Tiger Guards

Chapter 515 Wolf Ambition
When the Xianbei rear army moved forward, the fleeing nobles of the central army directly disrupted the order and morale of the rear army.

Even though the nobles of all ranks in the rear army supported Kui Tou's cousin Qian Man, Kui Tou was still the king and chieftain at this time, reigning for seventeen years and influencing a generation of Xianbei people.

Without a rearguard action, it is very difficult to restore organizational order during a retreat.

After the pursuing Han cavalry charged for more than ten miles, their horses grew tired, while the more energetic sleds carried infantry in groups and pursued them deeper along the Qin Straight Road.

By daybreak, they had caught up with the city of Yulin.

The Xianbei knights who fled here had no time to call for the gates of Yulin to be opened. They either fled into the mountain gullies and paths on the east and west sides of the Qin Straight Road, or desperately retreated to Yulin Pass.

Within the city of Yulin, the Xianbei garrison that remained to guard and supervise the area, seeing the unfavorable situation, also abandoned the city and fled.

Zhang Liao then stationed his troops outside the city of Yulin to rest and await reinforcements.

They rested for less than two hours when the first herd of horses arrived.

The addition of draft horses to the sleds enhanced their mobility and endurance, and also provided them with fresh rations that could be transported with the army.

At the Battle of Fushi, the valiant fighting of the Han army, and perhaps the display of the head of the Xiongnu chieftain and the stag banner of the Xianbei royal court, greatly boosted the morale of the Xiongnu righteous army.

The difference in combat strength resulting from the rise and fall of morale enabled Liu Qubei and Xiutu Dada's two tribes to defeat the Qiang army and recapture the three camps in the southeast of Fushi.

Uyghur Dou originally intended to lead more than 10,000 western Xianbei tribal soldiers to attack Xu Huang's position, but the appearance of the head of the chieftain and the banner of the stag caused the morale of the western Xianbei tribes to plummet.

This awakened many long-dormant memories for Uyghur Dou and the nobles around him. To make matters worse, the Qiang people inside Fushi City closed the city gates.

The Uyghur leader Dou and his 10,000 men had few options left: either remain still and launch an immediate offensive against Xu Huang and the Han army, and once victorious, they would naturally have everything.

They could either negotiate peace and accept the Han dynasty's bestowal of titles, becoming a semi-independent Western Xianbei outside the Xianbei Shuofang royal court, like the Southern Xiongnu in the past.

Alternatively, they could retreat along the northwest road, taking the official road within the Great Wall, which would lead directly to the Helan Mountains in the northern part of Beidi County and back to their home base.

If they were to withdraw directly, the cohesion within the western Xianbei would collapse, and the various tribes would scramble to escape, making it difficult for them to evade the pursuit of the Han army.

Therefore, Uyghur Dou sent an envoy to see Zhao Ji.

The temporary curtain at this moment only serves to block some of the crosswinds.

After eating his fill, Zhao Ji sat cross-legged in front of the campfire, meditating and using his skills to enhance his digestion and absorption efficiency.

After recovering most of his strength, Zhao Ji turned his head to glance at the golden-red sunrise, focused his mind on his eyes, and immediately entered a state of deep concentration, thus immediately dispelling the energy-consuming amplification state.

Only then did he stand up and see that some Tiger Warriors and Iron Knights around him were also sitting cross-legged, wearing cloaks.

Without disturbing anyone, she stepped out from behind the curtain, her steps slightly unsteady.

Seeing the guards sitting around a larger bonfire, roasting horse meat, beef, and mutton, Cheng He stood up when he saw Zhao Ji come out: "Grand Marshal?"

Without a second thought, he handed over the kebab with the arrow shaft he was holding. The shaft was a little short, indicating that the arrowhead was broken and could no longer be made into an arrow.

Zhao Ji reached out and took it, gesturing with his left hand: "Sit down, everyone, and enjoy your meal."

The guards who had risen one after another sat down again. Zhao Ji stepped forward and sat near the fire, then asked, "Where is Ashang?"

The people around fell silent for a moment. When Cheng He saw Zhao Ji looking at him, he said, "Commander Guan was shot in the cheek and has been taken to the rear."

Zhao Ji picked up the charred piece of meat and immediately lost his appetite. He then asked, "How are your injuries?"

"Captain Guan is wearing a face shield. His arrow wound is not deep, but he has bled a lot. The army doctor said that he can do things after the bleeding is stopped and medicine is applied, but he must not get emotional, lest the arrow wound burst open."

Cheng He recounted the story quickly, and Zhao Ji listened before turning his head to tear off a piece of meat, chewing and gazing at the campfire before him: "How is the battle going? Have there been any changes among the various Xiongnu tribes?"

"The vanguard remains entrenched in its old camp. However, over ten thousand Lu Shuihu troops from across the Sheyan River have arrived and are observing the battlefield, refraining from any rash actions."

Cheng He squatted down next to Zhao Ji and said, "Lieutenant Li is worried that the western Xianbei, Lushui Hu, and Beidi Hu will unite and fight against our army, each occupying the east and west mountain terrains."

