A Plan to Capture the Enemy General in One Breath
My blood boiled hot, and the edge of my spear grew sharper with every passing moment on the battlefield. The instant I reached the front lines, all the energy that had been drained from me surged upward in a single fierce rush. Here, I could display unmatched valor beneath the heavens and fight as if in a trance of selflessness.
“Graaaagh!”
For what felt like the umpteenth time, I drove my spear through an enemy officer above the rank of Jolbaek and hurled him from his horse. The elite soldiers of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry around me were beginning to tire, yet I steadied my breathing and roared with everything I had.
“One more charge!”
We had already clashed with the enemy several times in brutal tests of strength. I smashed through every foe in my path while constantly checking the movements of the central army and the left wing. Fierce fighting raged on their side as well. Xiahou Yuan’s ferocious, headlong assault would have made any second cavalry charge seem timid by comparison, and beside him Zhang Liao was showing the world in real time exactly what happened when “Zhang Liao arrives.” All three of us crushed the enemy with raw power, seeking and shattering their vanguard. Even the mighty Xiongnu army realized we were stronger than expected and began packing their troops together more tightly.
If we could break that formation for good, victory would be ours.
“All troops, one more ch—”
Thud thud thud thud— thud thud thud thud— thud thud thud—
“The enemy is retreating! The Xiongnu cavalry is pulling back!”
What? In the middle of a proper fight, the Xiongnu horsemen suddenly wheeled their mounts and withdrew. I had no idea what was happening, but I was about to order a pursuit when Zhang Liao came galloping up.
“Zayul, hold! The General Who Protects the Army has ordered us to cease pursuit and return at once.”
“They’re fleeing completely exposed. Are we just letting them go?”
“My friend, it seems you’ve never truly fought the Xiongnu before. I’ll explain everything later. For now, savor the victory.”
Just as I was about to strike once more, the enemy fled. Like Xiahou Yuan and Zhang Liao, I raised my spear high. The soldiers saw that the Xiongnu were retreating and their morale soared, erupting in cheers. At least for today, we had won.
When we returned to the command tent, I removed my sweat-soaked helmet and wiped my body and armor with a damp cloth.
“Magnificent. Every one of you was magnificent!”
Even Xiahou Yuan himself—the supreme commander—had charged at the very forefront. Zhang Liao and I, commanding the wings, had matched his momentum with equally devastating breakthroughs. Together we had driven back the Xiongnu in our first clash through sheer force.
“They were certainly strong,” I said. “No matter how hard we struck, their resilience was no joke. They fought to the bitter end. Still, I don’t understand why those same warriors suddenly withdrew.”
“Zayul, I asked you this earlier, but it’s clear you lack experience fighting the Xiongnu. That’s why you’re saying such things.”
“I’ve spent my time battling stronger foes in the Central Plains instead.”
When I deliberately called them “stronger foes,” Zhang Liao smiled and shook his head. In truth, the only real experience I had against the Xiongnu was during the Emperor’s escape from Chang’an, when we fought the Southern Xiongnu forces mixed in with the White Wave bandits under Yufuluo Chanyu.
“The Xiongnu train primarily in archery and horsemanship,” Zhang Liao explained. “They strike first, and the moment they feel they’re losing a contest of strength, they retreat without hesitation. They do not consider withdrawal shameful. If the situation turns unfavorable, they obey their commander’s orders and move at once.”
“You mean Chanyu or the Left Wise King would issue such an order?”
“Exactly. That Liu Bao is quite capable. The moment he reads the flow of battle and decides it’s unfavorable, he pulls back immediately.”
“He seems far more skilled than his father, Yufuluo Chanyu.”
Both Xiahou Yuan and Zhang Liao, being from Bing and Yan provinces, would remember Yufuluo—Liu Bao’s father and the former Chanyu of the Southern Xiongnu—more clearly when it came to fighting the northern barbarians.
“Then what should we do from here on, Wenyuan?” I asked.
“The obvious course is to give our troops ample rest and treat the wounded quickly. From what I know, the Xiongnu will not stop after a single retreat. They will come again tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that. A prolonged war of attrition awaits us, so we must prepare accordingly.”
“I agree completely!”
Xiahou Yuan and Zhang Liao got along surprisingly well. The fact that both men spoke this way meant they truly expected a war of attrition and continued cavalry skirmishes. And just as they predicted, that was exactly what happened.
Boom—!
The next day, the moment we had barely finished digesting breakfast, another cavalry charge erupted. A portion of the Xiongnu horsemen fearlessly loosed arrows at us in a probing attack. Xiahou Yuan, Zhang Liao, and I charged out once more, crushing them in a contest of speed.
“I’ll crush your fingers so you can never draw a bow again!”
I chased down those who fired and tried to flee, catching them without fail. Shocked Xiongnu warriors armed with swords and spears rushed me, but at least these foes were manageable. Another fierce skirmish unfolded, and again—without even needing horns or drums—the Xiongnu simply spoke among themselves and withdrew. Pursuit was, of course, strictly forbidden.
