Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 537 The Han Army's Expedition Beyond the Great Wall
"Screw rustle..."

"Ha ha ha ha……"

In the dense forest where the snow was melting, a black figure wrapped in animal skin was running quickly, panting heavily.

With each breath he took, a cloud of white mist emerged, which quickly condensed and dissipated in the cold air.

The shouts and running sounds behind him grew closer and closer. It was a language he couldn't understand, but the murderous intent contained within them needed no translation.

Feeling that he had reached the position where he could blow the whistle, his right hand unconsciously reached for the bone whistle at his waist.

But just as his fingers touched the bone whistle, a sharp whistling sound came from the right.

"Whoosh-"

He felt something suddenly wrap around his legs, his mind went blank for a moment, and he lost his balance and fell forward.

In the instant he fell, he saw that it was a rope with stones at both ends, and his body rolled uncontrollably down the mountain the moment he crashed down.

The world blurred as it spun around him, and the sharp pain in his back made him groan involuntarily, but he didn't stop rolling around.

He rolled around countless times until the intense pain nearly made him faint, and only then did he realize that he had finally stopped.

"Ugh..." He curled up in pain, his vision blurring as he struggled to get up, but he could hear the crunching of the snow underfoot and the crisp sound of metal armor plates colliding.

As he struggled to lift his head, a cold iron pipe was already pressed against his forehead.

Behind the iron pipe was a young and cold-faced Han Chinese man, wrapped in a red cotton-padded coat and iron lamellar armor, who looked much warmer than I was wearing in my animal skin clothes.

He recognized the weapon; it was a weapon used by Han Chinese that could shoot iron pellets and thick smoke, and could reach dozens of paces away. It seemed to be called a firearm.

"Don't move, barbarian."

The Han soldier holding the gun spoke in broken Xi language. As the gun barrel remained motionless, more than ten Han soldiers carrying swords and bows slid down the hillside from all around.

Two Han soldiers quickly stepped forward and tied his hands behind his back with cowhide ropes. The feeling of the ropes digging into his flesh made him grit his teeth, but he dared not resist.

"go!"

A Han soldier shoved him from behind, and he could only stagger as he was led down the hillside.

Through the sparse woods, he saw the endless Han army in the Yanshan Valley, marching deeper into the Yanshan Mountains. Their numbers were too great for him to count.

In the marching procession, the red banners with the words "Great Han" in black fluttered in the cold wind of the valley.

Cavalry, infantry, and supply wagons advanced in neat formations into the depths of the mountains.

Even more terrifying, the mountain ridges on both sides of the valley were almost filled with the figures of countless Han soldiers.

They were like an invisible net, covering the entire Yanshan Pass, leaving no escape for any of the hunting troops released by Chuhebu.

Under the escort of Han soldiers, he was quickly taken to an open space beside the valley road, where dozens of captured Xi hunters had already gathered.

They were all dejected, covered in wounds, and the bloodstains were particularly glaring, making one subconsciously want to behave to avoid trouble.

The open space was surrounded by fully armed Han soldiers, their matchlock muskets emitting wisps of smoke, ready to be lit and fired at any moment.

The Han soldiers, wielding long-handled swords and spears, stared intently at them, as if ready to slash or stab them to death at any moment.

He was forced to kneel among the prisoners, his head bowed in a disheveled state, but he could see the Han army's supply wagons slowly passing by.

The Han soldiers, fully armed, sat on oxcarts, with laborers carrying baskets on their backs, which contained grain or oilcloths for shelter from the rain.

The Han soldiers looked at them with great interest, while the laborers cast curious glances their way.

"Kneel down, all of you!"

The harsh and incomprehensible Xi language rang out, and all the prisoners wished they could bury their heads in their chests.

At the same time, a troop of cavalry was slowly approaching from not far away. The general in the lead rode a tall black horse, wearing fine gleaming armor, with the red tassel on his helmet fluttering in the wind, and his eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

"Prince An!"

"Um……"

The general led his cavalry to a halt in front of the prisoners, and the title "Prince An" signified his status: An Pohu, Right Grand Commander of the Northern Army, Commander of Hedong, Grand Protector, and Prince of Shuofang.

An Pohu's gaze swept across the prisoners, and seeing that all of them had their heads down, he spoke without turning his head: "Tan Kai!"

"They're yours now. Get them to talk."

"Your subordinate obeys!" The strong Tan Kai rode forward, while An Pohu turned his horse around and continued forward under the protection of the cavalry.

