and harassing our rear while we are fighting the Xiongnu, which could easily lead to the collapse of the front-line battle.”
Liu Jin was not surprised by this. The commanderies of Bing Province were indeed plagued by numerous horse bandits, whose destructive impact was no less than that of these foreign tribes.
When he first took over the three commanderies, his first order was to eradicate the bandits within the commanderies, prioritizing internal stability.
After a moment of thought, Liu Jin loudly instructed everyone in the hall,
“Since the strategy has been initially decided, let us quickly consolidate our troops and mobilize provisions, and head to the territory of Wuyuan Commandery.”
After saying this, Liu Jin looked at Jian Yong and Li Li beside him and instructed,
“Xianhe, Bo De, effective immediately, conscript three thousand laborers to transport fifty thousand stone of provisions to Wuyuan Commandery City first, to ensure the army’s subsequent supplies.”
Jian Yong and Li Li immediately stood up and said loudly,
“We respectfully obey Lord’s command.”
Liu Jin nodded slightly, his hand on the blade at his waist, and his voice of command continued,
“Furthermore, order Guan Yu, Gao Shun, Liu Wei, Wu Xing, Zhang Yang, Zhao Yun, and others to assemble their respective troops and be ready for deployment at any time.”