Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 465 Song Yan Must Die (10,000 words)
Clear skies.

The May sun brought waves of heat outside Xinhou County, and the winter chill dissipated at an extremely rapid pace after the arrival of May.

The wind blows, the leaves rustle, and a lazy whisper is heard.

The trees were lush and green, and wildflowers and grasses grew densely in the woods. Insects like grasshoppers jumped out and disappeared, occasionally letting out a slightly sharp chirp. Birds spread their wings and fluttered away into the distance. Rabbits, squirrels, and other small creatures could also be seen in the woods, running and making slightly hurried calls.

The thunderous roar had stopped, but the fear did not dissipate.

The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder and sulfur.

The Great Chanyu, Suochuoluo, fell from his horse and lay on the ground, his chest heaving rapidly. His fleshy face was contorted, and with the scarlet bloodstains, he looked somewhat ferocious. His wide eyes were filled with resentment and hatred.

The strategist shrank back, feeling that Suochuoluo looked a bit scary at this moment.

Is he going to eat people?
The Xiongnu, being a non-Hunter race, were inherently ferocious and their bestial nature remained intact; it's not impossible that they could eat people.

He was puzzled. He felt that he had been very tactful in his words. The Grand Preceptor was always very direct. So why was the Great Chanyu so angry that he vomited blood? He clearly still had some things he hadn't had time to say.

Huff, huff, huff...

Sochoro was panting heavily.

He glared at the strategist with some displeasure, but he knew that was just the strategist's nature. If he argued with the strategist over such matters, he would basically have no future. Seeing the strategist's lips moving, Suochuoluo struggled to his feet, calmed his racing heart, took a deep breath, and then spoke: "Does the strategist have anything else to say? Please speak, this Chanyu can bear it."

To speak with someone trained by the Grand Master, one must have a resilient heart.

Sochoro is very experienced in this area.

The strategist nodded: "The eldest prince has been captured."

Sochoro frowned: "I know that."

He not only knew that his bravest eldest son had been captured, but also that Abal, the greatest warrior of the Xiongnu, was about to become a eunuch!
Damn, just thinking about it makes me feel awful.

The strategist shrugged and said, "Very well. The Great Chanyu would better think again about why the Crown Prince was captured."

Sochoro was taken aback. Why was he captured? Naturally, he had lost the battle and had been taken prisoner.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Socholo.

wrong.

It's not that simple.

Abal's little tricks did not escape Sochoro's eyes. Alibu and Agsang each had 50,000 men, while Abal had 90,000. Sochoro knew this perfectly well, but he had no intention of interfering. Being able to get his tribes to willingly give up more warriors to fight for him was also a kind of ability.

Ninety thousand Xiongnu warriors, while not all of them could be considered elite, were certainly not comparable to ordinary Ningguo soldiers. Even if they suffered some losses before confronting Song Yan, they would still have at least sixty to seventy thousand troops left... With such a powerful military force at their side, why was Abalu captured alive?
It goes without saying that Abal is extremely brave, and his personal guards are all warriors selected from among the best on the northern grasslands.

Furthermore, he arranged for extremely powerful martial artists to join him.

Even if the war is lost and the army collapses, they will not necessarily be captured; they will still have a good chance of escaping.

unless……

completely annihilated.

Even the grandmaster-level expert couldn't escape with Abal... Suddenly realizing this, Abal trembled, feeling as if his heart was bleeding. Those were tens of thousands of Xiongnu warriors.

Before this expedition, he thoroughly investigated Anzhou, Pingyang, and even Pengzhou and Dingzhou. The combined military strength of these four prefectures was no match for his own. Although Pingyang's military strength had improved due to Song Yan's presence, attempting to confront the Xiongnu cavalry was still suicidal. With Song Yan's forces, even resisting Abalu's attack would be extremely difficult, let alone annihilating Abalu's entire army.
Could it be that on the other side of Pingyang, there is also...? Recalling that strange black metal sphere, the flash and impact of the explosion, the bloody scene of the Xiongnu warriors being torn to pieces... Suochuoluo's body trembled violently, and his face turned pale.

This strange thing has unimaginable destructive power.

Moreover, it was a natural enemy of the Xiongnu cavalry.

Once the iron ball explodes, the sound is like thunder, and the warhorses are terrified and flee in all directions, making it impossible to maintain the charging formation.

If there were enough iron balls on the other side of Pingyang, it wouldn't be impossible for Abalu's entire army to be wiped out.

No, it's not just these... Abal's entire army was wiped out, but what about Alibu and Agsang? Sochuro's body trembled even more violently. Even though the Xiongnu were basically a nation of soldiers with a million archers, if all three armies of Anzhou Prefecture were wiped out, it would still be an unbearable loss for the Xiongnu people.

"Get out, get out."

Suddenly, Sochoro roared, his voice changing intonation.

