"Reclaim our wives and children! Reclaim our cattle and sheep! Reclaim our homeland!"
"Kill them! Kill them!"
"Fight to the death! Fight to the death!"
Inside the encampment, Zhou Fugui's words were like a spark, igniting the humiliation, unwillingness, and rage in the slaves' hearts. Like adding fuel to the fire, it caused a stir among the slaves, who roared loudly.
Zhou Fugui's ability in this regard was probably something his divine teacher, Huo Qubing, would have felt inferior to...
"Everyone emerges from their mother's womb pure and innocent. Why are we born to be slaves to others? Why do we live worse than pigs and dogs?" After waving for the slaves to quiet down, Zhou Fugui seized the opportunity and continued, "You are human, you are flesh and blood humans. You are not pigs, not dogs, not beasts, and you should not be beasts. Your parents brought you into this world not to be beasts, but to be humans. But what is a human? What does it mean to be a person? Humans have dignity, humans are free. Humans are not pigs and dogs, to be slaughtered at will, driven at will, enslaved at will. But do you have that? Do you even live like humans?"
A murmur of sobbing arose from the slaves upon hearing this.
"However..." Zhou Fugui then looked at the slaves and continued, "My arrival here today gives you the chance to be human again. To be frank, I am not from a noble family. I come from a poor and humble background. I was also a slave, but I will never be content to be a slave. I have always fought against them to the death. My head can be severed, my blood can flow, but my unyielding heart will not die, my unyielding heart will endure forever!"
"Cang lang!" With a sound, Zhou Fugui suddenly drew his heavy sword, swung it in the air, and then, with a "chia" sound, plunged it into the earth.
"Both you and I wish to be human, but some will not allow it, and some still wish to lord over us, to drink our blood and suck our marrow..." Zhou Fugui tightly gripped the sword hilt, cast a glance at the slaves, and roared, "Then we shall use this sword to reclaim our justice."
"A man of seven feet will never be a slave!" Zhou Fugui drew his long sword, pointed it obliquely at the sky, and roared loudly.
"Fugui..."
"A man of seven feet will never be a slave!"
The commotion here was too great. Li Qing, Xu Mancang, Suo Dacheng, Xue Wentai, Pan Jiugui, Bai Ma Wu, Yang Xinhong, Wu Tianqi, Wei Xiazi, Chen Kunkun, Hong Wei, Yelihu, and the rest of the Yan army all rushed over, feeling deeply ashamed.
Suo Dacheng glared fiercely at Xu Mancang and the others. Of the recent events, only Suo Dacheng and Li Qing had not participated.
Zhou Fugui's words, besides wanting to awaken these slaves and inspire their fighting spirit, also subtly expressed his own aspirations, thus causing Xu Mancang and the others to feel ashamed.
Zhou Fugui had poured his heart and soul into this, but what had they been doing?
The Yan army, while secretly ashamed, shouted loudly.
"A man of seven feet will never be a slave!"
The slaves also raised their arms and shouted.
"Fight and resist, never yield!" Zhou Fugui shouted again.
"Fight and resist, never yield!" everyone echoed.
Under the leadership of An Minghai, two hundred beast fighters suddenly bit their tongues, dipped their fingers in blood, and drew a pattern on their foreheads. Then, in unison, they knelt on one knee before Zhou Fugui.
"Lord! We are willing to follow you, to shatter our bones, and fear nothing!" An Minghai said loudly, placing one hand on his chest and looking at Zhou Fugui.
"Lord! We are willing to follow you, to shatter our bones, and fear nothing!" The two hundred beast fighters also roared, kneeling on one knee before Zhou Fugui.
The title "Lord" often refers to parents or elders, but it can also be used for those in high positions, such as princes and nobles. A tribal leader is called a "Bu Da," meaning tribal lord.
At this moment, An Minghai and the two hundred beast fighters called Zhou Fugui "Lord" not because Zhou Fugui was a noble of the Xiongnu, but as a form of utmost respect and reverence. Marking their foreheads with blood was their way of expressing a vow, a promise to follow Zhou Fugui to the death, never to betray him in this life or the next, lest they incur divine punishment.
Zhou Fugui was not entirely clear about the meaning of their actions, but he could grasp the general idea. He supported An Minghai and replied gently, "In our army, there are no slaves. There are only brothers, comrades who share life and death!"
An Minghai and the other slaves were deeply moved, their eyes welling up with tears.
When had the Xiongnu ever treated them as humans, let alone brothers? Zhou Fugui's words had won their hearts.
"Li Qing, Suo Dacheng, Ye Guanti..." Zhou Fugui then looked at the disappointing Xu Mancang, Pan Jiugui, and the others, saying, "Xu Mancang, Pan Jiugui, Bai Ma Wu, I leave these people to you. You must make them understand the military law of our White Tiger Battalion in a short time. Distribute weapons, armor, horses, and prepare to meet the enemy!"
Zhou Fugui estimated that the Xiongnu's retaliation would be imminent.
"As you command!" Li Qing, Suo Dacheng, Ye Guantiao, and the others responded loudly in unison.
