The Prefectural Governor's Mansion in Zhuo County,
The Front Hall,
When Zhang Fei brought Guan Yu here, Qin Feng had already been waiting for a long time.
"My Lord~!"
Seeing Qin Feng waiting in the front hall, Zhang Fei quickly knelt on one knee and said respectfully:
"My elder brother has already been sent out of the city by me. Your subordinate thanks you, my lord, for sparing his life!"
"It's nothing!"
Qin Feng stepped forward with a light smile to help Zhang Fei up, and said meaningfully:
"Just for the sake of you two, I couldn't make things too difficult for Xuan De."
"Furthermore!"
"As long as one's own strength is formidable, let alone a mere denunciation, what can even an army's encirclement achieve?"
"My lord speaks wisely!"
Zhang Fei stood up smoothly and pulled Guan Yu, who was beside him, to introduce him:
"My lord, this is my second brother, Guan Yu, Guan Yun Chang. He has also decided to pledge allegiance to you!"
"Is that so?"
Although he had been mentally prepared, Qin Feng's face still showed a smile of surprise.
"Yun Chang, have you truly made up your mind?"
"Yes!"
Seeing Qin Feng's surprised expression, Guan Yu felt somewhat flattered and said:
"If Lord Qin does not mind, Yun Chang is willing to serve you day and night!"
"Hahaha..."
Hearing Guan Yu's affirmative reply, Qin Feng laughed heartily and patted his shoulder.
"Yun Chang, what nonsense are you speaking? Your arrival is my honor!"
Saying that, before Guan Yu could react, Qin Feng directly made a decision:
"How about this!"
"I currently have ten thousand cavalry under my command. You two will each be responsible for five thousand."
"How about it?"
"This..."
Guan Yu's eyes widened instantly. Without further hesitation, he knelt down with a thud.
"My Lord, please accept Yun Chang's bow!"
"Right, right, right..."
Zhang Fei, who was somewhat stunned by the shock, also knelt down closely behind him.
"My lord, please rest assured, my brothers and I will definitely manage the cavalry well for you!"
"Hehe~!"
After calmly receiving their bows, Qin Feng narrowed his eyes and smiled:
"Yun Chang, Yi De, I have a mission for you right now. Would you be willing to undertake it?"
"A mission?"
Hearing Qin Feng say this, Guan and Zhang hesitated not at all, and directly cupped their hands:
"My lord, please command!"
"Very good!"
Qin Feng nodded with satisfaction, got up, and took a simple map from the side. (A reward item.)
"Although I am a rebel, it is for the sake of allowing the common people to live better lives."
"But these Wuhuan barbarians actually dare to take advantage of the chaos to plunder!"
"This is unacceptable!"
Saying that, Qin Feng spread out the map and pointed to the area next to Shanggu Commandery.
"Yi De, you should know that the Wuhuan who attacked us a few days ago came from Shanggu Commandery."
"That's right!"
After Zhang Fei nodded affirmatively, he explained to the somewhat bewildered Guan Yu beside him:
"Second Brother, the day you arrived, we had just fought a battle with the Wuhuan."
"Oh?!"
Guan Yu's heart tightened upon hearing this, and he quickly asked: "What were our losses?"
"We lost no more than six hundred men in battle, beheaded four thousand, and captured over ten thousand prisoners!"
"This..."
Guan Yu, who had been somewhat worried, was astonished upon hearing this and said:
"Are the Wuhuan barbarians' combat capabilities so weak?"
"Not entirely weak!"
Before Qin Feng could speak, Zhang Fei began to praise Li Xiuning.
"Thanks to our strategist, who set the Wuhuan ablaze, making them wail."
"First, we..."
"We blocked their escape routes, and if they didn't want to die, they could only surrender!"
"So that's how it was!"
Listening to Zhang Fei's storytelling-like explanation, Guan Yu nodded in understanding.
He had wondered!
He had seen the Wuhuan barbarians before. Although weak, they weren't so weak as to be slaughtered indiscriminately.
So they had fallen into a trap!