The same pattern repeated the following day, and the day after that. On the fourth day, when I thought they might not come, they launched a sudden evening raid at sunset. We chased them once more but ultimately lost them in the darkness.
“Isn’t this the most exhausting kind of fight imaginable?” I asked after several days of this warfare.
Xiahou Yuan burst into hearty laughter. “Zayul, fighting the Xiongnu has always been like this. They run about restlessly, and the side that tires first collapses under its own exhaustion.”
“He’s right,” Zhang Liao added. “In the end, it’s a contest of who collapses first. That’s why they continue attacking Chang’an with their infantry even as their cavalry harasses us.”
Over those few days, Xiahou Yuan and Zhang Liao grew even more in sync, like comrades who had fought side by side for over a decade.
“We must wait patiently,” Xiahou Yuan said. “Eventually their supplies will run out, or the Xiongnu infantry besieging Chang’an will fail to take the city. Then they’ll withdraw on their own.”
“Uncle Xiahou, that won’t do. We need a victory that delivers an irreversible blow.”
“Getting too heated is forbidden for a commander. Charging in recklessly is something a true warrior must avoid.”
Zhang Liao spoke in Xiahou Yuan’s place. Though he was a hot-blooded general himself, he firmly rejected the idea of reckless pursuit to annihilate the enemy.
“Simply wearing them down until they retreat is already a great achievement. Zayul, I understand your feelings, but continuing the current battle line seems wisest.”
At that moment, a flash of insight struck me. The Xiongnu did not consider retreat shameful and would continue their hit-and-run tactics. However, their commander—Left Wise King Liu Bao, son of the former Chanyu Yufuluo and heir to the current Chanyu Huchuquan—clearly possessed the will to fight directly. For several days now, Liu Bao had been leading the cavalry in place of Chanyu Huchuquan.
Therefore, I only needed to meet him once. Just once.
“I actually have one idea in mind. Will you hear it? If it fails, I will take full responsibility for the defeat. I will accept demotion to Jolbaek and serve at the very front of the army.”
“Hoh, Zayul. You’re that serious?”
“Good heavens, I never knew the General Who Protects the Army’s family had such a reckless fool among them. Very well, let’s hear it. If it sounds impossible, I’ll be the first to reject it.”
Both Zhang Liao and Xiahou Yuan would accept this plan. After all, I had succeeded with similar tactics several times before.
“In this battle, I will act as the bait.”
“!?”
“Hmm?”
I explained the plan. At first Zhang Liao looked startled, then doubtful whether it could truly work. Xiahou Yuan pondered for a long time before making his decision—on the condition that he, not I, would bear the responsibility if it failed. What a truly gracious uncle.
The next day, when the Xiongnu once again fired arrows to provoke us, our army did not respond. Instead we built wooden fences, dismounted our mounted archers, and had them loose arrows at the enemy from the ground. This was the first time the contest of cavalry versus cavalry had ended without a decisive clash. The Xiongnu, who had been uneasy at first, actually drew closer because of it.
That was when I gave the order.
“Move out.”
“Yes, Colonel!”
I led the cavalry in a deliberate wide arc, aiming to strike the enemy’s flank. The Xiongnu horsemen, startled by our approach from the side rather than head-on, fired arrows, but we were still out of range.
“Colonel, if we get any closer we’ll enter their effective range.”
“I know! That’s why we’re only running parallel for now!”
We maintained a precarious distance, waiting for their arrows to run out while preparing for a single decisive strike. The moment their arrow fire ceased, we charged. Realizing our intent, the Xiongnu began to flee. I pursued halfway, then ordered a halt.
“That’s enough! Turn back!”
“Colonel, we’ve barely gone halfway.”
“We’re only driving them off. This is sufficient!”
The same thing happened the following day. This time Zhang Liao moved the left wing, maintaining distance and merely pretending to chase. The Xiongnu, sensing something strange, actually drew closer to us and fired more arrows. We still refused to engage, only pretending to pursue before stopping.
With the situation like this, it was no longer even a war of attrition. Because we refused to respond, the Xiongnu gradually drew nearer and nearer.
“You cowards of the Central Plains! How terrified must you be of the North’s power that you cannot even pursue us properly? Come out at once, kneel before us, and I shall spare your lives and make you horse grooms!”
When Left Wise King Liu Bao himself rode forward and shouted, I mounted my horse.
“I will only strike as far as their chins. Raise the retreat drums at the appropriate moment.”
“Understood, Zayul. Be careful.”
The moment Liu Bao charged, I surged forward to meet him.
“You barbarian scum, are you prepared to die?”
“Oh ho! So you’ve finally come! At least you’re not a complete coward!”
As expected, the Xiongnu mounted archers prepared their arrows. I had anticipated this. I had equipped myself with the highest-quality iron shield and replaced the armor and helmets of every cavalryman under my command with new ones. We were a suicide squad resolved to charge straight into the arrow storm, and every soldier trusted me completely and followed.
