Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 182 The one in the red robe is Marquis Xubu Gudu!

The Yuan family of Runan thus became a thing of the past, mercilessly crushed by the wheels of history.

A torrential downpour during the plum rain season washed away the bloodstains of sin on the execution ground.

Having overseen the execution of thousands in one go, watching heads roll off one by one, even Liu Yan, who prided himself on his unwavering resolve, couldn't help but feel physically and mentally exhausted.

Having never seen much blood, Liu Fan turned pale and, suppressing his urge to vomit, hurriedly left the execution ground to avoid disgracing Liu Yan.

The city of Luoyang was awash in blood, and the battlefields of Bingzhou were equally bloody.

The situation in Bingzhou was in a terrible state.

The General Who Crosses the Liao River, with a rank of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain), was granted a silver seal and blue lacquer. He commanded 2,000 cavalrymen in seven counties in the north and was stationed in Manbai County, Wuyuan.

The General of the Xiongnu was appointed with a rank equivalent to 2,000 shi (a unit of grain), a silver seal, and a blue imperial edict. He commanded 2,000 troops stationed in the Western River region and 500 convicts.
The General Who Crosses the Liao River and the General Who Serves the Xiongnu both had the power to kill at will and were directly under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, not under the control of local authorities.

Meanwhile, as a border prefecture, Xihe Commandery also had 3,000 troops, which gave the Xiongnu General the authority to control these 3,000 troops during the Southern Xiongnu rebellion and to recruit Southern Xiongnu tribes that had not yet rebelled to quell the rebellion.

The Southern Xiongnu Chanyu Qiangqu was established by the Han Dynasty, and therefore he was quite obedient to the court, especially since a new overlord had risen on the grasslands—Tanshihuai!

Tan Shihuai integrated various tribes and established the Xianbei tribe. He raided the southern border, resisted the Dingling in the north, repelled the Fuyu in the east, and attacked the Wusun in the west. He occupied all the former territory of the Xiongnu, spanning more than 14,000 li from east to west and more than 7,000 li from north to south. He encompassed mountains, rivers, lakes, and salt lakes, and established a tribe that was in no way inferior to the Xiongnu at their peak.

Faced with such a powerful external enemy, the Han Dynasty and the Southern Xiongnu maintained a long-term friendly relationship and jointly directed their attacks against the Xianbei.

Three years ago, Tan Shihuai passed away, and his son Helian succeeded him as the Xianbei chieftain.

However, the new Xianbei leader, Helian, was far inferior to his father in both talent and temperament. Even the Xianbei people, who had been integrated by Tanshihuai, were showing a strong tendency to split into four groups, and the other leaders had developed ambitions to become independent.

With the significant weakening of external enemies, the relationship between the Han Dynasty and the Southern Xiongnu gradually became delicate. However, in recent years, the Han Dynasty's focus has been on Liangzhou and the Taiping Road within the country. In addition, the long-term submission of the Southern Xiongnu has made the Han Dynasty relax its vigilance against them.

Therefore, right under the noses of General Zhou Shen, the Envoy to the Xiongnu, General Wang Rou, the Governor of Bingzhou Zhang Yi, and the Prefect of Xihe Xing Ji, Marquis Xubu Gudu brewed a large-scale rebellion.

General Zhou Shen, after the Southern Xiongnu rebellion, panicked and retreated without fighting before even determining the scale of the rebellion. He led the Duliao Camp across the Liao River to retreat to Wuyuan County.

This led to a surprise attack on Wang Rou, a general of the Xiongnu, who was unable to escape and died fighting bravely. Afterwards, Xubuguduhou, the leader of the Southern Xiongnu rebels, declared himself Chanyu, and the scale of the rebellion exceeded 100,000 people.

Just then, Marquis Xubugudu heard of the Qiang rebellion in Liangzhou and immediately led his troops south to raid the cities of Hequ and Guluo. He ambushed and killed Xing Ji, the governor of Xihe, who came to their aid. He then marched south and captured the cities of Lishi, Linxian, Zhongyang, Gaolang, Huanyang, and Huanyin, the capital of Xihe Commandery. He also captured the cities of Zhenlin and Baitu in Shangjun Commandery.

After conquering Xihe Commandery, Xubuguduhou led his troops to invade Taiyuan Commandery, capturing the cities of Pingtao and Daling. Zhang Yi, the governor of Bingzhou, wanted to lead 5,000 troops from the commandery and 5,000 able-bodied men, totaling 10,000 men, out of the city to attack the vanguard of the Southern Xiongnu rebels, numbering 20,000, who were crossing the Fen River on the north bank.

Ding Yuan, the governor of Taiyuan, earnestly advised Zhang Yi not to send troops, but to defend the city, relying on its strong defenses and waiting for the imperial reinforcements. He argued that "the army led by the governor is a hastily assembled force that has not yet been trained and integrated, and the soldiers' orders are not unified and their cooperation is not smooth. If the army is lost, Taiyuan will no longer belong to the Han Dynasty."

However, Zhang Yi did not heed Ding Yuan's advice and insisted on sending troops. He was ambushed by the Southern Xiongnu rebels who had secretly bypassed the Fen River, and only less than two thousand men escaped back to Jinyang City.

Ding Yuan, the governor of Taiyuan, immediately summoned the remaining able-bodied men, women, and children in the city. He sealed the city gates with earth and stones, personally took up a knife, and stood on the city wall, defending the city for more than a month. He was wounded in twelve places but still fought on despite his injuries.

Just when Ding Yuan thought he might die in the city of Jinyang, the Southern Xiongnu rebels lifted the siege and turned their army south. Ding Yuan keenly realized that the imperial reinforcements had arrived!
As Ding Yuan had predicted, the next morning, the crimson banners of the Han army with black borders appeared in sight, and the army, which had marched nearly 1,400 li, arrived outside Jinyang City under the leadership of General Dong Zhuo.

Faced with 40,000 Han troops who had come from afar, Xubu Guduhou's idea was to confront them!
With 60,000 to 40,000, the advantage is in my hands!

"Great Chanyu, we've been besieging the city for over a month. Should we retreat and rest before engaging the Han army again?"

The speaker was Yiwu, the son-in-law of Xubuguduhou. Among the Xiongnu tribes, where everyone relied on their bravery for prenatal education, Yiwu had studied with some scholars who had fled to the Southern Xiongnu royal court.

Yiwu was considered a strategist among the Xiongnu, so Xubuguduhou trusted his son-in-law quite a bit.

However, the fact that Marquis Xubugudu trusts his son-in-law does not mean that he will blindly obey him. He also has his own understanding of the situation. Holding his riding whip, he pointed in the direction of the Han army and said, "Although you have besieged the city for more than a month, you have been taking turns attacking the city and have not consumed too much energy. On the contrary, the Han army has traveled a long distance and must be exhausted!"

"If we choose to retreat and regroup, the Han army will also have a chance to catch its breath. I intend to take this opportunity to fight the Han army!"

Marquis Xubu Gudu was quite confident about this battle. That damned General Zhou Shen fled without a fight, and he also killed the Xiongnu General Wang Rou and the Prefect of Xihe Xing Ji. Even the Governor of Bingzhou Zhang Yi was dead!

The Han state only had thirteen governors, and he killed the governor of one of the Han states with just a little effort. This shows that the Han state is gradually declining and its strength is not as strong as they imagined!

Yiwu hesitated slightly. Although he, who always sought stability, did not quite agree with Xubu Guduhou's risky behavior, it was indeed the time when the Han army was most exhausted and weak, just as Xubu Guduhou had said.

Moreover, as the son-in-law of Marquis Xubugudu, he naturally had to support his father-in-law.

Seeing that his son-in-law, the strategist, also agreed with his plan, Marquis Xubugudu was quite satisfied with his attitude, so he said, "Yiwu, go and send someone to deliver a letter of challenge to the general of the Han army, inviting them to fight us here tomorrow!"

"Your Chanyu wants to challenge us to a battle?"

In the Han army camp, Dong Zhuo sat on a folding chair, looking at the war letter written in crooked Chinese characters that resembled dog crawling, his expression slightly strange.

