Chapter 81: The Moon Fox Allied Army

As soon as they returned to the embassy, Jing Ke spoke urgently, “Gao, you can set your mind at ease for now! In fact, you needn’t involve yourself in embassy affairs at all!”

They had survived this time, but what about the next? If the Northern King marched on Ji City, Jing Ke couldn’t guarantee what fate would await him.

Gao Jianli shook his head calmly. Naturally, he had no desire to be entangled with the embassy, but Jing Ke had sold himself to the Northern King in order to save him! Now that Jing Ke was in even greater danger, how could Gao Jianli stand by and do nothing?

Jing Ke forced a bitter smile. This man was as stubborn as he was! He had told Gao Jianli not to get involved in the turbulent affairs of the North!

“Alas! Gao, you are talented and ambitious, meant to serve the king above and the common people below. If you become too entangled with the Northern Kingdom, it will be difficult for you to find a place among the other states in the future. War is coming, and soon, even our lives will not be secure!”

Gao Jianli shook his head with a wry smile. “Jing Ke, say no more! If you can risk everything for me, how can I not do the same for you?”

Wise rulers are rare in this world. Who could truly understand Gao Jianli’s aspirations?

“You! Why not join the Empire? The King is in dire need of talented men!”

Jing Ke would not have spoken so before, but seeing that Yan was on the verge of collapse, he felt that the Northern King, who would soon swallow Yan, was now worthy of Gao Jianli’s allegiance.

Yet Gao Jianli remained indifferent and shook his head, his thoughts unreadable as he quickly turned away.

Perhaps he was still unwilling to accept it. Was it not true that, for all his good looks, Miss Feiyan had been forced to go with that plain man? Gao Jianli had not moved on, but Jing Ke found himself ever more impressed. The more he learned about the Empire’s governance and laws, the more Jing Ke had to admit his respect.

The Empire belonged to the king, but also to the people. It ruled with peace and kindness, not by trampling and bleeding its subjects.

—

Zhao's Northern Great Wall.

Compared to Touman’s complete annihilation, the Zhao army’s successful retreat was a remarkable feat.

“Marshal Pang, has the King given any orders?”

In recent days, thirty thousand Zhao cavalry had swept all before them. The Xiongnu fled at their approach, and they easily seized hundreds of thousands of livestock and tens of thousands of Xiongnu tribespeople. Casualties among the Zhao were few, and the soldiers grew fat with plunder, but Li Mu felt no joy.

Pang Nuan gave a bitter smile and shook his head. “Lord Pingyuan has fallen ill! The situation in Handan is unstable. The King has only ordered us to hold our ground!”

No reinforcements, no clever strategies to secure the nation! With Lord Pingyuan laid low, Zhao was about to undergo another round of internal upheaval.

“Did Yan send any troops?” This was what Li Mu cared about most.

Mention of Yan made Pang Nuan sigh in defeat.

“Alas, I overestimated the Yan army!”

The Yan army’s vanguard—ten thousand veterans—had faced forty thousand infantry and cavalry at Liaoxi, with the aid of Mohist mechanical devices, but were utterly routed in a single battle. In the end, most were captured, and the remaining Yan troops were so demoralized they dared not take another step beyond the Liaohai Pass.

So it was, just as Li Mu had thought. The Yan army was not weak, but their morale was low. The people of Yan had no stomach for wars of conquest; even victory brought little benefit to the common soldier.

“Marshal Pang, the Xiongnu tribes are even weaker than we expected. They won’t dare challenge the North again.”

Li Mu had withdrawn hastily because the Northern Army was on the move.

—

After a two-day rest, tens of thousands of Xiongnu were temporarily assigned under Harlongxit’s command. Over a hundred thousand cavalry split into three columns, striking at various Xiongnu tribes; one column went straight to reinforce the Beihai encampment.

“Lord Pingyuan’s strategy was truly masterful, but we underestimated the strength of the Northern Army, and overestimated Yan and the Xiongnu.”

As for the Linhu and Yuezhi coalition, Pang Nuan could not even be bothered; in fact, the coalition did not even realize that Zhao had already retreated!

