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

The majestic Yanmen Pass stands tall, and the council hall atop the city tower is brightly lit with candles, its atmosphere heavy and solemn.

"Report! General! General!"

"This is terrible!"

A troop of barbarian cavalry charged straight towards the north gate!

As Jia Renzheng was discussing the battle with his adjutant, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the hall. A young general stumbled in, his armor clanging as he slammed his knee heavily on the ground with a sound like a booming bell.

"What?!"

Where are the Hun wolf cubs?

"Are the scouting battalion just sitting around doing nothing?!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Ren was so startled that he suddenly stood up, his beard and hair bristling with anger. He slammed his hand hard on the desk and shouted at the young officer, his voice shaking the roof tiles.

"General, please calm down! It's not the main force of the Xiongnu, just a small scout troop!"

Seeing Jia Ren's furious outburst, the young general trembled and hurriedly explained loudly.

"call...."

Upon hearing this, the tense atmosphere in the hall suddenly relaxed, and everyone exhaled in unison.

As long as there is no large-scale military invasion, there is room for maneuver!

However, Jia Ren's heart, which had just been at ease, instantly jumped back into his throat.

"Could it be that Deputy General Jia made a mistake?!"

Thinking of this, Jia Ren felt a chill run down his spine and dared not think any further.

"Walk!"

"Follow me to the city walls!"

Having said that, Jia Ren flicked his cloak and strode out of the hall, followed closely by his generals, their armor clanging. No one dared to hesitate for even a moment.

Standing atop the battlements, Jia Ren squinted as he gazed into the distance.

As far as the eye could see, dust billowed on the horizon, and a troop carrying the tattered banners of the Great Qian Dynasty was being relentlessly pursued by a dark mass of Xiongnu cavalry, only a few miles from the pass!

Jia Renhu's eyes suddenly lit up, a look of wild joy flashing in them.

"It's Vice General Jia!"

"It seems the plan to burn the granary has succeeded!"

"quick!"

"quick!"

"Open the city gates!"

"Welcome Vice General Jia back to the unit immediately!"

Jia Ren was so excited that he pounded the city bricks with his fist and shouted orders in a voice as loud as thunder.

"Yes, sir!"

The generals behind him were equally overjoyed and responded in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

Those present were all seasoned veterans, and with a little thought, they understood the key to the matter.

Since Vice General Jia has succeeded, this is a tremendous achievement!

The thought of the Xiongnu's desperate situation of running out of food and grass filled the generals with fervor. They accepted the order and rushed down the city wall like a pack of wolves, each taking on their assigned duties to prepare for the arrival.

The shadows on the horizon gradually grew larger, and finally, the blood-stained figures of Li Tiedan and his men came into clear view.

Jia Ren's gaze swept quickly across the area, and he was slightly taken aback:

Why is Vice General Jia, who always leads from the front, not on the front lines today?

But the situation was urgent, and there was no time to think it through!

Just as the Xiongnu vanguard entered the range of the powerful bows, Jia Ren's right arm slashed down like a knife, and he roared decisively:

"Release the arrows!"

The moment the order was given, a thousand powerful bows were fired simultaneously, and a sharp, piercing sound suddenly rang out!

A barrage of sharp, wolf-tooth-shaped arrows rained down across the dark night sky, weaving a net of death that descended upon the Xiongnu people behind Li Tiedan!

Caught off guard, the Xiongnu riders in the front row were instantly riddled with bullets, their horses and riders pinned to the ground by the immense force of the impact, their screams tearing through the air!

A Xiongnu commander, brandishing his sword, deflected several incoming arrows. His eyes widened in fury as he stared intently at the impending gate, roaring in defiance:

"Damn two-legged sheep!"

"Just wait!"

"You just wait!"

"Once the main force of my Xiongnu arrives, we will surely raze Yanmen Pass to the ground and tear you to pieces!"

The thousand men gritted their teeth, their voices like the wailing of owls echoing beneath the city walls.

He turned to look at the warriors behind him, falling to their deaths in the hail of arrows, then glanced warily at the dense array of arrow towers atop the city wall, and roared with resentment:

"withdraw!"

We have no choice but to retreat! With only a thousand or so men under our command, we're not even a match for this formidable pass!

Upon hearing the order to withdraw, the surviving Xiongnu felt as if they had been granted a pardon. Without hesitation, they turned their horses and fled in disarray.

They knew in their hearts that if they continued to chase, they would be riddled with arrows before they even reached the city walls!

