Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Inside Ma Chao's tent, candlelight flickered, its shadows dancing across the faces of the generals. Everyone gathered, expressions solemn and silent, waiting. Soon, Lu Su hurried into the tent, saluted Ma Chao, and reported the details of his negotiations with the tribal leaders.

Ma Chao nodded slightly after hearing this. Then, with a sharp look in his eyes, he stood up and shouted, "Xu Huang, Shao Ge, you two step out!"

Xu Huang and Shao Ge immediately stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and responded in unison: "Your Majesty is here!"

Ma Chao's expression was stern. He spoke, "Tomorrow, Murong Xuepo will undoubtedly launch a fierce assault on Ordo. The two of you will lead the infantry and attack Ordo from the southwest. But at the outset, do not launch an all-out attack; feint only, making the enemy think we're bluffing. Kebi Neng will undoubtedly deploy all of Ordo's defenses against Murong Xuepo's attack on the eastern wall. Once the enemy's attention and defenses are drawn there, you two will launch an all-out assault, taking Ordo with lightning speed. Once inside, show no mercy to anyone inside, regardless of whether they are Murong Xuepo's or Kebi Neng's followers. Kill without mercy, disrupt the situation, and throw Murong Xuepo into disarray."

Xu Huang and Shao Ge showed resolute expressions and accepted the order in unison: "We obey your orders and will definitely live up to your trust!"

Ma Chao then shouted, "Zhang Xiu and Zhang Liao, you two will follow me and lead our elite cavalry to attack Murong Xuepo's camp. Murong Xuepo has stormed the city with all his might, leaving his main camp vulnerable. We must seize this opportune moment and storm it with lightning speed, capturing it and severing its retreat. This battle is of vital importance, and it hinges on our success. Do you two have the confidence to do so?"

Zhang Xiu and Zhang Liao exchanged a look of determination, and said in unison, "We are willing to fight to the death and return victorious!"

Ma Chao nodded with satisfaction, his gaze sweeping across the crowd as he spoke loudly, "Generals, this battle is crucial for pacifying the grasslands. Our army has been preparing for a long time, and now the deployment of all forces is finalized. Success or failure depends on this one move. I urge you to fight bravely and achieve great military exploits for our Han Dynasty on this grassland!"

All the generals responded in unison, their voices like a loud bell, and the passionate morale surged in the tent. Everyone was ready to face the battle tomorrow that would determine the fate of the grassland.

The next day, a leaden sky hung heavy over the earth, and a fine, silky drizzle fell, shrouding the world in a gloomy, almost eerie atmosphere. Although the downpour subsided for a while in the latter half of the night, the annoying drizzle returned quietly in the early morning, leaving a lingering sense of oppression.

Murong Xuepo stood before his tent, gazing at the nearby city of Ordo, his heart aching with anxiety. He yearned to capture it as quickly as possible, fulfilling his ambition to dominate the grasslands. He gave an order, summoning all his generals for a meeting. Inside the tent, the generals quickly gathered, while the leaders of the smaller tribes cautiously stood behind them, exchanging subtle glances filled with worry and unease.

Murong Xuepo stood on a high platform, his expression stern as he began issuing orders. His eagle-like gaze swept over the crowd, and he directly called out the names of several small tribal leaders on the periphery. His tone was unquestionable, and he said, "All of you, organize yourselves immediately and launch the siege!"

Upon hearing this, the faces of the several small tribal leaders who had been named turned pale. Seeing this, the tribal leaders exchanged glances and then fell to their knees, their cries and words intertwined as they all burst into tears. The leader of the Shiwei tribe cried out, "My king, look at this heaven! It's raining non-stop! If we rush forward in the rain, we'll be sending ourselves to our deaths!"

A trace of unconcealable hostility flashed across Murong Xuepo's already anxious and irritable face. He opened his eyes wide and shouted, "What? Do you want to disobey my orders?" As soon as he finished speaking, Suhe and Ulihan on the side understood what he meant. They quickly pulled out half of the scimitars from their waists. The blades flashed a cold light in the dim tent. The two of them stared at the people kneeling on the ground with unfriendly expressions, and there was naked threat in their eyes.

Faced with this tense situation, the kneeling leaders trembled with fear, but they bravely continued to cry out, "My king, since we followed you in your uprising, every battle has been fought without us charging at the forefront. While we can't boast of our contributions, the hard work we've put in along the way is undeniable! For example, here at Ordu City, over half of our warriors have been killed, and those who remain are either injured or disabled. Now, the rain is incessant, and the roads are muddy and slippery. Asking us to attack the city under these circumstances is truly... truly unsustainable! We hope that Your Majesty will show mercy and sympathize with our difficult situation!"

