"I, Song Jian, was entrusted by Prefect Han Sui and Prefect Ma Teng to ambush you, sir. I deserve to die a thousand deaths, please spare my life!" Song Jian was, after all, one of the warlords of Xiliang, and his army consisted of two thousand cavalry, fully equipped with armor and weapons—far beyond what an ordinary bandit would possess.
Bandits barely had any iron weapons; where would they find the resources to supply cavalry?
"Oh, now is the time to use men. I will spare your life. Take him away and keep him under guard." Lu Ming ordered his men to take him away, then looked around the stronghold and sent men to escort the caravan in for a rest.
The women were all somewhat pale, but thanks to the ginger tea, spider orchid tea, and the Kava potion, they didn't experience any adverse reactions to the change in environment.
This was also thanks to Lu Ming's medicine kit, which contained many medicinal herbs and plants, ensuring a food supply.
Furthermore, animal husbandry has begun. Pheasants lay eggs, wild boars breed and provide meat, goats provide both meat and milk, and sheep provide wool for weaving warm clothing.
Currently, wild boars and goats are still in their breeding season and cannot provide meat; even if they are born, they need to be raised.
Therefore, Lu Ming prefers planting rapeseed to extract oil, which can then be used as a substitute for animal fat in cooking.
Good ingredients, when prepared into dishes, ensure a balanced diet.
Women are still somewhat delicate and need more care.
Moreover, a nutritious diet is essential for them to gain weight; otherwise, they will become thin and weak, unable to sustain their long journey.
The reason he brought them back this time was twofold: firstly, to allow them to see his mother and mother-in-law; and secondly, because Lu Ming felt Luoyang was no longer safe.
It was better to keep his family and relatives at his base camp to avoid suffering.
Emperor Ling cannot hold on much longer; this time, he was sent out for a final, desperate struggle.
In the main hall, Lu Ming met with Fa Zheng and told him about Song Jian's situation. Ma Teng and Han Sui were now planning to join forces to attack him.
He only had ten thousand men under his command and was also responsible for dealing with the plague in Anding County. The situation was dire and not good.
Fa Zheng pondered for a moment. Anding County was practically his hometown.
He did hope Lu Ming could resolve the spreading plague, but reason told him that it was best not to take on this responsibility; it wouldn't benefit his development.
After a moment's thought, he had some ideas. "My lord," he said, "the rebels in Xiliang weren't united before; they were all suspicious and distrustful. Why not find a way to make Han Sui and Ma Teng break apart, let them fight amongst themselves, so we can focus on developing our land and wait for the right opportunity to wipe them out and pacify Liangzhou!"
"To do that, we need to defeat them first," Lu Ming said with a sinister smile. "Only by inflicting defeat and harboring resentment can we widen the rift between them!" He grabbed a map and slammed it on the table, pointing to a spot. "This is it! Ambush the combined forces of Han Sui and Ma Teng here. Defeat Ma Teng's forces, then focus on Han Sui's. I'll also write a letter, partially scribbling over it, and send it..." "Give it to Ma Teng. Han Sui will definitely be wary. If he asks for it and sees the graffiti, what do you think Han Sui will do?"
"Old and new grudges combined will surely lead to the end of their cooperation. If they send people to sow discord between their subordinates, then a bloodbath is not a problem. My lord's plan is brilliant! In this way, the threat to Liangzhou will be minimized. Once the land reclamation is bountiful and the soldiers have finished their training, we can march north and recover Jincheng and Wuwei counties!" Fa Zheng was somewhat excited, so he clasped his hands and said, "Leave the letter to me, my lord."
"Alright, only Xiaozhi can do it. I can't write such beautiful characters." Lu Ming wasn't being modest; he really couldn't write calligraphy.
He didn't need to learn, because there was no need.
He could use charcoal instead. Calligraphy was fine for cultivating one's character, but for writing letters, it required some skill.
While the two were plotting, in the northern part of Anding County... The two armies converged in Huangsha County, one bearing the banner of "Han" and the other of "Ma."
Clearly, these were the troops of Han Sui and Ma Teng!
They had all gathered together, seemingly intending to do something.
"Shoucheng, you're late! You'll have to drink three cups of wine as punishment tonight!" Although Han Sui was a tough man, he possessed a scholarly air compared to the burly middle-aged man.
In a poor place like Xiliang, his ability to study and be educated was the reason he stood out among his peers.
His alliance and sworn brotherhood with Ma Teng were born out of necessity.
Back when Han Sui was still called Han Yue, he went to the capital Luoyang on official business. General He Jin, having long heard of his reputation, specially requested to meet him. Han Yue advised He Jin to eliminate the eunuchs, but He Jin refused. Han Yue then requested to return Liangzhou.
Even Han Sui, with his discerning eye, could see that He Jin was incapable of great responsibility; how much more so would others?
Therefore, he left He Jin, unwilling to follow such a fool, for there was no future for him.
The Qiang people, led by Beigong Boyu, rebelled, taking Bian Yun, then a military officer in Liangzhou, and Han Yue, another Liangzhou official, hostage and refusing to release them.
The Liangzhou governor, Zuo Chang, dispatched Gai Xun to garrison Ayang County. Seeing that Ayang County could not be captured, the rebels turned their attention to Jincheng Commandery, killing its prefect, Chen Yi, and forcing Bian Zhang and Han Yue to join their ranks, electing Bian Zhang as their leader.
Bian Zhang then led his army to besiege Ji County, the prefectural capital. Zuo Chang requested reinforcements from Gai Xun.
Gai Xun arrived in Ji County with reinforcements, rebuking Bian Zhang and his men for betraying the court.
Bian Zhang and Han Yue both said, "If Zuo Chang had listened to you earlier and sent troops to rescue Jincheng County, perhaps we could have reformed. Now our sins are too grave to surrender." Bian Zhang and the others then left weeping, lifting the siege of Ji County.
Later, they besieged the troops of Xia Yu, the Protector of the Qiang.
Bian Yun changed his name to Bian Zhang, and Han Yue officially changed his name to Han Sui.
In the previous battle, Han Sui and Ma Teng had fought against Dong Zhuo and Lu Ming, but at that time they had never heard of Lu Ming; he was an unknown figure, not worth their attention.
Now, this insignificant figure, through a series of fortuitous events, had become a powerful figure, and was now proving somewhat troublesome.
"Haha, Brother Wenyue, you're craving a drink, aren't you? I just happened to bring some fine wine with me. Tonight, we brothers will drink until we drop!" Ma Teng laughed heartily. He was middle-aged, tall and strong, but unlike the typical fierce generals of Liangzhou, he had a beard and a scholar-general's style.