Chapter 151
“General, where should we head next?” A young officer in red robes and silver armor walked up to Vice General Yang and asked.
Vice General Yang tucked his charcoal pencil into his chest pocket, folded the map in his hand, and looked around. “Have you noticed anything unusual?”
A Bing shook his head, then boasted, “They say the barbarians are as fierce as wolves and tigers, undefeated in battle. Hah! From what I see, they’re nothing special.”
Three days ago, they had encountered a small enemy unit. Though the opponents resisted fiercely, they were no match for them. A few rounds of crossbow volleys were enough to throw them into chaos, after which it was a one-sided slaughter.
There was no denying the effectiveness of their military equipment. With their Thousand-Mile Eye, they could observe enemy movements from afar and assess the size of approaching troops before deciding whether to engage or avoid them.
Their general had given clear instructions: retreat when the enemy advances, harass when the enemy halts, strike when the enemy tires, and pursue when the enemy flees. This strategy had not only minimized their own losses but also inflicted significant disruption on their foes, which was immensely satisfying.
They moved light and fast, able to relocate or engage in battle at any moment. They struck without a trace, replenishing their supplies on the battlefield itself—perfectly embodying the principle of sustaining war through war.
Vice General Yang mentally reviewed the map he had just studied, ensuring he had not overlooked any key locations. His mission was not only to conduct reconnaissance but also to gather maps of the Suixi Kingdom in preparation for the Great Yan’s future invasion.
Now that they had ventured deep into enemy territory, they had to remain vigilant at all times. The safety of his entire unit rested on his shoulders—one misstep could mean complete annihilation. He had to be thorough and cautious in all his decisions.
After a moment of contemplation, Vice General Yang asked, “I heard that Hunle Wang has brought five thousand troops with him. Have we gathered any intelligence on them?”
The information had come from court spies and was highly reliable. Hunle Wang was not someone they could afford to underestimate. Vice General Yang still remembered how Tuoba Ren had broken through Shi Chongguan and nearly besieged Liangcheng. That battle had left a lasting impression on them.
If—if it hadn’t been for General Xie, and Tuoba Ren had managed to take Liangcheeng, the consequences would have been unimaginable. The Great Yan would have been reduced to an empty shell. It was no exaggeration to say that Xie Yixiu had saved the Great Yan, which was why the emperor’s favor toward him was boundless.
A Bing shook his head. “No, we haven’t found anything.”
Vice General Yang frowned, feeling a sense of unease. After hesitating for a moment, he said, “We’ve been out here for almost half a year now, and our supplies are running low. It’s time to head back. Once we’ve replenished our stock, we’ll await the general’s orders.”
They had already gathered enough map data. From the beginning, it had been agreed that they would return at a set time and never act recklessly.
A Bing was surprised by this. “What? We’re leaving so soon?”
“That’s right,” Vice General Yang said. “Since Tuoba Ren has deployed his troops, we can assume we’re his target. He may not be able to charge at us immediately, but he is a highly strategic thinker. We’re fighting on foreign ground—if we engage him directly, our chances of victory are slim.”
“Why should we fear Tuoba Ren?” A Bing retorted, brimming with confidence. “Didn’t we defeat him last time? If he dares to come, we’ll wipe him out completely.”
Vice General Yang shot him a glare and flicked his forehead. “You brat, what do you know? Last time, we had Wang Ye’s elite guard formations, the emperor’s imperial guards who could fight a hundred men alone, and Wang Ye’s thunderbolts to catch them off guard. That’s why we inflicted heavy losses on them. This time, if Tuoba Ren is making a move, it means he’s fully prepared. We cannot afford to be careless.”
He only spoke this much because it was A Bing. He knew the young man was highly regarded by both Wang Ye and the general—intelligent and brave, but still young and impulsive. The general had sent him on this mission to train and temper him.
A Bing wasn’t reckless or ignorant. He knew Vice General Yang was right, but he still felt reluctant to leave so soon.
Vice General Yang patted his shoulder and said earnestly, “Our mission, as entrusted by Wang Ye, is nearly complete. Once we return and regroup, we’ll follow the general on the next expedition—straight to their capital. At that point, Hunle Wang will be nothing, and even Tuoba Hongze will be at our mercy.”
Hearing this, A Bing brightened up. Vice General Yang was right. When the main army launched a full assault, he would have to fight for a position in the vanguard.
Without further delay, Vice General Yang ordered the troops to head east. The unit moved swiftly, but half a month later, they encountered someone they shouldn’t have—Tuoba Ren’s forces.
It turned out that Tuoba Ren had never been scouring the land for them. Instead, he had followed Song Lian’s advice and waited for them to come to him.
When their scouts returned with reports of this unit’s combat prowess, detailing their advanced weaponry and the explosives that could create thunderous firestorms, Tuoba Ren immediately recognized who they were dealing with.
He had already encountered these thunderous weapons before. Though they had initially caught him off guard, he had since recovered from his shock. Upon returning to the royal court, he had replayed that battle in his mind repeatedly and discussed it in depth with Song Lian.
The so-called “thunderbolts” were undoubtedly an invention of Duan Wang. At the time, their sheer noise and explosive force had created an overwhelming psychological fear simply because they were unfamiliar with them.
Looking back, the explosion only created a crater, and its actual range was not very large. However, the scattered fragments caused a widespread impact, leading to varying degrees of injuries among the soldiers.
Since they now understood the nature of this weapon, dealing with it became much simpler. There was indeed a way to counter it—by keeping the soldiers from clustering too closely together, the damage could be significantly reduced. However, the loud noise it produced could startle the horses, which posed a considerable challenge for their cavalry.
