Chapter 27: The Northern Xiongnu Flee West, One Battle Settles the Western Regions

Yanqi Kingdom.

The sounds of the two armies slaughtering each other rose from all sides.

Although Gu Sheng's actions had indeed succeeded in confusing the enemy forces.

Yet after several probes, the Left Luli King was still unwilling to let this opportunity for battle slip by, and personally led a great army, heading straight for Yanqi!

This battle was destined to be incomparably bloody.

Although Gu Sheng had long since issued orders to ready the troops and set up defenses, waiting in full battle array.

But there was no helping the vast disparity in strength between the two sides; the Han army was at a clear disadvantage in numbers.

The most critical point was that Cheshi had also rebelled!

The impact of this on the entire war situation could be described as fatal; the rebellion of Cheshi completely cut off Gu Sheng's retreat.

Causing the entire Han army to fall into a siege of being attacked from the front and the rear.

The entire Western Regions were gradually developing in an uncontrollable direction following the death of Liu Zhuang due to illness.

But for the soldiers within the city, there was only one choice.

And that was to fight to the death!

Surrender?

Who could afford to lose that much face?

Who could bring themselves to do something that would bring shame upon their family and ancestors?

Under such circumstances, the command capabilities of the commanders on both sides were thoroughly displayed.

Gu Sheng was indeed a born commander.

He was always so composed, handling all sorts of problems.

Occasional feints made the enemy think the Han army was about to fight with everything they had; occasional small-scale raids;

Various tactics made the Northern Xiongnu and the Cheshi army extremely uncomfortable.

For the morale of the army under the current situation, this was a natural safeguard.

The most critical thing was—

The soldiers all trusted Gu Sheng.

They believed that the imperial court would send reinforcements.

As long as the reinforcements arrived, they would be able to tear open the encirclement of Cheshi and the rear, and at that moment, the so-called siege would be completely reversed!

Gu Yi had been watching everything all along.

Compared to the original history he understood, too many changes had already occurred.

As for whether Gu Sheng could actually hold out until the reinforcements arrived.

He was actually not sure either.

But Gu Yi would not dwell on things that could not be changed; what he was truly thinking about was another aspect.

In the past, he had always felt that as long as he could keep enough achievement points for manipulation, he could solve all problems.

But now, Gu Yi was suddenly awakened.

In a situation where history had already completely changed, he might not necessarily be able to solve every crisis!

For the entire ten-thousand-year plan of the Gu family, the help of items was certainly indispensable.

The family could not always be so smooth-sailing.

Without his manipulation, the fact that this generation of the family could have such development had actually already exceeded Gu Yi's expectations.

But the reason for this was only because of the extraordinary talents of Gu Kang and Gu Sheng.

And within this.

A large part of the reason was his initial education, and the fact that they encountered an enlightened ruler like Liu Zhuang.

Gu Yi had once carefully observed the third-generation descendants of the family, such as Gu Liang.

Although Gu Kang also attached great importance to their education, and even imitated the operations Gu Yi used to educate them back then.

But no matter how heaven-defying Gu Kang's talent might be.

Faced with the limitations of the era, he could not fully achieve the cross-era education that Gu Yi had done back then.

And the differences in attributes also destined that what each person comprehended would be different.

At least in Gu Yi's observation.

Among the third generation of the family, there was no one who could carry the banner like Gu Kang and Gu Sheng.

Now it was Gu Sheng's battle against an external enemy.

If one day in the future, the family encountered such a butcher's knife?

In a situation where history had already changed, it was impossible for Gu Yi to always be a prophet.

Liu Zhuang's death several years early had already explained everything.

Many dangers were hidden in the invisible.

Whether it be a foolish ruler or a chaotic world.

With the current influence of the Gu family, could they still stay out of it?

The only item Gu Yi currently knew of was the god-level celestial phenomenon card; he did not yet know what miraculous uses items of other levels might have.

But he could be certain that if all preparations in reality failed.

To solve the family's crisis, there would only be items.

"It seems the importance of achievement points must be raised again; not only must I keep enough achievement points for me to manipulate, but I must also ensure a certain reserve of items."

"Lest the family truly encounter a crisis that cannot be solved!"

Gu Yi sighed inwardly, feeling the immense pressure.

Gu Kang's political level was indeed very reassuring.

