Chapter 102 Extra 2

The Xiongnu king's tent.

After reading the letter, Yizhixie, as Liu Ju had expected, flew into a rage, flipped the table, and began to curse: "Shameless boy, how dare you insult the Xiongnu like this?

"When this Chanyu was fighting on the grassland, he wasn't even born yet. How dare a baby, still wet behind the ears, act so arrogantly? Do you think we, the Xiongnu, are easy to bully?"

Zuo Xian Wang and his companions came over to take a look. They saw the letter read, "The Han Dynasty is willing to negotiate peace with the Xiongnu." Below it were several key points of the peace talks.

First, the Huns surrendered to the Han Dynasty.

Second, the two countries opened up border trade, and the rules of the trade were formulated by the Han Dynasty.

Third, the Xiongnu had to pay tribute to the Han Dynasty every year. The tribute could be gold, silver, silk, or cattle, sheep and horses, but the amount had to meet the needs specified by the Han Dynasty.

Fourth, remove control over the countries in the Western Regions.

Fifth, if the Han Dynasty needs to relocate people, it can mobilize people from the Xiongnu to build a city of ethnic integration.

There are six, seven, eight, nine... more than ten in total. None of them makes people happy. On the contrary, each one can make people's blood boil. No wonder the Chanyu was so furious.

"You ignorant child, you are treating us Xiongnu as a small country in the Western Regions."

"How can we be the same as the other nations in the Western Regions? We, the Xiongnu, are the heaven of the Western Regions."

"I'm so angry, how dare you!"

…

Curses rang out from within the royal tent. Just then, a soldier hurried in with a report: "Report to the Chanyu, the army is hearing…rumors are circulating that the Han crown prince has sent us a 'peace treaty,' and the terms of the treaty are…very harsh."

The soldier opened his mouth several times, thinking and pondering, trying to come up with the word "harsh".

The Chanyu threw the 'peace agreement' over to him and asked: "Is this such a harsh law?"

The soldier was stunned after reading it: "Really...really?"

Just as he finished speaking, another soldier came to report: "Chanyu, it's not good. News has come from the Western Regions, saying..."

As soon as he knelt down, he saw the "peace agreement" next to him, and the rest of his words were immediately blocked: "This... is this really sent by the Crown Prince of Han?"

What else could the Chanyu understand? Liu Ju was trying to disrupt his army's morale and prestige.

He drew his sword and chopped it hard, and the table, which had been broken into two pieces, was successfully broken into four pieces.

"Come, bring me some writing brush and ink, and my royal seal!"

Zuo Xian Wang was shocked: "Does the Chanyu want to declare war on the Han Dynasty?"

The Chanyu snorted coldly without saying anything, the answer was self-evident.

Zuo Xian Wang frowned and said, "Chan Yu, something is wrong. He sent the letter first and then released the news. The timing is so accurate. Considering the cunning character of the Han people, this must be his plan.

They are lucky. They are probably doing this to wait for the Chanyu to challenge them to a fight.

"If we're invited to fight, we'll be tricked. The Han Dynasty must be playing tricks on us by resorting to such tactics. Perhaps... perhaps they've acquired new war artifacts that are even more powerful than before."

They still remembered clearly the losses they suffered that year. As soon as these words were spoken, everyone stepped forward to dissuade him.

Yi Zhixie sneered: "Even if you know it's a trick, what does it matter? The news has already spread.

Can we bear this?"

Everyone was speechless. This was obviously impossible.

Yizhixie continued, "The Han Dynasty's plan wasn't secret. Do you really think they thought I couldn't see it? They calculated that even if I saw it, I would still have to take this step."

It was obvious that Liu Ju was carrying out an open conspiracy. An open conspiracy is one that is laid out in the open and must be carried out even if the other party sees through it.

"It just so happens that I also want to go and meet this world-famous, brilliant, and peerless prince! If the Han Dynasty can make arrangements, why can't we?

"Even if there really is a new divine weapon, we've already experienced it once before, so we'll naturally be on guard. Could it be that his divine weapon can also take down hundreds of thousands of my troops in one fell swoop? As long as it can't, that's our chance.

"We are at risk in this situation, and so are they. Especially the Crown Prince. If I can kill him, we'll see if the Han Dynasty can regain its prestige."

Yizhixie raised the corner of his mouth and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

********

Han army camp.

The "declaration of war" arrived as expected. Liu Ju chuckled and threw it aside, immediately ordering the camp to be broken up and set off.

