Everyone present knew that Huyan Wuzhu was deliberately provoking Chu Hechao.
Chu Hechao also understood Huyan Wuzhu's intentions, realizing that it was not the right time to confront him rashly, but rather to carefully consider the situation.
However, he was indeed provoked.
And it was a level of anger he had never experienced before.
It was not just him who was angered, but all the generals who heard those words were furious and wanted to immediately teach Huyan Wuzhu a lesson so that he would never dare to say such things again.
This kind of provocation was unbearable for any man. Enduring it would only harm Chu Hechao and Yuan Li's reputation, tarnishing their names. If they did not respond, how would Chu Hechao and Yuan Li be able to face the future?
Among the military leaders present, Yang Zhongfa and He Lang were the only ones who had met Yuan Li. They both held a favorable opinion of Yuan, admiring and respecting him. Even though they knew that Huyan Wuzhu was intentionally provoking them, Yang Zhongfa was the first to step forward and said with a serious tone, "Huyan Wuzhu has gone too far. General, please allow me to challenge him!"
This battle had to happen. Huyan Wuzhu had pushed the situation to a point of no return.
He Lang followed suit, sneering, "I am also willing to go. I cannot stand Huyan Wuzhu's slander against the general and Young Master Yuan!"
Once they took the lead, others could not bear to stay silent any longer and also stepped forward, requesting to join the fight.
Although the generals from Xinzhou did not know Yuan Li personally, they could not tolerate seeing Yuan Li being insulted by the Xiongnu simply because he was Chu Hechao's brother's wife and their army's provider of food and clothing.
This was not just an attack on one person's reputation, but on the entire Northern Army's honor.
Chu Hechao had a dark and brooding expression, his eyes filled with anger.
His fury surpassed what a normal person would feel when their reputation and their honor were insulted.
Even his subordinates, who occasionally glimpsed his expression, were surprised and could not help but admire the fact that their general could not bear to see himself and his brother's wife insulted by the Xiongnu.
But what they did not know was that Chu Hechao was filled with a mixture of shock and rage.
This shock, Chu Hechao himself did not understand where it came from. It was like a deep-rooted secret had been exposed, causing a surge of killing intent within him. In an instant, he made a decision to silence all those who spoke those words.
Not a single one would be left alive.
This intense killing intent was overwhelming. Chu Hechao closed his eyes, suppressing the roiling anger within him, calmly pondering his next move.
Huyan Wuzhu wanted them to engage in battle, regardless of the danger it posed. If they did not respond, it would only shake the morale of the troops.
However, they could not ignore the Xiongnu cavalry stationed on both sides. If all their forces were directed at Huyan Wuzhu, his twenty thousand cavalry could easily turn and flee, or worse, launch a surprise attack on the Great Wall from three to four hundred miles away, a move that their infantry could never catch up to in time.
If Yuan Congyun returned with his three thousand soldiers, Chu Hechao would not have a shortage of troops at this stage.
However, Yuan Congyun was still on his way back to Northern Xinjiang, and Chu Hechao currently had only around ninety thousand troops at his disposal.
The difference in capabilities between cavalry and infantry was significant.
Using infantry to face the Xiongnu cavalry was an extremely difficult task.
But no matter how difficult it was, Chu Hechao could not continue to hide and avoid taking action.
Chu Hechao opened his eyes and immediately dispatched Xinzhou and Duan Yuquan to lead troops to guard against Huyan Ting and Huyan Huntu, who were stationed about three to four hundred miles away with their cavalry. He then gave the order to prepare for battle and instructed all the commanders not to linger in the fight, but to fight and retreat, and not to delay in confronting the Xiongnu.
In this first confrontation, he intended to observe the Xiongnu's tactics and strength in battle.
*
After Huyan Wuzhu's men insulted Chu Hechao at the foot of the Great Wall, he patiently waited for Chu Hechao's response.
Secondly, he received news that Chu Hechao had sent Yang Zhongfa with thirty thousand men out of the Great Wall to face him on the grassland.
Upon hearing that only five thousand of them were cavalry, Huyan Wuzhu laughed heartily and praised, "How insignificant! They must have been intimidated by my troops. Otherwise, how could they dare to battle our twenty thousand elite cavalry with only thirty thousand soldiers?"
