Chapter 74: The Chanyu Flees by Night

In the wind and snow of night, inside the golden tent of the Wang Ting, a crowd of Rouran nobles continued to sing and laugh, accompanied by beauties.

The Great Khan of the Rouran, Yujiulu Anagui, sat upon the khan's throne, yet he was not as comfortable as his subordinates, lost in deep thought.

The Rouran people were in a wretched state, held tightly by the Xianbei.

After the Xianbei moved south, their vigilance against the Rouran was even stricter than against the Han.

The lands of Monan and the Hetao region should have been the foundation for a grassland hegemon to achieve great deeds, yet for nearly a hundred years, they had been suppressed by the Liuzhen.

The military system represented by the Liuzhen was the most solid defensive line within the Northern Wei's territory.

It defended against the Rouran!

Or more accurately, against any tribe on the grasslands capable of becoming the next Xianbei.

But now the Liuzhen are in chaos!

Heaven had granted the Rouran a chance to rise again, so Anagui and his followers southward without hesitation.

Whether allying with the Northern Wei or attacking the Liuzhen was not the most important; the key was to seize the lands of Monan amidst the chaos, and further penetrate influence into the Hetao region.

Only by making the Liuzhen, the nightmare in the hearts of the Rouran, disappear completely from history could the Rouran people truly hope.

"Has Yujiulu Fa not returned yet?"

Anagui snapped out of his thoughts and asked the attendant beside him.

"Not yet!"

Perhaps because he had grown up in an environment of turmoil and betrayal, Anagui was extremely cautious and suspicious.

Of course, this was also a quality a great ruler should possess.

"According to the agreed date, he should have returned!"

"The Little Khan said when moving south that he might stay a few days longer, after all, he has in-laws with Polo Han Kong Que."

The attendant's words made Anagui feel slightly reassured.

He calculated the situation in his mind once more:

The Liuzhen are in chaos; the two great generals under Polo Han Baling, Polo Han Kong Que and Wei Kegu, were defeated by Li Shen Gui, the Grand Commander of the Northern Expedition, suffering heavy losses of elite troops. Polo Han Baling, stationed at Woye Garrison, is surrounded by enemies on all sides and cannot even attend to his own affairs. Seeing this opportunity, Polo Han Kong Que, fearing for his own safety, voluntarily surrendered.

Once Huai Shuo Garrison is captured, Wu Chuan will inevitably be unable to stand alone; sooner or later, it will belong to the Rouran.

In this way, the Rouran will have established a foothold in Monan.

Looking at his smiling subordinates inside the tent, Anagui thought that if possible, he would not want to stay here for a single day, but would move south immediately.

But he could not do so; the long journey from Mobei to here had left his men deeply dissatisfied, and he must use beauties, fine wine, and banquets to wear down this resentment.

Moreover, he must gain control of the situation at Huai Shuo Garrison as soon as possible.

Only three hundred li from Huai Shuo, everything has been arranged properly.

Clearly there was no problem, so why did he feel so uneasy?

"Have any of the Thousand Chiefs and Tu Dou Fa I sent out returned?"

"No!"

"Not a single one?"

"Not a single one!"

On Anagui's face, covered in stubble, his brows were tightly furrowed.

"Bring my golden dagger; summon all the palace guards under my khan's tent, and have them all don armor!"

"What are your orders, Great Khan?"

Anagui glanced at the attendant; the other lowered his head, dared not speak further, and went to execute the order.

"Something is wrong!"

Anagui looked at everyone in the tent, stood up, and waved his hand, ordering the dancing Huji women to withdraw.

The crowd, having watched the dancing halfway through and still eager for more, looked at Anagui.

"Great Khan, what is wrong?"

"I sense danger!"

Upon hearing this, everyone laughed loudly, and someone even said:

"Great Khan, you are overthinking it; the Liuzhen cannot even attend to their own affairs, the Gaoche and Tiele tribes are fragmented and divided, who else could threaten our Rouran Khanate?"

