Tiger Guards

Chapter 522 Turning East
Tiger Lake, the surface of which has long been frozen over.

The Xianbei people camped around Huze Lake, and while setting up camp, they dug out ice to catch large fish from the lake.

Even in the dead of night, thousands of slaves were still taking turns chiseling away at the ice to prevent the lake from freezing over again.

Time was of the essence, so these slaves, under the command of the Xianbei people, were tasked with catching large fish.

The big fish didn't even have time to jump a few times before they froze solid.

Inside Budugen's tent, he lay asleep wrapped in a cloak.

Suddenly the tent flap opened and a man rushed in: "Chief, the Han army is attacking the camp!"

A cold wind blew across Budugen's face, jolting him awake. Startled, he saw several more tribal leaders enter and asked, "Why are the Han army here? Aren't they afraid Qianman will attack their rear? Do they really intend to fight to the death with our Great Xianbei?"

At this moment, a scholar wearing a bear-fur cloak walked in unhurriedly and replied, "Great Chief, you may not know this, but the grandfather of Zhao Yuansi, the Grand Marshal of the Han Dynasty, was once the magistrate of Guangning County. He was punished for the Xianbei entering the border and abducting men and women. Knowing that his crime was too grave to escape, he committed suicide to atone for his sins."

As Xinpi spoke, he didn't forget to hang up the tent flap that had been open in one corner. Seeing Budugen put on his helmet and put on his sword, he continued, "If there is an opportunity to severely damage the Xianbei, would the Han Grand Marshal easily make peace and withdraw his troops? As for Qianman, although he has the support of the royal court, in my opinion, he will surely be defeated by the Zhao family."

Budugen looked at Xinpi with suspicion: "Are you saying that our army can't stop this Grand Marshal?"

"Yes, he is as brave and skilled in battle as the Champion, and now the knights he has brought are all eager to fight for him until their heads are cut off or their last drop of blood is shed."

Xin Pi, who had migrated from Longxi to Yingchuan, knew exactly how to deal with the Xianbei and other Hu peoples. He spoke words that sounded demoralizing, yet he appeared confident and certain of his abilities.

Young and impetuous, Budugen drew his sword and pointed it at Xinpi: "Did Lord Yuan send you here just to dampen our army's fighting spirit?"

"Please, Chief, sheath your sword and leave quickly."

Xin Pi stared directly at the tip of the blade, took half a step forward, and pressed his brow against the tip: "Zhao Yuansi and I have a blood feud for killing my brother. For the sake of the family's continuation, even if I can forget this feud in the future, Zhao Yuansi will never forget it, nor will my family's enemies. Like the Great Chief, I wish I could kill Zhao Yuansi immediately. However, at this moment, merely having the courage to draw my sword is not enough."

The sharp tip of the knife pierced Xinpi's forehead, and a bead of blood gushed out, gradually growing larger until it was the size of a soybean, then slid down the bridge of his nose, leaving a thin red line.

Budugen stared at Xinpi: "I have more than 40,000 men, all of them brave and strong warriors who can ride horses and shoot arrows! His vanguard Zhang Liao has less than 5,000 men. He has just arrived, his men and horses are exhausted, and he has come on a rampage. How could he possibly defeat my troops!"

At this moment, another leader arrived outside the tent and shouted, "Great Chief, the Han army is already ten miles away!"

Xinpi calmly stared at Budugen: "Great Chief, Zhao Yuansi wants to kill the heroes of the royal court. Even without Zhao Yuansi and the Han army, the Great Chief can still fight the people of the royal court. Please preserve your life. I am willing to guarantee with my life that as long as the Great Chief withdraws from here and avoids the Zhao clan's military might, the Zhao clan will have no choice but to attack the royal court. When the ice and snow melt next year and the grasslands are revitalized, that will be the time when the Great Chief becomes the ruler of the Xianbei and re-establishes the royal court."

"There are heroes in all corners of our country who are dissatisfied with the Zhao family. Only by joining forces can we restrain the Zhao family. We hope that our leader will tolerate what ordinary people cannot tolerate."

Having said that, Xin Pi raised his hand to grip the blade, stepped back, and looked around at the other nobles: "I know the strength of the Zhao family, but please forgive me for wanting to preserve my life to avenge my deceased brother. Farewell, everyone."

Xinpi bowed to Budugen again, then took three or four steps back, turned around, put on his cloak, and crawled out of the tent, letting in a lot of cold wind.

Budugen glanced at the tip of his sword, then sheathed it without even wiping it, asking, "What does Uncle think?"

"We can't retreat. If we retreat now, how will we ever have the face to call ourselves the grandson of the great Tan Shihuai?"

Budugen's uncle quickly made a decision: "I will hold off the Han army. If the Han army is as fierce as this man says, then you can retreat. I will find a chance to withdraw. In this snowstorm, the Han army cannot pursue us for long."

The other relatives and leaders also agreed that if they simply withdrew, even if they managed to preserve many followers, Budugen's reputation would be ruined, making it impossible for him to win over the people and become a true leader and ruler of the Xianbei.

