Chapter 133: Commanding the Supreme Marshal
After Li Zheng left, Li Yun made his way to the county government office of Linshui County. There, he personally took up a brush and wrote a notice to reassure the people.
The notice was simple, mainly informing the townsfolk that they would not be harmed and advising them to stay indoors as much as possible over the next few days.
At this point, Li Yun deliberately did not mention that he and his men were official troops.
He was uncertain about the imperial court’s standing in the hearts of the Linshui people, and what role it played there.
If the court was unpopular in this region, openly declaring themselves as official troops might backfire.
He needed to observe the situation for a few days before deciding how to communicate with the townspeople.
After finishing the notice, Li Yun summoned several scholars and placed the notice before them.
“Copy it. Each of you, three copies. Before dawn, paste them all over Linshui County!”
Having just endured a fierce battle overnight, Li Yun’s clothes still bore fresh blood, and naturally, the scholars dared not resist. They began copying the notice with trembling hands.
By the time Li Yun finished these arrangements, dawn was breaking. He then led the anti-bandit squad on a patrol around the city to ensure everything was secure before returning to the county office.
By now, it was nearly noon.
Zhou Liang arrived at Linshui City with the remaining men.
Li Yun opened the city gates and let Zhou Liang’s troops in, arranging rest quarters for the soldiers. Then he pulled Zhou Liang aside into the county office and asked, “Third Uncle, how did the battle at Tianmu Mountain go yesterday?”
Zhou Liang replied, “It went smoothly.”
“After the village chief charged once, the enemy was thrown into disarray. Once the chief left, when we advanced, they had completely lost the will to fight.”
“However, most of our men were new to battle and initially panicked a bit. But once the enemy fled, our troops grew bolder.”
“By the time Skinny Monkey came looking for me, fewer than twenty of our men had fallen.”
“The enemy was entirely routed, though since it was mountainous terrain, a hundred or so escaped. The one surnamed He, their leader, was not captured, only two officers were taken.”
“Later tally showed nearly a hundred of our men injured, many due to unfamiliarity with the mountain terrain, suffering falls or scratches from the bushes.”
“That’s quite an achievement.”
Li Yun smiled and said, “Having such a victory in our first battle will boost their courage considerably when facing the Yuezhou army later.”
“This is a rare opportunity.”
Li Yun continued slowly, “If not for sheer luck, we wouldn’t have found such an easy opponent.”
A military spirit is forged only one way:
Victory, victory, and more victory!
The first battle is crucial—if they had been crushed immediately, there might not be a next fight.
Li Yun’s newly recruited soldiers were indeed fortunate: barely trained for half a month, and they had inexplicably won a decisive victory under his command!
This was undoubtedly a huge morale boost.
After chatting with Zhou Liang about Tianmu Mountain for a while, Li Yun yawned widely. He then looked at Zhou Liang and said, “Third Uncle, Linshui County is dangerously close to Qiantang Commandery. The enemy might strike within two or three days. We cannot slack off; patrols must be arranged carefully.”
Rubbing his eyes, Li Yun mumbled drowsily, “I need to get some sleep first.”
Linshui was not a particularly safe place, but its strategic location was vital. The Yuezhou army could strike back at any moment, so Li Yun had to maintain his energy.
He had barely rested in two and a half days and needed to catch up on sleep.
Otherwise, if the enemy arrived while he was exhausted, it could spell disaster.
It was no exaggeration to say that Li Yun alone represented half the fighting power of the entire anti-bandit squad.
Not because he could take on over a hundred men single-handedly, but because having such a fierce commander leading the charge greatly inspired morale and boosted combat effectiveness.
Zhou Liang nodded in agreement, responding, “Chief, rest assured. I will arrange everything properly.”
He then smiled at Li Yun, “If we can hold Linshui and defend it, that will be a great achievement in General Su’s eyes. You might even secure a foothold in the court with this merit.”
“No need to worry about the court just yet,” Li Yun stretched and smiled. “Holding a firm position in the army is enough. Third Uncle, there will be many opportunities in this rebellion to gain merit!”