As for how this group had managed to predict their movements so early on, they had pondered it for a long time without finding an answer. Eventually, it was Song Lian who mentioned that Tuoba Jiu had once spoken about a device called “Thousand-Mile Eye,” which had been developed in Duan Wang’s workshop. It allowed one to see great distances, and it was likely that this was what the enemy had used to track their army’s movements, enabling them to evade danger every time.
After analyzing everything thoroughly, Tuoba Ren and Song Lian began discussing their next course of action.
This enemy force was highly mobile. If they were to track them from behind while also avoiding detection by the “Thousand-Mile Eye,” it would be extremely difficult.
Given the circumstances, Song Lian proposed, “We should ambush them on their way back. After all, they are only a small, rootless unit. Every time they use their supplies, they have less to work with. They cannot possibly sustain operations within the western borders of Suixi for long. All we need to do is wait for them to return to the Great Yan to replenish their provisions and equipment—then we can catch them off guard.”
Song Lian’s reasoning was sound. They would conserve their strength while forcing the enemy to deplete theirs. By that time, dealing with an exhausted and undersupplied force would be effortless.
With the plan decided, they carefully devised a strategy and made all the necessary preparations—now, they only had to wait for their prey to walk into the trap.
When A Bing and his men spotted a small gathering of people, excitement filled them—they were about to make another profit. It had been a long time since they last saw a nomadic settlement. Previously, after suffering repeated attacks, many of these groups had fled deep into the grasslands. Discovering this settlement was an unexpected stroke of luck, as it meant they could replenish their food and water supplies.
Eagerly, A Bing approached Deputy General Yang to request permission to lead a raid. However, before he could act, Deputy General Yang raised his hand, stopping him.
Without responding to A Bing’s request, the deputy general put down his “Thousand-Mile Eye.” A Bing was puzzled—what did the general mean by this?
Frowning, Deputy General Yang handed the “Thousand-Mile Eye” to A Bing. “Take a closer look.”
Curious, A Bing wondered what there was to see. However, given the deputy general’s serious demeanor, he respectfully took the device and carefully examined the scene.
At first, he noticed nothing unusual. But A Bing was not careless. Before long, his expression changed.
“General, this—?”
“Tell me what you think.”
A Bing swallowed hard, organizing his thoughts before speaking. “This… this might be a trap?” Seeing the encouraging look in the general’s eyes, he continued, “This settlement—there are no women or children, and there are no cattle or sheep.”
Having grown up in the borderlands, A Bing had roamed the region since childhood and was quite familiar with the appearance of nomadic settlements. At first glance, this place seemed like one, but upon closer inspection, it was far too orderly, lacking the usual chaotic feel. The people were dressed like herders, but he saw only able-bodied men—there was not a single woman or child in sight. A nomadic settlement without livestock was suspicious enough on its own.
It was clear that the enemy had gone to great lengths to disguise themselves but had overlooked the genuine essence of a herders’ way of life. Without the “Thousand-Mile Eye” to observe them closely, they might have easily fallen into the trap.
Seeing that A Bing had noticed the oddities, Deputy General Yang nodded in satisfaction. This kid was indeed sharp and observant. It had taken him quite some time to figure it out, yet A Bing had caught on quickly.
Curious, A Bing asked, “General Yang, did you notice this from the beginning?”
The deputy general did not conceal anything. “Not exactly. I only had a feeling that something was off. Think about it—on our way here, many settlements had already migrated westward to avoid us. Given how close this one is to the border, such settlements should be even rarer. The fact that it exists so abruptly is enough to warrant suspicion. And just as you pointed out, despite their convincing disguise, they still gave themselves away.”
A Bing was full of admiration. Everything the general had said came from experience—he himself still had much to learn. He should study more under General Yang.
“So what do we do now? Since they’ve set up an ambush ahead, they must be fully confident that they can take us down,” A Bing said.
Deputy General Yang sneered. “They think too highly of themselves. If they want to use us as a sacrifice, they should first see if our blades will allow it. Can you determine their numbers? Which unit do they belong to?”
This was a deliberate test. A Bing used the “Thousand-Mile Eye” to observe again before answering, “Although there aren’t many people moving around on the surface, I can see faint figures hiding within the settlement. There must be at least three thousand of them.”
After a brief pause, he saw that the deputy general had no intention of interrupting, so he continued thoughtfully, “I’ve heard that Tuoba Ren recently took command of five thousand men at the royal court. Since they’ve managed to predict our return route and set up an ambush here, there aren’t many generals among the barbarians capable of such tactics—this must be Hunle Wang’s doing. If we cannot avoid them, then we are in for a tough battle.”
His words made the situation abundantly clear. Deputy General Yang nodded in approval—he had reached the same conclusion. Since the enemy had already prepared their ambush, it was unlikely they could escape now.
“How much of our supplies remain?” Deputy General Yang asked.
Someone nearby replied, “General, we have less than ten percent left.” The explosives and arrows that Wang Ye had issued were almost entirely depleted, even though they had been conserving them as much as possible.
“It seems this truly will be a hard battle.” Deputy General Yang chuckled. “Fortunately, we are already close to the Great Yan’s border. Issue the order—prepare for combat.”
“Yes!” A Bing responded, then turned to carry out the preparations.
Meanwhile, Deputy General Yang beckoned someone over. “Send a signal flare to notify the stationed Red Robe Army.”
Before they had left, Ming Yu had given them this flare, saying that if they launched it into the sky, it would be visible for a hundred miles around. If they ever faced real danger and needed reinforcements, they could ignite it, and any allied troops nearby would rush to their aid.
If you love what Ciacia is doing, then consider showing your support by supporting a cup of coffee for her at Kofi. If you can’t wait for the next release chapter, subscribe to advanced chapters membership on her Kofi to get access to up to 10 chapters!
Thank You for the new chapter ( ꈍᴗꈍ)💕