Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 491 Extra Chapter: Fierce Battle (Part 3)
Batel and Tuqi suffered a crushing defeat, while only Xubu on the western route won a battle, massacred the county town, and returned with a large amount of money, grain, and slaves.

Morton Khan, pinching his nose, praised Xubu and, as promised, rewarded him with all the spoils of war. Xubu accepted them all without hesitation.

After Xubu left, Tuqi said angrily to Motun Khan, "We fought for the Khan, and the spoils of war should be given to the Khan first, with 70% going to him and the remaining 30% to ourselves. Xubu broke the rules and took all the spoils. He clearly doesn't respect the Khan at all!"

Morton Khan was also furious and snorted coldly: "You're good with words, but if you were this good in battle, I wouldn't have to put up with this nonsense."

Tu Qi was thoroughly humiliated by the scolding and muttered, "The Pei family's army and the Beiping army are renowned, but who would have thought that the Fanyang army's cavalry would be so formidable?"

Morton Khan's gaze sharpened, and his voice lowered: "Tuqi, there are no outsiders here. Tell me the truth. Do you think we have a good chance of winning this battle?"

Tu Qi had clearly thought about this issue long ago, and blurted out, "This battle will be difficult. The Pei family army has already arrived, all cavalry, and their strength is comparable to ours. We are at a disadvantage because we have come from afar, and supplies will be a huge problem. Also, this is their territory. They are familiar with the terrain and climate, and all the people are their eyes and ears. It will not be difficult for them to hide their tracks, and as soon as we make a move, we will not be able to hide from them."

"Khan! I'm not trying to be discouraging. But our chances of winning this battle are really not high."

Morton Khan finally sighed: "Do you think I, Khan, am unaware of this? My three elder brothers are all disrespectful. The only way I can subdue them is to wage war, deplete their forces, and force them to submit."

Tu Qi bluntly stated, "Winning the battle is fine. What I fear is a crushing defeat like eight years ago! That Emperor Zhaoyuan, Pei Qinghe, has personally led his troops here! General Pu Nu died at her hands back then."

Punu was widely recognized as the fiercest general of the Xiongnu and a trusted and beloved general of the old Khan. He was defeated and killed several years ago, prompting the old Khan to launch a major military campaign. Afterward, his health deteriorated, and he passed away after six or seven years. Only then did Motun become Khan.

Morton's exceptional horsemanship and archery skills were honed under the tutelage of Punu. Unlike the Han Chinese, the Xiongnu did not emphasize formal teacher-student relationships, but they were exceptionally loyal and affectionate.

Upon hearing the mention of Punu, Morton Khan's initial panic and fear vanished, and his voice returned to its cold and resolute tone: "It's good that Pei Qinghe dared to personally lead troops to attack. I will kill her to avenge General Punu!"

"Brother! Do you think we can win this battle?" Xubu, who had won a great victory and acquired a large amount of spoils, was not as joyful as Tuqi had imagined. After leaving Moton Khan's tent, Xubu's face darkened, and he went to his elder brother Batel's tent.

Batel, having suffered a defeat, was utterly demoralized. He said in a low voice, "The Beiping army is already very formidable. Their commander, Meng Liu, charges like a god of war. Pei Qinghe has been training his cavalry ever since he killed Pu Nu eight years ago. In my opinion, we don't have much of a chance of winning this battle."

Xubu sighed, "That's what I think too. If we take this opportunity to retreat back to the grasslands, we can preserve our strength. If we stay and fight a tough battle, I don't know how many warriors will be able to return to the grasslands by then."

Batel glanced at Xubu: "Of the three cavalry forces that went out, you were the only one who won. How come you're more discouraged than me?"

Xu Bu gave a bitter smile: "Think back to those days, we could send out one or two thousand cavalry and come and go like the wind, plundering as much as we wanted. In recent years, we've sent out small cavalry units, with wins and losses about equal. This time, out of our three cavalry units, only one was victorious, and that was only thanks to my trusted guards. The Liaoxi army used to be like tortoises, hiding in the city and not daring to move, letting us come and go as we pleased. Now they not only dare to attack, but they're also willing to fight to the death."

"I have won, but many of my elite troops have perished. No matter how much money, food, and women I seize, my brave soldiers will not return."

"After returning to the grasslands, our strength will be greatly diminished, and we will no longer be able to compete with Morton."

Batel's face darkened, and he lowered his voice, saying, "Morton has always harbored ill intentions, wanting to deplete our forces. The third brother is a coward, letting Morton bully him without uttering a sound. We brothers must be of one mind."

Xubu nodded emphatically: "Brother is right. If the Pei family army sends troops, we'll retreat and let Morton's 20,000 cavalry hold them off. If the situation turns bad, we'll immediately retreat back to the grasslands." Batel patted Xubu's shoulder forcefully: "It's settled then! When we return to the grasslands, I'll recommend you as Khan!"

Xubu laughed and said, "You are the eldest brother. If we are to recommend a Khan, it should be you."

Inside Huhanye's tent, several trusted confidants spoke up. Some suggested pledging loyalty to Morton, others recommended an alliance with Batelxub. Still others, bolder and more ambitious, advised Huhanye to preserve his strength. On the steppe, whoever had the most and strongest cavalry was the true master of the steppe.

After listening, Huhanye did not express his opinion and dismissed his confidants.

The Xiongnu army was divided into at least three factions. One faction consisted of Motun Khan and Tuqi, among others, with Baterxubu also being quite powerful. There was also a neutral faction, represented by Huhanye, along with many other tribal leaders. They all adhered to a simple principle: whoever had the strongest fist would be obeyed.

They didn't wait long before they received news of the Pei family army launching a large-scale attack.

Tens of thousands of Xiongnu cavalry were entrenched here, making them a highly conspicuous target. Since they couldn't abandon their camp, the only option left was to engage in battle.

Morton issued a military order, commanding Huhanye to lead his troops to meet the enemy in battle.

Although Huhanye was unwilling, he dared not disobey the order. He led his 8,000 cavalrymen and several tribal leaders to join him in the expedition, bringing the total force to nearly 20,000.

Although the Pei family army was a large force, the troops were still arranged in order, and the marching column stretched for dozens of miles, like a long snake.

With fierce fighting at the front and troops still on their way, it was impossible to commit everyone to the battlefield.

This battle was like a declaration of war between the two sides, with fierce clashes occurring several times. Without a clear victor, the Xiongnu army retreated.

Pei Qinghe did not rush to lead his troops to pursue. Instead, he chose the nearest county town, stationed his army there, and sent out many cavalrymen as scouts to find out the location and troop deployment of the Xiongnu army.

The Xiongnu also dispatched a large number of sentries.

Before the battle even began, the vanguard cavalry of both sides had already clashed several times.

Morton continued to issue military orders, commanding Huhanye to lead troops to attack the county town where the Pei family was located.

Huhanye was like a soft persimmon caught in the grip, and had no choice but to obey the Khan's military orders and launch another offensive two days later.

Before they even reached the city walls, they encountered a cavalry unit.

The handsome and stern young general Pei Feng brandished his long sword and shouted in a fierce voice, "My men, follow me and charge!"

(End of this chapter)