Seeing the enemy cavalry retreat like stray dogs, a hint of regret and ruthlessness flashed in Jia Ren's eyes.

"General, I request permission to fight!"

"Strike while the iron is hot and kill him! Chase after these bastards and slaughter them!"

Xu Canjiang, standing to the side, narrowed his one eye, his remaining arm resting on the hilt of his sword. His killing intent was palpable as he turned his head to request permission to serve.

Jia Ren stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze deep as he stared at the gradually disappearing smoke and dust in the distance. A sense of solemnity was evident between his brows as he slowly shook his head.

"That's enough."

"Don't pursue a desperate enemy."

"Since Vice General Jia has already achieved unparalleled feats, if our army rashly advances at this time, it will only provoke the Xiongnu into a desperate act, resulting in unnecessary casualties."

"Pass down the order: all personnel must be on high alert for the next few days, to guard against the Xiongnu's desperate last-ditch effort and frantic counterattack."

Jia Ren spoke in a calm tone, exuding an unquestionable authority. Although there was regret hidden in his heart, he prioritized the overall situation.

"This subordinate obeys!"

Upon hearing this, General Xu, though unwilling, understood the reasoning behind it and clasped his hands in a deep bow in agreement.

"Alright, remember this grudge for now, there's always next time!"

Jia Ren took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and stood up, shouting loudly to the soldiers behind him:

"Now, come with me out of the city!"

"Welcome our heroes, our true heroes!"

"Yes, sir!"

Upon hearing this, the generals' heroic spirits were reignited, and they responded in unison, their voices resounding through the sky.

Immediately afterwards, Jia Ren and his entourage descended from the city tower, opened the north gate, and stood solemnly outside the drawbridge, awaiting the triumphant return of the army.

"Tap tap tap..."

A rapid, powerful sound of horses' hooves approached from afar, shattering the silence of the night.

A bright smile spread across Jia Ren and the others' faces—the joy of victory.

However, as Li Tiedan and the others gradually became clearer, Jia Ren's smile involuntarily froze, and his heart sank to the bottom.

Even after Li Tiedan dismounted, Jia Ren's gaze swept across the entire crowd, but he still couldn't find that familiar figure—Jia Lang!

A strong sense of foreboding coiled around my heart like a venomous snake.

The surrounding generals also noticed something amiss. Their previously high spirits and jubilation were instantly extinguished, replaced by a deathly silence and deep worry.

When Li Tiedan reached a distance from Jia Ren, Li, the scout in charge, could no longer contain himself. He stepped forward, grabbed Li Tiedan's armor, and roared urgently:

"Young sir! I ask you, where is Vice General Jia now?!"

Upon hearing this, Li Tiedan and the others all showed expressions of grief and knelt down with a thud.

Upon seeing this, Jia Ren felt a sudden jolt in his heart and his body swayed slightly.

"General...General!"

Li Tiedan knelt on one knee, this tough man crying like a child, his voice choked and torn:

"My general...he...he single-handedly drew away thousands of pursuing soldiers to cover our retreat..."

"What?!"

"What did you say?!"

"Explain yourself! What exactly happened to Deputy General Jia?!"

Lieutenant Li, standing to the side, was struck dumb, his face turning deathly pale. He then flew into a rage, roaring like thunder.

"The general... risked his life alone, single-handedly holding off thousands of cavalry, all to buy us time to retreat..."

Li Tiedan answered with tears streaming down his face and sobbing, each word like a heavy hammer blow to everyone's hearts.

"Damn it!"

"You bastard!"

"Is this how you protect your commander?!"

"How can we let our commander face danger alone?!"

"I'll chop you up!"

Li Canjiang was furious, his face contorted with rage. With a clang, he drew his long sword from his waist and slashed at Li Tiedan's head with a chilling glint in its eyes!

Li Tiedan closed his eyes and awaited death, showing no intention of dodging whatsoever, his face filled only with despair and guilt.

"clang--!"

At the critical moment, sparks flew everywhere!

With his remaining arm wielding like an iron clamp, Xu Can blocked the fatal blow.

"General Li!"

"stop!"

"These soldiers are all heroes who returned victorious from the battlefield, how dare you treat them like this?!"

With his single eye wide open, General Xu blocked the long sword, then turned to General Li and shouted a stern rebuke, his voice booming like a bell.

"Xu Zhong! You..."

Lieutenant General Li's attack missed, and he was stopped again. His face turned red, and he stared at Lieutenant General Xu like an angry Vajra, his chest heaving violently.