pappabearbooks Chapter 19 Ding Yuan: I'll personally witness the three wonders!
Chapter 19 Ding Yuan: I'll personally witness the three wonders!
"Tell me, have you captured another Han Chinese city?"
The soldier gritted his teeth, finally mustered his courage, bowed his head, and loudly reported, "Your Majesty, the Left Wise King has been defeated!"
"What?"
Budugen suddenly looked up, his gaze fierce.
News has arrived from the border!
"When the Left Wise King attacked the Han-held county of Linrong, he encountered fierce resistance and suffered a crushing defeat!"
"Eighty thousand soldiers died in battle, sixty thousand were captured and brutally massacred, and the Left Wise King was also captured; his fate is unknown!"
"Yanmen Pass was also recaptured by the Han people, and all 80,000 defending soldiers perished!"
Budugen slammed his fist on the table and roared.
"You mean, the 250,000-strong army that Tuoba Zhao brought to Han Chinese territory was completely wiped out?"
"We've lost Yanmen Pass again, after all the hard work we put into recapturing it?"
"And another 60,000 Xianbei warriors, buried alive?"
The soldier nodded in confirmation: "That's indeed the news!"
"go out!"
Enraged, Budugen grabbed the woman's hair, slammed her aside, and strode toward the soldiers.
His eyes were filled with rage, like those of a raging wolf.
Say it again!
"The Left Wise King has been defeated!"
Swish!
A flash of snow-white light.
The messenger's head fell to the ground, blood splattering everywhere.
The beautiful woman was also terrified and let out a horrified scream.
"Falsifying military intelligence and spreading rumors deserves the death penalty!"
Budugen gritted his teeth in hatred.
"Our great Xianbei warriors roam freely across the land, invincible in every battle. If it weren't for the Han people's advantage of the terrain, which kept them holed up and out of the battlefield!"
"The Central Plains of the Han people should have long ago belonged to our great Xianbei!"
"Our Xianbei army has already crossed Yanmen Pass, yet we've suffered a defeat at the gates of the mere city of Linrong?"
"Utterly absurd!"
He roared, his gaze not lingering on the soldiers' corpses, and strode away from the royal tent.
"Pass on the order!"
Immediately, thousands of fully armed soldiers rushed out and knelt before Budugen.
Budugen's gaze was cold, his killing intent boiling.
"Go, call Kebineng over here!"
"Tell him that I want to discuss the grand plan of the Xianbei with him."
……
The Linrong County government office has been deserted recently.
Only five hundred soldiers remained of the Candle Dragon Cavalry; the rest, along with the Sky Sparrow Camp, were transferred to defend Yanmen Pass.
"Yanmen Pass is a Han fortress that we fought hard to reclaim, and we must not give it up to the Xianbei so easily."
Guo Jia was busy establishing an intelligence network for the righteous bandits, and the area had been deserted for days.
Inside the county government office, only Dong Zhong and Li Qing remained.
"My lord, a guest has arrived."
Dong Zhong reported in a low voice.
"Um?"
Li Qing looked up, slightly puzzled.
Linrong is so remote, yet someone still dares to visit Li?
"Who goes there?"
Before Dong Zhong could answer, a hearty laugh rang out from outside: "Ding Yuan, Ding Jianyang, the Martial and Mighty Commandant of Bingzhou, has come to pay a special visit to Magistrate Li!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a spirited and radiant middle-aged man strode in.
As Lü Bu stepped across the threshold, he immediately gave Li Qing a pleased look.
Dong Zhong showed his respect and respectfully stepped aside to make way for the guest.
This is the renowned Martial Valiant Commandant, the second most important figure in Bingzhou!
Furthermore, Zhang Yi, the governor of Bingzhou, had already died due to the Xianbei invasion.
According to the rules, Ding Yuan will become the next governor of Bingzhou and the true ruler of Bingzhou.
A single word from him could shake the entire Bingzhou.
Li Qing frowned slightly, but still got up and quickly went forward to greet him.
Although he lacked reverence for the Han Dynasty, he couldn't bring himself to lay a hand on someone who greeted him with a smile.
