Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1488: Chapter 1433: The Huns’ Deployment

Zhang Fei frowned; he didn’t like placing hope on others, but Zhuge Liang’s words made sense. Their strength was far from being a match for the Northern Huns.

”From now on, don’t dodge, kill all the Hu people you encounter. Surely, the Huns will quickly notice us behind them,” Zhuge Liang remarked with a cold expression.

[General Zhang, things are not that simple. The forces of the Northern Huns are growing like a snowball. Merely killing miscellaneous Hu won’t damage the foundation of the Northern Huns, and simply harming them won’t reveal the true strength of the Northern Huns.] Zhuge Liang thought silently as he watched Zhang Fei angrily wave his Eighteen-foot Long Serpent Spear.

The so-called Northern Huns army gathering under Jicheng isn’t less than 100,000, but how many of them are true Northern Hun archers? Before Guo Tu died, he reported the number was no more than 30,000, but it’s impossible for the Northern Huns to have such limited forces.

Therefore, Zhuge Liang speculated that a significant portion of the Northern Huns should still be outside the borders, absorbing the prairie tribes to strengthen themselves. In Zhuge Liang’s view, this was an opportunity to probe the strength of the Northern Huns.

Whether it’s them as bait or the Bingzhou army, which could strike at any moment, it’s impossible to contact the real Northern Hun archers initially.

The reason is simple: the Northern Huns can’t maintain a population of several million, so as Chanyu, unless he’s foolish, he wouldn’t use his own scarce tribe members as cannon fodder. The real members of the Northern Huns’ role is to break the stalemate when the battle deadlocks.

Therefore, Zhuge Liang quickly realized that once they were exposed behind the Northern Huns, those attracted would not be real Northern Huns. Similarly, the ones the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry would face, those surrounding Jicheng, couldn’t possibly be true Northern Hun people.

Zhuge Liang, considering from the perspective of the Northern Hun Chanyu, could understand these matters. With the battle under Jicheng, Zhuge Liang was almost certain that regardless of whether Yuan Tan was willing, Sheni Pei would choose to engage.

No matter if the Northern Huns reveal a strength slightly above the Yuan Army post-breakthrough or show unimaginable prowess, Sheni Pei’s upcoming engagement would provide very clear answers to the Bingzhou and Liu Bei’s armies.

After Zhang Fei let loose, the Northern Huns’ rear army quickly received news from the back that there might be enemies, then relayed it to the central army.

In the Central Army Tent, Xubo Cheng was sitting in the main seat. After that **** fled, he returned to the prairie alone, reporting his findings to Huyan Chu. Huyan Chu then allowed Xubo Cheng to execute the plan, with 20,000 Northern Hun archers and over 80,000 various Hu people moving south.

As for Huyan Chu and others like Qiu Linbei, they were still outside the borders striving to integrate the Hu people, needing enough cannon fodder.

The following details need not be elaborated, as Xubo Cheng pursued Sheni Pei and Zhang He to take Changping. After securing food supplies, his military formation coordination became more stable, suppressing heavily injured Zhang He and the intermittently unconscious Sheni Pei until surrounding Jicheng.

Unlike when commanding the Xianbei Army before, Xubo Cheng, now as the commander-in-chief, became much steadier. He cautiously assigned clan members to fight, resulting in only over 300 Northern Hun archers perishing thus far.

”It’s indeed good to return home; everyone on the Great Prairie is our people. We can easily gather a bunch of subordinates,” laughed the Luandi Marquis while eating lamb.

”Indeed,” Xubo Cheng replied steadily, not following the Luandi Marquis’s tangent. He was a supporter of Huyan Chu, while the Luandi Marquis was a more radical revenge seeker, always eager to march back east to reclaim the prairie that belonged to them.

”Report to the Sun-chasing King; our rear army discovered traces of a large Han army.” At this moment, a leader of a thousand dressed in leather armor entered the tent, saluted Xubo Cheng, and reported.

”Han Army? Were there any losses in our unit?” Xubo Cheng inquired.

”Four of our brave clansmen who led the external forces have not returned,” the leader of a thousand said with his head lowered. ”It’s suspected they have already returned to the Kunlun Deity.”

”Lead your thousand troops and an additional ten thousand external troops to investigate the rear. Prioritize the safety of our unit. Sacrifice external troops if necessary to ensure the safety of our unit,” Xubo Cheng considered and said.

The leader of a thousand then retreated, and Luandi Marquis sneered, ”When did the Kunlun Deity’s descendants become so fearful of combat, not only providing ten thousand external troops and a thousand clan warriors, but also not seeking to kill the enemy, only ensuring the safety of our unit!”

”For you to say that after he left shows that you understand our predicament, isn’t it?” Xubo Cheng glanced at the Luandi Marquis and said, ”Instead of wasting time, why not see when we can take that big city opposite us?”

The Luandi Marquis was somewhat choked by Xubo Cheng’s response and spoke no more; the situation for the Northern Huns was indeed dire beyond repair, with nothing more miserable than even lacking their own tribespeople.

After watching the Luandi Marquis leave, Xubo Cheng began to ponder the words Chanyu Huyan Chu told him when he led the troops south, ”Fight if you can; we and the Han Dynasty have a blood feud. It’s either kill or be killed when we meet. I’ll temporarily entrust my Imperial Guard to your command; do what’s necessary to ensure the tribe’s safety. We can no longer bear significant losses.”

”Heh, the Han Dynasty wants to kill us?” Xubo Cheng sneered, ”We also want to kill you!”

In Jicheng, Sheni Pei, who had been in a state of intermittent unconsciousness and then complete unconsciousness, finally woke up under the physician’s care. Yuan Tan immediately brought gifts to visit him, having already prepared himself mentally for all aspects of the situation.

”Zheng Nan, you’ve finally awakened.” After several days, Yuan Tan’s face appeared much more weathered, and seeing Sheni Pei awake revealed a noticeable excitement.

”I have failed my lord’s expectations...” Sheni Pei, looking at Yuan Tan who helped him, had slightly hollow eyes. Yuan Tan understood that at this moment, Sheni Pei wasn’t looking at him but seeing Yuan Shao’s shadow on him.

”Zheng Nan has done very well, it’s just that our enemy is too strong,” Yuan Tan consoled. Previously, he might have blamed him, but now with the enemy at their gates, he showed broader understanding, showcasing an aspect of his father’s character.

”I misjudged the Northern Huns’ combat power,” Sheni Pei, after gradually regaining his senses and a series of coughs, began, ”I overestimated myself; the Northern Huns are truly formidable. The Hun who defeated us was the one who disguised as Xianbei to unlock their Legion Talent before. I regret missing the opportunity to kill him when I had the chance.”

”Zheng Nan, you should rest first. We can discuss these matters later,” Yuan Tan said, his eyes slightly reddened as he looked at Sheni Pei, who suddenly seemed ten years older.

”Lord, I hid Jun Yi’s issue from you; please don’t punish him,” Sheni Pei, remembering Zhang He who returned with him, half-lay and explained. Zhang He was indispensable in the current situation.