Chapter 80

If viewed from a high altitude, the entire battlefield resembled a massive vortex centered around Jieyou City. Squad after squad of elite soldiers marched out from the surrounding camps, charging towards Jieyou, only to fail and retreat time and again. The countless shouts of battle, the clashing of weapons, the curses, the cries, and the panting all merged into a swift and turbulent current, surging from all sides towards the unfathomable center of the vortex, only to be swallowed up and vanish without a trace.

In stark contrast to this battlefield of fierce combat was a location thirty miles west of Jieyou City.

There, a military camp with strict watchtowers was situated. A full two thousand troops were quietly stationed there. No matter how intense the battles for Jieyou became, they remained unmoved, like a fierce and terrifying beast ready to pounce.

From time to time, messengers on horseback were dispatched from the battlefield to report the situation to the western camp in a stream of urgent messages:

"Report: Our army launched its fourth attack today, mobilizing 3,700 troops to assault Jieyou from the east, west, and south!"

"Report: Our troops used cloud ladders to reach the city walls. General Liu Qin led 300 elite soldiers, clad in heavy armor and wielding sharp blades, to break through the city walls and scatter the enemy!"

"Report: The Jin army has a general wielding dual iron halberds who engaged General Liu Qin. This man is extremely valiant; General Liu's offensive was slightly checked, but he did not retreat, and his spirit grew even more fierce!"

"Report: General Lu Chang of the Jin army poured burning oil onto our cloud ladders and set them ablaze with rockets. General Liu had no choice but to retreat; more than 80% of the 300 elite soldiers were killed!"

"Report: The Jin army has dug secret doors in the city walls. The general with the halberds led 100 brave soldiers out through these doors, breaking through our lines and burning over thirty cloud ladders. Our army was caught off guard and suffered heavy casualties!"

"Report: The general with the halberds circled the city, and despite our desperate efforts to stop him, he trampled through our camps, killing nine officers of the rank of commander or higher! General Jü Lihu led his personal guards to block him but was killed in a single engagement, and the rest of his men scattered!"

"Report: General Liu Qin gathered over a thousand spear-wielding soldiers to surround the enemy general with the halberds. The enemy general fought fiercely, dismounted, and engaged in close combat, cutting down over a hundred spears in a short time and killing countless officers and soldiers! General Liu was nearly hit by the enemy's flying halberd, and unable to continue, he had to let the enemy general return to the city!"

Each report brought a gasp of shock from the camp. By the time the last report was delivered, the entire tent was silent, the atmosphere heavy and tense.

"Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha! Our Xiongnu army has been invincible for years, sweeping through the north and south. Now, we can't even take a small place like Jieyou? Are the wolves of the desert only brave enough to catch sheep, but not to face fierce beasts?" The man receiving the reports laughed in anger, slamming his arm on the table, causing a loud thud.

Dozens of people in the tent prostrated themselves, saying, "Great Chanyu, please calm down! Great Chanyu, please forgive us!"

The man who had slammed the table was eight feet four inches tall, with a majestic and imposing figure, a dignified appearance, and a handsome beard. He was none other than the Great Chanyu of the Xiongnu, the Han King Liu Yuan, also known as Liu Yuanhai.

Liu Yuan was the grandson of the Xiongnu Chanyu Yufu Luo and the son of the Left Xianwang Liu Bao. According to legend, Liu Bao's wife, Lady Huyan, went to the Yellow River Dragon Gate to pray for a child during the Jia Ping era of the Cao Wei dynasty. Suddenly, she saw a large fish with two horns dancing in the river for a long time before swimming away. That night, Lady Huyan dreamed that the fish transformed into a man, handing her an object and saying, "This is the essence of the sun; if you consume it, you will bear a noble child." Thirteen months later, Lady Huyan indeed gave birth to a son, who was born with a natural "Yuan" character on his left palm, hence the name Liu Yuan.

Liu Yuan declared himself the Han King in the first year of Yongxing, raising an army to rebel against the Jin dynasty. Since then, his army has fought numerous battles, defeating hundreds of thousands of Jin troops, and his reputation has spread throughout the land north of the Yellow River.

