Chapter 144: Complete Victory

The Wuhuan cavalry surrounding the fortress were locked in a somewhat surreal standoff with the two thousand Han horsemen. But before many breaths could pass, these Wuhuan riders caught wind of complete chaos erupting on the battlefield behind them. Turning back in spite of themselves to gaze into the distance, their expressions instantly turned a spectrum of magnificent colors.

The two thousand Wuhuan and Xiongnu cavalry who had launched the night raid against the Han forces were already in routed flight.

The leading chiliarch’s face shifted drastically, his mind still echoing Zhamucuo’s military decree issued before their departure: "Should any unfavorable situation arise, withdraw your forces immediately."

Zhamucuo, the Wuhuan King, had been deeply rattled after suffering back-to-back defeats and losing nearly seven thousand horsemen over the past two battles. He was likely thinking that, come what may, he could not allow his army to suffer any further casualties. He understood all too well in his heart that the Wuhuan tribes simply could not afford such losses anymore.

It was not only the chiliarch blockading the fortress who had received Zhamucuo’s order; the chiliarch paired with Yixuer to raid the Han army’s southern-slope camp had been given the exact same command. This was precisely one of the primary reasons why that thousand-strong Wuhuan vanguard had routed so cleanly.

Glancing back once more at the chaotic battlefield not far behind his formation, the chiliarch felt a slight tremor run through his frame. He looked at the menacing Han troops waiting ahead, fully aware that if he did not retreat now—and the Wuhuan cavalry from the rear completely fled back in disarray—his own force of three thousand would find it difficult to leave even if they wanted to. Yet, the Han army had already sallied forth from the fortress, forming up in battle array barely a hundred paces away. Even if he wished to fall back now, it would not be an easy endeavor.

"Chiliarch, he who hesitates is lost, and indecision breeds disaster! Take the main force and withdraw first; my subordinates and I will cover the rear!" A centurion beside the chiliarch urged anxiously upon seeing him irresolute.

The sounds of confusion from behind drifted into the ranks, causing many cavalrymen to continuously look back with expressions of mounting panic and anxiety. Torn within, the chiliarch nevertheless knew that dragging things out was no solution. He turned to the centurion and instructed, "Hold off the Han forces for a moment, and fall back the instant an opening appears. Do not linger in combat!"

"Rest assured, Chiliarch, this subordinate understands!" the centurion replied, though inwardly he thought: Given the current state of affairs, with what am I supposed to linger in combat?

As the two conferred, the Han army opposite them suddenly stirred. The thunderous roar of hooves rose first, followed instantly by two thousand Han horsemen charging straight toward them in unison.

The Han cavalry had actually taken the initiative to launch an attack!

"Chiliarch, go!" the centurion roared urgently, immediately calling out to his subordinate troops: "My command, follow me to hold the enemy!" With that, he whipped his mount forward, taking the lead as he galloped out to meet the oncoming Han vanguard.

"You, you, you, you—cover the rear together with me. Everyone else, fall back!" The chiliarch designated several centurions to handle the rearguard duties, then led the bulk of his forces in retreat.

The named centurions wore bitter expressions, yet with no alternative, they steeled themselves and drove their men forward to plug the gap.

Leading the charge of two thousand Han horsemen was none other than Li Guang. Having seized the opportune moment, his preemptive assault was designed to secure the initiative. In an instant, the two thousand Han cavalry trampled across the field, closing to within a hundred paces before drawing their bows and loosing several successive volleys of arrows.

The five hundred Wuhuan cavalry tasked with covering the rear possessed virtually no fighting spirit; they were merely pressing forward out of sheer desperation. Five against two, they could not withstand the sheer volume of Han arrows. By the time both sides closed to engage with sabers, their numbers had already thinned considerably. Seeing Qin Cheng lead his forces to a resounding victory, the Han soldiers were burning with peak morale; even when comrades tumbled from their saddles, their momentum remained entirely unaffected as they slammed into the enemy lines.

At the very first clash, how could the Wuhuan cavalry hope to hold their ground? They crumbled into defeat within moments. Realizing the tide had turned, the remaining centurions—save for the one who had proactively volunteered—whirled their mounts around and fled in total rout.

