Wuxia: The Super Slave Master

Page 350

Cao Cao rode to the front of the ten-line formation, surrounded by his guards. His generals also took their positions, with Xiahou Dun and Cao Hong flanking him, and Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, and other generals lined up to his left and right. His strategists also mounted their horses and positioned themselves on either side. Luo Chen indeed appeared personally at the front of the formation; this was the first time Luo's army had deployed its troops at the foot of Tong Pass and proactively engaged in battle outside the city. Luo Chen was clearly surrounded by high-ranking officials, including Zhuge Liang, Xu Da, Ma Chao, Xu Shu, Fa Zheng, Zhang Song, Zhang Heng, Sun Yuanhua, Ma Dai, and Yan Qing. Cao Cao noticed that the soldier in blue who fired the short arrows was standing close to Luo Chen. It turned out that Yan Qing had infiltrated the escort team to demonstrate the power of gunpowder to Cao Cao's army.

Luo Chen rode forward, and Yan Qing hurriedly followed. The guards surrounded Luo Chen to guard against any potential attacks. Luo Chen said, "Lord Cao! I've long admired your name!" Cao Cao snorted, spurred his horse forward, and his generals and guards quickly followed. "Lord Cao! We need to discuss an urgent matter first, and we can talk about the rest later. Your general needs surgical treatment! The wound must be treated immediately, otherwise, Zhang He's life will be in danger!"

Upon hearing Zhang He's name, Cao Cao was filled with rage and clenched his fists. Just as he was about to explode, Luo Chen said that immediate action was needed, or his life would be in danger. But which of those traditional Chinese medicine practitioners knew how to perform surgery? Cao Cao was extremely anxious.

“Lord Cao! There is someone in my army who can help you treat him! I trust you, so I can send him to your army to treat General Zhang’s wounds. I believe you, Cao Cao, will not harm him.”

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao became suspicious. What was Luo Chen up to? He had almost killed one of his generals with a bomb, and now he was offering to send someone to help treat him.

Seeing Cao Cao remain silent, Luo Chen chuckled and beckoned, summoning Sun Yuanhua, who rode forward on horseback. Sun Yuanhua was a disciple of Xu Guangqi. Who was Xu Guangqi? A scholar versed in both Chinese and Western learning, he compiled the *Complete Treatise on Agriculture*, maintained close ties with missionaries, and studied everything. He translated and compiled numerous books introducing Western science, including geometry and Western medicine. He was practically the greatest scientist of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Sun Yuanhua, following Xu Guangqi, primarily focused on artillery, but he also learned a bit of Western surgery… he was quite capable at treating wounds.

Without waiting for further orders, Sun Yuanhua swaggered towards Cao Cao's camp. Cao Cao's generals were alarmed; Yue Jin instantly drew his sword, almost suspecting Sun Yuanhua was hiding gunpowder to assassinate Cao Cao. But Sun Yuanhua didn't head towards Cao Cao; instead, he swaggered towards the main gate of the camp. Cao Cao's soldiers, some with spears, others with swords, were ready to charge and chop this bookish-looking fellow into mincemeat at Cao Cao's command. But Cao Cao waved his hand and said, "Gao Lan, you accompany this gentleman inside to examine General Zhang."

The officials breathed a sigh of relief. This was their last hope, and judging from the situation, Luo Chen genuinely wanted his men to save them; there was nothing treacherous about it.

"Lord Cao, I apologize. Seeing your men stealing the goods, my subordinates were a bit rash and impulsively detonated the gunpowder. I'm so sorry," Luo Chen said with a sneer. He turned to Yan Qing, feigning disgust, "Idiot! I put you in charge of gunpowder safety, and you're so reckless! One day, if you set the warehouse on fire, you'll blow us all to bits!"

"Yes, yes," Yan Qing nodded obsequiously. The generals behind Luo Chen couldn't help but chuckle.

Cao Cao was well aware of their charade, and his face turned green with rage. But this small amount of gunpowder was so powerful that he even began to believe that Luo Chen's gunpowder could blow Tong Pass into the sky.

"Lord Cao, you may not know this... but the Xiongnu are rampant. I recently mobilized troops to crush their arrogance," Luo Chen said. "Lord Cao must have received the battle report as well. The other day, the Xiongnu launched a large-scale southward invasion, burning, killing, looting, destroying farmland, and abducting border residents. They are utterly outrageous! They think our great Central Plains has no one to rely on! If Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Wu knew this, wouldn't they be disgracing their ancestors?"

Cao Cao did not reply, thinking that Luo Chen was really being a bit delusional... He was facing hundreds of thousands of powerful enemies, yet he was talking to them about his plan to fight the Xiongnu... However, it was true that the Xiongnu were rampant, and Cao Cao also wanted to fight them.

"The Xiongnu's activities are very abnormal! Could it be that you, Luo Chen, provoked the Xiongnu, causing our border to suffer as well?" Cao Cao said coldly. "That Xiongnu Chanyu Qiangqu has already signed a treaty with our Central Plains in 483, and his activities have always been stable. Why would he invade the south this time? You're not deliberately causing trouble, are you!"

