The Military Governor in Dream of the Red Chamber

The reason the Chahar tribe dared to set up camp less than ten miles from Qianshan Fort was not only because there were more than a thousand guards there, but also because they did not believe they would be attacked by the Dahong Army.

That is indeed the case.

The Da Hong Army generally does not leave the city to fight them.

After Abuna was seriously injured and fell into a coma, he was immediately brought here.

He has now regained consciousness; his injuries are serious, but not fatal.

"Kill them! Chop those few Da Hong soldiers who fired the cannons into mincemeat..." Abunai roared.

His words left his men speechless.

The cannon had exploded earlier, and Da Hongjun, who was operating the cannon nearby, had already been blown to pieces.

After shouting a few times, Abunai let out a painful wail, as it aggravated his injuries.

"Taiji, please don't get angry, get some rest," his subordinate hurriedly said.

Abunai was furious, but he found himself powerless to do so. He wanted to be angry, but his body wouldn't allow it.

He could only lie there, panting heavily.

"Once the main army returns, we'll raze Qianshan Fortress to the ground," Abunai said, trying to remain calm.

He couldn't accept letting Qianshanbao go so easily.

He suffered heavy losses twice in front of that brat Jia Chen, and he couldn't swallow this insult.

It's still because we don't have enough manpower. If all 20,000 men were here, what would those cannons matter?

The subordinates beside him, not wanting to provoke Abuna too much, could only go along with him.

In their view, attacking Qianshanbao was a very unwise move.

We can only wait until Abuna's injuries have healed a bit more and his emotions have stabilized before trying to persuade him.

Early the next morning, several riders came from the south and quickly rushed into the camp. The men were then immediately taken to Abuna's large tent to recuperate.

"Taiji, the Dahong Army is assembling on a large scale and is approaching Zhenqiang Fortress," the messenger reported.

"Hmph, spineless cowards. Even if more come, they're still just a bunch of useless trash." Abunai didn't take the Da Hong Army seriously at all.

Thinking back to the last time I covered the rear, didn't so many of the Great Hong Army just watch helplessly as my side swaggered away?

"Taji, this time it might be different. We've already fought them several times. They've amassed over 20,000 men, and they're still increasing their numbers. They seem determined to fight us head-on," the man continued.

"Huh? They dare?" Abunai asked, somewhat surprised.

Da Hongjun dares to fight back and even confront them head-on?

When did the Great Hong Army develop such backbone?

In Abunai's mind, only Jia Chen and his gang still had some backbone.

Although he wished he could tear Jia Chen apart and skin him alive.

"Oh no, Taiji, we have to retreat immediately, or we'll be in trouble. The Da Hong Army might really fight us at all costs," a trusted confidant said hastily.

"What did you say?" Abunai frowned and looked at him. "Them? Last time, with so many people, they only dared to follow from a distance. Besides, we have more than 20,000 people this time. Do you think we're afraid of them?"

This subordinate was his strategist, and he was willing to listen to him on many matters.

This time, however, Abunai was very skeptical of his claim.

"Taiji, we have a considerable number of men, but they are all scattered, and being within the territory of the Great Hong Dynasty, we are easily intercepted. Furthermore, this time is different from the last; we have captured Zhenqiang Fort, a crucial fortress of the Great Hong Dynasty. The Great Hong army cannot explain this to the court. Not only will the deputy commander of the Northern East Route be punished, but even the general of Datong Garrison will likely be punished. They will definitely fight us at all costs, not only to recapture Zhenqiang Fort, but also to gain more military merit. And this military merit…?"

The strategist stopped there and didn't continue.

Abunai's face darkened. Wasn't military merit just the heads of the warriors in his own tribe?

He admitted that the strategist's words made a lot of sense.

It seems that I really need to get out of here and return north as soon as possible.

If they are entangled within the territory of the Great Hong Dynasty, the warriors of the tribe will likely suffer heavy losses.

They're here to plunder; if the losses are too great, it won't be worth it.

"Send word to them to evacuate immediately," Abna sighed. "They must have looted quite a bit this time. It's already cold outside, so it's better for them to go back sooner."

The strategist secretly breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, he had managed to persuade Abunai.

Just then, someone outside reported it.

A man with an anxious expression entered and knelt down in front of Abunai, rattling off a rapid string of words.

"Nonsense! How can cavalry be surrounded?" Abunai shouted.

He actually claimed that his side had over three thousand men who were surrounded by nearly ten thousand Da Hong soldiers.

"Taijir, you can't move fast because you're carrying plundered people and valuables..." the man explained.

This silenced Abuna.

It's true that cavalry are swift and elusive, and they generally won't be surrounded by the Great Hong Army.

However, bringing people and valuables would indeed slow down the process.

If one doesn't want to give up the spoils, being surrounded by the Great Hong Army is a possibility.

In particular, Datong Town has been fully mobilized.

"Immediately notify nearby forces to provide assistance," Abna said in a deep voice.

"I'm afraid it's too late," the strategist shook his head and said. "It will be difficult to contact them in a short time, as they are too scattered. It would take at least two or three thousand people to send reinforcements."

Abna took a deep breath: "How many people are left here?"

"Taiji, you wouldn't happen to be...?" the strategist asked in surprise.

How many people?

"Including the original 1,500 people in the camp, there are now 3,000 people who are intact and able to move around," the strategist replied.

Abunai originally led 3,000 men to attack Qianshan Fort, but unfortunately, more than 1,500 were killed or wounded there, including nearly 500 who died in battle.

"Send three thousand men to reinforce them immediately," Abna ordered.

"No!" the strategist shouted immediately. "Taiji, if we do this, all of the more than a thousand wounded people left in the camp will be in great danger if something unexpected happens."

"Hmph!" Abunai snorted coldly. "Unexpected changes? What unexpected changes? Does the Tumed tribe dare to come, or does the Great Hong Army dare to come? Even if they come, our warriors, though wounded, can fight ten against one. Let's do it this way. If we don't have enough men, we won't be able to intimidate the Great Hong Army enough. If they get bogged down, it'll be even more troublesome. We must bring back those spoils, otherwise, wouldn't this trip have been for nothing?"

The strategist thought about it and agreed. If they were tied up, the number of Da Hong Army soldiers would definitely increase.

It would be better to send in enough reinforcements to rescue the trapped tribesmen first.

He felt that Abunai's claim of fighting ten men single-handedly was an exaggeration, but among these wounded, about half, or five hundred men, had relatively minor injuries and were still capable of fighting.

He didn't believe that the Tumed tribe and the Dahong army would dare to attack.

The Great Hong Army of Qianshan Fortress was indeed extraordinary and possessed considerable combat power, but they relied solely on the fortress and the firearms on its walls.

If they were to leave the city, the warriors of the Chahar tribe had never been afraid.

Moreover, their camp was only temporarily set up, and it was impossible for them to have discovered it by such coincidence that a large group of them would appear nearby.

The rescue team will be back soon, within a day at most, and a large army will return with them, so there shouldn't be any problems.

Immediately, three thousand cavalrymen rushed out of the camp and galloped swiftly southward.