Chapter 19: The Northern Alliance

After much discussion and debate, the chieftains of all tribes finally agreed to gather their forces and prepare to march south—either to teach King Jias a lesson or to guard against the Donghu cavalry.

It was a rare occasion for everyone to meet, so the tall and thin chief Ayim had meat roasted in advance to entertain his fellow leaders.

As the bearded warriors were just beginning to devour the meat, the eldest son of the late King Jias arrived, fleeing with his family. The hoofbeats of dozens of riders faded as they halted, only to be surrounded by over a thousand warriors.

“Chief, it’s Jamuk, the successor to King Jias!” the commander of a hundred men reported loudly. Though King Jias was hated, many still admired his boldness and the strength of the southern alliance.

Ayim remained silent, but the burly, bearded chief burst out laughing. “Let him come over! Ha! Is Jias so afraid of the Snowland people that he sent Jamuk to beg for help?”

“Hmph! That scoundrel Jias grows more cowardly by the day!”

“Not necessarily. Perhaps the Donghu have mobilized as well!”

Ayim frowned, “Why is he asking for help so soon? Could the Donghu have allied with the Snowlanders and attacked together? If so, things are far more complicated!”

Hearing the speculation of the chiefs, Jamuk felt even more disheartened. Begging for help? His father’s body had not even been recovered!

“You needn’t discuss further, chiefs. The southern alliance is no more. The king is dead, and the tribes have already submitted to the Snowland Forest King!”

No one believed Jamuk’s words; instead, their anger grew.

“Jamuk, are you frozen stupid, spouting such nonsense?” a young chief shouted, eyes blazing.

“Hmph! The southern alliance submitting to the Snowlanders? Utter fantasy!”

“Ha, another madman!”

Ayim shook his head in silence—like father, like son; Jias’s successor was nothing but a useless fool.

Jamuk was furious, but he no longer had the standing to argue.

“Do as you please, chiefs! I’m only here out of kindness, to warn you—if you wish to escape north, do so quickly!”

With that, Jamuk departed at once. He had not come to seek aid, but was merely passing through on his escape.

“Alas!”

The old priest who had accompanied Jamuk raised a hand to calm the chiefs’ tempers. The priest was renowned among the tribes, and so all fell silent out of respect.

“Chiefs, the East Sea tribe is truly doomed this time! Jamuk spoke the truth. The Snowland North King’s demon chariot is invincible—even tens of thousands of soldiers were devoured, and tens of thousands fled in terror! Chiefs, do not linger; flee north to the farthest reaches for your lives!”

What? The room fell into chaos—could it really be true?

Ayim stood up, “Old priest, what is this? The south has surrendered?”

The old priest nodded and slowly explained, though he had only heard rumors. Had he witnessed it himself, he would not have thought to flee, but would have surrendered at once.

After the priest and his group left, the charcoal fire burned low and the roasted meat turned cold, but no one reached for it.

“Alas!”

“This must be true, chiefs! With the south surrendered, our thirty thousand northern warriors can hardly resist!” Ayim’s mind was troubled; whether to surrender or flee north, his heart wavered.

The bearded chief’s face darkened. He refused to surrender and did not want to escape north—here was already the far north; any further and they would be forced to eat ice every day!

“Chief! The East Sea warriors and Snowlanders have battled the Donghu for centuries—how can we surrender without a fight?”

His words stirred the others.

“Yes, fleeing north is easy, but what will we eat? Within two years, the old and weak will be gone!”

“If we cannot escape north, what’s left?” The young chief sighed helplessly. The west was already under the Snowland tribes’ control; there were no choices left.

“Then let us gather our warriors and fight! I refuse to believe the Snowlanders can devour all our tens of thousands of warriors!”

The bellow of a burly man brought silence among the chiefs.

Ayim forced a bitter smile and shook his head; he saw no hope of victory.

His handsome, long-haired eldest son, Qiuji, observed his father’s demeanor and knew he intended to surrender.