Luo Chen laughed loudly: "Lord Cao, Lord Cao, you still don't know! That Qiang Qu has already lost his head!"

"What!" Cao Cao exclaimed in shock. What was going on? He quickly looked at Mao Jie, but Mao Jie seemed equally bewildered. What happened? Could it be that Luo Chen sent men to launch a surprise attack on the Xiongnu and kill the Xiongnu Chanyu...? This was too surreal! How could it be so easy...?

As Cao Cao pondered the various possibilities, Luo Chen seemed to read his mind and chuckled, "That's understandable. I just received the news myself. It's not that I, Luo Chen, am so capable as to easily kill the Xiongnu Chanyu, but rather that there is internal strife within the Xiongnu... Qiang Qu's general, Zhong Ping, killed Qiang Qu, and an important figure has now entered my controlled territory... My governor of Shangjun just reported this news to me."

"So that's how it is!" Cao Cao suddenly realized. So the Xiongnu's unusual attacks were caused by internal strife... The Xiongnu are so stupid and naive. Do they want to use this kind of naive threat to tell the Central Plains regime not to interfere? How naive!

Luo Chen chuckled. Of course, he played a part in this... In his letter, he hinted that the Central Plains army might march north out of the grasslands to teach them a lesson. The Xiongnu, in their panic, responded with this extreme method...

Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Xiongnu in Recent Years

I apologize, but in Chapter 55, I inexplicably wrote Xu You as Zhang Song. It was Xu You who warned Zhang He, not Zhang Song. Perhaps these two have too many things in common... both were important strategists who voluntarily switched allegiance to other masters, made great contributions, and died soon after. Let's continue from where we left off.

Wang Shuo, the governor of Shuofang Commandery, was recently feeling rather depressed. He was an honest man from the Central Plains, whose ancestors were wealthy merchants from Chang'an, but Emperor Wu had relocated them to Shuofang. At that time, Emperor Wu, in order to crack down on powerful clans and strengthen border defenses, built Shuofang into an important military stronghold, resulting in a large-scale population relocation. By Wang Shuo's generation, his family had declined, and he lived a life of farming and studying. Because of his filial piety, he was finally recommended as a candidate for the civil service examination at the age of thirty. At that time, the country was in chaos, and no one cared about such a distant place as Shuofang; the Xiongnu were rampant. Dong Zhuo led his Xiliang army into Luoyang, and soon the warlords of Guandong organized a powerful coalition, with both sides fiercely fighting in the Central Plains. To avoid the Guandong army's advance, Dong Zhuo moved the capital to Chang'an. Soon after, a man named Luo Chen began to be talked about, said to be a man of great strategic vision. Sure enough, a coup d'état occurred in Chang'an, the rebellion of Li Jue and Guo Si; within half a month, Chang'an was in turmoil, with various forces clashing in close combat. During this period, powerful figures such as Dong Zhuo, Wang Yun, Li Jue, and Guo Si all met their demise. Finally, when Emperor Xian of Han announced the mysterious Luo Chen as prime minister, people discovered that Luo Chen was not even twenty years old.

During the turmoil, the northern prefectures, including Shuofang, were almost entirely autonomous, and the Xiongnu frequently raided them. It was during this time that Wang Shuo was selected to serve as an advisor in Shuofang, in charge of military logistics and administration. At that time, the military organization was chaotic, with each prefecture acting independently, and there was little funding; salaries were paid intermittently. Wang Shuo diligently performed this task for many years. Since Emperor Wu's reign, the Xiongnu regime had suffered repeated blows from the Han Dynasty, its strength was weak, the central government's control was weak, and the tribes showed a tendency towards splitting. Therefore, although the central government was unable to attend to the important northern towns, the Xiongnu did not take advantage of the situation to establish rule, and the Han government barely maintained control.

Qiangqu Chanyu was a relatively powerful Chanyu. He seemed poised to revive the glory of the Xiongnu, consolidated central rule, and frequently harbored ambitions to raid the borders. However, by the time Qiangqu Chanyu had built the most powerful tribe and army on the grasslands and gradually gained real control over the Xiongnu tribes, the Battle of Tongguan between Cao Cao and Luochen had already concluded. The Luochen regime in the west had dispatched Ma Teng to garrison Shicheng to block the Qiang people's eastward advance, while also extending its power northward to deter the Xiongnu. Although Ma Teng's strength was insufficient and his influence weak at the time, he still had some effect. Qiangqu had no intention of engaging in a full-scale war with Luochen, so he only engaged in harassment and did not launch a major offensive against Shuofang, Shangjun, and other places along the Great Wall. Cao Cao, on the other hand, was much stronger and had sent Xiahou Dun north to conquer Yunzhong, Jiuyuan, and other places. Due to the war with Yuan Shao, Cao Cao initially retreated, providing border trade annually and paying hundreds of thousands of silver coins annually as "appeasement funds." Yuan Shao of Hebei was no better; he forcefully controlled Liaodong, forcing Gongsun Kang, the governor of Liaodong, to submit to him. Yuan Shao also stationed large armies in northern regions such as Yanmen, Dai, and Shanggu. After the war between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, Cao Cao took over some of Yuan Shao's key northern military strongholds; some of these are still in the hands of Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi.

