Chapter 222

The wind of the northern lands carried the scent of grass scraps and dust, bitterly cold and piercing to the bone.

Shi Dun led his fifteen hundred elite cavalry, like a silent gray river, following the traces trampled by Khitan horse hooves, racing north.

They traveled light, carrying only essential weapons, arrows, and ten days' dry rations, discarding almost all baggage.

On each soldier's face mingled wind‑frost fatigue and repressed fury; many came from the northern borders, some from villages sacked by the Khitan, blood feud and family hatred burning in their chests.

Qian Gui's Inspection Bureau scouts moved like ghosts ahead, continually relaying the latest intelligence back.

After plundering, the two‑thousand‑strong Khitan cavalry did not flee directly; instead they lingered near the border like a show of force, their movements erratic—sometimes east, sometimes west—occasionally deliberately approaching small forts to pose provocatively.

This further confirmed Chen Wen's judgment—it was a deliberate probe; Yelü Taliè wanted to see the new dynasty's reaction, possibly using bait to lure the garrison out, hoping to crush them in open battle with cavalry superiority.

"Report—!"

A scout came flying, kicking up a trail of dust.

"Shi Houye, thirty li ahead, near the abandoned earthen city by the Black Water River, we have spotted the Khitan main force! About fifteen hundred cavalry, watering and resting by the river, with pickets posted roughly ten li out!"

Shi Dun's eyes flashed with sharp light; he licked his somewhat chapped lips.

"Finally let me catch up to them!"

He glanced at the sky; the sun was already leaning west.

"Pass the order! Slow the troops, eat and rest, inspect gear and horses.

After an hour, under cover of darkness, let me sneak up on them!"

He cracked a grin, a hint of ferocity.

"His Majesty told us to latch on like hounds; tonight we'll first tear a piece of flesh from them!"

Night fell as expected, moonless, only a few cold stars speckling the sky.

Shi Dun's cavalry held bits in their mouths, wrapped their horses' hooves, like wolves prowling in darkness, they approached the Black Water River silently.

In the distance, sporadic firelight could be seen in the Khitan camp, and faint neighing and clamor heard.

"Lord Hou, how shall we attack?"

The deputy commander lowered his voice, asking with excitement.

Shi Dun narrowed his eyes and observed for a moment.

The Khitans appeared overconfident; their camp was laid out relatively loosely, with pickets on the perimeter but spaced far apart.

"His Majesty ordered us to entangle and wear them down, awaiting his personal arrival for a thunderous strike.

Then we'll first give them a fire‑burning camp, to throw their morale into chaos!"

He said in a deep voice.

"Select three hundred of our best archers, carry fire‑oil arrows, and infiltrate to within two hundred paces.

At my signal arrow, three volleys of fire arrows, targeting their horse herd and tents!"

"The remaining forces shall split into two wings, ambush on the east and west sides; when their camp falls into chaos, we will beat drums and shout, feigning a great army encircling them to drive them northward in rout!"

He gripped the iron staff in his hand tightly.

"Remember, harassment is the main tactic; do not become entangled in prolonged combat!

"Let me see how arrogant Yelü Taliè remains after his camp is burned and his warhorses startled!"

The orders were swiftly passed down.

Three hundred handpicked archers detached from the main force like ghosts, using terrain and night cover to sneak toward the Khitan camp.

They were all veteran soldiers, movements light and swift, skillfully avoiding the scattered sentries.

Meanwhile, in Bian Liang's Huangcheng.

In the brightly lit Chongzheng Hall, Chen Wen stood before a vast map of the northern borders, listening to Qian Gui's latest report.

"Your Majesty, Shi Houye's force has reached the Black Water River area; contact with the enemy is imminent.

According to the latest intel, that Khitan force indeed mixes in about several dozen individuals whose behavior is odd and attire differs from ordinary Khitan warriors; they camp separately and rarely interact with outsiders."

Qian Gui's voice carried a hint of coldness.

"It can basically be determined that they are members of the Iron Crow Army."

