A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 172 Lightning
Lightning struck the Hexi Corridor.

When Huo Qubing led 30,000 elite cavalry out of the Xiongnu Right Wise King's headquarters and out of the Alashan Desert, the right-wing tribes of the grasslands, who had never imagined being attacked from both sides, immediately fell into a stalemate.

Using surprise attacks, tens of thousands of light cavalry swept across the land, almost all of them overwhelming the enemy.

As a follower of General Wei, Huo Guang constantly calculated the battle results, capturing the five kings of the Xiongnu—the Right Wise King, Shan Huan, Qiu Tu, Ji Qie, Ao Pu, and Hu Zi Qi—as well as the Queen Mother and eighty-one princes.

One hundred and eight high-ranking officials, including the prime minister, generals, officials, and captains, were killed. Seven thousand five hundred of the prime ministers and captains surrendered on the battlefield, and thirty thousand six hundred were beheaded!

This is the largest number of people ever killed by the Han Dynasty against the Xiongnu, no, against nomadic tribes!

Most of the beheadings occurred in the territory of the Right Wise King of the Xiongnu.

Among the Xiongnu, there were three tribes with 30,000 households each: the Chanyu's main tribe, the Left Wise King's main tribe, and the Right Wise King's main tribe. The entire Right Wise King's main tribe was slaughtered under Huo Qubing's order to annihilate them, which alone contributed 100,000 people.

Despite such a remarkable victory, the Han army lost only 6,000 cavalry, or 20% of Huo Qubing's forces.

This is not the end.

He casually killed Zhelan and Luhou, two Xiongnu kings who thought the Han army was exhausted and were trying to sneak up on the enemy.

The capture and execution of prisoners have reached a new level.

In the entire Hexi Corridor, only the Hunye King and Xiutu King tribes, each with a population of ten thousand, remained.

After traveling thousands of miles, "Lightning" finally slowed down.

"Eagle Strike Sima!"

"The general is here!"

"Do you know we can't stay any longer? Who told you to stop?"

"General, we've captured too much..."

"Throw it all away! Don't let these spoils become a burden for us. Pass down the order: after a short rest, set off immediately! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

Huo Qubing issued another military order, showing no concern for the so-called spoils. How could the Xiongnu's possessions be compared to the rewards the emperor would bestow upon him upon returning to Chang'an?
"Yes, General."

Eagle Strike Commander Zhao Ponu accepted the order but hesitated, asking, "General, what should we do with those prisoners and surrendered captives?"

After defeating King Zhelan and King Luhou, the number of prisoners and surrendered captives officially exceeded ten thousand. The spoils could be carried on horseback without affecting the march. What truly slowed down the army was the "people" who could not withstand the great turmoil.

"You guys figure it out!" Huo Qubing said indifferently.

"promise!"

Upon receiving the order, Zhao Ponu turned his horse around and headed towards the rear of the army.

Huo Guang then spoke up, "Brother, killing prisoners is an ominous sign."

Throughout history, those who kill prisoners of war have often been considered unlucky. Figures like Bai Qi (the butcher), Xiang Yu (the overlord), Han Xin (the Marquis of Huaiyin), and even Li Guang (the Flying General of this dynasty) all killed prisoners of war, and their fates were often unpredictable.

“Zimeng, the fact that you only spoke after Yingji Sima left shows that you have grown up.”

Huo Qubing looked at Huo Guang and praised him, "Now answer me, how did our army achieve its victories?"

"Those who block our way will die, those who obstruct our path will perish. We will traverse a thousand miles in six days without rest or adjustment," Huo Guang replied without hesitation.

Traveling over 160 li a day, including the time spent on killing, was a method of advancing by killing enemies that he had never seen in the book.

Many light cavalrymen did not dismount for several days, eating and sleeping on horseback, marching day and night without stopping. Some soldiers who were too exhausted would even fall off their horses while walking and never wake up again.

In Huo Guang's view, the army's march was faster than the speed at which the Xiongnu could relay news of the enemy's approach.

This is a miracle.

This is also the main reason for the brilliant victory.

"What will our army face next?" "The Hunxie King and the Xiutu King, two Xiongnu tribes with ten thousand households each!"

"If we leave behind any captured or prisoner-of-war, at our current pace, when will we arrive?"

"Three days later!"

"Within two days, the deaths of Zhelan and Luhou will be known to King Xiutu, and seven days later, they will be known to King Hunxie."

After learning of Huo Guang's Confucian leanings, Huo Qubing wanted to teach Huo Guang every word carefully, asking, "If our army arrives at the Xiutu King's territory in three days, the Xiutu King will surely have adjusted his defenses. Our army has traveled a long distance, while the Xiutu King's army is waiting in comfort. Can our army win?"

"Our overwhelming momentum is unstoppable by the Xiutu King's army; victory is assured!"

"Very well, how much more casualties can the prepared army of the King of Xiutu inflict on our army compared to the unprepared army of the King of Xiutu?"

"Brother, I don't know."

"Two thousand casualties, is that a lot?"

"not much."

"In the battle against the Xiutu King's army, our momentum was thwarted. Will the Hunxie King's army be able to inflict even greater casualties on our already exhausted forces?"

"Yes."

"Three thousand people, is that a lot?"

"not much."

"Is it an auspicious omen for me, a general, to inflict an additional 5,000 casualties on the sake of 10,000 surrendered prisoners?"

Huo Qubing stared into Huo Guang's eyes and asked earnestly, "For my sake alone, five thousand people have been killed or injured. How am I supposed to explain this to the families of those five thousand dead and wounded?"
"At this point in the war, every soldier in our army has survived dozens of battles, making them the undisputed elite of the empire. The loss of even one more soldier is a tremendous blow to the empire. Five thousand men—the entire Han Dynasty will grieve for them. How can I answer to the Emperor?"

Huo Guang paused for a moment, then said, "The surrendered captives are all dead. I'm afraid my elder brother will be unable to explain this to the officials in the court."

He didn't know how to face the families of the dead and wounded, nor how to face the emperor, but he knew that if the killing of surrendered soldiers happened, countless "moral exemplars" from all walks of life would impeach and criticize his elder brother for being heartless and a butcher.

Huo Qubing patted his now-darkened sword and said coldly, "My sword will give them an explanation!"

“Elder brother, being the target of everyone's criticism gives others leverage against you. If one day the Emperor decides to take action against you…”

"Will not!"

Huo Qubing interrupted Huo Guang, his voice gentle yet firm, "Zimeng, I hope you can also have the trust and kinship between me and the Emperor. You are a man of great talent, and when you enter the court in the future, you will surely be able to lend the Emperor a helping hand."

Huo Guang remained silent.

He could not trust a monarch without reservation, especially the monarch of the Han Dynasty, who was cruel, ruthless, and killed his own family members as easily as killing chickens and dogs. He believed that the current emperor was also that kind of person, someone who could take action against his own mother's clan even before ascending the throne, and even more so.

Those who serve as ministers must cherish their lives.

Huo Qubing did not insist. A commotion arose from the rear guard position. It was Zhao Ponu, the Eagle Strike Commander, who issued the order: "Shoot all these prisoners! Leave no one alive!"

The following day, the Xiutu King's forces were defeated.

Five days later, Huo Qubing crossed the Yushui River and attacked the Hunxie King's territory. Huo Qubing killed the Hunxie King with his sword and captured the Hunxie Prince.

"You! It's time to wake up."

"who are you?"

"who are you?"

"Prince Jin Ridi of Hunxie".

"Good! We've got you, Prince Hunxie! Send the order to escort Prince Hunxie back to Chang'an!"

(End of this chapter)