As the sound of hooves faded into the distance, the Xi tribe prisoners slowly raised their heads, while Tan Kai smiled slightly and kept scanning them with his eyes.

His gaze sent a chill down the spines of the prisoners; it wasn't looking at people, but at livestock to be slaughtered.

As they trembled with fear, Tan Kai dismounted and slowly walked up to them.

"I know that you Xi people are divided into five major tribes. I will only ask once: where are the headquarters of the five major tribes?"

Tan Kai's voice was surprisingly gentle, yet chilling. Even though they couldn't understand each other's language, they could still feel the murderous intent conveyed through his tone.

A military officer stepped out from behind him and immediately translated his words to the Xi people, but the Xi people remained silent after hearing them.

In the customs of the Xi and Khitan tribes, the consequences of betraying the tribe are worse than death, and the tribespeople will hunt down traitors to the ends of the earth.

"Phew..." Tan Kai let out a disappointed sigh, as if he had expected such a reaction. Then he casually pointed to the young Xi man on the far side: "You, come out."

Before the military officer could translate, two Han soldiers immediately dragged the Xi man in front of Tan Kai.

The Xi man struggled and kept cursing Tan Kai loudly in Xi language, but Tan Kai remained unmoved and simply waved his hand.

The scene that followed caused the other Xi prisoners to shrink in shock. The Han soldiers took the man into custody, and then the officers behind Tan Kai covered the man's face with a coarse cloth and slowly poured water from their water bags onto the cloth.

As the coarse cloth became soaked, the man began to struggle, causing the other prisoners to stir, but they were immediately suppressed by the surrounding Han soldiers.

Under their gaze, Tan Kai stepped forward, lifted the coarse cloth, and said indifferently, "I will ask you one more time, where is your tribe?"

The prisoner was still coughing, but before he could answer, the Han soldiers continued to restrain him and covered his face with a coarse cloth.

In addition, all the Han soldiers who were controlling the prisoners also took action, which caused the younger Xi people among the prisoners to collapse instantly.

Before the coarse cloth could be covered his face, he cried out the name of a certain valley.

Tan Kai seemed quite satisfied. He then glanced at the other prisoners and said, "Look, these are the smart ones."

"Give him a cotton-padded coat, give him wine and meat, and from today onwards he will be under the protection of our army. After the war ends, the commander will grant him 100 acres of fertile land and three oxen."

Tan Kai's instructions were quickly translated by the military officer and given to the young Xi prisoner. Without even changing his clothes, he immediately knelt down and kowtowed to Tan Kai.

One hundred acres of cultivated land and three oxen—such property was a privilege that only the chieftain could enjoy in small and medium-sized tribes.

With the protection and promise of the Great Han, he could easily support a dozen or so people and live the life of a minor chieftain with these rewards.

Upon seeing that he was living such a life, many prisoners were eager to speak up, and their words were all recorded by the military officers.

Betrayed by the Xi tribe captives, the valleys inhabited by the various Xi tribes gradually became clear, while the banners of the Han army fluttered in the wind, and the army began to divide its forces to attack the various Xi tribes.

War broke out in the Yanshan Mountains, and the five major tribes of the Xi tribe immediately convened a regular meeting after learning that many small tribes on the front lines had been attacked.

In a valley in the northern part of the Yanshan Mountains, just over two hundred miles from the front line, five men dressed in silk and wearing large fur coats sat in a large tent decorated with silk, each with a solemn expression.

At this time, the Xi tribe had already formed a loose alliance led by five major tribes, with the Ahui tribe being the strongest, and its leader being the hereditary leader of the Xi tribe alliance.

Below the Ahui tribe, ranked by strength, there are four tribes: Chuhe tribe, Aoshi tribe, Duji tribe, and Yuansizhe tribe.

Sitting in the tent now are the leaders of the five tribes, and the one sitting in the main seat is Shi Sechuo, the leader of the Ahui tribe and the leader of the Xi tribe alliance.

"The Han army is advancing northwards and is only about 200 li away from here. It will take them at most five days to reach us."

"The Han army is too powerful. We have not gained any advantage in our southward expeditions over the years. This time, their army entering Yanshan has as many as 60,000 to 70,000 men. We are no match for them at all."

"I plan to lead the entire tribe to Mount Muye and head north to seek refuge with Yaolian Qinde of the Khitan."