After defeating Cao Cao, Luo Chen finally had the energy to focus on the north. Of the three northern powers, Luo Chen's border troubles were the most severe because his border troops were few and weak, leaving significant gaps in his defenses. Luo Chen dispatched Xu Shu to inspect the northern prefectures. Upon arriving in Shuofang, Xu Shu found the governor had recently died, and no new governor had been appointed from the central government. Therefore, he immediately promoted Wang Shuo to governor of Shuofang. Wang Shuo had finally risen from a candidate for the civil service examination to a high-ranking local official. During his inspection tour, Xu Shu engaged in difficult negotiations with the Xiongnu, imitating Cao Cao by opening border markets and providing them with appeasement funds.

In fact, this border trade was unfair. The Xiongnu held the main pricing power. Cattle and sheep were not necessities for the Han people, but many handicrafts and daily necessities produced by the Han people were indeed essential to the Xiongnu, and the Xiongnu could not manufacture them. The border trade had a somewhat coercive element, mainly used to appease the Xiongnu.

Wang Shuo had been diligent and conscientious; since Luo Chen's campaigns in the south and north, Shuofang had remained relatively peaceful. Unexpectedly, a general was recently parachuted in from the central government. Upon arriving in Shuofang, he said nothing, produced a letter of appointment personally written by Luo Chen, and announced himself as the new Prefect of Shuofang. Wang Shuo was stunned. He hadn't done anything wrong; hadn't he been working diligently all along? Soon after, he received an appointment order from Zhuge Liang, the Prefect of Guanzhong, which clearly stated that Chang Yuchun was appointed Prefect of Shuofang, replacing Wang Shuo, with Wang Shuo as his assistant. Wang Shuo was speechless… It seemed there was no turning back now. This was the first time Shuofang had received such an official document from a high-ranking leader… Previously, Xu Shu had appointed Wang Shuo as Prefect of Shuofang on the spot. Because the great war had just ended, the national government was still incomplete, and there were no formal official documents. Xu Shu, being a high-ranking leader at the deputy military advisor level, simply declared him Prefect. After Luo Chen occupied Yizhou, he divided his controlled territory into three parts: Guanzhong, Yizhou, and Liangzhou. The governor of Yizhou was Zhang Juzheng, the Grand Minister of Works. Guanzhong was a vast region, encompassing not only the traditional Guanzhong Plain but also large areas to the west and north. The governor of Guanzhong was the strategist Zhuge Liang, who usually assisted the state and handled the daily affairs of the prime minister's office. Luo Chen generally only made major military and political decisions; specific affairs and personnel appointments were carried out by Zhuge Liang. As for Liangzhou, it was a nominal position. Luo Chen claimed Liangzhou as his territory, but in reality, he didn't truly control it. Ma Teng was stationed in Shicheng with approximately 100,000 troops. The governor of Liangzhou was Ma Teng. In fact, if it was a title, Luo Chen was the Grand Chancellor of the Han Dynasty, and all the territories of the Han Dynasty were ruled by Emperor Xian of Han…

Upon receiving Zhuge Liang's personal reply, Wang Shuo was forced to return to square one, his life once he had reached its peak, now on a downward spiral. He was to dutifully assist this general—oh right, his name was Chang Yuchun… he'd never heard of him before.

The general was tall and clad in fine armor. Wang Shuo noticed that his armor and helmet were somewhat different from those of the Han Dynasty, but seemed to be cleverly designed. "Ah! What's your name again... Wang... Wang something, as instructed by Lord Luo and Military Advisor Zhuge..." This man named Chang Yuchun swaggered into the hall.

"Wang Shuo," Wang Shuo said quickly.

"Yes, right... You've seen the appointment letter, haven't you? I'm now the new governor of Shuofang," Chang Yuchun said casually.

Wang Shuo made a respectful gesture, but inwardly he was cursing.

Chapter 58 Wang Shuo

Wang Shuo was doing a good job as the Prefect of Shuofang when he was suddenly dismissed. The central government then parachuted in a general named Chang Yuchun.

"Alright, alright..." Chang Yuchun quickly returned the greeting to Wang Shuo, seeing his respectful demeanor. "No need to be so polite..." He then eagerly began to ask, "Do the Xiongnu come often? How many of them come each time? Are there any main forces nearby?"

Wang Shuo scratched his head, about to give a general answer. Chang Yuchun then asked, "How many men are in the Shuofang garrison? How is their training? How many are cavalry? Are there any other Han Chinese troops nearby?"

“Our army has about 30,000 men… We are the only scattered army force within dozens of miles. Go east for hundreds of miles to Jiuyuan, where Cao Cao’s army is located,” Wang Shuo replied.

"Oh! Only this many people!" Chang Yuchun was clearly a little disappointed. But he quickly perked up again: "Where are the cavalry? The cavalry in the north are very powerful... I saw the Guanzhong cavalry before I came, and they are really good! Well-trained, with good horses, sharp swords, and excellent riders!" Chang Yuchun was full of anticipation.

