Chapter 73

Last night, when the enemy general launched a raid on the camp, the attention of the vast majority of the soldiers was drawn to the two special task forces sent out by Lu Yao. As a result, they were slow to reinforce the main camp. Shi Le's unit was the first to react. It seemed almost instinctive; he immediately saw through the feints and determined the true target of the enemy. Therefore, he led his men to the main camp, intending to intercept the enemy under the nose of the Grand General of Champions and claim a great feat.

However, before he could engage in battle, the invincible Grand General of Champions, Qiao Xi, was actually killed. The Xiongnu army, having lost its command center, was like a headless giant, unable to use its strong limbs, and allowed the Jin army, which numbered no more than a hundred, to break through the encirclement with ease.

Compared to the poor performance of the Xiongnu Han army, the Jin army, though few in number, was like a lethal blade, piercing the vital points of the Xiongnu Han army with incredible speed. And that enemy general was the sharpest and most unstoppable tip of the blade!

Lu Yao! Shi Le firmly remembered this name. Whether it was his courage or his superior tactical command, both left a deep impression on Shi Le. To think that such a person existed in the Jinyang army, one could not underestimate them.

Shi Le could assert: The Jinyang army would not settle for just one night raid; there was likely to be a follow-up action. If Shi Le were to command the Jinyang army, after a night raid by light cavalry, he would certainly follow up with a heavy force the next day to crush the enemy. What reason did the Jinyang army have not to do so? He could almost smell the danger in the air!

The immediate priority was not to determine command but to immediately clean up the mess, fortify the defenses, and prepare to repel the Jin army's attack. However, the chieftains were only arguing, and the entire force of six thousand men was scattered, with no one arranging even basic defenses, not even sending out scouts!

Was it because of too many victories against the court that they had lost their basic caution? Or was it the failure of last night that had thrown them into disarray? Shi Le sighed heavily.

When accompanying the Wuhuan chieftain Fulidu to the military council, he had warned Fulidu to be extremely cautious about the Jin army's follow-up actions. But Fulidu paid no heed to his advice, and none of the high-ranking officials in the tent thought about it. Given the current situation, if the Jin army launched a large-scale attack... no, the Jin army would definitely attack... then what would be the fate of the Xiongnu, either surrender or death?

After pondering for a moment, Shi Le stomped his foot heavily and made a decision. He leaped onto his horse and headed straight for his own camp.

The chieftains were still in deliberation, but his subordinates left first, which was against the rules. According to military law, he would at least be punished. However, the soldiers, who had been working hard all night, had no energy to care about such trivial matters, so no one stopped him.

Shi Le had been under Fulidu's command for the past six months and had camped in the same area. Due to his broad-mindedness, fairness, and expertise in military strategy, the soldiers trusted him greatly. When they saw him approaching, they bowed deeply from a distance, showing even more respect than they did to Fulidu himself.

Turning left after entering the camp gate, he reached the camp of his own hundred or so soldiers. As soon as he entered, several men came forward.

"Brother, how is the discussion among the chieftains going?" a burly man asked. This man was Wang Yang, one of Shi Le's trusted subordinates.

Although Shi Le was a Jie, his subordinates included both Hu and Han. Among them, Wang Yang, Kui An, Zhi Xiong, Ji Bao, Wu Yu, Liu Ying, Tao Bao, Lu Ming, and eighteen others were the most valiant, having fought in the four provinces of Qing, Xu, Ji, and Bing, earning them the name "Eighteen Riders." All eighteen were present, clearly impatient.

"Hmph, they've been deliberating all night without making a decision... each one is fighting over petty gains while ignoring the imminent danger, all of them are mediocre!" Shi Le sneered, giving a brief answer. Without entering the tent, he shouted, "Wang Yang, Kui An, you two lead the men to prepare the horses and weapons, and be ready for battle! Hurry up!"

