In the first year of Yongxing (304)—no, after Sima Ai was captured, the emperor decreed a change to the era name to Yong'an, so now it was the first year of Yong'an—by the end of the first month, it was time to retreat.
Of the two hundred soldiers who had been separately organized, not all of them left.
Over a hundred and sixty departed, while the remaining thirty or so expressed their willingness to follow Shao Zhuzhu.
More than twenty young soldiers insisted on returning to their hometowns—though some of them were not entirely resolute, but now there was no chance for regret.
Shao Xun inquired among the commoners who remained in the Piyong, mainly some of the original craftsmen and servants from the Pan Garden, along with a few Luoyang residents who had sought refuge there.
In the end, more than thirty households were willing to accompany these young people on their journey to the East Sea.
Shao Xun instructed them to head south first, then turn east, to avoid being captured.
Before leaving, everyone shared a farewell meal, then took their weapons and rations and went their separate ways.
There was a touch of sadness and reluctance, as they had lived together for several months.
For instance, the young lady from the Yu family, Yu Wenjun, took advantage of her father and brother's inattention to steal a few more glances at Shao Xun.
Shao Xun wanted to crack a joke, but seeing the stern expression of her mother, Lady Qiu, he decided against it.
The ways of modern people should not be imposed on the ancients.
Embarrassment was minor, but offending someone would be worse.
"Make sure all the grain, weapons, bedding, and cooking utensils are packed properly," Wu Qian said, sounding like a nagging old farmer.
He was used to being poor and couldn't bear any waste.
Even a chipped clay pot or a blackened wooden spoon was too precious to discard, and he ordered them to be packed and taken along.
As he put it, accumulating these things wasn't easy, and they must be frugal.
With Luoyang in such a state, after reorganizing the army, they might not receive much in terms of supplies.
"These horses eat too much. Sigh. After we return to the city, we should trade them for grain. Grain is too precious."
"Be careful with the Zhuzhu's collection of battle records. Lock them in a box, don't tear them. Without these, when you go to the battlefield and know nothing, you brats will be waiting to die."
"Don't forget the whetstone!"
"Pack these horse hides properly. They can make a few good sets of armor."
Wu Qian walked around, shouting loudly, seemingly fully immersed in his role as a supervisor.
Shao Xun watched with a smile.
The old man had completely integrated into the group, even more dedicated than he was.
If this sense of belonging could spread to everyone, they would become an unbreakable force, capable of facing greater numbers with courage.
By the time everything was packed, it was already afternoon.
Shao Xun took one last look at the Piyong, where he had fought for several months.
Here, he had lost over two hundred of his men.
Team leaders Liu Tong and Zhong Huan'er had fallen in battle, their blood almost soaking into every inch of the land.
Now, they were embarking on a new journey.
The next battle might be even more brutal, with more familiar faces lost, but such was life—life in turbulent times.
No need to dwell on it.
Let's move!
"Pair up and help each other put on the armor," Shao Xun stood on a carriage, holding a heavy sword, and shouted.
"Yes, sir!" The soldiers responded in unison, not stopping their work.
Thanks to the previous assistance from Lady Pei and two victories in battle, the Piyong was not lacking in armor and weapons.
They could even equip several teams of elite soldiers clad in iron armor.
In terms of equipment, they were not inferior to the central army in Luoyang.
The only thing lacking was combat experience, still a step behind the veteran troops, and they needed more time to train.
What was encouraging was that their morale might be slightly higher than most units in the Luoyang central army.
The general is the courage of the soldiers.
With a fierce leader like Shao Zhuzhu, the morale of the men was high.
It seemed that as long as the Zhuzhu led them forward, there was no enemy they couldn't defeat.
Seeing the soldiers fully armored, Shao Xun jumped down from the carriage and stood in the front row.
With a wave of his hand, he said, "Follow me!"
"Follow me!" Chen Yougen roared, and thirty elite armored warriors quickly followed, forming a protective circle around Shao Xun.
"Follow me!" Huang Biao also shouted, leading his team of fifty armored soldiers to follow.
"Follow me!" Zhou Ying, the leader of the third team, called out.
"Follow me!" Team after team filed out, with strict discipline, their weapons and armor gleaming, marching north along the Kaiyang Gate Street.
A few commoners came out of their houses to watch.
Those who remained near the Kaiyang Gate outside the imperial street were mostly aware of the Piyong garrison.
For months, it was this unit that had maintained relative peace in the area.
Thanks to the constant propaganda from the loudmouth Chen Yougen, the commoners even knew of a supervisor named Shao Xun, who was exceptionally brave, slaying enemy generals and keeping the bandits at bay.
Thus, his reputation grew.
There were pros and cons to this.
Nothing in the world is perfect; it all depends on how you weigh the benefits and avoid the pitfalls.