After marching for several days, they set up camp again. The next morning, they rushed to the agreed location thirty miles away. By then, the Huns had already arrived, and the two armies, basing themselves on the terrain, were facing each other from a distance.

In this way, Liu Ju met the Huns' Chanyu, who had been in power for more than ten years, under the protection of a circular array of Wugang carts and generals holding swords.

Yizhixie finally met Liu Ju: "I have long admired the great reputation of the Han Dynasty Crown Prince. Seeing him today is indeed extraordinary. His lips are rosy, his teeth are white, and his face is as white as powder. As you Han people would say, he is truly a handsome young man."

There's nothing wrong with that statement. But it's inappropriate to solely judge a crown prince by his appearance. Especially since Liu Ju's fame, long admired, wasn't based on his looks. More importantly, Yizhixie's tone clearly wasn't one of praise, but rather a hint of teasing.

The Han soldiers were displeased and were about to curse when Liu Ju raised his hand to stop them. "Thank you, Chanyu, for your compliment. I am indeed good-looking, thanks to my father's genes and my mother's. But Chanyu seems to look a little different from what I imagined."

"I originally thought that the Chanyu should be

I've seen a rare talent today... Well, Shanyu, could you open your eyes a little wider? I can't even find them. In our Han culture, it's best to look someone in the eye when speaking to them as a sign of respect.

"Shan Yu, this shows I don't respect you very much. Also, is there a shortage of water in the grasslands and deserts? Otherwise, I'd like to have someone send some clean water and soap to at least clean the dirt off Shan Yu."

"It's also my Han culture. When meeting guests, I have to dress neatly. Otherwise, it's rude. Shanyu... Oh, look at my brain. Shanyu is not a Han Chinese, so how can I understand Han culture?

"It's just that... I've never heard that you Xiongnu like to appear in public in a dirty state. Could this be a new rule set by the Chanyu?"

Where did the dirt on Yizhixie come from? It was clearly a satire on the other person being too dark.

The Han army understood

He lowered his head and tried hard to suppress his laughter.

Huo Qubing's lips curled up. He had always said that his cousin had such a powerful tongue that if he were to be used in front of the enemy, he might be able to kill several Huns with his words. He never thought that this day would come true.

Looking up at Yizhixie opposite him, his face turned ashen, and he looked even darker in an instant.

"Hmph, are you Han people only capable of talking? Prince, do you dare to fight me face to face?"

"Fight?" Liu Ju raised his eyebrows. "Does the Chanyu mean that you and I can fight alone?"

"Of course. Does the prince dare?"

Yi Zhi's eyes were slanted with a provocative smile. He seemed to be trying to win back a point. Whether Liu Ju responded or not, the problem fell into his trap that day.

What a boomerang.

The Han soldiers all frowned, their gazes murderous. Liu Ju, the man involved, remained remarkably calm. He had been the first to use this tactic. Yizhixie's attempt to play it on him was merely a tacit imitation of someone else's tactics.

"Why don't you dare to ask whether the Chanyu's sons have arrived?"

Yizhixie was stunned. What does this have to do with his son?

"I heard the Chanyu has several sons, the youngest of whom is only seven or eight years old. My Han culture emphasizes reciprocity. It's an honor for me that the Chanyu thinks highly of me and invites me to a fight. But if the Chanyu has honored us, we must return the favor.

"How about letting my uncle, the general of our dynasty, fight the Chanyu's son? We don't need the Chanyu's youngest son to fight; he's too young. If word gets out, people might think we're shameless bullies. The Chanyu seems to have a son who's about my age, so let him fight."

"What does the Chanyu think?"

All the generals were stunned. This was brilliant. Not only did he cleverly resolve the difficulty and throw the question back, but he also implicitly pointed out that the Chanyu was shameless in bullying the weak and the small.

Yi

Zhixie Chanyu was not good at verbal battles, especially when facing Liu Ju. Liu Ju's "ability to taunt others" was recognized by the barrage.

So apart from gritting his teeth, he didn't know what to do.

Liu Ju was surprised: "Why is the Chanyu so embarrassed? Could it be that none of your younger sons came? Why? Are they too scared to come?"

Your son doesn't even have the courage to go to the battlefield and face the Han army, so how can you have the courage to challenge me?

Yizhixie's eyes almost burst out in anger: "You are eloquent and sharp-tongued. I have experienced your verbal skills. After saying so much, you dare not challenge me?

"Everyone says that the Crown Prince is a rare hero, a man of both civil and military talents. But today, it seems that he is just so-so. Facing the Xiongnu army, he dared not even show his face, and could only cower under heavy guard.