This only served to elevate the Han army's morale to even greater heights. Clinging tightly to the tails of the fleeing Wuhuan horsemen, they pursued without pause, soon joining forces with Qin Cheng and the mountain troops. Li Guang ordered the rear-guard cavalry to widen their intervals and hoist numerous torches.

Now, the five thousand Han horsemen had united across three fronts, their morale reaching an absolute zenith. Chasing four thousand-odd fleeing troops like herdsmen driving cattle and sheep, they would gallop forward a few paces before halting to loose a volley of heavy arrows, cutting down layers of Wuhuan soldiers who either ran too slowly or became trapped behind the masses of panicked men ahead of them.

Consequently, the routing Wuhuan cavalry fell into even deeper disarray. Hearing the thunderous shouts of the pursuing Han army echoing behind them—"Uproot the Wuhuan camp, slaughter every Wuhuan thief, drive them back to the grasslands!"—they disintegrated completely into an unmanageable mob.

---

Zhamucuo personally led reinforcements to the rescue. Upon witnessing the utter devastation of the Wuhuan forces, he had no leisure to vent his anger at Yixuer. Brandishing his saber, he roared at the top of his lungs, "Wuhuan warriors, do not retreat! Follow me into the counterattack and crush the Han army!"

Zhamucuo’s command was naturally echoed by his personal guards, creating a considerable roar for a moment, yet it still paled before the overwhelming, mountain-collapsing shouts of the Han forces. Having entirely lost their fighting spirit, the fleeing soldiers paid no heed to Zhamucuo’s personal arrival with reinforcements, their panicked retreat utterly unstoppable.

"The Han army numbers only a few thousand, while I command thirty thousand! Men, do not fall back! Any further retreat will be punished by immediate decapitation!" Seeing that his personal intervention had yielded negligible results—with only a smattering of soldiers pulling rein with the intent to fight again—Zhamucuo cried out in frantic desperation.

"Great King, the Han army... the Han reinforcements have arrived! Their numbers are unknown, stretching densely as far as the eye can see, impossible to gauge clearly... I fear there are no less than ten thousand of them!" A chiliarch rushed up to Zhamucuo, his speech slurred and his expression frantic with terror.

"What?" Zhamucuo was startled, then raged, "Where would the Han army find reinforcements? Cease spreading panic and spouting nonsense!"

"My King, look!" Knowing further words were useless, the chiliarch hurriedly pointed toward the rear.

Zhamucuo cast his gaze outward. Countless torches flickered everywhere, impossible to tally amidst the pitch-black night. Compounded by the resounding battle cries of the Han troops, whose momentum appeared formidable beyond measure, he found himself hesitating.

"Wuhuan King, sound the retreat," Yixuer said, approaching Zhamucuo with a somewhat feeble voice. She appeared utterly exhausted, deeply chagrined, and thoroughly incensed by Qin Cheng—testament to how severe a blow today's defeat had dealt her.

Though bitterly resentful in his heart, Zhamucuo recognized the overwhelming might of the Han forces and realized he could do nothing more at present. With a heavy heart, he issued the order to fall back.

...

Catching sight of Qin Cheng, Li Guang threw his head back and laughed heartily three times. Riding side by side with Qin Cheng, he shouted to the surrounding soldiers, "The Wuhuan cavalry have been utterly routed! Follow General Qin and myself to sweep through the enemy!"

"Understood!"

The five thousand Han cavalry bit hard into the heels of the fleeing Wuhuan troops, cutting down those within arm's reach, loosing arrows at those slightly further away, and roaring to boost morale among those further back. Pursuing all the way, they claimed countless fine heads of the Wuhuan horsemen.

Before long, they arrived before the Wuhuan main encampment. Disregarding the base entirely, the panicked Wuhuan cavalry scrambled blindly for paths of escape along its flanks. As various commanders prepared to lead their men in pursuit, Li Guang halted them, calling out, "Do not press a desperate foe too hard! The road ahead narrows, and in the dead of night, we must exercise caution."

"General, the Wuhuan thieves are thoroughly defeated right now. If we press our advantage in pursuit, we are bound to claim a massive harvest! How can we let such a golden opportunity slip away?" Ma Dashan was flushed with the thrill of battle; feeling unsatisfied when Li Guang reined him in, he voiced his discontent.

