Chapter 36

The battle was completely over by the hour of Chen. Apart from a light cavalry detachment that had not been engaged and was sent to pursue the fleeing Liu Jing, a large number of Jin troops were scattered in small squads of ten or twenty across the narrow plains between the hills, clearing the battlefield. They meticulously searched every piece of land, collecting arrows and abandoned swords, and some soldiers even stripped the bodies of any still intact clothing. During the search, they sometimes found wounded soldiers who were barely alive. If the wounded were Jin, they would receive basic care, such as a bowl of hot soup; if they were Xiongnu, the soldiers would mostly kill them with a single slash.

Many Xian and Jie who had surrendered were ordered to gather in a low-lying area. Although they had been fighting with weapons not long ago, they now looked like nothing more than expressionless herders and farmers. A Jie, perhaps needing to relieve himself, sneaked towards the bushes at the edge of the depression and was immediately spotted. A Jin soldier with a long spear shouted at him, and the Jie, facing the spear, stepped back, explaining something with an awkward and ingratiating smile.

On one side of the depression, the heavily armored cavalry were resting. After repeated charges, both men and horses were extremely exhausted. Many cavalrymen, swaying as they dismounted, collapsed on the ground, allowing the auxiliary soldiers to busy themselves with removing their armor.

Ding Miao, naked, sat on a dismounted saddle. A medic was extracting an arrowhead deeply embedded in his right shoulder and then applied a black, paste-like herbal medicine to the wound. Despite the heavy armor, he had sustained over a dozen injuries, his body covered in cuts and bruises, a sight that made everyone who saw him feel a deep sense of shock. His armor, thrown at his feet, was soaked in so much blood that it had almost turned a dark red; some pieces of armor still had bits of enemy flesh hanging from the edges. This young general, who usually enjoyed joking, had transformed into a ferocious iron-clad beast in the recent battle, charging through the enemy ranks and taking lives, with no one able to stand against him. The fear in the eyes of the captured barbarians was enough to demonstrate his bravery.

The medic's herbal medicine was highly effective, and the cool sensation as it seeped into the wound made Ding Miao almost sigh with relief. He relaxed, leaning back and looking around. Everywhere he saw victorious soldiers laughing and joking, except for Lu Yao, who stood with his arms crossed, seemingly gazing into the distance.

There was some criticism among the old subordinates of the Duke of Yue Shi regarding the rapid promotion of this young general. Some colleagues whispered behind his back, calling him a sycophant. Liu Yan, who was quick-tempered, had even confronted him. However, Ding Miao had fought alongside Lu Yao and witnessed his bravery and strategic acumen on the battlefield. With such talent, he would be a capable general in any army, not a sycophant. It was truly laughable.

Thinking this, Ding Miao called out, "General Lu! Brother Daoming! Our army has won a great victory, why are you so preoccupied? Are you thinking about some woman? Hahaha—"

As he laughed heartily, Lu Yao suddenly turned around, his eyes flashing with a fierce light.

Although Ding Miao himself was a seasoned veteran, under Lu Yao's intense gaze, he felt as if a cold stream of water had poured down his spine. His laughter abruptly stopped, and he frantically waved his hands, "Slow down, slow down! Brother Daoming, it was just a joke, no need to take it seriously..."

Fortunately, Lu Yao's anger subsided quickly, and he soon regained his calm demeanor. He smiled apologetically and said slowly, "General Ding, my apologies. To be honest, I was moved by the scene, and it brought back some memories."

"No problem, no problem," Ding Miao laughed, showing a keen interest, "Brother Daoming, are you familiar with this place? What scene moved you, and what feelings did it evoke?"

Lu Yao, who had not expected Ding Miao to be so friendly, was silent for a moment before answering slowly, "Of course, I am familiar. I once fought the Xiongnu here."

He took a deep breath and exhaled, unconsciously clenching his hands together, making a cracking sound, "I was originally a military commander under the Accumulated Shooting General Nie Xuan of Bingzhou. A month ago, our army suffered a defeat in a battle against the Xiongnu, and tens of thousands of troops were routed. Our group gathered the scattered soldiers along the way, fighting and retreating, crossing numerous mountains to move towards Shangdang."

"At that time, Sima Teng of Dongyin was stationed at Huguan with over ten thousand elite troops, controlling all the key passes along the way. We marched without rest for over a hundred miles in the mountains, thinking we would meet the reinforcements here. However, when we emerged from the mountains, there was not a single soldier in sight... Later, we learned that Sima Teng, as cowardly as a chicken, had seen the unfavorable situation and led his troops to flee to Yecheng, abandoning Huguan. When we tried to leave, the Xiongnu cavalry had already caught up with us from the main road. They split into three groups and suddenly attacked from here, here, and here..." Lu Yao pointed to several distant hills, speaking in a deep voice, "The Xiongnu attacked fiercely, immediately cutting our army into several isolated sections... Our army fought bravely, one after another, and the blood turned the entire ground red."