Countless arrows flew toward us without fail. I raised my shield at the front and urged my horse even faster. One by one, men fell beneath the rain of arrows, but we had to endure it.
“Colonel! If we keep charging straight like this without support, we’ll take every attack ourselves! We need the left and central armies to—”
“We must reach their front first! Everyone, give me just a little more!”
I had volunteered to be the bait, and I had carefully chosen only the bravest soldiers to follow me. We drove forward desperately. The Xiongnu finally realized this was no feint but a genuine assault and hurriedly deployed their lance cavalry. I hurled my shield—now resembling a porcupine—into their faces, raised my spear high, and struck at everything in sight.
Cavalry collided with cavalry. In the contest of strength that erupted for the first time in days, the Xiongnu were thrown into confusion yet still moved according to their Left Wise King’s commands.
“All right! This time I won’t let you escape!”
“Left Wise King Liu Bao!”
Liu Bao refused to retreat and fought fiercely. His cavalry battled desperately in response. There would be no reinforcements. We had to hold until the retreat drums sounded.
“You bastard!”
Slash—!
I severed the head of a Xiongnu warrior charging me, then screamed at the enemy commander while drenched in blood. Even the vaunted Xiongnu army faltered before that momentum and began to be pushed back in the contest of spirit.
“All troops, withdraw—”
Doom doom doom— doom doom doom— doom doom doom doom—
The retreat drums sounded from the main camp.
“Fall back!”
This time our side withdrew before the Xiongnu. For a brief moment Liu Bao looked dumbfounded and tried to pursue, but realizing his own forces had suffered heavy losses, he hurriedly retreated. After that massive clash, both sides pulled back. The moment I returned, I checked on the wounded before rushing straight to the main camp.
“Uncle Xiahou.”
“That was cutting it close. Tomorrow, then?”
“Yes. Are the preparations ready?”
“Would you like to see?”
The bait Xiahou Yuan had prepared was waiting behind our lines. After confirming it, I nodded.
“It’s perfect. Tomorrow, one of the Xiongnu generals will die.”
The next day.
“Will they really come if they see this?”
“They will. The Xiongnu have exceptionally keen eyesight. They can read an enemy army’s movements with the naked eye, remember?”
What I had ordered were supply wagons inside our camp. We had loaded them with useless scrap equipment, covered them with cloth, and sent them openly toward Chang’an. To anyone watching, they would appear to be “supply goods meant to aid Chang’an.” We made sure the Xiongnu army saw them clearly.
“The Xiongnu will surely think our passive stance these past days was because we were sending supplies to help Chang’an. The moment they see this, they will ‘realize’ everything and come running. They’ll believe that if they can just destroy these supplies, the siege of Chang’an will succeed and they will seize the initiative.”
“Hoh… I hope you’re right.”
“If the enemy comes again, I will intercept them. Uncle Xiahou, Brother Wenyuan, I’m counting on you both.”
“Leave it to us!”
We set the plan in motion once more. The moment the disguised supply wagons began moving, the Xiongnu reacted without fail. Naturally they were blinded by greed, believing the wagons truly carried enemy supplies. When Liu Bao raised his army and charged, I moved out to block him.
“Brothers! Attack those Central Plains supply wagons you see before you! We will cut off their lifeline!”
At Liu Bao’s command, every remaining Xiongnu cavalryman charged. I blocked them with two thousand horsemen. Seeing us fight desperately in front of the supply wagons despite the risk of being surrounded, the Xiongnu pressed us harder, completely convinced. They forgot their usual “withdraw if the situation turns bad” doctrine and became fixated on the bait right before their eyes.
“I’ve caught you, you bast—”
Swish—!
“Gah!”
Liu Bao’s charging cavalry suddenly took arrows from the side.
“Hmm?”
They found themselves facing Xiahou Yuan’s mounted archers, who had struck their flank.
“The one who’s caught is you.”
“N-no?!”
“You were supposed to hit and run, but your blood was running hot. Supply wagons were rolling right in front of you, the defending force was small, so you lost your mind, didn’t you?”
“Y-you… you…!”
By the time Liu Bao realized the truth, Xiahou Yuan’s mounted archers—who had wheeled toward our right wing—were already turning the Xiongnu cavalry into pincushions with arrows. At the same time, Zhang Liao’s left wing poured forth all the strength they had been conserving to block the escape route.
“Retreat! Retreat! It’s a trap! We must break through the encirclement!”
When Liu Bao desperately tried to turn and flee, I refused to stop and pursued. In an instant, a large force that had been hammering a smaller one realized too late it was a trap and tried to change direction. But I struck their rear, cutting down the elite Xiongnu cavalry guarding Liu Bao one by one.
Both Xiahou Yuan and Zhang Liao had told me the same thing: Xiongnu horses were small and sturdy with excellent endurance, but they were slower than Central Plains horses. That was why I could chase them down so easily.
Boom!
“Your Highness the Left Wise King, you must escape… ugh!”
“!?”
“Ta-dah~♪”
I had caught up to the Left Wise King of the Xiongnu. I raised my blood-drenched spear high.