As the Ahn Emperor predicted, the Han and Ning alliance is on the edge of collapse. Mistrust and rivalry enveloped them.
For Kun, it was a blessing. There was no invasion from Han or Ning to Kun for almost nine years.
In the winter of 204, Han and Ning broke their alliance after Guo, the new Duke of Han, massacred the Han Yang family and usurped the throne. Ning Xuluo, the wife of the former Duke of Han, was murdered in the process.
In the spring of 205, Ning Ying, Duke of Ning, launched an invasion of the Han with the pretext of avenging his dead sister, Ning Xuluo.
Now, the rest of the Ahn Empire watches the northern part of their empire closely. The showdown between two former alliances begins.
****
Under a bright cerulean sky, two horses cut through the green grass, galloping south.
"Hey, brat! Let's go back, and your father would blame me if you were late!" The handsome boy galloped his black horse in pursuit of the white horse.
"Wait a sec, and I want to see a battle and see who did the first blood!" Lan assured.
"Your father is going to 'first blooded' you if you persist, damn brat!" said Lin Pin Zin, then continued with a heavy sigh.
They raced toward the green hill and stopped there, watching the battle happen at the great plain, covered by rivers to the south and dense forest on the north.
The sound of battle cries and horses clouded the clear battlefield. Soon the bloodbath would begin between the two armies.
In the west, Han came with their best levy horde. The infantry was at the center, and there was no cavalry.
In the east, Ning came with a more humble number of infantry at the center, covered by dozens of cavalry at the two wings.
"If I become Ning general, I would do a pincer attack," said Pin Zin, covering his famous grilled mushroom to Lan.
Lan ate a salt chili mushroom. "Nice!"
"See, I would become a great general of Kun someday." Pn Zin was so proud of his mind, without knowing if Lan was just playing a word with him.
"This mushroom tasted nice, but your taste in military tactics needed to improve."
"What? I read a book you gave me, which is the best way to use cavalry."
After becoming best friends with Lan, Pin Zin started to love reading, especially romance novels and adventure ones. But Lan forced him to read a strategy book of annual history.
Sure he remembered that strategy, but Lin Pin Zin lacked observation.
The Ning cavalry formed a wedge formation at the front of the infantry and was ready to charge.
"Fool!" shouted Pin Zin. "What a waste of a horse!"
"If I become Ning general, I would do the same," slurred Lan, pointing out what he's learned from his glips of observations. "What happens if the horse entered the flow of a river or galloped at the forest, oh mighty general?"
Lan smirked and saw Pin Zin burn his brain up. No one questioned Pin Zin's strength, his intelligence was also categorized as above average, but his observation skill needs some improvement.
"River and forest rendered the momentum of charge. Forest also became the best place to lay an ambush."
Lan clapped. "Wow, you're brilliant. Oh, great general Zin!"
Pin Zin slammed Lan's head hard and made him laugh.
"Now, Zin, if you become Han general, what should you do to eliminate the cavalry charge?"
"Place a bamboo stick at the front of my line, pull back a little, grab those horses, and butchered those riders. So Lan, what are you going to do as Ning general?"
"I would order that cavalry to pull back after a successful charge and charge again, do it again and again."
On the field, the cavalry charged bravely, but the Han responded strangely, instead placing a bamboo stick and pushing many soldiers forward.
No, it looked like these were not ordinary soldiers, but people wore civilian cloth, and their feet were chained.
Lan could hear them scream, begging for mercy. They were farmers or enslaved people. "That was not a soldier. That was a civilian!"
Han forced their people to become a human shields to render enemy cavalry shaken. And it works. The people got massacred, but the horse stalled.
When the cavalry tried to pull back, Han trop grabbed them using a pike, and the butcher started.
Seeing this, Ning infantry, who followed cavalry charged to the array. Han responded with a rained arrow to the battlefield, killing everyone in the chaos, indiscriminately, friend or foe.
Han's barbaric stratagem made Lan grill his teeth and stretch his palm at the horse reins.
"Let us return to capital, and your father would—"
Before Lin Pin Zin could end his sentence, five riders from the west came and arrows at them. "Spy from Ning, stop!"
They are a Han scout party.
"Run!" Lin Pin Zin and Lan galloped his horse to the north.
Two other riders came from the side, pincered Lan. He had no other choice but to raise his sword.
Lin Pin Zin shot an arrow at one of Lan's pursuers and saved him from trouble. He then tried to shoot another arrow at the pursuers next to Lan, but without Pin Zin knowing, five other pursuers were already at his right and left side.
Pin Zin ducked his head to avoid the swing of the opponent's sword next to him. He saw one enemy trying to shoot at Lan from afar, and he threw his sword at that horse archer instead, killing him.
Lan succeeded in killing one pursued, then looked back. He slowed his horse, helping Pin Zin, and attacked one of the pursuers, sandwiching it between him and Pin Zin.
Lan stabbed the pursued. Now only three left. But they were pulled back, leaving Lan and Pin Zin alone.
Zin and Lan raced toward the capital as fast as they could, then laughed hard.
They almost lose their life, but the adrenaline scourge makes them enjoy that.
"I save you ass!" said them almost together.
"I'm saving yours," said Pin Zin. "You owe me one."
"No, but I save you," answered Lan. You owe me one."
They started bickering. Unaware of ten raiders carrying Kun banners galloped toward them from the horizon.
Nine of them had long hair put up in a bun,
wearing a loosely cut robe with sleeves that varied from wide to narrow, worn with the left front panel lapped over the right board, the whole garment fastened closed with a sash.
One of them, the old one, wore an official court hat and ankle-length clothes with wide dangling sleeves.
They were Kun soldiers and one official.
"Second Prince, Duke Kuan summoned you to the throne room. Hurry up and meet him!" said the official. "There is something that needs to be discussed with you and the other Prince!"
****