"We fought to the death while moving south along the Zuzhang River... Yes, it's the same route we've been following these past few days, just in the opposite direction. The enemy was mostly cavalry, and we couldn't shake them off. Along the way, we engaged in dozens of battles and broke through the enemy's encirclement sixteen times. Over 70% of our men were killed or wounded; we killed four Xiongnu thousand-man commanders, twenty-three hundred-man commanders, and countless ordinary soldiers!"

Lu Yao took a deep breath, trying to calm his agitated heart. He told himself that what he was recounting was just a historical fact, like a few lines in an ancient book, not worth getting excited about, but his emotions were completely out of control, making him feel an overwhelming urge to speak, and his voice rose.

The laughter and noise around gradually subsided, and the soldiers slowly gathered to listen, "At a small ancient fort not far from Huguan, we were finally surrounded by the enemy. The soldiers fought to the death, resisting for three days and two nights, piling up the enemy's bodies like mountains! It was a truly brutal and bloody battle... In the end, only three of us managed to escape the battlefield. Time has passed, and the traces of the battle have been erased, and the bodies of the soldiers, scattered and eaten by wild animals, are no longer visible."

Lu Yao's voice gradually choked, "Those who died were all sons of Bingzhou. Many of them I could name, knew where they were from, and who their families were. They trusted me as I trusted them. I thought I could lead this group out of the encirclement, but in the end..."

A strong hand patted Lu Yao's shoulder, and Xue Tong's voice sounded in his ear, "Why should you blame yourself, Daoming? If you were in the same situation, no one could have done better."

Ding Miao, counting on his fingers and muttering to himself, seemed to be secretly evaluating the battle Lu Yao had described. After a while, he sighed heavily, "General Xue is right. In such a dire situation, what Daoming achieved is already very impressive. However, the past is past, and the future is still to be pursued. Now that our lord is in charge of Bingzhou, the situation will surely change. As long as we work together, we can eliminate the villains and avenge our comrades."

The people around him echoed in agreement, their voices carried far by the north wind sweeping across the battlefield.

After a long silence, Lu Yao rubbed his cheeks with both hands and nodded slightly, "Thank you both for your words."

His heart seemed to have calmed, and he resumed his usual stern demeanor, "Since I joined the army to serve the country, I have long been prepared to die on the battlefield. It was just a momentary lapse. I only hope to stabilize the border soon, so that the people can live in peace and prosperity. If there comes a time when I can lead troops to the North Sea and inscribe my name on the Yan Mountains, it will be a fitting tribute to the fallen heroes."

Xue Tong nodded heavily, "That's exactly right!"

As they were talking, a deafening cheer rose from the distance. The sunlight of late morning shone down, illuminating Liu Kun's banner as it moved slowly. Wherever it went, the soldiers roared with joy, waving their hands to salute their commander. Although on the battlefield, Liu Kun did not wear armor but a luxurious white silk robe, with an ancient-style long sword hanging from his waist, as if he were a nobleman on a leisurely outing. If anyone else dressed like this, it would be completely out of place in the solemn atmosphere of the military. But Liu Kun's attire only accentuated his tall and imposing figure, exuding a sense of invincibility and confidence.

As a seasoned military officer, Lu Yao clearly understood the maturity and ruthlessness of Liu Kun's command in the recent battle and the accuracy of his judgment of the enemy. In such a chaotic era, only a person like him could inspire the soldiers to fight to the death; only a person like him could shoulder the responsibility of stabilizing the Jin Empire!

"I have followed my lord for more than five years and have seen firsthand what it means to win every battle and capture every fortress. This is no different in our current campaign in Bingzhou. My lord has never let us down, not in the past and not in the future! Just wait and see, the barbarians won't have many good days left!" Ding Miao said with great confidence.

Lu Yao and Xue Tong nodded heavily.

As Ding Miao said, Liu Kun did not disappoint any of his subordinates: in the following days, the Xiongnu's rule in northern Bingzhou collapsed like a snowslide. First, Liu Kun personally led a light cavalry to pursue the remaining Xiongnu forces, defeating them thirty miles from Jinyang, killing over eight hundred and capturing countless armor and weapons. The Xiongnu fled in all directions, and Liu Jing narrowly escaped, heading to the Shishi Chanyu's court. Liu Kun's army surrounded Jinyang and launched attacks from all sides. The Xiongnu commander in the city tried to resist, but how could he withstand the fierce and determined Jin forces? Jinyang, the fortress on the border, was captured in one swift assault.

The Xiongnu's strength in northern Jin was already weak, and after Liu Jing's forces were eliminated, their troops were even more stretched thin, with many cities around Jinyang having no more than a hundred defenders. Liu Kun took advantage of the victory and launched attacks in all directions, and wherever he went, the Xiongnu fled in disarray. In a short time, a large part of Bingzhou was back under the control of the Jin court.

Liu Kun had only been in Bingzhou for a few days, but he had already crushed the strong enemy and captured a famous city, greatly enhancing his prestige and becoming a formidable force that the Xiongnu could not ignore.

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