xymnovel Chapter 53 First Battle Victory
Chapter 53 First Battle Victory
Gongsun Zan was about to say something more when Liu Bei raised his hand to stop him, saying in a deep voice, "Bo Gui, you must not be rude."
"Young Marshal Taton is our ally and should be treated with courtesy."
Then he looked at Tadun and said with a smile, "My General Gongsun is a bit impatient, I hope the young commander will not take offense."
"This campaign against the Xianbei in the north requires the combined efforts of the Han army and the Wuhuan cavalry to achieve victory in one battle."
Tadun bowed slightly to Liu Bei, his tone still calm: "What you say is absolutely right, my lord. We, the Wuhuan cavalry, will obey your orders from now on."
He spoke eloquently, but Liu Bei knew Tadun's character very well; this young man had never truly trusted anyone.
He revered Han culture and secretly observed and learned about the Han army's formations and tactics.
Yet they absolutely refuse to admit that the Han people are stronger than the nomads of the grasslands; their inherent unwillingness to admit defeat is clearly revealed beneath their composed exterior.
Liu Bei understood the situation but didn't point it out.
He knew that this was the future Tadun, who, even at only twelve years old, already showed the makings of a ruthless and ambitious man.
Subsequently, Liu Bei ordered the entire army to set up camp and rest in front of Luoma Slope, with the Wuhuan cavalry stationed in two separate camps, one on the east and one on the west, so that they could support each other without interfering with each other.
During the encampment, Tadun was filled with envy at the skills of the Han army.
In less than half an hour, a well-organized camp rose from the ground, complete with a camp gate and a watchtower.
Even the water source for the horses and the location of the stables were arranged clearly, without the slightest oversight.
Tadun exclaimed in amazement, "This Lord Liu is no ordinary man! His camp layout is both offensive and defensive, truly capturing the essence of grassland camping. He even considered the water source and wind direction."
His bodyguard whispered, "Young commander, the Han people's camps have too many rules. It's not as convenient as our grassland people's way of setting up camp."
Taton shook his head, a sharp glint in his dark eyes, and said in a deep voice, "What's the use of convenience?"
"Even a Han Chinese camp with only a thousand men can withstand an attack from twice the number of cavalry."
"No matter how quickly we set up our tents, a night raid can throw us into disarray."
"You have to learn all of these things."
He paused, his gaze fixed on the large banner bearing the character "Liu" in the center of the Han army camp.
His tone carried a complex mix of emotions: a hint of defiance, and a subtle, almost imperceptible, curiosity.
"This Liu Bei was able to cure a major epidemic and even earned the respect of Lord Qiuliju."
"He must have been very capable to have so many Han warriors following him so devotedly."
"But he is ultimately a Han Chinese, and we are ultimately grassland people."
"We learn his skills not to submit to him, but so that the Wuhuan people will no longer have to live at the mercy of the Han people."
Upon hearing this, the guards immediately bowed and dared not say another word.
On Liu Bei's side, although Tadun's unexpected appearance did not take it too seriously.
Once he develops his business, these might become his resources.
That night, Liu Bei arranged for a thousand warhorses to be taken from the Wuhuan and quickly changed into new ones.
A thousand infantrymen were transformed into a thousand cavalrymen.
The thousand Wuhuan cavalrymen also changed from one rider on two horses to one horse.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the army broke camp and set off.
Liu Bei appointed Han Dang and Gongsun Zan as vanguards, each leading their own cavalry, to scout ahead and clear the way in two separate routes.
They assumed the Wuhuan were on the left wing and the Han army on the right wing, advancing side by side.
Since joining forces at Luomapo, the army has traveled more than 60 li north of the border.
They only encountered a few scattered Xianbei herders along the way. Upon seeing the Han army, they immediately abandoned their felt tents and fled far away, without even encountering a decent resistance.
That evening.
"My lord! The scouts at the front report!"
A scout galloped up, dismounted, knelt on one knee, and loudly reported the news.
"Thirty li ahead, beside the black pine forest, lies the core settlement of the Queji tribe!"
"With over 1,200 tents, this is a major town under the command of Queji, personally overseen by Queji's trusted confidant, Marquis Gudu!"
Upon hearing this, a low commotion immediately arose in the army formation, and the generals' eyes lit up with fighting spirit.
"My lord! This humble general requests permission to fight!"
Gongsun Zan spurred his white horse and charged out from the crowd, his double-edged iron halberd held horizontally in front of the horse, revealing the youthful arrogance and fierce courage.
"This humble general is willing to lead two hundred cavalry as the vanguard, launch a night raid, and capture the city in a single battle, beheading Marquis Gudu!"
