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Wang Yi's arrival in disguise, even without explicit words, clearly indicated to Fei Qian that the situation was already as precarious as a pile of eggs. If Wang Yi didn't have some control over certain elements, this battle would be practically impossible to fight.
However, earlier Lu Chang had headed directly for Xiangling but died on the way, not inside Xiangling city. On one hand, this indicated internal traitors within Hedong Commandery; on the other, it suggested Xiangling should still belong to Wang Yi's side.
But this was merely Fei Qian's conjecture; confirmation from Wang Yi was needed.
Wang Yi looked at Fei Qian, his expression slightly shifting, remained silent for a long time, then tapped a few points on Fei Qian's simple map. "Troops can be deployed from Xiangling county town, Gaoliang, and Yangren…"
Wang Yi also tapped northwest of Pingyang. "Troops can also be mobilized from Puzi county town."
Gaoliang and Yangren were small fortified villages near Xiangling county town, within the Lüliang Mountain valley. Like Xiangling, they were easy to defend, hard to attack, and of course, also relatively remote county villages within Hedong Commandery.
With this, they could fight. With support from two villages, holding Xiangling and blocking the White Wave Army on the Fen River's east bank wouldn't be a problem. Then here at Pingyang, Fei Qian himself would hold the front, while flank harassment and disruption came from Puzi county town's forces. The White Wave Army, unable to attend to both ends, would naturally retreat…
After hearing Fei Qian's general layout, Wang Yi also nodded.
The overall layout basically matched Wang Yi's original plan. But one point still worried Wang Yi, so he stared at Fei Qian and said: "However, Pingyang's city walls are already dilapidated, difficult to defend. Has Inspector Fei made preparations?"
Wang Yi naturally saw Fei Qian continuously repairing the old Pingyang city site. So this question wasn't just about city wall preparations.
Completely repairing these walls would be impossible without a year or two.
Fei Qian understood Wang Yi's meaning. After all, their situations were similar: neither could obtain supplies from southern Hedong territory, and both had to prepare for a stab in the back…
Hedong's current situation was very awkward. Both Fei Qian and Wang Yi sensed some unusual activity within Hedong pushed by the Wei clan, but lacked very direct evidence. After all, the Hedong Wei clan wasn't like that Zhang family east of Anyi city. The Wei clan was too big to handle, pulling one hair moves the whole body. Without perfect strategy, rash action was definitely not a good approach.
Only wielding victory over the Yellow Turbans' prestige, then implementing weakening measures, finally dealing with them was the correct approach. Fei Qian understood this well. Historically, Cao Cao acted somewhat hastily, eliminating a Yanzhou famous scholar, immediately causing Yanzhou to turn hostile entirely, colluding with Lü Bu, nearly doomed beyond redemption…
So now they could only know but pretend not to know.
"Now we can only lure them, make them lose formation, blunt their edge, then achieve quick victory." Fei Qian replied, indicating he didn't plan to stubbornly defend this dilapidated Pingyang county town. Both Fei Qian and Wang Yi knew Xiangling could rely on city walls for defense, but Pingyang could not…
Wang Yi nodded and said: "If this matter ends well, I shall memorialize your appointment as Shang Commandery Governor."
Fei Qian bowed with clasped hands, expressing thanks.
Memorializing and recommending this matter was still very important during the Han Dynasty, at least at this stage. Fei Qian holding an imperial court position, recommended by his teacher Cai Yong, wasn't an issue. But for the commandery governor position at the two-thousand-bushel rank, Cai Yong needed to avoid suspicion. To recommend someone formally assuming commandery governor, someone above two thousand bushels must memorialize.
What was the specific difference between having this "memorialization" and not?
The memorializer bore joint responsibility; if problems arose, they bore together, faced together. Wang Yi's meaning was indicating that after Hedong Commandery's matters concluded, he wouldn't forget after finishing, and would fulfill his obligations.
But Fei Qian wanted not just this so-called "memorialization" but even more hoped to gain actual territory from this campaign—territory he could control.
Namely, carving out two county towns from Hedong Commandery as his domain. Regardless, Hedong Commandery's land was relatively flat, advantageous for farming and cultivation. Places like Beiqu had much folded mountain land. Though also having flat cultivable land, it was fragmented and inconvenient.
Fei Qian pondered a moment, bowed with clasped hands, and said: "Commandery Governor Wang, people have their roots; leaving hometowns is difficult. Now many under my banner are Bingzhou people. Yet Shang Commandery cannot be overcome instantly; ultimately wandering and adrift. Like drifting duckweed, survivors few—isn't that sorrowful?"
Wang Yi glared, then rolled his eyes, and said: "Pingyang has much farmland; can be reclaimed." Fei Qian, you're already at Pingyang; since you've started tidying this county town, consider it yours. I'm not losing out.
But Fei Qian shook his head. "However, Pingyang's land hasn't been farmed long; soil fertility exhausted. Within two years, hard to harvest. Commandery Governor Wang, would you be willing to supply us two years' provisions?" Anyway, to recover Shang Commandery, I must expand the army, with no place to collect money and grain. Would you, Wang Yi, be willing to provide?
"This…" Wang Yi frowned, clearly unwilling to relinquish some county town's jurisdiction. But Fei Qian's words were true, and currently he needed Fei Qian's assistance…
"We will ultimately return to Shang Commandery; this is forced temporary residence here, temporary footing. Once Shang Commandery is pacified, we shall return immediately." Fei Qian spoke very earnestly.
Wang Yi sighed and said: "In that case, if we pacify the White Wave, Yong'an shall… be lent to Inspector Fei!"
"Many thanks then, Commandery Governor Wang!" Fei Qian first secured Yong'an county town's nominal ownership, then said: "Then just trouble Commandery Governor Wang to supply us one year's military provisions…"
Wang Yi almost rose from his seat, pointed at Fei Qian, then took a few deep breaths, and said: "What do you want?! Taking advantage of others' crisis is not gentlemanly conduct!"
Fei Qian expression heavy, said softly: "Commandery Governor Wang clearly sees. Yong'an's city already broken by Yellow Turban bandits, granaries empty, young crops destroyed, nine out of ten houses empty, no clothing or food, all trades abandoned. Commandery Governor Wang is also a gentleman. What do you want us to do?"
Wang Yi opened his mouth, actually speechless.
After a long time, Wang Yi said: "Which place does Inspector Fei want?"
Fei Qian took the map and tapped the mark for Puzi county town.
Wang Yi's eyes bulged slightly, but finally sighed long and said: "Lend for two years?"
Fei Qian affirmed: "Once Shang Commandery is recovered, we return."
Wang Yi twitched his eyebrows, finally silently nodded.
Just then, soldiers outside the tent reported that warning signal smoke had been lit!
To detect the White Wave Army's movements early, Fei Qian had dispatched many scouts along the Fen River's west bank. Once they spotted the White Wave Army moving south, they lit signal smoke to warn.
Fei Qian and Wang Yi exchanged a look, hurriedly rose, and headed out of the tent, followed by Jia Qu and Huang Cheng.
Outside the main tent, everyone looked north together.
They saw three columns of signal smoke rising straight from the earth to the heavens at the horizon, like three steel knives cutting the sky into three or four fragmented pieces…
×××××××××××××
"This is…" A black-robed general with greying hair also looked up at the distant signal smoke, then frowned, turned, ordered the accompanying twenty or thirty cavalry, and took a small path northwest…