"Though the Wuhuan thieves are defeated, their strength remains. What would you do if they staged a counter-attack or laid an ambush within the mountains?" Li Guang replied calmly without issuing a harsh reprimand.

"..." Ma Dashan felt disgruntled, thinking to himself that the Wuhuan cavalry hardly had the wits left for a counter-attack at a time like this, but since Li Guang had given the order, he could not openly disobey.

"General, this subordinate believes the Wuhuan cavalry must be pursued," Qin Cheng spoke up at this moment.

"Oh? Why is that?"

"The reason over twenty thousand Wuhuan cavalry suffered a massive rout before our Great Han's five thousand elite horsemen is certainly due in part to our proper handling and destruction of their night-raid force. But more importantly, it is because we laid out a deceptive formation. The Wuhuan King fears we possess a massive reserve force in our rear, which is why he dares not fight back. Yet if we fail to pursue despite holding such overwhelming momentum, the Wuhuan King will inevitably grow suspicious and potentially muster the courage to return, bringing endless future troubles. Therefore, we cannot afford not to pursue."

Li Guang nodded, pondering for a moment before speaking. "In that case, the pursuing forces need only put on a show of force. Advance cautiously, and the moment any unusual signs are encountered, withdraw immediately. Under no circumstances must we fall into a Wuhuan ambush."

"Your words are entirely wise, General," Qin Cheng saluted with cupped hands.

"Ji Zhu!" Li Guang summoned Ji Zhu. "You possess a naturally cautious disposition. Take one thousand cavalry on this pursuit, and do not grow careless."

"Rest assured, General; this subordinate will exercise utmost caution." Having received his military orders, Ji Zhu assembled a thousand horsemen and set off in hot pursuit of the fleeing Wuhuan troops.

Still uneasy upon reflection, Li Guang turned to Li Gan: "I give you another thousand cavalry. Follow five miles behind Commander Ji, and should he run into trouble, go to his rescue."

"Understood!" Acknowledging the command, Li Gan set off to follow Ji Zhu.

Having made these arrangements, Li Guang finally set his mind at ease, joining Qin Cheng to inspect the battlefield and clear out the Wuhuan encampment.

...

The Han army thoroughly ransacked the Wuhuan field camp. Though they secured spoils, the haul was not particularly massive. In truth, when fighting cavalry invaders from the grasslands, the greatest harvest of all was always heads. By the following morning, once the tally of the fruits of battle was complete, Li Guang and Qin Cheng learned that the previous night's fighting had yielded over two thousand enemy heads. Hearing this figure, both men broke into broad smiles.

A great victory—yet another resounding triumph.

Facing the thirty thousand-strong Wuhuan army, the Han forces had utilized fewer than ten thousand men to beat back the enemy host while claiming over nine thousand heads. Such an extraordinary achievement, when reported back to Chang'an, would undoubtedly earn yet another round of lavish commendations from the imperial court.

Just as dawn broke, Ji Zhu and Li Gan returned together. Along the way, Ji Zhu had claimed another two hundred-odd heads while pushing the pursuit forty to fifty miles out. True to expectations, he had eventually encountered a rearguard ambush hastily set up by the Wuhuan King. Fortunately, Ji Zhu's early vigilance and Li Gan's timely reinforcement prevented any significant casualties for the Han army. Together, the two broke free of the encirclement, ceased the pursuit, and after deploying outriders along the route, withdrew in triumph.

That day, the Han army cleared the battlefield, tended to the wounded, and buried the fallen soldiers. After a full day of bustling activity, things finally quieted down somewhat late into the night.

Buoyed by such a magnificent victory, the morale of the Shanggu Han garrison reached unprecedented heights. As the officers and men hurried back and forth through the fortress, even their strides were held high, brimming with unshakeable confidence.

Witnessing this demeanor among his men, Li Guang had remarked to Qin Cheng: "Morale such as this is no whit inferior to the Qin state's armies that conquered the six kingdoms of old. Truly, they deserve to be called majestic!"

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This major battle concludes here. Do you all feel "it's finally over," or do you find yourselves "wanting more"? Feel free to share your thoughts so I can make improvements during the next battle sequences and ensure a more enjoyable reading experience for everyone.