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

Two days later.

Three days have passed since the last surprise attack that burned the Xiongnu's grain supplies.

During this time, Jia Lang went to visit Jia Ren, but Jia Ren already knew from the army doctor how serious Jia Lang's injuries were. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Jia Ren forced Jia Lang to go back and recuperate.

Jia Lang was happy to have some peace and quiet. Although his terrible injuries had mostly healed, he was afraid that if he told people about them, they would be shocked. So he decided to keep it to himself.

Today, Jia Lang had a rare opportunity to take a nap, only waking up leisurely when the sun was high in the sky and noon was approaching.

"Li Tiedan! Where have you been? Bring me some water!"

Jia Lang stretched, his joints cracking, and shouted in a strong voice.

Li Tiedan rushed out like a rolling thunderclap and soon returned with steaming hot toiletries.

Jia Lang took a refreshing hot bath, feeling as if every pore on his body had opened up, leaving him feeling completely relaxed.

Looking down at the scabbed wounds on my body, I saw that they were basically healed, and most of the scabs had fallen off.

He casually rubbed off the remaining scabs, revealing a series of hideous, centipede-like scars.

Looking at the several huge and long, terrifying wounds on his chest, Jia Lang felt no discomfort whatsoever; on the contrary, his blood was boiling with excitement.

To survive that brutal battle of corpses and blood was already a blessing from our ancestors; how could we dare to have any other expectations?

Moreover, Jia Lang never thought that scars on a man's body were ugly; on the contrary, he found them fascinating!

In his view, these scars are the glory of a real man, and the medals of a passionate man!

If I ever commit a crime in court, I can simply tear off my battle robe in front of that damned emperor; those scars will be my best lifesaver.

"I've shed blood for the Great Qian Dynasty! I've rendered meritorious service to the Great Qian Dynasty! Who dares to touch me?!"

"General."

Just as Jia Lang finished washing up, changed into clean undergarments, and was about to leave, Li Tiedan's raspy voice rang out from outside the door.

"What is it?"

While fastening his arm guards, Jia Lang asked casually.

"General, the Commander-in-Chief has ordered you to come to the city tower immediately for a meeting, saying there is military intelligence to discuss!"

Li Tiedan answered respectfully, his voice tinged with excitement.

"Okay, I understand. I'll go right away."

Jia Lang twisted his thick neck, his eyes instantly becoming sharp as an eagle's, and responded calmly.

"yes!"

Jia Lang put on his inner chainmail, then chose a pair of gleaming, high-quality armor, tidied his appearance, and strode out of the room with a powerful stride.

...

Yanmen Pass!

At the city gate tower!

Jia Lang led Li Tiedan to the foot of the city wall, whispered a few instructions to the simpleton, and then walked slowly up the city wall alone.

"General!"

Jia Lang stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist and smiled, his voice clear and melodious.

At this moment, Jia Ren's expression was solemn as a mountain. He was leaning against the parapet, staring intently at the direction of the Xiongnu camp in the distance.

"They're here? The others will be here soon too, please wait a moment."

Jia Ren didn't turn his head; his gaze remained fixed on the Xiongnu camp like that of a hawk.

Seeing this, Jia Lang also turned his head and looked in the same direction.

Several miles away, in the Xiongnu camp, banners blotted out the sun and fluttered in the strong wind. Countless iron cavalry could be seen galloping back and forth, raising clouds of dust, as if preparing for some earth-shattering offensive.

Upon seeing this, Jia Lang's brows furrowed into a deep frown.

About fifteen minutes later, the officers of Yanmen Pass arrived one after another on horseback, each with a solemn expression.

"General, General Jia."

Everyone clasped their fists in greeting, and the clanging of armor filled the air.

"Let's go to the council chamber!"

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Jia Ren took a deep breath of the cold air mixed with the smell of blood, turned around first, and strode towards the council hall.

The generals exchanged glances, each seeing a heavy sorrow in the other's eyes, and silently followed.

