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

At this moment, on a secluded, sheltered hillside outside Yanmen Pass, Jia Lang stood with a solemn expression, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's, fixed on the vast encampment of the Xiongnu people five miles away.

Below, the camp, which had been restless, was now filled with countless tiny black dots moving and converging rapidly, like a swarm of busy and bloodthirsty black ants.

In the short time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the seemingly chaotic formation became completely disciplined. Countless Hun cavalrymen formed huge siege formations, like an indestructible steel jungle, exuding a chilling aura of killing intent.

Upon seeing this, Jia Lang's pupils suddenly contracted, and his heart was filled with shock and disbelief.

In his mind, the Xiongnu were nothing more than an uncivilized barbarian group who only knew how to rely on their physical strength and charge into battle.

But now, witnessing the orderly and well-coordinated military formation below, Jia Lang suddenly realized that he had greatly underestimated these hungry wolves of the grasslands.

However, upon further reflection, it makes sense. The military talent and training methods of the general guarding the pass, Jia Ren, are not weak, and may even surpass most of the mediocre military generals in the Great Qian Dynasty.

Even someone like Jia Ren could only hold out in his isolated city, relying on the advantage of the high city walls to barely manage to hold off the Xiongnu.

This shows just how terrifying the true fighting power of the Xiongnu cavalry was, and it should not be underestimated!

Just as Jia Lang was intently watching the changes in the Xiongnu army formation, even holding his breath, he saw a dozen burly men in heavy armor, exuding a fierce aura, riding tall horses slowly to the forefront of the army formation.

Jia Lang's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself: This is a mobilization before the battle, a pledge to attack the city!

So Jia Lang forced down his heartbeat, squinted his eyes, and strained his eyes to see the faces of the dozen or so people.

Unfortunately, the distance was too great, and the morning mist had not yet dissipated, so Jia Lang and the others could not hear what the enemy camp was shouting at all.

But the deafening shouts that surged from below like a tidal wave continued to strike everyone's hearts like heavy hammers, making Jia Lang and the others' faces grow increasingly heavy and unpleasant.

Before long, the sky was fully bright, and the golden sunlight shone on the earth without any warmth, adding a touch of desolation and solemnity to this battlefield that was about to be stained with blood.

Jia Lang and the others had no choice but to lower their bodies again, pressing themselves tightly against the withered grass on the slope, with only half of their heads and eyes showing, nervously monitoring the Xiongnu's every move.

After a thunderous roar of shouts from the Xiongnu below, the previously noisy army formation miraculously fell silent, the deathly stillness seeming to freeze time itself.

Just as Jia Lang was filled with doubt and speculation about whether a general offensive was about to be launched, Li Tiedan suddenly poked his armor with his finger and said in a low, urgent voice:

"General, look over there!"

Jia Lang looked in the direction Li Tiedan was pointing and saw a middle-aged man in magnificent armor, with a burly build, riding a jet-black warhorse. Surrounded by a group of guards, he walked majestically to the very center of the army formation.

Seeing the fierce-looking Xiongnu generals around him treating this middle-aged man with utmost respect, as if they were surrounded by stars, Jia Lang narrowed his eyes again, his mind racing as he tried to guess the man's identity.

"This man... must be Touman, the Great Chanyu of the Xiongnu!"

Jia Lang murmured softly, but his tone was absolutely firm.

Although he had never met Touman Chanyu in person, he knew from Jia Ren's descriptions that Touman Chanyu of the Xiongnu was over fifty years old and that he valued dignity very much.

Looking at the gray hair at the temples of the middle-aged man giving the speech below, and combined with the almost fanatical respect of the Xiongnu people around him, Jia Lang could conclude that this old man was the supreme ruler of the Xiongnu—Touman Chanyu!

"drink!!!"

"drink!!!"

A quarter of an hour later, under the watchful eyes of Jia Lang and the others, the chieftain of Touman finished speaking, suddenly drew the golden scimitar inlaid with gems from his waist, pointed it straight at the sky, and shouted to the heavens.

The voice was old yet powerful, like the roar of an old lion, seemingly about to pierce the clouds.

As soon as the shout fell, tens of thousands of Xiongnu cavalrymen pounded their chest armor and roared in unison. The sound gathered into a wave of sound, deafening, as if it would shake the ground beneath their feet.

"kill!!"

"kill!!"

"kill!!!"

Hearing the battle cries that soared into the sky, even though the eight hundred soldiers behind Jia Lang were all seasoned veterans, their eyes revealed an undisguised fear and tension.

Half an hour later, Touman Chanyu, who was at the head of the group, seemed to turn his head and whisper a few words to the burly leaders beside him.

Before long, several burly men in iron armor led tens of thousands of fierce Huns, marching in a mighty procession toward Yanmen Pass.

The scene was extremely spectacular, with a black torrent of armor stretching for miles, like a giant black dragon surging and rolling across the land, its momentum terrifying.

However, after a moment, Jia Lang's eyes were filled with deep doubt and confusion.

Divide and fight?

Why split up forces at this critical juncture?

Isn't this a cardinal sin in military strategy?

Moreover, the walls of Yanmen Pass are towering high into the clouds, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. If an army many times larger than the defenders were to overwhelm them, it would be virtually impossible to take the pass by force.

But looking down at the two-thirds of the main Xiongnu force still standing ready in the camp, Jia Lang felt his mind was not working properly, and he couldn't figure out what the Xiongnu Chanyu Touman was thinking.

Did he think he had too many troops and wanted to waste them under the cover of a fortified city?

Or is this old fox plotting some more insidious and vicious conspiracy?

"General, what... what should we do now?"

Just as Jia Lang was deep in thought, unable to find a solution, Li Tiedan's slightly anxious voice rang in his ears, interrupting his thoughts.

"What should we do?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Lang did not answer immediately. Instead, he stared intently at the main force of the Xiongnu below, which remained motionless and surrounded the camp like an iron barrel, while constantly calculating in his mind.

Yes, what should we do?

There were at least 40,000 to 50,000 elite Xiongnu troops stationed here, while he had only led a mere 800 daredevils.

The disparity in troop strength between the enemy and ourselves was so vast, it was like heaven and earth. Let alone taking the head of Touman Chanyu amidst a sea of ​​soldiers, even our small force was uncertain whether we could break through the Xiongnu's impenetrable outer defenses.

"wait!"

Watching Touman Chanyu turn his horse around and walk back to the royal tent, and then looking at the tens of thousands of Xiongnu cavalrymen standing guard around the tent, Jia Lang gritted his teeth so hard that he even bit his lip until it bled, and squeezed out this single word through his teeth.

He knew that all he could do now was wait!

Waiting for that fleeting, perfect opportunity to catch them off guard and strike decisively!

Before that, they must remain absolutely calm and patient, like a venomous snake lurking in the grass or a cheetah lying in wait in the shadows, and must not make the slightest rash move.

Otherwise, once their whereabouts are exposed, not only will the assassination mission fail, but these eight hundred people will also be plunged into an abyss of no return!