“I dare not accept such honor from you, my lord.” The opportunity was right before him, so Thomas Harris naturally mustered his courage. “Nor do I dare call it a brilliant plan. It’s just that I’ve heard the Xianbei and other mixed tribes are provoking us beyond the border, and I feel much indignation. I, Thomas Harris, though unworthy, am willing to launch a night raid on the enemy camp to rescue our people!”

“I know of your loyalty and courage.” James Benson nodded slightly, responding somewhat perfunctorily, but his eyes still drifted toward his nephew, who stood silently to the side with eyes closed. “But a night raid…”

“A night raid is absolutely out of the question!” At that moment, a middle-aged man in a straight robe and Liang-style cap suddenly interjected.

James Benson looked relieved. “Master Tian, please speak!”

“My lord,” the scholar surnamed Tian bowed. “Please look at the Xianbei’s main camp outside the city…”

“May I ask who you are, and what position you currently hold?” Edward Benson, who had remained silent, suddenly opened his eyes.

“Uh… I dare not call myself worthy. I… I am of the Tian clan from Xuwu County, Right Beiping…”

“What is your current position?” Edward Benson had spent several years mingling in the commandery office and held an official post worth two hundred shi; there was no way he didn’t know how to deal with such people.

“Still… a commoner.” The Tian clan member from Right Beiping blushed deeply.

“Since you are a commoner, it’s best not to comment on military and state affairs.” Edward Benson said seriously. “Think about it, everyone: if a commoner offers advice on a matter of life and death, should the chief secretary listen or not? If he doesn’t, people will say he ignores others and blocks the flow of advice; but if he does, and things go well, that’s fine, but if they don’t, the one who gave the advice can just walk away, while the chief secretary and all the officials and soldiers here at Lulong Pass will have to bear the consequences, perhaps even pay with their lives… Isn’t that putting everyone in a difficult position?”

Master Tian was immediately overcome with shame and dared not speak further.

“Then, Eddie… uh, Robert Benson, do you think we should go to battle or not?” James Benson, helpless, quickly cut in, as if afraid the conversation would turn even more awkward. “You are the deputy scribe of the accounting office of Liaoxi Commandery, with a two-hundred-shi post, so you do have some responsibility.”

“I don’t know.” Whether as Eddie or, thanks to a half-rank promotion, as Robert Benson, it was still Edward Benson. He spread his hands, nearly choking his uncle with frustration, but then pointed to Thomas Harris, who was still kneeling. “But isn’t there someone here who knows the enemy situation well? Whether to fight or defend, why not listen to what he has to say first, uncle?”

James Benson seemed somewhat wary of his clan nephew, who was still a year away from his coming-of-age ceremony, so he finally nodded helplessly. “Thomas Harris, is it? You may rise and speak in detail…”

Upon hearing this, Thomas Harris finally got up from the ground. Slightly encouraged, he couldn’t help but cast another grateful glance at the young man who had shown him kindness several times.

Edward Benson said no more, just smiled at him and stepped back half a pace, clearing the view.

Thomas Harris took a deep breath, hurried forward half a step, pointed at the clearly visible Xianbei camp outside Lulong Tower, and seized the chance to speak.

As it turned out, Thomas Harris’s intention, though guessed by the squad leader, was indeed to launch a night raid, but he wasn’t so eager for merit as to ignore reality—his reasoning was quite sound.

You see, the Xianbei had stationed a detachment several li outside the pass, not because they expected to break through the formidable Lulong Pass… In fact, even if the Xianbei Great Khan, Tanshihuai, personally led tens of thousands of elite Xianbei troops, he might not be able to breach this mighty and perilous pass. Clearly, these few thousand Xianbei had set up camp here only to block the exit of the garrison, to prevent them from launching a sudden attack while the Xianbei were raiding the commanderies of Liaoxi, Liaodong, and Xuantu outside the pass, which could result in being caught between inside and outside forces, with no way to return.

Now, as the end of the year approached and the north wind brought a cold wave, the Xianbei’s raiding activities were already in their latter stages. The easy pickings had mostly been taken in the past few days; what remained were either tough targets that would take time to crack or things not worth the effort. In fact, these days it was common to see Xianbei who had completed their raids bringing their ‘spoils’ to rejoin the main force beneath Lulong Pass, while other units who had gained little hurriedly left.

And this was the basis of Thomas Harris’s reasoning:

First, with all the comings and goings, the Xianbei camp should currently be at its weakest. Roughly speaking, there might be only two or three thousand men left, perhaps even fewer;

Second, many of the troops left to guard the camp were from tribes that had already raided, with spoils in hand and homesickness in their hearts, so their will to fight was likely low;

Third, among the tribes, and between those guarding the camp and those out raiding, there would surely be disputes over the division of loot, so if a fight broke out, mutual support might be lacking;

Moreover, with so many tribal rotations lately, the Xianbei nobles in charge of the camp were probably stretched thin in terms of management, and might not have arranged things properly or be able to command effectively;

Finally, this was the last chance to rescue the Han captives and wealth taken in the raids. If they didn’t act now, in a few days those people and goods would likely be gone for good.