Chapter 127: Military Intelligence

(Collect, collect, collect—please bookmark!!!)

Qin Cheng and his companions had left Chang’an three days prior. After three days of relentless travel, by midday they had reached the border between Shangdang Commandery and Changshan Commandery. Judging by their pace, it would take them about four more days to reach the military camp at Gan Sang City in Shanggu.

Winter was nearing its end, which was undoubtedly welcome news in the harsh northern lands. Qin Cheng was tasked with training a formidable cavalry unit; such rigorous mounted drills were indispensable. With spring approaching, the soldiers’ training could be conducted more freely and vigorously.

As winter faded and spring emerged, the midday sun cast a warm glow upon their bodies, allowing one to truly savor the delicate balance of warmth and lingering chill in the air.

After traveling for half a day, approaching noon, Qin Cheng ordered a halt for rest and to eat some rations.

The road where they now stood was the official route from Zichang City in Shangdang Commandery to Shiyuan City in Changshan Commandery, a well-trodden path bustling at this time of year with travelers—some galloping swiftly on horseback, others hastening on foot. Qin Cheng tethered their horses to nearby trees and settled upon a roadside stone. Watching the steady stream of passersby, a familiar sensation gradually welled up within him. The longer Qin Cheng spent in this era, the stronger this feeling grew—a sense of belonging, of slowly becoming part of this world.

Recalling the experiences in Chang’an, a subtle smile curved his lips. Upon first arriving in this time, as he rode with Dong Chu and the others toward the Shanggu military camp, he had told himself: The future is uncertain. Yet now, he had carved out his own path here, earning the recognition of Emperor Liu Che. Qin Cheng realized he had found a true home in this era, a place where his efforts bore meaning.

The smile on his lips warmed further at the thought.

“General,” Qin Qingzhi’s voice interrupted his reverie. Qin Cheng glanced toward him and saw him signaling toward the road.

There, on the road ahead, a small boy of about three or four clutched a miniature wooden horse, studying Qin Cheng with wide, curious eyes fixated on the long sword hanging at his waist.

Across the road, a large family group was drinking water and unpacking dried provisions, seemingly unaware that their child had wandered over to Qin Cheng’s side.

Qin Cheng smiled gently at the boy, who returned the gesture. He then began to playfully engage him, but no matter what he did, the boy only smiled vacantly, almost foolishly.

Qin Qingzhi and the others found this amusing and burst into laughter. Qin Qingzhi teased, “General, this kid’s not easily fooled, ha ha!”

After a while, Qin Cheng grew bored of the child’s blank amusement and decided to scare him a little.

The boy, startled by Qin Cheng’s fierce expression, froze momentarily. Just as Qin Cheng felt pleased with himself, the boy suddenly shouted “Wah!” and flung the wooden horse straight at his face!

In the midst of this playful chaos, Qin Cheng failed to notice the faint sound of hooves approaching rapidly.

The family across the road, alerted by the boy’s shout, immediately heard a middle-aged man scold him and call him back.

Amidst the laughter of Qin Qingzhi and the others, Qin Cheng returned the wooden horse to the boy and motioned for him to hurry back.

The boy shot Qin Cheng a defiant glare before starting back. Given the diagonal position across the road, his journey was somewhat lengthy.

At that moment, the sound of hooves grew louder.

Qin Cheng turned toward the noise and saw two Han cavalrymen charging swiftly around a bend in the road—speed unmatched!

By then, it was too late for the riders to rein in their horses as the boy stood directly in their path.

Sensing the imminent disaster, Qin Cheng leapt up, swinging his sheathed long sword at the leg of the lead horse. Seizing the moment of the rider’s unbalancing fall, he lunged forward to grab the boy, narrowly saving him from harm.

The first rider was thrown off, and the second, trailing closely behind, also fell heavily onto the road.

Though shaken, the two riders quickly rose. One would expect anger at being unhorsed, yet instead, they ignored both Qin Cheng and the boy, focusing solely on their horses.

Upon seeing that one horse’s leg had been shattered by Qin Cheng’s thrown sword, the rider’s anxious expression instantly turned to fury. He kicked toward Qin Cheng, snarling, “Damn you! You’ve delayed vital military intelligence. I should behead you right here!”

Qin Cheng had already handed the boy back to his approaching family and turned just as the fallen rider aimed a kick at him. Initially frowning, he swiftly shifted to a restraining move, evading the kick and capturing the rider from behind.

