Chapter 78: Everything I Have Was Earned Through Struggle

Wuyuan.

A great battle had ended. Hulü Jin climbed up from the ground and gazed at the fallen soldiers and warhorses scattered across the battlefield around him, overcome with a deep sense of loss.

The Liuzhen rebels had nearly gone mad. After losing Wu Chuan and Huaishuo in succession, they had lunged at Wuyuan in a desperate bid to retake their lost ground.

Had it not been for Yu Jin's clever use of troops—laying an ambush to defeat them and force a temporary retreat—Hulü Jin would likely have met his end right here.

Yu Jin, the victor, did not look much better either; there was not a trace of joy on his face.

He led a dozen or so horsemen and finally found Hulü Jin on the battlefield.

"Great King, the city is in ruins, the tribes scattered. Wuyuan can no longer be held. We should leave at once!"

The reason the Liuzhen army had gone mad was simple: they were out of food.

The fields around Woye Garrison could never supply enough to meet the needs of the Liuzhen rebels.

They wanted to raid the surrounding areas for grain, but all around them were nomadic tribes.

If they couldn't beat you in a fight, couldn't they just run?

The Liuzhen army wanted to re-enter Shuozhou. Wuyuan, which lay on the direct route, had therefore come under fierce attack.

After this battle, Hulü Jin felt his spirits greatly dampened.

"Stop calling me Great King—that was a title the rebels gave me. I am now nothing more than a commoner."

"Chief Hulü, there is no need for such talk. At this moment General Langkou is moving south. We can rendezvous with him and make other plans."

General Langkou?

Hulü Jin had heard he had defeated the Rouran, but did not know the details of his victory.

Thinking of that youth he had only met twice, a strange, unaccountable sense of closeness welled up in Hulü Jin's heart.

"Move out!"

North of Wuyuan, passing through the mountain passes of Yin Mountain, one could reach Huaishuo.

Hulü Jin and Yu Jin led their remaining men north to seek refuge, only to see, at the northern foot of Yin Mountain, an unbroken stretch of great tents.

Had he not known beforehand, Hulü Jin would have thought the Rouran Khan Yujiulü Anahui had set his Wang Ting right here.

Hulü Jin drew closer and saw, inside and outside the great tents, many familiar faces—Hu Ren who had come from Hengzhou.

A contingent of cavalry burst forth from the main camp. Hulü Jin, well-versed in the art of war, could sense that the bearing of this cavalry was quite unlike any ordinary force.

Certain things etched into the very bones of an army were not something a ragtag band could ever possess.

Things like dignity, honor, and that proud, disciplined air.

Every member of this cavalry had their hair bound up, yet many of them were clearly not Han people.

Whether Hu or Han, they moved as one.

At that moment, Hulü Jin could almost be certain: Li Shuang had led his great army north and won a great victory.

Sealing Wolf Ju Xu, inscribing at Yanran.

Only by enduring the bitter cold and biting winds of Saibei, and by doing battle with the mighty overlords of the steppe, could one forge a cavalry that was strong and invincible.

This cavalry had not yet reached that level, but already possessed seven parts of its spirit.

Li Shuang was among this force. He spotted Hulü Jin and called out loudly.

"Hulü Jin, fall in!"

On this day, sunlight bathed the earth. Li Shuang, clad in a Hu fur coat, rode a fine steed, galloping across the steppe, surrounded by fine young men who would gladly die for him—his spirit soaring high. Hulü Jin, meanwhile, had just come through a great battle, suffered heavy losses, and fled north in disarray.

The youth's shout seemed to carry a magic of its own, drawing Hulü Jin onward.

He tightened his reins. Deep within, a premonition stirred: if he followed this time, he likely would never be able to stop for the rest of his life.

Hulü Jin did not hesitate for a moment. Though his mount was gaunt, its strength remained. He shot forward at full gallop and rejoined the main force.

In the distance, the river shimmered. The cold wind blew past, yet it could not suppress the hot blood and fighting spirit awakened in Hulü Jin's heart.

Perhaps it was simply that following behind this youth felt too good.

"General, where are we headed?"

"The sky is falling in!"

"Have the Rouran come?"

"Worse than that!"

Worse than that?

Hulü Jin truly could not imagine what could be worse. The Liuzhen army couldn't possibly have gotten here so quickly!

Li Shuang said:

"I've been robbed!"

"..."

Inside the great tent, looking at the several Tiele tribal chiefs who had been dragged back, Li Shuang—surprisingly—did not immediately resort to harsh measures, but began to reason with them instead.

"Do you know that robbery is wrong?"

The Tiele chiefs all shook their heads.

"We don't!"

"Then there's still hope for you!"

Li Shuang clapped his hands and ordered the ropes on these Tiele chiefs to be untied.

"I heard you are all chiefs of Tiele tribes from around Wu Chuan. How is it you've come from the north?"

"We heard the Rouran Khan had been defeated by you, so we wanted to head north and grab some spoils. But the Rouran Khan ran too fast—we didn't get a thing. Then we saw your Rouran slaves herding some ten or twenty thousand head of cattle and sheep out grazing, so we figured we'd pull off one job to make up for our losses."

Li Shuang said with a kindly expression:

"That's where you're in the wrong. Although I do have some cattle, sheep, and Rouran slaves under me now, all of these were obtained through my own hard work and sweat. Do you understand?"

The group nodded.

"That's good that you understand!"

At this moment, over a dozen armored soldiers poured into the great tent.

"They understand. Tie them to the flagpole and hang them there for two days."

The crowd panicked.

"We don't understand, we don't understand!"

"Don't understand? Hang them for five days!"

"General, spare our lives!"

Seeing the Tiele chieftains drop to their knees and beg for mercy, Li Shuang waved his hand.

"How about this — I'll point you to a bright path."

"Please, General, enlighten us."

"Go join Han Baling!"

The Tiele chieftains asked in confusion:

"General, whose side are you actually on?"

"I heard Han Baling won't be jumping around for much longer."

"..."

"That's where you don't understand!" Li Shuang stood up and said slowly, "Precisely because he won't be jumping around for much longer, you can't let slip such a good opportunity!"

"What does the General mean?"

"If he won't be jumping around for much longer, he'll surrender. Once he surrenders, you'll be imperial troops. When the time comes, will the court really ignore you?"

The men glanced at one another, all finding it hard to believe, but then heard Li Shuang say:

"Don't understand?"

"We understand, we understand!"

"Then off you go!"

After waiting for the crowd to leave, Yu Jin, who had been silent all along, stepped forward.

"General, just how much loot did you actually rob… I mean, capture this time?"

"Why do you ask?"

"So when we report to the court later, your subordinate will have a rough idea in mind!"

"Why report it?"

Yu Jin was stunned.

"Resisting the Rouran invasion is the duty of every subject of Great Wei. Make a few accomplishments and you have to report them to the court — is that good? That's not good!"

Yu Jin understood: Li Shuang must have robbed Anaqiu down to his last loincloth.

"But with so much stuff, heading south, it'll be hard to keep it out of sight, won't it?"

Li Shuang let out a sly chuckle.

"That's why I had Hou Jing go to Wu Chuan first."

"To do what?"

Wu Chuan.

"Don't rush, don't rush — everyone gets one!"

Hou Jing stood on the main street of Wu Chuan, bellowing at the top of his lungs.

"Households with young children can claim one sheep, those with elders can claim two. And if you're willing to join General Dangkou's ranks, you can also claim a young Rouran maidservant or two Rouran slaves!"

Under the sunlight, on the main street, every citizen of Wu Chuan felt warmth and happiness.

"..."