"Relay my orders! The entire army is to return and reinforce Right Beiping!" Gongsun Zan commanded. Despite the overwhelming frustration in his heart, he could not ignore the urgent situation of Right Beiping being under siege.
However, after several intense battles, the tens of thousands of soldiers he had led into this campaign were weary and demoralized. Returning to Right Beiping to face the Xiongnu again, victory was anything but certain.
Meanwhile, in Ji City, news of Gongsun Zan's army's movements quickly reached Liu Yu. Overjoyed, Liu Yu immediately summoned his troops to pursue them.
Liu Yu reasoned that Gongsun Zan would be eager to return to defend his territory. Even if they encountered an attack, Gongsun Zan would likely abandon some of his forces to save the bulk of his army, providing Liu Yu the perfect opportunity to weaken his rival's forces.
"Attack!" Before Gongsun Zan's troops had traveled far, Liu Yu's pursuing forces were less than ten miles behind them.
Gongsun Zan, enraged, lashed his whip and cursed, "That old scoundrel Liu Yu dares to push me this far. Once I've crushed these invaders, I swear I'll return to cut off his head!"
"Damn it, they're finally here!" As Gongsun Zan's army was about to retreat into Yuyang Commandery, Wu Qiuji had already set up an ambush along the mountains they had to pass through.
"Whistle!"
Just as the retreating army was about to relax, a sharp, distinctive whistle of the Xiongnu warriors sent a shiver down their spines.
While the others were still bewildered, Tian Yu was the first to react. Having fought the Xiongnu before, he knew this was their signal for an attack!
"We're ambushed! Stay alert!" Tian Yu shouted, raising his arm. Gongsun Zan immediately reined in his horse.
As soon as the whistle died down, thousands of Xiongnu cavalry burst out from the low hills on both sides, charging towards the trapped soldiers like a tidal wave.
"Charge!" The Xiongnu warriors, wielding curved blades and long spears, charged madly onto the battlefield. The two forces quickly clashed in a chaotic melee.
Amid the flashing blades and flying arrows, soldiers fell from their horses, or were cut down along with their steeds.
Tian Yu, swinging his broadsword with all his might, led a group of men to fight their way to Gongsun Zan's side.
By then, Gongsun Zan was already deep in the thick of the battle, cutting down anyone in his path with his golden spear.
"My lord! Don't get bogged down here!" Tian Yu grabbed Gongsun Zan's cloak and shouted, "These Xiongnu are here to delay us. My lord, you must lead the army back to Right Beiping immediately. I'll take a small force and cover the retreat!"
Tian Yu's shout snapped Gongsun Zan back to his senses. He nodded, "Alright, Guorang, be careful. Once the main army has retreated, you must withdraw as well. Don't take unnecessary risks!"
Tian Yu smiled faintly and cupped his hands in salute, "Rest assured, my lord. I know what I'm doing!"
With that, Tian Yu led his men back into the fray, while Gongsun Zan quickly gathered the remaining generals and continued their march to Right Beiping after fending off a few attacks.
"General, Gongsun Zan is fleeing!" The Xiongnu warriors soon noticed something was amiss. Upon hearing this, Wu Qiuji sneered, "Fleeing? Let's see where he can run to! After him!"
Wu Qiuji swept his mace, easily knocking down two enemy riders in front of him. Then, with a flick of the reins, he charged after Gongsun Zan.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept past his ear, prompting Wu Qiuji to reflexively block with his weapon. The resulting clang nearly numbed his hand.
Turning his head, Wu Qiuji saw that his opponent was a Han general of unremarkable build. Seeing the deep notch in his weapon, Wu Qiuji couldn't help but laugh coldly, "Quite the strength you've got there!"
Tian Yu's heart skipped a beat. He had put all his strength into that strike, yet it had been blocked with one hand. Clearly, his opponent's martial prowess was superior. Realizing this, Tian Yu steeled himself for the fight.
"Villain, if you want to get past me, you'll have to ask my broadsword first!" Tian Yu stood his ground, brandishing his sword with murderous intent in his eyes.
Wu Qiuji laughed heartily, "Good! Since you're so eager to die, I'll grant you your wish!"
"Come and meet your death!" Tian Yu furrowed his brow, wasting no more words. He swung his broadsword in a full arc towards Wu Qiuji.
Wu Qiuji spurred his horse forward, raising his mace with both hands to meet the attack. The two clashed fiercely, sparks flying with each impact. Their respective soldiers, inspired by the ferocity of their leaders, fought with renewed vigor.
In less than half an hour, they had exchanged over fifty blows. Though neither had gained the upper hand, it was clear that Tian Yu was growing fatigued, his breathing labored.
In contrast, Wu Qiuji seemed to be gaining momentum, seizing an opening to deliver a sweeping strike.
In a panic, Tian Yu held his breath, gripping his sword with both hands to block the blow. The impact sent a jolt through him, injuring his lungs. He coughed up dark blood, realizing he could no longer continue the fight.
"Prepare to die!" Wu Qiuji, sensing victory, swung his mace down in a finishing move. In a desperate bid, Tian Yu hurled his broadsword at Wu Qiuji with all his remaining strength.
Caught off guard, Wu Qiuji couldn't dodge in time, and the blade slashed his left arm.
"Aargh!" Wu Qiuji howled in pain, clutching the deep wound on his arm, his rage boiling over. "I'll kill you!"
But Tian Yu, too exhausted to continue, turned his horse and fled with the hundred or so soldiers still with him, not daring to look back.
