Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Approaching War

A range of mountains stretched endlessly, their peaks shrouded in mist, rising and falling in the haze. Amidst these undulating ridges, one could discern camps fluttering with banners. The mountains were encircled by water on all sides, a solitary peak standing tall, wrapped in drifting clouds and fog. The slopes were lush with trees, bamboo groves casting deep shade, the cliffs steep, and the river below surging mightily. In recent days, several swift horses had galloped back and forth between the settlements and the mountain stronghold.

As the riders entered the stockade, a burly man clad in a straight-collared short robe, loose trousers, and leather boots dismounted. He strode briskly through the gates while the rest of his company exchanged words with the guards.

“Did you hear? The Han is in chaos. They say the dead are piled high, corpses stacked as tall as flagpoles,” one gestured animatedly toward a flagstaff within the camp.

“So many have died—why doesn’t the Han Emperor do something about it?” another asked.

“They say the old emperor has passed, and the new one is just a child. Now those ministers run the Han—what can a mere child do? Pitiful, truly pitiful!” Though their conversation was about the corrupt Han court, most of their words were spoken in the Hunnic tongue.

The Xiongnu were the earliest nomadic nation in China’s northern reaches, known as the “Kingdom of a Hundred Tribes.” Their origins lay in what is now the Hetao region and the Daqing Mountains of Inner Mongolia. According to the “Records of the Historian,” the Xiongnu traced their lineage to the descendants of the Xia monarchs, living as mountain tribes in the far north, roaming with their herds, migrating with the water and grass. They called themselves “Hu” or “Xiongnu.”

Atop the high platform within the encampment sat a man draped in wolf pelts, a golden crown upon his head, adorned with luxurious ornaments—he sat beneath the Hunnic banner, none other than Yufuluo, the Chanyu of the Southern Xiongnu.

During the Han’s turmoil, the Southern Xiongnu had been torn apart by internal strife. The people had slain Chanyu Qiangqu, and the son, the Worthy King of the Left, Yufuluo, had ascended the throne. Yet those involved in the bloodshed, fearing retribution and refusing to recognize the new Chanyu, set up another leader in opposition. Yufuluo had no choice but to appeal to the Han court for help.

However, with Dong Zhuo now dominating the Han, the empire was in chaos. The people suffered terribly, and even the court itself was embroiled in its own affairs—how could they spare a thought for the Xiongnu’s plight?

“The Han is in ruins—we can rely only on ourselves now!” Yufuluo struck the armrest of his throne with a clenched fist, his voice seething with rage.

“But now, with the Han in chaos, an opportunity presents itself. Those Han ministers care only for their own interests. This actually makes things easier for us. Their civil strife is just the chance we need to plunder.” After venting his anger, the Chanyu stroked his stubbled chin, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.

The Xiongnu were fierce and valiant. From the end of the Qin to the early Han, their power was formidable. In the early Western Han, their might grew, frequently raiding the northern borders and posing a grave threat to the Han, even controlling the Western Regions. Only later, after being defeated by Emperor Wu of Han, did they retreat north of the desert and split into five factions.

Throughout Chinese history, there was no shortage of great generals. Among them, Huo Qubing of the Western Han stood out. His famous words, “How can I return home before the Xiongnu are destroyed?” echoed through the ages. In his campaigns, he shattered Xiongnu armies, twice dealing them devastating blows, pursuing them thousands of miles, sweeping across the northern deserts, and slaying a hundred thousand enemies. His fame struck terror into the hearts of the Xiongnu.

Yet in these chaotic times, who would care for this exiled, desperate man? Now, he could only seize and plunder, make his fortune while the opportunity lasted, and rebuild his strength among the Xiongnu.

With a wave of Yufuluo’s hand, his warriors swiftly replaced the banner with one bearing the image of a wolf’s head.

The Xiongnu revered the wolf as their totem; their banners were adorned with golden wolf heads. When the Khan summoned his troops, a wooden tally and a golden arrow sealed in wax were sent as tokens of command. All tribes who received this symbol would immediately assemble for war, their horses and provisions provided by the herdsmen themselves.

“From this day forth, plunder every village near the Han borders—search every inch of ground, leave nothing of value behind!”

In an instant, Xiongnu cavalry swept through village after village, killing, burning, looting, leaving nothing but devastation in their wake. Each settlement was visited with utter calamity—bodies strewn everywhere, rivers of blood.

Within the military camp at Youzhou,

A scout galloped in to report: “General, the Xiongnu are attacking. Everywhere they go, they slaughter and pillage, leaving nothing but ruin.” This scout was a veteran of countless battles, his grasp of enemy movements keen and precise; in a few words, he laid out the situation plainly.

Zifan wiped his curved blade, murmuring that it was time to let it taste blood again. At his side, Dian Wei, upon hearing of the Xiongnu incursion, stepped forward eagerly to request battle, while Ding Feng’s eyes burned red with fury. The Youzhou army had only just arrived at the Xiongnu frontier, and already the local Chanyu had come to plunder—such an insult could not go unanswered.

Consulting the virtual map, Zifan located the general position of the Xiongnu. He immediately ordered Dian Wei to ready the troops. It was time to give the Xiongnu a surprise.

“Advance!”

The thunder of hooves rang out, a martial drumbeat across the earth, mingled with the mournful, fierce cries of the horses.

The sounds of battle and horse hooves swelled, chaos spreading. Everywhere lay ruins, shattered beams, broken walls—a wasteland of mangled bodies, the roads thick with bloodied, writhing figures. The plain had become a field of mangled corpses. An iron cavalry unit bearing the “Wu” banner overtook a Xiongnu detachment just as they were about to depart.

The sight before him left Zifan deeply shaken, rage rising like a tempest in his chest. “Kill every last one of these mongrels—let them feel what suffering is!”

“Kill!” At once, the soldiers behind him puffed out their cheeks and blew the war horns with all their might.

At first, the three thousand Xiongnu cavalrymen were unfazed—they had always regarded the Han as timid sheep, unworthy opponents to be bullied at will. Their front ranks remained orderly at the outset, but midway through the clash, their formation began to unravel, and soon they were nothing but a rabble.

Upon the wild plain, two torrents of iron crashed headlong into each other. Where the steel phalanxes met, dazzling arcs of metal flashed like lightning; the thunder of hooves drowned all screams and shouts. Xiongnu warriors tumbled from their horses. The Youzhou troops, now equipped with sharp weapons and stirrups, easily gained the upper hand against the Xiongnu.

Dian Wei’s eyes flashed with a cold, savage light as he swung his twin halberds, reaping Xiongnu heads without mercy. “Take these Xiongnu heads—let’s give them a proper game!” he shouted.

“Charge!” The cavalry officer’s command rang out again.

The Youzhou iron cavalry slashed with their sabers, scattering the fleeing Xiongnu riders. Screams and the clash of arms filled the air; bodies and broken limbs flew in every direction.

A blaring horn sounded.

At the sharp command, the Youzhou cavalry abandoned their pursuit of the routed Xiongnu, quickly regrouping in the center of the plain and reforming their ranks.

“All troops, withdraw! Maintain formation and conserve strength.” Zifan knew the wisdom of not chasing a cornered foe—this, he thought, would serve as a death notice for the Xiongnu.