Chương 128: Border Situation

Gongsun Zan took a deep breath and began, "Although the Yellow Turban Rebellion has been quelled, the Wuhuan and Xianbei have taken advantage of the situation. In the past six months, they have already raided the border seven times!"

He counted on his fingers: "Dai Commandery, Shang Commandery, Yuyang Commandery, Youbeiping Commandery, Liaoxi Commandery, Liaodong Commandery—all were looted! More than ten thousand civilians were killed or wounded, and tens of thousands of bushels of grain were stolen!"

With each number announced, the atmosphere in the hall grew more somber.

Gongsun Zan gritted his teeth and said, "Especially Qiuliju, the Wuhuan chieftain of Liaoxi, this fellow colluded with many Xianbei tribes and led three thousand cavalrymen to cross the border repeatedly, burning, killing, looting and committing all kinds of evil deeds!"

I witnessed firsthand that after looting the grain, they set fire to the village, sparing neither the elderly nor the children!

Liu Ce frowned deeply.

He knew the border was in chaos, but he didn't expect it to be this chaotic.

Gongsun Zan continued, "My thousand White Horse Cavalry have been defending the Dai Commandery and Youbeiping area for the past six months. We have fought five major and minor battles and barely managed to hold the line."

He emphasized the word "barely" when he said it.

The council chamber was silent.

The generals under Liu Ce listened with their eyes shining.

Zhang Fei nearly slammed his fist on the table and jumped up: "Damn it! These barbarians are too arrogant!"

Guan Yu pressed him down: "Third brother, let General Gongsun finish speaking."

Zhao Yun frowned, his hand unconsciously reaching for his waist.

Lu Bu's lips curled into a cold smile, while Yuwen Chengdu's eyes sharpened—these were all warmongers, their blood boiling at the mere mention of a battle.

The civil officials were much calmer.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui exchanged a glance, both seeing worry in each other's eyes. Xun Yu frowned, while Guo Jia squinted, lost in thought.

Gongsun Zan continued: During the fierce battle, more than 400 Wuhuan cavalrymen were killed and more than 200 warhorses were captured.

As he said this, a hint of pride lingered on his face—and indeed, he had reason to be proud. A thousand against three thousand, and he'd killed over four hundred—that was a remarkable achievement.

The military officers in the hall all cast admiring glances at him.

Zhang Fei was the first to speak: "General Gongsun is amazing! A thousand cavalrymen dared to fight three thousand barbarians head-on, and even killed more than four hundred! That's some real men!"

Lü Bu nodded, "The White Horse Cavalry truly lives up to their reputation."

Although Yuwen Chengdu didn't speak, his gaze towards Gongsun Zan held a hint of approval—military generals most respected their colleagues who dared to fight and take risks.

"The White Horse Cavalry truly lived up to its reputation."

Liu Ce nodded approvingly, "I've long heard that Bo Gui's White Horse Cavalry are all elite light cavalry, each riding a white horse and carrying a long spear, skilled in raids. Hearing this today, I can see they truly are the bulwark of my Youzhou border."

Gongsun Zan clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Your Excellency and colleagues are too kind. However..."

He changed the subject, his face darkening: "My cavalry, though brave, faces two major problems."

"First, there is a shortage of food supplies. After the border counties were plundered, farmland was damaged, and food supplies can only last for a little over a month. The soldiers are now only eating two meals a day (during daily camping/regular training), and the warhorses have all lost weight."

"Secondly, there is a shortage of warhorses. The White Horse Cavalry originally had 1, 200 riders, but more than 200 were lost in the fierce battle. Although they captured 200 warhorses, most of them were inferior horses that could not run fast or carry heavy loads, making it difficult to replenish their elite forces."

He paused, looked at Liu Ce, and said earnestly, "My lord, Youzhou has just suffered from the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and the refugees are still unsettled. If the borders are unstable, we will be attacked from both inside and outside, and the consequences will be unimaginable."