Since the Commandant himself came to visit, as the host, he should at least give him some face.
"Lord Li, is it perhaps presumptuous of me to come uninvited?"
Li Qing laughed after hearing this.
"Your Excellency is too modest. Your personal visit has greatly surprised and delighted me."
"Our Linrong County is located in a remote area, and we don't have much to offer you. Please understand."
The people next to him quickly put a chair for Ding Yuan and served him fragrant tea.
"No need!"
Ding Yuan waved his hand in acknowledgment and sat down without any hesitation.
His gaze was sharp, as he tried to discern Li Qing's inner thoughts.
Li Qing remained silent, simply sitting quietly.
After a while, Ding Yuan suddenly burst into laughter, his eyes revealing unreserved approval.
"Lord Li is indeed a promising young man!"
"I just visited the three wonders you personally created, accompanied by Fengxian!"
"A mound of 30,000 Xianbei heads!"
"The mass grave where 60,000 surrendered Xianbei soldiers were buried alive!"
"The bloody battlefield where the 150,000-strong Xianbei army was defeated!"
"I'm still deeply moved by this journey!"
Li Qing smiled slightly, his expression calm.
"Does the Commandant think I'm too cruel?"
Ding Yuan immediately snorted coldly.
"I'm not as stubborn as Liu Yu!"
"The Xianbei, Wuhuan, and Xiongnu—these nomadic peoples were all ambitious packs of wolves!"
"Being mild-mannered will only be seen as weakness, and they will take advantage of that!"
"Only by using harsh measures and brutal crackdowns can we instill fear in them and ensure the peace of the Han Dynasty!"
Li Qing nodded slightly.
This is indeed consistent with historical records.
Ding Yuan despised foreign races and had a fiery temper.
His policies toward foreign races were extremely harsh.
This was completely opposite to the approach taken by Liu Yu, the governor of Youzhou.
Li Qing's actions, such as building a mound of skulls and massacring surrendered soldiers, clearly gained Ding Yuan's approval!
Ding Yuan smiled, glanced at Li Qing, and couldn't help but praise, "Li Qing, you've already achieved remarkable military exploits so soon after coming of age. Your courtesy name is Po Hu. You're truly a young hero!"
"I'm twenty years older than you. If you don't mind, how about we address each other as uncle and nephew?"
"Uncle, I am unworthy of your high regard," Li Qing said, bowing.
"Fengxian!"
Ding Yuan spoke.
Lu Bu immediately stepped forward, knelt down, and said firmly.
"Fengxian is here; he will obey his godfather's orders!"
Ding Yuan laughed loudly and said clearly, "I remember you told me on the way that you wanted to become Magistrate Li's disciple."
"Is what you're saying true?"
Lü Bu decisively replied, "Magistrate Li is brave and fearless, and has the ambition to kill the enemy!"
"Fengxian is willing to join his ranks, even as a lowly soldier; that's enough for him!"
Ding Yuan looked at Li Qing again: "Nephew, what do you think of my adopted son? Would you be willing to have him as your general?"
Li Qing smiled slightly.
"Fengxian is incredibly brave and can be considered a hero of his time. If he is willing to join my ranks, I would certainly welcome him."
"Haha, since both sides are willing, I won't interfere!"
Ding Yuan stood up.
"Today, I entrust Fengxian to you!"
Li Qing chuckled, stood up, and looked determined.
"Thank you for your kindness, Uncle."
"The affairs of Bingzhou are numerous and complicated. The governor has unfortunately passed away, and as the Martial and Mighty Commandant, you are very busy."
"You've come all this way to Linrong County today, not just to deliver Fengxian to me, right?"
He raised an eyebrow, smiled faintly, and made his purpose clear.
Ding Yuan did not feel embarrassed.
"That's right. My purpose in coming here this time is twofold, though. I'm only here to see Fengxian off."
"First, I want to see the sights here with my own eyes, verify your military achievements, and witness the young hero of the Han Dynasty."
"Secondly, I want to take away Tuoba Zhao, the Xianbei Left Wise King, whom you captured alive."