“There are cavalry… less than ten thousand…” Wang Shuo said cautiously. Chang Yuchun was sure to be disappointed, because the cavalry of Shuofang were few in number and not elite, far inferior to the iron cavalry of Guanzhong. But he didn’t dare say it.

"593 million is less than 10,000... No problem!" Chang Yuchun had a really good attitude. "The quality of cavalry is more important than the quantity! Tomorrow I'll inspect the cavalry! Also, I need to check on the infantry camps. How's the situation with the Xiongnu?"

"Yes... the Xiongnu frequently raid, with numbers ranging from a thousand to tens of thousands," Wang Shuo said slowly, thinking to himself, "We're doomed. The army in Shuofang City is about to be inspected... It's hopeless."

"Then why don't you fight!" Chang Yuchun's eyes widened in surprise. "You have nearly ten thousand cavalrymen, why don't you fight! What the hell!"

"Uh..." Wang Shuo didn't know what to say for a moment, "The Xiongnu are too strong... We need to preserve our strength... avoid friction. Master Xu Shu told us in the north to adopt a defensive posture and learn from Cao Cao..."

"What the hell! You call this 'defense'? You're not defending at all, you're just acting like cowards, letting yourselves be slaughtered!" Chang Yuchun seemed quite annoyed.

“Yes, yes…” Wang Shuo didn’t dare to refute, he just said yes.

The next day at the training grounds, nearly ten thousand cavalrymen assembled, but many of them were nominally without horses… Due to the shortage of horses, they hadn't been assigned any yet. This was only after Wang Shuo had worked tirelessly all afternoon and evening the previous day. Because the Shuofang army was a military settlement, the soldiers both fought and farmed, and many had already settled down. Previously, the soldiers were entirely recruited from the surrounding areas of Shuofang, but now, due to the implementation of the Fubing system in Guanzhong, about ten thousand men would rotate here from the interior each year. The interior armies were relatively well-organized, at least their equipment, such as armor, was more complete…

Chang Yuchun was dumbfounded. These cavalrymen were poorly dressed, their banners in disarray, looking like a ragtag mob. It seemed Prime Minister Luo was indeed too busy with affairs of the Central Plains and hadn't paid any attention to the northern border! The soldiers mechanically carried their rifles, some even with miscellaneous weapons, a stark contrast to the gleaming sabers and sharp cavalry rifles of the Guanzhong cavalry… Chang Yuchun observed closely and noticed that the cavalrymen almost entirely lacked stirrups. He finally understood why the Shuofang cavalry dared not fight the Xiongnu…

Chang Yuchun mustered his spirits and went to the infantry battalion. The large camp from the inland was alright; the fortifications were well-organized, the defenses were tight, and there were people on duty daily, with many out on patrol duty in the city. Superficially, it looked similar to the infantry he had seen in Guanzhong, but Chang Yuchun observed that there were too many new recruits here, suggesting insufficient training and combat skills. As for the other camps, they were in a terrible state, overgrown with weeds and completely desolate... Some soldiers didn't even live there; many had gone out to build their own houses, becoming small farmers unrelated to the military.

Chang Yuchun remained silent throughout the entire inspection. Wang Shuo was somewhat apprehensive, thinking he was extremely angry, but Chang Yuchun was actually rather helpless. "I'm going out to observe the Xiongnu cavalry these next few days. You'll be my guide," Chang Yuchun said. Seeing his cold tone, Wang Shuo knew that such a dangerous task might involve encountering captured Xiongnu cavalry... He was about to offer advice, but then thought it best not to make a fool of himself. He stammered, "Yes... okay."

Chang Yuchun patrolled the outer perimeter for several days, nearly being discovered by small groups of Xiongnu troops on several occasions. Wang Shuo repeatedly reminded him to be careful, but Chang Yuchun mostly just laughed it off.

Sure enough, he couldn't evade them every time. Chang Yuchun traveled north for about ten miles, inquiring in various places, and confirmed that the main force of the Xiongnu was active hundreds of miles from Shuofang, near an oasis called Dazha Ting, where a river meandered around the grasslands, and the grass was lush and fertile. Chang Yuchun was overjoyed, dancing with glee, and forgot to be on guard. A Xiongnu cavalry detachment spotted him in the distance. The cavalry detachment immediately charged forward with howling cries. Wang Shuo was shocked and hurriedly shouted, "Run! General Chang!" He then mounted his horse to flee. However, when he looked back, he saw Chang Yuchun laughing heartily, not at all nervous, and even seemed to be heading towards him. This guy really doesn't know the danger! Wang Shuo had no choice but to shout again, "General Chang! The Xiongnu's arrows are extremely accurate, it will be too late if we don't run now!"