Chen Wen nodded, his gaze falling on the location of the Black Water River.

"Issue the order; prepare at once, for I will personally go to the northern borders."

He must go.

Not only must he ensure the counter‑strike against the Khitan succeeds, he also wishes to meet in person these persistent Iron Crow Army.

"Your Majesty, a son of a thousand gold does not sit idle..."

Wang Pu instinctively offered counsel.

"Minister Wang."

Chen Wen interrupted him, his eyes still fixed on the map.

"This battle concerns national prestige, and more importantly, whether we can sever the black hand of the Iron Crow Army reaching into the northern borders.

If I do not personally attend, how can I ensure absolute certainty?"

He turned around.

"Affairs of Bian Liang shall be temporarily handled by you together with Zhang Cheng, Han Tong, and Zhang Yongde.

Externally we will announce that I have caught a slight chill and need a few days of rest."

"Subject... I obey the decree."

Wang Pu knew the emperor's mind was set, and said no more.

Northern borders, by the Black Water River.

Three hundred archers were already in position, the icy arrow bundles wrapped with oil‑soaked cloth, aimed at the vague Khitan camp in the distance.

Shi Dun drew a deep breath of cold air, slowly raised his hard bow, and nocked a whistling arrow.

Whoosh—bang!

A piercing, shrill whistle tore through the silent night sky, and instantly a weak burst of fire exploded in midair!

Fire arrows!

The detachment colonel let out a low angry roar!

Hum—!

The simultaneous vibration of three hundred strong bows merged into a dull thunder!

Three hundred ignited rockets, like a reverse-flying meteor shower of fire, carrying the scent of death, plunged fiercely into the Khitan camp!

Pfft—boom—!

The rockets first struck the gathered herd of warhorses!

The wounded, startled warhorses instantly went mad, neighing, leaping, and colliding with each other, instantly toppling the nearby tents!

Immediately afterward, more tents and fodder piles were set ablaze; the fire, aided by the wind, quickly spread!

Enemy attack! Enemy attack!

Put out the fire! Quickly stop those horses!

The Khitan camp instantly exploded into chaos; cries of alarm, screams, horse neighs, and the crackling of burning fire blended together, turning the once orderly camp into utter pandemonium!

Boom boom boom—! Kill—!

At the same time, the Chen army cavalry lying in ambush on the east and west sides simultaneously beat the war drums, issuing deafening shouts; in the darkness it seemed as if countless troops were converging to encircle them!

In the chaos, the Khitan cavalry could not tell how many enemies had come; under the officers' shouts, they instinctively fled northward—the only direction without battle cries—in panicked retreat, trampling each other without count!

Shi Dun watched coldly from afar as the Khitan camp fell into a sea of fire and chaos, and as those panicked figures fled northward, he spat fiercely.

Damn, you guys ran fast!

Brothers, retreat!

He kept Chen Wen's order in mind; having succeeded in one strike, he did not linger, quickly gathered his troops, and vanished into the vast night.

This meticulously planned night raid yielded brilliant results.

It burned vast amounts of Khitan tents and supplies, scattered and trampled to death hundreds of wounded warhorses; although the exact number of enemy casualties has not been tallied, it is certainly not small.

More importantly, it dealt a heavy blow to the morale of the Khitan cavalry, turning them from arrogant hunters into frightened birds.

When Yelü Taliè received the news from the rear and flew into a rage, leading the main force to arrive, all he saw was a devastated camp and unextinguished embers.

The Chen army had already vanished without a trace.

The Khitan general's face turned dark as iron; he realized that the opponent he had encountered was far tougher and more cunning than he had imagined.

And those 'guests' mixed within the army showed an unusual interest in that precise and efficient night raid.

The news of the initial victory was swiftly relayed by fast horse to Chen Wen's northbound entourage.

Shi Dun, with a splendid attack, perfectly carried out the order to 'bite and wear down,' and also paved the way for the emperor's personal arrival.

The beacon fires of the northern frontier burned even fiercer because of this new dynasty army's first unsheathing of swords.