As the saying goes, while some families rejoice, others grieve.
The atmosphere in Ye City was heavy with sorrow.
From the commander Lu Ji down to the generals, everyone silently licked their wounds.
Meanwhile, the royal army in the southern part of the city was immersed in joy.
"The Commander is back!"
"Quick, let's go out and welcome him."
"In all these years, I've never seen anyone as brave as the Commander."
"The Commander is a true hero."
Amidst the clamor, Shao Xun made his way south along Pingchangmen Street, then crossed through the Mingtang and returned to the Piyong Academy via the same route he had taken earlier.
Along the way, soldiers continued to gather, including some scattered remnants of the Sizhou local troops, the Luoyang central army, and soldiers from other regions who had been hiding after their defeat.
Some commoners opened their doors and bowed in gratitude, thanking them for driving away the marauding soldiers and saving them from dire straits.
Chen Yougen curled his lips and said, "They didn’t dare show their faces earlier, but now they’re not afraid anymore. Remember, Commander Shao killed the rebel general Meng Chao and saved you from disaster. Don’t you forget that."
"Of course, of course," the commoners replied hastily.
Some wealthy families even sent servants to inquire about Shao Xun’s background, asking if he was a descendant of the Shao clan from Wei Commandery.
The Shao clan of Wei Commandery was a minor aristocratic family in Hebei.
One of its members, Shao Cheng, had served as a Cavalry General during Emperor Wu’s reign.
His son, Shao Xu, was known for his simplicity, ambition, and knowledge of classics, history, and astronomy.
He had a good reputation in Wei Commandery and was currently serving as a staff officer under Prince Sima Ying of Chengdu.
Chen Yougen didn’t react much to this, but Yu Liang, who had been welcoming Shao Xun along the way, quietly tugged at Shao Xun’s sleeve and whispered, "Shao Xu of the Wei Commandery Shao clan is currently serving in Prince Sima Ying’s court."
Shao Xun immediately understood—this was an attempt to dig a pit for him.
He laughed heartily and said, "I’m from Donghai. How could I have any connection to Wei Commandery? Why not say I’m from Wu? Back in the day, General Shao Yi of Wu surrendered to Grand Tutor Yang Hu, and his troops were settled in Xuzhou, right? To be honest, I don’t care for these connections. A true man makes his name with his own sword and spear, carving out his own path. Why should I rely on fake relatives?"
"The Commander is no ordinary man," Yu Liang chuckled.
Shao Xun understood the situation well.
In these times, many people tried to claim connections to powerful families.
Some aristocratic families, for various reasons, didn’t mind such claims.
If the Shao clan of Wei Commandery were willing to recognize Shao Xun as a relative and add his name to their family tree, it would be a significant boost for him, given his humble origins as a military household.
However, the Shao clan might not be willing to do so yet, as Shao Xun’s value wasn’t great enough, even though he had shown remarkable bravery.
But then again, when it came to matters of family survival, rules, face, and traditions often became meaningless.
Take the Yang clan of Hongnong, for example.
They had just been ravaged by Zhang Fang.
If a brave outsider surnamed Yang, leading a massive army, could offer them protection, would they refuse to recognize him as a relative? In the past, they might have been too proud, but now? Ha!
Yu Liang suddenly thought of his own family.
If he could establish a good relationship between the Yu clan of Yingchuan and Commander Shao, it would surely bring benefits in the future.
As night fell, the surroundings grew quiet.
The only sounds were the clanging of footsteps and the occasional groans of the wounded.
The Piyong Academy was now in sight.
Over five hundred soldiers had gathered along the way, and no one knew where they had all come from.
But whether they were old subordinates or newcomers, they all had a glow of excitement on their faces, surrounding Shao Xun like stars around the moon.
He was their core, their soul.
He had led them to two resounding victories, allowing them to survive in this cruel world.
Now, they followed his every command without question.
No one dared to whisper dissent or act against his orders.
His authority was solid and unshakable.
Soon, they reached the Piyong Academy.
The gates were crowded with the young men who had stayed behind.
When they saw Shao Xun, covered in blood, dismounting his horse with ease, they couldn’t help but erupt into cheers.
"Long live the Commander!" Chen Yougen, caught up in the excitement, laughed heartily.
"Long live the Commander!" the soldiers echoed, their cheers ringing out.
Some struck the ground with their spears, others clanged their swords against their shields, and some raised their hands high, their faces beaming like stars.
Shao Xun raised his hand, and like a switch had been flipped, the soldiers quickly fell silent.
"Send someone to Kaiyang Gate to report our victory," he ordered.
"Take stock of the spoils and distribute rewards according to rank and merit."
"Distribute weapons and armor as needed. Organize the newcomers into units and enforce strict discipline."
