Chapter 691: One Thousand Li

The Owl Cavalry falls back again; let the ordinary cavalry come forward!

Their bearing still differed, but fortunately they weren't at the very front, so their movement wasn't too obvious; the Great King anxiously ordered them to fall back.

When those three rode forward, they saw these cavalry flying the Shuofang Pass banner— their spirit was also quite strong. They couldn't help muttering, 'The Great Jin army, now in the hands of the Northern Border King, has undergone a complete transformation.'

As soon as they came up, they demanded to speak privately with the Chief Commander here.

The Great King beckoned to Ling Yin in the ranks and whispered, 'You two go; as for my condition, it's what I said the day before.' The highest-ranking leaders of the Owl Cavalry here were the chief and deputy commanders, as could be seen from their equipment.

Ling Yin and Zhou Ke went forward, introducing themselves as the Chief Commander here; the three opposite immediately believed them, for their aura was indeed strong— they were certainly not ordinary nobodies.

After a few meaningless words, both sides got straight to the point.

"This time the Xiongnu and Xianbei tribes have mustered two hundred thousand cavalry; relying solely on Shuofang Pass cannot stop them. The grasslands have suffered a cold snap, killing vast numbers of livestock; we too are left with no choice. The grasslands do not want to go to war with Great Jin; all we need is to survive this crisis. The Xiongnu Grand Chanyu says that if Bingzhou supplies some grain and fodder, we will get through the crisis and withdraw within three days. The Little King can also guarantee that, before news reaches Youzhou, we will certainly withdraw— a written pledge as proof."

The Great King, hiding in the formation and listening closely, almost laughed in anger— still, a written pledge? Is that useful? The tribute does have writing, but it's only given when the cavalry come to demand it; after a century of feud, who can trust whom?

Ling Yin remained silent, so Zhou Ke had to step forward himself.

"You mean you want us to pretend we didn't see you and let you pass through the pass?"

"Exactly. With two hundred thousand iron cavalry, Shuofang Pass cannot possibly stop them; why not reduce both sides' losses to a minimum? In recent years the grasslands and the Northern Border have gotten along well, helping each other through crises— shouldn't that be the norm? The Little King guarantees that not a single Great Jin civilian will be harmed."

Zhou Ke was speechless— dare you say that in front of His Majesty? He's not one of those winding, deceitful civil officials; he simply can't stand such baseless nonsense.

"The Northern Border has also just suffered the cold snap and sustained heavy losses. In view of the tribute, its strong troops and sturdy horses haven't come to plunder you; yet you are naïve, thinking Shuofang Pass would risk losing heads to let you in and freely loot the property of Great Jin's people."

"So you mean Shuofang Pass refuses? You're only ten thousand or so— why insist on overestimating yourselves and leading your brothers to death?!"

Ling Yin also grew tired of listening; there seemed nothing new. The opposition merely noted their small numbers and again tried to intimidate with two hundred thousand. If this were the former Great Jin, they'd truly be afraid, but with the Great King in charge, these past two years he's forgotten how to write the character for 'fear'.

Ling Yin finally spoke: 'In the past we only discussed terms after losing; why are you so eager to make demands before even fighting this time? To be frank, His Majesty had already left an oral decree at Shuofang Pass: whether Xiongnu or Xianbei tribes, if they again break the agreement and raid the border, they must pay a heavy price.'

Since you stand here, the fact is already established.

"This Commander will convey His Majesty's oral decree: starting today, the Great Jin border line will advance northward by one thousand li."

One thousand li.

The Great King opened his mouth like a lion, even more brazen than the enemy's three days of plundering.

The three opposite stared at each other, thinking Bai Li Jing had gone mad!

The Xiongnu royal city is no more than over a thousand li from the Great Jin border line!

"No point in talking," the three fumed and rode back. The Great King lingered behind, regretting like a creature that missed a juicy melon: 'Ah! This is no different from what the captives said; I thought there might be some new words, making me curious and waiting half a day!'

"Soon Pu Nu will surely be provoked into anger and charge over— form up!"

"Form up!"

"Form up!"

"Form up!"

The oral decree was passed down rank by rank; the Owl Cavalry donned their veils, and the ten thousand elite cavalry fully armed took up their formation.