However,
If this was the case, the animosity would surely be fully ignited. Would they be attacking the barbarians next?
As Guan Yu was contemplating this, he heard Qin Feng say with a grave tone:
"Your mission, to put it simply, is simple, but to put it difficult, it is a bit difficult!"
"My Lord~!"
Meeting Qin Feng's solemn gaze, Zhang Fei patted his chest vigorously.
"Just give us the order, and my brothers and I will never disgrace you!"
"Then I will be direct!"
Seeing that Guan and Zhang both indicated they understood, Qin Feng decided to give his orders directly:
"The Wuhuan tribe that attacked us last time was the Chaker tribe. According to interrogations, their tribal location is nearby."
"It is said that it is impolite not to reciprocate hospitality!"
"Since they wish to plunder our Han citizens, we shall wipe them out completely!"
"Yi De, heed my command!"
"Ah?"
Zhang Fei, who was listening intently to the explanation, was momentarily stunned before reacting.
"Your subordinate is here!"
"I order you to be the commander of the First Cavalry Battalion, with two thousand eight hundred elite Han cavalry and two thousand two hundred archer cavalry under your command. You will depart early tomorrow morning."
"Yes!"
The excited Zhang Fei knelt before Qin Feng again, roaring with the voice of a bell:
"Your subordinate will not fail your trust, my lord!"
"Very good!"
Qin Feng smiled with satisfaction, then turned to look at Guan Yu, who was showing anticipation on the other side.
"Yun Chang, heed my command!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
"I order you to be the commander of the Second Cavalry Battalion, with one thousand one hundred elite Xuanjia cavalry, three thousand light cavalry, and an additional one thousand archer cavalry under your command. You will depart early tomorrow morning!"
"As you command!"
The excited Guan Yu followed suit, knelt down with a thud, and said in a deep voice:
"Yun Chang will not fail your trust, my lord. I will surely bring back the Chaker tribe in its entirety!"
"Mm~!"
After signaling them to rise, Qin Feng pondered for a moment, and then still instructed:
"Aside from the resisting young and strong men, try not to kill the old and weak if possible."
"My Lord is merciful~!"
"..."
Looking at the somewhat reverent eyes of Guan and Zhang, Qin Feng's mouth twitched slightly.
Forget it!
If it's a misunderstanding, let it be a misunderstanding!
Anyway,
As long as those Wuhuan captives behaved, he really didn't need to kill the old and weak.
What a great means of control!
.........
Although in ancient warfare, the saying always goes that the army moves, but provisions come first.
But that also depends on the situation!
For example, when a pure cavalry force is dispatched, logistics do not need to be as urgent.
Especially for short-distance campaigns on the grasslands.
As long as the cavalry carry enough of their own rations, their warhorses can be fed while on the march.
Of course!
Given that the entire Chaker tribe would be relocated later, Qin Feng still had Liu Jiang lead five thousand shield soldiers, along with one hundred four-wheeled carts, to serve as the logistics team.
"My Lord~!"
Looking at the horse-drawn carts Qin Feng had configured for the logistics team, Li Xiuning said with some anticipation:
"Are these carts already in mass production? Are there any more? Get some for us too!"
"What do you need horse-drawn carts for?"
Seeing Li Xiuning's expectant gaze, Qin Feng asked curiously:
"We are only recapturing a few nearby counties. Do we still need to bring logistics?"
"It's only a two-day round trip, alright!"
"..."
Seeing Qin Feng's bewildered look, Li Xiuning felt like she didn't want to talk to a military layman.
However,
Thinking of those large-capacity and fast-running horse-drawn carts, Li Xiuning still took a deep breath.
"My Lord, the army's deployment is not a trifling matter. How can we not bring logistics just because the distance is short?"
"What if something unexpected happens?"
"If the army runs out of food, it is very easy to lead to mutiny and desertion!"
"What's more..."
At this point, Li Xiuning paused and shrugged with a sense of helplessness.
"Who told you that logistics are only needed for battles?"
"Don't the daily provisions need replenishing?"
"Or are you expecting to find provisions in the granaries of those counties?"