Chapter 126: Borrowing a Knife to Kill

On the second morning of the Longcheng Grand Sacrifice, Chanyu Junchen summoned all the princes, nobles, and ministers to the great tent to discuss matters of state.

“The Siege of Mayi was a humiliation for the Great Xiongnu. To wash away that disgrace, I have allowed your tribes to pasture southward for the past two years. I have never restricted the scale of your incursions, nor dictated how you should wage war. I did so in the hope that you would teach those arrogant Han soldiers a harsh lesson on my behalf, and let that young emperor know that the majesty of the Great Xiongnu cannot be offended, and that a debt of blood must be repaid in blood!”

Chanyu Junchen looked vigorous that day. It was as though the decision he had finally made the previous day had restored the confidence and boldness of his youth. Gazing at the Xiongnu ministers before him, he was brimming with the spirit of a man who believed he could command the world.

“Over these past two years, under the protection of the Kunlun God, all of you—great kings and lesser lords alike—have performed admirably. I am satisfied. That is precisely why I did not immediately call up the army of the royal court and march south myself to teach that young emperor how to conduct himself.

“But over the past six months, the situation has developed far beyond my expectations!”

At the final sentence, the Chanyu’s previously measured voice rose sharply. His wolfish gaze swept across the gathering, and his displeasure was unmistakable. Wherever his eyes fell, the men lowered their heads, afraid to meet his stare.

Satisfied by their reaction, Chanyu Junchen continued. “A mere Shanggu has caused our Left Worthy King to suffer defeat twice in succession, each time returning with his forces shattered. More than ten thousand of our warriors have been lost! Not only that, but our mighty Great Xiongnu has allowed several thousand Han cavalrymen to enter the desert openly, killing and burning upon the land of the Kunlun God!

“Such an offense against the majesty of the Kunlun God has actually occurred. Since the days of Chanyu Modu, the Great Xiongnu has never suffered such a defeat! It is a disgrace to every subject of the Great Xiongnu!”

The Chanyu spoke with thunderous severity. When he finished, the Left Worthy King, knowing himself to be in the wrong, rose from his seat and walked to the center of the tent. He struck his right fist against his left breast, bowed his head toward the Chanyu, and said, “This subject’s crimes are grave. I beg the Great Chanyu to punish me!”

Although the Left Worthy King believed that the second defeat had had nothing to do with him—that Yixue had directed the battle while he had merely watched from the side—he could only swallow his grievance in silence.

Chanyu Junchen did not even look at him. Instead, leaning slightly forward, he addressed the others. “What say you?”

Yizhi Xie stared at the mutton on the table, as though lost in thought. Prince Yudan kept his head lowered, waiting for the reaction of the ministers and tribal kings. Yixue remained completely composed, as if the matter before them held no interest for her at all.

“Great Chanyu, this king believes that the Left Worthy King’s defeat is the defeat of the entire Great Xiongnu. We must raise our army at once and march south, all the way to Chang’an, seize the little emperor of the Central Plains alive, and offer him to the spirit of the Kunlun God!” declared the Right Worthy King.

He was a powerful, broad-shouldered man, hot-tempered and not particularly subtle. Seeing that no one else was speaking, he rose and voiced his opinion.

Once the Right Worthy King had begun, the other senior ministers of the royal court and the tribal chiefs immediately echoed him.

“The Right Worthy King is right! Raise the army and march south. Capture the Han emperor alive!”

“Yes! Let the Han learn that the Great Xiongnu is not to be provoked!”

“Revenge for the warriors of the Great Xiongnu who have fallen!”

“For the mighty Kunlun God!”

“…”

Seeing that everyone was calling for war, Chanyu Junchen was deeply satisfied. Without revealing his pleasure, he said, “For sixty or seventy years, the Han Empire has survived beneath the authority of the Great Xiongnu with its head bowed and its steps cautious. Now Liu Che thinks he can rise again? Where in this world is there such an easy bargain?

“If he wishes to stir up trouble, then I shall stir up trouble with him. I will make him understand how foolish it is to declare war upon the Great Xiongnu! I approve of your request. Left Worthy King, return to your seat.”

“My thanks, Great Chanyu.”

After the Left Worthy King sat down again, Chanyu Junchen continued. “The army of the royal court must either remain at home or, once it marches south, strike the Han army so hard that they will never again dare entertain hostile thoughts toward the Great Xiongnu.

“Therefore, beginning today, the Great Xiongnu will make preparations. When the time comes, I will personally lead the army south and crush the Han people’s will to resist once and for all!”

“The Great Chanyu is wise!” the assembly declared in unison.

Chanyu Junchen waved a hand and continued. “This war is of the greatest importance. If we succeed, the matter will be settled for generations. The Han emperor will not dare wage war against the Great Xiongnu again for at least seventy years.

“Therefore, when you return, intensify the training of your troops. The next time I summon you, it will be the day we march south to meet the Han army in a decisive battle!”

“Splendid!” The men cried out, their spirits soaring.

At this point, Chanyu Junchen’s throat had grown dry. He drank a bowl of wine, then turned to the Left Worthy King.

“Tell me, how did the cavalry of Shanggu Commandery come to be? How were they able to defeat the warriors of the Great Xiongnu twice in succession? And how did they dare enter our desert and run wild? When did Li Guang’s courage become so great?”

“Great Chanyu, the Han commander who led three thousand cavalry north was not Li Guang, but a young general under his command named Qin Cheng. As far as I know, Li Guang accompanied the army in the previous battle, but the man who truly directed the fighting was this Qin Cheng.”