Just after Liu Da had completely settled this matter, Gu Kang made a series of arrangements.

The Han army, which had long been poised for action, finally moved!

The three commanderies of Zhangye, Jiuquan, and Dunhuang, totaling twenty thousand troops already fully prepared, headed straight for the Western Regions.

All of this was an arrangement he had discussed with Liu Zhuang before his death.

And this was only the vanguard, intended only to rescue the Han army currently in the Western Regions; there would be a great army following.

But in this era, whether it was the transmission of imperial edicts or the marching speed of a great army, it could not be done overnight.

Whether it was Gu Sheng or Ban Chao, neither could escape the danger in a short time!

Inside the Yanqi Kingdom.

The great battle grew increasingly tragic.

Although Cheshi and the Northern Xiongnu had never been able to break into the city, the situation of the entire Han army was also becoming increasingly dangerous.

Casualties were one aspect.

The most critical thing was that they were running out of food!

The Western Regions were vast, and provisions were one of the problems the Han army had to face.

Moreover, they were there to pacify the Western Regions, not to exploit them like the Northern Xiongnu, so they naturally would not excessively harm the people.

Now, as the time under siege grew longer, this problem naturally manifested itself.

And under this severe situation, it was impossible for Gu Sheng to restrict the soldiers' food.

After all, if they could not fill their stomachs, how could they have the strength to fight?

Under these circumstances, Gu Sheng could be said to have exhausted every possible method.

In the end, they were even reduced to a situation of "boiling armor and crossbows to eat their tendons and leather."

But even so, the morale of the entire Han army remained completely unshaken.

Because no matter what, Gu Sheng always led the generals by example, always sharing the joys and sorrows with the soldiers.

Coupled with those hundreds of central army troops who had followed Gu Sheng for many years.

They were like a needle in the sea, stabilizing the basic morale of the entire Han army.

Everyone held a surge of energy in their hearts, waiting only for the reinforcements to arrive so they could fiercely vent this pent-up anger!

During this time, the Northern Xiongnu were naturally thinking of various methods.

After the attempt to induce surrender failed, they even directly cut off the Han army's water source, attempting to make the Han army fall into chaos from within.

But they underestimated Gu Sheng.

Gu Sheng had followed Gu Kang for many years; although he was not as good as Gu Kang in water conservancy, he was far superior to most people of the same era.

He quickly identified several locations.

And had people start digging downwards.

When those wisps of clear spring water gushed out from underground, shouts like thunder rang out within the city, as if representing their determination!

The Han army would never retreat a single step!

Under these circumstances, the Northern Xiongnu became increasingly anxious.

The news of the Han army mobilizing had already arrived!

How could they not panic?

Facing the iron hooves of the Great Han, let alone a mere Cheshi, even the Northern Xiongnu dared not strike hard.

But for them to withdraw their troops directly.

How could that be possible?

Not to mention Cheshi; from the moment they chose to rebel, they had no way back.

However, for the Northern Xiongnu, if they were to withdraw their troops, it would be equivalent to handing the entire Western Regions over to the Han Army on a silver platter.

This is a piece of fat meat!

For the current Northern Xiongnu, the key to whether they can repeat the glory of their ancestors lies in the Western Regions!

As long as they can capture the city, they can hold out desperately just like Gu Sheng and exhaust the incoming Han Army to death.

Even if they cannot capture it.

It is Jushi that is directly facing the Han Army; they have every opportunity to withdraw their troops during this time, rely on subsequent deployments to stretch the Han Army's supply lines, and wear the Han Army down.

For a moment, their attacks became increasingly frantic.

Gu Sheng keenly sensed this.

He knew that reinforcements were coming!

When this news was heard from Gu Sheng's mouth, the three armies were shaken!

Gu Sheng quickly made tactical arrangements.

On the basis of ensuring they would not be captured, they were constantly prepared to coordinate with the reinforcements to tear open the Northern Xiongnu's encirclement.

Just under this tug-of-war.

Finally, the Great Han's reinforcements arrived!

When he discovered that the Jushi army was in complete chaos, Gu Sheng did not hesitate in the slightest and led his troops to charge out directly!

The situation turned instantly!

The one leading the reinforcements this time was Geng Bing.

Clearly, he had fully absorbed the lessons from the failure of the previous Northern Expedition and had made very rigorous preparations in advance.

