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"Greetings, Commandery Governor Wang." Jia Qu cupped his hands and bowed to Wang Yi, Governor of Hedong Commandery.
Wang Yi had personally visited Jia Qu at the southern camp two days prior, conveying his request for Fei Qian's assistance. Therefore, this time Jia Qu was formally returning the visit according to scholar-official etiquette to inform Wang Yi of Fei Qian's decision.
"Excellent! I am deeply grateful for Inspector Fei's great kindness and goodwill!" Wang Yi visibly relaxed with a sigh of relief.
Lu Chang's unexpected death in an ambush outside Xiangling was a heavy blow to Wang Yi. Putting aside personal friendship between them, purely in terms of matters, if Lu Chang were still alive, one would command the commandery troops in the field while the other organized rear support in Anyi, a clear division of labor with smooth cooperation to jointly resist external invasion.
But Lu Chang's death was like unexpectedly severing one of Wang Yi's arms. Therefore, securing Fei Qian's support was like receiving charcoal in a snowstorm for Wang Yi.
"Commandery Governor Wang, my lord has likely already dispatched troops. I hope you will issue directives to the various counties to grant them convenience." Jia Qu said. Although various county towns might not dare to hinder Fei Qian's forces, having official documents from Wang Yi could secure some supplies, or at least reduce trouble during movements.
"Naturally!" Wang Yi didn't engage in empty formalities. He immediately called for documents, stamped them with his official seal, and handed them to Jia Qu.
During the Han Dynasty, boundaries between commanderies were clearly defined. Crossing borders with troops required either central court documents or an invitation like Wang Yi's now.
Without authorization, county magistrates had the right to refuse entry to such armies and withhold any supplies.
Thus, with this document, Fei Qian's military operations within Hedong Commandery would be legitimate.
Jia Qu carefully stored the document, exchanged a few casual remarks, then bid farewell to Wang Yi: "Tomorrow I will dismantle the camp and head north. Does Commandery Governor Wang have any further instructions?"
Wang Yi was somewhat surprised. From a positional standpoint, Anyi was a relatively rearward city. Moreover, for Yellow Turban bandits, Anyi—the long-maintained and well-prepared seat of Hedong Commandery—was a tough nut to crack. Generally, Yellow Turban forces wouldn't attack Anyi. Therefore, Jia Qu's camp at Anyi was also relatively safe.
But now Jia Qu stated he would leave Anyi for the Beiqu camp, an action that naturally made Wang Yi feel somewhat puzzled. "Did Inspector Fei give you such an order?"
"No. It's because those at the front are risking their lives; Qu is unwilling to remain at the rear." Having said this, Jia Qu performed another bow to Wang Yi and took his leave.
Wang Yi saw him off briefly, then fell into contemplation as he watched Jia Qu depart.
Although Anyi had high walls and sufficient troops, staying within the city didn't guarantee everything would be fine. Without strong command at the front, there was still a deficiency.
As Jia Qu said moments ago, "those at the front are risking their lives." Counties and commandery troops at the front were fighting desperately, while he commanded from the rear. While not a major fault, it certainly didn't fit the image of a responsible commandery governor.
From the beginning of their tenure, he and Lu Chang hadn't chosen to collude with local powers in Hedong. Wasn't that also due to a sense of pride and conviction? Otherwise, clinging to the coattails of these local powers upon arrival would have made governing easier…
But being responsible didn't mean acting recklessly.
If he led troops to the front, he must choose a suitable location, at least not end up dead in an ambush like Lu Chang.
It would be best to be relatively close to Fei Qian's forces for better mutual support and coordination.
Comparatively, Wang Yi trusted Fei Qian more because their interests didn't conflict at all, unlike certain others…
Wang Yi frowned, pondering: which place would be most suitable for him to go?
×××××××××××××××
"Commander Yang, a few days ago you insisted on taking Xiangling; today you say we can't attack Xiangling. Have you gone mad? Hahahaha…"
Li Le laughed, swaying left and right.
Yang Feng ignored Li Le, silently picked up a wine cup, and took a sip. The wine was excellent, the kind they could never have tasted on Lüliang Mountain—top-quality vintage, delicious and mellow, fragrant and lingering, with a sweet aftertaste. Unfortunately, this jar was the last. Getting such fine wine again would be difficult now.
Hu Cai sat nearby. Hearing Li Le's words, he merely raised an eyebrow slightly, then focused again on a jade pendant in his hand. The pendant was crystal-clear and smooth, with simple, elegant, and flowing patterns, typical Han Dynasty style. Hu Cai admired it more and more, breathed on it, then chuckled and wiped it with his sleeve.
Han Xian, however, sat upright, stroking his beard with one hand, looking somewhat imposing. Han Xian said, "Commander Yang, has there been some change?"
Yang Feng set down his cup. "That day after capturing Yong'an, I suggested immediately attacking Xiangling, taking advantage of their unpreparedness to seize the city in one strike. That would have given us complete flexibility—advance or retreat, whether staying in Hedong or moving to Taiyuan-Jinzhong, all very convenient…"
"You said that before. I'm talking about why you just said we can't attack Xiangling now…" Li Le shook his head, speaking bluntly, seemingly itchy between his legs, scratching as he spoke.
Han Xian said, "We're all brothers here; casual speech is fine. Commander Yang, don't mind it… But indeed, why did you just say we can't attack Xiangling now?"
"Heh…" Yang Feng poured himself another cup of wine, then held the cup and said, "If we had dispatched troops then, we'd probably be drinking and celebrating inside Xiangling city by now. But dispatching troops now?"
Yang Feng shook his head, paused, then continued: "Xiangling County town is situated between the Fen River and the Lüliang Mountains, easy to defend, hard to attack. We've wasted three or four days for no reason. Attacking now, I'm afraid Hedong is already prepared and waiting for us!"
Li Le was momentarily stunned but still insisted: "We have so many men. Even if Xiangling is prepared, so what? We can still take it if we want!"
Hu Cai held the jade pendant up to the light, examining it. Hearing Li Le's words, he snorted derisively and said, "Then please, Commander Li, take the vanguard! We'll await your good news!"
"Damn you! You want me to charge forward while you pick up the spoils? Coward!" Li Le immediately retorted angrily.
"Enough!" Han Xian frowned. "We're all brothers; what's there to argue about! Commander Yang, given the current situation, are we really not attacking Xiangling?"
Yang Feng drank the cup in one gulp, closed his eyes to savor the taste for a moment, then said: "Like before? Definitely not feasible… We'll have to think of another way…"