“Father, many refuse to surrender, but we may not win either. Why not gather our forces first, then negotiate and observe? If they are truly powerful, we surrender. If their strength is limited, perhaps the Donghu will help restrain the Snowland North King.”

Father and son whispered, and the surrounding chiefs listened intently. Ayim’s tribe was not the strongest, but Ayim was the most cunning and clever of the chiefs, which made the others willing to follow his lead.

Qiuji’s suggestion calmed Ayim’s troubled heart.

Gazing at his handsome, smooth-haired son, the chief nodded repeatedly in praise.

“Chiefs, let us first gather our warriors and assess the situation. If we can fight, we fight; if not, we negotiate for peace! Who would have thought Jias, that useless fool, would lose fifty or sixty thousand troops so easily?”

His words struck the heart of the matter, and the chiefs seemed to understand.

“Right! Damn Jias, that scoundrel deserves to die a thousand times!”

“Alas! The southern alliance fools have put us in such a passive position!” The bearded chief relented; he too had been hot-headed, but was in no rush to die.

...

During the days spent with the Moon Goddess, Lin Shu did little, but he felt her warmth and respect. Even when holding the child, if he accidentally touched her hand or certain places, she pretended not to notice.

This nearly made Lin Shu lose control.

While Lin Shu endured his longing, Jingni and her companions returned just in time, or else Lin Shu might have tried to test the Moon Goddess. If she did not resist, he would have persuaded Jingni to allow another to share his bed.

In the previous fierce battle, the southern alliance lost nearly ten thousand men. Most of the southern warriors survived, and Lin Shu ordered Halong to recruit thirty thousand from the various tribes.

The King’s recruitment was met with enthusiasm—their joining meant they were accepted as kin, and would not be sacrificed to the demon chariot.

Within two or three days, Lin Shu’s army grew from twenty thousand to fifty thousand, with over twenty thousand cavalry. As the injured horses recovered, several thousand more warhorses would be added.

After receiving the North King’s leather armor and iron weapons, the resentment of the East Sea tribes slowly faded. In these times, life and death were commonplace, and the bonds between wild couples were weak; when things became unbearable, tribal wildfolk turned to cannibalism.

With thirty thousand East Sea warriors now equipped with iron armor, steel sabers, and bows, their combat strength multiplied. The despair of defeat vanished, though they still trembled when faced with the King’s chariot. The Snowland warriors did not mock their new allies—they themselves were fearful.

The northern alliance had already gathered its army, and Lin Shu did not wish to keep them waiting. Today was the day the army would march north.

“King, the Donghu are aware of the East Sea upheaval, but have not reacted strongly. Even if they plan to mobilize, it will take at least half a month for their forces to assemble and arrive.”

Lin Shu had considered leaving some troops to guard, but now it was unnecessary—there were still many warriors in the tribes, and small Donghu units dared not approach.

“Very well. It seems the Donghu are truly in decline. Let the whole army move north.”

“By your command, King.” Halong, the major, clasped his fists in salute, then rode to the front of the formation.

As the chariot moved, the fifty thousand armored troops followed.

Glancing back at the endless ranks of soldiers, the Moon Goddess’s resolve only strengthened.

“East Lord, how do these fifty thousand iron troops compare to the Qin army?”

Lin Shu, the rascal, returned to the carriage to loaf about. The East Lord spoke frankly, without much hesitation.

“The Qin soldiers are not as strong individually, nor as brave or spirited, nor are their weapons superior. But the Qin army is tightly organized and strictly disciplined, and their equipment is not lacking. Just fifteen thousand Qin troops could hold them back, provided the chariot is not used. Otherwise...”

The Moon Goddess smiled, nodding. “So it would take twenty thousand Qin troops to defeat them. That means these fifty thousand iron warriors are not inferior to Donghu’s ten-plus thousand armored cavalry.”

“But the Donghu must guard against the Xiongnu and even Yan. At most, they can muster a little over ten thousand. So, is there any doubt about the outcome of this war?”

The Moon Goddess’s eyes shone as she looked at Yanfei, her lips curling in ever-growing pride.