He divided the entire reinforcement force into three columns.

The center army would charge from the front, while the left and right flanks would block the Northern Xiongnu's reinforcements.

He had great faith in Gu Sheng's talent.

He intended to annihilate the entire resistance force of Jushi right here.

From the moment the Jushi army fell into complete chaos.

The pincer attack from front and rear had already fully formed.

There is no need to mention the Han Army inside the city.

Although they were physically and mentally exhausted, this was the time for them to vent the resentment in their hearts!

When are humans at their most ferocious?

——When they go mad!

That is exactly how these Han soldiers were now.

Even Gu Sheng's eyes had turned red.

Over these past few days, the pressure he had endured far exceeded anyone else's!

He was terrified that any accident would occur, leading those who followed and believed in him to die because of him.

At this moment, it was time for him to vent the pressure in his heart!

The sounds of hooves and wailing rose from all sides.

Facing the high-spirited Han Army, the entire Jushi army was like a sheet of paper, quickly broken through, and the resulting chaos plagued the entire army.

The overall situation was settled!

When Geng Bing saw Gu Sheng, who was covered in blood, he was completely stunned.

The change in Gu Sheng was so great that it made him feel like a stranger.

He looked much thinner, his temperament had changed completely, and his eyes were filled with exhaustion.

But that murderous aura was extraordinarily astonishing.

"Greetings, General!"

Geng Bing instinctively lowered his head and bowed, "By the Emperor's order, the General may command all troops!"

Hearing this, Gu Sheng nodded directly, a flash of brilliance in his eyes: "Good!"

"Transmit my order immediately."

"The three armies are to prepare; follow me to pursue the Northern Xiongnu immediately!"

Gu Sheng seemed to have thought everything through long ago, his expression very serious.

Hearing this, Geng Bing was stunned for a moment.

Pursue directly?

Now?

He swallowed his saliva and hurriedly spoke: "General, our army is exhausted; why not take this opportunity to rest well and plan for the future?"

Although he also wanted to earn merit.

He truly felt that Gu Sheng was a bit too impatient.

This was originally a forced march.

Coupled with this great battle, the Han Army was already worn out; wouldn't pursuing now benefit the enemy?

But Gu Sheng was very resolute, shaking his head directly, and said: "Opportunities must not be missed, and time waits for no one."

"The Northern Xiongnu thought they could take advantage of our army's weakness to wipe us all out."

"That is why they attacked both me and Zhongsheng at the same time."

"Now that Jushi is out of control, they can no longer provide them with food and fodder."

"The Northern Xiongnu's supply line is their greatest blunder."

"We must not let them rest."

"We must take this opportunity to sweep the Northern Xiongnu out of the Western Regions with thunderous force!"

As he spoke, he looked at the soldiers behind him, "Jushi has submitted to our Great Han several times only to rebel again."

"This time, they even lured our army into danger."

"I order you to lead the brothers, behead the two kings of Jushi, slaughter everyone in Jushi who opposes our Great Han, completely control Jushi, and prepare food and fodder for our army!"

"Tell the entire Western Regions... those who are not loyal to our Great Han must pay the price!"

Gu Sheng did not hide his murderous aura in the slightest.

"Yes!" The soldier received the order and left.

Geng Bing silently swallowed his saliva.

This feeling from Gu Sheng, completely different from when they were in Luoyang, put immense pressure on him.

But looking at Gu Sheng's current state, he still couldn't help but say: "Why doesn't the General take a good rest and let this subordinate go in pursuit?"

"No need!"

Gu Sheng waved his hand directly.

It was not because he wanted this credit; he truly realized how rare this opportunity was.

He did not trust anyone else with it!

Although Geng Bing was still helpless, he could only bow and agree.

The three armies prepared!

During this time, Gu Sheng did not rest either; through the intelligence from scouts, he stood before the map, his brows locked, seemingly thinking about various possibilities.

Finally, when Geng Bing came again.

Gu Sheng had already thought of everything.

He divided the entire army into three routes.

The first route was:

——The Pursuit Army.

This army must bite onto the Northern Xiongnu, leaving them no time to look elsewhere.

The second route was the reserve force.

This pursuit was different from previous ones; the Northern Xiongnu army was not a remnant force, and although their morale was low, it had not yet collapsed.

