Chapter 140: The Soldier

The setting sun resembled blood, and towering flames lit the sky.

When Zhamucuo retreated his army, the fire had not yet died down, though the sky was gradually growing dark. Qin Cheng ordered all generals and soldiers to return to their camp to rest, leaving only sentries on guard. He did not order anyone to extinguish the raging fire burning before the camp gates.

Although today's battle ended with the Wuhuan cavalry suffering a crushing defeat—largely because they had burned away the very last remnants of their own morale with their own blaze—Qin Cheng had no intention of letting down his guard.

With the Wuhuan cavalry retreating from the front of the Yangpo camp, the Wuhuan horsemen lingering around the fortified city naturally saw no further point in staying and withdrew along with the main army. However, just as the Wuhuan cavalry were pulling back, the Han cavalry suddenly burst out from the stronghold, pursuing the enemy relentlessly for a stretch. Having suffered a disastrous defeat in the fire attack, the Wuhuan cavalry were completely devoid of morale. Driven in a frantic chase by the Han army, they nearly dropped their armor and helmets, having no heart whatsoever left to fight. Ultimately, the Han army nipped at their heels and cut down two or three hundred men, making Zhamucuo so furious he nearly vomited blood and cursed Li Guang as a petty scoundrel.

After retreating, the Wuhuan main army established a new camp ten miles back from their original position. It was impossible to tell whether Zhamucuo was already entertaining thoughts of a full retreat.

The outcome of today's two successive engagements exceeded Qin Cheng's expectations. While he knew that achieving victory should not be overly difficult, he had anticipated at best a hard-fought and bitter triumph following a desperate struggle, rather than a victory won with such effortless ease.

As night fell, Qin Cheng stood alone on the watchtower, gazing at the dwindling fire before the camp gates and the charred corpses of the Wuhuan cavalry scattered amidst the embers. He sighed softly, a flash of desolation crossing his eyes.

Whether in his past life or the present, Qin Cheng had witnessed death all too often, and to a certain degree, had grown accustomed to it. Yet, as he watched four or five thousand lives reduced to ashes under his strategic deployment, a trace of guilt and lingering melancholy still stirred within his heart.

His guilt was for the lives lost; his melancholy was for the cruel reality of the battlefield, where since ancient times, few ever returned from war.

Before enlisting in the army, a youth's mindset always yearned for the passion and bloodshed of the battlefield—to sever the enemy's head and achieve peerless renown. But once one truly experienced the cruelty of the battlefield and witnessed too many tearful partings and eternal farewells of comrades, a sense of self-pity and sorrow inevitably gave birth to lingering doubt.

Because life has always been precious.

And slaughter remains, after all, a sin.

"Why dwell on such thoughts? Since when have I become so sentimental?" Qin Cheng mocked himself inwardly. He wanted to expel a breath of stale air to relax his body and mind, but upon seeing the devastation just a hundred paces away, his heart refused to find peace.

"Is the General feeling proud of today's masterpiece?" Liu Mu appeared beside Qin Cheng unannounced. Seeing him staring blankly at the corpses of the Wuhuan cavalry, Liu Mu assumed he was basking in the glory of today's great victory.

Qin Cheng smiled, glanced at Liu Mu, and suddenly asked, "Do you think war is cruel?"

Liu Mu was slightly taken aback. He gave Qin Cheng a strange, probing look before replying in an uncertain tone, "The General is pondering this question?"

"You could say that," Qin Cheng answered.

Liu Mu cast his gaze toward the littered, burned battlefield, paused for a long moment, and countered with a question of his own, "Should war ever be described as cruel?"

"If not, what else?" Qin Cheng asked in surprise.

Liu Mu shook his head, keeping his eyes fixed on the fire-scarred ground, his tone matter-of-fact: "War has looked precisely like this since ancient times; there is no such distinction as cruel or not cruel. If we still deem war cruel, it simply means we have yet to truly see through it or adapt to it. Because war is, by its very nature, precisely that way."