The casualties were heavy, but there were no gains whatsoever. The emperor's dream of ruling the nine provinces and the world was abruptly cut short. This expedition was a complete failure. Despite his resentment, Suochuoluo had to accept the bloody reality. Now, for Suochuoluo, the matter at hand was no longer how to capture the county town in front of him, but how to minimize the losses of the Xiongnu.

Taking a deep breath, Suochuoluo immediately summoned his personal guards, the most outstanding and valiant warriors of the Xiongnu tribe. He ordered them to ride their warhorses and enter Anzhou Prefecture as quickly as possible. At the same time, he instructed Alibu and Agsang to withdraw from Ningguo territory and leave no soldiers behind.

Watching the guards' figures disappear quickly, Sochoro subconsciously clenched his fist.

I hope it's not too late.

Just before leaving, Socholo took one last look at the city walls of Xinhou County from afar.

He didn't know which general was in command of Ningguo during this brief conflict... However, regardless of who it was, the changes in Pingyang and even Ningguo were inextricably linked to Song Yan.

Sochoro knew that the boy named Song Yan would be the biggest obstacle to his ascension to the throne.

Song Yan... must die.

No matter what means are used.

……

Sochora's prayers failed to reach the Eternal Heaven.

At the same time the order to retreat was issued, Agsang, who had been resting and training in Shaping County, finally moved. He led his 40,000 elite troops and Han slave soldiers out of the county town in a grand procession, detouring south and entering the Laolinhe area.

Looking at the vast army of 80,000 behind him, even with his calm and composed nature, Agsang couldn't help but smile, a hint of smugness creeping onto his lips.

Needless to say, the Xiongnu soldiers were all the best warriors.

Even the Han slave army, after several days of training, although still not comparable to a real army, had a more composed and ruthless demeanor than before. Such an army was enough to be invincible. He admitted that Song Yan was a very powerful character, but Song Yan's strength lay in his cunning and scheming. As long as he didn't act like Abalu, who was so brainless as to fall into a trap, he would definitely not lose in a head-on confrontation.

With such absolute confidence, the mighty army began to advance along the Laolin River.

Along the long river, soldiers stood in rows.

It stretches as far as the eye can see, like a long black dragon winding along the meandering river.

The soft mud and sand along the riverbank were not suitable for warhorses to walk on, so the marching speed was relatively slow.

In addition, the distance from Shaping County to Laolinhe was not short, and it hadn't been long since the march started. It was already getting dark, so Agsang had to order them to set up camp temporarily and continue their march the next day at dawn.

Marching at night was far too dangerous, especially in a place like the riverbank. Agsang didn't want too many unnecessary casualties in the team.

For most soldiers, being able to set up camp by the river was a good thing... Tents were quickly erected, and in the dim light, mounds appeared along the riverbank.

The cooks started a fire to cook.

Clusters of bonfires were lit along the riverbank.

The flames linked together, resembling a long, winding dragon.

Smoke rose slowly in the moonlight.

Some soldiers could no longer contain their excitement and, amidst cheers, removed their armor and put down their weapons, leaving themselves completely naked... After all, this place was full of men, so what was there to be embarrassed about?

Upon reaching the riverbank, he leaped into the Laolin River.

The Lao Lin River isn't particularly wide, and thanks to the dam upstream, it's not exactly turbulent. At least near the riverbank, the water is clear and gentle, perfect for washing away fatigue and grime. Although the weather in May is gradually warming up, the river water still has a cool, refreshing feel, especially at night. Suddenly jumping into the river will immediately trigger a series of loud cries.

Some people plunged into the water, probably hoping to fish in troubled waters. Others, however, were more refined, taking a rag and wiping their dry bodies.

Some people would splash water at their companions nearby, which would only provoke increasingly fierce retaliation.

"Holy crap, who put sand in my eye?"

"Fish...there's a fish..."

"Damn it, who the hell peed up there? It got all over my mouth, fuck..."

Cheers and curses mingled together, creating an atmosphere of peace and joy at first glance.

In the camp, Agsang sat casually on the ground, observing the scene, a slight smile playing on his lips. Being a soldier was actually quite a repressive thing. Apart from killing and indulging in lust, if there were other ways to release the pressure accumulating in one's chest, that would be quite nice.

For some reason, despite the festive scene, Agsang felt as if a huge rock was pressing on his chest, making him very uncomfortable. As time passed, this discomfort grew stronger and stronger, even making it difficult for Agsang to breathe.

With a furrowed brow, Agsang felt somewhat irritated. He wasn't sure where this discomfort came from, but he subconsciously looked around in all directions... In front of him was the Laolin River. This wasn't the first time Agsang had seen this river. He had come here a few years ago when he raided southwards in the autumn, but the Laolin River back then was far less wide than it is now, and the flow was not as large... It was probably because last winter, the snowfall was heavy and the snow accumulation was thick, and the melted snow water flowed into the river.

Behind them was a mountain.

The mountain is covered with dense thickets of trees.