Seeing the mournful expressions on everyone's faces, Jia Lang felt a heavy weight pressing down on his heart.

Upon entering the council chamber, everyone took their seats in order of rank.

Jia Ren sat in the main seat, his hands resting on the table. His gaze swept across the room with lightning speed before he spoke slowly, his voice as firm as metal:

"Since the Xiongnu attacked our pass, the situation at Yanmen Pass has been extremely precarious!"

"Although Vice General Jia performed a remarkable feat the other day, burning the enemy's supplies, the Xiongnu have not retreated; on the contrary, they seem poised to reinforce their troops!"

"Now, we need to reconsider our strategy for defeating the enemy. Do any of you have any good ideas to share?"

Lieutenant General Xu, with a fiery temper, was the first to rise and clasp his hands in greeting:

"General! I believe we should take advantage of the enemy's destroyed supplies and wavering morale to gather our elite troops and launch a surprise attack!"

"No!"

Lieutenant Li immediately stood up to refute, shaking his head vigorously.

"Although the enemy's supplies have been damaged, their forces remain intact. Moreover, the Xiongnu have a thorough understanding of the terrain within our borders. Launching a preemptive attack might fall into their trap of luring us deeper into their territory!"

"Then, according to your cowardly opinion, what should be done?"

Lieutenant Xu glared angrily and demanded an explanation.

"In my humble opinion, we should hold the pass to the death and wait for the enemy to run out of supplies and retreat without a fight!"

Li Canjiang said, his neck stiff.

"hold fast?"

"Would we be waiting forever?"

"If the enemy doesn't retreat and supplies arrive, aren't we just waiting to be killed?"

Another general slammed his fist on the table and raised a stern question.

For a moment, the council chamber was filled with the cacophony of spittle flying and the arguments as noisy as a marketplace. The generals each held their own views, refusing to yield to one another, and almost came to blows.

Jia Lang sat in the corner, eyes downcast, listening quietly without speaking, his fingers rhythmically tapping the hilt of his knife.

Jia Ren watched as his generals argued like fighting cocks, his brows furrowed deeply.

He suddenly raised his hand and slammed it heavily on the table. With a loud "bang," the room fell silent instantly.

"What you all say makes sense, but the situation is changing rapidly, so we can't generalize!"

"Taking the initiative is too risky, and holding the pass is not a long-term solution!"

"Deputy General Jia!"

Jia Ren's gaze sharpened, and he suddenly turned to Jia Lang. "You're full of clever ideas, what's your opinion on this?"

Jia Lang slowly rose, his armor clanging with a resounding clang. He clasped his hands in a salute, his voice echoing throughout the arena.

"General, esteemed generals!"

"In my humble opinion, our army should adopt a swift and decisive strategy, proceeding in two phases!"

"First, hold the line! Strengthen the defenses of the passes, triple the number of troops patrolling day and night, and ensure sufficient rolling logs and stones are prepared to prevent enemy surprise attacks!"

"Secondly, wait! The imperial court must already be aware of the crisis at Yanmen Pass, and reinforcements are likely on their way!"

"Now all we need to do is act as the anchor, holding Yanmen Pass, and wait for reinforcements to arrive so that we can attack from both sides and trap them!"

"At that time, we will be able to attack or defend as needed, and the Xiongnu will surely be destroyed!"

These words were like a wake-up call; the generals nodded in agreement, their eyes rekindling with hope.

Upon hearing this, Jia Ren's approval was evident in his expression:

"Excellent! Not bad!"

"Yesterday I received an urgent reply from the imperial court. The military governor of the capital garrison is personally leading 50,000 elite cavalry to provide support. They should arrive at Yanmen Pass in no time!"

"General Li and General Xu, listen to my command!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"You two are responsible for reinforcing the pass's defenses. If anything goes wrong, you'll be beheaded!"

"The remaining generals, each perform your duties, rigorously inspect the logistical supply lines, and ensure absolute safety!"

"yes!"

The generals answered the order in unison, their voices thunderous and their heroic spirit soaring to the clouds!