"Chase them! Don't let them escape!" Wu Qiuji ignored his injury, picking up the bloodied broadsword from the ground. "I'll use this sword to take that Han general's head!"
Tian Yu's small force, despite being heavily outnumbered, moved swiftly. But with the Xiongnu forces and Liu Yu's army hot on their heels, they knew that being caught would mean certain death.
After another half-hour of pursuit, they barely made it into Yuyang territory. Yet the enemy showed no signs of relenting, as if determined to use this chance to invade Yuyang.
"Halt!" Tian Yu suddenly reined in his horse. His deputy came forward and asked, "General, the pursuers are close behind. Why have we stopped?"
"If we let such a large force chase us in, it could lead to disaster," Tian Yu replied, eyeing the stretch of forest by the roadside as an idea formed in his mind. "Dismount! I have a plan!"
...
Meanwhile, at the gates of Right Beiping, Tadun ordered his soldiers to beat the war drums as over ten thousand Xiongnu troops formed into several columns and advanced toward the city walls.
Yan Gang, a seasoned and battle-hardened general under Gongsun Zan, faced the situation with no trace of fear. Holding the "Gongsun" battle flag in his left hand and a spear in his right, he stood on the watchtower.
"Brothers, hold the city walls! Once our lord returns with reinforcements, we'll all be heroes!" Yan Gang raised the flag high, boosting the morale of the defenders, who cheered in response.
But to Tadun, this was nothing short of a provocation. With a vicious grin, he snarled, "These desperate Han, attack! Take the gates within an hour!"
"Charge!" The Xiongnu warriors roared wildly in response, dismounting and forming small groups. They carried ladders and battering rams, slowly advancing toward the city walls.
Seeing this, Yan Gang ordered, "Aim carefully before you shoot! Don't waste any arrows!"
In an instant, a rain of arrows poured down from the city walls onto the Xiongnu, who fell to the ground with wails of agony.
Tadun coldly waved his hand, and his Black Banner Army immediately understood the command.
Yan Gang, relieved to see that the first wave of the Xiongnu attack had been mostly repelled, noticed another, more ominous, black wave surging from the Xiongnu camp.
Although Yan Gang had never faced the Black Banner Army before, their intimidating presence made him frown. Years of experience told him that this was the real threat!
"Whistle!" While Yan Gang was momentarily distracted, a strange-sounding arrow whizzed out from the black-clad troops. Before he could react, the arrow pierced his right chest.
"General!" As Yan Gang fell, the soldiers around him quickly gathered to protect him. Just then, another dense volley of arrows rained down from below.
"Disperse… disperse!" Yan Gang, spitting blood, tried to stand but was struck again by a stray arrow, collapsing and losing consciousness completely.
The Black Banner Army's archery was deadly accurate. After just two volleys, less than two hundred of the thousand soldiers on the watchtower remained, and Yan Gang had been killed by the barrage.
The defenders' morale crumbled, and those who remained threw down their weapons and fled from the walls.
"Hahaha! Kill them all!" Tadun laughed triumphantly, waving his hand. The Xiongnu forces stormed the city walls and, within minutes, broke through the gates.
What awaited the citizens of Right Beiping was a bloodbath. The Xiongnu soldiers flooded into the city, slaughtering anyone in sight and setting buildings ablaze.
The air was filled with the cries of the dying and the sounds of destruction.
Fortunately, before long, Qin Longyang's troops arrived from Tangyuan Port. With scouts constantly reporting back, they received news of Right Beiping's fall just as they entered the city's territory.
"Damn those beasts!" Qin Longyang clenched his fists as he saw the thick smoke and flames rising from Right Beiping. This city was his pride and joy!
"My lord, we request to fight!" The accompanying generals, barely able to contain their rage, all stepped forward and saluted.
Qin Longyang immediately issued orders: "Yunchang, Yuntai! Take ten thousand men and block the west gate. Ziyi, Yuanjian! You two take another ten thousand men and block the east gate."
" Sunlang, Zilong, General Tong, and Lei Zhen, you will follow me and attack from the south gate. Let none of these invaders escape!"
"Yes, my lord!" the generals shouted in unison before leading their troops to the battlefield.
At this time, Tadun and his men were unaware that danger was closing in. After rampaging through the city, the Xiongnu finally reached Gongsun Zan's granary.
"Hahaha! So much grain! This will feed us for a long time!" The Xiongnu soldiers hastily broke open the granary doors, and thousands of catties of grain spilled out.
Guduo nodded in satisfaction, "Good, our primary objective is achieved. Everyone, grab what you can and retreat."
"No retreat!" Suddenly, Tadun burst into the granary and addressed Guduo, "The Han reinforcements are here! Prince, you must leave the city immediately! If you delay, it'll be too late!"
"What? The Han are here?" Guduo was puzzled. The intelligence had indicated that Gongsun Zan's rear was undefended, so how could reinforcements have arrived? "What about all this grain?"
"Burn it..." Tadun hesitated, unwilling to destroy the hard-won spoils, but gritted his teeth and uttered the words.
"Burn it? This grain could feed us for two years! Let's leave it and come back for it later," Guduo suggested.
But Tadun didn't respond. Instead, he grabbed a torch from a guard and, without a second thought, threw it into the grain. In an instant, the grain caught fire and began to burn rapidly.
"You!" Guduo grabbed Tadun, ready to argue, but Tadun shook off his hand.
"There won't be another chance. These are Qin Longyang's men. We won't be able to take even a single grain out of here, and I'm not leaving this much food for the Han to recover and use against us!" Tadun replied coldly.