Although Liu Ju was quite skilled, he had little chance of winning against Yizhixie in a one-on-one fight. Yizhixie had a clever plan: if he agreed, he could capture him, perhaps even kill him on the spot or capture him.

If anything happens to him, the crown prince, the Han army will be defeated.

Therefore, Yizhixie even did not hesitate to endure Liu Ju's many "ridicules", and it was obvious that even if he was called shameless, he was determined to provoke Liu Ju to his death.

But he miscalculated one thing. Liu Ju was indeed a hot-headed young man, but hot-headedness did not mean he was brainless. Only a fool would agree to this.

"It seems the Chanyu is determined to fight me today. Although the Chanyu's son is not here, and we cannot exchange courteous words, which is not in line with our Han style, if the Chanyu insists on doing so, it is not impossible.

"However, in addition to treating others with courtesy and the principle of reciprocity, our Han culture also emphasizes the principle of courtesy before force. A first meeting always requires some courtesy. Even if the Chanyu doesn't understand etiquette and isn't prepared, I must be prepared.

"I have prepared a great gift for the Chanyu. Once he accepts it, it won't be too late for us to fight again, right? Or is it that the Chanyu wants to fight me, but doesn't even dare to accept my gift?

How could Yizhixie Chanyu not understand that the so-called "gift" is definitely not as simple as it sounds.

But having said that, regardless of the gift, the chance of killing the crown prince in a single battle was worth taking. Especially if he refused, would Liu Ju refuse to give it to him? Impossible.

Yizhixie said, "Whatever gift you want, just bring it to me, Prince.

"This gift from me is a bit big, Shanyu, please prepare it.

"Don't talk nonsense, just bring it.

"Since Chanyu is so straightforward, I will give it to you. I hope Chanyu will concentrate and take it carefully.

As soon as the word "了" fell, Liu Ju took out the bamboo tube, pulled the fuse, and whoosh, the signal flare went off.

Exploded in the air.

Yizhixie subconsciously looked up at the sky and wondered if this could be called a "great gift"? However, just as the thought was forming, he saw countless "black balls" flying from the sky above the rear of the Han army, heading straight for his own camp.

Boom boom boom!

One after another, the "black balls" exploded, causing dust to fly, sand and gravel to collapse, and the earth to shake.

Some Huns were blown to pieces before they could even react, their bodies torn apart and ripped to pieces, not even knowing how they died. The remaining Huns were mostly covered in the blood and flesh of their comrades, and were shaken to the point of being unsteady and on the verge of collapse.

Even Yizhixie had to struggle to hold the reins.

Bump, bump, bump.

Another round of "black balls" was thrown. But in an instant, the other side was obscured by flames and smoke. Through the blurred vision, one could barely see the horses running panicked and uncontrollably in the thick fog. The army's formation was in disarray, and the soldiers were scurrying like flies, their heads in their hands.

The miserable neighing of horses and the shrill wails of soldiers mixed together and resounded through the sky.

Just hearing the sound is enough to make people tremble with fear.

Meanwhile, the Han army on the other side had already retreated several hundred meters under Liu Ju's orders, firmly entrenched in a safe zone. Not only were they caught in the fighting, but even the smoke was limited by the wind.

Compared with the Huns' position, it is like heaven and hell.

The Wugang vehicles had already retreated, and the gunpowder vanguard battalion lined up in groups of three.

The soldiers watched with their own eyes as one person lit the fire, another loaded the "black ball" into the catapult, and then another person started the trebuchet and threw it towards the opposite side, where it exploded with a loud bang.

Cooperate with each other tacitly

Well-organized.

They didn't know what it was but they knew it was the great man's magic weapon!

How could such an effect be achieved without a magical weapon? Everyone was excited and delighted.

Miracle, this is truly a miracle.

Seeing that the situation was almost over after three waves of gunpowder bullets were fired, Wei Qing gestured to the gunpowder vanguard to stop and retreat, and shouted: "Generals, listen to my orders."

"arrive!"

"Front General Li Guang, Lieutenant Gongsun Ao, and Right General Zhao Shiqi will attack the left flank; Cavalry General Huo Qubing and Lieutenant Li Gan will attack the right flank; Rear General Cao Xiang, follow me and bypass the Xiongnu rear! Huo Guang, guard your guards, and escort His Highness back to camp!"

Surrounding the Huns on three sides is like encircling them like dumplings.

The soldiers were so excited that they were eager to fight and shouted, "Understood!"