At this moment, Liu Yuan's anger was still burning, and he paced back and forth in the tent. Dozens of generals on both sides of the tent trembled, their sweat pouring like rain.

Liu Yuan pushed open the felt door and looked into the distance. The sunlight shone into the tent, making the few strands of white hair at his temples particularly noticeable. Perhaps the sunlight was too glaring, Liu Yuan frowned and turned back into the tent. Although he was still energetic, he was already a 62-year-old man. The fate of the Xiongnu nation rested on his shoulders, and sometimes he felt overwhelmed.

Everyone thought that the Xiongnu Han Kingdom was invincible, dominating the north and south of Bingzhou, threatening Luoyang, and seemingly poised to conquer the land. However, Liu Yuan knew very well: at the height of the Xiongnu's power, they controlled vast territories stretching for thousands of miles across the desert, with a million archers. Now, the Xiongnu's influence was confined to the small region of Bingzhou, with a population less than one-tenth of what it was. If not for the residual prestige of centuries and Liu Yuan's tireless efforts, even the surrounding mixed tribes would not heed his commands.

The Jin dynasty, though declining, was still the legitimate authority. Despite repeated setbacks, it remained a formidable opponent compared to the Xiongnu. For three years, the Xiongnu had launched attacks on all fronts, but every time they retreated, the Jin army would return, and they could not secure any territory. Last autumn, they finally defeated Sima Teng and took control of Bingzhou, but before they could consolidate their gains, Liu Kun led a surprise attack from Shangdang, retaking the northern part of Bingzhou, which was extremely frustrating.

This time, the Xiongnu launched a full-scale attack on Taiyuan in the spring, out of necessity. The Donghai King Sima Yue now held immense power, controlling the military and political affairs of the court. He stationed heavy troops in Xuchang, Ye, and Luoyang, constantly training and preparing, with the intention of stabilizing the empire. To secure a stable rear before the inevitable battle with the imperial army, Liu Yuan gathered supplies and led his troops north in the spring, aiming to reverse the situation in northern Bingzhou.

According to the best plan, the Xiongnu army should have used its numerical advantage to launch a swift and decisive attack, with Huyan Yan leading the assault on the strategic location of Jieyou, while Qiao Xi and Huyan Hao led separate forces north. Liu Yuan would lead the main force to support them, depending on the situation, and crush Liu Kun's regime in one fell swoop. However, the Jin Yang soldiers under Liu Kuang, though few in number, were incredibly brave and skilled, causing the Xiongnu's tens of thousands of troops to be blocked by the small city of Jieyou!

"Two days ago, we received a report that the Champion General Qiao Xi was ambushed by Jin light cavalry and killed by the enemy general Lu Yao. Today, the Jin army first ignored our presence and broke through our camps to besiege the city, and then General Liu Qin was blocked by an unknown enemy general, causing our army to fail!"

Liu Yuan paced back and forth, his anger gradually subsiding. He suddenly stopped and sighed, "How many heroes there are among the Jin people!"

The tent was silent, and no one dared to respond. Since the Xiongnu's rise, their generals had become accustomed to looking down on others. For them, such a statement was almost an insult. However, the facts were undeniable, and the generals looked at each other, their faces showing frustration.

Liu Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "This Jin army general with the halberds was not mentioned a few days ago. Could he be the one who disguised himself as a Xiongnu noble and infiltrated Jieyou? Hee hee, Right Yulwang, your golden crown and sash have caused us a lot of trouble."

The Right Yulwang was the Xiongnu title of Liu Jing. A few months ago, he was defeated by Liu Kun and fled from Jin Yang, leaving behind his beloved golden crown and sash. Today, the Jin people used these items to disguise themselves and deceive the Xiongnu.

Liu Jing hurriedly stepped forward and prostrated himself, not speaking but repeatedly knocking his head on the ground, making a thudding sound. He was one of the sixteen major chieftains of the Xiongnu, known for his bravery and invincibility. He was appointed as the General of the Great Campaign to Destroy Jin when the Han Kingdom was established. Although he was defeated by Liu Kun in Jin Yang, his reputation was not significantly damaged. However, in front of Liu Yuan, he seemed like a dog.