Shi Sechu looked at everyone and hesitated before speaking his thoughts, but these thoughts were quickly opposed by Qu Zhu, the leader of the Yuan Si Zhe tribe.

“I disagree. The Khitans have treated us like hunting dogs. They have been commanding us to invade the south all these years, but we have suffered repeated defeats and missed the best time to mend relations with the Han.”

"If we go north to join those wolf cubs of the Khitan, the Han army will definitely march north again. Can Yaolian Qinde protect us? In the end, won't we be forced to fight the Han army with our own blood?"

“Instead of heading north, I suggest we head south and surrender to the Han army. At worst, we can move our entire tribe into Han territory. We can at least obtain official positions, preserve our wealth and status, and our clansmen will not lose their lives.”

Qu Zhu's words tempted the leaders of the Aoshi and Duji tribes beside him, but Shi Sechu coldly snorted:

"The Khitans and we share the same ancestry, so it won't be too difficult for us to integrate into their society."

"If the Han army wants to move north, we can simply escape to the north of Checheer Mountain and see how they catch up with us!"

Checheer Mountain is located more than a thousand miles northeast of here, in the northwest of Liaoze. Although it can support two or three hundred thousand people, they need to be more dispersed and also need to guard against attacks from the Shiwei people.

However, there were also many Shiwei people. They would not attack the powerful Five Great Tribes, but rather the small and medium-sized tribes under the Five Great Tribes.

In Shi Sechuo's view, the life and death of these small and medium-sized tribes were none of his business; it was enough for him to keep his current power.

Thinking of this, he looked at the other three leaders, but the leaders of the Aoshi and Duji tribes avoided his gaze, only the leaders of the Chu and Tules of the Chu tribe looked at him.

"I am willing to lead my entire army north to Checheer Mountain!"

"it is good!"

Tules' words invigorated Shi Sechuo, who applauded and then looked at Qu Zhu and the leaders of the other two tribes.

"what about you?"

“We must stay. The current Han emperor is a very magnanimous emperor. As long as he agrees to our surrender and submission, he will do what he promised.”

Qu Zhu made a strong statement, and the leaders of the Aoshi and Duji tribes nodded in agreement, clearly indicating that they were unwilling to go north to such a distant place as Checheer Mountain.

Moreover, the five major tribes of the Xi tribe now number only a little over 100,000 people, and their three tribes have only 70,000 to 80,000 people, with no more than 10,000 warriors.

If this small population and military force were to move north, the Shiwei would probably be divided up by the Khitan wolves before they even made it south.

"Hmph! Then you can leave!"

Shi Sechu snorted and chased them away. The three of them also got up and walked outside.

Tules watched them leave, then couldn't help but look at Shisechuo: "Why didn't you leave them behind?"

"What's the use of keeping them here? Since they decided to go south to seek refuge, it means they had already made arrangements before they came."

“If we kill them, their people will immediately march south.”

"Instead of doing that, it would be better to let them go south to slow down the Han army's advance. We should head north now to Muye Mountain and inform Yaolian Qinde and Dilian of the news of the Han army's northern expedition."

"Alright!" Upon hearing Shi Sechuo's words, the Tules of the Chuhe tribe nodded quickly, then got up and left the valley.

The split of the Xi tribe alliance caught the small and medium-sized tribes on the front lines completely off guard.

Shi Sechu and Tules began to lead the tribes willing to go north to Muye Mountain, while Qu Zhu sent envoys to surrender to the Han army.

The Han army advanced faster than they had expected; they had originally thought it was only a distance of over two hundred li.

However, as the envoys continued southward, the Han army advanced more than thirty li further than they had anticipated.

The messenger heading south soon encountered the Han army's garrison troops and was led by them to a valley in the rear to wait.

This valley was originally the territory of a medium-sized tribe in the Xi tribe alliance, but now all the Xi people have disappeared. There is a small amount of blood left on the ground. Nearly a thousand Han soldiers are stationed here, and the surrounding mountain ridges are filled with Han soldiers.

The Han soldiers looked at him with the same gaze a hunter would give to his prey.

Under such pressure, he was finally led south by the Han army and stopped in a river valley village left behind by the Xi tribe.

He was led to a wooden house, and finally, at the soldiers' signal, he entered the house and saw An Pohu, Tan Kai, and other generals sitting in the main seat.

"Greetings, Prince An..."

The messenger bowed and then informed Anpohu of his decision to send them away.

Anpohu nodded slightly upon hearing this, and asked without being moved, "Where are Shisechuo and Tules?"

