The First Charge
The position of Pa Xianbei Zhonglangjiang was one of the three major military posts in the late Han Dynasty responsible for overseeing the northern barbarian tribes. The other two were Hu Wuhuan Xiaowei and Si Xiongnu Zhonglangjiang. As their names suggested, each role dealt with one of the three major northern nomadic groups: the Wuhuan, the Xianbei, and the Xiongnu.
The role I had been given, Pa Xianbei Zhonglangjiang, granted me authority over the Xianbei tribes who had submitted to the Han banner. In practical terms, it meant I could borrow their warriors for battle. Normally, people avoided meddling too deeply with these nomads. Their cavalry was swift and terrifyingly powerful. In an era where horses were both priceless assets and the foundation of military might, these northern tribes trained even their women, children, and elders to ride. Stirring them up carelessly was like poking a hornet’s nest with a spear.
For now, the Han’s strength still dwarfed theirs. But once the Three Kingdoms period ended and the Sixteen Kingdoms era began, the power of these horse-riding nomads would explode exponentially. Throughout China’s long history, there were countless instances of nomadic tribes conquering the Central Plains and establishing their own dynasties. Even without looking that far into the future, it was obvious that underestimating these people would be foolish.
But I wasn’t the kind of person who would settle for earning the same mundane military merits as everyone else. I was ambitious, hot-blooded, young, monstrously strong, and born as the legitimate heir of the prestigious Yuan clan. I had lived without a single restraint. No matter how dangerous the hornets, they were nothing but insignificant insects in front of a fully armed beekeeper.
And the pack of bloodthirsty wolves I led weren’t mere beekeepers. They were natural disasters on an entirely different level.
Well, since we had come with an imperial decree to carry out a punitive expedition, the nomads probably knew we were coming to subjugate them. But even if they knew, they didn’t seem particularly concerned. From their perspective, the so-called punitive force was made up of nameless grunts and inexperienced young hotheads. Swallowing such opponents whole wasn’t particularly difficult for battle-hardened nomads.
That arrogance would prove to be their greatest mistake.
The number of troops I led wasn’t particularly large, but the quality of the generals accompanying me was absurdly luxurious. Every single one of them had a deep connection with me. The generals participating in this expedition were, with me at the head: Xiang Yu, Richard, Choe Jun-gyeong. Below them were Ma Teng, Yan Xing, Pang De, Ji Ling, Gao Shun, and Hu Che’er. And finally, my strategist Jia Xu.
I had brought out every single treasure I had gathered so far. Ma Chao and Ma Dai were still too young to bring along, but even without them, this lineup was terrifying enough to make a difficult campaign against the nomads feel like child’s play.
Of course, since the world had yet to witness our true strength, some might worry and the nomads might scoff. But for me, who already knew exactly how strong we were, what was there to fear? If you hold a royal flush and still hesitate to go all-in, you have no business sitting at the gambling table.
And I was the kind of madman who could laugh heartily even after going all-in and losing everything, then immediately slam down a new stake on the table.
‘The total force mobilized for this expedition is around twenty thousand…’
Five thousand cavalry and fifteen thousand infantry. If we included the troops conscripted from the Xianbei, the total would reach about twenty-five thousand. It was a somewhat reduced number because that money-obsessed emperor who loved playing merchant was stingy about raising troops. Still…
‘Heh heh. This is more than enough to crush them.’
The battlefields I would stand on in this era, and in the future, were neither modern battlefields nor the relatively realistic combat of ancient times. In a world where being peerless in battle wasn’t an exaggeration, a general’s martial prowess shone even more brilliantly on the field. So far I had only dealt with enemies numbering in the low hundreds, but this would be completely different.
This was a stage where I could truly experience a proper war. At the same time, I would be able to see just how effectively my own monstrous individual strength would work on a real battlefield.
“Jia Xu.”
“Yes, my lord.”
True to her Liang Province origins, Jia Xu was quite skilled at riding. She quickly approached at my call.
“Since you’ll be with me from now on, there will be many battles. Take this opportunity to properly witness it. See for yourself the true strength of those who will fight alongside you!”
“I will engrave it clearly into these two eyes of mine.”
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. To scheme effectively, Jia Xu first needed to understand exactly how powerful the Yuan Shu faction truly was. Since I intended to resolve this fight through sheer force, I was essentially telling her to factor that overwhelming power into her calculations.
Especially because my army possessed transcendent strength that completely defied ordinary common sense.
“We will soon enter You Province, my lord. Shall we first visit our assigned post to reorganize before beginning the campaign? Or shall we commence the subjugation immediately?”
“The reason I accepted the post was to use it as a base to accumulate multiple achievements rather than settle for just one. Instead of waiting, I’ll strike first and test them! Send word to the Xianbei tribes we can command.”
Leaving the task of finding paths or locating other tribes to the locals who lived here was clearly the best choice. The ecology of the northern nomads was truly a world of survival of the fittest, no different from the heart of the wilderness.
They only believed in strength, betrayed each other without hesitation, and rarely united. Unless someone on the level of Modu Chanyu—who had once crushed even Emperor Gaozu of Han—or Genghis Khan, who would establish a vast empire in the future, or at the very least Wanyan Aguda, who destroyed the Liao and founded the Jin, appeared… uniting them was no easy task.
The saying united we stand, divided we fall fit them perfectly. These tribes were notoriously bad at maintaining unity, often splitting into countless factions. Yet when they did unite, they displayed terrifying power. Wasn’t that exactly why dynasties like the Liao, Jin, and Yuan had appeared in history?
Anyway, to get proper cooperation from these wild ruffians, I needed to clearly demonstrate my strength this time. Even the Xianbei who claimed loyalty to the Han only followed the logic of power. If we looked weak, they might act passively or, in extreme cases, stab us in the back. Rather than allow that, it was better to show them once and for all and establish proper hierarchy.