Just as the words were spoken, a deep horn sound rang out in the snowy night.

This warning horn sound had not been blown in the Rouran Wang Ting for many years.

But halfway through blowing, it suddenly stopped.

Then, the sound of whistling arrows rang out everywhere around the Wang Ting.

In the snowy night, it played like a song, yet filled with a grim, killing intent.

The chiefs and tribal lords' faces changed drastically; they wanted to stand up, but because they had drunk too much wine, they were somewhat unsteady.

The concubines and dancers, at this moment, turned pale and hid in the corners.

Inside the great tent, chaos was like tangled hemp.

Anagui stood at the head of the crowd; at this moment, in his heart, there was only one question.

Who is it?

"Where is Anagui's golden tent?"

Li Shuang, clad in armor and holding a spear, questioned Yujiulu Fa beside him.

The other had intended to preserve his last shred of dignity, but Li Shuang's ruthless words pierced his heart.

"We have already arrived here; is there still a need for this final resistance?"

Hearing the cries of battle within the Wang Ting, Yujiulu Fa raised his hand.

"Right ahead; that largest round-topped tent is it."

"Generals, charge and slaughter with me!"

Gao Ang, Yang Kan, and the other generals, having rushed here through the cold night, showed not a trace of weariness, only excitement.

"We are willing to follow our Lord!"

Hundreds of armored cavalry broke through the darkness and slaughtered their way into the deepest part of this Golden Tent Wang Ting.

Long lances pierced the wind and snow; the round golden tent symbolizing the highest power of the Rouran turned to ashes amidst the flames.

As the ashes scattered, only a group of cowering Rouran chieftains and tribal lords hid behind the Rouran Khan.

That great hero who had led the Rouran from turmoil to stability, Yujiulü Anagui, now glared fiercely, staring at the knight wearing a face mask who charged at the very front.

Standing before him were the Rouran's most elite armored veteran guards!

Dozens of riders followed behind; Li Shuang was seeing this legendary Rouran Khan, who had once tricked the Northern Wei rulers and officials several times, for the first time.

"You burn my golden tent and abduct my people! This Khan never knew that the Great Wei still had such heroes. Dare you give your name!"

Li Shuang shouted loudly.

"A true man never changes his name nor alters his surname when sitting or standing! I am Li Shen Gui, the General Who Conquers the North of the Great Wei!"

Hearing this name, Anagui's eyes were filled with hatred.

Anagui had been to Luoyang and had seen that legendary prodigal son, now the Northern Border War God, but the impression from long ago was, after all, not so clear!

"Li Shen Gui!"

Just then, Gao Ang, leading the cavalry, finally charged up.

His figure was huge, and the warhorse beneath him looked more like a lion; seeing this scene, he felt no fear but instead shouted loudly.

"My Lord, watch me capture this villainous leader."

Gao Ang led his troops into the formation, waving his long lance as if it carried ten thousand pounds of force, easily lifting a veteran guard into the air.

Seeing this terrifying sight, the Rouran chieftains lost their courage and urged one after another:

"Khan, flee quickly! It is still not too late to leave now!"

Anagui was unwilling, very unwilling. But seeing more and more enemy cavalry surging in from all sides of the Wang Ting, he could only let go of his last hope.

"Go!"

"Cover the Khan's retreat!"

"Think you can leave?"

Seeing this situation, Li Shuang drew his bow and nocked an arrow, shooting it straight to hit the plumed helmet of Anagui.

In his panic, Anagui abandoned everything and fled north with hundreds of cavalry for dozens of li, only barely stopping when dawn broke.

The wind and snow gradually ceased; Anagui removed his plumed helmet, looked at the long arrow on it, and pulled it out.

The mudwater faintly reflected his wretched face; Anagui's anger rose from his heart, and he howled at the sky.

"Li Shen Gui, I swear to kill you!"