"They went north to seek refuge with the Khitan's Yaolian Qinde and Dilian, while we chose to go south to submit to the Han Dynasty."

The envoy told the truth, and Anpohu shook his head and said, "Shisechuo really asked for his own death."

Upon hearing this, Tan Kai laughed heartily and said, "Cao Kuai should have already led his cavalry north to cut off the Khitan's retreat. All we need to do is steadily advance northward."

“Hmm…” Anpohu nodded in agreement, and at the same time looked at the envoy and said, “Tell Quzhu to take all his people south to Youzhou. The court will settle you in the south of Youzhou and give you food and tools for land reclamation. There are large areas of easily cultivable land in Hebei for you to cultivate.”

"Also, have him compile a list of those who have rendered meritorious service by surrendering during this southward campaign. His Majesty will bestow official positions and riches upon you after the war!"

Anpohu immediately calmed the envoy down. Upon hearing this, the envoy quickly followed the Han people's example and bowed. Then, at Anpohu's signal, he left the village.

After he left, Anpohu instructed Tan Kai beside him, "With these three major tribes taking the lead, those smaller tribes will also begin to move south."

"After this group of people was dispersed, they were moved to various places in Hebei. In addition, criminals who had committed crimes in the past three years and their relatives were moved north."

"Although the area north of the Yanshan Mountains is mountainous and densely forested, there are many wide river valleys, and at least several million acres of land can be irrigated and cultivated by the river."

"If all these valleys could be cultivated, it would be enough to feed at least 500,000 to 600,000 people and provide provisions for an army of 20,000."

An Pohu's words made Tan Kai and others nod in agreement. Nowadays, the active junior and middle-ranking officers in the army are basically Kansai generals who have received ten years of education.

They not only possessed sufficient military capabilities, but also had considerable insight into military-civilian land reclamation and logistical support.

After the imperial court conquered Yanbei, it planned to establish the Daning Three Offices and station troops there to protect Hebei and Liaodong.

Winning battles and advancing far is useless; we also need to consider how the Han Dynasty can occupy this territory.

Thinking of this, Anpohu said, "I originally thought that only after defeating the five major tribes could I force the Xi tribe to surrender."

"I didn't expect them to surrender so early."

"Now that the Liaoze River has melted, if our army marches north, it may cause the Khitan to flee north, making it impossible to severely damage the Khitan. In the future, we will have to endure Khitan harassment."

"Order the three armies not to rush into an attack. Order each unit to send troops to garrison the river valleys left behind by the Xi tribe, lead the laborers to cultivate these lands, and use gunpowder to widen and repair the mountain roads into official roads!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" Tan Kai and the others responded one after another. They then dispatched fast horses to deliver the military order that the plan had changed to the military commanders in Hebei, Liaodong and other places, and sent it to Luoyang as soon as possible.

When Husiguang, Zhang Yanhui, and others received the military order, they had not yet mobilized their troops. According to the plan formulated by Liu Jilong, An Pohu was to take the western foothills of Yanshan Mountain first, cutting off the possibility of the Xi tribe and the Khitan fleeing to the northern desert.

Then Anpohu and Husiguang joined forces to expel the Xi tribe from the Yanshan Mountains. When the war dragged on until winter, Zhang Yanhui sent troops across the Liaoze River to cooperate with Anpohu in cutting off the Khitan's retreat.

However, of the five major tribes of the Xi tribe, three have surrendered, while the other two have joined the Khitan. This leaves only a few small tribes in the vast southern part of the Yanshan Mountains. And it is only February, far from winter.

If this drags on, causing the Khitans to flee north, then it will be a losing proposition.

"Looks like I can't wait any longer..."

Inside the Zhenguan Hall in Luoyang, Liu Jilong looked at the memorial sent by An Pohu. Even though he knew that plans could not keep up with changes, there were too many variables if he continued to carry out the plan in secret.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong instructed Jing Xiang: "Issue the order that if the Khitans remain silent, then stick to the original plan and do not change it."

"If they flee north, I will order An Pohu and Husi Guang to lead troops in pursuit."

"During the pursuit and suppression, we must carefully examine the supply routes and strictly guard against the enemy cavalry cutting off our supplies in order to secure our foundation."

Upon hearing this, Jing Xiang bowed and said to Liu Jilong, "Your Majesty, if we launch an attack now, we may only be able to fight until the end of April."