Liu Yuan looked down at Liu Jing, who was kneeling at his feet, and said, "Get up. Take 3,000 troops to support Huyan Yan and fight seriously!"

"Understood!" Liu Jing responded loudly. He bent his waist and did not dare to raise his head, backing out of the tent before gathering his troops and charging off.

"Hetu Yan!"

"Your orders, General!"

The Auxiliary Han General Hetu Yan stepped forward. He was about thirty years old, with a sword-like brow and tiger-like eyes, a strong build, and a heroic appearance. He was responsible for reconnaissance, and his elite light cavalry had been dispatched to gather intelligence day and night.

"What is the movement of the Jin army?"

Hetu Yan replied, "The Governor of Bingzhou, Liu Kun, has already mobilized his troops. He personally leads over 10,000 Jin troops, rapidly advancing south along the western side of Zhaoyu Qi. They should have already passed Pingtao and are about to cross the Fen River, where they will soon engage with General Huyan Hao's forces. The Jin army's vanguard cavalry has crossed our front lines and is active in the area between Zishi and Zhongyang. My cavalry has engaged them multiple times, with roughly equal losses. Additionally, in the area between Zhongdu and Jingling, a thousand Jin troops are facing off against the Jie people led by Shi Le."

"Such rapid movement!" someone exclaimed.

The Jin army's southward advance was indeed very fast. In just three days, they had reached Xicheng, which was only a hundred miles from Jieyou, and could be reached by cavalry in half a day. This situation forced Liu Yuan to take action.

Liu Yuan returned to his seat and called out, "Chen Shilang, please bring the map."

A middle-aged official with a sharp appearance quickly stepped forward, removed the documents from the table, and laid out a large map. Seeing that the tent was slightly dark, he lit two candle stands and placed them on either side of the table.

This official was Chen Yuanda, the Yellow Gate Attendant of the Xiongnu Han Kingdom. He was deeply trusted by the Han King, held a high position, and was in charge of a vast network of spies and involved in many important matters. The fact that he personally performed tasks usually done by servants indicated that the Great Chanyu was about to discuss something significant.

When Liu Yuan gestured for everyone to look, the generals gathered around the table.

This was a detailed map of Bingzhou. From the map, it was clear that the entire region was a slightly tilted quadrilateral, with numerous mountains and rivers like the Fen and Zhang rivers flowing through the valleys.

The Xiongnu Han Kingdom controlled the areas of Xihedao, Pingyang, and Hedong, and the only passage to Taiyuan was the hundred-mile-long Que Shu Valley, through which the Fen River flowed. North of the Que Shu Valley, the vast waters of Zhaoyu Qi stretched across. This terrain left the Xiongnu army with little room for maneuver, forcing them to launch strong attacks along the way. This is why tens of thousands of troops were blocked by the small city of Jieyou, caught in a difficult situation.

Liu Yuan gazed at the map and said calmly, "Gentlemen, Liu Kun's troops are indeed skilled, unlike Sima Teng. However, the changes in the battle are still within my expectations. The Art of War states: 'The movement of an army is like water; water flows downhill, and an army avoids strength and strikes weakness. Water shapes its course according to the terrain, and an army shapes its victory according to the enemy... Liu Kuang has blocked us at Jieyou, thinking he has the upper hand, but this is precisely the path to his own destruction!'

Liu Yuan nodded slightly to Chen Yuanda and then lightly tapped a spot on the map with his vermilion pen, leaving a large red mark. The vivid red color spread across the map, like a bloodstain.

******

Thank you to the readers who are still reading during the holiday. I appreciate your efforts. Enjoy the holiday, but also take care to rest.

Additionally, I would like to thank Lanya, Qianbaidu2, and Huangtangyan, oh no, I mean lords. Thank you, lords, for your support; I am deeply grateful. Among them, Lord Lanya has given the largest support since the serialization began, which makes me both deeply happy and somewhat embarrassed.

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