The recent sunny days had dried up the fallen leaves and withered branches on the ground, making them highly susceptible to fire. As a result, the cooks were cooking closer to the riverbank. There were also many animals in the mountains and forests, such as roe deer, badgers, and rabbits, so some soldiers went into the mountains and forests to prepare for an extra meal that evening.

Downstream lies the path to Pingyang. The riverbank is very long, and to bypass the towering mountains, it would take several days to walk along the Laolin River.

As for the upstream area... if I remember correctly, there seems to be a dam upstream.

Speaking of which, this dam should be full of water this year.

If all the water in the reservoir were to flow downstream, it would likely be able to swallow up the entire riverbank, or even half a hillside.

Of my 70,000 to 80,000 troops, I'm afraid very few will survive.

The sudden thought in his mind amplified Agsang's discomfort, and goosebumps inexplicably rose on his skin.

However, Agsang quickly shook his head.

A dam cannot collapse out of thin air.

Furthermore, the old forest dam is quite large. It would take hundreds or even thousands of people to dig it up. He also kept a close watch on the Beiling County area and did not see any large troops leaving.

Previously, scouts had been sent to investigate the old forest area, but no trace of large-scale human activity was found.

Perhaps I'm just overthinking it.

Agsang muttered to himself.

……

On the other side, upstream of the Laolin River.

One end of the dam.

Song Yan stretched lazily. The long wait had almost exhausted his patience. If he hadn't received the intelligence today that Agsang's entire army was launching an attack, he would have already retreated.

After all, sleeping outdoors is not a pleasant experience. Even though it was still a bit chilly, those damned mosquitoes were already buzzing around everywhere.

Gazing into the distance, one could see smoke rising from the enemy camp along the riverbank, while the watchtower at the gate remained untouched, completely unaware that an iron awl had already drilled a hole through the dam's core between the foundation stones of the sluice gate.

The long wait gave Song Yan ample time to drill holes in the dam, and now each hole is filled with thunderbolts.

The nitrate bag was tightly wrapped in tung oil, and the fuse was secretly connected to lightning.

Looking up, the moon was bright and the stars were few.

The bright moonlight cast long shadows on the ground.

The wind was strong, and as it swept through the treetops, dappled shadows on the ground swayed in its wake.

There weren't many people around Song Yan, only Hua Lianyue, Luo Tianxuan, and a bloated man, who was... Abal.

After a period of torment, Abal had become quite thin.

His complexion was sallow and pale, his skin was cracked, and his eyes were sunken. He looked haggard at first glance, and his eyes were filled with fear.

Looking down, I saw that my trouser legs were covered with dried bloodstains.

Abalu's hospitality was exactly the same as Ma Zhifeng's, half an inch a day.

After a few days, only a third remained... This was only because Abal was relatively well-funded; otherwise, he would probably be a rootless person by now.

A cold wind blew past, and Abal shivered. His gaze fell upon the military camp stretching for miles below, filled with hundreds and thousands of tents. Fear deepened in Abal's eyes, and he seemed to have a vague idea of ​​what was going on: "You, what do you want to do?"

His voice was dry and hoarse.

Song Yan smiled gently, his face warm, and dressed in a pure white robe, he looked every bit the refined gentleman of the world: "You'll find out soon enough."

"You madman, aren't you afraid of offending the heavens and the earth?" Abalu roared, his eyes bloodshot. Downstream, all the warriors of the Xiongnu were.

"It's truly ironic to hear you say that," Song Yan said with a cold smile.

After a long silence, Song Yan murmured again, "Even if it harms the harmony of Heaven, I will bear the consequences alone."

He casually tossed it aside as he spoke.

The torch slipped from his hand.

With a hiss, it firmly embedded itself in a crevice in the riverbank, and the leaping flames just managed to reach the dangling fuse.

sizzle.

A cluster of sparks suddenly burst forth in the middle of the 100-meter-long dam.

The sparks immediately separated, like dozens or even hundreds of tongues of fire, rapidly spreading to the left and right sides.

The next moment...

Suddenly I saw a red flag waving in the air, a huge explosion and crackling sound, and cannon stones hitting the weir, the sound was like thunder!
The dam body was cracked like a spider web, and the muffled sounds were like an earth bull turning over.

In an instant, the torrent of ten thousand tons broke free of its shackles, and the still river water suddenly plunged down, carrying with it sluice gate timbers, broken iron, and huge rocks, gushing out with waves that rose thirteen feet high, like a white dragon raising its head to devour the sky.

A giant silver dragon surged through the valley, uprooting trees and washing away boulders like toys in its wake.

Rumble, rumble!

Rumble, rumble!

Downstream, Agsang, who was preparing to rest, faintly heard a muffled sound.

I thought it was thunder, but when I looked up at the sky, I saw that the sky was cloudless for thousands of miles.

As if by instinct, I instinctively looked ahead and saw Agsang's fairly handsome face, which instantly twisted into a grimace.

His wide eyes were filled with indescribable fear and despair.

"Run! Run!"

In an instant, a piercing howl tore through the night sky.

(End of this chapter)