Chapter 258

Deep in Jiang Jinshi's heart, he was still more inclined to believe that Luo Feng had discovered clues about the Xiongnu Royal Court, which was why he hadn't returned as agreed.

But no matter which result it was, he had to limit the Xiongnu's actions; it would be best to capture Adunla alive—that was the proper course of action.

Inside the Xiongnu camp, Adunla looked at the map with a puzzled face, with the leaders of various tribes beside him.

"What exactly does this Ming Army want to do? Biting so tightly, yet delaying any action!"

A tribal leader hesitated: "We have been on high alert for two days, and they have no intention of making a move. Why don't we retreat temporarily and see what they have in mind!"

"Retreat?" A flash of ruthlessness passed through Adunla's eyes, "When have the sons of my grasslands ever been afraid of this group of two-legged sheep?"

No one refuted this, as they all believed that the reason they had suffered a defeat last time was entirely because the other side occupied a geographical advantage.

Which made their cavalry unable to charge, so they couldn't exert the Xiongnu's true strength.

Once this group of 'two-legged sheep' dared to leave the city, they would let the Ming Army know who was in charge on this grassland!

Just then, the cavalry came to report, "Report! Traces of the enemy army were discovered in the rear; the Chanyu orders the main army to pull up camp and must leave the other side behind!"

Adunla's eyes shone upon hearing this, and his confusion was finally answered.

He had said why the Ming Army was so abnormal; it turned out it was to watch their movements closely!

"Report to the Chanyu, we will pull up camp and fight back!"

Although Adunla didn't understand the style of the Ming Army commander, this matter was favorable to the Xiongnu no matter how you looked at it.

They were going to carry out a pincer attack on the enemy army in the rear; if the Ming Army didn't leave the city to stop them, then this army would definitely die.

But if the Ming Army left the city to fight him, that would be exactly what he wanted—wasn't that what he was doing?

"Pass my order, the whole army will pull up camp and advance toward the Tian Shui River!"

With the order issued, the entire Xiongnu camp began to move, and Adunla didn't have the slightest intention of hiding it, letting the Ming Army's scouts see it clearly.

Adunla was very curious; facing such a situation, how would the Ming Army commander choose?

"Report! The Xiongnu main force has moved!"

"Do you know the other party's movements?"

"The Xiongnu's 50,000 cavalry are moving north!"

Jiang Jinshi stood up, his brows locked, his fingers sliding across the river at the northernmost part of the map: "This direction... they are aiming for Luo Feng."

Han Xiao knew what this meant; if Luo Feng were bitten by the other party's 50,000-strong main army, he would be reduced to bones in an instant.

Jiang Jinshi stood up slowly, his tone carrying an unquestionable determination, "Pass the order to the whole army, attack immediately."

"General!" Han Xiao said urgently, "Our army only has 40,000, and we are mainly infantry; fighting a field battle against Xiongnu cavalry on the grasslands, this..."

"So what?" Jiang Jinshi turned to look at him, his calm gaze carrying determination.

"You want me to watch the Xiongnu go north to encircle and suppress Luo Feng? He dared to drill into the Xiongnu's rear with eight hundred people! Now he has been discovered, and we are watching from the outside?"

Han Xiao opened his mouth but didn't say anything in the end.

Jiang Jinshi waved his hand: "Pass the order down, bring enough arrows, and be sure to restrain the Xiongnu main army!"

Military orders are like mountains, and the Ming Army camp immediately moved.

The soldiers silently and quickly organized their equipment, checked their bowstrings, and sharpened their blades.

No one spoke, but a kind of suppressed tension permeated the air, and many of the old Zhenbei Army soldiers hadn't walked out of the shadow of the Xiongnu.

Only the Ming Army's recruits appeared eager to try, their fighting spirit very high!

"General!" Han Xiao watched the Ming Army preparing and followed Jiang Jinshi, saying in a low voice, "This battle is dangerous, should we... leave a backup?"

Jiang Jinshi didn't stop his steps, saying lightly: "Have Jiang Ze and Old Xie been notified?"

"Fast horses have already been sent!" Han Xiao's heartbeat accelerated, feeling that Jiang Jinshi's move was somewhat crazy; he not only wanted the soldiers of Lin City to move out, but even wanted to bet on the soldiers of the other two cities.

This was equivalent to the whole army attacking; once they failed, Beijiang would have no possibility of turning things around!

"Luo Feng is the knife, stabbing directly into the Xiongnu's heart! Then we are the shield, and we must block all attacks behind him." Jiang Jinshi seemed to be talking to himself, but he was actually saying it to Han Xiao.

"I said one word and he dared to break into the tiger's den alone! If I hesitate even to guard his rear, then am I still worthy of being his eldest brother?"

Han Xiao's expression was complex, looking at Jiang Jinshi and unable to say any words of dissuasion, only a trace of envy in the bottom of his eyes.

Jiang Jinshi turned to look at Han Xiao and suddenly smiled: "If the person who went to the rear were you, I would be the same!"

At dusk, the Ming Army had already finished lining up, and Jiang Jinshi looked at the time and left the city.

The 40,000-strong army spread out on the grasslands, and the Ming flag fluttered in the wind.

"Beat the drums! The Xiongnu will come!" Jiang Jinshi took the lead, with Han Xiao and Huang Yan beside him.

"Dong! Dong! Dong!"

The impassioned war drums were beaten, constantly spreading across this grassland.

Adunla laughed up at the sky upon hearing this: "This group of two-legged sheep really dares to come out; our opportunity has come, charge!"

As for that Ming Army in the rear, it was completely out of Adunla's consideration; as long as he defeated the other side's main army, what could that team accomplish?

In just half a quarter of an hour, in front of the Ming Army, the Xiongnu cavalry pressed over like a black tide, shaking the earth slightly.

Jiang Jinshi stood in front of the formation, narrowing his eyes at the increasingly close Xiongnu main army, his expression without panic.

"Form up!"

The order was passed layer by layer, and the Ming Army quickly changed formation.

Shield bearers in front, spear soldiers next, archers and crossbowmen in the rear, with cavalry guarding both wings.

The entire military formation was like a giant hedgehog, quietly waiting for the enemy's impact.

The Xiongnu cavalry stopped at a distance of one arrow's range, and Adunla, who was in the lead, slowly came out.

Even from such a distance, one could clearly see the empty sleeve at his right arm fluttering in the wind.

"What, does your Xiongnu have no one left? Sending a cripple to be the commander?" Jiang Jinshi laughed loudly.

Adunla's face turned iron-blue, and he roared: "Today, I will use your skull as a wine bowl!"

Jiang Jinshi was disdainful, "A defeated general still dares to speak wild words? Today I will cut off your four limbs!"

"That's not right! He already lost his right arm, where would the four limbs come from?" Huang Yan muttered in a low voice.

Jiang Jinshi's words completely enraged Adunla, and he roared, the Xiongnu cavalry surging over like a tide.

"Archers, prepare!" Jiang Jinshi ordered.

The front row of shield bearers crouched slightly, revealing the three rows of archers behind them.

"Shoot!"

With an order, a thousand arrows were shot at once, and the Xiongnu cavalry in the front fell, but the cavalry behind stepped on their companions' corpses without hesitation and continued to charge.

"Second row, shoot!"

"Third row, shoot!"

After three rounds of arrow rain, the Xiongnu cavalry had charged to within fifty paces of the formation.

"Spears, hold!"

The front row of shield bearers stood up their large shields, and the spear soldiers behind placed their ten-foot-long iron spears in the gaps between the shields.