Liu Jilong understood his meaning, because early May marked the start of the rainy season in Yanbei, a time when warfare was impossible. Therefore, the Han army had limited time to maneuver. "Two months it is! Two months is enough! We must severely damage and drive the Khitans away in two months!"

In response to Jing Xiang's words, Liu Jilong gave a solemn order, and Jing Xiang, after receiving the order, dispatched a fast horse to deliver the order to the front line while An Pohu and Husi Guang were gathering supplies.

Husi Guang, who was leading 30,000 elite cavalry and infantry in Liucheng awaiting imperial orders, immediately inquired of Ma Yi and others after receiving the order: "What are the Khitan's movements?"

"There has been no movement so far," Ma Yi reported with a bow, and Husi Guang nodded slightly.

"If the Khitans do not make any moves, then follow the imperial decree and wait for winter to arrive before advancing with three armies."

"If the Khitans really intend to flee north, then order each soldier in the army to carry enough food and beans for half a month, and prepare to launch a surprise attack on Muye Mountain!"

"Yes!!" Li Keju, Huslu, Husjin, Ma Yi and others bowed and agreed. Liucheng also sent out cavalry to investigate the Khitan's movements.

The Han army dispatched cavalry more and more frequently, which naturally did not escape the notice of the Khitan's own cavalry.

Faced with the constant probing by the Han army, coupled with the collapse of the Xi tribe, which served as a bulwark in the south, the Khitan inevitably held another regular meeting.

This time, however, the expressions of all the tribal leaders were very solemn. Even the previously relaxed enemy leader couldn't help but frown.

"After accepting the surrender of the Xi tribes who fled south, the Han army did not go north again. They are now more than two hundred miles away from Muye Mountain."

"Although two hundred li may seem like a long distance, it is only a journey that can be completed in three to five days."

"Many troops have already been deployed to the south, but if the Han army really moves its troops, should we fight them in Songmo or retreat to Checheer Mountain?"

Inside the Khan's tent, Yaolian Qinde questioned all the chieftains, including Shisechuo and Tules of the Xi tribe who had fled north.

Di Lian looked at Shi Sechuo and Tules: "You have fought against the Han army. Have your men told you how the Han army defeated them?"

Faced with the enemy's questioning, the other Khitan tribal leaders also looked at Shi Sechuo and Tules, while Shi Sechuo, with a stern face, said:
"The Han army's weapons are powerful, and this time they have mobilized 60,000 to 70,000 troops to attack us. The stone fortresses and camps we built cannot withstand their artillery fire at all."

"If I hadn't made quick decisions, I probably wouldn't have been able to bring so many people to join the Khan."

Shi Sechu's words shook the leaders of the eight Khitan tribes, while Di Nian said with a grim face, "This cannon can actually be moved down from the city wall..."

Previously, when they attacked the Han army, the Han army usually used artillery from stone fortresses and passes to bombard them until they could no longer withstand the casualties and retreated.

For this reason, the enemy believed that the Han army's artillery was the kind of weapon that was not easy to use in military operations, such as the gate-blocking chariot, the wolf-tooth sling, and the heavy catapult.

In retrospect, it wasn't that artillery was inconvenient for marching and fighting; it was simply that the Han army had never been prepared for open warfare with the Khitan.

Now that the Han army is fully prepared and their weapons can easily penetrate their armor and charge, they will have to reconsider whether they should fight the Han army.

"The rainy season is in two months. If we start to retreat now, we can reach Checheer Mountain to rest before the rainy season arrives."

After receiving intelligence about the Han army, the enemy chariot decisively chose to head north to avoid the Han army's advance.

He did not believe that the Han army would stay in Songmo for long. After all, when the Tang Dynasty was at its peak, it had only built some stone fortresses and sent a small number of soldiers.

The Han Dynasty has just ended its war and, although it has had a long period of recuperation, it is not necessary for them to come to Songmo to entangle themselves with them.

They will retreat to Checheer Mountain first, and then continue south after the main force of the Han army has withdrawn.

"I'm willing to go to Checheer Mountain!"

"I would also like to..."

For a time, many people spoke up in agreement to retreat to Checheer Mountain. Yaolian Qinde naturally knew that the best way now was to retreat to Checheer Mountain, but seeing that the enemy had won so much support, he was still somewhat unhappy.

But then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he nodded and said, "In that case, each group should return to their respective tribes and prepare to retreat to Checheer Mountain."

