Chapter 51
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
They walked outside the military camp and saw a group of vigilant cavalrymen surrounding the vehicles.
These cavalrymen were all strong and sturdy, towering in height and imposing. The horses were spirited and robust, their eyes alert. Once they formed a circle, it was impossible to see what was inside the vehicles.
Standing at the forefront was Wu Kai. Even inside the military camp, he remained on high alert, tightly gripping the large sword at his waist, attentively observing his surroundings. This made the nearby soldiers hesitant to approach the group.
Seeing their serious demeanor, He Lang and the others became genuinely curious. Even Yang Zhongfa reluctantly lifted his spirits and asked, “With such a grand setup, what exactly has Young Master Yuan sent?”
Chu Hechao also had no idea, but he was intrigued. He walked over with large strides. Only upon seeing him did Wu Kai ease his guard and respectfully salute, “General, the Lord sent me to deliver something to you.”
“What is it?” Chu Hechao asked.
Wu Kai replied, “Thunderclap Cannon.”
Thunderclap Cannon?
Everyone looked at each other, and Mi Yang directly asked, “What is a Thunderclap Cannon?”
Wu Kai clasped his fists and said, “Please find a desolate and uninhabited place, General. We will demonstrate the use of the Thunderclap Cannon for you.”
Chu Hechao raised an eyebrow and decisively led them to an empty and overgrown grassland.
The other generals followed out of curiosity.
Once they arrived at the location, the cavalrymen made way, revealing the carriage in the middle. Wu Kai carefully opened a chest, revealing a box full of short wooden and bamboo poles.
Mi Yang immediately expressed disappointment, “What is this? Are we planning to set off firecrackers?”
What use could firecrackers possibly have? It’s not even the New Year.
Wu Kai remained composed and took out a Thunderclap Cannon from inside, placing it a short distance away and straightened the fuse, preparing to ignite it.
Gong Bin, the sergeant who accompanied Wu Kai to transport the Thunderclap Cannon, kindly reminded the generals, “My lords, it would be best to cover your ears and mouths. This thing makes quite a loud noise, and there will be a lot of smoke.”
However, those who were warned didn’t pay any attention. No one took his words to heart.
Gong Bin helplessly sighed, and as soon as Wu Kai lit the fuse, at that very moment, all five hundred cavalrymen turned their heads and covered their ears. Mi Yang and the others caught a glimpse of their actions and found it amusing.
It’s just firecrackers. Is it necessary to be so exaggerated?
But in the next instant, a deafening explosion rang out with a “bang”!
Everyone, caught off guard, was startled. Some even stumbled and almost fell to the ground.
Thick smoke billowed, engulfing everyone’s faces as the wind blew. Yang Zhongfa, He Lang, and the others coughed and looked at the location where the Thunderclap Cannon exploded, incredulous. “Is this the power of those bamboo poles?”
How could it be so powerful!
“It’s the Thunderclap Cannon,” Wu Kai corrected, “It’s something Lord Yuan specially sent to the general to deal with the Xiongnu.”
Chu Hechao remained motionless, and no one noticed his contracting pupils and gradually brightening eyes. He commanded in a deep voice, “Ignite another Thunderclap Cannon.”
Wu Kai complied, and when the thunderous roar resounded once again, the fear in the hearts of the generals gradually gave way to ecstatic joy.
“General,” Yang Zhongfa’s voice trembled as he couldn’t take his eyes off the Thunderclap Cannon, his hands trembling with excitement, “With this thing, we can avenge our fallen brothers!”
“That’s right.”
Chu Hechao smiled, a rare and hearty laugh that echoed twice. He called for Wu Kai and carefully inquired about the usage of the Thunderclap Cannon.
Wu Kai explained each step, and finally said, “Because this item cannot be exposed to open flames and should not encounter any jolts or collapses, we were extremely cautious during transportation, which caused some delay.”