"I'll go see him."

Zhao Ji took another bite of meat, a piece of fatty meat, and handed the rest of the skewer back to Cheng He: "You guys continue to rest, there will be a fierce battle later."

"Here."

Cheng He agreed, Zhao Ji got up and walked to the curtain, reached out and grabbed the bottom of the curtain, lifted it up, squatted down and crawled out.

Beyond the second curtain was an even larger one, where the main military officers gathered to rest. Li Ying was looking at a map when he saw everyone around him stand up from their stools. He immediately turned around and saw Zhao Ji, picked up his helmet from beside the map, put it on, and bowed, saying, "Grand Marshal."

"What's the situation?"

"The Xianbei and Qiang tribes in the west dare not make any rash moves and are watching our army's actions."

As Li Ying spoke, he turned sideways and stretched out his arms to welcome Zhao Ji to the cowhide map.

Seeing a basket of frozen pears next to him, Zhao Ji grabbed one and held it in his hand. He saw that it had been thawed after being baked, so he bit into the dark brown pear skin and sucked out the sweet pear juice. His eyes lit up: "Where did this come from?"

"It was transported by the Qiang people from Fushi City and presented to the chieftain."

Han Shu, who was standing nearby, answered. He had bruises and swelling on his face. When he noticed Zhao Ji looking at his face, he took the initiative to explain, "I fell off my horse and got injured. It's nothing serious."

"Yes, go back and train your riding skills well."

Zhao Ji gave a warning, then lowered his eyes to observe the map. Based on the number of chess pieces on it, he could immediately tell the strength of both sides. The Xianbei and Qiang allied forces still had more troops, about 10,000 more.

This is a reconnaissance and estimation of field forces, without taking into account the Qiang garrison in Fushi City.

At this moment, a military officer hurried over and bowed to Zhao Ji, saying, "Grand Marshal, the Western Xianbei leader, Uyghur Dou, has sent an envoy to see you."

Zhao Ji smiled upon hearing this: "It seems there's no need to hesitate any longer."

Before some of the military officers could react, Li Ying understood: "Is the Grand Marshal going to launch a fierce attack on the western Xianbei?"

"If we keep them alive, the various Qiang and Hu tribes will still have hope and won't surrender easily."

Zhao Ji threw the slag he was holding into the fire and said to Li Ying, “We don’t have the energy to manage the Helan Mountains area. Handing over the northern part of the North to this Uyghur Dou is like releasing a tiger back into the mountains. With Kui Tou dead, the Xianbei tribes are bound to be in chaos. If Uyghur Dou can leverage our military power, he can become the leader of the West. Why would he hand over the North? We have no choice. Prepare for war immediately and don’t be fooled by his envoys.”

"Here!"

Li Ying cupped his hands in greeting and immediately turned to look at the senior officers of the various suicide squads. These people gathered together, bowed to Zhao Ji, and then followed Li Ying away quickly.

Zhao Ji then sat down in the middle and looked at the military officer: "Bring his messenger to see me."

"Here."

The officer quickly left, soon leading a middle-aged man wearing a leather hat. Zhao Ji looked at the man's weathered, dark, and rough face.

"I have come to pay my respects to the Grand Marshal on the orders of the chief."

After the other party bowed, Zhao Ji said, "Take off your hat."

The envoy was taken aback, but still took off his leopard-skin hat, revealing his head wrapped in a turban. His face immediately turned even darker red, and he lowered his head, extremely ashamed.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Ji asked, "Are you an envoy of the Uyghur Khanate, or do you wish to work for me?"

"This humble commoner, Dou Jie, pays his respects to the Grand Marshal!"

Without hesitation, the man knelt down and performed a full-fledged kowtow, his forehead striking the snow and ice three times.

"I won't ask what the Uyghur bean wants, I'll just ask you what to do now?"

Upon hearing this, Dou Jie raised his head and gritted his teeth, saying, "Send troops immediately and we can defeat the Uyghurs in one battle! The Xianbei people are not united, and the Uyghurs are also unable to control and lead the various tribes. The leaders of the various tribes are worried that the Uyghurs will become too powerful and annex them."

"Very good, drag him away and behead him."

Zhao Ji waved his hand, and Dou Jie's expression changed drastically upon hearing this. He immediately shouted angrily, "I have long heard of the Grand Marshal's extraordinary martial prowess. How can you treat a brave warrior with such contempt?"

Zhao Ji smiled and said, "Matters of national importance, how dare you speak of them today, given your lowly status? What do you intend to do in the future?"

Two guards immediately stepped forward to capture Dou Jie, but Dou Jie lunged at Zhao Ji with both feet. Zhao Ji stood up and kicked him in the face, causing his neck to twist and die instantly.

"Grand Marshal! Commander Xu, raise the battle flag!"

A military officer strode in, shouting urgently.

Zhao Ji stretched his fists and feet, then calmly replied, "Bring me your weapon."

(End of this chapter)