Chương 602: The Demise of the Northern Xiongnu

Zhao Yun led his cavalry across the grasslands, his white robe and silver armor making him look like a white lightning bolt.

They pursued the Xiongnu who fled westward, and wherever their silver spears went, none could stop them.

One shot, one kill; clean and efficient.

Qin Qiong led his infantry to clean up the battlefield, collect prisoners and supplies, pile up the captured weapons into a small mountain, and string the prisoners together with ropes.

The busiest of them all was Cheng Yaojin.

While he was chopping people down, he was also directing his soldiers to plunder cattle, sheep, tents, and grain. He was busy and sweating profusely.

"This sheep is mine! That cow is mine too! Don't try to take it from me!"

"Don't fight! Everyone gets a share! Capture the Chanyu first! A reward of a thousand taels of gold awaits those who capture the Chanyu!"

"Reporting to General Cheng! The Xiongnu chieftain has fled eastward with several thousand men!"

"Chase him!" Cheng Yaojin immediately led his men in pursuit.

"Don't let that brat get away! His Majesty will reward him handsomely for capturing him! Ten thousand taels of silver!"

They chased for less than twenty li before catching up with the remnants of the Chanyu's forces.

The Chanyu, with only a few thousand defeated soldiers, was in a sorry state and had even lost his flag.

Cheng Yaojin took the lead and charged forward, chopping down the Xiongnu chieftain's horse with a single axe stroke.

The horse's leg broke, and the Chanyu fell off the horse, landing face-first in the mud.

The Chanyu fell to the ground and was about to get up when several soldiers pressed him down and tied him up tightly.

"Hahaha! We've captured the Xiongnu chieftain!" Cheng Yaojin laughed triumphantly, his mouth agape in a wide grin.

"I, Lao Cheng, have done a great service! His Majesty will surely reward me when we get back! I want to drink the finest wine!"

The battle lasted from morning until noon, but ended in less than three hours.

Of the more than 40, 000 Northern Xiongnu cavalry, over 20, 000 were killed, their corpses littering the ground... More than 10, 000 were captured, their bodies strung together in a long line...

The remaining few thousand men were caught up with and wiped out by Zhao Yun and his men. Not a single one escaped. Zhao Yun chased them for fifty miles and captured the last fleeing Xiongnu soldier.

The Xiongnu Chanyu and more than a dozen nobles were all captured alive, kneeling in a row with their heads down, trembling in fear.

The entire royal court's cattle, sheep, tents, grain, gold, and silver treasures all became spoils of war for the Han army, piled up like mountains.

While cleaning up the battlefield, Cheng Yaojin looked at the cattle and sheep covering the mountains and fields, and couldn't stop smiling, his mouth stretching all the way to his ears.

"I'm rich! I'm rich!" he exclaimed, slapping his thigh until it was red.

"So many cattle and sheep, enough to feed our entire army for half a year! And so much gold and silver, enough for each of us to receive a large sum! His Majesty will surely reward us handsomely when we return! I, Old Cheng, am going to be rich!"

Zhang Fei walked over carrying the head of the Right Wise King, curled his lip, and looked disdainful:

"Look at you, so pathetic, all you know is how to rob cattle and sheep. If you ask me, beheading is much more satisfying, one cut at a time, so much more cathartic!"

"What do you know!" Cheng Yaojin retorted, hands on his hips.

"You can eat and sell cattle and sheep, but can you eat their heads? If you bring a head back, your wife will be terrified! If I bring a cow back, my wife will be happy for three days!"

The two started arguing again, each saying something and neither willing to give in.

Li Jing looked at the corpses scattered on the ground and the captured supplies, nodded in satisfaction, and a smile appeared on his lips.

Li Ji walked over and said with a smile, "Pharmacist, the main force of the Northern Xiongnu has been completely annihilated. From now on, there will be no more Northern Xiongnu in the world. The Xiongnu border trouble that has plagued the Central Plains for hundreds of years has finally been completely resolved. From today onwards, the word 'Xiongnu' will only exist in the history books."

