Climbing to the Top: A Reborn Queen's Journey

Chapter 828: Guiliang: Side Story (Part 1)

After a stick of incense burned, a personal soldier came galloping back with a report.

It was Liu Hengchang leading ten thousand cavalry in pursuit.

The Left General exhaled slowly, his back was drenched in cold sweat, clinging stickily to his clothes. Fortunately, no one could see it, and his dignity as Duke Wei Yuan and Great General remained intact.

The Left General did not rush to continue forward; he ordered the camp to be set up on the spot.

Twenty thousand cavalry patrolled continuously to signal warnings. The remaining cavalry dismounted and set up simple tents. The kitchens busily prepared meals. The number of civilians rescued from the Rouran Barbarians exceeded expectations significantly. Fortunately, this army was well-supplied with food, and with careful rationing, there would be enough to last until they returned to the Border Army Camp.

After dismounting, Liu Hengchang immediately came to see the Left General.

Inside the military tent, the Left General appeared composed and calm, showing no trace of previous anxiety.

Liu Hengchang also maintained his composure, first saluting and reporting: "Great General, Shi Luohou has already left with the Rouran Khan. Only then did I lead my men to catch up with the army."

The Left General nodded and gestured, causing the others in the tent to immediately withdraw.

Only the Left General and Liu Hengchang were left facing each other.

Both spoke almost simultaneously: "We must guard against a night raid by the Rouran Barbarians."

The Left General said in a deep voice, "This Shi Luohou, being young and impetuous, suffered such a major setback this time. I’m afraid he won’t let this slide easily."

Liu Hengchang whispered, "The national treaty clearly states that there will be no military conflict between Da Liang and Rouran within the next five years. In this national war, the Rouran Barbarians suffered heavy losses. Shi Luohou only brought one or two thousand cavalry today. We have sixty thousand cavalry, one thousand auxiliary troops, in terms of force, we are not afraid of them."

"My only concern is that the civilians, who have just escaped a disaster, are like startled birds. If the Rouran Barbarians conduct a night raid, the civilians might be frightened and scatter, which would be unfavorable for the army’s march."

The Left General slapped the table: "You and I thought the same thing. For the next stretch, we must always be on guard against a sneak attack by the Rouran Barbarians. Additionally, we must find a way to pacify these civilians."

Liu Hengchang solemnly saluted: "I am not worthy, yet I am willing to defend the rear for the army."

This was once again the most dangerous task.

The Left General gave Liu Hengchang a deep look: "For this excursion to the grasslands, General Liu deserves the foremost credit."

Liu Hengchang replied, "Let’s not talk about credit for now. The one thousand Nanyang Guards I brought are all brave and have trained for years against the Rouran Barbarians. Against them, there isn’t the slightest fear. Therefore, this task is most suitable for us."

It was indeed so.

The Left General was not one to dawdle, agreeing quickly: "Good! This task will be entrusted to you. A thousand cavalry to guard the rear is barely sufficient. If faced with any situation, send someone to request support immediately."

Liu Hengchang accepted the order with a salute.

That night, the torches in the camp burned continuously, and the patrolling cavalry did not relax for a moment.

Fortunately, the worst-case scenario did not occur. Although a number of Rouran Barbarians were spotted observing the camp from afar, they did not actually charge forward.

The next day, the army continued to advance slowly.

A group of Rouran Barbarians followed the army from a distance.

By the third and fourth days, the number of Rouran Barbarians following had increased to several thousand.

Liu Hengchang did not wait; he took the initiative to lead a thousand cavalry to attack. Both sides clashed fiercely, with losses on both sides. The Rouran Barbarians left behind hundreds of corpses and retreated like the tide.

Liu Hengchang coldly ordered, "Quickly clean and clear the battlefield, take all our people away. Pile the Rouran Barbarians’ corpses in one place."

Warfare on the grassland always had the custom of building a mound of corpses to deter the enemy. With Liu Hengchang, the heads weren’t even severed; instead, a fortress of corpses was directly erected.

This hard battle shattered the fighting spirit of the Rouran Barbarians.

The defeated soldiers fled back in disarray, and the leading Rouran military general knelt before Shi Luohou and cried: "The Da Liang cavalry are truly formidable; they dare to confront us head-on. Each of them is strong and brave, and we are simply no match for them."

Shi Luohou’s face turned ashen with anger, he cursed them and personally whipped his confidant.

Fu Mingdun also lost all ambition, weakly saying: "Shi Luohou, I’ve told you before. Da Liang isn’t what it used to be. In the past, Da Liang was a rabbit, and we Rouran warriors were eagles. Now, Da Liang has become a cunning and fierce wolf. We’ve already lost many heroes; if we continue fighting, we won’t even be able to protect our nest in the future. Don’t forget, we’re not the only eagles on the grasslands; there are also the Dada Gaoche tribes."

Indeed, after suffering a major defeat, the Rouran have significantly weakened. They cannot afford another major defeat. Losing too many people will make room for other grassland tribes to replace them and seize their position of dominance.

The Han people have a saying, ’As long as the green hills remain, there will be firewood to burn.’

Shi Luohou threw the blood-stained whip and angrily said, "I’ll heed Father’s words and lead the troops back now. In a few years, when new Rouran warriors have grown, we’ll seek revenge against Da Liang."

...

Following the Da Liang Army, the Da Liang people trekked for over half a month and finally emerged from the grassland.

When the towering border came into view, suddenly some civilians burst into tears. The emotional sobs were strongly infectious, and soon, the crying continued in waves.

No matter how hard-hearted the Left General was, he could not bear to scold the weeping civilians at this moment. He ordered the army to rest and sent someone to request entry through the gate.

In less than an hour, the city gate was opened.

A bearded military general led trusted aides to greet them on horseback.

It was none other than General Fan, the Commander of the Border Army.

Since the court’s army left the border and entered the grassland, over two months had passed. During this period, General Fan had continuously sent people to closely monitor the events on the grassland. Three days ago, he led troops to wait at the border, and finally, the army returned. Along came tens of thousands of emaciated, ragged civilians.

The Left General had no time for chit-chat and immediately said, "The army needs rest and reorganization, and so many civilians also need to be settled."

"Please take out some grain from the Border Army Camp and let the civilians have a few days of full meals."

Throughout this march, they had to guard against sudden attacks by the Rouran Barbarians while maintaining speed, leaving no time to ensure the civilians’ hunger. In fact, in the last few days, military provisions had been severely lacking, and the cavalry could only eat just enough to sustain themselves. This was to ensure that most civilians had rations.

General Fan agreed without hesitation.

Tens of thousands of civilians entered through the city gate in batches. Only after the last civilian entered the city did the Left General order the army to enter the border.

When the tall, sturdy city gate closed, the Left General exhaled deeply.

Liu Hengchang’s heart, which had been tense all this time, finally settled.

In the past few months, while there were no large battles, skirmishes had been constant. Coupled with the immense mental strain, they had not had a proper rest. Tonight, they could finally sleep soundly.