"This humble general humbly requests that Your Excellency allocate over ten thousand bushels of grain and three hundred fine horses, along with several thousand additional infantrymen to assist in the defense. When spring deepens and the grass grows tall, this humble general is willing to lead the White Horse Cavalry straight to the Wuhuan's stronghold, thus eradicating this threat to the border forever!"

After saying this, he knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in supplication, and asked for permission.

These words were spoken with great fervor, and the generals were filled with excitement.

The hall was quiet.

Everyone was looking at Liu Ce.

Zhang Fei was the first to jump up: "Brother! Here! All of it! Let's go with General Gongsun and slaughter those barbarians!"

Guan Yu nodded in agreement: "The safety of the border is indeed the foundation of Youzhou."

Dian Wei, Lü Bu, and others echoed his sentiments.

Soon, the strategists' group made their move.

Fang Xuanling spoke first: "My lord, General Gongsun's assessment of the border crisis is indeed not to be ignored. But..."

He glanced at Gongsun Zan, his tone gentle yet firm: "Youzhou is not yet stable, and everything needs to be rebuilt. Refugees need to be resettled, farmland needs to be restored, and cities need to be repaired. If we launch a major war now and devote all our strength to a northern expedition, I fear that internal affairs will be disrupted, and we will suffer the consequences."

Du Ruhui chimed in, "Xuanling is absolutely right. The Wuhuan and Xianbei are nomadic tribes, swift as the wind. If our army ventures deep into the grasslands, the supply lines will be long and difficult to procure. If we suffer any losses, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Xun Yu put it more bluntly: "My lord, Youzhou is like a person recovering from a serious illness; it needs rest and cannot engage in strenuous activity. The border must be defended, but defense should be the primary focus. It is not too late to plan a northern expedition once Youzhou has recovered its strength, its troops are well-trained, and its supplies are plentiful."

Ju Shou was also direct: "My lord, we can provide provisions and send troops, but we should focus on defense."

Guo Jia leaned lazily against the table, but his words were incisive: "The Wuhuan people are robbing grain because they are also short of food. Winter is coming soon, the grass on the grasslands will be dry and the water will be cold. If they don't rob, they will starve to death. As long as we hold the border and survive this winter, they will have to withdraw on their own next spring."

Jia Xu spoke the fewest words, just one: "Defense is paramount."

Tian Feng and Chen Gong nodded in agreement.

The strategists' message was clear: supplies and troops could be provided, but don't think about attacking the Wuhuan stronghold right now. Stabilize the situation first and develop your forces.

Gongsun Zan's expression darkened upon hearing this.

He was a military general, his motto being, "Those who offend our mighty Han, though far away, shall be punished." Now the Wuhuan people are practically trespassing on his face, and he still has to defend himself? How frustrating!

But he also knew that the strategists were right—Youzhou was indeed poor and couldn't afford a major war.

Liu Ce sat in the main seat, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

He glanced at Gongsun Zan—this guy was staring at him expectantly, his eyes filled with the desire to "give me some food and soldiers, and I'll go and wipe out those barbarians."

Then look at the advisors—each one as calm as ice, analyzing things logically and clearly.

Finally, let's look at the generals—Zhang Fei is already rubbing his hands together in anticipation, Lü Bu's eyes are shining, and Yuwen Chengdu is clenching his fists.

He smiled and stood up.

"What you all say makes sense."

Liu Ce walked to the map hanging on the wall and pointed to the densely packed border outposts on it.

"Bo Gui is absolutely right. The border is the gateway to Youzhou and must not be lost. What you gentlemen say is also correct. It is indeed not advisable for Youzhou to wage a major war right now."

He turned to Fang Xuanling and said, "Xuanling, immediately issue an order to transfer 50, 000 shi of grain from our granaries and send it to General Gongsun."

"Fifty thousand shi?!" A chorus of exclamations erupted in the hall.

Even Gongsun Zan was stunned—he only asked for 10, 000 shi, but Liu Ce gave him five times that amount!