"Brothers, rush

ah.

"The Xiongnu army is in disarray. We must strike while they are weak. Our chance to make a name for ourselves has arrived."

…

In an instant, the Han army split into three groups and rushed in from different directions. Each group was full of energy and well-trained.

As for the Xiongnu, they were either shattered to pieces or disoriented by the sudden barrage, completely out of control. Even though Yizhixie tried to give orders, his voice was drowned out by the roar, his movements obscured by the thick fog, and no one responded.

The once brave Xiongnu army has now become a loose sand.

The battle seems to have just begun, but in fact the ending has already been revealed.

"I reminded him that this was a big gift and asked him to be careful when accepting it. Why wasn't he careful?

Liu Ju sighed as he watched the smoke of war unfold before him, shaking his head repeatedly, "Yizhixie Chanyu doesn't really listen to advice.

Huo Guang & Wei Buyi: ...Is this a matter of being careless or not heeding advice?

The two were speechless for a moment, too lazy to argue with him about this topic, and urged: "Your Highness, we should leave now. We may have a tough battle to fight on the way.

The Xiongnu would never be so foolish as to make only one plan. Besides the large army that would confront them, there must be other arrangements.

Liu Ju's eyes flashed and he nodded, "Okay.

Despite his courage, he also cherished his life. He would take necessary risks, but he wouldn't risk his life in unnecessary danger. Therefore, he had no intention of lingering on the battlefield. He obediently pulled the reins, turned his horse around, and rode away, heading in the opposite direction of the main army.

After galloping for two miles, they arrived at the side of the road, where a carriage was parked. The person sitting on the shaft and driving the carriage was not an ordinary coachman, but Chao Nan.

Liu Ju decisively abandoned his horse and got on the carriage, saying softly, "Be careful." Everyone around him nodded.

The group continued to move forward. After walking about ten miles, a feather arrow came from the sky and was cut off by Wei Buzhi's sword before it got close to the carriage.

Immediately afterwards, hundreds of Hun soldiers rushed forward and fought with the Eastern Palace guards led by Yan Sui.

Arrows kept coming, one after another, too numerous to handle. Some were stopped, while others flew past the guards in front of the carriage and shot straight into the window, only to fall down as they touched the window.

The first one is like this, and the second one is also like this.

The entire carriage seemed to have turned into a solid wall that the arrows could not penetrate.

Inside the carriage.

Liu Ju had already pressed the trigger after entering, raising the four iron plates to tightly protect him from all directions. He said he cherished his life, and he really did. He would try every possible method.

While wiping the bow and arrow

While listening to the ding-dong sound of the arrows hitting the iron plate, Liu Ju knew that although this method could be used, it would only work temporarily and would not last long.

The iron plate was already pitted and had tiny holes. Just two more rounds of arrows would destroy this layer of protection.

But he was not panicking. He was confident that their people would be able to defeat the other side before the iron plate failed.

Just as the thought came to mind, Huo Guang's voice came from outside the car: "Kill all the archers and concentrate our forces to fight a quick battle."

Liu Ju's eyes flashed, and he suddenly pressed the mechanism, lifted the curtain, and holding the edge of the roof with one hand, he turned over and threw the two bows and arrows in his hands over: "Huo Guang, don't doubt it!"

The two men reached out to catch it and quickly ran towards the carriage, brushing against the shaft and jumping onto it.

The three of them stood shoulder to shoulder and back to back in a circle, holding their bows and stringing them. As for the arrows, they didn't even need to take them out of the carriage.

By this time, the chariot had been shot into a sieve by the Huns. Although the second layer of iron plate was not broken, the outer wooden frame was almost completely covered with feather arrows, which could be directly pulled out.

The three of them gathered their strength and fired simultaneously. Each arrow shot out and hit a Xiongnu soldier, greatly relieving the pressure on Yan Sui and others.

The Eastern Palace guards were also well-trained, comparable to the elite soldiers in the army. They fought while moving, drawing the enemy into a three-man shooting zone with every step, instantly changing their bodies to avoid accidental injuries.

As a result, the situation suddenly changed and the originally stalemate became one-sided.

The battle was over in just a quarter of an hour, and all the Xiongnu were annihilated.

Looking at the corpse on the ground, Wei Buyi's face turned pale: "They really did have a trick up their sleeve. Fortunately, we also had a trick up our sleeve."

Of course, what they kept in reserve was not only the specially designed carriage but also a strategy that had been prepared long ago.