‘Besides, the troops aren’t particularly elite.’
The greatest reason for the Han’s chaos was this merchant-playing emperor, the Ten Attendants, He Jin, and the power struggles among the nobles. The fact that the Ten Attendants could run wild was only possible because the emperor himself was obsessed with playing merchant and actively sold offices and ranks. Perhaps that was why the army itself wasn’t particularly elite.
However, the prestige of a great general could cover such shortcomings. Everything depended on how you used it. In this era, the morale of soldiers was directly tied to the might of their commander. Especially in a world like this.
The march proceeded quickly, but since we made sure the troops were properly fed, there were no major problems. They should be more than ready for battle.
‘If we run low on food, I can just buy more with my own money.’
To achieve military merit, the soldiers needed to perform well. Fortunately, I had capable officers like Gao Shun and Ji Ling who excelled at leading troops, which made things much easier for me. While my personal strength was monstrous, I wasn’t particularly talented at commanding large armies.
“Did you all bring your weapons properly this time? Those priceless weapons I spent a fortune on, commissioning the best blacksmiths with the finest materials. You bastards barely used them during the bandit subjugation, saying you didn’t want to get blood on them!”
The reason Xiang Yu had torn down the wooden barricades the bandits had set up and swung them around like weapons was simply because she refused to use the weapons I had prepared for her. During that fight, she had brought ordinary weapons, but after one swing they shattered. So she ripped out the logs from the barricade and used them to smash the bandits to pieces.
“Kekeke! Big brother, you worry too much! There’s no way we wouldn’t bring them for something like this! It’s just that they’re a bit heavy for the horses, so we’re hauling them in carts!”
“Even the Ferghana horse Ma Teng gave you can’t handle it? You really do use ridiculously heavy weapons!”
Incidentally, the one pulling the cart was Hu Che’er. Since his physique was absurdly massive and ordinary horses couldn’t handle him, it worked out for everyone. Even the fine steed Ma Teng had gifted couldn’t easily endure the weight of Xiang Yu’s weapons for long periods.
“But you use ridiculous weapons too, big brother!”
“Hey, even I’m not as bad as you!”
I wielded a massive greatsword and an absurdly heavy iron mace. While I could handle most weapons as if they were extensions of my own limbs, those two felt the most comfortable.
Instead of heading straight to our assigned post, we crossed the border and advanced directly into nomadic territory. We soon met a guide sent by the Xianbei tribes cooperating with the Han. Upon learning from him that the Xianbei reinforcements were on their way, I ordered him to focus on guiding us rather than waiting for them.
“Uhh… I did tell you about the nearest Xianbei group as you requested, but those fellows have quite a large force, General. Our own troops haven’t joined us yet. Wouldn’t it be better to target a weaker group instead…”
“What’s the point of calculating every little thing! They’re enemies we have to deal with anyway! If you keep worrying about such trivial matters, you won’t be able to do anything! Everyone!! Prepare for battle!!”
Even among the Xianbei, not all were allies. They were divided into various tribes and factions, so the guide’s suggestion wasn’t strange. However, they clearly hadn’t expected me to act so aggressively.
Of course, from my perspective, this wasn’t particularly reckless…
“W-wait, General…! P-please calm down…!!”
“M-my lord…! You’re not thinking of taking the vanguard yourself, are you…?!”
When I looked ready to charge forward immediately, even Jia Xu, who had turned pale, joined in trying to stop me.
“It is far too dangerous for the commander of an army to stand at the forefront, my lord! On the battlefield, even a stray arrow can take a life. Please reconsider…!”
“Hahaha! Master Jia Xu! Isn’t that exactly why I told you to watch? To see exactly how strong I am—how strong we are! And that kind of talk is for ordinary people! It has nothing to do with Yuan Shu!”
What could boost morale more than the highest-ranking noble and army commander personally leading from the front and displaying overwhelming might? Of course, if I died it would all be over. But I had more confidence than anyone.
That was my perspective, but Jia Xu, who had never seen me on the battlefield before, couldn’t help but worry.
“M-my lord! My lord…!!”
Of course Jia Xu had heard the rumors, but the battlefield was a different story. She worried that the precious opportunity she had finally obtained might vanish, that my youthful recklessness and the privileges of being the legitimate heir of a prestigious family might be pushing me into reckless behavior. She tried desperately to dissuade me, but it was meaningless.
“Let’s gooooooooo—!!!!”
I had already let out a thunderous roar and charged straight toward the Xianbei warriors who had come out to fight upon hearing that an army was approaching.
“Big brother! I’ll be taking the first barbarian head!!!”
“Kiyahho!! Time to get some blood on my blade after so long!!”
“Hehehe…”
Xiang Yu, Richard, and Choe Jun-gyeong immediately matched my pace and charged alongside me.
“Follow General Yuan! All forces, advance—!!!”
“Let’s go! Let’s carve the terror of the Han into those nomads!!”
The cavalry led by Yan Xing, Ma Teng, and Pang De, along with the infantry commanded by Ji Ling and Gao Shun, began moving behind us. Hu Che’er, having just joined, stayed back to guard Jia Xu while he got used to the situation…
“Hah! Have those slow-ass Han dogs lost their minds? Charging with fewer numbers? What kind of guts is that?”
The Xianbei who spotted the Han army charging recklessly from the start simply sneered, finding the sight ridiculous and not the least bit frightening.
“If you want to die that badly, I’ll grant your wish! Charge! This old man will personally teach these fools the terror of the great plains!”
The Xianbei chieftain standing before me mocked our stupidity—or more precisely, the commander’s poor judgment—and ordered his warriors to charge toward the Han forces.
And thus—my first large-scale battle had begun!