Unexpectedly, Chang Yuchun swiftly mounted his horse, drew his bow, and charged towards the Xiongnu! The Xiongnu, clearly unaccustomed to such a display, had mostly fled in panic at the sight of their charging attack, allowing the Han soldiers to calmly shoot them down from behind. But this man charged directly at them. In their confusion, the Xiongnu soldiers fired arrows, which Chang Yuchun easily dodged. Chang Yuchun released the reins with his right hand, retrieved an arrow, and his horse galloped at breakneck speed, but Chang Yuchun seemed to be on flat ground, experiencing no jolt. He sidestepped the arrow, casually firing back, and with a "whoosh," a Xiongnu soldier fell dead. Chang Yuchun didn't bother shooting anymore; instead, he drew his sword. Seeing his fierce attack, the Xiongnu hastily drew their curved swords to prepare for battle, but they were no match for Chang Yuchun! With a swift stroke, Chang Yuchun's sword fell, and two Xiongnu soldiers fell from their horses; one was stabbed in the chest, and the other was beheaded. One soldier remained, seeing the situation was dire, and tried to flee. Chang Yuchun caught up on horseback, grabbed the Xiongnu soldier by the collar with his long arms, pulled him off his horse, and threw him to the ground, leaving him half-dead.

Wang Shuo, witnessing Chang Yuchun's swift and decisive annihilation of the Xiongnu in a single strike, was filled with dread. How could this fellow be a prefect! Wasn't he supposed to be a legendary general like Lü Bu? He had only seen such a Central Plains general once before: Xiahou Dun, who had campaigned against the Xiongnu in the north, advancing westward all the way to Shuofang. Xiahou Dun, seemingly blind in one eye, was incredibly fierce, cutting down Xiongnu soldiers like vegetables. For a time, the Xiongnu were terrified, and Xiahou Dun led Cao Cao's army to recapture Jiuyuan, Yunzhong, and other prefectures.

Chapter Fifty-Nine: Chang Yuchun

Meanwhile, Chang Yuchun easily killed three Xiongnu soldiers and captured one. Wang Shuo was dumbfounded and bowed in admiration, saying, "General, you are truly a brave and valiant man! With a general like you in Shuofang, what worries do we have about the border?" Chang Yuchun laughed heartily, without replying, but jumped off his horse, grabbed the Xiongnu man, and pulled him to his side before sitting down on the grass.

The Xiongnu man was badly thrown; his body was limp, he had vomited, and he looked extremely weak. His internal organs had likely suffered a severe impact, but his bones weren't broken. "Which main force does your squad belong to?" Chang Yuchun demanded. The Xiongnu man, like a human, rolled his eyes and didn't answer. Wang Shuo, who understood Xiongnu language, quickly translated, but the Xiongnu man still didn't move.

“General, this man has probably fallen quite hard and won’t recover for a while,” Wang Shuo said.

Chang Yuchun waved his hand impatiently, got up and paced back and forth, gazing into the distance before sitting down again. He was clearly waiting for the Xiongnu to recover, but was extremely impatient. Wang Shuo sat silently to the side, and seeing that the Xiongnu was slightly better, he went forward to offer him some water. Wang Shuo looked at Chang Yuchun with increasing mystery. He knew of the fierce generals in the Luo Chen army; after all, he was a prefect, a member of the Luo Chen group, though far from the central government… Famous generals included Lü Bu, Huang Zhong, Ma Chao, Xiahou Yuan, and a very powerful general named Xu Da, but he had never heard of Chang Yuchun. It was as if this person had appeared out of thin air, and this man, so capable, was clearly only interested in warfare, showing no interest in anything else—an incompetent prefect. Sure enough, in all the days he had been prefect, he spent his days patrolling the Xiongnu's movements and training the troops. As for the Shuofang's financial revenue and population, he didn't even ask, leaving everything to Wang Shuo. As for the officials below him, apart from Wang Shuo and a few junior officers, he didn't see any of them, leading them to believe that the rumor of a new governor for Shuofang was just that—a rumor. Wang Shuo pondered this, and a thought gradually formed in his mind: Could it be… that Prime Minister Luo Chen sent this man to prepare for a military campaign against the Xiongnu… and thus temporarily placed him in the position of governor? If so, this man might become a great general or something similar in the future…

Wang Shuo's thinking became increasingly logical and he grew happier with each thought. This way, Chang Yuchun wouldn't cling to the position of prefect; sooner or later he would be transferred to a military post, while he himself would remain prefect. Furthermore, he would have the opportunity to get to know this military general…

"Come here and translate!" Chang Yuchun shouted, startling Wang Shuo. He looked over and saw that the Xiongnu soldier had almost recovered and was trembling, waiting for Chang Yuchun's questions. Extreme fear was evident in the Xiongnu soldier's eyes. No wonder; Chang Yuchun was incredibly ruthless, killing without blinking an eye, and in a matter of minutes, he had killed several strong Xiongnu soldiers. If Wang Shuo hadn't been a little slower in his charge, he would have been dead for sure.

"Which army do you belong to?" Chang Yuchun demanded. Wang Shuo quickly translated.

The Xiongnu soldier trembled, clearly believing that answering honestly was the wisest course of action, and replied, "From the tribe of General Zhongping..."

"Zhongping is nearby?" Chang Yuchun was overjoyed, grabbing the Xiongnu man and his eyes gleaming with greed, as if a wolf had caught the scent of its prey.

The Xiongnu man was terrified, trembling as he stammered, "No...no, it was his younger brother, Zhongting...General Zhongting's cavalry is nearby, and he sent out a small detachment of us to scout..."