Upon hearing this, Yang Zhongfa couldn’t help but feel a wave of sorrow. If they had arrived a few days earlier, would it have been… He smiled bitterly, touched his face, and when he saw box after box of Thunderclap Cannons, all that sorrow transformed into a fierce determination to kill the Xiongnu.
Not only Yang Zhongfa, but everyone else was also excited, their faces flushed with anticipation.
Chu Hechao immediately ordered strict surveillance of the Thunderclap Cannons and instructed everyone present not to leak any information. Then, he allowed the five hundred cavalrymen who escorted the cannons to rest properly.
Wu Kai followed Chu Hechao as they left.
The five hundred cavalrymen were taken to the military camp by others, and some of them even encountered familiar faces from the past. The familiar faces in the camp almost didn’t recognize them. They looked them up and down several times, jokingly saying, “Wow, you guys look really impressive.”
The cavalrymen smiled awkwardly, standing taller with pride.
Meanwhile, the other generals excitedly discussed their plans to attack the Xiongnu throughout the afternoon, finally reaching an agreement. Chu Hechao dismissed the others, and he asked Wu Kai, “Did your lord have any specific instructions for you to deliver?”
Wu Kai honestly conveyed the two sentences spoken by Yuan Li. Chu Hechao listened patiently and waited for a while before furrowing his brow and saying, “Is that all?”
Wu Kai nodded.
Chu Hechao’s lips tightened, and he waved his hand, dismissing Wu Kai.
On the following morning, Chu Hechao sent scouts to search for the enemy’s traces. When the scouts returned with their report, he led his troops out of the city to actively engage the Xiongnu in battle.
Upon hearing that Chu Hechao personally led his troops out of the city to attack them, Huyan Wuzhu, who was still reveling in yesterday’s victory with his subordinates, was extremely surprised. He set down his wine cup and repeatedly confirmed, “Chu Hechao really came with his troops to engage us?”
The vanguard forces nodded, “Shanyu, they are coming in this direction.”
Huyan Wuzhu couldn’t understand Chu Hechao’s intentions and became cautious, suspecting a trick and hesitating to prepare for either counterattack or remaining stationary.
But then Huyan Wuzhu thought again, could it be that Chu Hechao’s intention is to make me wary and thereby delay time?
The more Huyan Wuzhu thought about it, the more he felt this could be the case. They hadn’t received any news of Chu Hechao receiving reinforcements, so it was certain that Chu Hechao could only muster a maximum of thirty thousand troops. This situation was quite peculiar. Chu Hechao suffered a disastrous defeat just yesterday, so why did he have the audacity to initiate an attack today?
Huyan Wuzhu was curious, but they had dealt a major blow to the Northern Zhou army just yesterday, so there was no reason for them to be victorious yesterday and be at a loss today.
He made up his mind and immediately formed his troops again, setting off. From a distance, they could already see Chu Hechao’s forces.
Chu Hechao still led a force of thirty thousand troops today, with the same well-organized formation as yesterday. However, perhaps due to the heavy casualties suffered by their cavalry, there was not a single cavalryman among these thirty thousand troops—they were all infantry.
This was clearly seeking death.
To challenge the Xiongnu’s twenty thousand cavalry with thirty thousand infantry, Huyan Wuzhu even doubted if Chu Hechao had lost his mind.
Huyan Wuzhu grinned and said to his subordinates, “Could it be that he intends to use this method to counter our cavalry?”
Yesterday, after killing an enemy soldier in a straightforward manner, the subordinates burst into laughter and eagerly said, “Shanyu, it seems like today we’ll be able to chop off the heads of many Central Plains people again.”
Huyan Wuzhu laughed heartily, abruptly stopping his laughter as his killing intent surged. He stared at Chu Hechao and said, “Charge! Today, I will use Chu Hechao’s skull as my drinking cup! Once Chu Hechao is dead, we will attack and capture the frontier counties along the Great Wall tonight, seizing food, wealth, and women. Brave warriors, follow me!”
As soon as these words were spoken, the battle flags surged forward, and the twenty thousand cavalrymen who received the signal began shouting and fiercely charged forward.
