Chapter 32

In the first month of Guangxi's first year (306 AD), on the first day of the twelfth month, at dawn.

Banqiao.

This place is located in the northwest of Nie County in Shangdang Commandery, within the reach of the residual mountains of Yelishan, Hujiashan, and other mountains in Bingzhou. The Qingzhang River originates in the mountains, drawing a curve from north to west and then turning eastward, widening the riverbed and spreading out a vast expanse of sandbanks to the east. Under the densely clouded sky, the withered yellow reeds, about as tall as a person, stretched as far as the eye could see, forming a natural barrier for the flanks of both armies.

Between the reeds on the sandbank and the hills and cliffs of the residual Hujiashan, a small plain was left open. This was the battlefield chosen by both sides.

When the lazy sun was still lingering on the horizon, three thousand Jin soldiers were already standing here. Some were defeated soldiers from a few months ago, others were newly recruited soldiers. Their armor was incomplete, and their weapons were varied. Although they tried to form neat ranks, occasional disorder revealed the nervousness of many soldiers. They were about to face the ferocious Xiongnu, and many were not mentally prepared.

Liu Kun, however, seemed to pay no attention to the impending battle. He wore a luxurious brocade robe over his armor and stood on horseback in the center of the army. He held the reins with one hand and leisurely tapped the saddle with his whip, occasionally glancing at the loose formation of the Xiongnu army across the field.

At the same time, the Xiongnu general Liu Jing was also looking at the Jin army. After a long while, he turned his horse in agitation, lashed a few lazy soldiers with his whip, and cursed fiercely, "You despicable little brats, quickly string your bows! Hold your sabers firmly! Whoever dares to slack off, I'll cut him to pieces!"

A soldier in the distance shouted loudly, "The Jin army has been scared by us. They fight like sheep. We only need the strength to catch sheep to deal with them!" The soldiers burst into laughter.

Liu Jing deliberately cursed loudly for a while and then ignored them. His mood had been very bad for the past year. Only when he cursed and swore at the soldiers did he feel comfortable and at ease.

For many years, he had fought for the great Chanyu, establishing great military achievements. When the Chanyu officially raised his army against Jin, Liu Jing was appointed as the General of the Destruction of Jin, becoming the top general outside the Chanyu's clan, with unparalleled favor. However, everything changed after the early summer of last year. That campaign against the Jin court went very smoothly, capturing Linyang, Yanjin, and other places, with tens of thousands of Jin men, women, and children, too many to count. If they were just livestock, it would be fine, but how could they fight with so many people following them? Liu Jing, unable to bear it, simply had his men push all the captives into the surging Yellow River. The ancestors often did this on the grasslands, cutting down all those taller than the cart wheels after defeating other tribes. Liu Jing felt very satisfied.

However, when the great Chanyu learned of this, he was furious and immediately sent a messenger to scold Liu Jing, saying that the Chanyu wanted to eliminate only the Sima family, and that ordinary people were innocent and should not be harmed.

Liu Jing could not understand this at all. What did that mean? The Jin emperor was indeed surnamed Sima. How could the Sima family be eliminated without killing all the Jin people? The Chanyu's cause was becoming more prosperous, but his thoughts were becoming more bizarre. Perhaps it was because the Chanyu had lived in the Jin capital for too long and learned too many strange Han principles.

Since then, Liu Jing had never been given the opportunity to lead troops alone. This time, when the Chanyu marched directly to Hedong, he only ordered Liu Jing to lead the mixed forces of various tribes to garrison the cities in Jinzhong. Liu Jing was extremely depressed.

When he learned that a Han army was coming, he was as excited as a beast smelling blood, hastily gathering the scattered troops. However, it was not easy to gather the troops scattered in various cities and villages. Although Liu Jing rushed, he still arrived three days later than expected. During these three days, his enemy had transformed from a disorganized mob into a roughly organized army.

"Uncle!" A sharp voice rang in his ear, and a young warrior spurred his horse to Liu Jing's side. "That Jin official on the opposite side is so conspicuous on the battlefield. Is he stupid? Send me to the front, and I will crush the enemy and stab that guy to death!"

This young man was Liu Jing's nephew, Miqie, who had always been favored by Liu Jing. He was like a Huns warrior from the time of Modu Chanyu, fierce and full of vitality, unlike the Huns officials around the Chanyu, who were all as timid as Han people.

Liu Jing looked at the Jin army across the field. Behind the prominent Jin general, a large white flag with the character "Liu" was raised high. Liu Jing rubbed his bearded chin, trying to remember if any Jin general in Bingzhou was surnamed Liu. After a moment of hesitation, he ordered, "Miqie, take three hundred light cavalry and charge! If the enemy formation wavers, I will immediately lead the main force to attack. If the enemy formation holds, you will flank them and shoot arrows, and I will support you."

Miqie replied loudly, "As you command!" With a sharp whistle, three hundred Huns cavalry immediately followed him and charged out.

