Chapter 4, Tuhun Army
Chen Dejian saw an opportunity to escape and felt a surge of joy in his heart. Just as he was about to express his gratitude to Li Jiuyan, the official spoke again: "However, this young man is already aware of our identities, making it inconvenient to release him, so he must accompany us."
Yang Ye? This is the hero I have admired since childhood. Chen De suppressed his inner excitement and gratefully clasped his fists towards Wei Ti, saying: Thank you, my lord
This statement was not meant for Wei Ti to hear, and he whispered: "Chen De, you have grown up in a foreign land and may not know that the Emperor of the Central Plains only wishes for us, the border garrisons, to be treated like pigs and sheep for him to slaughter. There is no friendship to speak of. He harbors a deep-seated hatred for the soldiers of our Northern Han. If our country is destroyed, I fear the outcome will be a hundred times more tragic than that of the Shu people"
Wei Ti stared intently into Chen De's eyes, as if trying to discern any signs of deception. Although Chen De had told a lie, he had no ulterior motives and thus met Wei Ti's gaze with honesty.
Every subordinate under the esteemed leader is a formidable warrior
Upon passing through the checkpoint, many heads of the Shu people, who were involved in smuggling, were seen hanging on the walls of the stockade or the city tower. Chen De's face showed a look of compassion as he sighed, "They are all Han people; how cruelly the Song ruler treats the Shu people."
Wei Di was observing Chen De, while Chen De was also observing Wei Di and his troop. This small army, disguised as traveling merchants, consisted of fifty-five robust men, along with sixty horses and five carts. During their march, the carts were protected in the center, one of which was the command vehicle of the Tu Hun army, disguised as a merchant, belonging to Wei Di. The other four carts appeared to be loaded with various goods from the northern regions, but Chen De suspected that aside from gold and silver, they likely contained more military weapons such as crossbows and heavy arrows, which were prohibited for civilian possession. Wang Gui, disguised as the head of the guards, rode at the front of the main group, while a reconnaissance team spread out around the main group for vigilance. During their march, the carts were protected in the center, one of which was the command vehicle of the Tu Hun army, disguised as a merchant, belonging to Wei Di. The other four carts appeared to be loaded with various goods from the northern regions, but Chen De suspected that aside from gold and silver, they likely contained more military weapons such as crossbows and heavy arrows, which were prohibited for civilian possession. Wang Gui, disguised as the head of the guards, rode at the front of the main group, while a reconnaissance team spread out around the main group for vigilance.
At this moment, Chen De could not help but understand that this strong individual must be a member of the Northern Han army, currently carrying out a secret mission. According to the rules, once discovered, they would have to eliminate any witnesses. This brings to mind the ancient armies that would ambush enemy camps; those who were slightly more ruthless would kill all the merchants and travelers they encountered along the way. If they merely restrained them and moved together, that would be considered a morally righteous force.
"Looking at your attire, you must be a Han person who has come from the Khitan to enlist in the army, right?" Wei Ti asked
After exchanging glances for a while, Wei Ti said with great enthusiasm: "Given your skills and spirit, you must be from a prominent family. In the army, as long as the men unite to fight the enemy, their origins do not matter." Chen De, who had spent a long time contemplating his own background, felt a sudden sense of disorientation.
Wei Ti sighed and waved his hand, indicating to Chen De that there was no need to be so polite.
The main purpose of Wei Ti and others' journey into Shu was to use gold, silver, military equipment, and warhorses as gifts to establish connections with the various mountain strongholds of the Shu people along the way. These individuals would smuggle Shu brocade and tea to Northern Han, which would then be presented as tributes to the Liao state. This trade had existed since the time of the Later Shu, and the Shu ruler even contemplated an alliance with Northern Han to jointly attack the Song state. After the fall of the Shu state, former officials and bandits continued this trade, although on a much smaller scale than before.
Wei Ti sighed and said, "Indeed, it is a matter of lineage; one can easily discern the joints involved. The Tuhun army, with its vast and intricate maneuvers, is primarily engaged in the brutal battles of long spears and great arrows, and seldom indulges in such clandestine dealings. Since my elder brother's departure, the Emperor no longer trusts the Tuhun. " Seeing Chen De's expression was not favorable, he patted his shoulder and smiled, "You need not worry about the future of the army. Our Wei family from Taiyuan has had a long-standing friendship with the Yang family from Hequ. Currently, General Yang Ye of the Jianxiong Army is highly esteemed by the Emperor for his defense of the northern borders. If you wish, I can recommend you for a position in the Jianxiong Army upon your return to Taiyuan."
After five generations of warfare, the population in the Central Plains has dwindled to a minimal number. Furthermore, Wei Ti chose a route that avoided towns and military roads. Even when encountering the relay stations and checkpoints of the Song state, they managed to evade detection due to prior reports from scouts. Thus, the people of Northern Han traversed the deep mountains and wilderness, exchanging food supplies only with the villagers in the wild. The group passed through Jinzhou and Jiangzhou along the mountainous terrain between the Lüliang Mountains and the Fen River. Upon reaching Hezhong Prefecture, they concealed their weapons and disguised themselves as merchants, hiring several riverboats to navigate upstream on the Wei River. They disembarked again in Jingzhao Prefecture and entered Hanzhong Xingyuan Prefecture via the Ziwugu Valley, ultimately arriving at the former territory of the Shu state, which had been destroyed by the Song eight years prior.
After Li Jiuyan left, Wei Ti and the others quickly drank water and filled their horses. Chen De also assisted others in treating the wounds of the two men he had previously injured. The middle-aged leader still harbored considerable hostility towards him and was unwilling to let him intervene. However, seeing Chen De's skilled bandaging technique, which even the military medical officer could not match, he allowed him to proceed with the treatment. The two injured sword-wielders were seasoned soldiers who had long been accustomed to the bloodshed of battle. They understood that in combat, there were only enemies and no mercy, and they were also wary of Chen De's ruthless and swift methods, repeatedly expressing their gratitude to him. During the conversation, Chen De learned that the middle-aged leader was named Wang Gui, a fierce general under the Jianxiong Circuit's governor Yang Ye. One of the injured sword-wielders was named Yan Silang, a member of the Tuhun army, while the other was named Xin Gu, a Khitan. Although Xin Gu had only joined the Tuhun army for less than a year, he possessed great strength. Had it not been for Chen De's unexpected attack, the outcome of their struggle would have been uncertain.
He casually brushed it off, and Wei Di immediately took on a stern expression, saying: "Chen De, if you are asked to speak, then speak. Such flattery has no place in the military."
Before the expedition, Chen De had participated multiple times in training exercises with the troops in the Qinling area and had also taken part in several cross-border operations in the southwestern frontier. As a result, he was quite familiar with the situation in the Sichuan Basin and had acquired a distinct Sichuan-Shanxi accent. Although the other Tu Huan soldiers and officers were brave, most had either never been to such a region or were not good at conversing. During the journey, when Wang Gui was overwhelmed with tasks, Chen De would step in to engage with the locals. Additionally, Wei Ti seemed to hold him in high regard, gradually establishing Chen De's position within this small team.
Therefore, the Song army strengthened the checkpoints leading from Shu to various external locations, strictly prohibiting the private trade of Shu brocade and Shu tea to other regions, while also forbidding the influx of horses, weapons, armor, and other military supplies into Shu
Chen De thought to himself: "I only heard Li Jiuyan call you 'my lord', how would I know your identity?" Just as he was about to argue, Li Jiuyan suddenly pulled him down to the ground, exclaiming: "Thank you, my lord, for sparing my life. We will definitely keep this secret and wish you great success!" Meanwhile, he kept giving Chen De meaningful glances.
After ensuring that Wei Ti sent the money and provisions to him, Li Jiuyan repeatedly reminded Chen De about the strict military laws, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the regulations within the army, before finally departing
Seeing Wei Ti's serious expression, which did not seem feigned, Chen De thought carefully and said: "Your Excellency's subordinates are agile and skilled in horsemanship, likely elite troops in the army. However..." He looked up and noticed that Wei Ti's expression remained unchanged, so he continued: "However, they seem to excel only in battlefield combat and are not adept at small unit maneuvers and engagements, and it appears that their morale is not very high."
This statement left Chen De, who regarded the Song dynasty as the legitimate authority of the Huaxia, feeling uneasy. He recalled the plundering of the Northern Han villagers by the Song army and the later orders issued by Zhao Kuangyi to raze important border towns such as Taiyuan and Xiangzhou, resulting in the absence of significant cities to support the Central Plains during subsequent foreign invasions.
