Three days after leaving Xianyang, the wicked man's army had already reached the border of Beidi County.
As the weather grew colder, a biting north wind, carrying fine snowflakes, stung the soldiers' cheeks.
The wicked man, mounted on his horse, gazed ahead with a resolute expression. Meng Hu rode forward and respectfully said, "Grand Marshal, there is a small town ten miles ahead where the army can rest."
The wicked man nodded: "Order to set up camp and rest here tonight."
The army set up camp outside the small town in an orderly fashion. Just as the tents were erected, a scout rushed over.
"Report! Grand Marshal, a group of about 500 Xiongnu scouts has been spotted 30 miles to the north, seemingly scouting our army's movements."
The wicked man calmly asked, "Have they found you?"
The scout replied, "No. I hid immediately after discovering them and only rushed back to report after confirming they hadn't noticed."
The wicked man nodded in satisfaction: "Well done. Order the entire army to rest tonight and depart for Chishan tomorrow to set up an ambush and attack the Xiongnu."
The generals in the tent exchanged bewildered glances. Chishan was a crucial fortress ahead; if they could control it, they could indeed secure the vital passage. But precisely because of its importance, the Xiongnu would surely be prepared, so how could an ambush succeed?
Meng Hu couldn't help but ask, "Grand Marshal, the Xiongnu are skilled in archery and horsemanship. If we fight in open terrain, our army will likely be unable to win. Why not first defend the city and then wait for an opportunity to attack?"
The wicked man smiled confidently: "It is precisely because the Xiongnu are skilled in horsemanship and archery that we cannot fight them on the plains. The Chishan Mountains are strategically located and densely forested, which perfectly restricts their mobility."
He took out a simple map and pointed to Chishan Mountain, saying, "The east and west sides of this mountain are cliffs, and only the north and south sides are passable. If our army openly sets up camp on the southern slope of Chishan Mountain tomorrow, it will surely provoke the Xiongnu to attack."
"Meng Hu led a troop on a feigned patrol, but in reality, he circled around to the north of Chishan to set up an ambush. When the main force of the Xiongnu army was drawn to our army and attacked from the south, Meng Hu's troops launched a surprise attack from the north, annihilating the Xiongnu from both sides."
Meng Hu suddenly realized: "Brilliant plan! The Xiongnu will definitely attack from the south, because their main camp is in the north. If they attack from the north, they will cut off their own retreat."
The wicked man nodded: "That's exactly right. In addition, I have sent people to prepare some 'surprises' on the mountain, and you will all know about them tomorrow."
At dawn the next day, the army broke camp and set off for Chishan.
Sure enough, they spotted traces of Xiongnu scouts along the way. They watched from a distance, not daring to approach, but they did not leave either, clearly monitoring the movements of the Qin army.
At noon, the army arrived at the southern foot of Red Mountain and began to set up camp. The wicked man ordered his soldiers to build a simple camp, but deliberately made it loose, as if they were completely unprepared.
Meanwhile, Meng Hu led 5,000 elite troops, pretending to go out on patrol, but in reality, he secretly circled around to the north of Chishan and hid in the dense forest.
As dusk fell, dust billowed in the distance, and a massive cavalry force appeared on the horizon.
"The Huns are coming!" the scout reported urgently.
The wicked man remained unmoved: "Order the entire army to proceed according to plan."
The Xiongnu army quickly arrived at the southern foot of Chishan Mountain, confronting the Qin army. The two sides were less than a mile apart, with an open area between them, perfect for a cavalry charge.
The Xiongnu leader, perched high above, surveyed the Qin army camp. Seeing the Qin troops' loosely organized encampment, with soldiers scattered in small groups, completely unsuspecting, he was overjoyed.
"The Qin people are foolish! Today is the perfect day to annihilate them!" the leader laughed arrogantly.
At a command, tens of thousands of Xiongnu cavalry surged toward the Qin army camp like a tidal wave.
The evil man stood before the tent, watching the swarming Xiongnu cavalry, and calmly raised his right hand.
"Send word: lure the enemy deep into our territory and prepare the ambush!"
Upon seeing the Xiongnu attack, the Qin army retreated in disarray, seemingly in a state of panic. Seeing this, the Xiongnu cavalry charged into the camp with even greater impunity.
Just then, the wicked man suddenly swung his right hand down.
"put!"
Archers, who had been lying in ambush in the woods on both sides of Red Mountain, fired their arrows in unison. In an instant, thousands of arrows were unleashed, pouring down like a torrential rain.
Caught off guard, the Xiongnu cavalry suffered heavy casualties and their formation was thrown into chaos.
Immediately afterward, at the command of the evil man, huge boulders and logs that had been prepared on the mountain poured down, scattering the Xiongnu cavalry.
"Kill!" The wicked man drew his sword and shouted, and the Qin army poured out from all directions, engaging in fierce fighting with the Xiongnu cavalry.
Meanwhile, to the north of Chishan, Meng Hu, seeing that the time was right, immediately led 5,000 elite troops out to attack the rear of the Xiongnu army.
The Xiongnu army was caught in a pincer movement, with the main force of the Qin army in front and ambushes from behind. It was attacked from both sides and was thrown into chaos.
The wicked man personally led a cavalry unit to attack the Xiongnu leader. He wielded a long spear and swept through the enemy ranks as if they were nothing.
His spear technique was fierce and powerful, unstoppable, and all the Xiongnu cavalry along the way gave way.
Seeing that the situation was not good, the Xiongnu leader hurriedly turned his horse around to escape, but the evil man stabbed his horse with a spear, and both he and the horse fell heavily to the ground.
The wicked man leaped off his horse and stomped on the Xiongnu chieftain's chest: "Surrender, or die?"
The Xiongnu leader was ashen-faced, knowing that all was lost and had no choice but to surrender.
The battle ended quickly, with the Xiongnu army routed and fleeing back north. In this campaign, the Qin army killed over three thousand Xiongnu, captured five thousand, and seized ten thousand warhorses, achieving a brilliant victory.
More importantly, the capture of the Xiongnu leader dealt a severe blow to the morale of the Xiongnu.
The wicked man ordered his men to bring the Xiongnu leader to the tent and coldly asked, "What is your name?"
The Xiongnu leader, his face full of resentment, had no choice but to answer: "My name is Ulik, and I am the leader of the Xiongnu Iron Cavalry."
The wicked man then asked, "How many tribes does the Xiongnu have now? What is their total military strength?"
Ulik refused to answer, and the wicked man didn't press him, simply saying, "It's fine if you don't want to tell me. I have my own ways of finding out."
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