Chapter 84: Zhao Chongguo's Surprise

The Qiang people's foremost warrior, Yue Lu, rode nonstop, eating wind and sleeping in the dew, whipping his horse to hurry to Zhao Chongguo's headquarters.

His clothes were already soaked with sweat and dust, his face gaunt, yet his eyes remained resolute.

Finally, after enduring several days of arduous travel, he reached Zhao Chongguo's camp.

At this time, Zhao Chongguo was overwhelmed handling military affairs, the tribal situations complex and ever-changing, myriad military matters leaving him swamped.

Under the guidance of the soldiers, Yue Lu hurried into the tent and saw Zhao Chongguo, weary-faced and brow furrowed.

He had no time to catch his breath before he knelt with a thud, urgently saying, 'General Zhao, something terrible has happened!' Zhao Chongguo was startled by the sudden commotion; he lifted his head, seeing this dust-covered Qiang warrior before him, and his heart tightened.

He quickly rose, helped Yue Lu up, and asked, 'Who are you? Why are you so panicked? What happened?'

Yue Lu steadied his breath, handed over Dong Zhongshu's token to Zhao Chongguo, and respectfully said, 'General, I am Yue Lu, a warrior of the Qiang tribe; Master Dong is now in our Qiang tribe, facing a grave crisis.'

"Dong Zhongshu?"

A flash of surprise and worry crossed Zhao Chongguo's eyes as he said, 'How could he be in your tribe? What happened? Tell me in detail!'

Unexpectedly, after not seeing him for over a month, the missing Dong Zhongshu actually appeared in Qiang Capital, and had even established contact with these tribes.

Yue Lu told Zhao Chongguo in full detail how the Dian tribe had attacked the Qiang tribe, how Dong Zhongshu had stepped forward, and how he had organized everyone to resist.

Zhao Chongguo listened, his face growing graver; he paced back and forth in the tent, brow furrowed, muttering to himself:

"What are we to do? Dong Zhongshu is merely a scholar, incapable of even trussing a chicken; in this turmoil, if anything were to happen to him…"

Upon hearing of the Dian tribe's atrocities and the perilous plight of the Qiang tribe, Zhao Chongguo grew even more anxious; he abruptly stopped pacing and shouted:

"No, I must immediately dispatch a large force to reinforce them! I cannot allow Master Dong and the Qiang people's civilians to come to harm!"

Yue Lu quickly waved his hands, saying, 'General, though our tribe's situation is urgent, five hundred men plus some weapons, equipment, and provisions would suffice. Our terrain is complex; a large army would be inconvenient to move and might alert the Dian people, whereas a force of five hundred elite troops is enough to meet the current situation.'

Zhao Chongguo furrowed his brow, eyeing Yue Lu skeptically, and said, 'Five hundred men? You say weapons, equipment, and provisions are all that's needed? Are you sure that's enough? The Dian tribe advances mightily; your numbers and supplies would surely fall short. If the relief is inadequate, not only will we fail to save you, but we may endanger even more people.'

Yue Lu nodded firmly, saying, 'General, I know our tribe's situation well; a force of five hundred elite troops, fully supplied with weapons, equipment, and provisions, combined with our tribe's existing strength, will surely repel the Dian people. Moreover, we have already allied with some neighboring tribes, with Master Dong overseeing command; united, we will surely overcome this crisis.'

"Master Dong overseeing command? But he's merely a scholar, never having seen battle!"

The lessons of Zhao Kuo's armchair generalship are plainly before our eyes.

While Zhao Chongguo was still hesitating, a Feather Forest Guard rushed in, knelt on one knee, and reported loudly, 'General, dire news! Other tribes have mustered a combined army that is advancing; it is not far from our camp!'

Zhao Chongguo's face instantly turned ashen; he clenched his fists, inwardly cursing his fate.

Now attacked from front and rear, the situation is extremely perilous; he is truly stretched thin.

After a moment's thought, he gritted his teeth and told Yue Lu, 'The situation is urgent; I truly cannot spare more troops. Very well, as you say, I will send five hundred elite soldiers to accompany you to the Qiang tribe. These five hundred are the army's finest, and they will be fully equipped with weapons and gear. You must safeguard Master Dong and the Qiang civilians, and return safely.'

Yue Lu, tears of gratitude streaming, knelt again and kowtowed: 'General, rest assured; I will not disappoint your trust!'

Zhao Chongguo personally selected five hundred elite soldiers, outfitting them with excellent weapons and ample provisions.

Before departure, he repeatedly exhorted the commanding officer, insisting that the safety of Master Dong and the Qiang tribe be ensured.

Yue Lu and the five hundred Feather Forest Guard soldiers swiftly took the return route, galloping toward the Qiang tribe.

At the same time, the Dian tribe's warriors had finished mustering, advancing toward the Qiang tribe with formidable momentum.

When they reached the mountain pass, they found the road blocked by huge stones and fallen logs, causing their advance to slow abruptly.

As they tried to clear the obstacles, archers on the hillside loosed a volley of arrows, felling many Dian warriors.

Seeing this, the Dian leader, enraged, ordered a full-scale assault.

"When did the Qiang tribe acquire so many brave and skilled warriors?"

The leading Dian warrior voiced his puzzlement.

"The Qiang have allied with other tribes and are attacking us together."

The strategist beside him said harshly.

The chief warrior snarled, 'Kill them all, kill!'

Having spoken, he charged forward first.

The Dian tribe instantly launched a tide-like offensive.

Meanwhile, the Qiang tribe's allied forces showed no fear, relying on sturdy fortifications and high morale to engage the Dian people in fierce combat.

Clashing blades sent sparks flying, and the cries of battle shook the heavens.

Dong Zhongshu stood at the rear, closely monitoring the battle's shifts, continually encouraging the troops and adjusting tactics in real time according to the battlefield situation.

The battle entered a white-hot phase, with both sides suffering heavy casualties.

Just then, a sudden clatter of hooves came from afar; Yue Lu's reinforcements had arrived.

Bang bang bang!

Repeatedly, the crack of short guns rang out, and the Dian people fell one after another.

Seeing this, the Dian warriors panicked.

At Yue Lu's command, the Han Army charged into the enemy formation like a tiger descending a mountain, coordinating inside and out with the allied forces to launch a fierce assault on the Dian people.

Under the two-pronged attack, the Dian tribe's warriors gradually could not hold, beginning to retreat step by step.

In the end, the Dian tribe's warriors were routed, fleeing in disarray.

The battle ended with the victory of the allied forces.

The Qiang tribe and the surrounding tribes all rejoiced, gathering around Master Dong to express their gratitude.

Master Dong looked upon the cheering crowd, his heart filled with myriad emotions.

"Master, what should we do next?"

At this moment, Yi Chief Hai Lu and Warrior Yue Lu stepped forward, having just finished clearing the battlefield, their fighting spirit high.

Before Master Dong could speak, Yue Lu urged, 'Master, why not take advantage of the Dian's flight to raid their stronghold?'

Master Dong pondered for a moment.

"Not so hasty; this matter requires careful deliberation!"