After the great victory they achieved yesterday, the twenty thousand cavalrymen had gained confidence in battle. Their momentum was even stronger than yesterday, and they fiercely pushed forward despite being attacked by arrows from the Northern Zhou army.
The ferocious enemy that pounced on them reminded the Northern Zhou army of the tragedy from yesterday, and they became somewhat afraid. However, Chu Hechao remained unfazed. He had an imposing presence within the army, and seeing their commander showing no signs of retreat, the Northern Zhou army gritted their teeth and continued to resist.
Chu Hechao patiently awaited an opportunity.
He waited for the moment when Huyan Wuzhu would also come within range.
They needed more Xiongnu warriors and horses to experience the power of the Thunderbolt Cannon.
Finally, the Xiongnu came closer and closer.
As the Xiongnu approached closer, the archers at the front were no longer able to withstand their advance. Shield-bearing soldiers held up their shields, pierced with arrows, in front of them, while spear-wielding soldiers attempted to fend off the approaching Xiongnu.
In the eyes of the Xiongnu, these Northern Zhou soldiers were like helpless lambs waiting to be slaughtered, with no resistance. All they needed to do was tear through, and a bloody opening would be created.
Huyan Wuzhu was ambitious, and his gaze remained fixed on the commanding general, Chu Hechao. The prospect of personally killing Chu Hechao made his hands tremble slightly. Huyan Wuzhu hadn’t felt such excitement in a long, long time, and even his chest was pounding.
Today, the Xiongnu would create a new historical achievement in their battles against the Central Plains people.
With just twenty thousand cavalrymen, they would slay Chu Hechao, the grand general of the Northern Zhou, and march south, breaching the Great Wall in one stroke.
Huyan Wuzhu seemed to have rejuvenated, and he shouted loudly, “Kill!”
The Xiongnu responded fervently, “Kill, kill, kill!”
To prevent Chu Hechao from escaping during the battle, Huyan Wuzhu paid attention to every detail. He waved his hand, and the cavalry split into three groups, blocking Chu Hechao’s escape routes from the left, right, and rear.
Everyone believed they had already won.
Including Huyan Wuzhu and his subordinates.
However, as Chu Hechao found himself surrounded, he revealed a strange smile under the watchful gaze of Huyan Wuzhu.
Huyan Wuzhu couldn’t help but have his eyelids twitch.
In the next moment, Chu Hechao gave the command, “Use the thunder cannons!”
The five hundred cavalrymen led by Wu Kai, who were acting as Chu Hechao’s personal guards, were not mounted on horses. Upon hearing the order, they immediately shot the thunder cannons that were already prepared and tied to arrows towards the Xiongnu.
Chu Hechao stared intently at the first thunder cannon being shot.
Not only him, but Yang Zhongfa and Wu Kai were also fixed on the thunder cannon.
Their chests trembled, their breath held in anticipation, all waiting for the outcome after a moment.
The sparks burned the fuse shorter and shorter, and the first arrow with the thunder cannon attached landed in the midst of the Xiongnu cavalry.
The Xiongnu were about to mock the futile resistance of the Northern Zhou army, but in the next instant, a loud explosion rang out.
When the explosion sounded, Chu Hechao, Yang Zhongfa, and the others all smiled.
Because they all understood very clearly—the Xiongnu were finished.
Truly finished.
One thunderous explosion after another erupted, with thick smoke and dust engulfing the sky. At the moment of the first explosion, the Xiongnu showed expressions of panic and fear. They looked around in terror, and in an instant, chaos erupted.
The warhorses were also frightened, completely going berserk and not obeying commands. They ran wildly in all directions. The dense smoke prevented the crazed horses from seeing their way, causing horses to collide with each other. The disoriented cavalrymen were thrown from their horses, either trampled to death by hooves or knocked unconscious from the fall.
Huyan Wuzhu and the other generals also couldn’t escape the panicked horses. They were unprepared and exclaimed in both fear and anger, “What is this sound?!”
