It was early summer, but the hot winds of the northern grasslands, carrying grass clippings and dust, had already swept across the endless felt tents of the Northern Di royal court.
To the east of the golden tent, the camp of Wuzhu, the Left Wise King, appeared deserted, with only Fan Wenjing and a few others standing by.
After the defeat at Youzhou at the beginning of the year, the territories of the three tribes were reduced, and 30,000 herder households were given to the Right Wise King. The tribal leaders who had once surrounded him all switched allegiance to him.
At this moment, Wuzhu sat alone in his tent, staring at the sheepskin map on the table.
On the map, the counties of Hexi are circled in vermilion—those are the targets that Wuhan will plunder in the autumn.
"Your Majesty."
Wanqi Changba Yesu burst into the tent, bringing with him a wave of heat. "Everything has been investigated. Wuhan will personally lead 30,000 cavalrymen on this southward campaign, along with 20,000 from the Xiutu King's tribe and 15,000 from the Loufan King's tribe, for a total of 65,000 men."
"We will divide into three routes: one will go through Leopard Mountain to plunder Guazhou, another will go through Blackwater River to plunder Suzhou, and the main force will go through Baiting Pass to directly attack Liangzhou."
Wuzhu sneered: "What a grand display. Father Khan has increased his troops, and he's already making such a show of it."
Bayesu lowered his voice: "As Your Highness instructed, three commanders of the Xiutu King's army have been bribed. They will 'get lost' on their march, delaying them by three days. As for the Loufan King... his son is in our hands, so he dares not disobey."
“Not enough.” Wuzhu shook his head. “Wuhan is not a fool. If only a small part is delayed, he can simply abandon the slow march and continue south with the main force. What I want is to get his entire army bogged down in a quagmire.”
He pointed to a spot south of Xiaoguan on the map: "This place is called 'Broken Heart Valley,' a ravine nestled between two mountains, with a treacherous terrain. If Zhao Muyun were to set up an ambush here..."
Ba Yesu's eyes lit up: "Does Your Highness want to use Zhao Muyun?"
"We both experienced the advantage of Zhao Muyun's firearms in Youzhou."
A look of pain flashed in Wuzhu's single eye. "That fool Wuhan thought Zhao Muyun's focus was on the east, leaving the west vulnerable. Little did he know, Zhao Muyun is best at luring the enemy deep into his territory. He must have laid a trap in Hexi, waiting for Wuhan to fall into it."
"Then we..."
"Help him secretly."
Wuzhu's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Send assassins disguised as caravans to enter Longxi ahead of time and spread false information: the granaries in Pingliang are empty and the garrison has been transferred to the eastern front."
“Leave some ‘clues’ in Broken Heart Valley—discard some damaged weapons and make it look like the Xijing army hastily set up an ambush and then withdrew.”
Ba Yesu understood: "Wuhan is suspicious by nature. Seeing these traces, he will think there is no ambush and boldly advance."
“Exactly.” Wuzhu stroked his empty left sleeve. “Once he goes deep into the valley, Zhao Muyun’s cannons will fire all at once… At that time, how many of the 65,000 men will be able to return?”
A moment of silence fell over the tent.
Ba Yesu hesitated: "Your Highness, although this move can severely damage Wuhan, it will also deplete our Northern Di elite forces. If Zhao Muyun takes advantage of the victory to pursue..."
“He won’t,” Wuzhu said confidently. “Zhao Muyun’s ambitions lie in the Central Plains; Hexi is merely a flank. After defeating Wuhan, he will surely turn his army eastward to guard against Li Jingang. As for us—”
A glint of ambition flashed in his eyes, "Then I can clean up the mess."
If Wuhan suffers a major defeat and loses all prestige, the Chanyu will surely be furious.
At that time, Wuzhu will be able to step forward to quell the remaining troops and rebuild his strength.
After this defeat, the various tribes will understand that only Wuzhu truly understands the Southerners and Zhao Muyun.
“There’s one more thing,” Ba Yesu said. “Our scouts report that Zhao Muyun is manufacturing firearms on a large scale in Xijing, including a mobile ‘divine machine cannon’ with an extremely long range. If he were to move this cannon to Longxi…”
Wuzhu's expression was grave: "This is troublesome. However, the cannons are heavy and will take time to transport. Wuhan will move in the autumn, and Zhao Muyun may not have time to arrange for their deployment."
He pondered for a moment: "In this way, you should find a way to let this news be 'accidentally' discovered by Wuhan. With his nature, he will definitely underestimate it—thinking that the southerners rely on weapons and dare not engage in close combat. At that time, he will be even more reckless and hasty in his advance."
"Brilliant!" Bayesu exclaimed in admiration.
The plan was decided, and Ba Ye quickly accepted the order and left.
Wuzhu remained alone in the tent and walked to the bronze mirror.
Beneath the walls of Youzhou, the scorching heat and tearing sensation of that cannon shot haunted my dreams every night.
“Zhao Muyun…” he whispered to himself in the mirror, “You owe me, and you will have to pay it back someday.”
But right now, he needs to get rid of Wuhan first.
This half-brother had been competing with him since childhood.
They vied for favor, for followers, and for the throne.
At the beginning of the year, he suffered a military defeat, and Wuhan took advantage of his father Khan's misfortune, which led to his land being stripped and his household being confiscated.
Even Consort Xiao, whom he obtained from the Great Yin Dynasty last year, was abducted by Wuhan.
How can one claim supremacy if this grudge is not avenged?
The sound of horses' hooves came from outside the tent, growing louder as they approached.
Wuzhu straightened his robes and stepped out of the tent.
The one who arrived was Ashina Zhen, the commander of the Chanyu's personal guard, a burly man with a full beard.
"Your Majesty, the Chanyu summons you to the Golden Tent immediately for a meeting."
"What is it?"
"The Right Wise King proposed that after plundering Longxi in the autumn, we could take advantage of the situation to move south and attack Hedong."
Ashina Zhen lowered his voice and said, "He said that Zhao Muyun's main force is in Xijing, and Hedong is vulnerable, which is a good opportunity."
Wuzhu sneered inwardly.
Ughhan's ambition has grown after his troops were increased.
Has he forgotten that last year his fierce general, the Uriyangkhai, halted his 100,000-strong army at Shuozhou?
Attack Hedong?
With his limited abilities, he probably couldn't even get past Daqingshan.
But he remained outwardly calm: "I'll go right away."
The atmosphere inside the golden tent was heavy.
Chanyu Wutugu sat high on a large wolf-skin chair, with two seats on either side. Right Wise King Wuhan had already arrived and was chatting and laughing with tribal leaders such as Wuliangha, Xiutu King, and Loufan King.
The laughter stopped abruptly when Wuzhu entered.
"Brother is here." Wuhan said with a forced smile. "Is your injured arm any better?"
Wuzhu ignored him and bowed to the Chanyu, saying, "Father Khan."
Wutugu nodded: "Sit. Wuhan proposes to attack Hedong after the autumn raids, what do you think?"
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