Dream of the Red Chamber: From a Border Ruffian to a Capital Tyrant

Beyond the Great Wall lies a vast desert, where endless yellow sand stretches to the horizon.

A crescent moon, like blood, hung high in the sky, casting a chilling light that was neither frost nor snow, illuminating the endless wasteland in a deathly white, exuding a suffocating desolation and grim atmosphere.

Clad in heavy armor, Jia Lang resembled a black iron tower. He personally led a thousand elite cavalrymen, who, under the cover of the pale moonlight, surged across the wasteland like a ghostly army from the deepest hell.

All the warhorses' hooves were wrapped in thick cloth. More than a thousand men held their breath, silent and still. Only the rapid, thunderous sound of hooves echoed wildly in the empty night, like the huge scythe in the hand of death scraping the bone. Each muffled thud struck the hearts of the men, making their blood boil.

After three hours of frantic galloping, with men and horses never stopping, this iron army finally, at the third quarter of the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), like a sharp knife, silently reached the outer choke point of the Xiongnu camp.

"stop!"

Jia Lang suddenly raised his hand, his iron arm drawing a sharp, concealed gesture in the air.

The thousand riders suddenly reined in their horses, which emitted low, suppressed snorts and stood still in perfect unison. The dust they had just kicked up was pressed back to the ground by the biting night wind before it could even spread.

Everyone held their breath at that moment, their eyes, sharp as knives, half-closed, staring intently ahead.

Several miles away, scattered lights flickered wildly in the darkness, outlining the silhouette of the Xiongnu camp.

"Iron Egg!"

Jia Lang called out in a low voice.

"Your subordinate is here!"

Li Tiedan rode closer, dismounted, clasped his hands, and knelt on one knee.

"Take a few of your most agile brothers and sneak up there. Make sure you find out the enemy camp's strength, troop deployment, and where their supplies are."

"Remember, you can only look, not touch!"

"If you frighten the camp's dogs, you'll be beheaded!"

"Yes, sir!"

"General, rest assured, as long as the person is alive, the intelligence will be there; even if the person dies, the intelligence must still be transmitted!"

Li Tiedan clasped his hands in a deep fist salute, his iron will unyielding. He then selected several of his most agile scouts, who suddenly crouched low, using the withered grass and shadows for cover, like several venomous pythons slithering through the night, silently gliding towards the deathly enemy camp.

The time it takes for an incense stick to burn felt like an eternity in this deathly silent night, each breath like being fried in a pan of oil.

Finally, a very faint commotion came from the bushes. Li Tiedan came running back panting like a rolling gourd. His face was ashen, cold sweat poured down his forehead, and he was clearly exhausted to the limit, his chest heaving violently.

"General..."

Li Tiedan gasped for breath as he trembled as he made the famous hand gestures.

"How is the situation?"

"How many troops does the enemy camp actually have?"

Jia Lang pressed on in a deep voice.

Li Tiedan forcibly calmed his rapid breathing, which was almost bursting, and a complex light flashed in his eyes, a mixture of fear and extreme excitement:

"General, there are too many of these sons of bitches of Hun barbarians!"

"A rough estimate suggests at least 80,000 men, including infantry and cavalry!"

"Tents are everywhere!"

"Moreover, the west side of the camp is full of stables, a dark mass of warhorses stretching as far as the eye can see! The surrounding area is patrolled by scouts, as tight as an iron barrel, not even a fly can get in."

Upon hearing this, Jia Lang narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold light flashing deep within his pupils.

Eighty thousand people!

They really went all out; what a grand gesture!

And then there were the unknown number of cavalrymen... Jia Lang's brows furrowed deeply, his mind racing with calculations.

If those 20,000 cavalrymen were to launch a mass charge, even if his 1,000 men were all made of bronze and iron, they would be trampled into a pile of minced meat in an instant, leaving not even a trace.

"Do not try to defeat them by force, and do not disturb them."

Jia Lang took a deep breath of the cold air, suppressed the murderous intent in his heart, and made a decision in an instant.

"Pass down the order: everyone, gag in your mouths and rein in your horses, remove the bells from your horses, bypass the main camp, and head straight for the vital grain and fodder area to the northeast!"

"Be gentle and quick!"

"Anyone who makes even the slightest noise, regardless of who it is, will be court-martialed and executed without mercy!"

"yes!"

Jia Lang took one last, deep look at the brightly lit death trap, and silently hardened his heart:

If it weren't for the fact that our primary task today is to burn their grain supplies and cut off their lifeline, I would definitely lead my men in to charge in, cut off that Chanyu's dog head as a sacrifice to the heavens, and wash away this shameful past!

But he knew even better that this was almost impossible in the face of so many Xiongnu barbarians.

A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan; those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles.

"Walk!"

Jia Lang squeezed the horse's belly with both legs, and the warhorse, in pain, shot off like an arrow.

A thousand iron cavalrymen once again transformed into black phantoms of death, huddling along the edge of the Xiongnu camp like a pack of hungry wolves charging in the dark, silently stealthily making their way towards the crucial supply depot to the northeast, a place that would determine the fate of the entire battle, bringing with it a chilling, deadly wind.

......

At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), the sky is not yet light, and the night is at its darkest.

Jia Lang reined in his horse and stopped, looking at the faint firelight shining through the distance. He knew in his heart that he had finally arrived at his destination - the Xiongnu's temporary supply point.

Looking at the sparse, drunken patrols of the Xiongnu soldiers, Jia Lang felt a surge of intense impulse—a bloodthirsty desire to launch a surprise attack and wreak havoc right now.

But when he turned his head and looked at the soldiers beside him, who were exhausted along with their horses, and saw the bloodshot eyes and their strained bodies, his impulse gradually subsided like a tide.

The long march through the darkness not only drained their physical strength but also strained their mental state. The soldiers' minds were stretched to the limit, and their bodies were exhausted to the extreme.

Now is not the best time for a surprise attack. If we act rashly, even if we succeed, it will be a Pyrrhic victory, and we may even be surrounded due to exhaustion, which would be a greater loss than gain.

"Give the order: everyone hide, rest in place, and conserve their energy. Tomorrow night, launch a surprise attack and burn it to the ground!"

Jia Lang stared intently at the direction of the Xiongnu granary with eyes like a hawk, and spoke coldly, his voice carrying an undeniable iron-blooded tone.

"Yes."

Li Tiedan clasped his hands in response, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes, but mostly obedience. He turned and walked back, whispering the order to the soldiers.

The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten and a faint glimmer of light appeared.

"call...."

Jia Lang let out a long breath, stood up, and stretched his stiff, iron-like body, his joints making a series of popping sounds.

Sleeping outdoors, with the sky as your blanket and the ground as your bed, especially in the freezing, dark nights as winter approaches, is truly unpleasant and a form of torture.

My body felt chilly, as if the cold had penetrated even to my bones.

"General, the Xiongnu have made a move."

Just as Jia Lang was slapping his face hard, trying to clear his head, Li Tiedan, whose eyes were bloodshot and looked like a rabbit's, strode over.

It was obvious that Li Tiedan hadn't slept all night.

Upon hearing this, Jia Lang's previously hazy eyes immediately cleared.

"Wake up the soldiers, give them dry rations, prepare their horses, and get ready to follow."

"yes!"

Li Tiedan accepted the order and left. Soon after, all the soldiers got up, quickly prepared their equipment, mounted their horses, and followed the Xiongnu's supply train, quietly keeping a perfect distance.

........