Qin Cheng opened his eyes wide and studied Liu Mu closely. He felt that at this moment, Liu Mu had shed his usual bland indifference, becoming extraordinarily earnest, even exhibiting a touch of wisdom. Qin Cheng thought for a moment and murmured, "War is inherently like this; it simply exists right there. If we find it cruel, it is merely because we have not yet seen through it and adapted to it..."

With this realization, Qin Cheng felt a sudden sense of enlightenment. He continued, "Put that way, soldiers are much the same. Soldiers are born for war. Without war, without death, there would be no soldiers. For a soldier to die on the battlefield is just as ordinary as ordinary people experiencing birth, old age, sickness, and death—it is simply because their mission demands it. Being born and dying are, in truth, quite ordinary. And as enemies, it is either you die or I live. Rather than saying soldiers kill soldiers, it is more accurate to say that conflicting missions kill soldiers. Am I right?"

Qin Cheng let out a long breath, feeling his body lighten, and looked at Liu Mu. "Is that what you mean?"

Liu Mu stared blankly at Qin Cheng, his mouth slightly agape, his eyes filled with astonishment. Seeing Qin Cheng question him, he simply waved his hands dismissively. "This subordinate never said any such thing; these are entirely the General's own insights... However, this subordinate heartily agrees with the General's meaning."

Qin Cheng laughed heartily. Once the knot in his heart was untied, he felt an immense sense of relief. He heavily clapped Liu Mu on the shoulder and smiled, "Soldiers exist for their mission, fight for their mission, and sacrifice for their mission. In this world, there must always be a group of people like us who do things ordinary people cannot do, or even understand. But this is our mission, and these missions, when traced to their root, are for the nation... ah, for the Han, haha!"

Liu Mu lost his footing, knocked sideways by Qin Cheng's heavy pat, and staggered a couple of steps before regaining his balance. He gave Qin Cheng a sidelong glance, though his expression betrayed a trace of admiration. Hearing Qin Cheng finish, he chimed in, "Because we are soldiers. Soldiers are precisely this kind of existence; there must always be a group of people in this world who are soldiers. To protect what we ought to protect, we take up swords and spears."

"Where there are people, there is war; where there is war, there are soldiers!" Qin Cheng declared resolutely. With that, he laughed aloud once more and said to Liu Mu, "If we had wine tonight, the two of us truly ought to drink three hundred cups together and have a proper, heartfelt discussion!"

Liu Mu quietly widened the distance between himself and Qin Cheng, fearing he might receive another pat on the shoulder. Before he could say anything in reply, a soldier shouted from beneath the watchtower, "General! A messenger has arrived, reporting an urgent military situation!"

A surge of joy rose in Qin Cheng's heart, and he asked, "Is it the messenger dispatched by Shan Jia?"

"Indeed!"

Qin Cheng and Liu Mu hurried down the watchtower, where a cavalryman immediately executed a military salute and said, "Wang Er, a garrison cavalryman guarding Xiaohuacheng, pays respects to General Qin! Platoon Leader Shan Jia has an urgent military report for General Qin..."

"Come with me into the tent and speak!" Qin Cheng interrupted Wang Er.

"Understood!"

Qin Cheng and Liu Mu led Wang Er inside the military tent and asked, "Has Shan Jia reached his designated position? How many men does he have?"

"Reporting to General Qin, Platoon Leader Shan arrived at the designated position by the afternoon. Seeing that General Qin was personally leading the troops in combat against the Wuhuan forces and holding certain victory in his hands, Platoon Leader Shan feared he might disrupt the General's plan and thus did not rush over. Now that the Wuhuan cavalry have retreated, the Platoon Leader has ordered me to come and report to General Qin. This time, Platoon Leader Shan has over fifteen hundred cavalry under his command!" Wang Er stated.

Qin Cheng nodded. After confirming that Wang Er had no other military intelligence to report, he drafted a written order and handed it to him to deliver back to Shan Jia.

After Wang Er withdrew, the corners of Qin Cheng's mouth curved into a smile, and he muttered to himself, "Fifteen hundred cavalry—this fellow really has some ability!"