“Is it thunder? Is it thunder?!”
“It’s not thunder, Chanyu—”
Huyan Wuzhu felt fear rising within him and shouted loudly, “Then what is this?!”
Before the words had even settled, another thunder cannon shot landed near them, and the tremendous sound sent shards of shattered bamboo poles crashing onto several generals.
The horses beneath them neighed like mad, running in all directions. With the help of his subordinates, Huyan Wuzhu promptly dismounted. When he looked up, not only were the horses scared, but many people also fell from their horses and knelt on the ground, begging the heavens to spare them from further punishment.
Even Huyan Wuzhu himself felt immense fear and unease.
The thirty thousand soldiers of the Northern Zhou army were also terrified.
But because the thunder cannons all fell among the Xiongnu cavalry, they were relatively better off than the Xiongnu, despite their fear.
Meanwhile, Yang Zhongfa and the five hundred cavalrymen who had already witnessed the power of the thunder cannons were eagerly awaiting the opportunity for the Xiongnu to descend into chaos. They watched the pitiful state of the Xiongnu and grew more and more restless.
The enemy was in disarray, and this was the perfect moment for their attack.
Chu Hechao made a decisive decision, “Attack!”
After saying that, he led Wu Kai and the others and charged out first, fearlessly plunging into the midst of the chaotic Xiongnu.
The Xiongnu were completely overwhelmed and had no time to put up a fight. They had already been frightened out of their wits by the billowing smoke and dust. Dealing with them now was nothing short of a one-sided massacre. Wu Kai decapitated one person after another, reveling in the excitement of gaining cheap advantages and merits. Their bravery also ignited the enthusiasm of the Northern Zhou soldiers behind them.
Led by generals such as Yang Zhongfa, He Lang Mi Yang, and others, the Northern Zhou army charged forward with great momentum, rushing towards the Xiongnu.
In an instant, the balance of power between the two sides had completely reversed.
Chu Hechao swiftly decapitated many heads, and the thick scent of blood intoxicated him, fueling his adrenaline. He scanned his surroundings and suddenly paused, locking his gaze onto Huyan Wuzhu.
Huyan Wuzhu felt a sense of recognition and turned his head to meet a pair of eyes as fierce as a tiger’s.
The expression in those eyes was all too familiar to Huyan Wuzhu. He had seen that look in the eyes of many people when he was young, and all those who had received such a gaze had died beneath his horse’s hooves. Those eyes harbored sharp murderous intent and greed—they were the eyes that desired his head!
Huyan Wuzhu was startled, and he shouted with all his might, trying to rally his cavalry. But the chaos had already caused the cavalry to collapse, and the deafening thunderclaps had further disoriented them. How could they continue to fight against the Northern Zhou army?
In the end, he could only gather a few thousand soldiers who were still capable of fighting. In this critical moment, Huyan Wuzhu immediately ran towards the outskirts under the protection of his bodyguards. Along the way, he managed to grab a few relatively calm horses, leaping onto their backs. He instructed his subordinates, “Quickly, go and find my eldest son, Huyan Ting. He is stationed three hundred li to the east with twenty thousand cavalry. It’s close to where I am! Hurry and ask him to bring the cavalry to support me!”
After sending that subordinate away, Huyan Wuzhu felt that it wasn’t enough. He dispatched another subordinate to find his second son, Huyan Huntu, and urged him to quickly bring ten thousand cavalry back to their main camp in the grasslands. He was afraid that if they were to lose this battle, the Northern Zhou army would pursue them and attack their rear while their main camp was unguarded!
Having done all this, Huyan Wuzhu continued to flee with the remaining cavalry. Seeing that they were trying to escape, Chu Hechao immediately ordered the release of more thunderclap cannons.
Boom!
Once again, the Xiongnu’s horses threw people off and galloped away in panic.
Huyan Wuzhu was also thrown off his horse. He nearly blacked out, but his subordinates caught him in time and protected him among the soldiers, providing a momentary respite.