"Slaughter the injured horses, cattle, and sheep, and prepare a feast for the entire army."
After a pause, he added, "With me here, the enemy is easy to defeat!"
An even louder cheer erupted, soaring into the night sky.
After the victory, everyone’s spirits were high.
The soldiers who had fought in the battle, after drinking their meat soup, felt warm all over and eagerly recounted the Commander’s heroic deeds to the gathered commoners.
The commoners loved hearing these stories.
They were either farmers, craftsmen, servants, or members of wealthy families who had retreated from Panyuan or stayed near Kaiyang Gate.
The more heroic Shao Xun was, the safer they felt.
So even when they heard some exaggerated tales, they simply laughed and continued listening with delight.
Mi Huang was in an even better mood than anyone else.
As Shao Xun’s direct superior, he stood to gain a share of the credit.
If the Grand Tutor learned of this, he would surely entrust Mi Huang with greater responsibilities.
He had stumbled upon a treasure.
Mi Huang couldn’t stop smiling.
Since meeting Shao Xun, he felt that his future in the Grand Tutor’s court could be reshaped.
Things he had never dared to dream of before were now within reach.
Positions he had never considered competing for were now possibilities.
Thinking of this, Mi Huang sighed.
The Grand Tutor only used people like him and Liu Qia when his reputation was low and talent was scarce.
After all, he knew his own limitations.
If it weren’t for his status as a member of the Donghai gentry, would he have been made a military supervisor?
But as more and more talented outsiders joined the Grand Tutor’s court, Mi Huang felt increasingly powerless, unable to compete with these rising stars.
He had been gradually pushed to the sidelines.
But now, it seemed his luck was turning around.
Ha! Heaven is truly on my side.
"Commander Shao, your valor in battle today was unmatched. The enemy is nothing special. Why not rest for a few days and then set out again?" Mi Huang said, his face flushed after drinking a bowl of wine.
Shao Xun was momentarily speechless.
Did Mi Huang think he was some kind of invincible warrior like Li Siye or Ma Lin?
Mi Huang was getting carried away.
"Supervisor Mi, if Meng Chao’s forces hadn’t been attacking the city, and if they had been fully manned with three thousand soldiers, what do you think would have happened if I charged into their formation?" Shao Xun asked.
"Well..."
Mi Huang was at a loss for words.
"I would have died," Shao Xun said seriously.
"Today, Meng Chao only had a little over a thousand men, and his army was in retreat, with no will to fight. When I chased him down, he only had about a hundred men left, and they were all panicked and scattered. That’s how I managed to kill Meng Chao. Our troops are only slightly better than Meng Chao’s. We must not become arrogant and underestimate the heroes of the world."
A great general is not a reckless fool.
Unless there’s no other choice, and he’s forced to charge in a desperate situation, he always weighs the risks and knows when to strike and when to hold back.
During the Battle of Xiangji Temple, Li Siye stripped off his armor, wielded a long sword, and charged bare-chested, cutting down the rebel forces of An Lushan and Shi Siming.
But during the retreat from the Battle of Talas, he used a wooden club to knock the fleeing soldiers of the Ferghana Valley off the mountain path, clearing the way for his own escape.
He was criticized by Duan Xiushi for this and had to stay behind to cover the retreat.
Why didn’t he charge then? Because he knew his limits.
Showing off on the battlefield is a delicate art.
Without the sheer strength of Xiang Yu, Ran Min, or Xia Luqi, one must always be cautious—these three are the only ones in history recorded as having achieved the feat of killing a hundred enemies single-handedly in a single battle.
Hearing Shao Xun’s words, Mi Huang felt embarrassed and sincerely apologized, "I didn’t realize the dangers of the battlefield. I’ll be more careful with my words in the future to avoid making a fool of myself."
"Supervisor Mi, you’re too kind," Shao Xun said with a smile.
"What are your plans next, Commander?" Mi Huang asked tentatively.
"If they don’t provoke us, we won’t provoke them. We’ll focus on training and organizing our troops," Shao Xun replied.
Having won a brilliant victory, his authority was now at its peak.
This was the perfect time to thoroughly reorganize his somewhat chaotic forces, which would save a lot of trouble.
"Absolutely, absolutely," Mi Huang nodded repeatedly.
In his heart, he was thinking that with two victories under their belt, their achievements were quite impressive.
He had heard that Wang Bing had suffered a defeat in the western part of the city, with most of his troops scattered.
In comparison, he might have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
It was all thanks to Commander Shao’s fearless fighting.
Things he had never dared to dream of before were now within reach.
Looking at the young man before him, so dashing and extraordinarily brave, Mi Huang couldn’t be more pleased.
(End of Chapter)