“Is that so…” Chang Yuchun seemed somewhat disappointed. Wang Shuo, however, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Zhong Ping was a formidable general. He had fought Xiahou Dun to a standstill. After Xiahou Dun was ordered to the Hebei front, no general on the grasslands could rival Zhong Ping. Zhong Ping led his cavalry in rampages, capturing Shuofang several times before retreating with ease. Cao Cao was preoccupied with a major battle with Yuan Shao and had no time to spare, forcing him to make several concessions, such as opening border trade. Luo Chen followed suit, implementing numerous concessions to secure peace in the north. The Qiangqu knew of Zhong Ping's abilities and often relied on him, using this opportunity to eliminate rivals. However, the Qiangqu was still wary of him. Originally a nominal Chanyu (ruler of the Xiongnu), the Qiangqu held little real power. His years of campaigns in the south and north had finally forced many to submit, but also incurred the resentment of many. Many families were destroyed, their tribes were absorbed and disbanded, and they were forced to serve as minor officials under the Qiangqu. Although outwardly respectful, they secretly plotted to overthrow the Qiangqu. The Qiangqu was aware of this and remained vigilant. Zhong Ping, also a tribal leader, was coerced into surrendering by the Qiangqu's overwhelming power. The Qiangqu was wary, but due to Zhong Ping's exceptional abilities, he often had to rely on him. Over time, the Qiangqu amassed considerable military power, and his own tribe secretly grew stronger, quietly building a large and formidable army. However, on the surface, he remained outwardly compliant.

· 0Request flowers····· ··

"Well, well... It's better to avoid encountering such a ruthless character, the King of Hell..." Wang Shuo thought to himself.

"Where is Zhongting's army stationed?" Chang Yuchun seemed unable to contain his excitement.

..... 0 0

“In…the area of ​​the Dazatin Oasis…” The Hun’s face showed fear. Could it be that this devil was going to launch a surprise attack on the Hun camp? So he quickly added, “They have 100,000 men.”

Wang Shuo was relieved upon hearing this. Initially, Chang Yuchun seemed intent on launching a surprise attack. However, both Xu Shu and Strategist Zhuge Liang advocated for a defensive posture in the north, and this had undoubtedly been approved by Prime Minister Luo Chen. Yet Chang Yuchun insisted on causing trouble, and moreover, the Shuofang troops wanted to launch a preemptive strike against the Xiongnu… He was utterly reckless. Now, the Xiongnu were not only powerful but also numbered 100,000, all cavalry, far exceeding the strength of the Shuofang forces. Chang Yuchun was now helpless.

As expected, Chang Yuchun was somewhat dejected.

The Xiongnu soldier looked at him expectantly, clearly hoping Chang Yuchun would show him mercy and let him go. But Chang Yuchun drew his sword without hesitation. Wang Shuo was shocked. How could this be? This was a civilized world, not barbarians! How could he kill someone after just asking a question? He said, "General Chang, you can take him back. As for the prisoner, just don't let him leave the city." Chang Yuchun sneered, "When the Xiongnu raided the border, many people from the Central Plains died under my sword." With that, he raised his sword and brought the Xiongnu soldier down, killing him instantly.

Wang Shuo watched, trembling. Truly, he was ruthless; he killed without blinking an eye. However, if he knew who Chang Yuchun was, he wouldn't be so surprised.

Chapter Sixty Night Raid

Indeed, this Chang Yuchun was another one that Luo Chen acquired from the system at great expense, costing 12 control points. Chang Yuchun was a fierce general in the early Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang's top vanguard, and a ruthless killer. While Chang Yuchun was fierce, he also had a weakness: he liked to kill prisoners. He generally preferred to kill any enemy, giving them no chance to reform.

Luo Chen hadn't mentioned him to anyone. He had him spend a few days in Guanzhong and Tongguan, then personally appointed Chang Yuchun as the Prefect of Shuofang, before dispatching him to the northern front against the Xiongnu. Only afterward was Zhuge Liang informed. Zhuge Liang hadn't even met Luo Chen; since it was Luo Chen's order, he simply wrote the approval and sent it to Shuofang. However, Zhuge Liang had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on. Luo Chen never appointed county officials himself; these trivial matters were all handled by Zhuge Liang. The Prime Minister's office had an office for appointing and dismissing officials, the actual power behind it. Zhuge Liang usually had this office review the applications, then made his own decision. There was no need to inform Luo Chen, because Luo Chen never interfered.

Since Luo Chen became Chancellor, everyone he appointed was a high-ranking military and political official. Once appointed, these officials immediately gained the power of personnel appointment and dismissal, and also had full control over local military and political affairs, with Luo Chen rarely interfering. Lü Bu, Huang Zhong, and Xiahou Yuan all wielded considerable power, exceeding that of county and prefectural officials. If they were dissatisfied with their subordinate county and prefectural officials, they could report to Zhang Juzheng or Luo Chen to have them removed or transferred. Zhuge Liang, as the Prefect of Guanzhong, held similar power. Furthermore, he concurrently managed the appointment and dismissal office of the Chancellor's office, thus also influencing the appointment and dismissal of central government officials.

