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

"Don't worry, Uncle, the leaders of the other tribes will be coming down to keep you company soon!"

Maodun's voice suddenly turned cold, as if it came from the deepest hell. The madness and cruelty in his eyes sent chills down one's spine.

"snort."

After laughing, Maodun glanced with disgust at the dagger stuck in the neck of the Left Wise King. It was his most beloved treasure, with a blade as sharp as autumn frost and exquisite design. It was a real pity that it had been stained with blood to kill an old dog.

"Clean it up thoroughly, leaving no trace."

Maodun stepped forward and kicked the corpse of the Left Wise King, sending it flying several feet away. The corpse traced a tragic arc in the air before crashing heavily onto the grass.

Then, without turning his head, he coldly gave orders to the armored guards in the shadows behind him, his tone as chilling as ice.

"promise!"

A dozen armored soldiers appeared like ghosts, shouted in unison, and then pounced on the corpse.

A few dull thuds of sharp blades piercing flesh and brief twitches followed, then all was silent.

After doing all this, Maodun dusted off his hands as if he had just stepped on an ant, and turned to walk calmly toward his military tent.

.......

On the hillside, Jia Lang and the others witnessed this bloody and cruel scene.

The lightning-fast counterattack and the splattering blood made Li Tiedan's eyes widen like copper bells, his mouth gape open enough to fit an egg, and his face was full of horror.

Especially when he saw Maodun's ruthless act of slitting the throat with a single blow, Li Tiedan couldn't help but gasp, feeling a chill run down his neck and his scalp tingle.

"General! These beasts...they're too ruthless!"

"Just because they lost the battle, they were killed right here?"

"This is like dogs fighting, all mixed up."

Jia Lang glanced at Li Tiedan, his tone indifferent, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"I would rather these wild dogs fight each other to the death."

Despite this, Jia Lang knew exactly what was going on.

If it were truly just a simple military crime as Li Tiedan thought, there would be no need to come to this desolate wilderness, much less act like a thief.

Seeing the two who were just being polite and accommodating suddenly turn into life-or-death enemies, there is only one conclusion.

"It seems the Xiongnu are not a monolithic group after all."

"This is a sign of a major upheaval; it's clearly an internal power struggle."

Jia Lang sneered inwardly, his mind racing with calculations.

"General, what do we do now?"

Li Tiedan rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming with excitement, and asked for instructions in a low voice.

Jia Lang pondered for a moment, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and shook his head, saying:

"No rush, don't alert them yet, keep a close eye on the movements of the Xiongnu camp."

In fact, Jia Lang had felt something was wrong during the day. At dusk, these barbarians were still making a ruckus in the central army tent, but at night, all these important figures had disappeared into the tent in the far corner of the camp.

Moreover, although there seemed to be many patrolling soldiers around the camp, nearly half of the troops were intentionally or unintentionally avoiding this direction, giving Jia Lang the feeling that—

It was as if they were waiting for him on purpose...

..........

In the Xiongnu camp, the night, like the jaws of a giant beast, silently swallowed the sky. Inside the large tents, giant tallow candles crackled and flickered, casting distorted shadows of the warlords in the dim light, making them appear like a chaotic dance of demons. The air was thick with a nauseating stench of blood and mutton.

Modu, the eldest prince of the Xiongnu, strode into the tent, still reeking of blood, as if cutting off the head of the Left Wise King in the wilderness was nothing more than casually crushing an ant.

Without glancing to the side, he walked straight to the main seat, which symbolized power, and plopped down heavily. His skin was as thick as a city wall, and he calmly put on airs.

"Your Highness, why hasn't the Left Wise King returned?"

A tribal chief with a fierce face couldn't contain himself. His eyes darted around, and filled with suspicion, he cautiously peeked out to investigate.

He felt something was off about the wind tonight, that it had an eerie quality, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Upon hearing this, Maodun's lips curled into a wide grin, revealing a seemingly generous and kind but actually sinister smile, which was followed by a burst of maniacal laughter that shook the tents.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

"It's alright. The Left Wise King can't hold his liquor. I've already had someone 'send' him to rest!"

As soon as the laughter subsided, Maodun casually toyed with the dagger at his waist, his eyes filled with mockery.

"Don't bring up those unpleasant things."

"We have another tough battle to fight tomorrow. If we get drunk tonight and upset Father, we'll all be in deep trouble."

As he spoke, he deliberately feigned a pained expression, looked around, and slapped his thigh as if he were cutting off a piece of flesh:

"Perfect timing! I have two jars of my treasured goat milk wine here. I myself am reluctant to even take a sip. It would be a wonderful thing to share it with you uncles today!"

Upon hearing that there was good wine, and seeing Maodun's expression of "losing out big time," the tense atmosphere eased slightly, and everyone burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Since the eldest prince is so hospitable, then we must try it today!"

A burly man with a thick beard roared in a hoarse voice, his voice like thunder.

"Indeed, to be able to drink the Crown Prince's secret wine is a blessing bestowed upon us by the heavens!"

The crowd started talking amongst themselves, rising up and making a fuss, their greed evident in their expressions.

"Hahaha! Great!"

"Since you leaders have shown me such courtesy, I am not one to be petty!"

Maodun laughed loudly, a cold glint like a venomous snake flashing in his eyes. He winked at a trusted armored soldier beside him and whispered:

"Go, bring in those two jars of 'fine wine,' I, the king, will drink with you all until we're completely drunk!"

The soldier understood immediately, nodded emphatically, and strode out of the tent.

A moment later, the tent flap was lifted, and an unfamiliar soldier walked in, bowing and scraping as he carried two wine jars sealed with mud and red cloth.

Strangely, the one who went out was a skinny soldier, but the one who came in was a warrior clad in heavy armor.

This subtle switch went unnoticed, masked by the aroma of wine and the lust of flesh.

"Come on, fill the bowls of all the leaders! Full bowls!"

Maodun stared at the murky wine, a cruel smile curving his lips, and loudly gave the order.

In an instant, a strong aroma of wine filled the air, and the rough porcelain bowls in front of everyone were filled to the brim.

Maodun picked up his wine bowl, slowly rose, and scanned the entire room with lightning speed.

Seeing this, everyone dared not be negligent, and they all picked up their wine bowls and stood up in a row.

"Tomorrow's battle will depend entirely on your strong support!"

"May this wine bring my people a great victory tomorrow, and may we conquer the Central Plains!!"

Maodun was excited, raised the bowl above his head, and spoke in a booming voice.

"A resounding victory!"

"Conquer the Central Plains!"

The tribal leaders, their faces flushed from drinking, shouted in unison at the top of their lungs, the sound almost lifting the tents off their feet.

"drink!"

Maodun raised his wine bowl high, as if to tilt his head back and drink.

The crowd below was already craving food and could hardly resist.

They all raised their wine bowls and gulped it down.

However, just as the wine entered his throat, a sudden change occurred!

Maodun merely touched the rim of the bowl to his lips before quietly moving it away, while the group of leaders actually drank the entire bowl of poisoned wine in one gulp!

"Hahaha...Please sit down, everyone!"

Seeing everyone empty their bowls, Maodun burst into wild laughter again, his laughter no longer concealed, filled with triumph, arrogance, and bloodthirsty pleasure.

The leaders in the tent had just put down their bowls, and before their bottoms even touched the felt, one of them suddenly changed his expression, clutching his stomach and hunching over like a shrimp, feeling a sharp, stabbing pain in his abdomen.