Chapter 59

This battle with the Xinli tribe was much more intense than the one in the morning. The Xinli tribe had a numerical advantage and were all gathered in the center of the camp. After the initial panic, they began to fight back! The Han soldiers, however, would only engage them if absolutely necessary, focusing mainly on setting fires.

Half an hour later, Li You led the Han soldiers out of the Xinli tribe's camp! They left behind a sky full of flames, endless cries, and cattle and horses fleeing in all directions. Of course, before leaving, Tang Yifu didn't forget to shout, "This is the consequence of sending people to intercept our Han envoy! Those who defy the might of our strong Han will surely be punished!"

Just causing them pain was not enough! Li You had to make all of Kunye Wang's tribesmen understand the reason for their impending disaster! After all, driving these Xiongnu tribes to the brink was not his current goal; he needed to spread fear across the entire grassland to drive the Xiongnu cavalry blocking the western route back to their own tribes.

The Xinli tribe's people, like the previous tribe, gave up on pursuing. They knew that even if they killed these Han people, it wouldn't make up for their losses! The most important thing now was to put out the fire as soon as possible and find the scattered cattle and horses! But the weather had been dry for so long that the grass was completely dry even in the middle! A small spark would ignite it, let alone the torches soaked in oil that the Han soldiers threw directly onto it!

They had no advanced firefighting equipment and could only futilely fetch buckets of water from the nearby river to pour over the flames! But this was just a drop in the bucket! It did nothing to slow the fire's spread through the dry grass and tents! The Xinli tribe's efforts not only failed to reduce the fire but also resulted in many injuries!

Many of the tribesmen were burned by the flames. Given the current medical conditions and the significant losses of the tribe, these people would likely not survive the winter! In addition to those killed by the Han soldiers and trampled to death, this attack cost the Xinli tribe over a hundred lives.

On the Han army's side, only one soldier fell off his horse and died, with nine others injured! They even had the strength to carry away the body of the fallen Han soldier!

"Upon our return, bury this brave warrior at the foot of the mountain! Mark the spot! One day, we will turn this land into the territory of our great Han! At that time, I will build a temple for him and offer him eternal sacrifices!" Li You personally led the horse carrying the fallen Han soldier's body and raised his right hand to swear, "The same will be done for those brave warriors who fell in the valley and on the Great Snow Mountain!"

He patted his chest, "I have recorded their names and origins one by one. These warriors who sacrificed themselves for the great Han will never be forgotten!"

"Willing to die for the envoy! Willing to die for the envoy!" Over seventy soldiers were so moved that their faces turned red! Before their journey to the Western Regions, they were just lowly people in Chang'an. When had they ever been treated so well? Now, not only did Li You promise to seek rewards and honors for them upon their return to Chang'an, but even those who died on the way would receive eternal sacrifices! At this moment, they were filled with trust and admiration for Li You. With such a superior officer, even if they died, it would be worth it!

They shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the clouds, startling the eagles and vultures circling overhead. The cries of willingness to die for Li You continued for a long time, as if nothing else could express their resolve! Even Tang Yifu, the deputy envoy, was no exception. From the time they left Chang'an, Li You had told Tang Yifu that upon their return from the Western Regions, he would petition the emperor to allow Tang Yifu to restore his original name, Gan Fu! Deeply influenced by Han culture, Tang Yifu understood how great an honor this was. From that moment on, he decided to do everything in his power to help the envoy reach Da Yuezhi and complete the mission. His confidence in completing the mission grew even more! With such an envoy and such subordinates, what could they not accomplish?

No one knew who started it, but one by one, everyone began to sing the military song that Li You had taught them earlier:

"Clad in iron armor, carrying long swords.

Marching with you, the road is long.

United in hatred, sharing life and death.

Marching with you, our hearts never tire.

Stepping on the Yanran, chasing the barbarians.

Marching with you, we sing without fear."

This was their confidence in their powerful military, the pride of the Central Plains that had been passed down for thousands of years, and the unity of the people. In the song, Li You couldn't help but feel his heart surge, and he joined in the singing. At this moment, he was so moved that he didn't even notice the tiger talisman in his chest heating up again.

"Where are the healers! Come and treat the brave warriors!" Upon entering the mountain pass, Li You shouted loudly. The healers in the envoy quickly ran to the injured soldiers to treat their wounds. Chen Qingzhi also hurriedly led the soldiers resting in the mountain pass to bring them soup and hot water.

Li You passed the food and hot water given to him to other soldiers and carefully helped the healers treat the wounded. Chen Qingzhi had already prepared boiled cloth strips and honey according to his instructions.

These, along with the healers' medicines, would be the greatest help in getting the wounded to recover quickly. Honey contains acidic substances and high concentrations of sugar, which prevent bacteria from surviving in the wound, promote the body's metabolism, and help the wound heal quickly by growing new tissue and eliminating dead muscle.

Boiled cloth strips could help stop bleeding and prevent external bacterial infections. These were pieces of knowledge Li You had learned from forums in his previous life, and they were proving to be very useful here.

Only after all the wounded were properly settled did Li You begin to eat! This victory without Chen Qingzhi's help greatly boosted his confidence!

But this was not enough. If it were Chen Qingzhi, he would certainly have performed even better. So, as soon as he finished eating, Li You eagerly discussed the battle's gains and losses with Chen Qingzhi. Chen Qingzhi patiently explained the areas that could be improved in both battles, and Li You felt he gained a lot from the discussion.

"Since it is already late, my lord should rest early! We have been here for too long! The Xiongnu may have already guessed our location. We need to move early tomorrow to find a new hiding place!" They talked until the moon was high in the sky before Chen Qingzhi took his leave.

After he left, Li You carefully reviewed what Chen Qingzhi had said and then lay down to rest. At this moment, he suddenly remembered that the tiger talisman seemed to have changed on the way back. He took it out of his chest and wondered what new surprises it would bring him.

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