The Xiongnu royal court was naturally the heartland of the Xiongnu, a vital territory under the command of the Great Chanyu Duo Yongjian, and one that could not afford to be lost.
At this moment, Zhou Fugui, leading nearly two hundred Yan troops, had stumbled into the Xiongnu royal court. With lightning speed, they had killed the Xiongnu Right Valley Leader Ao Deng and occupied his camp. While this did not mean the Xiongnu had lost their royal court entirely, it was a thorn in their side, a constant unease.
How could they tolerate another sleeping beside their own couch? Not even a fly. Thus, the Left Great Hu Lu Wu Khan Qi Wulhan, under Duo Yongjian’s command, who was left to guard the royal court, gathered over five thousand men. The Left Great Cavalry Commander Xu Bu Liang marshaled over six thousand soldiers. These two units, totaling over ten thousand men, descended like a mountain pressing down upon Zhou Fugui’s contingent, intending to annihilate this daring bandit force of unknown origin, reclaim the lost camp and territory, and avenge Ao Deng. Moreover, they needed to provide an explanation to the Great Chanyu Duo Yongjian, a point of utmost importance.
“The two forces are less than a hundred li from here. Do you gentlemen have any counsel?” After briefing them on the military situation, Zhou Fugui asked Li Qing and Ye Guanti.
Without a doubt, the Xiongnu’s two forces would be primarily cavalry. Coupled with the predominantly flat grasslands of the northern terrain, this hundred li distance was insignificant for cavalry. Therefore, Zhou Fugui, unable to rest, summoned Li Qing and Ye Guantian late into the night to discuss countermeasures.
Zhou Fugui attached great importance to battlefield reconnaissance. After being reprimanded, or rather reminded, by the Yan border army commander Hu Yan Sheng, he valued it even more.
Zhou Fugui had long ago ordered Yelihu, with the assistance of slaves familiar with the terrain, to dispatch scouts over a hundred li out. Thus, the news of the approaching Xiongnu army was received.
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles!
“Over ten thousand troops? Fugui…” Li Qing thought for a moment before saying, “We are outnumbered, no, ‘outnumbered’ is an understatement. The disparity is too vast, like heaven and earth. Therefore, Fugui, of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, retreating is the best course of action.”
Zhou Fugui nodded in agreement, “To fight if possible, to retreat if not. This is feasible.”
The Xiongnu had a vast and powerful army. Thus, temporarily withdrawing to fight elsewhere, or in essence, fleeing, was what most would consider, and the safest strategy.
So, Zhou Fugui and Li Qing began to discuss specific escape routes.
Ye Guantian, meanwhile, sat to the side, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, remaining silent as if contemplating something.
“Guangting, do you have any ideas?” Zhou Fugui turned to look at Ye Guantian and asked.
“I have not experienced major battles. Reading military books is mere theoretical knowledge! It is far inferior to your and Brother Li’s experience,” Ye Guantian replied.
“Theoretical knowledge? Even theoretical knowledge is…,” Zhou Fugui chuckled, “Feel free to state your ideas. What is it? You are unwilling to offer counsel?”
The Warring States period general Zhao Kuo, with his theoretical knowledge, led the Zhao army to a devastating defeat, losing hundreds of thousands of soldiers. The state of Zhao never recovered, eventually leading to its demise, and Zhao Kuo became a historical laughingstock.
But was Zhao Kuo truly an incompetent fool? Was he someone everyone could mock? Not necessarily. At the very least, Zhao Kuo had studied military texts since childhood, was knowledgeable in various stratagems, and was diligent in his studies. At the very least, Zhao Kuo was appointed in a time of crisis and dared to take responsibility. At the very least, Zhao Kuo died on the battlefield, refusing to surrender. For these reasons alone, Zhou Fugui held him in high esteem.
In the late Warring States period, the unification of the realm was an unstoppable trend, desired by all. Zhao’s defeat was also an inevitable trend, unavoidable.
As soon as Zhou Fugui spoke, he forced Ye Guantian to reveal his thoughts. After a moment of contemplation, he said, “Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, retreating is the best. But General, Brother Li, where would we go? North or South?”
Zhou Fugui and Li Qing exchanged a glance and both shook their heads.
They had deliberated for a long time but had reached no conclusion…
North? Winter was approaching, and the further north they went, the colder and more arduous the conditions would become. Regardless of whether the Xiongnu pursuers would follow, survival itself would be a challenge.
As for fleeing south back to Lin Winter City, given the current situation, it was even more impossible. Not to mention the troops from the Xiongnu royal court and the various passes, the Great Chanyu Duo Yongjian’s army was fighting to the south. If Zhou Fugui’s contingent fled south, wouldn’t they be walking into a trap?
Zhou Fugui’s current predicament was far more dire than that of his divine mentor, Huo Qubing.
Huo Qubing, in his first battle, had eight hundred elite cavalry. In his second, he commanded ten thousand elite horsemen, marching out of Longxi and defeating the Xiongnu army. Most crucially, Huo Qubing had the support of the Great Han Dynasty, the unwavering assistance of Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che. Without it, Huo Qubing would have achieved little.
And what did Zhou Fugui have now? Besides two hundred brave warriors and the newly recruited over two thousand slave soldiers, he had nothing.
“Neither north nor south is suitable…” After a long pause, Zhou Fugui replied helplessly.