Thus, Zhou Fugui suddenly gained over two thousand fresh troops, especially the two hundred fierce beast fighters.
A lord is indeed a lord. As soon as they joined his command, he distributed weapons and horses? Such trust made one feel compelled to give their all for him, An Minghai thought to himself.
A soldier dies for a confidant, a woman adorns herself for one who fancies her. I shall repay this kindness!
Clear-minded and skillful, such a wise leader is worthy of service, Ye Guantiao thought to himself.
Who is this young scholar? Where did he come from? It seems he has already gained Fugui's trust? Li Qing mused to himself after receiving the order, looking at Ye Guantiao.
It's just playing with a few Xiongnu women, why are you acting like I owe you eight hundred taels of silver? Xu Mancang thought dismissively after receiving the order.
Blackie, carbon-head, troublemaker, Wei Xiazi glared at Xu Mancang, regretting it inwardly. He had strongly advised against it at the time, but in the end, he was swept along by Xu Mancang and the others. However, that concubine of the Xiongnu Right Valley Leader Ao Deng was quite good...
The camp commander is indeed the camp commander, truly capable! Yang Xinhong, Wu Tianqi, Wei Xiazi, and the others praised him inwardly, but did he really dislike beautiful young women? Or had the cold northern weather caused some ailment?
He is indeed a peerless hero, worthy of coming from Xiong Gu, Agudamu the Dingling man thought greatly in admiration. Not only had he saved himself and his younger sister Abi Yasi, but he had also rescued so many pitiful slaves.
Pan Jiugui gave Xu Mancang and the others a poker-faced glance.
Pan Jiugui, while fulfilling his duties, was tied up outside the tent by them.
Thus, with their own thoughts, each went about their tasks.
...
"You two have arrived? Please, have a seat. Agudamu, please bring some water."
Night had fallen. After days of continuous marching and a full day of work, the Yan soldiers, except for those on guard and patrol, had already fallen asleep. But Zhou Fugui dared not sleep. Even with over two thousand fresh troops, he couldn't sleep. The reason was important military intelligence, which forced Zhou Fugui to invite the two strategists, Li Qing and Ye Guantiao, to discuss it.
Agudamu placed a hand on his chest and retreated outside the tent to fetch water.
"I am poor and have no tea, so I can only offer water instead. Please forgive my lack of hospitality," Zhou Fugui said with a smile to Li Qing and Ye Guantiao as they entered the tent.
At this time, Zhou Fugui was not impoverished. The Yan army had broken into the camp of the Right Valley Leader Ao Deng and seized a large amount of wealth, including cattle, horses, sheep, and even precious items like gold and silver. However, a thorough search of the camp yielded no tea.
The preciousness of tea on the grassland was evident.
"General, there's no need for such ceremony," Ye Guantiao said with a smile.
"Fugui, we are from the same hometown. Why be so formal?" Li Qing also said with a smile.
"Scholar..." Zhou Fugui also smiled and then said to Li Qing, "He is Ye Guantiao from Anding, from a prominent family, and a scholar's lineage, is he not? It is a pity that he was captured and enslaved in the north due to the troubled times."
"The General speaks the truth..." Ye Guantiao nodded. "However, that is a matter of the ancestors. By my time, the family has declined and disgraced our forebears."
"The world is so vast that it cannot accommodate our writing desk," Li Qing sighed and bowed to Ye Guantiao. "Your humble servant, Li Qing from Youyun, greets Brother Ye."
"I dare not..." Ye Guantiao hastily replied. "I have long heard that your army has a wise strategist. To meet him today is the fortune of three lifetimes!"
Li Qing bowed again, and Ye Guantiao replied again. The two slightly pedantic scholars, engaging in a back-and-forth, seemed to have met each other too late, making Zhou Fugui both amused and exasperated.
"Enough, enough! What time is it? Why all this unnecessary formality?" Seeing that the two were endlessly engaged in pleasantries, Zhou Fugui interrupted them with a wry smile. "There will be time for you two to dally later."
"This is a map drawn by Guantiao," Zhou Fugui said, ignoring the surprised expressions of the two and pointing to a sheepskin map. "Although the map is rather crude, the mountains, rivers, grasslands, hills, and forests are clearly marked. It shows Guantiao's great talent, and I am deeply impressed.
Others might not know or attach importance to maps, but Zhou Fugui understood the importance of maps for military operations. Therefore, obtaining this map was like acquiring a treasure, and it made him look at Ye Guantiao with even greater admiration.
"General, you flatter me!" Ye Guantiao said hastily. "This belonged to the Xiongnu Right Valley Leader... um... Chieftain Ao Deng. I secretly made a copy and added some annotations."
"This is very good as well," Zhou Fugui nodded and said. "There are now two large armies approaching us. How should we respond? I would like to hear your opinions, gentlemen."
A dead person can be addressed however one wishes. Why would I care about such trivial matters? Zhou Fugui glanced at Ye Guantiao and chuckled inwardly.
Perhaps he had become exceptionally cautious due to being in a wolf's den, Zhou Fugui thought, changing his mind.