Chapter 24: The Decisive Battle Against the Xiongnu and the Mortal Struggle with Qin

Chapter 24: Decisive Battle Against the Xiongnu, A Mortal Struggle with Qin

Following the Grand Assembly, the imperial machinery began to operate at full capacity. The great granaries and armories threw open their gates once more, and mountains of supplies were hauled out, forming long convoys that rumbled slowly toward the north under the guard of imperial soldiers.

Four days later, the Vermillion Bird Camp in Jiuyuan Commandery.

Yang Duanhe, leading the Qilin and Xuanwu legions—the infantry and archer divisions of the Xianyang Imperial Guard—along with the accompanying logistical train, arrived smoothly at the Vermillion Bird encampment. The fifty thousand armored warriors of the Azure Dragon Legion also arrived in light marching order, reinforcing the Xuanwu encampment to assist in its defense.

In the command tent, Yang Duanhe looked toward Wang Ben and the other generals seated at the head of the table and immediately read aloud the Emperor's edict. "Marquis Tongwu, please issue the order for the army to assemble and re-equip. His Majesty requires us to reach the Great General within ten days. Four days have already passed; were it not for the cement roads accelerating our march, we would have already missed our chance. With only six days remaining, the army must set out immediately!"

"General Yang, pray, compose yourself. Before your arrival, I received a verbal decree from His Majesty via the Black Ice Terrace. The troops are already prepared and await only your arrival," Marquis Tongwu Wang Ben said, patting Yang Duanhe on the shoulder.

"Then please, General, issue the command!" Yang Duanhe urged.

"Hear my order: The Azure Dragon Legion is now under my direct command to garrison the northern borders of the Empire. The mobilized troops of the Vermillion Bird shall fall under the command of Yang Duanhe. All departing soldiers are to re-equip immediately and set out in one shichen!"

As Wang Ben’s order echoed, the troops acted with disciplined efficiency, moving to exchange their gear and supplies according to their organizational units. Among the seventy thousand reserve cavalry in the Vermillion Bird camp, fifty thousand elites had already been selected. They immediately took the horses brought back from the grasslands, fitting them with saddles and stirrups. There was no time to shoe the horses; they would have to wait until after victory was secured.

Half a shichen later, the newly saddled cavalry departed first. The remaining one hundred and seventy thousand infantry and archers followed, carrying only six days of rations and equipment, marching rapidly into the depths of the grasslands.

"Modu, what is the situation on the battlefield?" Touman asked, seated on a pile of wild beast furs, clutching a greasy leg of lamb.

Modu set down his mare's milk and bowed. "Father, scouts report that the Qin army camp is stationed three hundred miles away. Their outward-bound units have all returned to camp; only Qin scouts remain on the plains."

"Oh? And what of the Xiongnu casualties?" Touman asked, not even lifting his head as he sipped his fermented milk wine.

Watching Touman, Modu burned with the desire to be the Chanyu himself, believing he alone could lead the Xiongnu to greatness. Alas, the Chanyu’s favorite queen had borne him a younger son, who was doted upon, while he, the eldest, had fallen out of favor.

Historically, because Touman wished to install the younger son as heir, he sent Modu as a hostage to the Yuezhi. At that time, the Xiongnu were squeezed between the Donghu to the east and the Yuezhi to the west like a sandwich. Later, disregarding Modu's life, Touman insisted on attacking the Yuezhi, nearly causing Modu's death. Upon returning to the Xiongnu, Modu was not killed but was given command of ten thousand horsemen. Using these, he eventually orchestrated his father’s death with whistling arrows, becoming the second Chanyu of the Xiongnu and the first to unify the northern grasslands.

He endured humiliation, leading the Xiongnu to conquer over twenty nations, including Loulan, Wusun, and Hujie, commanding over three hundred thousand mounted archers. During the Western Han Dynasty, he once led four hundred thousand elite cavalry to surround Liu Bang at Baideng Mountain for seven days and nights, leaving Liu Bang to escape only through the schemes of his advisors.

Burying his ambition, Modu bowed his head and replied, "Father, the tribes have withdrawn their herdsmen toward Touman City. With the Qin slowing their offensive, excluding the heavy losses suffered by the Left Wise King's forces, the Xiongnu have lost over fifty thousand warriors, more than one hundred thousand herdsmen captured, and countless horses and sheep stolen."

"What!" The news sent a wave of agony through the tribal leaders. The Xiongnu numbered little more than eight hundred thousand; to lose a quarter in a single battle was not merely a flesh wound—it was the severing of a limb.

"Chanyu, I believe the tribes should abandon Touman City and retreat further north, returning only when the time is right," suggested Right Wise King Baru.

"Baru, you coward!" the Left Wise King Tutal roared. "I’ll kill you!" He lunged forward with a punch.

"Clatter, thud!" The two began a graceless brawl in the council hall. Everyone knew that Tutal’s territory was closest to the Qin border, making him the first to bear the brunt of the assault. Baru’s territory in the west had suffered almost no losses, yet he was the one suggesting retreat. Tutal found this intolerable—why should he suffer all the blows while others shared the spoils, only to abandon him when the tide turned?

"Stop!" Touman finally shouted, seeing they had traded enough blows. "Is there no respect for me, your Chanyu? Fighting in the council hall—what are you doing? Enough!"

"Hmph!" They released each other, glaring with simmering rage.

"Modu, continue," Touman signaled.

"Currently, the Qin have about one hundred and eighty thousand troops on the grasslands. Their infantry has barely suffered losses, and they have about forty thousand cavalry. Our people are gathered near the Royal Court, and we can muster seventy thousand horsemen. Including those of the Royal Court and the Right Wise King, we have roughly two hundred thousand cavalry. However, to field all two hundred thousand would mean sending almost every adult male to the front. We also have the Donghu and Yuezhi watching like tigers, waiting to scavenge." Modu spoke clearly, fearing Touman might lose his head and make a disastrous decision.

"What do the other tribes say?" Touman suddenly remembered the envoys he had sent for aid.

"Chanyu, of the twenty-plus tribes around the grasslands, only a third are willing to come!" a leader in charge of the matter replied.

"How many men?" Touman perked up.

"The Yuezhi and Donghu each sent fifty thousand cavalry, Wusun five thousand, Loufan two thousand, Hujie two thousand, Kucha fifteen hundred, Loulan fifteen hundred, the Western Regions five thousand, and the Dingling, Qushe, and Xinli a combined three thousand. There is also a group of eight hundred cavalry from Parthia, currently guests of the Greater Yuezhi, who claim they are willing to help us fight the enemy."

"Parthia? Never heard of them. Probably some obscure tribe with only a few hundred men," Touman dismissed them instantly.

"By this count, the various tribes have about one hundred and twenty thousand, which, added to our own forces, gives us over three hundred thousand cavalry. We can crush the Qin without any pressure and even invade their heartland!" Touman exclaimed happily.

"Father, you must not!" Modu hurriedly warned.