The Left Worthy King answered honestly. After a moment’s thought, he added, “The princess appears to know him.”

“The princess?” Chanyu Junchen turned toward Yixue in curiosity.

“Great Chanyu, I crossed swords with him when I was still in Shanggu, and I know that he is truly formidable—not an ordinary man. In the previous battle with the Han forces of Shanggu, it was because of him that the Left Worthy King and I ultimately failed to achieve victory.”

Yixue spoke naturally, without the slightest sign that she blamed herself for the previous defeat.

“He is truly so formidable?” Chanyu Junchen asked, raising his brows.

“He must not be underestimated. The man who killed the Left Gudu Marquis half a year ago was also him.” Seeing that the Chanyu did not seem to take the matter seriously, Yixue continued, “It was only because of this man that the Han forces of Shanggu were able to defeat our fierce cavalry again and again.”

Chanyu Junchen nodded and fell into thought. After a long while, he addressed the assembly.

“The Han army of Shanggu is a threat. We must not underestimate it. Any man who dares penetrate deep into the desert with only three thousand troops deserves the attention of the Great Xiongnu.

“Now that we are preparing for a decisive war with the Han, we cannot allow a minor piece such as Shanggu to delay those preparations. Yet we must guard against its army and ensure that it has no further opportunity to advance north into the desert.

“If any of you has a good plan, speak freely.”

“Great Chanyu, I have an idea.”

Yixue spoke the moment he finished. She had been preparing for this opportunity for a long time.

“Oh? Let us hear it,” said Chanyu Junchen.

“Since the Great Xiongnu is preparing for a decisive war with the Han, and a small force of our finest cavalry cannot be certain of annihilating the army of Shanggu, it would be unwise for our warriors to act.

“Therefore, if we wish to destroy the elite cavalry of Shanggu and leave Qin Cheng without troops to command before the decisive battle between the Great Xiongnu and the Han, there is only one way.”

Yixue spoke slowly, making certain that everyone could follow her meaning. At that point, she deliberately paused.

“What way?” Chanyu Junchen asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Borrow another’s blade to kill our enemy,” Yixue said heavily.

“Borrow another’s blade?”

The Chanyu stared at her in surprise. Everyone else in the tent did the same, except for Yizhi Xie, whose reaction was almost imperceptible.

“Whose blade?” Chanyu Junchen demanded.

“The Wuhuan.”

The Chanyu fell silent. The others exchanged glances and began whispering among themselves. Though their voices were low, it was obvious that they considered Yixue’s idea naive.

“The Wuhuan are neither allies of the Xiongnu nor enemies of the Han,” Chanyu Junchen said, his displeasure growing. He believed that Yixue was merely speaking without foundation. “How do you propose to borrow such a blade?”

“With sufficient profit, even an enemy can become a friend,” Yixue replied calmly. “On the grasslands, a sheep will never attack a fine horse. But if a wolf presses the sheep from behind, the sheep may still use its horns to ram the horse in the belly.

“With those two conditions in place, why would the Wuhuan not attack the Han?”

When Yixue finished speaking, the entire tent fell silent. More than one man drew a sharp breath and began studying the princess, who had spent many years living in the Central Plains, with a strange new regard.

Yixue merely gazed at Chanyu Junchen, utterly unaffected by their scrutiny.

A glint of brilliance flashed in the Chanyu’s eyes. Suppressing his excitement, he asked in as even a voice as possible, “How confident are you, Yixue?”

“If the Great Chanyu appoints me envoy to the Wuhuan and grants me full authority to act as I deem necessary, I am completely confident,” Yixue replied firmly.

“Good! I shall grant you that authority and send you as envoy to the Wuhuan. Go and accomplish this task. Do not disappoint me.”

The Chanyu neither hesitated nor questioned her further. His expression was solemn.

“Your daughter obeys!”

Yixue rose at once and bowed to Chanyu Junchen. “There is no time to lose. I shall depart immediately.”

With that, she cast Yizhi Xie a confident glance and turned to leave the tent.

“Wait!”

Chanyu Junchen rose and stopped her. He then descended from the royal seat and addressed Prince Yudan.

“Yudan, you will accompany Yixue this time, so that the two of you may watch over one another. You must work together with all your strength and accomplish this task. When you succeed, I shall celebrate your achievement at the royal court.”

Yizhi Xie suddenly raised his head. His eyes filled with dark menace as he glanced at Yudan before lowering his head once more. Beneath the table, however, his fists had already clenched tightly, the veins standing out upon them.

Chanyu Junchen intended to train Yudan. More than that, he intended to gift him a meritorious achievement. If the mission succeeded, Yudan would have rendered a great service to the Great Xiongnu, giving him a firm foundation when the time came for him to inherit the throne. Even if the mission failed, it would at least add an accomplishment to his record.

Whatever the outcome, Chanyu Junchen was clearly laying the groundwork for Yudan to succeed him.

Yixue frowned at the order. She glanced at the refined and scholarly Yudan, but in the end restrained herself from objecting. She naturally did not want anyone hampering her efforts, still less did she want her hard work to become a wedding gift for someone else.

Besides, her relationship with Yudan was truly nothing special.

“Your son obeys!”

Yudan rose to his feet. His body trembled slightly with excitement and nervousness.

“Good. I shall assign you one thousand royal guards from the court. You may depart whenever you wish,” Chanyu Junchen said, issuing the order with satisfaction.

“Yes, Great Chanyu!”