After speaking, a glint of triumph appeared in Huyan Wuzhu's eyes. "It seems that Northern Zhou is truly showing signs of weakness. Even Chu Hechao is without enough troops, will find it difficult to manage without sufficient resources. With my fifty thousand cavalry, we can truly make a successful advance south this time."
His subordinates asked, "Do you admire Chu Hechao?"
Huyan Wuzhu tightened his belt, took up his broadsword, and coldly snorted, "If my two sons have the ability comparable to that Chu the wild beasts. I, at my age, would not leading to plunder for winter supplies."
The others showed expressions of shame.
Huyan Wuzhu raised his hand to encourage them, "If you truly feel regretful, then make sure to win this battle for me!"
The subordinates responded loudly with determination, "Yes!"
As the twenty thousand Xiongnu cavalry assembled and headed towards the Great Wall, they could see the well-prepared Northern Zhou army lined up beneath the banners. The infantry and shield troops were positioned at the front, with cavalry and infantry behind them.
The shield battalion, archer battalion, chariot battalion, and throwing battalion were all organized and arranged neatly, displaying a formidable presence.
It had been a long time since Huyan Wuzhu had personally commanded troops in battle. He was impressed by the Northern Zhou army's equipment. "Is the Northern Zhou army really this well-equipped now?" he asked.
His subordinate replied, "Master, Chu Hechao weapons may look abundant at first glance, but in reality, many of them are outdated and in short supply."
Despite this, Huyan Wuzhu remained vigilant. He stopped his twenty thousand cavalry at the shooting range of the Northern Zhou army, intending to send a messenger to test the waters, when suddenly Han Jin burst out, "Huyan Wuzhu, you scoundrel! Your life ends here today!"
Han Jin had been given these words by Mi Yang in advance. He recited the prepared lines loudly and clearly, mocking Huyan Wuzhu for his scandal involving a concubine and a son, which had caused a great deal of shame and humiliation for Huyan Wuzhu in the past.
Huyan Wuzhu's concubine sparked a scandal a few years ago. It turned out she had an affair and even gave birth to a child. The news spread like wildfire, enraging Huyan Wuzhu. In a fit of rage, he tortured and killed both his concubine and the child, who was not his.
Upon hearing this, there was a momentary change in Huyan Wuzhu's expression, but he quickly regained his composure. "Impudent child, let's see whose life ends today!"
With that, Huyan Wuzhu ordered the vanguard cavalry to charge ahead, intending to break through the Northern Zhou army's formation.
As the two armies clashed, with the vanguard just entering shooting range, a barrage of arrows was unleashed, flying towards the Xiongnu forces.
Chu Hechao had been stationed in Northern Xinjiang for many years, engaging in numerous battles with the Xiongnu and Xianbei. The Xiongnu had weaknesses, as they lacked materials and technology to craft weapons and relied on looting enemy weapons.
Their bow and arrow equipment could not compare to those of the Central Plains in terms of quality.
The dense rain of arrows left the charging Xiongnu cavalry disoriented, preventing them from launching a surprise attack on the Northern Xinjiang army.
When his subordinates reported the news, Huyan Wuzhu did not panic at all. He said confidently, "There will always be a time when the arrows are shot. When they run out of arrows, it will be our cavalry's time to shine."
The Xiongnu cavalry was not idle either. Their cavalry was much stronger than the Central Plains people, and they could shoot arrows even while on horseback, killing many Northern Zhou soldiers with a rain of arrows.
As expected, when the arrows were nearly depleted, Yang Zhongfa led a charge and retreat towards the direction of the Great Wall.
Huyan Wuzhu immediately seized the opportunity and led his men to charge forward.
But as soon as they charged forward, soldiers threw stones tied with hemp ropes at them. The stones hit the heads and chests of the Xiongnu soldiers, smashing their heads and causing instant deaths.
Many horses were also injured, causing chaos in the front ranks of the Xiongnu cavalry, only to be quickly replaced by soldiers from behind.
The thrown stones kept coming in waves. Before the next wave could be thrown, the Xiongnu took the opportunity to launch a sudden attack from the front, surrounding the Northern Zhou army. The presence of twenty thousand cavalry brought a great sense of intimidation and oppression, causing the surrounded Northern Zhou soldiers to show signs of fear and trepidation.
The Xiongnu cavalry continued to tighten the encirclement, forcing the Northern Zhou soldiers to move to the left.