...

The Wuhuan Campaign Headquarters.

Zhamucuo reclined heavily upon his kingly throne, eyes closed, uttering not a single word.

Ever since he heard the casualty figures reported by the army, he had maintained this exact posture, which had now lasted for two full quarters of an hour.

Zhamucuo's silence made it difficult for Yixueer and Yudan to speak first inside the military tent. Yudan several times contemplated leaving the royal tent, but seeing that Yixueer showed not the slightest intention of departing, he ultimately forced himself to endure.

Yudan had no idea what purpose Yixueer had in remaining in the royal tent.

Half an hour later, Yixueer finally broke the silence, asking Zhamucuo, "King of Wuhuan, what are your plans next?"

Zhamucuo offered no reply.

After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes. The expression within them was indescribably complex. At last, he spat out two words: "Withdraw the troops."

There was not a flicker of surprise on Yixueer's face, as if Zhamucuo's reaction was entirely within her expectations. She looked at Zhamucuo and asked knowingly, "Why withdraw the troops?"

"Why?" Zhamucuo suddenly bounded up from his throne, glaring fiercely at Yixueer, practically roaring, "Did you not see the casualties suffered by our Wuhuan warriors? In a mere single day and night, nearly seven thousand warriors of our great Wuhuan have fallen in battle! Yet the Han army remains completely unscathed. Is there any longer a necessity to continue this war?!"

He refrained from mentioning that just last night, Yixueer had spoken with absolute certainty about how easily they would defeat the Han army today, only for the Wuhuan cavalry to suffer a resounding defeat instead. He knew that voicing such complaints would merely be slapping his own face, since the order to attack had been issued by him. Yet Zhamucuo's silence did not mean he harbored no resentment toward Yixueer! On the contrary, this resentment ran deep!

Because it was the Xiongnu—it was the Xiongnu princess standing right before him—who had persuaded him to dispatch troops against the Han!

"Precisely because so many warriors have already given their lives in battle, their blood cannot be shed in vain. The warriors of the grassland have always repaid debts of blood," Yixueer said. "Are you truly willing to slink back in disgrace and become the laughingstock of heroes across the grassland? Only by defeating the Han army can we win glory and respect!"

"Hahaha..." The King of Wuhuan let out a burst of laughter. When it ceased, he cast a mocking gaze at Yixueer, speaking coldly, "Princess, didn't your Xiongnu suffer defeat at the hands of the Shanggu Han army on the previous two occasions as well? Why didn't I see you go avenge them?"

"The King of Wuhuan speaks correctly. My arrival this time is precisely to avenge those fallen warriors. Originally, I believed that relying upon our great Xiongnu's ally, this matter could be accomplished; yet I never imagined that his ally would shrink back just as victory was within easy grasp. And today, I shall lead one thousand warriors of our great Xiongnu to launch a night raid on the Han camp!" Yixueer stood up, her voice ringing with conviction. "Today happens to coincide with the Han army's major victory and our temporary defeat. No matter what, the Han army will never anticipate that at such a moment, we will employ their own tactic against them. Therefore, striking during the Period of the Rat at midnight, our great Xiongnu will surely succeed!"

Noticing the look of astonishment on Zhamucuo's face, Yixueer added, "When the time comes, the great Xiongnu's ally need only block the Han forces in the fortified city for us. With tonight's raid, our great Xiongnu shall exact revenge for his ally's humiliation of today!"

With those words, Yixueer strode out of the great tent.

Leaving Zhamucuo stunned in place.

...

The Han Army's Yangpo Camp.

"Today, the Wuhuan cavalry suffered a crushing defeat and their morale is depressed; they will undoubtedly lower their guard," Qin Cheng told his generals inside the tent. "Furthermore, since we already launched one night raid last night, they will certainly never expect us to launch a second night raid tonight! Tonight's raid will be a decisive offensive campaign to settle the outcome once and for all. Defeating the Wuhuan and driving them back to the grassland starts tonight!"