Press the attack and reclaim lost territory
After the Hun army's hasty retreat, Shen Qingci stood atop the city wall, gazing at the distant, dust-shrouded border, his brow unfurrowed. He knew that although the Huns had suffered heavy losses, their foundations remained intact. If they were not pursued relentlessly, the border would inevitably suffer another devastation once they regrouped. "Pass on my orders!" Shen Qingci turned to the general beside him, his voice firm and resolute, "The entire army will rest for a day. Tomorrow at dawn, we will divide into three routes to pursue the remnants of the Huns and recover all lost territory!"
At the order, the soldiers of the Zhenbei Army were filled with soaring morale. Though exhausted from the fierce battle of the previous day, they were ignited by the flames of victory and the determination to reclaim their homeland. Su Yunqing personally led the team to inventory supplies and treat the wounded, making final preparations for the expedition. She distributed the medicine she had personally prepared to the soldiers, her gaze resolute: "Brave warriors, your homeland is behind you. May you achieve a resounding victory and return safely."
Before dawn the next day, the three armies set off one after another. Shen Qingci personally led the main force of the central route, heading straight for Yunxi City, the core city where the Xiongnu troops were stationed. Along the way, the local people, hearing that the Zhenbei Army had recovered lost territory, spontaneously came to guide them and offer them dry rations and water. An old man with white hair grasped Shen Qingci's horse reins, tears streaming down his face: "General Shen, the Xiongnu have occupied my homeland for three years and killed my relatives. I beg you, you must avenge us!" Shen Qingci reined in his horse, bent down to help the old man up, and said in a deep voice: "Rest assured, old man, I, Shen Qingci, will certainly not fail in my mission and will restore peace to the people of the border."
The walls of Yunxi City stood high, and the Xiongnu defenders, taking advantage of the terrain, stubbornly resisted. After observing the terrain, Shen Qingci ordered a "fire attack and feigned attack" strategy: he ordered his soldiers to set up camps and raise flags around the city, feigning a large-scale siege; at night, he dispatched elite detachments to launch rockets into the city using the wind, burning the Xiongnu's supplies. The Xiongnu inside the city were thrown into chaos, believing reinforcements had arrived, and their morale collapsed. Taking advantage of this, Shen Qingci ordered an attack. His soldiers erected ladders and bravely scaled the walls, their battle cries shaking the heavens and earth.
Su Yunqing was stationed at the rear medical post, treating the wounded day and night. When a soldier was seriously wounded and unconscious, she personally cleaned and stitched his wounds, oblivious to the fact that her hands were soaked in blood. When the good news arrived that Yunxi City had been successfully recaptured, she looked at the Great Jing flag rising atop the distant city walls and finally smiled with relief.
For the next two weeks, the Zhenbei Army advanced with unstoppable momentum. The eastern route army recaptured Pingqiu Pass, and the western route army seized Yanmen Pass. The three armies were invincible, gradually forcing the remnants of the Xiongnu out of the border of Dajing. After each city was recaptured, Shen Qingci ordered the people to be comforted, the battlefield cleaned up, and the distribution of grain and seeds from the imperial court to help the people rebuild their homes. Su Yunqing, meanwhile, led a medical team, traveling to various cities to treat the wounded and teach them about disease prevention.
When they recaptured their last lost territory—Wanghaibao—the remnants of the Xiongnu fought a desperate battle. During the fierce fighting, Shen Qingci was wounded in the left arm by a stray arrow, his armor soaked with blood, yet he remained steadfast in commanding from the front lines. Su Yunqing rushed to his side upon hearing the news, braving the flying arrows to bandage his wound. "Brother Qingci, you should rest!" she cried, her voice trembling with tears, her hands deftly stopping the bleeding and wrapping the wound. Shen Qingci grasped her hand, a flicker of warmth in his eyes before his resolve returned: "It's alright. Once the Xiongnu are completely driven out, we'll rest properly together."
Finally, under the fierce offensive of the Zhenbei Army, Wanghai Fort was successfully recaptured. The remnants of the Xiongnu fled north in panic, never daring to venture south again. Standing atop the city wall of Wanghai Fort, Shen Qingci and Su Yunqing stood side by side, gazing at the vast borderland, their hearts filled with mixed emotions. The sunlight shone upon them, dispelling the gloom of war and illuminating the smiling faces of the people who had regained peace. Shen Qingci whispered, "Yunqing, we did it." Su Yunqing nodded, tears glistening in her eyes, "Yes, this land is finally at peace."
When news of the recaptured territory reached the capital, the whole country rejoiced. But Shen Qingci and Su Yunqing did not rest. They knew that the wounds left by the war needed time to heal, and the road to rebuilding their homeland had only just begun.
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