Chapter 66: Avenging Grievances, Never Leaving It Overnight

Soon, Xiao Linta and Li Xiao left together, then gathered all the Jin Prefecture leaders in Wuya Village for a meeting in Xiao Linta’s big tent.

Assigning military rations!

Not long after, Huang Daquan and the others walked out of the big tent with depressed faces.

They looked at each other and shook their heads one after another.

“This time, we can’t avoid it. Have people go back to gather the grain!” The Changshan Fortress Lord sighed and said.

“Go back first. Fortunately, it’s not too much. Squeezing a bit from every household, we can still scrape it together,” the Bohai Fortress Lord said.

Xiao Simo’s task was ten thousand piculs of grain and ten thousand sheep.

Although it seemed like a lot, Jin Prefecture had the Han people’s Nine Forts and Eighteen Villages, and now Eight Forts and Sixteen Villages remained.

Plus more than a dozen nomadic tribes.

When distributed, it wasn’t too much; basically, everyone could afford it.

However, Huang Daquan and the others were still in a bad mood, saying worriedly: “Although it’s not much this time, I’m afraid this war will be endless once it starts.”

“Will we have to supply all the military rations in the future?”

As soon as these words came out, everyone felt like a basin of cold water had been poured on them.

But could they refuse to supply?

This time it was a polite requisition, but if anyone dared not to give face, the army would come to their door to demand it.

“If it’s always like this, our Jin Prefecture won’t be able to live.” Everyone left worriedly.

Inside the big tent, Li Xiao also bid farewell to Xiao Linta: “Fortunately, I did not disgrace the mission, General Xiao.”

“This ten thousand piculs of grain and ten thousand sheep have finally been assigned, and I can give Lord Xiao an explanation.”

With enough military rations, Xiao Linta was also in a good mood, laughing loudly: “Thanks to Thousand Household Li this time; the Great King will not forget Thousand Household Li’s merit.”

Xiao Simo wanted to collect military rations, not rob military rations, so he definitely couldn’t use brute force.

He needed someone familiar with the local situation to cooperate.

The Jin Prefecture Governor-General’s Office had been swept clean by the Karluks, so the most suitable candidate now was Li Xiao, this freshly appointed Thousand Household.

Since he became an official of the Khitans, he had to work for the Khitans!

“I dare not claim merit; it’s just my duty.” Li Xiao shook his head helplessly.

Fortunately, the task this time wasn’t heavy. After distribution, every village and tribe could afford it.

Otherwise, this military ration really wouldn’t be easy to collect.

This time was just collecting military rations. Later, after registering households, his Thousand Household position would have to collect taxes from each Hundred Household every year!

All tasks that offended people.

But since he wanted to climb up, he definitely couldn’t be a good person.

“Those leaders of Jin Prefecture tribes who haven’t arrived at Wuya Village yet, I’ll trouble General Xiao to send someone over. I will arrange people to accompany them.”

“In this way, within ten days, the military rations should be transported here.”

“General Xiao, Li bids farewell for now.”

Saying that, Li Xiao stood up and said: “First go home to see my grandfather, and at the same time bring back the grain and pay assigned to our Hexi Fortress.”

“Good, troubling Thousand Household Li.” Xiao Linta also saw him off warmly.

Although a mere Thousand Household like Li Xiao wasn’t in his eyes, Xiao Linta knew how Li Xiao got his Thousand Household position.

Besides his own merit, the Grand Princess of Chu also put in a lot of good words.

Considering Xiao Simo’s doting on Xiao Yanyan, it was best not to offend Li Xiao.

Subsequently, Li Xiao returned to his camp.

Luo Ping and others who had returned earlier came up to greet him one after another.

“Da Long, what should we do? Go back to the village to collect grain now?”

Just now in Xiao Linta’s big tent, all Fortress Lords, Village Lords, and Chiefs who had arrived at Wuya Village attended the meeting.

Naturally including Luo Ping and others.

Each fortress needed to contribute some cattle, sheep, and grain. Fortunately, not too much; Luo Ping and the others could afford it.

But Li Xiao had other plans in his heart.

“Uncle Luo, did the arrival of the Khitans scare away your guts?”

“We have always robbed others of cattle, sheep, and grain; when is it our turn to give them away?” Li Xiao huffed.

Luo Ping was stunned instantly by the words.

“What do you mean?”

In Luo Ping’s view, wasn’t this a very normal thing!

Usually, each fortress had to pay grain, cattle, and sheep to the Governor-General’s Office every year. During wartime, the army would additionally requisition military rations.

Such were the rules throughout history; Luo Ping and others didn’t feel it was wrong.

But Li Xiao shook his head and said: “Uncle Luo, pick a group of good hands from our seven fortresses.”

“Tell them to follow me to do a job. Someone will naturally pay our share of military rations for the seven fortresses.”

Feiying Fortress!

Li Xiao was a person with a small heart (held grudges), always avenging grievances and never leaving it overnight.

Since he knew the relationship between the Wang family of Feiying Fortress and the Hou family, and that the Wang family wanted to help the Hou family vent anger and take revenge…

Li Xiao naturally couldn’t tolerate it.

To avoid Feiying Fortress tripping him up, Li Xiao decided to do them now; otherwise, he couldn’t sleep peacefully.

Incidentally, confiscating the property of the Wang family of Feiying Fortress might be enough to offset the military rations of the seven fortresses this time.