After the Huns tribes moved inland, they mostly transformed from pure nomads to semi-nomads who also farmed. Therefore, besides the less than a thousand Huns cavalry, the rest were infantry. If Liu Jing did not have great confidence in his nephew's bravery, he would not have easily entrusted more than a third of the elite cavalry to him.

The two armies were only a few hundred steps apart. The Huns cavalry galloped, quickly covering more than half the distance. They shouted wildly, swinging heavy weapons like iron hammers and large knives, creating a terrifying momentum. According to past experience, most Jin soldiers would panic and flee at this point, allowing the Huns cavalry to charge into the formation.

However, this Jin army was different! Their formation did not waver at all. As the orders sounded, hundreds of long spears were lowered, their sharp tips layering up, turning the entire front line into a hedgehog.

Miqie sneered. Even a well-trained Jin army would not be a match for the elite Huns cavalry. He had defeated such dense infantry formations countless times. He was a seasoned warrior who had carefully observed the battlefield before charging. To the right of the Jin center was a rocky slope connected to a vast reed marsh. This was a good terrain for infantry to resist cavalry but not suitable for cavalry to charge. Therefore, he shouted and led the cavalry to the left, advancing parallel to the Jin formation.

Slightly slowing the speed of his horse, Miqie reached for the long-horned bow on his back. At this moment, the three hundred cavalry almost simultaneously drew their bows and nocked arrows. This was the Huns' famous mounted archery skill, which allowed them to dominate the vast grasslands! At this distance, a Huns marksman like Miqie could almost hit every shot, and the Jin spearmen were mere targets.

Miqie had already targeted the Jin official surrounded by many soldiers. Just as he was about to draw his bow, he suddenly cried out in surprise.

On the left side of the Jin army, in front of the slowing Huns cavalry, the Jin infantry suddenly parted like waves. A group of cavalry, like fierce beasts, emerged, clad in heavy armor, their horses covered in iron, and holding long lances, charging straight into the Huns cavalry with the sound of thundering hooves!

This group of heavy cavalry must have been carefully hidden behind the layers of flags, and the Huns did not notice them at all before they charged out. Miqie, leading the charge, felt his vision completely dominated by the iron-clad cavalry.

The Huns used light cavalry to attack the Jin infantry, a tactic used by nomadic tribes against the central dynasty's armies for centuries. The Jin, however, turned the tables, using heavy cavalry to counter the Huns' light cavalry!

This put the Huns at a disadvantage. The leading Xianbei riders were trampled into the ground before they could even cry out.

Miqie, a highly skilled Huns warrior, continued to fight despite the disadvantage. He raised his bow and shot an arrow, hitting a Jin cavalryman in the face. At the same time, dozens of quick-acting Huns also shot arrows, but most were deflected by the heavy armor.

The two cavalry forces charged at each other at incredible speed. Many Huns did not even have time to draw their close-combat weapons before the two groups collided.

Miqie had no time to draw his saber when several long lances came at him with the force of the wind. He roared and threw his bow at the attackers, then wrapped his arms around the horse's neck and flipped under the horse's belly. The speed of the charge was so fast that in the time it took for him to crouch, the Jin cavalry had already passed him, continuing their charge.

In the blink of an eye, Miqie rolled out from under the horse and remounted on the other side, his movements as agile as a monkey, drawing cheers from anyone who saw him. He drew a cold, sharp saber and identified a particularly fierce Jin cavalryman, charging at him.

That cavalryman was Wang Xiu, whose heavy saber weighed over forty pounds. Each strike sent a Huns rider crashing to the ground. Seeing Miqie charging, Wang Xiu swung his saber. However, with a light "clang," the steel saber was cut in half like tofu, and a short, gleaming saber appeared in Miqie's hand, aiming straight for Wang Xiu's chest!

Seeing the blade just inches away, a sinister smile appeared on Miqie's lips. Suddenly, a strong wind blew, indicating that someone was attacking with a long weapon! Miqie, unable to kill Wang Xiu, turned to block. His short saber, chosen from countless war trophies, could cut through iron like butter. He thought any weapon, whether a spear, lance, or halberd, would be cut in half.

However, the spear seemed to come alive, instantly changing angles to avoid Miqie's saber, and the spearhead struck his chest with great force. Even in the thundering sound of hooves, the crack of his ribs breaking was clearly audible. Miqie spat blood and fell off his horse.

The one who could wield a spear so skillfully could only be Lu Yao. His family's spear technique was unpredictable, and in a short time, he had killed seven or eight Huns. This was the first time he had to change his technique. Lu Yao coldly glanced at the fallen Miqie, noting the white feather on his helmet, indicating he was a famous warrior. However, in the charge of the heavy cavalry, he had no chance of survival.

Wang Xiu, realizing he had narrowly escaped death, shouted, "Daoming! Thank you for saving my life!"

Lu Yao, however, had no time to respond and continued to charge with his spear.

******

I have something to do tomorrow, so I'm posting the morning chapter early. Thank you all for your support. I am very, very looking forward to your favorites. Thank you.

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends