The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 231 I'll Take Responsibility
One side is unprepared or poorly prepared, while the other side has gone to great lengths and laid a trap long ago; the outcome is already predetermined.

Upon hearing the general's command, Liu Tong immediately stepped forward and hurled his short spear. With a "whoosh," the spear pierced Dardai's back, and Dardai fell from his horse, clearly beyond saving. Before the Hu cavalry could react, the remaining soldiers had already formed ranks.

Due to limited manpower, teams of ten people were formed.

The outer three teams formed a triangle, while the inner two teams formed a "two" shape. Liu Tong, holding a command flag, relied on his superior skills and daring, and also had a long spear in his hand, ready to attack at any time, and also ready to protect the general at any time.

In an instant, Wang Xin was protected without any flaws.

As soon as Liu Tong made a move, the Zhou army in the distance immediately followed suit. It wasn't until a moment after the Zhou army had set off that the Hu people reacted.

"The Chanyu is dead!"

"The Chanyu is dead!"

Some tribes suddenly turned their horses around and left, some stayed where they were, and some were undecided about whether to advance or retreat. In the midst of the chaos, Aldai was still in a daze, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"The Chanyu is dead, Altaitaiji, what do we do now?"

The general beside him grabbed Aldai's arm and shook it. Fortunately, Aldai was skilled in horsemanship and did not fall off the horse. If necessary, Aldai could even sleep on the horse.

Finally realizing what had happened, Aldai's eyes widened in fury, and he cried out in anguish, "Avenge the Chanyu!" He then launched the first attack.

The fifty men that Dardai brought were all his trusted men. They seized Dardai, put him on horseback, and rode away. The rest of the men attacked Liu Tong's troops. Even if they could not avenge him, they could not let General Zhou return so easily.

Unfortunately, their own reaction was slow. Although they had more cavalry, the Zhou army also had cavalry, and they had even deployed armored cavalry. They had clearly arrived a step ahead of their side. Some people stopped their futile efforts and turned their horses around to retreat, while others fought to the death to avenge their defeat.

"Commendable courage, but lack of unity of purpose," Wang Xin remarked, still having the leisure to offer his opinion.

Upon hearing the general's voice, the surrounding soldiers couldn't help but smile. Although they were facing the most dangerous situation, none of them were afraid. They had been fighting for several years and were all veterans. They had been nurtured by victory to this day and didn't care about death.

"rush!"

Zhang Can led the charge; the earlier they arrived, the safer the general and his men would be. They had to get there before the Hu people.

"Bahhhhh."

The heavy hoofbeats of the armored cavalrymen were a stark contrast to the heavy horses they used. Although the armored cavalrymen used the best horses, which were good in terms of endurance and speed, they were not known for their speed because of the heavy loads they carried. The Hu cavalry, on the other hand, were mainly light cavalry, and their speed was much faster than that of the armored cavalrymen.

However, the armored cavalry set off first, and it is still uncertain who will arrive first; it all depends on whose determination is stronger.

Armored cavalry are not afraid of charging; they were created for charging from the very beginning.

In contrast, even Aldai, who was blinded by hatred and anger as he watched the armored cavalry rushing towards him, gradually calmed down. The number of Hu people around him dwindled, and no one was willing to follow him to their deaths.

"Ugh."

Shuoerhui sighed from afar; Aldai had messed things up again.

Now that the Chanyu is dead, anger is useless. Aldai should stay where he is, lead the various tribes in their attacks, and make good use of the advantages of the Hu cavalry, relying on their numbers and speed, instead of blindly charging.

Now, with no leader, the tribes have lost unified command, and Aldai has made wrong decisions. Many tribes have not followed Aldai's orders, and the entire Shanyu tribe has fallen into chaos.

Shuoerhui was also powerless. Although he had made peace with the Chanyu and returned to the Chanyu's tribe, the Chanyu no longer trusted him. His prestige and strength were not what they used to be. He had the will but not the power, and no one would listen to him.

He had only escaped once, but was betrayed to the Chanyu by the various tribes of Dabansheng. Fortunately, the Chanyu, out of concern and to win over the people, did not execute him, so Shuoerhui did not intend to join Dabansheng again.

Come here.

Although Aldai regretted it, he had already led his men in a charge. Even though they were facing armored cavalry, he hesitated to order a turnback. Firstly, he was furious that the Zhou army had plotted to kill his brother, and secondly, if he ordered a turnback now, where would he put his face?

With a heavy heart, Alder, along with his remaining loyal followers, charged head-on against the armored cavalry.

Zhang Can didn't care. He was wearing a full suit of armor, and even his horse was armored. Why would he worry about being charged? In fact, the other side's actions created the best conditions for the armored cavalry to attack.

Zhang Can cheered excitedly, having never seen such a considerate opponent.

The armored cavalry behind them were also excited; they really liked what the other side was doing.

"Crash."

"Xilulu."

"Lülü."

"kill!"

"what!"

The most brutal collision resulted in both sides being thrown to the ground, but the armored cavalry remained more stable. After the fierce clash, the barbarian cavalry was left in a sorry state, while the armored cavalry retained a large number of soldiers.

Alder faced the charge of the armored cavalry head-on. Faced with their unparalleled power, he finally felt despair and his heart bled with regret.

pity.

Out of pride, there was no chance to back out.

"Boom."

Alder failed to avenge his brother, fell off his horse, and left with his elder brother.

The Chanyu died, and his younger brother also died.

Many people were completely unaware of what was happening and were running around aimlessly with the group.

"General, are you okay?"

"Are you alright, General?"

All the troops arrived one by one. Wang Xin took the banner, assessed the situation, and realized that the Chanyu's forces were in disarray. It was the perfect time to attack, so he ordered the entire army to launch an attack.

Three hundred cavalry and two thousand two hundred infantrymen chased after eight thousand barbarian cavalry. Such an unbelievable scene left the defenders of Moershan speechless, their faces filled with disbelief.

Whether they were soldiers from Yanmen Pass or Weiyuan Pass, this was the first time they had ever seen their own troops fighting.

"When did the Hu people become so weak?"

“It was very fierce in previous years.”

Many people doubt that they are dreaming.

The eight thousand Hu cavalrymen, driven to despair by the pursuit, lost their unified formation and scattered in all directions.

"Boom boom boom!"

Drums sound.

The thousands of garrison troops at Moershan came out to clean up the battlefield and pushed various vehicles from the cart camp, including chariots and freight cars, loaded with rations and supplies. Strike while the iron was hot. The plan had succeeded. The next step was to completely destroy the city of Shanyu.

"General, there is a troop flying a white flag, drifting in the distance."

The Hu people suffered the greatest losses during the attack, while those tribes that fled early in the morning were unharmed. The lack of cavalry had always been a weakness of the Zhou army, making it difficult to annihilate the Hu people.

"Ask them."

Wang Xin sent someone to make contact.

Not long after, the soldier returned with a look of surprise and said with a smile, "The leader of that group of Hu people called himself Shuoerhui and said he was willing to submit to the general."

Without hesitation, Wang Xin immediately said, "Let him come to see me."

The people around were stunned.

The general used the same words to deal with the Chanyu, and that man probably wouldn't dare to come.

After a long while, Shuoerhui actually arrived. Upon seeing Wang Xin from afar, he dismounted. Although he had seen the Chanyu killed by Wang Xin from a distance, he did not know what they had said, so he did not know the reason why Wang Xin killed the Chanyu. He habitually stepped forward and bowed.

The surrounding soldiers couldn't help but look over, and the atmosphere became quiet. Shuo Erhui was startled, wondering what he had done wrong.

Wang Xin didn't move, but his tone was surprisingly gentle, "Shuoerhui, we meet again."

"I am a defeated general, and I am completely convinced of your superiority. I am willing to submit to you and serve as your hunting dog," Shuo Erhui said in somewhat broken Zhou language after straightening up.

Wang Xin was not surprised; after all, he was a Hu person and spoke directly.

Using non-Han people could lead to future troubles, as seen in the Jin Dynasty or the Tang Dynasty, but that was due to their misuse. With his extensive experience, Wang Xin laughed and said, "If you can completely eliminate the Shanyu tribe and achieve merit, I can accept you as a member of the royal family."

The Hu people were mostly nomadic and difficult to eliminate, but the Shanyu region had tens of thousands of people.

The same logic applies to the large population in the interior. The Shanyu tribe and the entire Hetao region are stable, which is why they have a population of over 100,000. If order is lost, then tens of thousands of people in the Shanyu tribe will not be able to survive.

Wang Xin planned to build a new city in Tu Mao Chuan. The new city was only fifty or sixty li away from the first Great Wall at Weiyuan Pass, which could keep out cholera in the Shanyu region. At the same time, he would use the Tu Mao Chuan area to cultivate his own herdsmen.

However, things cannot be accomplished in a day. Before the new city's strength has grown, plunging the Shanyu region into chaos would be beneficial to the new city's future.

Shuo Erhui didn't think too much about it. He believed in the strong. Wang Xin had only been in Datong for a year, but his actions had repeatedly shattered Shuo Erhui's beliefs. Both the Chanyu and Fatty Feng had fallen into this man's hands. This man was the most powerful strongman.

"Master, Shuo Erhui will be your sword!"

Shuo Erhui took the initiative to change how he was addressed.

Wang Xin ignored it.

With Shuo Erhui's help and guidance, he could speed up the process of dealing with the Shanyu tribe, so he had no reason to refuse.

The defeat of the eight thousand Hu cavalry, although most of them escaped, resulted in nearly a thousand casualties. Many horses were injured; the lightly wounded were sent to the rear, while the seriously wounded were slaughtered.

The operation involved nearly four thousand men, more than a thousand of whom were miscellaneous soldiers, in order to enhance the army's overall capabilities.

The bodies were buried on the spot, the horse meat was dried, and military rations were stockpiled.

Although it is summer, which is not the season for air-dried meat, it is still possible to make air-dried meat in summer. This is not possible in the south, where the humidity is high, but smoked meat can be made there. These are all examples of the wisdom of the ancients.

Shuoerhui brought more than 400 cavalrymen. Although their combat strength was no match for the armored cavalry, cavalry was exactly what was needed now.

But is Shuoerhui trustworthy?

Wang Xin glanced at the panel and made a decision in front of everyone: Zhang Can would join forces with Shuo Erhui, and two divisions of seven hundred cavalry would immediately set out to destroy everything along the way, while the main army would rush to support them from the rear.

"General, if Shuo Erhui betrays us, Zhang Can's men will be in danger."

Zhang Can didn't speak, but Liu Tong couldn't help but remind him.

Although we trust the general, his arrangement this time is really audacious. Shuoerhui only surrendered today, and the general's move is unimaginable to many people.

Wang Xin's attitude was firm, and he said seriously, "If there's a problem, I'll take responsibility."

How to be responsible?

However, no one pressed for further questions. Since the general had already made such a statement, no one had any further doubts.

(End of this chapter)