Honestly, Yang Feng himself thought that if they truly went to attack the Zhao family as Xu Huang suggested, it would be better than dealing with the soft-footed Wei family.

However, Xu Huang had been under his command for a long time, and he knew the other’s abilities well, so he couldn’t rule out that Xu Huang’s judgment was correct.

But with other forces around at this moment, a seemingly more risky decision—

His decision was obviously not suitable to voice out loud.

Xu Huang, knowing that Yang Feng had the final say in whether to shelter these factions or not, also understood this principle.

But understanding was one thing; speaking the truth for the sake of operational efficiency was another.

He cupped his hands towards Yang Feng and said, “Commander, please give me eight hundred men. I will go and take the Zhao family, and surely bring back another batch of grain for you.”

Eight hundred men?

Yang Feng hesitated for a moment, but ultimately agreed with Xu Huang’s idea.

Given his current numerical advantage over Li Le and Han Xian, losing these eight hundred men wouldn’t be detrimental.

However, if Xu Huang’s plan to attack the Zhao family succeeded, it would undoubtedly add another asset to his strength.

Had Xu Huang asked for more men, Yang Feng might have had to hesitate longer.

But the number Xu Huang proposed was just on the threshold of his bottom line.

With a mindset of trying it out, even when deploying troops to attack the Wei family and the Zhao family,

Yang Feng replied calmly to Li Le’s sarcastic remark that if he supported Xu Huang’s idea so much, he might as well give up his position to him:

“Haven’t I supported your plans as well?”

He assigned eight hundred soldiers to both Li Le and Han Xian, under the command of his brother, Yang Da.

Adding the men they already had, they had over two thousand troops.

No matter how united and strong the Wei family’s fortress was, it couldn’t withstand such a siege.

If they attacked when the Wei family was unprepared, it would indeed be a swift victory.

He spoke with confidence.

Li Le, although he harbored ambitions of annexing Yang Feng’s forces, knew that Yang Feng’s current actions were justified.

Given that he had no grain himself, he couldn’t launch a premature attack.

He quickly replied, “Brother Yang, what are you saying? I only hope you remain vigilant at all times.”

Yet halfway through his words, he felt that he might be digging his own grave instead of sowing discord.

He immediately added with a forced smile, “But Brother Yang’s ability to command troops far exceeds mine. You naturally have a clear plan, and I shouldn’t speak out of turn.”

His goal was the wealth of the Wei family in Hedong!

To Li Le and Han Xian, who were illiterate, the Wei family, which had developed in Hedong for four or five generations and rose through Confucianism, had no inviolable status.

They saw the Wei family as children with wealth but no ability to protect themselves.

With a two-thousand-man siege, as long as they moved quickly, they might return with the wealth from the Wei family’s fortress within two days.

Thus, when they descended the mountain and headed straight for Hejin, these two commanders were so engrossed in their own fantasies of a glorious victory that they completely ignored Xu Huang’s repeated warnings as his division separated from theirs.

“This kid…,” Li Le spat, recalling how Xu Huang had intercepted him outside the camp when he first sought refuge.

But despite the humiliation from that previous encounter, he had learned some valuable lessons.

He was caught off guard by Qiao Yan at dawn, so couldn’t he also choose this time to attack the Wei family?

The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.

After discussing with Han Xian, they decided on the timing.

At dawn, their group pounced on the Wei family’s fortress like a hungry tiger on prey!

However, just as they reached the fortress and began their ascent, dozens of barrels of boiling water were suddenly poured down from the seemingly poorly guarded walls.

Then, a barrage of flying rocks and arrows followed from the top of the wall.

This well-executed defense caught Li Le and Han Xian gritting their teeth in frustration.

In their relief that they hadn’t been the first to climb, they failed to notice that a troop had flanked them and cut off their retreat.

Leading the troop were seventy to eighty cavalrymen.

Cavalry!

In front of the Wei family’s fortress, the terrain was perfect for a cavalry charge.

The impact of these seventy to eighty cavalrymen could rival that of several hundred infantry!

Unless—

Under the coercion of these iron hooves, the bandits would need to suddenly sprout wings and fly over the fortress walls.

But could they?

Not only couldn’t they, but they would soon realize that a portion of the troops flanking them from behind had been their comrades just a few days ago.

However, these comrades now found the reward of thirty bushels of grain per head more enticing.

Zhao Yun, with a stern expression, pointed his spear at the Hedong bandits ahead, slowly lowering the spear tip.

This was the agreed-upon signal to attack!

Around the time the battle broke out near Hejin, Qiao Yan’s letters detailing the rewards for soldiers and compensation for the fallen reached Cheng Li and Xi Zhicai.

Xi Zhicai’s expression changed after reading the letter, and then he burst into three hearty laughs.

Sitting across from him, Guo Jia, who was enjoying a drink, couldn’t help but ask, “What good news has come?”

This behavior was unusual for Xi Zhicai.

Though he wasn’t one to hide his emotions, it was rare for him to laugh so freely and heartily.

Clearly, he wasn’t just drunk; something significant was mentioned in the letter.

Xi Zhicai waved his hand, “It is good news, but that’s not all.”

Realizing it would soon be implemented in Le Ping, Xi Zhicai handed the letter to Guo Jia, knowing it would be hard to keep it from him.

Guo Jia read it word by word, and before reaching the end, he had a rough idea why Xi Zhicai was so amused.

His own expression turned unusually serious.

Looking at Xi Zhicai, he asked, “You expect Lord Qiao to manage a state like a governor, but does a governor really need to plan to this extent?”

Xi Zhicai, having regained his composure, lightly tapped the table and replied nonchalantly, “A governor holds military power, and Bingzhou is a place where the barbarians, bandits eyeing it’s wealth and constantly watching.

If the soldiers do not give their lives for it, and the army cannot enforce orders, not only will Bingzhou be hard to defend, but we might also lose our heads amidst the chaos of the Qiang and Hu uprisings.

Now that it’s becoming a formal regulation, how could it not be necessary?”

“Moreover, Le Ping has abundant grain. These thirty bushels are not the same as other thirty bushels—”

Suddenly, Xi Zhicai paused and stood up abruptly, “Wait, my current annual salary is only equivalent to twenty heads?”