The Child Emperor

Chapter 160: The Army Crosses the River

Unrest had been spreading in the Guandong region for some time, but the news had only just reached Shattered Iron City.

The timing of the unrest was “unfortunate” or “too coincidental.” Most of Chu’s elite troops were stationed at the borders, leaving the interior regions weakly defended. The counties could barely control the local uprisings, prompting the court to urgently redeploy border troops to quell the rebellion.

The Chu army had made numerous preparations for the Shattered Iron City ambush. Grand General Han Xing thus ordered the troops outside Divine Hero Pass to act quickly and first eliminate the threat posed by the Xiongnu.

Chai Yue felt a surge of confusion. Moments ago, he had been worried about his mother and brother’s lives, but now he had to consider the crisis facing the Chu empire. He had to convince himself that, despite Lady Hengyang’s ruthlessness, she wouldn’t dare harm innocent family members.

“When will the thirty thousand Northern Army troops arrive?” Chai Yue asked. The few thousand soldiers in Shattered Iron City alone couldn’t defeat the Xiongnu; they needed significant reinforcements.

“They’re already on their way. They’ll be here before noon.”

Chai Yue was still somewhat panicked but steadied himself. “But we still don’t know where the main force of the Xiongnu is, or if they’re even gathered together.”

Han Ruzi was concerned about this as well. “Everything is happening at once: the court wants us to act quickly, Jin Chunbao brought news of a split among the Xiongnu, and the Grand General might see this as an opportunity.”

Chai Yue glanced at the officers on both sides, feeling it was not his place to say too much, but he had to ask, “General, what about the noble camp…?”

“There’s no hurry. The Xiongnu are the immediate priority.”

Chai Yue breathed a slight sigh of relief. The “Chai clan members” were temporarily safe. Though they had forced him to attempt suicide, he couldn’t just watch them be killed.

The thirty thousand Northern Army troops arrived earlier than expected. Not long after dawn, the vanguard was already here. They didn’t enter the city but crossed the river and began setting up camp on the other side, sending only a few officers into the city to coordinate.

Following this, one unit after another arrived, all bypassing Shattered Iron City and heading to the other side of the river.

An hour before noon, the Northern Army’s General of the Right Feng Shili arrived. He also didn’t enter the city but set up a temporary camp outside and invited the Northern Protection General to a meeting outside the city.

This request was unusual. Feng Shili outranked Han Ruzi, commanding all troops from Divine Hero Pass to Shattered Iron City. He should have entered the city and set up a command post, but he chose to stay outside.

Han Ruzi had no choice but to comply. After arranging matters in the city, he took Chai Yue and a few guards and left the city.

Thousands of soldiers formed multiple layers of human walls, countless flags fluttering in the wind, leaving a narrow path with spears and halberds within arm’s reach.

Han Ruzi and his party dismounted. The guards were stopped, and only he and Chai Yue were allowed into the tent.

Feng Shili was in his forties, not too old, with fair skin and a scholarly appearance. If not for his armor, he could easily be mistaken for a civil official.

The tent also housed ten halberd-wielding guards protecting the General of the Right. Feng Shili sat behind a desk, reviewing documents.

Chai Yue, of lower rank, knelt and saluted. Han Ruzi merely nodded.

Feng Shili didn’t respond immediately. He finished reading a document before looking up, as if just noticing them. He smiled, “The Northern Protection General has arrived. Please, have a seat.”

A guard brought over a stool. Han Ruzi sat, while Chai Yue stood by his side.

Feng Shili looked at Han Ruzi, the smile fading from his face. “Have you seen the Xiongnu?”

“Yes, I detailed it in my report.”

Feng Shili lightly tapped the document on the desk. “I saw it. There’s a small issue, but it’s not important. Let’s discuss the main matter first.”

Han Ruzi felt Feng Shili was deliberately mentioning the “small issue” without explaining it. He didn’t pursue it, and Feng Shili’s gaze turned to Chai Yue. “Was the plan to ambush the Xiongnu your idea?”

“Yes, it was my humble suggestion, fortunately taken seriously by the Grand General.”

“It doesn’t seem very successful.”

Chai Yue blushed. The army had been in ambush for a long time. Winter was approaching, yet the Xiongnu hadn’t attacked Shattered Iron City as he predicted. “Perhaps I was foolish…”

“It’s not a big deal. Such things happen often. No one can predict everything perfectly, right?”

Feng Shili delayed getting to the main point, so Han Ruzi asked, “Is the army heading north to engage the Xiongnu?”

Feng Shili nodded.

“Have you located their main force?”

Another nod.

The tent fell silent, becoming awkward. Han Ruzi deeply disliked such pointless intrigue but maintained a polite smile, sitting upright as if everything was perfectly clear.

Feng Shili acted as if waking from a nap, inhaling deeply and exhaling heavily. He rummaged through his desk and pulled out a document. “There’s news that the Eastern Chanyu has died, and Prince Zaheyan is eager to claim the Chanyu title. He’s gathering all his cavalry and heading west. The Grand General has ordered me to intercept them. We’ll engage in two or three days.”

Han Ruzi and Chai Yue exchanged glances. This was news to them.

“Is the information reliable?” Han Ruzi asked.

“The Grand General believes it, and so does the Northern Army’s Grand Marshal. It must be accurate.”

Han Ruzi didn’t want to continue the dance of words. He stood up and asked, “Has General Feng seen Jin Chunbao?”

“I have. He said some interesting things.”

