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Yu Fuluo chewed on a blade of grass, then spat it out with a ptui and grumbled, "Not a hint of sweetness! Nothing like the grass back in the royal court!"
A guard beside him was about to reply when the sound of galloping hooves interrupted. About twenty riders approached in the distance...
The guard squinted and then announced, "It's Bater returning!"
Like a whirlwind, Bater rode up at full speed. Without slowing his horse, he swung down from the saddle, took a couple of running steps to steady himself, and came to a stop—a display of superb horsemanship.
"Bater!" Yu Fuluo laughed heartily, standing up to embrace him. "Let's see what spoils our brave warrior has brought back!"
Bater grinned triumphantly and waved his hand. A Xiongnu soldier untied several severed heads from his horse's neck and carried them over, dropping them at Yu Fuluo's feet. Meanwhile, Bater rummaged in his coat and pulled out three military dispatches, handing them to Yu Fuluo.
Yu Fuluo took the reports, broke the seals, and tilted his head as he struggled to decipher the contents.
Most Xiongnu were illiterate, but Yu Fuluo, having once been the Southern Xiongnu's Right Virtuous King, had learned some Han characters. Bater, however, couldn't read a single word. He craned his neck, staring at the scribbles until his head spun.
"Great Chanyu, what do they say?" Bater finally gave up and asked.
"Ha-ha-ha!" Yu Fuluo burst into laughter, pointing at the text. "Know what the Han are claiming? That after three days and nights of fierce battle, they crushed us—and even took over a hundred of our heads!"
"What?" Bater instinctively touched his own neck, confirming his head was still attached. Puzzled, he muttered, "...None of us died. Whose heads did the Han cut off?"
"Hmph!" Yu Fuluo snorted dismissively, ignoring the question. He nudged the heads on the ground with his foot and counted. "Six. Good. That's all the messengers from Xin'an City accounted for... Tuorite, take these to the man who came with us. One head, one silver piece. Understood?"
Yu Fuluo gestured for emphasis, and Tuorite nodded before carrying the heads away.
Before long, Tuorite returned, clutching a few silver coins. Yu Fuluo counted them, confirmed the amount, and motioned for Tuorite to put them away.
Tuorite then produced a slip of paper. "The man asked me to give this to you, Great Chanyu."
Yu Fuluo took it, unfolded it, and frowned as he read in silence.
Bater studied his expression. "Great Chanyu, what's wrong?"
Yu Fuluo said, "He wants us to intercept a Han army coming from the east tomorrow."
"Huh?" Bater hesitated. "Then... do the Han have cavalry?"
Han cavalry were no pushovers against Xiongnu riders. Thanks to their superior ironworking technology—especially in weapons and armor—they could compensate for any shortcomings in horsemanship, often leaving the nomads howling in defeat.
That was why Bater had to ask.
"They do. Eight hundred cavalry, plus about seven or eight hundred infantry... But he said he could supply us with five hundred sets of armor. Someone will deliver them soon."
"Five hundred sets!" Bater wiggled his fingers, quickly realizing ten digits weren't enough to count that high. Grinning, he exclaimed, "That's so many! Perfect! Now we won't have to fear the Han cavalry!"
"No, Bater," Yu Fuluo said solemnly. "By the will of Tengri, we are the descendants of the wolf. We must have not just courage, but wisdom..."
×××××××××××
To reach Xin'an by today, Guo Pu had set out a full shichen earlier than planned.
The Xiliang cavalry busied themselves tending to their horses, feeding them extra handfuls of roasted beans—and occasionally sneaking a few into their own mouths.
Meanwhile, the infantry and support troops were breaking down tents, packing supplies, and collecting the iron fixtures used to secure the camp's wooden palisades. While timber could be cut from nearby hills, these metal parts couldn't be left behind, or they'd have nothing to rebuild with next time.
Having slept late and woken early, the foot soldiers and laborers were exhausted. As they worked, they couldn't stop yawning.
After a clamorous rush of preparation, everything was finally packed, and the army resumed its march.
As usual, Guo Pu sent scouts ahead—but one soon returned, an arrow lodged in his side. Gasping, he reported that twenty or thirty Yellow Turban cavalry had been spotted about seven or eight li ahead...
Guo Pu was both alarmed and thrilled. Running into enemy scouts meant these weren't just peasants with hoes and sickles—they were at least a step above that. But it also confirmed the Yellow Turbans were nearby, and wasn't that why he'd rushed here? To claim some rebel heads?
He immediately dispatched a tun of Xiliang cavalry to clear the path and chase off the enemy riders. In Guo Pu's estimation, the rebels couldn't possibly have more than a few dozen horsemen. A hundred of his elite riders against twenty-odd? Easy prey.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before the tun commander sent word back: the Yellow Turban scouts had been driven off, five killed, the rest fleeing toward Xin'an. His men were in pursuit, and he'd sent a messenger to report.
Guo Pu laughed and ordered the army to pick up the pace. He wanted to strike before the rebels could organize a proper defense. That was how cavalry excelled—breaking enemies before they could brace for impact.
But two legs were no match for four. Watching his infantry lag further behind, Guo Pu grew impatient. He commanded the foot soldiers and laborers to follow as quickly as they could while he led the cavalry ahead to hunt down the rebels.
Eight hundred horsemen could easily overpower two thousand regular infantry, let alone a thousand-odd scattered Yellow Turbans besieging a city.
As for the foot soldiers? Let them lag. They could clean up the battlefield afterward. That way, when rewards were handed out, he wouldn't have to share the glory...
The morning mountain air was still chilly, but Guo Pu burned with excitement. Drawing his huan-shou saber, he raised it high and bellowed, "Men! Today we spill blood! After victory, meat and wine for all! A hundred jin of gold to whoever slays their general or captures their banner! Kill! Kill! Kill!"
With that, he spurred his horse forward at a steady trot.
The Xiliang cavalry roared in response and followed.
*****
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