"Good!" Di Nian nodded slightly, his eyes filled with contempt, which made Yao Nian Qin De even angrier.

"Since we've already agreed, let's head to Checheer Mountain as soon as possible."

Di Nian rose and gave instructions to everyone before leaving the Khan's tent. The other chieftains followed suit and left the tent after he departed.

Among the many chieftains, only Tules and Shisechuo, who had just joined the Khitan, bowed and took their leave from Yaolianqinde, which made Yaolianqinde's face particularly unpleasant.

After they all left, the five commanders of the Yaolian tribe entered the tent. Yaolian Qinde then instructed, "Three days later, the entire tribe will move to Checheer Mountain. Huaide, you stay here."

Yaolian Qinde left his brothers behind, while the other four Xiangwen received orders and left the Khan's tent.

Seeing that Huaide stayed behind, Yaolian Qinde gestured for him to come forward, his expression suddenly turning fierce: "Send someone to find a way to inform the Han army of our northward retreat and expose the enemy's retreat route."

“This…” Yao Nian Huaide didn’t expect his older brother to say, “Brother, if the enemy tribes suffer heavy losses, how will we deal with the southward advance of the Shiwei and the northward advance of the Han army?”

"Hmph!" Yaolian Qinde snorted coldly upon hearing this, grabbed his collar and said, "As long as Dilian is not dead, we will always be suppressed by him, and the position of Khan will one day fall into the hands of the Diela tribe."

"Now, by using the Han people to severely damage them, the Yaolian clan can continue to hold the position of Khan."

Upon hearing this, Yaolian Huaide's expression showed only slight hesitation, but he ultimately decided to prioritize his own tribe and calmly nodded: "I understand!"

"Go and do it!" Yaolian Qinde released his hand and watched his younger brother leave the tent.

After he left, Yaolian Qinde turned his gaze to the seat where Dilian usually sat and sneered, "Dilian, let's see how you die..."

"Drive! Drive! Drive..."

Shortly after the regular meeting at Konoha Mountain concluded, the leaders of each faction returned to their headquarters and retreated towards Tetsuya Mountain along the usual route.

During this period, the various tribes increased the number of cavalry in the south and east, and Yaolian Huaide also sent people disguised as cavalry from the Diela tribe, who deliberately allowed themselves to be pursued by the Han army and surrender to them.

He was taken to Liucheng by the Han army's cavalry, and Husi Guang learned through him that the Khitan tribe had migrated north and also learned the route of the Diela tribe's northward migration.

"Take him down there and let more people ride around the pond to confirm whether these reports are true."

Inside the Liucheng government office, Husiguang ordered his men to take the surrendered soldiers of the "Diela tribe" away. After they left, he frowned and said:
"It's not surprising that the Khitan have surrendered soldiers, but it's unusual that surrendered soldiers are heading south as soon as the Khitan have begun their retreat."

Li Keju nodded in agreement: "My family has fought against the Khitan and Xi tribes for generations. These Khitan and Xi barbarians are afraid of being killed if they betray us. They only surrender when the army is in a rout. Otherwise, they rarely surrender before the battle even begins."

Upon hearing this, Huskin looked at his father and couldn't help but ask, "Should we inform the Prince of Shuofang of this news and whether we should send troops?"

Husi Guang rose and paced back and forth, pondering for a moment before addressing his generals:

"First, send out cavalry to see if the Khitans intend to retreat along this route. If they do, we will launch a surprise attack."

"Even if this is an ambush, as long as our troops don't lose their formation, we can hold out until Governor An comes to our aid!"

After he finished speaking, he looked at Ma Yi and said, "You should lead five thousand cavalry and infantry to escort fifty light cannons to the upper reaches of the Raole River. I will lead the cavalry and cavalry and infantry to set off in three days. We will catch up with you as early as the fifth day."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Ma Yi bowed respectfully, then accepted the fish tally and led his troops to pull the cannons on a trip on the Raole River.

Two days later, as the cavalry at the front began to report back, it was confirmed that the Diela tribe had retreated along the Raole River to Checheer Mountain.

Upon learning of the situation, Husi Guang did not delay any longer and quickly dispatched a fast horse to inform Anpohu of the Khitan's northward retreat. At the same time, he mustered the elite cavalry and infantry stationed in Liucheng and rushed to the upper reaches of Raole River to set up an ambush.

Upon learning the news, An Pohu, who was scouting the Khitan's movements in the Yanshan Mountains, immediately led his troops to pursue the various Khitan tribes.