“I suspect that might be Zaheyan’s deliberate misinformation…”

Feng Shili raised his hand to stop Han Ruzi. “The Grand General has already given orders. Let’s focus on action rather than speculation.”

Han Ruzi couldn’t argue against such an “orders are orders” stance. “What does General Feng expect the Shattered Iron City garrison to do?”

“It’s not what I expect. It’s the Grand General’s order.” Feng Shili picked up another document, glanced at it briefly, made a few approving noises, and then closed it. “The Shattered Iron City garrison is to join me in intercepting the Xiongnu.”

“We must leave some troops to guard the city, just in case.”

“Leave the noble camp behind. That’s enough. This battle is a guaranteed victory. They’ll be useless anyway, just causing trouble.”

Han Ruzi thought Feng Shili was about to mention his deceased nephew, but instead, Feng Shili said, “General, you can choose to either stay and guard the city or join the battle.”

“I’ll stay and guard the city.” Han Ruzi had no intention of showing off.

Feng Shili nodded, smiling as if he had expected this. “Alright, then. General, please return and send your army across the river before dark. Do not delay.”

Until the meeting ended, Feng Shili didn’t mention any personal matters.

On the way back to the city, Chai Yue remained silent. Han Ruzi guessed his thoughts and said, “You want to join the battle?”

“That’s why I came to the frontier.”

“You don’t think it might be a trap?”

“Precisely because it might be a trap, I must go. You should understand.”

Han Ruzi understood. Chai Yue was in a difficult position. Staying with Han Ruzi would further anger Lady Hengyang. And he was eager to earn merit, even if the chances were slim.

Having just saved Chai Yue, Han Ruzi had to let him go. “Alright, you lead the troops across the river. I hope my suspicions are wrong.”

Chai Yue thanked him with a bow. At the city gate, he said, “If I may, I advise you to be patient and not take action against the noble camp. So far, General Feng hasn’t found any major fault with you.”

Han Ruzi smiled. “No need to be patient. I never intended to do much, just to scare them.”

The private soldiers under Han Ruzi’s personal command remained in the city, not subject to military orders. Nearly three thousand soldiers, including the old and weak from Shattered Iron City, were ordered to leave the city and join Feng Shili’s army across the river.

The city emptied significantly.

Han Ruzi walked through the noble camp. Hearing they wouldn’t go to the battlefield didn’t please everyone. Only a few noble sons had no worries about their future; more hoped to earn merit in battle. Staying in the city meant losing that chance.

Most still believed over thirty thousand Chu troops could defeat ten thousand Xiongnu cavalry.

But the noble sons were somewhat afraid of the Northern Protection General and didn’t dare question him openly.

The twenty-three “Chai clan members” were still confined in Chai Yue’s quarters. When Han Ruzi entered, they all knelt, not daring to stand up and declare their intent for revenge.

Han Ruzi didn’t say much. He directly ordered them taken away and locked in a formal prison.

Returning to the general’s residence, Han Ruzi found that Feng Shili’s “small issue” was waiting for him.

Three military officials under the Grand General had come to investigate the incident where the Northern Protection General led troops to scout and got surrounded by the Xiongnu. The three officials were respectful, only asking a few questions of Han Ruzi but interrogating others in detail. Du Chuanyun, Fang Daye, and others were questioned for nearly an hour. Some who had left with the army were also questioned by other officials.

Han Ruzi then realized why Feng Shili had been so patient and why he wanted the Shattered Iron City guards to cross the river.

Prince Donghai, staying in the residence, praised Feng Shili. “That old fox, he’s not good at leading troops in battle, but he’s a master of bureaucratic finesse. He shouldn’t be a general but a Ministry of Justice official. Your situation is neither big nor small. Scouting units encountering the enemy is normal, and casualties are common. But you’re the Northern Protection General. Normally, you wouldn’t be leading the scout personally. If they twist the narrative to say you led troops recklessly, resulting in heavy losses against the Xiongnu, that’s a serious offense. At least, they’ll strip you of your noble stipend by a large amount. You’ll be an even poorer Weary Marquis.”

In that encounter, the Xiongnu had suffered greater losses, but according to Chu military law, if their own troops lost more than thirty percent, even a victory would only balance out merits and demerits. If losses exceeded fifty percent, it would be a fault with no merit.

The crux was whether Han Ruzi’s hundred soldiers were scouts or a formal unit. Military law was lenient toward the former but extremely harsh on the latter.

“It seems I should thank those Chai clan members,” Han Ruzi said.

“What’s your scheme?” Prince Donghai laughed, now uninvolved and not worried about his safety. “A scheming youth facing a sly old fox. Interesting.”

“The Chai clan members forced Chai Yue to commit suicide and intended to cause a military rebellion by attacking the general’s residence. That’s a serious crime, right?”

“Of course. It’s a greater offense than your failed mission. Strictly speaking, you could already execute them under military law.”

“Keeping their heads intact is more useful. The Grand General’s three officials are still here. Let them interrogate the Chai clan members.”

Prince Donghai pondered and laughed. “That’s not a scheme; it’s a brilliant plan. Those Chai clan members bear a grudge against you. If they confirm you were leading scouts, the officials can’t twist the narrative.”

“Getting out of trouble is a small matter. The key is the over thirty thousand Chu troops. If they fall into a Xiongnu trap…”

“It’s not your concern. It might even benefit you.”

If benefiting required sacrificing over thirty thousand Chu troops, Han Ruzi would rather not benefit.

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