By the time of the Shen hour (3-5 PM), the large contingent entered the city through the Kaiyang Gate without any hindrance, eventually arriving near the Minister of Works' residence inside the Dongyang Gate by evening.
The clanking of armor and the synchronized footsteps had already alerted everyone.
Sima Yue, Lady Pei, the heir Sima Pi, and several advisors, introduced by Mi Huang who had entered the city earlier, got their first look at this unit that had fought outside the city for nearly half a year.
Well, the soldiers near the Minister of Works' residence were all adult soldiers.
Among them, the veterans who had fought in the Piyong defense stood at the front, while those who had joined after the battle stood at the back.
As for the young boys and children, they were driving the supply carts, staying far away, barely visible from here—though it didn't matter.
In armies of this era, there were plenty of old men and children; it was a common sight.
"Greetings, Minister of Works," Shao Xun, clad in armor, dismounted and bowed.
"Greetings, Minister of Works," the soldiers, clad in armor, struck the ground with their spear shafts and shouted in unison, their voices carrying far.
Sima Yue stared for a long time, his face flushing red.
This unit looked even more formidable than He Lun's upper army.
Indeed, after He Lun led his troops from the East Sea to Luoyang, they hadn't fired a single arrow or fought a single battle.
Naturally, they couldn't compare to Mi Huang's men who had seen real combat.
Good, very good!
"The soldiers have fought hard and deserve rewards. Each man shall receive two bolts of cloth," Sima Yue, pleased, announced the reward on the spot.
The soldiers remained silent.
"Thank you, Minister of Works, for the reward," Shao Xun bowed again.
"Thank you, Minister of Works, for the reward," the soldiers cheered, finally showing their joy.
Sima Yue didn't notice anything amiss, but Wang Dao frowned slightly.
Private soldiers? Not quite.
Then it must be strict discipline.
This military man is quite interesting.
He's managed to unite a few hundred men into a cohesive force, and his prestige is quite high.
Comparing this to He Lun's two thousand men, of which the nine hundred from the East Sea were passable, but the thousand newly recruited soldiers were almost like commoners.
Wang Dao even pessimistically speculated that Shao Xun could lead these few hundred men to defeat He Lun's two thousand upper army.
His expression darkened, and his plump body shifted uneasily.
He had underestimated Shao Xun.
Lady Pei, dressed in splendid attire, stood there, elegant and graceful.
Shao Xun wasn't wearing armor but had donned that bright red military uniform.
Lady Pei's gaze lingered on the uniform.
So dirty, and he hasn't washed it?
Seeing Shao Xun bowing respectfully, she thought to herself that even he could be well-behaved at times.
When she had summoned him alone before, his eyes had darted around, always lingering on her face.
You owe me too much!
Once the peace negotiations are completed and Zhang Fang's army enters the city, you'll pay me back slowly.
The nine-year-old heir, Sima Pi, gaped at the warriors before him, unsure of what to say.
They looked quite impressive.
A few months ago, when Wang Bing had fled into the city with only a few dozen men left, the state of those soldiers was still fresh in the heir's memory.
Comparing goods, some must be discarded; comparing people, some must die.
Wang Bing truly wasn't up to par.
Born as the heir, he had received an education different from others.
While it might be an overstatement to say he was deep-minded, he was certainly more mature than the average person and thought more deeply.
Sometimes, he was even brought along by his father to attend various meetings, listening to the advisors' suggestions.
Through this exposure, he had formed his own understanding of the current situation.
Shao Xun was undoubtedly a capable man.
His mother had said that he could be entrusted with important tasks in the future, and he agreed.
In such chaotic times, having such a brave general would bring peace to the household!
What strange things were Liu Qia and Wang Dao saying? His mother said they were jealous of talent, and it seemed she was right.
For the first time, the nine-year-old heir, Sima Pi, genuinely disliked some people from the bottom of his heart.
"Someone, prepare some wine and meat to reward my soldiers," Sima Yue, having calmed down, ordered.
"Yes, sir!" Someone immediately responded.
Sima Yue signaled with his eyes, and Mi Huang stepped forward to help Shao Xun up.
Today's grand entry into the city was worth it!
At this delicate moment, no matter what, the lord couldn't afford to abandon Shao Xun in the short term.
His importance might have already surpassed many of the aristocratic advisors in the council.
"There will be a banquet tonight. Gou Xi, Wang Hu, Pei Kuo, and Cheng Fu, the imperial army commanders, will attend. The Minister of Works doesn't have many impressive military officers, and you are the Central Army Major he personally promised. Be prepared to attend," Mi Huang whispered.
Shao Xun gave an almost imperceptible nod.
After two years of struggle, had he finally earned the right to attend such a high-level banquet?
(End of Chapter)