Under these circumstances, the various Khitan tribes withdrew their troops along the annual route of grazing their livestock in the north, while the Diela tribe chose to move north along the Raole River.

The journey from the Diela tribe's encampment to crossing the Liao River was a full three hundred li. However, migrating north was not the same as marching, so the Diela tribe's retreat was not fast, only about thirty li per day.

"At the current pace, it will take at least seven more days to cross the Liao River, and then another ten days to reach Checheer Mountain."

"However, the bastards from Shiwei in the north have also been starving all winter, and they might come south to fight us. We need to be careful."

In late February, Di Nian, on horseback, told Yelü Abaoji about the things to be careful about when the tribe migrated north, and about the precautions to take against the Shiwei tribe after the migration.

At this time, they were resting on the west bank of the Raole River. More than 20,000 men from the tribe, riding on horseback, served as the guards. More than 3,000 of them wore iron lamellar armor and carried spears and bows and arrows, looking around warily.

Despite their rudimentary equipment, this was already the strongest army among the eight tribes of the Khitan.

If the Diela tribe hadn't mastered iron smelting technology, they probably wouldn't have been able to muster so many armored cavalry.

"Aru, I feel like something's not right."

Yelü Abaoji surveyed the boundless grassland, where the wild grass was just beginning to sprout, and the surroundings were desolate.

More than 60,000 herders from the Diela tribe are driving hundreds of thousands of cattle and sheep northward. Wherever these cattle and sheep pass, the newly sprouted wild grass is completely eaten up, making the grassland even more desolate.

“This isn’t your first time migrating with the tribe. You’re probably too stressed. Relax.”

The enemy leader did not pay attention to Yelü Abaoji's words. After all, the tribe was in a state of panic, and many people felt that something big was about to happen.

The Khitans had not been forced to migrate north by the Han people for nearly a century, so it is not surprising that their people were in such a panic.

As the tribe's leader, Dilian needed to remain calm at all times in order to lead his people north to Checheer Mountain and occupy a good pasture.

"Didn't the Han army know that we were migrating north, given that they released so many cavalrymen?"

Yelü Abaoji inquired about his own Aru, while Dilian laughed:
"Therefore, I did not allow my people to dismantle the camp, and instead sent additional cavalry to Yingzhou to confuse the Han army's cavalry."

"Don't worry, everything will be fine..."

Under the reassurance of the enemy, Yelü Abaoji could only suppress his unease and continue his journey north along the Raole River with his people.

Over the next two days, nothing changed along the way, and Yelü Abaoji gradually relaxed.

His performance pleased the enemy greatly, after all, Yelü Abaoji was only twelve years old at the time.

I was probably not as good as him when I was twelve years old. He will definitely lead the Diela tribe to become powerful in the future.

While he was thinking this, tens of thousands of people from the Diela tribe were also heading north.

As time went by, they marched from dawn to noon, rested for a while, and then continued their northward march.

The tribespeople have adapted to life on the northward migration route, and there is much laughter and conversation in the group.

Their laughter and chatter didn't last long. When the piercing sound of an arrow rang out from afar, the laughter of the entire tribe came to an abrupt halt.

"Beep--"

"Let's line up the cars in a circle, with the elderly and children inside, and the men on horseback. Let's get ready to head north together!"

The moment the piercing sound of the whistling arrow rang out, the enemy chariot made its arrangements immediately.

Shulu, Salad, and Yelü Abaoji rode their horses closer to the enemy chariot. Shulu reined in his horse and said, "It must be the Han Dynasty sending the Shiwei south to block our retreat!"

"No! That's not right!" Di Lian's expression changed slightly, because he had already seen the large cloud of dust rising from the north.

"They're very close! Prepare to form ranks!!"

The enemy chariot shook its reins, and the 20,000 tribal men behind it spurred their horses to come. They were led by 3,000 elite cavalrymen in armor, followed by ordinary men in armor or even animal skins.

The crowd of over 20,000 people was enormous, but at that moment, they felt their hearts pounding in their throats.

They had just formed ranks when the dust from the north became increasingly clear, and the heavy, dense sound of horses' hooves was like a mountain pressing down, making it hard to breathe.

"coming!!"

With a loud, rising cry, a vast horde of cavalry from the north surged up the low hill, cascading down like waves.

Even though they were far apart, Di Nian, who had been dealing with the Shiwei for many years, still sensed the difference.