Li Jing gazed westward toward Kangju, his eyes resolute, like two flames:

"That's right. But it's not over yet. Next, we should go to Kangju. Since we're here, let's take Kangju as well, and let the banner of the Great Han fly all over Central Asia! Let those blue-eyed, blond-haired people see what a Celestial Empire really is!"

As the sun set, golden sunlight shone on the Han army's banners, making them gleam.

The Han soldiers stood on the banks of the Syr Darya River, gazing at the vast grasslands in the distance, their hearts filled with pride.

Someone started singing a military song, and the sound echoed across the grassland...

...

The news of the complete annihilation of the Northern Xiongnu spread like wildfire, reaching the capital of Kangju, Beitian, in just three days.

The messenger ran himself ragged three horses before finally delivering the message.

The entire Kangju area instantly erupted into chaos, like a pot of boiling porridge.

In the royal palace, the King of Kangju smashed the golden cup in his hand. The cup bounced a few times on the ground and rolled to the corner of the wall.

His face was as pale as paper, and his lips were trembling.

The lords of the dozen or so city-states below were in a heated argument, some shouting that they wanted to fight the Han army to the death, waving their fists...

Some packed their bags, preparing to flee, and secretly moved towards the door...

Some had already secretly sent people to the Han army camp to deliver surrender documents, and even prepared gifts.

"What's the panic! What's the panic!" King Kangju shouted, slamming his fist on the table, nearly shattering it.

"So what if we wiped out the Northern Xiongnu? We have 100, 000 troops in Kangju, and the impregnable city of Beitian! The Han army has come from afar, and their supplies are definitely insufficient. As long as we hold our ground and don't engage, they'll have to retreat obediently in less than a month! Then we can negotiate with them!"

No sooner had the words been spoken than a city lord stood up, his face contorted with grief, and said in a trembling voice:

"Your Majesty! Stop dreaming! The Han army annihilated 40, 000 Northern Xiongnu cavalry in just three hours, and even the Chanyu was captured alive! Do you know what three hours means? It's just the blink of an eye!"

Our 100, 000-strong army wouldn't even be enough to fill the Han army's teeth! I've heard the Han army has fire-breathing pipes that can kill dozens with a single spray, and explosive stones that can blast through entire areas—even the city walls can't stop them! That's sorcery! We can't win!"

"Yes, Your Majesty! Surrender!" another city lord chimed in, almost in tears.

"The Han army said that as long as we surrender, they will not kill the civilians and will allow us to continue as city lords! If we resist, they will leave no one alive after the city falls! The Northern Xiongnu are a cautionary tale! Look at their fate!"

The King of Kangju looked at the bunch of cowards below, trembling with anger, but there was nothing he could do.

He was terrified. The Northern Xiongnu were so powerful, yet they were easily defeated by the Han army. His own resources were simply no match for them.

He secretly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Just as the King of Kangju was hesitating, the Han army had already reached the city gates.

In early October, Li Jing led an army of 100, 000 across the Syr Darya River and arrived at the city of Beitian.

One hundred thousand Han soldiers lined up outside the city, their black banners bearing the character "Han" covering the sky and stretching as far as the eye could see.

Five hundred "Divine Might General" cannons were lined up in a row, their dark muzzles pointing directly at the city walls of Beitian. The cannon barrels gleamed coldly in the sunlight, making one's scalp tingle and legs tremble just looking at them.

The soldiers, carrying muskets, stood in neat rows, their armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight, exuding a murderous aura, like statues.

The Kangju soldiers on the city wall were so frightened that their legs went weak, and they could barely hold their spears, trembling like leaves.

Some collapsed to the ground, their eyes glazed over.

Some secretly threw away their weapons, preparing to surrender when the Han army attacked the city; they even had white flags ready.

...

Inside the command tent, Li Jing was discussing the siege with his generals.

"Pharmacist, in my opinion, there's no need to administer the medicine," Li Ji said confidently, pointing towards Beitian City.

"The Kangju people are terrified. Their legs went weak before our cannons even fired. Let's send an envoy to persuade them to surrender and give them some time to consider."

If they know what's good for them and surrender, we can take Beitian City without bloodshed, saving time and effort; if they don't, we can bombard them later, since they can't escape anyway.