Zhou Liang smiled and said, “Then Chief, you’d better get some rest. I’ll handle things in the city.”
Li Yun nodded silently. After a moment’s thought, he added, “By the way, that young man Deng Yang is quite competent. If there’s anything that needs doing, assign it to him.”
“He shouldn’t cause any trouble.”
Zhou Liang considered this and smiled, “Got it, I’ve noted it.”
Li Yun waved goodbye and went to find a place to sleep.
After Li Yun left, Zhou Liang wandered around Linshui City a bit, then climbed the city tower and surveyed the small county town below.
He murmured, “It’s really big…”
“How many mountain strongholds combined would it take to match this size?”
Meanwhile, Li Zheng rode his horse, having informed Zhou Liang at Tianmu Mountain, then pressed on without pause towards Ningguo.
He reached the Ningguo main camp, shouting urgently about an emergency military situation.
The words “emergency military situation” were carried straight into General Su Jing’s command tent.
Li Zheng knelt with a thud, lowering his head and saying, “General, Captain Li arrived at Linshui and seized the opportunity. He has retaken Linshui County City. Awaiting your orders!”
Su Jing stood, furrowing his brows as he looked at Li Zheng. “You… what did you say?”
“My subordinate reports that Captain Li has captured Linshui!”
Li Zheng looked up at Su Jing and, catching his breath, said, “Captain Li said Linshui County City isn’t very secure. I rushed back to inform you, General!”
“Dispatch reinforcements quickly to secure Linshui!”
“Captain Li says that once Linshui is taken, we can freely advance or retreat throughout Qiantang Commandery!”
Su Jing walked up to Li Zheng and studied the young man carefully. After a long moment, he said slowly, “There are no jokes in the army. If you falsified a report, not only you but Li Zhao as well, will be sentenced to death.”
“I could execute you immediately.”
Li Zheng pointed to the bloodstains on his clothes and said loudly, “The scars of battle are still fresh. If you don’t believe me, send men to Linshui and see for yourself.”
“You’ll know at once!”
Su Jing frowned in silence.
It wasn’t that he doubted Li Yun’s abilities.
He knew that strange strongman was no ordinary soldier. In fact, he had sent Li Yun to Linshui precisely to scout the situation. When the main force arrived in Qiantang and engaged the rebel army’s attention, Li Yun would have a chance to capture Linshui.
He believed Li Yun could find that opportunity.
However, Su Jing thought such an event would take at least two or three months.
His new soldiers needed over a month for basic training before they could be deployed.
And the decisive battle against General Zhao’s rebel forces in Qiantang would take more time after that.
But now, Li Yun’s troops had only been out for a few days—less than ten!
And they had already taken the strategically crucial Linshui County with just over four hundred men?
This was almost unbelievable.
Su Jing frowned deeply and pondered for a long while, then looked up and stared at Li Zheng for several moments.
Li Zheng met his gaze without fear and said, “General, I was involved in the entire operation and can report every detail to you.”
Su Jing exhaled heavily.
“Go ahead.”
Li Zheng then related the whole story.
After finishing, he paused and continued, “The rebels hadn’t fought much either, so taking Linshui wasn’t difficult. But Captain Li warned that the rebels in Qiantang could send reinforcements at any time.”
“Therefore, we ask the General to respond quickly!”
“Captain Li says that if no reinforcements arrive within ten days, they will voluntarily withdraw from Linshui.”
“Ten days… ten days…”
Su Jing frowned and thought for a moment, then said, “I have always assigned deadlines to my subordinates, but this is the first time a subordinate commander has assigned one to me.”
He grunted, “And he’s only a junior captain!”
“Su Cheng!”
He called out.
A thirty-something officer immediately stepped forward, saluted, and said, “Reporting, sir!”
“You lead a hundred cavalry to Linshui and assess the situation.”
“If the report is true, leave the hundred cavalry there to help defend the city, then send two men back to report to me!”
Su Cheng respectfully bowed his head.
“Yes, sir!”
(The chapter concludes)