He felt his blood rush to his head and quickly turned around to give instructions: "The elderly and children should take a detour to Checheer Mountain. The men should stay behind to cover the retreat and not worry about the herds!"

Amid his roar, the elderly, women, and children who had not yet formed a chariot formation rushed out of the circle, found horses, and began to flee westward at breakneck speed.

The enemy from the north drew ever closer, the sound of hooves growing increasingly muffled. In terms of sheer numbers, the two armies were roughly equal, but in terms of quality…

"It's the Han army!"

"Woooooooo..."

As the red banners bearing the words "Great Han" fluttered in the Songmo Grassland, tens of thousands of elite Han cavalry pursued the Tang cavalry surrounding the Diela tribe, charging towards the more than 20,000 men of the Diela tribe.

The sudden appearance of the Han army chilled the blood of the men of the Diela tribe, but they dared not retreat, for their families were fleeing with the hopes of their tribe.

"Aru! Someone betrayed us!!"

Yelü Abaoji charged forward at breakneck speed, his face contorted with rage, but the enemy chariot was even more furious:
"What are you doing here? Quickly retreat with the tribe's elderly, weak, women, and children!!"

Di Lan was not afraid of dying here. After all, he had fought against the Han army for so many years and lived for so many years, he had long since lived enough.

But Yelü Abaoji cannot die here. The Diela tribe still needs his leadership to recover its strength and avenge them.

"I won't leave! I am a warrior of the Diela tribe!"

Yelü Abaoji took out his bow and arrows. Although he was only twelve years old, he was already able to use a five-dou horse bow.

"I, as Yi Lijin, command you to live on, carrying the hope of the tribe, and avenge us!"

Despite the enemy's firm orders, Yelü Abaoji showed no intention of retreating. Seeing this, he took a deep breath and instructed the elite cavalry behind him:

“Take him away and escort him and the hope of the tribe to Mount Checheer!”

"Yes!!"

The elite cavalrymen responded and rushed forward to grab the reins from Yelü Abaoji's hands. Ignoring Yelü Abaoji's struggles, they dragged him away from the battlefield.

Having driven away Yelü Abaoji, the enemy commander took a deep breath and looked at the Han cavalry charging towards them from the front, raising his spear.

"They number only ten thousand or so, while we outnumber them. Terigian will protect his people, and the blue ox and white horse will give us strength... Kill!!"

In an instant, more than 20,000 men of the Dielai tribe began to charge, and the Han army, seeing that they not only did not retreat but also attacked them, immediately increased the speed of their own horses.

"put!"

"Boom boom boom——"

As the thunderous cannon fire rang out, the Diela tribe's horses and soldiers began to panic and fall into chaos, and smoke rose from the distant hills.

"boom!!"

"Um..."

"Hiss!"

Fifty light cannons fired five-pound shells that streaked across the sky and fell heavily on the path of the Diela tribe's charge, instantly killing more than ten Khitan cavalrymen. The remaining shells ricocheted, severely damaging even more Diela tribe cavalrymen.

The Han army's horses had already undergone desensitization training to cannon fire, and now they were like sharp swords, fiercely piercing the chaotic formation of the Diela tribe.

"To serve the Han Dynasty, the time is now!!"

Generals Ma Yi, Li Keju, Husijin, and Husilu, escorted by elite cavalry on the left and right, led their troops in a charge, crashing fiercely into the loose Khitan cavalry formation.

The leaders and generals of the Dielai tribe, including Dilian, Shulu, and Sala, were giving their best commands, but when faced with the charge of tens of thousands of armored cavalry, the poorly armored Dielai tribe was like tofu that was pierced through.

"Keep them occupied! Think of your children back home!!"

The enemy chariot roared furiously, but then a more intense and muffled sound of hooves came from behind them.

When they looked back, they saw that in the direction from which the Han cavalry had come, many Han cavalry and infantry carrying firearms had appeared.

They outnumbered the men of the Diela tribe, and the elite Han cavalry that had just crossed paths with them now turned their horses around to prepare for a second attack.

The enemy's morale was shattered at this moment, and Husi Guang, who was in front of the artillery position in the distance, also put down his monocular telescope.

Under his gaze, the cavalry and infantry had already raised their arquebuses, which were loaded with ammunition, from their horses.

As the smoke rose from the battlefield and the rapids of gunfire echoed like popping beans, a slight smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

"The first major victory in the northern expedition came from a certain Hebei military command..."

(End of this chapter)