Night falls and the city lights come on.
"Han Xin, we must send men to occupy the Xiong Pass and the Great Wall. The Xiong Pass and the Great Wall are the gateway to the North River, and we cannot afford to lose it."
Han Xin nodded: "Don't worry, my lord, I have already sent someone to do it."
We just rescued over ten thousand prisoners of war. Those guys were captured by the Liao cavalry, and they were about to kill them.
“These prisoners of war are still somewhat useful, so let them continue to defend the Great Wall, a strategic pass in the northern border region.”
"Are there any survivors?" Jiang Tian wasn't worried about the Khitan cavalry retreating to the northern grasslands; what he was worried about was that the Khitan cavalry were still south of the Great Wall.
If these other cavalrymen are still south of the Great Wall and they spread out, that would be troublesome.
"My lord, there are bound to be some who escaped from this battle," Han Xin said, looking into the distance.
He was fully aware of the situation on the battlefield in the mountains.
Some of the Khitan cavalry who participated in the looting did not join the battle, while others retreated as soon as they saw the situation was unfavorable.
After Xiang Yu and Dian Wei joined forces, they pursued the enemy northwards.
Some Khitan cavalrymen then fled wildly to the east and west.
Although these cavalrymen were not numerous, their total number was still three to four thousand.
"Xiang Yu, take your men back to defend the three cities of Longcheng." Jiang Tian didn't want to bring a large army to wipe out the Khitan cavalry only to have his own territory stolen.
"Yes, sir..." Xiang Yu accepted the order and led 2,000 elite cavalrymen in a swift retreat.
Early the next morning, Jiang Tian's team headed straight for the Great Wall.
Standing atop the majestic Great Wall, Jiang Tian, with a cup of wine in hand, gazed at the vast northern grasslands and was filled with boundless ambition.
"The land is so beautiful, attracting countless heroes to bow down... Today, I, Jiang Tian, will make those heroes of history pale in comparison."
Jiang Tian held a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) in his hand, looking at the vast, withered grassland.
"Has the northern grasslands also been dry for many years?" Jiang Tian asked a soldier guarding the city.
The city guard nodded repeatedly: "The rivers in the northern grasslands have dried up, the pastures have withered and turned yellow, and herds of cattle and sheep are dying in droves."
It seems that this drought, which has lasted for more than three years, has not only had a serious impact on the Great Xia Dynasty, but also on the northern grasslands.
Suddenly, the city guard knelt heavily on the ground: "My lord, everyone must die, we are not afraid."
But what we fear is that after we die, the Great Wall will no longer be able to defend against those barbarians in the north.
The herders on the northern grasslands were also living in dire poverty.
They also wanted to breach the Great Wall and plunder it extensively.
Jiang Tian looked at the soldier kneeling in front of him: "This strategic pass of the Great Wall is located in a dangerous area. How could it not defend against those Khitan cavalry?"
"My lord, Xiao Tianyou of the Khitan sent men to bribe our General Ling, who is guarding the city, but our general is unmoved."
"But these Khitan warriors bribed many of us. They ruthlessly attacked us and General Ling at a crucial moment."
What's most hateful is that they opened the city gates and let the Khitans into the city.
Otherwise, these Khitans wouldn't have been able to break in at all.
Jiang Tian nodded; that old saying is always true.
The simplest and most effective way to breach the strongest fortress is to dismantle it from within.
"Where is your General Ling?" Jiang Tian had heard of Ling Yunzhi.
Ling Yunzhi guarded the Great Wall for 30 years, and no country in the northern grasslands ever set foot on the Great Wall.
Ling Yunzhi is a man of some ability.
"Reporting to you, sir, the enemy has entered the city. General fought bravely and was wounded in many places. His whereabouts are still unknown, and his fate is uncertain."
Jiang Tian sighed deeply: "If Ling Yunzhi were still alive, and if this guy could be used by me, we would definitely be able to build an unparalleled empire in the future."
The more than 10,000 prisoners of war who had been rescued from the Great Wall passed through the pass knelt respectfully before Jiang Tian.
Without Jiang Tian, they would have died at the hands of the Khitan cavalry.
Jiang Tian glanced at Han Xin: "I'll leave this group of defeated soldiers to you. I hope they can turn over a new leaf. I estimate that some of them might surrender."
Dian Wei: "The safest way for you, sir, is to kill them all, leaving no one alive."
A group of defeated soldiers deserved to die.
Jiang Tian glanced at Han Xin: "Whether to kill him or spare him is up to you."
"There are also as many as 100,000 troops guarding this Great Wall, but now only a little over 10,000 remain. You need to continue recruiting soldiers."
Han Xin looked at the more than 50,000 infantrymen behind him: "My lord, rest assured, leave these 10,000-plus men to me, and I will make them obedient."
If they dare to plot anything, kill them without mercy.
Jiang Tian knew Han Xin's abilities.
The more troops Han Xin leads, the better.
Many of Xiang Yu's soldiers were tricked by Han Xin.
Those soldiers who were fooled by Han Xin became extremely loyal to him.
…………
A troop of more than 2,000 Khitan cavalrymen marched eastward.
However, most of the area south of the Great Wall is covered by continuous high mountains.
The Khitan cavalry leader, Feng Huo Lian Cheng, was a commander of a thousand men.
"Stop, stop, stop!" Feng Huo Lian Cheng reined in his warhorse. He didn't know how far he would have to go before he could see anyone else.
Looking at the distant, continuous mountains, the city of beacon fires was enraged.
"Everyone, dismount and rest." Feng Huo Liancheng was the first to dismount, took out the water pouch from his waist, and gulped down a mouthful.
Everyone dismounted.
The water sacs in their pharmacy were filled with mare's milk wine.
This stuff quenches both thirst and hunger.
Several Khitan cavalrymen took out some dried meat and presented it to Feng Huo Lian Cheng: "Sir, please have some dried meat."
Everyone sat on the ground.
Feng Huoliancheng pulled out a small knife from his waist and started cutting the dried meat. He then ate the two-pound or so dried meat with mare's milk wine.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they gathered together.
"Brothers, both of our commanders are dead." Feng Huo Liancheng plunged his short sword into the ground. "We've been fighting the Great Xia Dynasty for so long, and we've never suffered such a loss."
"What does the general plan to do? The brothers are all sworn to follow the general to the death."
"General, we must avenge the two fallen commanders."
"We lost 80,000 to 90,000 brothers in this battle. These were the elite of our Khitan cavalry. We must not let their blood be shed in vain."
Feng Huo Lian Cheng nodded: "Originally, I planned to rob a few times and then run away, but the two generals once told us that the Great Xia Dynasty was already in turmoil."
Their court was on the verge of collapse; rebels and uprisings were rampant everywhere.
Feng Huo Liancheng slowly stood up, glanced around at everyone, and said, "We need to find Zhang Shicheng's troops, borrow them from him in the name of the commander-in-chief, and then launch a surprise attack to take down the Great Wall and the nearby Longcheng."
Upon hearing this, the Khitan cavalrymen rubbed their hands together in anticipation and nodded repeatedly.
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