Soon, Li Xiao selected six hundred men and horses from the seven-fortress coalition, including the one hundred Čarlan slaves led by Zhang Xianfeng.

The group left Wuya Village in a mighty formation.

The reason was to return to the seven fortresses to collect and transport military rations, but in fact, after Li Xiao led the people away from Wuya Village, they didn’t go in the direction of Hexi Fortress.

Instead, they continued south, running toward Feiying Fortress.

Feiying Fortress was located in the southern part of Jin Prefecture, not too close to Wuya Village.

At this time, on the way to Wuya Village, the troops of Feiying Fortress were also marching.

The scale of Feiying Fortress wasn’t small; nearly two hundred people were heading to Wuya Village.

There were three leaders.

The second, third, and fifth brothers.

“Originally thought this was our opportunity, but didn’t expect the Karluks to be so useless, struggling even to take Wuya Village.”

Wang Wu said disdainfully, looking at his two elder brothers beside him: “Fortunately, we kept our calm; otherwise, we would have been wiped out by the Khitans now.”

Beside him, Wang San also said rejoicingly: “This time the Eastern Capital gathered twenty thousand troops. Maybe even the Naimans can’t hold on.”

“If I had known this, I should have persuaded that kid Hou Wen. What was he tossing about for? Tossed his home away directly.”

“Sigh, just pitiful for Fourth Sister and Tiancai.”

Beside them, Wang Er listened to the words of his two younger brothers, and a trace of anger flashed on his pockmarked face.

“The people of Hexi Fortress are simply seeking death. Knowing clearly that Fourth Sister was a member of my Wang family, they actually showed no mercy, simply not putting our Wang family of Feiying Fortress in their eyes.”

Wang Er and the two younger brothers beside him were half-siblings, but Hou Wen’s wife was his full sister from the same mother.

Therefore, Wang Er was even angrier about the extermination of the Hou family.

His hatred for Hexi Fortress was greater.

“The grudge between Hexi Fortress and Hou Village has a long history, but this time Hexi Fortress was indeed excessive. Even if the Hou family was wrong, they shouldn’t have been exterminated!” Wang Wu said as if indignant.

“When there’s a chance in the future, we must teach the Li family a lesson.”

But Wang San shook his head and said: “Unfortunately, the Li family’s momentum is strong now. Li Dongzhou’s grandson seems to be valued by the Khitans.”

“If we want to seek revenge on the Li family, we must wait until the Khitans leave.”

Although angry, Wang Er was more rational and said in a deep voice: “Talk about revenge on the Li family later.”

“Let Hou Wen hide well first; don’t let him be discovered.”

While talking, the three brothers led their men toward the direction of Wuya Village.

At the same time, the scout cavalry ahead of Feiying Fortress suddenly encountered three other scouts.

“Which village are you from?”

Someone among the three opposite asked.

“We are from Feiying Fortress.”

The Feiying Fortress scout shouted loudly from a distance: “Which village are you from?”

But at this time, hearing it was Feiying Fortress, the faces of the three scouts opposite changed slightly, looking at each other.

“We really ran into people from Feiying Fortress.”

“It seems they are also rushing to Wuya Village.”

“Ask them how many people they have.” The three whispered to each other.

Then one of them shouted in response according to Li Xiao’s instructions: “We are the army of the Grand King of the Six Divisions of the Eastern Capital Regency.”

“Going to the Desert to execute a mission.”

“How many people do you have behind?”

Hearing it was the army of the Eastern Capital Regency, the faces of the three Feiying Fortress scouts changed instantly.

“Actually Khitans?”

“We can’t afford to provoke them.”

“How do Khitans speak Chinese?”

“There must be some Han people in the Khitan army. This is Jin Prefecture, surrounded by Han fortresses; having Han people as scouts is convenient for communication!”

The three Feiying Fortress scouts whispered. Facing the Eastern Capital Khitan army, they were definitely a bit guilty inside.

Especially since they had learned the news that the Grand King of the Six Divisions had led an army of twenty thousand to Jin Prefecture.

Dared not provoke.

“Our Feiying Fortress has two hundred people, preparing to go to Wuya Village to visit the Lord Garrison Commissioner and await orders.”

The scout opposite said again: “Jin Prefecture Governor-General Dahe Chuluoduo is right behind. Notify your Fortress Lord to come and pay respects immediately.”

After speaking, both sides returned.

After learning the news, Li Xiao chuckled: “We actually really met the people of Feiying Fortress; saves us the trip to attack them.”

Previously on the road, Li Xiao had encountered teams from two Han fortresses, both receiving orders to go to Wuya Village.

Li Xiao had no grudge against them, so naturally, he ignored them.

But now meeting people from Feiying Fortress, naturally, he couldn’t let them go.

“Pass the order, prepare for battle.”

“Encircle and suppress the Feiying Fortress troops.”

On the other side, the Wang brothers also learned the news from the scouts.

“Jin Prefecture Governor-General Dahe Chuluoduo?”

“Why is he here? Defeated at the Northern Mountains, didn’t the Lord Garrison Commissioner punish him?”

“Going to the Desert? Maybe letting him atone for crimes with merits!”

The three Wang brothers were surprised inside, discussing what to do.

Finally, Wang Er said: “Dahe Chuluoduo is fine after committing such a big mistake, sufficient to show his deep background; we cannot offend him.”

“Old Five, come with me to pay respects to Governor-General Dahe. Old Three, stay behind and watch our troops.”

“Yes!”

(End of this chapter)