Rebirth: Phoenix Riding the Ninth Heaven

The Xiongnu army poured into the valley unprepared. The valley was silent, save for the clatter of horses' hooves. Suddenly, a sharp horn blast shattered the stillness. On either side of the valley, Daqian soldiers emerged from their hiding places like divine troops descending from the sky. Arrows rained down upon the Xiongnu army, and the shouts of killing shook the valley to a hum.

The Xiongnu Chanyu's face suddenly changed; he had never expected to be ambushed. But he was a veteran of many battles, so he quickly calmed down and shouted, "Don't panic! Form your ranks to meet the enemy!" Although the Xiongnu soldiers were caught off guard, they were well-trained and quickly organized a defense, using their shields to block the arrows.

Baili Xi stood on the top of the mountain, watching the Xiongnu army in the valley. He said to the general beside him, "Pass the order down. Wait until they get closer before launching a second round of attack. Make sure they can't escape!" At this time, the Xiongnu army in the valley, under the command of the Chanyu, struggled forward. They dodged arrows and tried to break through the blockade of the Daqian army.

Li Jing led a group of elite soldiers around the back of the valley, preparing to cut off the Xiongnu's retreat. He looked at his high-spirited soldiers and whispered, "Brothers, this battle concerns the peace of our frontier. We must give it our all and not let a single Xiongnu escape!" The soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes gleaming with determination.

As the Xiongnu army advanced deeper into the valley, Baili Xi shouted, "Shoot!" A second round of arrows pelted the Xiongnu army with even greater intensity. This attack inflicted heavy casualties on the Xiongnu, with many soldiers falling to the ground. The Xiongnu Chanyu was terrified. He knew that if he couldn't break out quickly, his entire army would be annihilated. Wielding his long sword, he led his personal guards and charged towards the front of the valley.

The Daqian army's defenses briefly faltered under the Xiongnu Chanyu's fierce assault. However, Baili Xi immediately mobilized his troops to reinforce and stabilize the defenses. Fierce hand-to-hand combat ensued in the valley. For a moment, blood splattered everywhere, and shouts and screams mingled.

At the back of the valley, Li Jing seized the opportunity and led his soldiers, like a tiger descending a mountain, towards the rear of the Xiongnu army. The Xiongnu army, attacked from both sides, was thrown into disarray. Li Jing brandished his spear and shouted, "Kill! Avenge our fallen brothers!" The soldiers' morale was buoyed, and they engaged the Xiongnu army in a desperate fight, each one against ten.

Amidst the chaos, a Xiongnu general spotted Li Jing and, with several of his personal guards, quietly approached him. As Li Jing engaged a Xiongnu soldier, the general raised his sword and struck at Li Jing's back. In the nick of time, a sharp-eyed Daqian soldier leaped towards Li Jing, blocking the fatal blow with his own body. Li Jing turned, his eyes blazing with rage, and stabbed the Xiongnu general to death.

By this time, the battle in the valley had reached a fever pitch. The Daqian army, leveraging the terrain and carefully planned ambushes, gradually gained the upper hand. Over half the Xiongnu army had suffered casualties, and panic was setting in. The Xiongnu Chanyu, seeing the situation hopeless, was filled with resentment. However, to preserve his strength, he had no choice but to order a retreat.

However, the valley was blocked from front to back by the Daqian army, making a breakout difficult for the Xiongnu. Seeing the Xiongnu attempting a breakout, Baili Xi ordered an intensified attack: "Don't let a single Xiongnu escape! Hit them hard!" The Daqian soldiers, high in morale, fought bravely. The Xiongnu soldiers desperately struggled, trying to find a glimmer of hope.

In the fierce battle, a Daqian soldier spotted the Xiongnu Chanyu. He ignored the danger and charged at him. The Chanyu's personal guards rushed forward to stop him, but the soldier remained undaunted, charging left and right until he finally reached the Chanyu. A fierce gleam flashed in the Chanyu's eyes, and he raised his sword to strike the soldier. The soldier dodged, then stabbed the Chanyu with his longsword. The Chanyu was unable to dodge, and his arm was lacerated.

At that moment, more Daqian soldiers gathered around, surrounding the Xiongnu Chanyu. Gazing at the ferocious Daqian soldiers surrounding him, he knew he had no escape. He raised his head to the heavens and let out a long cry, ready to fight to the death. However, before he could strike, a sharp arrow pierced his chest from a distance. The Xiongnu Chanyu slowly collapsed, his eyes filled with resentment and despair.

With the fall of the Xiongnu Chanyu, the Xiongnu army completely lost its fighting spirit. The remaining Xiongnu soldiers knelt in surrender. Baili Xi and Li Jing looked at the surrendering Xiongnu soldiers in the valley, feeling a surge of emotion. This valley ambush, at a relatively small cost, had achieved a brilliant victory for the Daqian army.

After the battle, Baili Xi and Li Jing began to clean up the battlefield. The soldiers buried the bodies of the Xiongnu soldiers and treated their wounded comrades. The Daqian army also captured a large amount of weapons, food, and horses. Looking at the mountain of spoils, Li Jing said to Baili Xi, "This victory not only dealt a heavy blow to the Xiongnu, but also greatly strengthened our army."