This time, Luo Chen personally took charge, appointing a minor governor of Shuofang, a name Zhuge Liang had never heard of before. It didn't matter; Xu Da was also unknown to Zhuge Liang, yet he was directly appointed a general. Zhang Juzheng was also unknown to Zhuge Liang, wasn't he a high-ranking military advisor? A simple deduction reveals that since Luo Chen personally appointed him, this person must be a high-ranking military and political official, even though he was currently only holding the minor position of governor of Shuofang and had no troops under his command—Luo Chen hadn't sent him any soldiers, leaving him to go alone. Further deduction clarifies what Shuofang was: it directly faced the Xiongnu! This meant that Luo Chen was preparing to conquer the north and deal with the Xiongnu.

Going back to the point, Chang Yuchun, after killing someone, remained expressionless and said, "Return to the city! Prepare for war!"

Wang Shuo was terrified, but the matter was far too serious, and the disparity in strength between the enemy and himself was immense; it was clearly unwise to fight. Wang Shuo could only muster his courage and advise, "General Chang, please reconsider! The disparity in strength is too great! This… only a madman would fight!" Upon hearing this, Chang Yuchun's expression changed, and he glared at Wang Shuo, saying, "Are you calling me a madman?"

"No...no, no." Wang Shuo waved his hands repeatedly.

Chang Yuchun was a rough man and didn't bother to argue: "I know this thing is hard to fight, but before I came here, Prime Minister Luo Chen told me to seize the opportunity to launch an attack! I can't disobey Prime Minister Luo's orders."

Wang Shuo didn't quite believe it. The key question was, "Did you really seize this opportunity? It's clearly suicide..." But he dared not refute it and could only suffer in silence.

Chang Yuchun organized his troops overnight, selecting 10,000 infantrymen from within the pass and 2,000 cavalrymen, barely passable... He sent the rest to defend the city walls, leaving him with very few men. After much deliberation, Chang Yuchun decided to send all the infantrymen to the city walls, as their movement was too slow for a proper raid. Now he only had 2,000 cavalrymen. Chang Yuchun was frustrated. What a mess! He should have told Luo Gong to bring at least 10,000 Guanzhong cavalry. Now, these 2,000 were barely passable, far inferior to the Guanzhong cavalry, and no match for the Xiongnu cavalry.

Chang Yuchun set off anyway. Although his troops were outnumbered, the timing was perfect; there was no reason to give up. This was the first time in years that the Central Plains army had launched a proactive attack! Night, surprise attack, the enemy was complacent, having set up camp so close to Shuofang City, and only sending small cavalry detachments for guard duty. With an enemy like this, it would be difficult not to fight!

Chang Yuchun's army advanced stealthily, while it was still dark. Chang Yuchun estimated that if they marched slowly, they could reach the enemy camp, launch a fierce attack, and by then it would be daylight. At that time, they could then rush back to Shuofang City. Even if the enemy caught up, the city walls were heavily fortified.

As expected, the enemy was completely unprepared. Chang Yuchun had already spotted the enemy camp's campfires in the distance. He sent men to search carefully, but they found no Xiongnu guards. They only encountered a small cavalry unit, who dismounted and took a nap. They were killed in their sleep by the Luo army.

"Get ready! Charge when the torches are lit!" Chang Yuchun said in a low voice, and the order was quickly passed down.

Suddenly, a torch lit up Chang Yuchun's command post, revealing his cold face in the flame. "Charge!" Chang Yuchun shouted.

Although the Luo soldiers were not well-trained, they still knew how to charge and fight. Moreover, this was the first time they had seen the unsuspecting Xiongnu at such close range, and seeing the Xiongnu's panicked state greatly boosted the morale of the Luo soldiers.

Chang Yuchun provided each soldier with a torch. He charged ahead, easily lit the torch near the Xiongnu campfire, and tossed it into the Xiongnu tent. Seeing this, the fallen soldiers followed suit, and soon the Xiongnu camp was engulfed in flames.

Chang Yuchun, wielding a long spear, charged left and right, as if entering an empty field. He rampaged and slashed wildly for a while. The Xiongnu people initially scattered and fled, suffering heavy casualties. Some were even burned to death, amidst screams of agony. Soon they regrouped, and Chang Yuchun felt that there were more and more people around him, making it seem like he couldn't kill them all.

"Damn it! We underestimated them a bit," Chang Yuchun muttered, surprised that the enemy had organized themselves so quickly. It was still dark. Chang Yuchun couldn't care less about anything else; he shouted, "Retreat!" and charged ahead, cutting a bloody path. The fallen soldiers followed him, breaking through the still-unorganized Xiongnu army and escaping in an instant.

The Xiongnu were not about to give up, and they mounted their horses and gave chase. In the darkness, the neighing of men and horses could be heard, with only two torches moving swiftly. Chang Yuchun didn't really know his direction, he just headed roughly south, running like the wind. The Xiongnu, used to their arrogance, had no reason to suffer a loss, and they pursued relentlessly.

"Damn it!" Chang Yuchun glanced at the large cluster of torches behind him. "They're so petty, they can't even stand to suffer a little loss!"

