Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

In order to quickly resolve the troubles caused by Zuo Xian Wang, Ma Chao carefully drew up a plan and then began to think deeply, trying to find out how to lock the Huns firmly in Beidi County so that they would have no chance to escape back to Xianrong Qiang.

Cheliji received the information from Ma Chao and deeply understood the key to this mission and the great significance it contained. Therefore, he did not dare to relax even a little bit. He hurriedly summoned his capable and capable men, and made careful arrangements and deployments for each strategic point. He defended the passes like an extremely solid barrier and waited for the arrival of the Huns in a state of high alert.

Following Ma Chao's order, Yang Qiu acted with remarkable agility, immediately deploying the local troops to the various villages of Beidi County. This seemingly simple task was, in reality, frostbitten with numerous challenges and endless hardships. The soldiers needed to penetrate every village, meticulously explain Ma Chao's strategic intentions to the locals, and earn their active cooperation. Furthermore, in this bitterly cold winter, with freezing temperatures and the potential for snowfall, the task of collecting wood from each village and ensuring it could be lit in a timely manner made Yang Qiu's work exceptionally complex and tedious.

After meticulously planning all these deployments, Ma Chao, after careful consideration, finally settled on the strategic location at the border between Beidi and Fengyi counties. This was crucial. If the Xiongnu Zuoxian King successfully escaped to the Xianrong Qiang, he would undoubtedly reunite with the Eastern Qiang Mitang, significantly complicating Ma Chao's campaign against the Eastern Qiang. Furthermore, if they were driven there, and unable to be completely annihilated in Beidi County, their flight southward would directly cause untold trouble and constant harassment for Longxi County. The border between Beidi and Fengyi counties was the ideal location. Even if they couldn't be completely annihilated, once they entered Fengyi County, Fengyi County, with its proximity to the border and its history of frequent warfare, would likely have sufficient forces to deal with Zuoxian King. Even if he escaped through the border between Beidi and Fengyi and then southeastern Dongqiang back to the grasslands, that would be far better than allowing him to harass the people at will. Of course, the most crucial and important strategic goal was to completely strangle them within Beidi County and never let them escape.

To better implement this strategy, Ma Chao divided his cavalry into two groups. One group headed to the northeast of Beidi County to intercept and intercept the enemy, while Ma Chao himself coordinated with the Eastern Qiang troops led by Cheliji. When the Xiongnu Zuoxian King launched another raid in Beidi County, Ma Chao's meticulously planned intelligence transmission from village to village was fully and smoothly implemented. While the Xiongnu Zuoxian King was burning, killing, and looting, he saw a huge bonfire being lit. As he fled after the pillage, his whereabouts were relayed from village to village, allowing Ma Chao and Cheliji to quickly determine his location and lead their troops to intercept him. After two or three similar incidents, the Xiongnu Zuoxian King began to feel somewhat suspicious, and after one of his raids, he encountered Ma Chao and Cheliji's troops.

The Xiongnu Left Wise King first engaged in a fierce battle with Cheliji's soldiers. The battlefield was filled with shouts and cries of killing, as the soldiers of both sides clashed like a tide, swords flashing and sabers flashing, and a bloody hail filled the air. Brandishing his scimitar, the Xiongnu Left Wise King led his men in a valiant fight, attempting to break through Cheliji's defensive line.

Just as the two sides were locked in a fierce battle, Ma Chao suddenly charged into the battlefield, his cavalry, like a force descending from the heavens. These cavalrymen swept in like a whirlwind, the sound of their hooves echoing through the air. Their warhorses were all fine horses, galloping with the force of a storm. Ma Chao's cavalrymen had been carefully selected, each possessing exceptional skill in horsemanship. They were able to perform challenging maneuvers atop their galloping steeds, nimbly weaving through the enemy lines. Their equipment was also exceptionally sophisticated: their sturdy armor gleamed in the sunlight, their sharp weapons intimidating the enemy.

Ma Chao led the charge, his spear wielding like a dragon, crushing the enemy wherever he went. His presence instantly upset the balance of the battlefield, wiping out the Xiongnu's previously vaunted advantage in mobility. Seeing this, the Xiongnu's Left Wise King's expression suddenly changed. He attempted to mount an effective resistance, but Ma Chao and his cavalry surged forward, throwing his forces into complete chaos. Under the combined attack of Ma Chao and Cheliji, the Left Wise King's forces suffered nearly 10,000 casualties, severely crippling their vitality.

In the end, the Xiongnu Zuoxian King was forced to flee with his remaining soldiers, leaving the battlefield in ruins and blood. This battle was a major victory for the coalition forces of Ma Chao and Cheliji, and laid a solid foundation for subsequent strategic operations.

After this victory, Ma Chao displayed his daring and decisive nature. He immediately led his troops in pursuit of the Xiongnu Zuoxian King's forces, without a moment's slack. Simultaneously, he decisively ordered Cheliji to rapidly advance his forces to the northeast of Beidi County. Meanwhile, Yang Qiu, as planned, had already begun withdrawing his forces from the southwest of Beidi County. As the various actions unfolded, the situation gradually evolved into a situation where the Xiliang troops were encircling the Xiongnu on three sides. Faced with this pressing situation, the Xiongnu Zuoxian King had no other options but to flee southeast of Beidi County, towards Fengyi County. However, unbeknownst to the Xiongnu Zuoxian King, Ma Chao had secretly stationed elite cavalry at the border between Fengyi and Beidi counties, deploying them to block the Xiongnu Zuoxian King's advance. Once the Xiongnu Zuoxian King stepped into this area, he would immediately fall into a difficult situation of being surrounded on all sides, like a prey fallen into an elaborately woven trap, unable to escape.

Ma Chao's decision was driven by desperation. After all, the Southern Xiongnu had come out in full force. Zuo Xian Wang alone brought with him a force of forty to fifty thousand. With such a massive force, Ma Chao simply couldn't defeat them all at once. Therefore, he had to adopt a strategy of gradual depletion. Only by encircling and suppressing them could he gradually deprive Zuo Xian Wang of his mobility. Furthermore, the Xiongnu were equipped with highly mobile cavalry, capable of moving with the swiftness of the wind. With such a large force, Ma Chao had to carefully devise such a plan to completely eliminate their remaining manpower. As the war progressed, Zuo Xian Wang's area of ​​activity would shrink, hindering his ability to supply and maintain his position. Only by doing so could he completely annihilate the Xiongnu within Beidi County.

During this incredibly hasty escape, Zuo Xian Wang, filled with anxiety and fear, desperately tried to flee southwestward, hoping for a glimmer of hope. However, a harsh reality struck him like a bucket of cold water: the fierce, aggressive troops of Xiliang Beidi Commandery, led by Yang Qiu, awaited him. The moment Zuo Xian Wang's troops collided with Yang Qiu's, the two sides instantly engaged in a fierce battle, like a ignited powder keg. The shouts of killing shook the earth like thunder, and the clanging of weapons clashing was incessant and terrifying.

Just as the fierce battle between the two sides reached a fever pitch, the nightmarish Ma Chao swept in from behind like a raging whirlwind and, without hesitation, launched a ferocious and unstoppable charge against Zuo Xian Wang's troops. This charge was like a thunderbolt, carrying a force that could destroy heaven and earth. Under this fierce onslaught, Zuo Xian Wang's troops suffered a severe blow, suffering heavy casualties. The battlefield was a river of blood, a horrific sight.