In response to Dong Zhuo's hesitation, the Xiongnu envoy sneered, "Do you Han people dare not?"

The person sent as an envoy was certainly not a fool. He was well aware of his own Chanyu's strategy and understood that fighting at this moment was most advantageous for them. Therefore, he deliberately used these words to provoke Dong Zhuo into engaging in battle.

"Yes, I dare not. Now that you've said your piece, get out of here. I need to eat."

To the great surprise of the Xiongnu envoy, Dong Zhuo was not angered. He simply yawned lazily and waved him out impatiently. Meanwhile, a soldier carried in a bowl of dried meat, a bowl of mutton soup, a bowl of pickled vegetables, and a bowl of rice.

This meal, enough for three to five people, vanished from Dong Zhuo's sight at a visible speed as he devoured it. With such a robust physique and such a large appetite, he should be a brave and valiant man. How come he's just a pretty face, too afraid to fight?

The Xiongnu envoy glanced at Dong Zhuo, but refrained from saying anything that might anger him. He wasn't about to sacrifice his own life just to force the Han army into battle.

Just after the Xiongnu envoy left the command tent, Dong Zhuo couldn't help but kick over a table on the right and throw the sheep bone in his hand far away. His fierce and menacing appearance startled even Li Ru, who had just come out of the back tent and was already used to it.

"That lowly servant who used to hold my horse and stirrups dares to challenge me to a duel now, heh heh!" Dong Zhuo grinned maliciously, a picture of a guy who used to grovel before him and use his back as a makeshift horse stool to help him mount his horse flashed through his mind. "Heh, why should I waste such a good opportunity as a night raid to fight you head-on?"

Were Dong Zhuo's 40,000 troops exhausted?

Of course I'm exhausted!

But it was far from as bad as the Xiongnu people imagined!

As a seasoned general, Dong Zhuo had his own methods for marching, and he traveled along the river to minimize the burden of baggage on his army.

The army traveled 1,400 li from Luoyang to Jinyang, advancing 40 li per day and resting for one day after every nine days of marching, for a total of 34 days of marching and three days of rest.

As an army composed of good men from Sanhe, the soldiers were of good quality, and thus, after marching a long distance at this pace, the army's morale remained high.

That night, Dong Zhuo mobilized his troops, ordering Guo Si and Hua Xiong to each lead two thousand Sanhe cavalry to launch a surprise attack on the Xiongnu camp, and ordering Niu Fu, Fan Chou, Wang Fang, Li Meng, and Dong Min to each lead five thousand men to launch a fierce attack on the Xiongnu camp, leaving only the east gate of the camp unattacked.

As whistling arrows were shot into the sky, the Han army launched a night attack according to Dong Zhuo's battle plan.

At this moment, Xubu Guduhou was lying on a large bed covered with tiger skin, fast asleep with his head sprawled out and snoring loudly.

A cool breeze suddenly blew into the tent, causing the campfire burning inside to flicker, and the anxious shouts of the son-in-law, Yiwu, could be heard nearby.

"They're coming!"

Marquis Xubugudu frowned, muttered something, and turned over, looking displeased. Hearing the whistling arrows and the neighing of horses outside, he thought that some of his men were causing trouble.

Although Xubuguduhou proclaimed himself Great Chanyu and gained the recognition of various tribes through his prestige accumulated through a series of victories, even when Modu Chanyu was on conquest, he could not completely control the discipline of tribes that did not belong to him.

Based on Xubu Guduhou's experience, he deduced that it was probably two tribal chiefs who had been drinking and fighting over some treasures or Han women, thus causing conflict between the two tribes. Rubbing his still somewhat drowsy eyes, he subconsciously asked, "Who's here?"

Seeing that his father-in-law still looked indifferent and even seemed to be going back to sleep, Yi Wu was extremely anxious. He rushed forward, yanked off the cashmere blanket covering Xubu Gudu Hou, and shouted, "The Han army is here!"

Xubu Guduhou was still not fully awake. Forcibly awakened from his sleep, Xubu Guduhou's thoughts were like being trapped in a swamp. He was completely unaware of what was wrong and muttered, "Han army."