The distance from the battlefield to the camp was only a little over thirty miles, and the escort was quite numerous, already quite skilled and well-coordinated. In addition, they had flares and gunpowder bombs.

The flares could send a distress signal, and it wouldn't take long for the soldiers left behind to arrive on horseback. If there was a real emergency, they could simply delay the battle.

At worst, there were gunpowder bombs. Although smaller and less powerful than those used on the battlefield, they were still not to be underestimated. If the situation turned out badly, Yan Sui and his men would try to gather the Xiongnu and attack them with gunpowder bombs.

As a result, the signal flares were not used and neither were the gunpowder shells.

Huo Guang glanced around and counted the number of Xiongnu people, frowning slightly: "Only a hundred or so, fewer than I expected."

If the Xiongnu wanted to kill the prince, why would they only send out a hundred men? Even if these hundred men were the elite of the elite.

Liu Ju curled his lips and said: "There are still a group of

They must be going to cut off my retreat. Since we thought of asking for help, they will naturally cut off the reinforcement line."

Wei Buyi's eyes flashed with sternness: "A surprise attack on our military camp?"

"Indeed. This not only cuts off our rear reinforcements, but also captures our base camp. Even if we win on the front lines, is it still a victory if our home is robbed?"

Wei Buyi gritted his teeth and said, "You are so brave."

Liu Ju raised his eyebrows and asked, "Didn't I also send Zhao Po Nu to launch a surprise attack on the Xiongnu camp?"

Wei Buyi: ...

"It's the same. They naturally want what we want. Unfortunately, we have advantages that they don't."

Zhao Bolu's surprise attack was armed with wooden kites, hang gliders, hot air balloons, and small gunpowder bombs. What did the Xiongnu have? Did they really think that the Han army camp was so easy to break into?

Liu Ju scoffed. The carriage was unusable, so he had no choice but to mount his horse again and whip it forward. The next ten miles were uneventful, with no further setbacks. By the time they reached the camp, the battle seemed to have just ended.

The Han soldiers were counting the battlefield. When Liu Ju entered, he saw the bodies of the Huns lying all over the place and the red soil beneath them.

The scene was tragic and shocking.

The veterans Cheng Bushi and Li Xi were left guarding the camp. Seeing Liu Ju return, they immediately stepped forward to greet him, "Your Highness."

Liu Ju waved his hand to excuse himself and got down to business: "Who was the general sent by the Xiongnu to launch a surprise attack?"

"King of Tuntou."

Being able to serve as a king under the Chanyu meant he had considerable status and strength. Yizhixie's deployment was considered appropriate, but unfortunately he had overlooked the Han's trap.

Liu Ju sighed to himself, then raised his head and asked, "Is Zhao Polu back?"

"Not yet, but we estimate it should be soon. Your Highness, rest assured. Zhao Bolu and the Marquis of Guanjun once carried out a surprise attack using wooden kites and hot air balloons several years ago, so they have some experience. Now we have more elite troops and more powerful weapons, so there will be no mistakes.

"Your Highness has been marching with me for several days, and you've been discussing strategic plans with General Guanjun Hou day and night. You also need to make arrangements for the alfalfa issue, so you've been very tired. Although things are not over yet, they are almost done. Your Highness may wish to rest first."

Liu Ju chuckled. "You're talking as if you haven't marched or discussed tactics. You even just fought a battle with the Xiongnu. Aren't you more exhausted than I am?"

"Your Highness, we are all used to fighting on the battlefield all the time. Naturally, we are different from Your Highness."

Liu Ju was speechless. It was indeed different. He didn't consider himself spoiled, but compared to this group of people, he certainly was.

He couldn't deny that he was indeed tired, so he gave up the effort and nodded in agreement, "Alright. I'll go rest first. I'll have to trouble you two generals to keep an eye on things. The battle isn't over yet, so we can't slack off. We're afraid the Xiongnu might be cunning and cause trouble again."

"Yes. Your Highness, rest assured. We will defend the camp to the death and will not allow the Huns to disturb your sweet dreams. If they dare to come, we will make sure they never return."

"Thank you for your hard work, Generals."

Cheng Bushi Li Xi said he dared not.

Back in the prince's tent, Liu Ju took a hot bath and lay down on his bed, soon falling asleep. He slept for a long, peaceful night, and nothing happened. When he woke, everything was settled.

Not only did Zhao Polu return victoriously, but Wei Qing, Huo Qubing and others had also all returned to the camp.

The author has something to say

There should be one more chapter on the attack on the Huns. It will end in the next chapter.