Chapter 79: The Assault (Second Update)

Qin Qingzhi went to inform Li Guang, and two hours later, there was still no movement from the direction of Yangzi Valley.

Qin Cheng grew anxious and called Ji Zhu over. “Qin Qingzhi has gone to notify the general to come to Xiaohua Fortress. It’s been two hours, but there hasn’t been the slightest movement from Yangzi Valley. Go check it out, and be ready to assist.”

Qin Cheng had considerable trust in Ji Zhu’s abilities.

Before Ji Zhu had left, a soldier came down from the top of the fortress to report, “General, there is a faint glow of fire from the direction of Yangzi Valley!”

Ordering Ji Zhu to wait, Qin Cheng followed the soldier into the fortress, climbed a ladder to the highest window, and peered out.

Around fifty li away, there was indeed a flickering firelight.

Qin Cheng frowned, watching for a while. He noticed the firelight did not draw closer, seeming chaotic and moving irregularly. Unease crept in. Exiting the fortress, he said to Ji Zhu, “The general may be in trouble. Take your men over. If anything happens, report immediately. Remember, your top priority is to support the general and bring him back safely.”

He added, “Take Mountain Armor with you. He knows this area well and can advise you if needed.”

After a quick word to Mountain Armor, Qin Cheng sent them on their way.

Having arranged these matters, Qin Cheng sat again before the bonfire. It was nearly midnight. The soldiers of Xiaohua Fortress remained at their posts; none rested. It was inevitable—night hindered vision, the Xiongnu cavalry were fierce, and their movements cunning, leaving Qin Cheng no choice but to be vigilant.

Fortunately, the fortress was well-lit, so if the Xiongnu cavalry dared attack, they would not find easy prey.

Half an hour passed. The thunder of hooves drew nearer. Qin Cheng walked to the camp gate, gazing toward Yangzi Valley.

The firebrands formed a dragon, approaching.

Qin Qingzhi, accompanied by several men, returned ahead of the main force to report, “General Li encountered a Xiongnu cavalry ambush on the way…”

Li Guang dismounted before the camp, visibly furious. Seeing Qin Cheng, he exclaimed, “Those bastards—damned if they aren’t cursed!”

Qin Cheng looked at Li Guang’s heavy cavalry. Their faces were grim, formations disordered. Some soldiers had broken arrows lodged in their bodies and were being helped by others; some lifeless soldiers were carried on horseback by their comrades. The whole company was in a sorry state.

Qin Cheng ordered Qin Qingzhi to settle the heavy cavalry and set up camp, then entered the command tent with Li Guang.

Inside, Li Guang first unfastened his water flask and gulped several mouthfuls, wiped his mouth, and after catching his breath, said to Qin Cheng, “We hadn’t gone far from Yangzi Valley when we were ambushed by the Xiongnu. Damned, about four or five hundred of them, not a single torch lit. As soon as they got close, they rained arrows at us, volley after volley. Before we could retaliate, those bastards vanished! Not long after, they returned and did it again… If not for the better equipment of the heavy cavalry, the losses would have been severe! Those scoundrels truly are cunning!”

“How about here? Any Xiongnu attacks?”

“All’s quiet here, not a single Xiongnu sighted,” Qin Cheng replied. “It was my oversight earlier, I hadn’t expected the Xiongnu to be so formidable.”

Li Guang sat in the tent, eyeing Qin Cheng suspiciously. “You mean it’s the same Xiongnu force throughout?”

“It should be,” Qin Cheng said. “This Xiongnu group is elite. Earlier, the mounted scouts we stationed around Xiaohua Fortress—only one out of five survived the Xiongnu’s assassination.”

“Qingzhi mentioned that when you arrived, the Xiongnu had vanished, and a whole garrison was nearly wiped out. If it was the work of the same Xiongnu force, then damned if they aren’t truly elite!” Li Guang said with resentment.

“What are the casualties among the heavy cavalry?” Qin Cheng asked.

“The losses aren’t huge, but not trivial either. The formation was disrupted. These are newly trained heavy cavalry, not yet fully drilled, less agile in action. The enemy relied on speed and moved without torches, making things tough. A mere two hundred li took nearly four hours. If not for nearly a hundred personal guards, it would have been worse. Ji Zhu’s support was timely, too.”

Li Guang’s mood gradually settled, his tone steadying.

“That’s our weakness—the heavy and light cavalry are yet unformed. Facing such unexpected situations is indeed tricky,” Qin Cheng mused.

“Given the circumstances, splitting forces is inadvisable. We must be more cautious…”

Qin Cheng and Li Guang discussed in the tent for some time. By the time Li Guang’s own tent and the heavy cavalry camp were arranged, it was already dawn. Determining that the Xiongnu cavalry would not attack again that day, Qin Cheng ordered the troops to rest and prepare for future battles.

After a day and night of toil, the soldiers were exhausted. Except for the night guards, soon the camp fell silent.

The night passed uneventfully.