“The situation in Zhao grows ever more dire!” At over forty years old and still without a noble title, Li Mu gripped his sword tightly. Now, although there were over a hundred thousand men and horses at Dai, he no longer felt certain of victory.

—

As Lin Shu set out for the Xiongnu, the Beihai army finally awaited their spoils.

“Haha, they’re here! The Grand General and his men are here!” Imu’s trusted captains could never get used to calling him anything else.

It was a small matter; Imu let them call him what they liked, as long as they didn’t call him king—a marshal would suffice.

The Yuezhi-Linhu coalition claimed to number one hundred thousand, but in truth there were only seventy thousand. What irked them most was that the Xiongnu had assembled thirty thousand to monitor them from afar.

The Xiongnu tribes along the way had already fled, dashing the coalition’s hopes for a little easy plunder.

Unenthusiastic, the coalition dawdled, taking three or four days to reach their positions.

According to the plan, the Yuezhi-Linhu coalition was to set out a few days early; then, within a day or two, all three armies would attack simultaneously, striking terror into the northern tribes.

The Greater Yuezhi were even stronger than the Xiongnu, and their commander-in-chief was the Yuezhi general Geli Lang.

“Haha, Marshal, our scouts report that the wildmen of the snows have left the city.”

General Wusu made his report respectfully. Given Linhu’s weakness, he could only play the subordinate.

“Hmph! I hear Donghu’s Imu is full of himself—truly arrogant!”

“Have the army change horses and advance at speed. Let them see the might of Yuezhi steeds.”

The Great Yuezhi’s horses were larger and stronger than those of the Mongol Plateau, which was why their remnants were able time and again to escape Modu’s pursuit.

—

When word spread that the Yuezhi dared to invade the North, the tribes of the snows swiftly mustered thirty thousand militiamen. Adding the eighty thousand at Beihai, Imu now commanded a force of one hundred and ten thousand.

However, most were infantry, with only fifty thousand cavalry, of which ten thousand were tribal mounted militiamen.

The coalition had traveled at their leisure and were in fine condition. Even if battle began now, Geli Lang felt no fear.

“Hmph! So this is the Beihai camp—all infantry!” he sneered, startled by the masses of men, but reassured on hearing that the enemy had only ten thousand cavalry.

“Heh, perhaps fifty or sixty thousand in all, but all on foot. And this Imu dares to sally forth? He grows more foolish with age!” Wusu smirked coldly. For ten years, he had heard tales of General Imu’s bold forays across the Xiongnu lands!

Fearing the coalition might flee, Imu brought only seventy thousand men, of whom fifty thousand were tribal militiamen, including ten thousand cavalry on the wings.

“Marshal, should we probe them or make camp?” Wusu, though dismissive of Imu, had no desire to charge to his death.

Geli Lang, of course, was in no hurry to fight. The enemy had numbers, with shields and spears massed thick as a forest. If it came to battle, their seventy thousand would gain nothing.

“Wusu, send the Linhu warriors to test them.”

Not wanting to lose face, Geli Lang thought of his lackeys. If the Linhu perished, so much the better.

“Marshal, perhaps tomorrow. Let us fall back and camp for the night,” Wusu pleaded, not wishing to waste his men. The Linhu were only here to make up numbers.

To his surprise, Geli Lang’s eyes flashed with anger. “Wusu, do you mean to defy orders?” he barked.

“No, Marshal, I dare not! But the Linhu cavalry are weak—it would be better to let the Yuezhi’s own warriors attack with us and truly showcase your might,” Wusu replied desperately.

Geli Lang’s displeasure suddenly turned to laughter.

“Very well! Let you Linhu see the strength of my Yuezhi men! Batanji, take ten thousand warriors and the Linhu and drive off those wildmen, but do not engage in a pitched battle.”

Wusu knew he could not escape, but was relieved it was not to be a direct assault.

The towering Batanji grinned broadly. “Very well! Marshal, just watch your sons put on a show.”

Seeing the coalition dawdle, Imu could not help but order his own men forward. Fortunately, the enemy began to move at last.