Feeling the danger, Yang Zhongfa shouted orders for the soldiers not to retreat. Just as he was preparing to find a breakthrough, Han Jin suddenly noticed a flaw in the left wing of the Xiongnu cavalry.
Han Jin exclaimed, "General, there's a flaw in the left wing of the Xiongnu!"
Yang Zhongfa looked over and saw that Han Jin was right. The left side of the encirclement was the weakest. Seeing his own troops in disarray from the cavalry charge, Yang Zhongfa pointed his broadsword towards the left, "Cavalry, follow me and break through!"
With that command, Yang Zhongfa led the charge, and five thousand cavalry followed him without hesitation, leading the way for the infantry. Han Jin protected Yang Zhongfa by deflecting arrows that came their way.
The Xiongnu left wing was broken through by the fierce cavalry charge, creating a path stained with blood and countless enemy casualties, opening up the encirclement.
Yang Zhongfa was thrilled as he urged his horse forward, but he suddenly noticed something amiss with the dry grass and dust ahead. His eyes widened in shock, "Not good, it's a Xiongnu trap, a pit of death for horses!"
Struggling to turn his horse, Yang Zhongfa realized it was too late. His horse was uncontrollable, and he had to abandon it as he rolled off.
Unfortunately, the other charging cavalry were not as lucky. They fell into the trap where sharp stakes and spears pierced both horses and riders, causing a river of blood and cries of agony as the elite cavalry filled the pit. Yang Zhongfa watched in horror, tears streaming down his face.
Suddenly, he remembered something and called out, "Han Jin!"
A weak voice came from within the pit, "General..."
Yang Zhongfa couldn't believe his ears as he quickly climbed down and found Han Jin trapped under dead horses and bodies.
Han Jin was lucky to have his arm and thigh pierced by a spear but vital organs spared. However, he was also unlucky to be pinned down by several dead bodies and horses in the trap. With the Xiongnu in hot pursuit, Yang Zhongfa had no time to save him.
He looked at Han Jin in sorrow.
Understanding his fate, Han Jin said with difficulty, "General, go back to the city quickly... This was my misjudgment. Please apologize to the commander on my behalf."
Yang Zhongfa's surviving followers and remaining cavalry urged him to leave. He wiped his face, got up, and mounted a nearby horse, "What do you have to tell me?"
"I have a daughter named Yan'er," Han Jin said tearfully, "Please take care of her, General."
Before he could say more, Yang Zhongfa led the remaining cavalry and infantry towards the Great Wall.
Looking at the dim sky, Han Jin's eyes welled up with tears, his fear of death briefly showing on his face.
He glanced at the dead bodies of his loyal war horses, thinking to himself, "I never should have asked the General to bring you here. You can be a warhorse again in your next life."
The first frontal clash between the Northern Frontier Army and the Xiongnu ended in a complete failure.
The atmosphere in the camp became even more tense and somber.
Kneeling in front, Yang Zhongfa apologized with tousled hair and blood stains all over his body, bloodshot eyes reflecting his guilt. The defeat had resulted in the loss of two thousand horses out of a cavalry force of five thousand.
A heavy silence weighed on everyone's hearts.
Amidst the heavy atmosphere, Chu Hechao, who had previously remained unmoved, provided a pillar of support for his subordinates, "It's not entirely without gain. At least we have learned about the Xiongnu's tactics."
Yang Zhongfa bit his lip in silence.
He Lang and Mi Yang, who were close to Han Jin, couldn't help but tear up, but they were seasoned warriors who quickly turned their grief into seething anger.
Chu Hechao focused on the map, clenching his fist as the tent fell silent once more.
After a while, a centurion came in to report, "General, a man named Wu Kai from Youzhou has brought a delivery for you. He says the Governor of Youzhou sent him."
Chu Hechao looked up sharply, "Who sent him?"
"The Governor of Youzhou," the centurion replied.
Chu Hechao pressed, "What did he bring?"
The centurion shrugged, "He said it can only be delivered to you, General. Judging by his expression, it must be extremely important."
The officers exchanged glances.
He Lang tried to lighten the mood, "Anything that Master Yuan procures is a rare treasure. Since he sent someone to deliver it directly to you, it must be significant. General, why don't you go see what it is?"
Chu Hechao pondered for a moment before rising from his desk, patting Yang Zhongfa's shoulder, "You all, come with me to see what it is."