It was necessary to ensure a certain level of combat effectiveness for the Great Han soldiers.

And the third route was the interception army led by himself.

This route was the most important.

It was to make predictions for the next step based on the Northern Xiongnu's route in advance, serving as an ambush and interception force.

In fact, it would naturally be best for this army to consist mainly of the troops who had been following Gu Sheng all along.

But Gu Sheng did not intend to take them this time.

The army was exhausted; these people must rest well now, and completely pacifying Jushi was also key; these plans had to ensure that no problems arose in the rear.

Gu Sheng did not even intend to take the few generals who had been following him.

But this time, these generals did not agree.

"General, this subordinate wasted an opportunity before; although we are tired now, even the General is still going to lead the army to kill the enemy, so why shouldn't we?"

This was said by Dou Gu.

He was now completely convinced by Gu Sheng.

Whether in terms of courage or ability, he felt the gap between himself and Gu Sheng.

"Indeed! How can we let the General go alone at this time? A great man should die when he must; what is there to fear?"

Geng Gong also spoke up.

"That's right! We are willing to follow the General to kill the enemy; we would rather die than retreat!!"

Shouts rang out through the military camp.

Geng Bing looked at Geng Gong in surprise.

What was going on?

Wasn't his cousin usually proud and arrogant? How had he become like this?

Having not experienced the siege, he naturally could not understand the feelings these generals held for Gu Cheng.

To them.

Gu Cheng had completely conquered them.

"Good!"

Looking at the people before him, Gu Cheng took a deep breath, his gaze becoming increasingly sharp, "Since that is the case, then we shall go together."

"If we win this battle, we shall share the glory of carving our names into history!"

"If we lose;"

"We shall return together, our bodies wrapped in horse hides!"

The three armies roared like thunder!

Gu Cheng settled everything in a moment.

Immediately, he reorganized the troops and horses to pursue them directly!

The only direction for the Northern Xiongnu to retreat was Kucha.

The Kingdom of Kucha was a vital passage of the Silk Road; whoever controlled this place could be said to have completely grasped the initiative of the Silk Road.

Today, Kucha had long been controlled by the Northern Xiongnu.

And through Kucha, they radiated in all directions, including the Shule Kingdom where Ban Chao was currently located.

Before Ban Chao had gone to the Shule Kingdom.

The King of Shule, Dou Ti, was a Kucha person arranged by the Northern Xiongnu.

Gu Cheng possessed profound attainments in the tactics of infiltration and flanking.

He planned to advance west along the Peacock River valley, cross the edge of the Kuqa oasis, and press directly toward Kucha City.

He intended to completely trap the entire Xiongnu army on the edge of the Kucha Kingdom.

The risk of doing this was indeed very great.

After all, there were also Northern Xiongnu forces within the Kucha Kingdom.

But Gu Cheng naturally had his own judgment in doing so.

——Ban Chao was still in the Shule Kingdom!

The Shule Kingdom had absolutely not fallen.

If it had, the Northern Xiongnu would have already brought their army to the border, and they would not have been able to hold out!

This was Gu Cheng's judgment of the overall war situation!

Now that the Northern Xiongnu were retreating and the main force was pressing toward Kucha, the Northern Xiongnu army besieging Shule would certainly retreat as well.

As long as Ban Chao could seize this opportunity.

Once he mobilized his troops, the Kucha Kingdom would have no time to attend to anything else!

This was the best opportunity!

As for whether Ban Chao would counterattack?

Since they were brothers, how could he not understand the other?

Things were exactly as Gu Cheng had judged.

Ban Chao's military ability was not poor to begin with; upon noticing the Northern Xiongnu army's intention to retreat, he immediately guessed that the war situation had shifted.

He prepared to counterattack immediately!

The drawbacks of the Northern Xiongnu fighting on two fronts were displayed vividly at this moment.

Ban Chao now had more than just his thirty-six riders.

He had the troops and horses of both the Shule Kingdom and the Yutian Kingdom.

Although compared to a great nation like the Great Han, the military strength of these two kingdoms was naturally not worth mentioning.

But do not forget, this was the Western Regions!

Ban Chao did not stop for a moment and directly entangled the Northern Xiongnu army preparing to retreat to Kucha.

It was precisely because of this.