The Northern Zhou army quickly caught up to the Xiongnu. This time, they surrounded the Xiongnu tightly within their ranks.
The remaining Xiongnu put up a fierce and heroic resistance, but it was in vain.
For the Northern Zhou army, this was a rare opportunity to slaughter the Xiongnu in years.
Everyone’s eyes were bloodshot.
On the other side, Huyan Ting, who was stationed three hundred li away, received the news first. He was shocked and immediately led his men to support his father. However, before he could get close, he heard a violent tremor and a deafening roar.
The thunderclap cannons were still at work.
The horses were too scared to approach due to the thunderous noise, and Huyan Ting’s face turned pale with fear, unable to lead his troops forward. Despite the urging of his father’s subordinates, he hesitated in place, unable to take a single step forward with his troops.
Huyan Wuzhu’s subordinates despised his weakness and, with a heavy heart, went alone towards Huyan Wuzhu, leaving Huyan Ting behind.
From a distance, Huyan Wuzhu saw him and thought that reinforcements had arrived, feeling overjoyed. He quickly raised his voice and asked, “Has my son arrived?”
However, his subordinate’s face was filled with sorrow. Despite being severely injured by the Northern Zhou army, he had bravely broken through their encirclement to reach Huyan Wuzhu’s side. In his dying moments, he painfully informed Huyan Wuzhu about Huyan Ting’s fear and hesitation to come forward due to the thunderclap cannons.
Huyan Wuzhu was stunned, and he seemed to age ten years in an instant. He suddenly found himself unable to lift his sword.
He smiled wistfully.
He had three sons. The third son was the child of a bold and audacious concubine, whom he had killed.
His eldest son, Huyan Ting, was the son he cherished the most. Huyan Wuzhu had always regarded him as the future Khan of the Xiongnu. This time, when they marched south, Huyan Wuzhu had given his eldest son a force of twenty thousand cavalry, the same as his own, and stationed him three hundred li away, closest to Huyan Wuzhu.
But he had only given his second son ten thousand cavalry and stationed him four hundred li away.
Because he was worried that Huyan Ting might encounter unexpected situations, he chose to keep him in a closer position, ready to lead the troops for assistance at any time. He also thought that if things turned out successfully, he could quickly inform Huyan Ting and let him share the credit. However, he didn’t anticipate that his beloved son, whom he cherished so much, would actually be too scared to come and rescue him.
Huyan Wuzhu’s spirit of resistance suddenly cooled.
Meanwhile, Chu Hechao had already fought his way through and arrived in front of Huyan Wuzhu.
Huyan Wuzhu looked at him.
Covered in blood, Chu Hechao, the Northern Zhou war god, was as fearless and formidable as Huyan Wuzhu was in his youth, truly a hero. Huyan Wuzhu felt unwilling to accept his defeat.
Chu Hechao coldly stared at the Xiongnu Khan, raised his ring-headed saber, and was about to strike Huyan Wuzhu’s head when Huyan Wuzhu, in a desolate tone, said, “I’m willing to negotiate peace with Northern Zhou.”
The Xiongnu Khan surrendered.
However, Chu Hechao remained unmoved. It was as if he hadn’t heard those words at all. Without any hesitation, his ring-headed saber swiftly severed Huyan Wuzhu’s head.
Huyan Wuzhu’s decapitated head still carried a look of astonishment as it rolled a few times on the dry grass.
“Negotiate peace?” Chu Hechao flicked off the blood from his saber and looked down at Huyan Wuzhu’s severed head from a position of superiority, sarcastically laughing, “Should I give you more time to regroup and come back for revenge?”
“Khan!!!”
The Xiongnu people shouted with hoarse voices, their eyes bloodshot. They wanted to rush forward and kill Chu Hechao, but they were instead beheaded by Chu Hechao’s personal guards.
Huyan Wuzhu’s severed head was lifted high, boosting the morale of the Northern Zhou army. The remaining Xiongnu were powerless to resist and were quickly massacred.
Finally, this battle came to an end.
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
What goes around comes aroung