"General! We can't contain them!!"
"Another two counties have fallen!"
A scout hurried into the command tent and reported to He Zeng, General Who Conquers the North.
He Zeng's face was rigid, his expression exceedingly ugly.
At that moment, he sat behind his desk in full armor, with several officers standing beside him.
Sima Shi had appointed him General Who Conquers the North and put him in overall command of Hebei, but now the situation in Hebei was slipping out of control. Even this newly appointed General Who Conquers the North could scarcely keep it in check.
"Where is Chen Ben?! What is he doing?!"
He Zeng's eyes widened, brimming with anger, as he raised his head and demanded an answer.
Chen Ben was Chen Qian's elder brother and the General Who Guards the North. He was responsible for the defenses of Youzhou, Ji Province, and Bing Province, and was stationed in Ji Prefecture.
He Zeng, meanwhile, was stationed in Ji Province.
The Four Conquering Generals outranked the Four Stabilizing Generals. They stood below only the Three Excellencies and possessed the authority to dispatch troops.
Put in the simplest terms, the Four Garrisons Generals were only responsible for holding their positions. They had no authority to launch campaigns on their own unless the Imperial Court issued military orders instructing them to do so.
The Four Conquering Generals, however, possessed a degree of independent authority to launch campaigns, something the Four Stabilizing Generals could not match.
At He Zeng's demands, an officer said timidly, "There have been mutinies in his army too, and some of his men have joined the rebellion. He says he's reorganizing his army and cannot send troops..."
"Send troops! Tell him to send troops! If he dares refuse again, I'll memorialize the Imperial Court and have him