Han Dang immediately spurred his horse forward, grinning broadly, "My lord, this humble general also requests to fight!"
The two stood facing each other, their eyes almost sparking!
Yan Gang and Zou Dan also stepped forward to volunteer for battle. Even Cheng Pu, who was usually prudent, clasped his hands and said, "My lord, the Xianbei are completely unprepared. This is a golden opportunity."
"This humble general is willing to lead the elite troops as the vanguard to break through the main army's defenses."
Only Xu Rong and Tian Yu exchanged a glance, then Xu Rong stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "My lord, this town is the core town of the Queji tribe, with a population of over five thousand, including no fewer than a thousand warriors capable of fighting. We must not underestimate them."
"Our army should proceed cautiously and steadily, first ascertaining the strength and weakness of their defenses before devising a strategy for a surprise attack."
Tadun, who had been silent all along, finally spoke, his voice cold yet carrying the familiarity unique to the people of the grasslands.
"This Marquis of Gudu is the most capable and fierce general under Queji, and his cavalry are all veterans who have been raiding in the south for many years."
"But in the past six months or so, a major epidemic has struck the village, killing nearly a thousand people, and the people's hearts have long been broken."
"They have roamed the grasslands for over a decade, and they probably never expected our surprise attack from the north. Their defenses must have been lax."
Liu Bei nodded, tapped the saddle lightly with his fingertips, looked towards the direction of the black pine forest to the north, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, and he immediately made a plan.
"Gongsun Zan led his two hundred White Horse Cavalry as the vanguard. After nightfall, he launched a surprise attack on the town from the front, using fire as a signal to disrupt the morale of the enemy."
"Han Dang, lead two hundred cavalrymen to circle around to the rear of the town and block its escape route to the north. Anyone who resists with weapons shall be killed without exception."
"Xu Rong and Cheng Pu, each lead two hundred elite troops to harass from the left and right flanks, block both flanks with bows and crossbows, and prevent the scattered cavalry from escaping to report the news."
"Shan Jing was stationed at the rear to protect the grain and supplies and to provide support to the various units at any time."
"The rest of you, wait until their tents are ablaze, then follow our army in the charge!"
"promise!"
The generals accepted the order in unison, each one eager to fight, their eyes burning with battle lust.
That night, the moon was bright and the stars were few.
Gongsun Zan led two hundred cavalrymen, taking advantage of the cover of night and the pine forest, and silently made his way to the outskirts of the Xianbei village.
Just as Tadun had predicted, the outpost camp that had traversed the grasslands for many years was extremely lax in its defenses.
The scouts sent out on the outskirts had only gone less than two miles before they were still huddled in their sheltered tents, drunk and exhausted. There wasn't a single person on guard at the camp's fences, and only a few scattered campfires flickered in the wind.
The Xianbei people were too confident.
Since Tan Shihuai unified the Xianbei, the Han army has always been on the defensive, rarely venturing deep into the grasslands for raids, and even crossing the border for ten miles is extremely rare.
"Loose the arrows! Light the fire!"
Gongsun Zan gave a sharp shout, and two hundred cavalrymen simultaneously drew their bows and fired arrows like rain at the felt tents inside the camp.
In an instant, the fire, fueled by the wind, engulfed the entire Xianbei village in flames, and the cries of the herdsmen, the neighing of the warhorses, and the screams of the children were all in chaos.
"kill!"
Gongsun Zan took the lead, charging straight at the camp gate with his halberd. His double-edged iron halberd flashed, and two Xianbei warriors who had just rushed out were instantly sent flying.
Two hundred riders followed closely behind, like a white torrent, rushing into the camp ablaze with flames.
The Xianbei people were in complete chaos.
The shadow of the pandemic had already made them fearful, and the attack in the dead of night, with their leader nowhere to be found, left them with no will to resist.
Some brave warriors, carrying scimitars, tried to organize a resistance, but as soon as they rushed out of the felt tent, they were scattered by the main force of Liu Bei's cavalry.
Some herdsmen tried to flee north, but as soon as they left the back gate of the camp, they were intercepted by Han Dang's cavalry. They were either forced to kneel down and surrender or be beheaded on the spot.
Marquis Bone, who was stationed in the center of the town, had just donned his armor and rushed out of his royal tent upon hearing the commotion.
Suddenly, a white horse appeared like lightning.
Gongsun Zan brandished his iron halberd, and a flash of cold light appeared; the Marquis of Gudu was already decapitated.
With their leader dead, the Xianbei people's last will to resist completely collapsed.
The battle was completely over in less than an hour.