The entire Kucha Kingdom fell into chaos.

Gu Cheng truly blocked the Northern Xiongnu army that was trying to retreat at this opportunity.

A pincer attack from front and back!

It was another tragic and fierce battle.

The Northern Xiongnu army was completely in disarray; the change in events was completely beyond their imagination.

They had never thought that the Han army would risk exhaustion to pursue them.

They could not imagine why the generals on two fronts would make the same judgment at the same time without any communication!

The moment their morale wavered, the outcome of this battle was already sealed!

After leaving behind over three thousand men.

The Left Luli King had no choice but to turn northwest and flee again toward the Gumo Kingdom.

But how could Gu Cheng leave such a gap?

From the moment the Northern Xiongnu army was intercepted by him, the outcome of this battle was already sealed.

He did not stop, pursuing them rapidly.

At the same time, the army led by Geng Bing also did not stop at all.

The two armies attacked Gumo together.

And when Gu Cheng achieved a great victory, Ban Chao had no more obstacles; he quickly broke through the eastern border of Kucha and simultaneously advanced to attack Gumo again.

The three armies moved in unison!

The Left Luli King abandoned the city and fled by night.

Gu Cheng personally led the army in pursuit, beheading over ten thousand enemies and seizing countless spoils.

The Northern Xiongnu completely collapsed in the Western Regions.

The Bo Nu Chanyu was terrified and decided to flee west.

With one battle, the Western Regions were settled!

—————————

In the first year of Jianchu, in the eighth month, the Protector of the Western Regions, Cheng, guarded Yanqi, and the captives could not conquer it.

At that time, the Emperor sent the Imperial Son-in-law and Commandant Geng Bing to lead twenty thousand elite soldiers to reinforce them, traveling day and night to reach Yanqi. Cheng then opened the city to join forces with Bing, attacking from front and back, heavily defeating the Cheshi army; the captive masses scattered, abandoning their armor and fleeing to Kucha.

Cheng then took command of all the armies, dividing them into three routes to advance and punish:

With Imperial Son-in-law and Commandant Geng Bing as the center army, leading over ten thousand infantry and cavalry to pursue along Monan;

He personally led five thousand light cavalry, stealthily crossing the Gobi to outflank the northern pass of Kucha;

At that time, the Army Sima Ban Chao was in the Shule Kingdom, gathering over ten thousand soldiers from Yutian and Shule, exiting the Congling Mountains to attack the flank of Kucha from the east, in order to shock Kucha.

Cheng personally braved arrows and stones to charge the formation, beheading six famous kings under the Left Luli King; the captive masses scattered, leaving behind over three thousand corpses, and the remaining troops fled in a panic to Gumo.

At that time, Chao had already broken through the eastern border of Kucha, cutting off their grain supplies, and then attacked Gumo.

Cheng climbed to a high place and swore to the masses, "In the past, Chen Tang beheaded Zhizhi; today, we shall emulate him!"

Then, using battering rams to destroy the walls, the crossbow artillery fired in unison. The Xiongnu's strength was exhausted, and they abandoned the city to flee by night. The Han army pursued and beheaded over ten thousand, capturing one hundred thousand cattle and sheep; blood soaked the flowing sands, and the sound of the Hu flute ceased.

The Northern Chanyu was terrified, moving his entire tribe west, and dared not peek at the Han borders again.

From Pulei Sea to the Congling Mountains, merchants had no alarms, and the camel bells rang melodiously.

Emperor Zhang heard of the victory and issued an edict: "Cheng unleashed thunder, raising the majesty of Heaven for ten thousand miles." He ordered a stone to be carved at Chigu City, with the text: "In Jianchu, we swept away the invaders; the three armies exerted their strength together; the dust of the Hu is forever pacified; the mountains and rivers are without defect." The fifty-plus kingdoms of the Western Regions all sent their sons to serve, offering camels, horses, and treasures, bowing their heads and saying, "The Heavenly Han has not abandoned us."

——"Book of the Later Han: Biography of Gu Cheng"

Nearly six thousand characters. It really is a tense year; my head feels like it's going to explode.

I humbly beg you brothers for your support! Please do not hoard the book!!!

It is a critical time for recommendations; follow-up reading is very important!! I beg you!!

Please give recommendation tickets and monthly tickets!!!

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(End of this chapter)