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

"Modu, sit down!"

A fleeting, almost imperceptible cunning glint flashed in Touman Chanyu's eyes. He then turned and gave his son a perfunctory reprimand, his tone stern yet carrying a hint of dismissive gentleness:

"Those present here are the pillars of my Xiongnu, and also your uncles and elders. You must not be disrespectful."

But this was just a show he put on for everyone; anyone could see his indulgence of Maodun.

"Left Wise King, do not be impatient. Yanmen Pass will surely fall within two days."

"When the time comes, I'll allow your Chihu tribe to be the vanguard, the first to enter the city. You can choose any gold, silver, treasures, beautiful women, and slaves you desire. How about it?"

"As for the rations, I have dispatched the bravest warriors of the Lan clan with several thousand elite cavalry to escort them, and they will arrive soon."

"We're all brothers, don't you trust me, the Chanyu?"

When the topic of provisions came up, Touman Chanyu's face twitched slightly, turning so gloomy it seemed like it could drip water, but in an instant, he put on that hypocritical smile again.

In fact, Touman Chanyu received the devastating news of the supply depot being burned down early the next morning.

However, he knew that the army had already moved, and if he made a fuss about it now, it would cause chaos in the army's morale.

Fortunately, the dry rations he carried with him, as well as the grain and livestock he had plundered, could last him a few more days, so he forcibly suppressed the matter.

However, what pained him even more than the burning of the supply point was that Lan, the most loyal servant of his, had also died in battle, his head even being mercilessly crushed by the two-legged sheep of Yanmen Pass.

This was no less than losing an arm for him.

In stark contrast to Touman's grief and indignation, when the eldest prince Maodun heard the news, a gloating sneer flashed behind his lowered eyes.

In his view, the Lan clan was his father Khan's loyal lackey and a potential obstacle on his path to seizing the throne. The death of one of them would reduce his troubles and bring him one step closer to the supreme position of Chanyu.

At this moment, the atmosphere inside the tent had dropped to freezing point.

The Xiongnu were originally a loose tribal alliance, and the so-called Touman Chanyu was merely the most powerful and had the largest army.

"Great Chanyu, I hope you will keep your word!"

"Otherwise, although we are outnumbered, if we really fight to the death, no one will escape unscathed!"

A Xiongnu tribal chief, his face ashen, uttered a chilling threat.

Having said that, he flicked his leather robe sleeves and strode out of the tent. Today was his tribe's turn to attack the city, and he still needed to gather the remaining troops.

Seeing this, the other leaders also cast cold and resentful glances at the arrogant Touman father and son, then snorted and left one after another.

This trip south cost them almost everything they had, bringing with them all the able-bodied men in their tribe.

But now?

Most of the deaths were among their own people, while the Touman royal court's elite troops were hidden away like treasures, not a single hair of them was lost.

This is clearly using the Qian people's knife to weaken them!

Everyone knew the truth perfectly well, yet they were helpless.

The law of the grasslands is that whoever has the biggest fist is king.

The Touman people used force and coercion to bind them to their chariots, threatening extermination if they disobeyed.

Now that their own warriors have lost more than half their strength, they have lost the will to resist and can only place their last hope on Touman's promise, hoping that after breaking through Yanmen Pass, they can get a taste of the spoils and not suffer a loss.

"Father Khan, why be so subservient to a bunch of barking chickens and dogs?"

Maodun watched the crowd leave, his eyes full of disdain, and said arrogantly.

"Hehe, my son, you are still too young."

"Since someone is willing to take on the tough challenges for us, we should naturally offer them some incentives."

Touman Chanyu narrowed his eyes, gazing in the direction of Yanmen Pass, his cloudy old eyes gleaming with a cunning and calculating light.

"But... Father, our thousands of lambs and rations were burned to ashes by that ruthless general Jia Lang. The rest probably won't last more than a few days."

"If we can't take Yanmen Pass within five days, the tribal leaders will likely mutinier as soon as they learn the truth..."