Simultaneously, Qin Qingzhi and others subdued the second rider.

“If you need horses, we have a few here. Pick one you like and leave. Don’t delay the military intelligence any further!” Qin Cheng said as he held the rider firm.

The rider hesitated, his resistance weakening. Seizing the opportunity, Qin Cheng released him.

The rider turned to glance at Qin Cheng, gave a respectful salute, and said tersely, “Urgent military intelligence—thank you!” He then moved to take the horses tethered nearby.

But after a single step, he paused, suddenly turning to look closely at Qin Cheng.

“General Qin?” he called uncertainly, then immediately performed a formal military salute. “I am Wang Daniu, courier of the Shanggu military camp. Greetings, General Qin!”

Qin Cheng did not recognize Wang Daniu, but Wang knew him well. In the previous chaos, Wang had been preoccupied with the horses’ condition and, having only met Qin Cheng briefly before, had failed to identify him immediately.

Qin Cheng retrieved his own sword from a nearby soldier and asked, “What urgent matter brings you here today?”

As a subordinate soldier, Wang was naturally answerable to Qin Cheng, the highest cavalry commander of the Shanggu camp.

“Reporting, General Qin: The Wuhuan King leads an army of thirty thousand, crossing the Great Wall to raid the borderlands. General Li has already mobilized the entire camp northward to repel the enemy. By General Li’s orders, I bring this intelligence to the court. Also, General Li requests that you return to Shanggu with all haste!” Wang said, producing a silk scroll.

Military dispatches to the court were typically sealed in special containers and not to be opened en route. The silk Wang handed Qin Cheng was surely a private message from Li Guang.

Unfolding the scroll, Qin Cheng saw eight large, hurriedly written characters:

“Wuhuan thirty thousand invading, return swiftly!”

The scrawled script betrayed the urgency with which Li Guang had penned the message.

Qin Cheng folded the scroll and asked Wang, “Is there anything else to report?”

“No, General. Only that you must hurry back!” Wang replied.

Qin Cheng nodded. “The military intelligence must reach the court without delay. Take one of our horses and travel carefully.”

“Understood!” Wang bowed and accepted the order.

Qin Cheng reflected: Li Guang may not even know if he is still in Chang’an. This letter might not reach him, but the attempt must be made. Fortunately, he had played with that child earlier; otherwise, Wang Daniu might have passed them by. With their current unhurried pace, it would take four days to reach Shanggu—by then, it might be too late.

“We’ll ride another two hours to the next station, where more horses await. The two of you share one horse until then and swap. Qingzhi and I will ride ahead directly to Shanggu,” Qin Cheng arranged.

Given the urgency, every moment counted; any delay could irreversibly alter the battlefield.

Qin Qingzhi and the others understood the reasoning and had no objections.

With a commanding gesture and a shout of “Let’s go,” Qin Cheng mounted his steed and vanished ahead like a streak of lightning.

Only after they disappeared did the boy’s family, still stunned and confused, begin to recover.

Qin Cheng rode swiftly, followed closely by Qin Qingzhi; the other two soldiers gradually fell behind.

The Wuhuan King’s incursion with thirty thousand troops into Shanggu was something Qin Cheng never anticipated. He knew a little about the Wuhuan tribe—small in population and modest in military strength, generally only defending themselves. Since the Han dynasty’s founding, they rarely troubled the borders. The Wuhuan and the Xiongnu were said to be at odds, and the Han harbored no enmity toward the Wuhuan. Qin Cheng could not fathom why the Wuhuan King now personally led such a vast force against Shanggu.

But the facts were undeniable, and pondering the reason was a luxury he could not afford. The immediate priority was to defeat the Wuhuan army.

The Shanggu garrison numbered just over seven thousand—about four thousand cavalry and two thousand infantry. To confront thirty thousand Wuhuan horsemen with such a force, even if the Wuhuan cavalry were inferior to the Xiongnu, was a daunting task.

When things deviate from the norm, there is surely something sinister at play.

Qin Cheng sensed this war was far more complex than it appeared on the surface.

After a brisk half-day ride, by dusk Qin Cheng and Qin Qingzhi had entered Changshan Commandery.

Changshan roughly corresponds to present-day Shanxi. Here, the plains gave way to endless mountain ranges flanking the road.