“Since we cannot leave, why not fight to the death?” Ye Guantian asked Zhou Fugui.
“Fight! How do we fight?” Before Zhou Fugui could answer, Li Qing shook his head, “We have only two hundred capable fighters. How do we fight?”
“We also have over two thousand fresh troops who can fight with us!” Ye Guantian replied.
“We gained them today and already have the strength to fight?” Li Qing exclaimed. “Do you know how many days our two hundred warriors have been training? Over a year! Fugui and the others endured eight full months of arduous training in the Ice Bone Camp. Moreover… with these over two thousand slave soldiers, pitting two thousand against over ten thousand elite Xiongnu cavalry, how can we not be defeated?”
The argument between them grew louder and louder, while Zhou Fugui remained silent, repeatedly contemplating and weighing the pros and cons.
“The two Xiongnu forces, though numerous, are not elite,” Ye Guantian stated calmly.
“What do you mean?” Zhou Fugui asked upon hearing this.
“The Xiongnu elites have all gone south, do you not know?” Ye Guantian replied with a smile. “The Chanyu’s elite troops have all been summoned south. Firstly, it is to engage in a major battle with the Yan army; secondly, it is a precautionary measure.”
To be on the safe side, Duo Yongjian would keep the majority of his elites close by. Otherwise, if there were any disturbances, wouldn’t that be a disaster? Such things had happened before.
The former Xiongnu Chanyu was deposed by Duo Yongjian in this very manner. The former Chanyu met his end in defeat, and his entire family was massacred.
“Hahaha, that’s right…” Zhou Fugui slapped his thigh upon hearing this and laughed heartily. “How could I forget this? In your opinion, is there even a sliver of a chance of winning if we fight?”
“Indeed!” Ye Guantian nodded. “Not a sliver of a chance. It’s fifty-fifty.”
“You are quite optimistic?” Zhou Fugui glared at Ye Guantian and asked.
“Fifty-fifty is also not ideal!” Li Qing interjected.
“Why?” Zhou Fugui pondered.
“Fugui…” Li Qing glanced at Ye Guantian before replying, “If we fight, we can only win, not lose. If we lose, we will all die a tragic death. The consequences are undeniably perilous. However, the Xiongnu can afford to lose multiple times. Fugui, think thrice before you act.”
“If I win and the Xiongnu lose, we will have a breathing space, we will gain the initiative,” Ye Guantian said to Zhou Fugui. “General Zhou, we cannot retreat. Only by fighting can we secure a foothold, only by fighting can we gain a breathing space, only by fighting can we win over all the slaves!”
The decision between fighting and retreating became a protracted debate between Li Qing and Ye Guantian. Ultimately, the final decision rested with Zhou Fugui, the commander.
Fighting might lead to total annihilation, with all soldiers dying in battle or being captured and killed by the Xiongnu, leading to a most tragic end. This was evident, and pitting two thousand against ten thousand was an exceptionally perilous situation. On the other hand, the consequences of not fighting and retreating were uncertain prospects and a loss of popular support.
The over two thousand slaves had just pledged allegiance to Zhou Fugui. If he abandoned them and fled alone, wouldn’t they be deeply disappointed and disheartened? And then, abandoning them to the Xiongnu, what kind of tragic fate would await them? The answer was self-evident.
The allegiance of these over two thousand slaves to Zhou Fugui was like two thousand shackles placed around his neck.
The saying that the greater the power, the greater the responsibility, held true.
This was a difficult choice.
“Guangting, how do we fight?” After a long silence, Zhou Fugui asked.
At this moment, Zhou Fugui was already leaning towards fighting.
“General, we only need to do this and that, and we can fight them!” Ye Guantian pointed to the map and explained until the candle burned out, finally concluding his discourse.
“Fight!” Upon hearing this, Zhou Fugui’s confidence surged. He stood up, clenched his fist, and declared, “My mind is made up! Even if it means a fight to the death, we will fight them! Let Zhou be Sun Wukong and cause chaos within Princess Iron Fan’s belly.”
Li Qing and Ye Guantian were both perplexed. What was Sun Wukong? Which country’s princess was Princess Iron Fan? And Zhou Fugui intended to crawl into a princess’s belly? Could he fit, given his large size?
………
“Fugui…” After Ye Guantian had retired to rest, Li Qing still appeared worried. He pulled Zhou Fugui aside privately and advised, “He is gambling with the lives of our brothers. This… his intentions are unclear.”
“Stop making wild guesses…” Zhou Fugui patted Li Qing’s shoulder and said, “Carefulness ensures a thousand years of sailing. Acting cautiously is a good thing. I am pleased that you are calm and want to act prudently. But Scholar, at this moment, do we have the opportunity to act prudently? No. From the moment we left Xue Lin City, we lost the word ‘prudent’. Every moment, we are licking the blade of a knife! Every moment, we are in peril.”
Li Qing nodded helplessly upon hearing this.
“Go and get a few hours of sleep. Once the great battle begins, we will have no time for deep sleep,” Zhou Fugui also nodded and said to Li Qing.
“Ah? Damn it, what is this thing?” After seeing Li Qing off, Zhou Fugui plunged into his bedding roll in the tent. However, something within the bedding roll was slowly wriggling, startling Zhou Fugui.