Baili Xi nodded and said, "But we can't take it lightly. The Xiongnu suffered heavy losses this time and will definitely not give up. We need to inform Your Majesty of the details of this battle and the subsequent response strategies as soon as possible." The two of them immediately arranged for the messenger to gallop to the capital with the victory report and battle analysis.

In the capital of Daqian, Emperor Qian anxiously awaited news from the front. When a messenger presented the battle report from Baili Xi and Li Jing, the emperor was overjoyed. The entire court, both civil and military officials, again offered their congratulations, praising the two generals for their masterful military strategy. The emperor, perusing the report, smiled with satisfaction, but soon fell back into deep thought.

Emperor Qian knew that although the Xiongnu had suffered a heavy blow, their foundation was intact and they could attack again at any time. He decided to convene another imperial meeting to discuss how to further strengthen border defenses and use this victory as an opportunity to adjust the military structure of Daqian.

At the imperial court meeting, Emperor Qian spoke first: "This time, General Baili Xi and General Li Jing ambushed the Xiongnu in the valley and won a great victory. This is truly a blessing for our great army. However, the Xiongnu are ambitious and we cannot afford to slack off in the slightest. My dear ministers, do you have any good strategies to eliminate the Xiongnu threat in the future?"

The Minister of Rites stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I believe we should seize this opportunity to send envoys to the various nations of the Western Regions to promote the prestige of our nation and establish closer trade ties and alliances with them. This will both isolate the Xiongnu economically and encircle them militarily."

Emperor Qian nodded slightly, signaling the Minister of Rites to continue. He continued, "Furthermore, through exchanges with the nations of the Western Regions, we can also introduce their advanced weapon manufacturing technology and horse breeding methods, thereby enhancing the combat effectiveness of our Great Qian army."

The Minister of War also hurriedly offered his advice: "Your Majesty, I believe that we should vigorously develop military farming in the border areas. Let the soldiers cultivate wasteland and grow food when they are not fighting. This will not only solve the army's food supply problem and reduce the burden on the people, but also make the border areas more stable. At the same time, we should strengthen the construction of border passes, build stronger walls and fortifications, and prevent the Xiongnu from taking advantage."

The Minister of Revenue expressed embarrassment and said, "Your Majesty, whether it's establishing an alliance with the nations of the Western Regions or cultivating farmland and building fortifications on the border, it will require a vast amount of money. Although the treasury has a surplus, I'm afraid that carrying out so many initiatives simultaneously will not be financially viable."

Emperor Qian pondered for a moment and said, "I have my own plan for this matter. We can first borrow some funds from wealthy merchants, and repay them once the border farming begins to show results and trade brings in profits. In addition, we should make appropriate adjustments to domestic taxes to increase revenue and reduce expenditure, but we must not increase the burden on the people."

At this point, the Minister of Personnel, who had been silent until then, said, "Your Majesty, the fighting on the front lines is frequent, and we need to train more outstanding generals. I suggest establishing a military academy in the country to select young people with military talent and systematically train them, so as to reserve military talents for our army."

Emperor Qian was delighted upon hearing this. "This is a brilliant plan. Pass on my order to immediately prepare for the military academy. The Ministry of Rites will be responsible for liaison with the nations of the Western Regions; the Ministry of War will be responsible for border farming and construction of passes; the Ministry of Revenue will be responsible for the allocation and management of funds; and the Ministry of Personnel will be fully committed to selecting faculty and students for the military academy. My dear ministers, please fulfill your responsibilities and ensure this matter is handled successfully."

The ministers all accepted the order. Afterwards, Emperor Qian ordered generous rewards for the soldiers and generals who had shown bravery in the ambush, and generous compensation for the fallen soldiers to demonstrate the court's respect and gratitude for them.

Back at the border camp, Baili Xi and Li Jing, after arranging post-war matters, began to reorganize the army. They distributed captured weapons and horses to the soldiers, upgrading their equipment. They also promoted a number of capable and courageous junior officers based on their performance in battle to boost morale.

Li Jing said to Baili Xi, "This battle has allowed me to discover many promising talents. After being tempered by the fires of battle, these young generals will surely become the backbone of the Daqian army in the future."

Baili Xi nodded in agreement. "That's right, but we can't rest on our laurels. Next, we need to strengthen our army's training. We need to develop more effective training methods tailored to the Xiongnu's tactics, so that our army can always maintain its strong combat effectiveness."

In the days that followed, the soldiers at the border camp engaged in intense daily training. They practiced various military skills, including horseback archery, combat, and battle formations. Baili Xi and Li Jing personally guided the soldiers' training, paying close attention to every detail. Under the leadership of the two generals, the soldiers' morale was high, and their enthusiasm for training was unprecedentedly high.

Meanwhile, envoys dispatched by Daqian embarked on a journey to the Western Regions. Carrying the emperor's decree and generous gifts, they shouldered the heavy responsibility of establishing friendly relations with the nations of the Western Regions. Crossing deserts and mountains, they endured untold hardships and finally arrived in their respective countries.

In the Kingdom of Loulan in the Western Regions, the Daqian envoy was warmly received by the King of Loulan. The envoy explained in detail to the King of Loulan the benefits of the alliance between Daqian and the countries of the Western Regions, including trade, cultural exchanges and