Maodun frowned and finally voiced his concerns.

To everyone's surprise, Touman suddenly burst into wild laughter after hearing this.

"Haha....Hahahaha..."

Laughter echoed within the tent, shaking the dust from the ceiling and creating an eerie and insane atmosphere.

Maodun was bewildered by his father's reaction, and his brows furrowed.

"Father, what's wrong with you...?"

"My son Maodun, remember this: war is never won by brute force."

Touman stopped laughing and looked coldly at his son, who was a head taller than him, with a complex sense of apprehension in his eyes.

His eldest son was far superior to him in both literary and martial arts; he was a true wolf.

Although I am old, I have not lived enough and do not want to relinquish power.

The supreme position of the Chanyu is the most potent poison in the world; once tasted, one would never want to relinquish it until death.

"Sometimes, even if we lose a battle, as long as most of our people are dead, it can be a kind of gain for us."

Touman said in a sinister tone, his voice so low it seemed to come from the deepest hell.

"Father, I am dull-witted and cannot fathom the meaning behind your words."

Maodun's brows furrowed into a deep frown, his eyes filled with intense doubt and confusion, piercing Touman Chanyu like a sharp blade as he pressed for answers in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, Touman Chanyu's withered lips slowly turned up, forming a cunning and calculating curve, his eyes flashing with a cold and wise light like a venomous snake.

"My son Maodun, at dawn this day, I intercepted a secret report."

"The letter states that at three-quarters past midnight last night, the deputy general named Jia Lang at Yanmen Pass personally led eight hundred elite troops of the Great Qian Dynasty and quietly opened the north gate."

"Think about it: at this critical juncture where these two armies are locked in battle, a matter of life and death, why didn't that brat Jia Lang defend the city to the death? Instead, he led his troops out of the city under cover of night. What was his purpose?"

Touman Chanyu spoke with a half-smile, his tone deep and his eyes so profound they seemed to devour all light, concealing a chilling secret.

Upon hearing this, Maodun was first taken aback, then his pupils shrank sharply, and a thought flashed through his mind like lightning. A moment later, as if he had grasped something key, a look of astonishment appeared on his face.

"Father Khan, do you mean... that Jia Lang's target is actually your royal camp?!"

Maodun exclaimed with an almost certain tone, and then, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, he couldn't help but laugh wildly to the sky.

"Hahaha!"

"This is utterly ridiculous!"

"Has Jia Lang lost his mind?"

"How dare a mere eight hundred two-legged sheep plot a surprise attack on Father Khan's central command tent?"

"This is like an ant trying to shake a tree—it's a suicide mission!"

"Utterly overestimating their abilities!"

However, just as his wild laughter shook the tent flaps, he caught a glimpse of Touman Chanyu's eyes, which were gradually narrowing into slits.

There was no hint of a smile in his eyes, only a razor-sharp majesty and a chilling warning. Maodun's laughter stopped abruptly, like a duck being choked.

"Father, the way you look at me..."

Maodun's heart skipped a beat, and he spoke again, puzzled, his voice unconsciously trembling with apprehension.

Touman Chanyu snorted softly, not answering directly, but slowly turning his head, his gaze piercing through the thick cowhide tent, and landing in the direction where the tribal leaders had just left. His eyes narrowed, their cold light sharp, like an old wolf plotting its hunt.

"Pass down the order: from today onwards, we will meet in the largest tent in the northeast corner."

"Moreover, not only must we go, but we must also go with great fanfare, beating drums and gongs, and lighting torches as a signal, making a grand entrance for this Chanyu!"

Touman Chanyu wore a cruel and eerie smile on his face, which sent chills down one's spine.

Upon hearing this, the eldest prince Maodun was startled. He also narrowed his eyes and followed Touman Chanyu's gaze. He instantly understood the deeper meaning of the treacherous plan, and a bloodthirsty sneer appeared on his lips.