Murong Xuepo listened to their wailing, anger surging in his heart like a raging undercurrent. His gaze swept over the eight or nine kneeling tribal leaders, his heart tangled. While each of these small tribes had a small force, they combined numbered nearly thirty thousand. He couldn't just slaughter them all as easily as he had yesterday, killing the two tribal leaders. Otherwise, his forces would be thrown into disarray before even reaching Ordo City.

Murong Xuepo suppressed the rage raging within him, forced a seemingly calm expression on his face, and slowly spoke, "Never mind. I'm not unreasonable. I know you've been working very hard these days, and the tribe has suffered heavy losses. But now the war has reached a critical juncture. Ordo City is within reach, and we can capture it at any moment. We absolutely cannot afford to fail at this critical juncture."

After saying that, he turned to look at Ulihan and Suhe, and said in a deep voice: "Ulihan, Suhe, you two put your scimitars back into the sheath and listen to my orders." The two looked at each other. Although they were unwilling, they still slowly inserted the scimitars that were shining with cold light into the sheath as he said, knelt on one knee, and waited for the king's orders.

Murong Xuepo continued, "You two will lead our troops immediately and launch the first attack." He then turned his gaze to the eight or nine tribal leaders and said, "You all should rise as well. Once Wulihan and Suhe lead their troops to launch the attack, you will follow them and attack together. This time, our troops will serve as the main vanguard, and you will just need to cooperate closely."

Upon hearing this, the leaders were overjoyed and quickly knelt to express their gratitude. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness. We will obey your orders!" With that, they hurriedly arose and went off to make their own arrangements for the battle. Murong Xuepo watched them depart, a subtle glint of sinister intent flashing in his eyes. He secretly thought that once he captured Ordo City, he would punish these disloyal individuals and teach them the consequences of disobeying his orders.

Amidst the drizzling rain, the dull yet stirring sound of war horns suddenly blew, piercing the gloomy sky. Ulihan and Sukh led their elite troops, charging towards Ordo City like a tiger descending from a mountain. Their measured footsteps splattered the muddy ground, sending up murky sprays. Simultaneously, the blast of the horn, like a command, swiftly launched Xu Huang and Shao Ge into a fierce attack from the southwest. For a moment, the cries of battle and the thumping of war drums mingled, jarring the eardrums.

At that moment, atop Ordo City, Kebi Neng, like an aged yet still majestic wolf king, stood shoulder to shoulder with Tarim, their expressions solemn as they watched the surging enemy force surge towards them. A fine drizzle of rain fell on their armor, slowly sliding down the cold metal. Tarim, puzzled, asked, "My lord, why have you personally ascended the city walls to oversee the battle recently?" He glanced around, but saw no sign of Ulanda. He asked again, "Why is Ulanda missing today?"

Kebi Neng's lips curled up slightly, revealing a cruel smile. He said slowly, "Ulanda, I believe you have already crossed Langjuxu Mountain and headed north." Upon hearing this, Tarim's face turned pale as paper. He said in shock, "Your Majesty, you... what do you mean? What exactly is your plan?"

Ke Bineng stared intently at the enemy troops who had already begun to climb the city walls and said coldly, "What else could it mean? We are doing our duty by fighting to the death here. Ulanda is still young and shouldn't die here. Let him live."

A flash of despair crossed Tarim's eyes, his lips trembling as he tried to speak. However, Kebi Neng gave him no chance, roaring, "The enemy is advancing! Come, it's time to fight!" With that, Kebi Neng swung his long sword and charged at the enemy like a bolt of black lightning. Though rage surged within Tarim, in this life-or-death situation, he could only grit his teeth, scimitar raised, filled with rage and determination, and followed Kebi Neng into the ferocious enemy. For a moment, the walls flashed with swords and blades, shouts and screams echoed incessantly. Blood, washed down by the drizzling rain, flowed down the walls, staining the ground an eerie dark red.

Xu Huang's offensive appeared fierce, but in reality, it was all talk and no action. Following Ma Chao's instructions, he didn't launch a particularly violent attack, instead creating a tense atmosphere of a massive army approaching and about to siege the city. The cries of battle resounded loudly in the southwest, but in reality, the number of troops actually engaged in the battle was limited, so few men fell.

Meanwhile, Murong Xuepo's elite troops, led by Wulihan and Suhe, launched a frenzied assault on the eastern side of Ordo City. These elite soldiers were well-trained and fought with valor. For a time, Ordo City's eastern flank came under immense pressure. Their reckless charge, seemingly tireless and fearless, instilled in the defenders an unprecedented sense of danger.

From the moment they engaged, Ke Bineng keenly sensed the gravity of the situation. He now had only about four thousand soldiers left, and his most elite thousand had been taken away by Wulanda. Faced with such a disparity in strength, Ke Bineng knew the situation was dire and he must fight with all his might. After a moment's deliberation, he decisively ordered all soldiers in the city to ascend the eastern flank and fully resist Murong Xuepo's attack.