Climbing to the Top: A Reborn Queen's Journey

Chapter 821: National War Side Story (Part 5)

For the court’s army, this was a great victory worth boasting about.

On the night of the raid, all the provisions in the Rouran Army Camp were burned, and countless Rouran Barbarians were killed or injured. The deserters were caught by ambushes, and all who could be killed were slain, leaving no prisoners alive.

In the following days, the Left General was busy clearing the battlefield, treating the wounded, and burying the dead. Of course, reports of the great victory were indispensable.

On the court’s side, the losses were not small either. However, such a great victory, unseen in decades or centuries, was truly exhilarating and thrilling. The morale of the soldiers was surprisingly high. The Wounded Soldier Camp was full of jubilation.

The Left General finally had some free time to gather several generals in one place.

General Fan was also present.

After several years, General Fan and the Left General faced each other again.

"The last time I saw the Great General was seven or eight years ago." General Fan sighed with a smile, as if they were close friends without any estrangement: "To see the Great General today, your charisma is even greater than before."

The Left General was now enjoying success and had achieved unparalleled accomplishments, holding a broad-minded attitude. He magnanimously put aside past grievances and said fairly, "In this battle, the border army worked the hardest, suffered the most losses, and achieved the greatest merit. I have already recommended you, General Fan, for merit in the memorial to the court."

General Fan willingly lowered his head, cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, Great General."

Originally, the two were considered equals. However, the Left General had been conferred the title of Marquis Wei Yuan and was the commander of the court’s army. It was proper for General Fan to lower his head.

The Left General was in good spirits and found General Fan more agreeable, reaching out with a smile to help him up: "Please rise, General Fan."

After standing up, General Fan smiled and said to Liu Hengchang, "Commander Liu’s bravery and martial prowess led the troops to break the Rouran Army Camp again, achieving great merit. I truly admire you greatly!"

Liu Hengchang quickly replied with a smile, "General Fan, your earlier courage greatly depleted the Rouran’s troops and morale. That is the true great accomplishment."

Praising each other, the atmosphere was harmonious.

In short, with such a great victory, everyone had contributed, and each was overjoyed.

The only exception was General Xu of the Divine Power Camp. General Xu was a trusted aide of General Song and had come this time to earn military merit and win some honor for the Divine Power Camp. Unfortunately, luck was against them, as there were no deserters on their ambush route, which was truly unlucky.

Watching other troops achieve immense merits while the Divine Power Camp gained nothing was unsettling for General Xu. He had been pondering these past few days on how to earn military merit.

"Great General! Good news!" A trusted aide entered joyfully to report: "A hunter has come to the camp with a message. He says he has discovered the whereabouts of Rouran deserters."

The Left General’s eyes suddenly lit up: "Quickly let him in, I will question him myself!"

The eyes of General Fan, Liu Hengchang, General Xu, and others also brightened.

The only regret of this great victory was letting the Rouran Khan escape. If they could kill the Rouran Khan or capture Fu Mingdun alive and escort him to the Capital City, that would be an immense military merit!

The hunter, with eyes swollen from crying, soon entered the military tent.

The hunter hadn’t seen much of the world and didn’t realize that the few men with a murderous look in their eyes were generals of the Da Liang Dynasty. Upon entering, he fell to his knees with a thud and cried hoarsely: "Everyone in the village was killed. My old mother and wife and children were also killed. I survived by going into the mountains for hunting. Four days ago, when I came down from the mountains, I found something wrong in the village and stayed hidden in the mountains that night. I then quietly escaped. I inquired everywhere until I found out the court’s army was here and came here. I beg you, generals, to lead troops to kill them and avenge the villagers!"

The Left General, who had been wielding power for many years with a heart cold as iron, was unmoved by such human tragedies but instead carefully asked about the village’s terrain and the surrounding landscape.

Having lived in the village for decades, the hunter was well-versed in the terrain; he wiped his tears and elaborated in detail.

The military generals craned their necks.

Liu Hengchang, while listening, took a charcoal pencil and a small booklet from his sleeve, quickly drawing a map based on the hunter’s description: "Is it like this?"

The map was simple yet vivid. Although the hunter was illiterate, he understood it and was excited: "Yes, yes, this is the place."

Liu Hengchang nodded slightly and presented the drawn map to the Left General.

The Left General couldn’t help but secretly praise.

This Liu Hengchang, who understands military tactics, is skilled in training and battle. He lacks the typical military general’s rashness and temper, being calm and adept. A talent like him is bound to be a pillar of the Da Liang military in the future.

The Left General’s gaze swept over the generals with varied expressions: "This village is not large, but it is close to the mountains. We must capture the Rouran Barbarians in one move; otherwise, if they flee into the mountains, the pursuit will become highly troublesome and could harm innocent civilians."

"I will lead ten thousand troops personally."

Capturing the Rouran Khan, a task of immense merit, was naturally the duty of the Left General.

The Left General took the responsibility without hesitation, and no other generals contested.

The Left General’s gaze swept again and named Liu Hengchang: "Commander Liu, you will select five thousand trusted aides to accompany me in eradicating the Rouran Barbarians."

Liu Hengchang cupped his hands and accepted the order.

No one else spoke, but General Xu coughed and said, "I also wish to accompany the Great General to battle."

The Left General glanced at General Xu and surprisingly agreed: "You bring five thousand men as well."

Joy crossed General Xu’s eyes, and he repeatedly cupped his hands and accepted the order.

...

Three nights later.

Whoosh!

A flame-tipped arrow streaked across the night sky and landed on a rooftop.

The village houses were made of wood, with straw-covered roofs. The sparks set the roof ablaze quickly. Thick smoke filled the air, waking those in slumber from their dreams.

Fu Mingdun woke abruptly, cursing in anger as he reached under his pillow for his long knife.

Having hid in the village lately, the Rouran Barbarians hadn’t been idle and had already familiarized themselves with the local terrain. In the glow of the fire, they fled towards the forests. As long as they reached the forest, there was still hope for survival.

Behind them, the relentless pursuit of the Da Liang soldiers continued, and shadows appeared in front at some point. Drawing their long knives, they charged forward with menacing smiles.

The cornered Rouran Barbarians turned fierce, displaying incredible ferocity.

In fact, these more than two thousand men were all elite soldiers under Fu Mingdun’s command, the cream of the Rouran Cavalry. Each one was exceptionally brave and skilled.

The Left General led a total of twenty thousand elite troops this time, outnumbering the enemy six or seven times over. The battle raged throughout the night, with blood flowing like rivers. By the end, both sides were fighting madly, and the scene was extremely tragic.

By dawn, Fu Mingdun was captured.