Finally, dawn broke. Chang Yuchun glanced around blurry and exclaimed, "Damn! It's tilted!" He quickly led his team to turn and head towards Shuofang.

Chapter Sixty-One: The Fugitive

It is said that Chang Yuchun launched a night raid on the Xiongnu camp. After fighting for a while, he discovered that the Xiongnu were about to organize themselves, so he quickly fled.

The Xiongnu pursued them relentlessly for a while. Chang Yuchun looked back and saw about ten thousand men and horses neighing. Chang Yuchun thought to himself: These Xiongnu are indeed fierce. They didn't wait for their troops to be fully organized before chasing them. They probably weren't even in formation. If he had a few more soldiers, he would dare to turn back and fight the Xiongnu again. Unfortunately, he has too few men now, and their fighting strength is not very strong.

Seeing that Shuofang City was approaching, Chang Yuchun shouted, "Enter the city quickly! If the Xiongnu rush in, we'll have to close the gates! Be fast!" Upon hearing this, the Luojun cavalry spurred their horses and began their charge. Wang Shuo, seeing Chang Yuchun return from the city wall, hurriedly ordered the gates to be opened. In addition, tens of thousands of troops had already been deployed on the city wall, making the defense relatively tight.

Chang Yuchun deliberately lagged behind, swiftly drew his bow, and then steadily released the arrow amidst the jolting. The Xiongnu, pursuing at high speed and caught off guard, were instantly struck down; several fell from their horses, and ten died. The Xiongnu front cavalry were thrown into chaos, slowing their pace. The cavalry behind, unaware of the situation, assumed the enemy had turned around and also slowed down, preparing to attack. Seeing the enemy slow down, Chang Yuchun quickened his whip and galloped away.

The Xiongnu, realizing they had been tricked, roared again and continued their pursuit, but the majority of Luo's army had already entered the city. Chang Yuchun rode into the city on horseback, and the city gates were immediately closed, keeping the Xiongnu cavalry outside. Arrows rained down from the city walls. The Xiongnu soldiers were outnumbered and, having traveled all night, were too exhausted to attack the city, so they could only retreat, cursing and swearing.

Chang Yuchun was indeed bold. Having just fought the Xiongnu, he went out to scout again the very next day and found that the Xiongnu's defenses were indeed much tighter. He also noticed that the large banner of the Qiangqu in the center of the camp had been taken down. Chang Yuchun sensed something was amiss; the Xiongnu soldiers all looked grim, their defenses extremely tight. Fearing something unexpected, Chang Yuchun didn't continue his investigation and quickly slipped back to Shuofang.

“General Chang, although you are brave, you must be careful. How can you be so reckless…” Wang Shuo couldn’t help but repeatedly advise him. Chang Yuchun waved his hand impatiently: “I know, I know.” He drank some water and couldn’t help but chat with Wang Shuo: “The Xiongnu are acting very strangely today. The banner of the Qiangqu has been changed, and the Xiongnu all look very nervous.”

“Didn’t you attack them yesterday? They’ve naturally become much more cautious,” Wang Shuo said.

“It doesn’t seem like it… We only launched a minor attack on the Xiongnu camp. We were outnumbered and the battle lasted very short. To the Xiongnu, it was really nothing; their losses were minimal. There’s no reason for them to be so nervous.” Chang Yuchun shook his head. “What could be causing them to be so nervous?”

“Neither Cao Cao nor Luo Chen Xiang have issued any announcements regarding troop deployment,” Wang Shuo said. “Only our army has launched an attack in this area.”

Chang Yuchun scratched his head in deep thought: "Could it be that something big has happened within the Xiongnu? Logically speaking, the Xiongnu should be here to retaliate against us today, but they haven't made a move and seem quite nervous."

"Report!" a soldier shouted from outside the gate, "There are a large number of cavalry several miles outside the city! It looks like the Huns are coming to attack the city!"

"They're here! They just said they were coming!" Wang Shuo exclaimed, a little panicked. "How many are there?"

"Too far away, can't see clearly, but there must be more than ten thousand people," the sergeant replied.

Without a word, Chang Yuchun immediately went out and went to the city wall. Several miles away, dust billowed, and the gleam of the Xiongnu's scimitars could be faintly seen. "Notify all remaining troops to assemble immediately and await orders! Fill all the positions on the city wall that should be defended; there must be no vacancies!" Chang Yuchun ordered. "Yes, sir!" The soldiers immediately went to relay the order.

"Look! General Chang!" Wang Shuo suddenly pointed to the Xiongnu army. "It looks like there are a few lone cavalrymen ahead of the main Xiongnu cavalry force!" Chang Yuchun looked and, sure enough, there seemed to be several lone cavalrymen a kilometer ahead of the Xiongnu cavalry, fiercely whipping their whips and charging towards them. "I have a bad feeling about this!" Wang Shuo said.

Indeed, these men didn't seem like generals; their attire suggested otherwise. Besides, generals wouldn't lead their troops this far ahead of the main force. The way they were riding so fast, advancing with such frenzied speed, was rather unusual.