Seeing that Xubuguduhou seemed unmoved, Yiwu shouted, "The army of the Han people!"

A gust of cold wind swept into the tent, and the naked Marquis Xubu Gudu couldn't help but shiver. Only then did he realize the seriousness of the situation. He sat up abruptly, his eyes wide, and shivered violently. He exclaimed in horror, "Han army?!"

Seeing his son-in-law nod eagerly and take his armor to put on him, Xubu Gudu Hou hurriedly grabbed his sword and rushed out of the tent. Seeing the camp ablaze with flames and filled with shouts of battle, he was immediately filled with shock and rage. His face turned red, and his eyes almost spit fire as he roared, "Damn cowardly Han soldiers! No wonder they dared not accept my challenge; they were planning to use underhanded tricks!"

Knowing that it was not the right time to fight, Yiwu grabbed Xubuguduhou's arm and said urgently, "Great Chanyu, let's retreat!"

He stopped Xubu Guduhou from summoning troops to counterattack. At this time, summoning troops would inevitably be done under the name of the Great Chanyu of the Xiongnu. But at this moment, was summoning troops under the name of the Great Chanyu of the Xiongnu a preparation to summon troops or to point out the direction for these Han troops?
Although Lord Xubugudu was unwilling, he understood that the situation was critical and it was not advisable to fight again, but he was too proud to admit it. Fortunately, his son-in-law cooperated well with him and several people pulled him onto the horse and lashed the horse's rump hard with a whip.

The warhorse, in pain, thrashed about, attempting to break through the gap in the east gate that the Han army had not yet surrounded. Yiwu gathered four hundred guards who closely followed Xubuguduhou.

During the escape, Xubuguduhou, still on horseback, kept looking back at the Xiongnu tribesmen who were still fighting with the Han army. His face showed a pained expression, and he shouted, "As the Great Chanyu of the Xiongnu, how can I abandon my people!"

"You have really caused me, the Chanyu, great suffering!" Xubuguduhou shouted, while wiping away non-existent tears.

Seeing his father-in-law still putting on such a show at this point, Yiwu, the good son-in-law, didn't think he was being hypocritical. On the contrary, he admired Xubuguduhou. With the wisdom of the Xiongnu people, such a clumsy performance could actually fool them into believing he was loyal.

Just as Xubu Guduhou was secretly pleased with his successful breakout, a Han army suddenly attacked from the side. The leader, a burly general, brandished a horse spear and charged towards Xubu Guduhou with a sinister grin.

When Xubu Guduhou saw this person's figure, a painful memory from several years ago couldn't help but surface in his mind.

Back then, he and his men attempted to rob the caravan of a high-ranking Han Chinese official, but they were repelled instead. The official pursued him all the way to the royal court, killing not only more than a hundred of his men, but also nearly taking his life.

In order to save his life, he had to apologize in a humble manner under the mediation of Wang Rou, the envoy to the Xiongnu. He even knelt on the ground to serve as a stool, allowing the man to step on him and suffer all kinds of humiliation.

However, although Marquis Xubugudu hated that Han man to the core, he was even more afraid of him!

Who has ever seen a Han Chinese man with about twenty followers chase after and kill more than two hundred people?
He not only saw it, he also experienced it firsthand!
However, with this shout, a face almost identical to the Han Chinese demon in his memory appeared before him. Xubu Guduhou turned ashen-faced, his pupils contracted sharply, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably.

"Xu Bu, do you still remember my son Dong Zhongying?"

Just as prey hears the roar of a carnivore, Xubuguduhou was stunned, then turned his horse around in terror and fled for his life.

Seeing that Xubu Guduhou was fleeing in another direction, Dong Zhuo looked closely and saw that Xubu Guduhou was wearing a red cloak that was particularly eye-catching even in the dark. He immediately shouted, "The one wearing the red robe is Xubu Guduhou!"

"Don't let Lord Xubugudu escape!"

At Dong Zhuo's shout, the Han soldiers all looked at the figure in red robes and rushed towards the direction where Xubu Guduhou had fled like a surging tide. The sound of horses' hooves and shouts of battle mingled together and resounded through the night sky.

(4453 words)
(End of this chapter)