Wang Yang and Kui An took the order and left, and the camp immediately became noisy. Many Wuhuan soldiers who did not belong to Shi Le saw his men donning armor and forming ranks, and although they did not know why, they followed suit. Shi Le walked around the camp, urging the soldiers to speed up, feeling an unsettling and peculiar atmosphere in the air, even more intense than before.

"Shi Le! What are you doing?" A burly man with a blood-stained horsewhip in his hand strode over. Tao Bao, one of the "Eighteen Riders," rushed forward to block him but was pushed back several steps. This man was Feng Motu, a trusted confidant of the chieftain Fulidu and a renowned warrior in the Wuhuan tribe.

This man was cruel and often tortured prisoners, and beating soldiers was a common occurrence. During the Jin army's night raid two hours ago, his tribal soldiers performed poorly, even attacking each other in panic, and the livestock and horses suffered significant losses. This made him furious, and he whipped seventeen or eighteen soldiers, breaking two whips, but his anger did not subside.

Seeing Shi Le mobilize the soldiers without orders, Feng Motu hurried over. He had always resented Shi Le's prestige in the army, and their relationship was poor. Without waiting for Shi Le to answer, he stepped close and shouted, "Jie slave! The chieftain hasn't given the order, and you dare to mobilize the troops?"

The words "Jie slave" made Shi Le's subordinates bristle, and a few hot-tempered ones immediately reached for their swords. Feng Motu also had his followers, who immediately stepped forward to protect him. Both sides were on the verge of a clash.

Shi Le raised his hand, and his subordinates immediately stepped back. Ignoring Feng Motu's insulting words, he said sternly, "I am concerned about a Jin army attack, so I ordered my men to prepare. Why be so suspicious, General?"

Feng Motu sneered, "It's not even fully light yet, what's the rush? The brothers finally repelled the Jin army's night raid and want to rest. You're just stirring up trouble!"

Shi Le, with good composure, smiled and said, "General Feng is right, that is my intention. Please let the brothers rest easy, I will supervise my men to be prepared just in case."

Feng Motu felt as if he had grabbed a slippery catfish, unable to find a place to exert force, and was silenced by Shi Le's words, turning and walking away in anger.

Just as the two were exchanging words, the night had passed. The first rays of sunlight penetrated the thick fog, illuminating the camp that had been in turmoil all night.

The fog seemed to dissipate in an instant, as if the curtain on a stage was pulled aside—revealing the actors they least wanted to see.

Feng Motu's step froze mid-stride.

Shi Le's facial muscles twitched slightly.

Wang Yang, Kui An, and others were stunned.

"Hisss..." The sound of many people drawing in cold breaths seemed like a strange wind sweeping through the camp.

A dense formation of Jin soldiers suddenly appeared before the eyes of the soldiers.

The Jin army was only a stone's throw away from the Wuhuan camp. The main body of the formation was composed of spear soldiers, their twelve-foot spears held high like a forest, any enemy who dared to face them would surely be pierced like a hedgehog. Among the spear soldiers were interspersed sword and shield soldiers, who protected the spear soldiers and were responsible for close combat. Dozens of archers, each with a longbow and a sword at their waist, were loosely arranged in front of the formation, ready to join the sword and shield soldiers after a few rounds of shooting.

This force had silently and accurately formed and arrayed itself in the night and thick fog, and even now, they remained absolutely silent.

In the shrubbery not far behind the formation, the vague outlines of more warriors could be seen. Undoubtedly, they were the second and third waves of attack, ready to join the battle at the right moment.

This gave the Xiongnu Han soldiers a tremendous sense of pressure. Such a well-trained force, with iron discipline on the battlefield, was a true elite!

At the center of the formation, a flag was raised at an angle, the white banner fluttering in the wind, with a single large character: "Lu."

******

I still need to ask for clicks, red tickets, and collections. I can't do without them. I completely rely on all the readers.

Also, I am ashamed to say: I have a meeting in the afternoon, so there will be only one update today.

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