Climbing to the Top: A Reborn Queen's Journey-Chapter 574: Retreat (Part 1)

Liu Hengchang’s battle finally crushed the morale of the Rouran barbarians.

A few days later, the Rouran barbarians started to retreat.

The Rouran boasted of a hundred thousand elite cavalrymen, but this invasion of the border suffered unprecedented losses. After months of battle, some were killed in direct combat, some died of illness, some from untreated severe injuries, and more died in two night assaults on the camps.

During the first night assault, a large amount of grain and fodder was burned, and thousands of warhorses ran away from the burning stables. In the second night assault, Ah Fu Luo was beheaded; thousands were hacked, trampled, and killed in their sleep. Most hateful of all, the unmatchable confidence of the Rouran cavalry was destroyed.

Yu Chong! Liu Hengchang! Nanyang Army! Nanyang County Princess!

The Rouran Khan Fu Mingdun rode his steeds toward the northern grasslands, repeatedly chanting these words in his heart. A flash of cruelty and ruthlessness appeared in his eyes.

He recorded this blood feud one by one.

Countless warhorses galloped forward, with an immeasurable number of Da Liang civilians trailing behind the grand procession.

No children, no elderly, only young and strong adults, half men and half women. They were dressed in rags, wrists bound together with ropes, and stumbling despairingly as they cried toward an unfamiliar place.

They were the civilians from the counties outside Sizhou City. Their homes were burned by the Rouran barbarians; they watched helplessly as their parents and children were killed. Those who dared to resist were killed on the spot. The utterly terrified became slaves to the Rouran barbarians.

With the Rouran retreat, they became the spoils of the Rouran barbarians.

"Move quickly!"

"No crying allowed!"

Hundreds of Rouran barbarians wove in and out, and whenever they heard crying, long whips lashed down like a fierce storm, without mercy.

A man in his thirties was knocked to the ground by a whip, and the fiery pain on his face aroused his last bit of courage. He struggled up from the ground and lunged at the Rouran barbarian holding the long whip.

"I’ll fight you to the death!"

The Rouran barbarian was immensely tall and powerfully built, an imposing figure. Seeing the man’s struggle and resistance, he sneered, flicked the whip, tightly coiled it around the man’s neck, and yanked hard.

The man showed pain on his face and quickly suffocated to death.

The nearby civilians trembled with fear, eyes filled with despair.

They were ordinary people who only knew how to farm, having only ever touched kitchen knives. Witnessing the defiant being slaughtered like chickens and ducks, they dared not even budge.

The Rouran barbarian had killed a slave without a trace of remorse, laughing heartily. He continued to crack his whip, urging the slaves to move faster.

They walked for half a day before a break was allowed. The Rouran barbarians had dried horse meat to eat. The Da Liang civilians taken as slaves had only some dark, foul-smelling wild vegetable cakes. Whether they starved to death or could make it to the grassland, no one cared.

The well-fed Rouran barbarians got into high spirits and dragged out beautiful women from the slaves to indulge themselves. In broad daylight, several women were violated, their cries of anguish endless.

"Don’t touch my sister!"

A thin boy of about fifteen or sixteen struggled desperately to stop a Rouran barbarian and was decapitated with a single stroke of a knife. The boy’s head rolled to the ground, still wide-eyed, his face frozen in that moment of anger and hate.

A fourteen-year-old girl cried out in heart-wrenching agony: "Brother!"

Annoyed by the sound, the Rouran barbarian slapped her hard, rendering the girl unconscious, and violently tore her clothes apart.

...

"Congratulations to the Great General, the Rouran have retreated!"

"Victory for the border army! Victory for the border army!"

The border army was jubilant, and the military generals wore expressions of joy, eagerly announcing the good news.

General Fan looked gratified and sighed, "The Rouran have finally retreated. Our border army did not betray the Emperor and the court’s trust."

"Someone, go invite General Song and Commander Liu to discuss our next steps together."

A moment later, General Song and Liu Hengchang arrived at the central army tent.

General Song, who had brought four thousand reinforcements, was indeed unlucky, consistently suppressed by the Rouran barbarians. He struggled from the beginning to the end, unable to achieve even one decent victory.

In just over a month, the over fifty-year-old General Song had turned gray, becoming considerably worn.

General Fan said to General Song, "The Rouran have retreated! Many thanks to General Song for leading troops to support the border army, which enabled this great victory for the border army!"

This was to give credit for repelling the Rouran to others. In fact, the four thousand reinforcements brought by General Song greatly restrained the Rouran troops and did contribute.

General Song felt grateful for General Fan’s magnanimity and generosity, cupped his hands, and said, "However the memorial is to be written, it’s up to General Fan to decide!"

General Fan did not stand on ceremony, nodding in agreement. Then, he said to Liu Hengchang, "Commander Liu, leading the Nanyang army, launched a nighttime assault on the enemy camp, beheaded Rouran’s top general Ah Fu Luo, and caused the disintegration of the Rouran barbarians’ morale. This time, with the Rouran retreat, Commander Liu deserves the most credit!"

"I will appeal for merit for Commander Liu and the Nanyang army in the memorial."

This showed General Fan’s cleverness. Liu Hengchang came under the banner of the Nanyang army, but everyone knew these two thousand elites were the personal guard of the Nanyang County Princess.

In the appeal for merit, this could not be explicitly stated. The number of personal guards of a Vassal King was fixed, and the sudden emergence of two thousand guards was an easy point for attack.

Merit could only be claimed in the name of the Nanyang army. The credit Liu Hengchang earned would all go to him personally.

Liu Hengchang cupped his hands in thanks to General Fan.

General Fan continued, "This time, the border army’s success is thanks to the large amount of military provisions sent by the Commandery Princess. It filled the soldiers’ stomachs, allowing them to fight effectively. I, Fan, am deeply grateful to the Commandery Princess. Please convey my gratitude to her when you return to Nanyang County."

Liu Hengchang agreed with a smile.

At the mention of the Nanyang County Princess, General Song’s expression turned somewhat uneasy.

Three years ago, Emperor Taikang passed away, and the Nanyang County Princess rushed to the capital for mourning. Due to her strong demeanor and rigorous methods, he found her difficult to accept. When his nephew Song Yuan sought alliance, she bluntly refused.

Over these three years, the Nanyang County Princess gained widespread renown; everything she did revealed her strategy and capability. Nowadays, when anyone mentions the Nanyang County Princess, it is with respect. Even political adversaries privately admire her.

The Song family and the Nanyang Prince Mansion had marital ties, having always maintained contact for the sake of the long-deceased Princess Nanyang. Commander Song Yuan of the Princess’s personal guard was his own nephew. Unfortunately, his shortsightedness nearly severed this connection over the past few years.

Perhaps, after this battle, he should write to Song Yuan and mend their relationship...

Liu Hengchang suddenly said, "The Rouran barbarians’ retreat is indeed good news. However, during their retreat, the Rouran barbarians took away tens of thousands of Da Liang civilians. May I ask General Fan, what is your plan to rescue them?"

General Fan’s smile froze.