…

Fifty li from Xiaohua Fortress toward Yangzi Valley stood a hill taller than the surrounding grass mounds. Earlier, Li Guang had fought with the Xiongnu cavalry near here.

Not long after Li Guang’s forces passed, a group of about five hundred cavalry reappeared beneath the hill. The main force halted below, their actions disciplined and uniform. Three riders emerged from the ranks and ascended the hill.

Not one torch was lit among the cavalry.

“These Han cavalry are somewhat different,” one rider said after gazing at the still-flaming Xiaohua Fortress, his voice hoarse.

“Speak freely,” the rider in the middle replied. His figure was slender in the cold wind, seeming mysterious in the night. His voice lacked the roughness typical of men from the steppe, instead fine, yet full of authority and vigor.

Encouraged, the hoarse rider continued, “First, their speed is slow; second, their armor is highly arrow-resistant; third, their movements are somewhat chaotic.”

“It seems they’re well-equipped recruits,” he concluded, offering a strange deduction.

The central rider remained silent, neither agreeing nor refuting.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a single Han corpse. The fallen Han soldiers were all carried away, so we can’t ascertain their equipment,” the hoarse rider continued, undisturbed by the silence. “This time, the Han have deployed 3,500 cavalry. Aside from the 500 left at the old Horse Plain pass, the other 3,000 move together. They separated briefly, then regrouped at once. In short, the Han are acting very cautiously. They’ve even left a retreat route.”

“Four months ago, we wiped out 2,000 cavalry in Shanggu. Now they have only 2,000 veterans; the remaining 1,500 new recruits can hardly be counted as fighting force. If they weren’t cautious, that would be odd,” said the third rider coldly, with pronounced disdain.

With that, the other two fell silent. They had said what needed saying. The next move depended on the central rider—they would not presume to overstep.

“All actions proceed as planned,” the central rider said after watching Xiaohua Fortress for a while, then turned and descended the hill.

The other two exchanged glances and followed closely.

At dawn the next day, as the Han soldiers in Xiaohua Fortress prepared to rise, they received an order from the Cavalry Colonel that surprised all.

“General Qin’s order: today, rising is delayed by two hours, all soldiers are to rest well!”

Ordinary soldiers had no complaints, but some senior officers could not sit still and hurried to find Qin Cheng.

Among them was Ma Dashan, the heavy cavalry captain.

Qin Cheng was eating in his tent when his guards announced Ma Dashan’s arrival. Qin Cheng could guess the reason even without thinking and ordered him to enter, instructing the guards to request another breakfast from the kitchen.

“Subordinate Ma Dashan greets General Qin!” Ma Dashan entered and saluted, then seeing Qin Cheng relaxed behind the desk, grew even more agitated, his voice rising, “I have a question, General, and seek your guidance!”

“Why did the general order the troops to rise late? The enemy is at hand, the Xiongnu may attack at any moment. Delaying the soldiers means we can neither defend nor avenge ourselves. I do not understand the general’s intent!”

Qin Cheng swallowed a mouthful of food and, without inviting Ma Dashan to sit, replied calmly, “What would Captain Ma propose?”

“Of course, the whole army should be on alert, ready to repel the Xiongnu. Or, we should seek them out and slaughter them, avenging last night’s losses!” Ma Dashan declared loudly, as if it were obvious.

“Why not take over as Cavalry Colonel, command the whole army yourself?” Qin Cheng said coldly. “Then you can gather all the troops, hunt down the Xiongnu, or march straight into the desert and destroy their royal court—how about that?”

“General…” Ma Dashan, chastened by Qin Cheng’s words, realized his rudeness—challenging orders and questioning authority, a grave offense in the military. His face flushed red. “Please do not mock me, General. I am not capable… I only did not understand. Please forgive me!”

Qin Cheng set down his bowl and chopsticks, composed and unhurried. “Captain Ma, you’re over thirty, commanding cavalry. Can’t you think things through before acting? There are only so many Xiongnu, the border is vast. Do you think you can find them just by searching? If the army leaves Xiaohua Fortress and the Xiongnu return to attack, what then? Besides, don’t the Xiongnu need rest? If you forgo rest when they are resting, what strength will you have to fight when the time comes?”

Ma Dashan nodded repeatedly as Qin Cheng spoke. When he finished, the ordered breakfast arrived, and Qin Cheng signaled for it to be placed at Ma Dashan’s side.

“I am dull-witted!” Ma Dashan admitted, his voice booming even in apology.

“Do you understand now?” Qin Cheng asked.

“I do now!” Ma Dashan said, fists clasped.

Qin Cheng nodded and pointed to the breakfast. “Eat.”

“Thank you, General!” Ma Dashan was overjoyed, thinking General Qin truly magnanimous—not only forgiving his breach of discipline, but offering breakfast. Such generosity was rare!

“No need to thank me,” Qin Cheng said with a sly smile. “When you’re done, report for twenty lashes.”

“…”