Moreover, they all had relatives and friends who followed Kui Tou on his expedition south. The Zhao family had a feud with the Xianbei people, and they also had a feud with the Zhao family.

Seeing the enthusiasm of the troops, Budugen nodded and said, "Then let's fight the Han army! They have come from afar and their men and horses are exhausted. As long as we hold them off, by the time the reinforcements from the east of Huze arrive, the Han army will be exhausted and it will be our turn to counterattack."

Seeing his courage in battle, a cousin exclaimed in admiration, "The Great Chief truly lives up to his noble lineage from the great Tan Shihuai!"

Budugen was immune to praise; he simply nodded and walked out of his leather tent first.

The main tent was surrounded by rows of neatly constructed low houses, with their entrances facing inwards, resembling a simple, small defensive fortification.

Outside this square-shaped defensive perimeter, there were various tents, and further outside was a larger row of houses, all with their doors facing inwards, serving as defensive fortifications.

These earthen houses, with their cramped spaces, have historically served as dwellings for slaves who cut grass in the autumn and for the Xianbei people during the winter when they hunted and fished. They are not suitable for Budugen's noble status.

Budugen continued walking, quickly climbing the watchtower, where he felt the wind even stronger. He saw that throughout the camp, there were minor nobles and tribal warriors holding fires, shouting and urging their tribes to assemble.

In such cold weather, the Xianbei people, who had just been awakened, were bulky and did not need to wear extra armor; they could fight as soon as they picked up their weapons.

Before they could make a more detailed assembly, the vanguard cavalry of the Han army charged in.

These Han cavalrymen showed no intention of lingering in battle; they simply charged eastward toward the center of the camp.

The arrows shot by the Xianbei along the way failed to attract their attention or effectively kill the more than three hundred armored cavalrymen.

More and more chariots and cavalry broke in from all directions. The Xianbei people dared not leave their own tents and earthen houses. Without the protection of these obstacles, they would either be trampled by horses or be rammed by sleds and horses.

The fast-moving Han chariots and cavalry only needed to avoid various building obstacles and rarely engaged in close combat during the assault.

Therefore, the spearmen were responsible for throwing short spears, while the archers shot at the areas where the Korean Bei people gathered, or at a more stable angle towards the Xianbei people.

Even in the coldest climate, the Xianbei people would not sleep with their horses.

When the attack hit, the Xianbei tribes on the west side of the entire circular camp were on the defensive, and their various cries could not be effectively answered.

Seeing that the outer camp could not slow down the Han army's chariots and cavalry, Budugen quickly slid down from the watchtower: "Bring the horses!"

His personal slave warrior trotted up to him, leading his horse, while another slave warrior handed him a riding whip.

There were also slave warriors kneeling at the saddle to serve as mounting stones, and even more slave warriors holding up a finely crafted lance with both hands and presenting it to the rider.

Budugen stepped on the slave's back, mounted the Donghu horse, and took the whip from the slave's hand: "Follow me!"

As he spoke, he pulled on the reins, but then felt something was wrong, so he turned the horse around two and a half times, with its head facing east. Budugen raised his whip and lashed the horse diagonally backward.

The horses neighed loudly, and Budugen led his trusted slave warriors and cavalry outwards. They soon encountered a group of knights composed of Xianbei noblemen who were ready for battle, and the latter joined Budugen's cavalry.

More and more Xianbei cavalry converged on Budugen, and soon arrived at the area where another tribe was encamped. Many nobles and warriors were already on horseback. The chieftain rode up to greet them and asked, "Great Chieftain?"

"The Han army is fierce. You all stay here. I will go and gather the various units in the east, and then we will launch a counterattack against the Han army together!"

Budugen spoke calmly, his face showing no sign of panic.

"Yes!"

The leader immediately agreed, and watching Budugen leave surrounded by slave knights, he couldn't help but spit at the roadside: "Sound the horn! Everyone, assemble before me!"

"Father?"

One of his sons rode closer on horseback to inquire, his eyes full of suspicion.

For the sake of the tribe's survival, if his father makes a foolish choice that is detrimental to the tribe's continuation, he would not hesitate to leave with his companions and followers.

"This little brat's scared, let's go!"

After the leader finished speaking, he reined in his horse and turned to join the other tribesmen. As the warrior beside him rode his horse, he held a conch shell in both hands and continued to blow it.

They had barely left the camp when the cavalry charged into it.

As the cavalry charged forward, their horses gradually ran out of stamina.

The cavalry could only rein in their horses and converge on the roadside, behind them was the core assault group composed of Zhao Ji's three large banners.

Immediately, reserve knights from the Iron Cavalry Battalion rode sleds to join the Iron Cavalry, providing them with spare warhorses that were more physically capable.

However, changing cavalry was cumbersome. The knights had to dismount and stretch their bodies, while the reserve knights and auxiliary soldiers had to disassemble their horse armor and reattach it to the spare warhorses.

We have no shortage of warhorses or experienced knights; what we lack is equipment.

(End of this chapter)