Seeing Chen De yield, the atmosphere around them immediately relaxed. Li Jiuyan secretly informed Chen De that this gentleman's name was Wei Ti, courtesy name Changqing. He currently served as the commander of the Tuhun Army in Beihan. His brother, Wei Chou, was a renowned general of Beihan and previously held the position of commander of the Tuhun Army. Unfortunately, the Han emperor was misled by slander and had him killed, which led to a loss of morale within the army, rendering the Tuhun forces unusable thereafter
Two injured swordsmen were temporarily accommodated in Wei Ti's carriage to recuperate, while the vacant horse was ridden by Chen De. Wei Ti himself rode a tall yellow horse, riding alongside Chen De.
The situation is stronger than the individual, and there are still seven or eight strong crossbows aimed at him. Chen De could only lower his head and say: "Thank you, Sir, for your mercy in not killing me. I am willing to act alongside you."
After Wei Ti finished arranging the troops and set out, he noticed that Chen De was surprisingly getting along well with Yan Silang and Xin Gu, the two individuals he had injured. A slight smile appeared on his face. In the military, camaraderie among comrades is of utmost importance. Although he intended to recruit Chen De under his command, he could not guarantee that others would not seek revenge for the injuries inflicted on the two. However, since the two who had been injured were not holding grudges at this moment, it was unlikely that others would make things difficult for him over this matter. On the contrary, they would likely be wary of him due to his ruthless methods. It seemed that he had not encountered such a promising talent in a long time, Wei Ti thought.
While conversing, they arrived at the campsite selected by the scouts ahead. After setting up a watch, the team allowed their horses to graze on the nearby grassy valley while they erected tents and prepared a fire. They put the dried meat and provisions into the pot to cook, and soon the aroma of the meat filled the air. After the team had their meal, they rested briefly before setting off again, continuing their journey through the rugged mountains and desolate wilderness.
Chen Deben had several plans to execute, but unexpectedly, the checkpoints within the Song territory were exceedingly lax. Even when encountering inspections by the Song army or local officials, Wang Gui often managed to facilitate passage by offering some money or goods. He could even purchase fodder at the relay stations of the Song army.
Observing Chen De's hesitant demeanor, who had not yet spoken a lie, Wei Ti, already past the age of forty, found it somewhat amusing and remarked, "Based on your knowledge and the illustrations in the book, how do you assess my team?"
When there were no outsiders around, Wei Ti would always have Chen De and Wang Gui follow closely by his side, casually pointing out the geographical features of the mountains and rivers, indicating where would be suitable for setting up camp, where the terrain was treacherous and not suitable for a prolonged stay, where the passes were difficult to assault but could allow for a flanking force to take a small path to attack the enemy's rear, and where was suitable for farming. Chen De would respond to Wei Ti's topics with insights from modern military geography, which further convinced Wei Ti that "this young man is certainly of a military disposition," intensifying his intention to cultivate Chen De. Even Wang Gui secretly admired Chen De, significantly reducing the hostility he initially felt upon their first meeting.
It is indeed a person from Youzhou. After being misidentified by Li Jiuyan, Chen De realized that defending himself as not being a Han from Youzhou was essentially an impossible task, especially since he had short hair and spoke with a "Youzhou accent." It is important to note that in this era, Han people from the Central Plains would never cut their hair, which they inherited from their parents, unless they were living under the rule of foreign tribes in Youyan. Moreover, the difficulty of learning a local dialect was far greater than in the media-saturated modern era. This is also the reason why ancient people, even when wandering far from home, found it difficult to change their native accent.
Upon entering the former territory of the Later Shu, the scrutiny by the Song army became significantly stricter. However, Chen De discovered that this rigorous inspection was not limited to incoming merchants but was directed at the local Shu people. At that time, the brocade and silk of Sichuan were renowned throughout the world. Zhao Kuangyi established the "Bo Mai Wu" in Chengdu, mandating that all fabrics produced in Sichuan be purchased by the government, along with tea and other goods, which were subject to restrictive policies. Furthermore, after the Song dynasty defeated the Later Shu, all the wealth from the Later Shu treasury was transported to the capital. Song general Wang Quanbin massacred twenty thousand already surrendered Shu soldiers in Chengdu. The people of Shu were left in dire straits and harbored intense resentment towards the Song officials and soldiers. On one hand, smugglers engaged in the illicit trade of tea, salt, and brocade surged, while on the other hand, many remnants of the Later Shu army gathered in the mountains, rallying under the banner of reviving the Shu state to continue resisting the Song dynasty.