The Child Emperor - Chapter 135: The Army

The sun gradually rose, and the coolness of the early morning quickly dissipated. Dew turned into evaporating heat, mingling with the fresh scent of wild grass and the pungent smell of horse urine, continuously drilling into noses. People had nowhere to hide, gradually getting accustomed to it, but their hearts tightened more and more.

All the horses had been fed overnight and were now wearing muzzles to prevent them from grazing and to stop them from neighing randomly.

The riders on horseback also held the reins tightly, not daring to relax in the slightest. If their mounts caused chaos, even for a very short period, it could mean a death sentence.

Tens of thousands cavalry were divided into several tiers, stationed in a pot-shaped valley. After nearly two hours, they still maintained their formation and quietness, which was truly not easy.

This was one of the most elite armies of the Chu empires. In valleys and hills within dozens of miles, there were over a hundred thousand cavalry hidden. Further back, there was an equal number of troops, totaling nearly three hundred thousand. Even during the reign of the formidable Martial Emperor, the Chu empire rarely could muster such a large number of soldiers.

The sole purpose of this mustering of the army was to thoroughly defeat the Eastern Xiongnu and ensure over a decade of border peace.

No matter how one predicted, this was a battle destined for victory. The only problem was that the enemy refused to show up.

For the past two months, the Eastern Xiongnu had frequently invaded the border, showing signs of a massive southward movement. But when the main force of the Chu army arrived, the Xiongnu refused to engage. Despite several preparations for battle, they always ended in nothing.

No one dared to be careless; every ambush required full dedication.

Han Ruzi, ostensibly the Northern Protection General, actually had only about a thousand troops under his command. Apart from that, he had no other soldiers or resources. His position was no different from other noble scions; they were all minor generals serving under the Grand General Han Xing.

In the valley, they occupied a distinct area, followed by an attendant. Their attire was distinctive, easily recognizable to outsiders. Not far from them stood Han Xing on a military carriage. Every now and then, cavalrymen would ride in from outside the valley to report on various situations.

The task of hundreds of noble scions was to observe and learn the art of military governance and warfare, but most of them were already tired. Wiping sweat from their brows, they whispered to each other. In the entire valley, only this area made any noise, albeit not loud, but it was noticeable.

Prince Donghai impatiently tugged at the collar inside his armor, complaining softly, “The Xiongnu really know how to pick their timing, provoking us in the hottest season. We might all end up dying of heat. Who picked out this armor for me? It weighs a hundred pounds.”

Han Ruzi remained silent. He was one of the very few noble scions earnestly observing the Grand General. Although he couldn’t hear what was being said up front, he could see the arrangement of flags and officers, and there were many subtleties to observe.

“Hey, no need to look; there won’t be any fighting today for sure,” Prince Donghai couldn’t stand anyone ignoring his words.

“Yeah,” Han Ruzi also realized it. The messengers from outside the valley were arriving frequently, yet General Han Xing seldom sent anyone out to deliver orders, indicating that the Xiongnu hadn’t shown up again.

“Watching all this is pointless; the formation and deployment are handled by the staff officers,” Prince Donghai yawned widely. “I’m going to have a good sleep when we get back. I stayed up too late last night.”

The messengers on both sides of Han Xing began to move, riding their horses swiftly. They controlled the reins with one hand and vigorously waved command flags with the other. After receiving the orders, the cavalry in the valley withdrew in batches. Without fighting, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

Like the Grand General, the noble scions had to wait a while before they could move. During this time, the atmosphere became more relaxed. Even Han Ruzi no longer kept a close eye on Han Xing all the time. He turned to Prince Donghai and said, “Who’s that person? He keeps looking over here.”

Prince Donghai had noticed long ago and said casually, “His name is Chai Yue. He’s Chai Yun’s uncle. Ignore him; he’s insignificant. His birth mother used to be a singing girl. None of us bother with him.”

Chai Yue was about twenty years old, only a few years older than Chai Yun.

“Is he new here?” Han Ruzi, although unable to name everyone, was familiar with most faces, but Chai Yue seemed unfamiliar to him.

“Who knows? Newcomers keep showing up these days, but we have no idea what they’re doing here. In the end, not even a Xiongnu is in sight.”

The carriage of the Grand General Han Xing started moving, with guide officers, flag officers, messengers, staff officers, and aides preceding the scattered nobles. Even among the nobles, there was a hierarchy. Han Ruzi and Prince Donghai stood side by side at the forefront.

Withdrawals took longer than advancing. When Han Ruzi and the others returned to the main camp, it was already dusk, and the rear units were still on the way.

Before entering the camp, everyone had to dismount and hand over their horses to attendants. The attendants led the horses to designated areas, where they could be collected later with a token.

The main camp was built against the mountain, stretching for over ten miles and divided into several smaller camps. Entry and exit were not allowed between them without permission. The campsite of the noble scions was behind the central camp.

Only armies led by generals and a full complement of officers could enter the main camp. The armies of “generals” like Han Ruzi could only stay within the Great Wall[1] and Han Ruzi had not seen them for several days.

As soon as he entered the camp, Prince Donghai was called away by friends. Han Ruzi didn’t know anyone and didn’t want to mingle with the noble scions, so he returned to his tent to rest. Zhang Youcai helped him remove his armor, while another attendant went to collect dinner.

Zhang Youcai was only wearing a leather armor as outerwear, which lightened his burden considerably. After taking off his master’s armor, he lifted it a couple of times before placing it on the rack. “Prince Donghai said this weighs a hundred pounds, but I reckon it’s at most twenty.”

Han Ruzi smiled. Indeed, the armor wasn’t very heavy. Noble scions didn’t need to go onto the battlefield, so their armor was mostly for show rather than protection. Han Ruzi’s set was likely mostly silk with not many iron plates, but plenty of gold foil. He had once wondered if such flashy armor would attract too much attention, but since most noble scions wore similar attire and it wasn’t prohibited, he didn’t care.

The military camp’s food was decent, with meat, rice, and a bit of wine. Han Ruzi was eating when Prince Donghai barged in unannounced. Their tents were adjacent, and Prince Donghai always entered without waiting for permission.

“Still eating this?” Prince Donghai’s expression showed disdain.

“It’s quite tasty.”

“Heh, your taste is unique; these jerky pieces are probably older than you.” There were small folding stools in the tent, and Prince Donghai sat opposite Han Ruzi. After taking off his armor, he looked much more relaxed. “Have you heard?”

“Heard what?”

“This is the consequence of your antisocial behavior and ignorance.” Prince Donghai picked up the wine jug, sniffed it, and put it down. “The camp is not far from Mayi City. Everyone is sending people to the city to buy things. They go every three to five days and bring back good wine and meat. But you’re eating military rations. Are you broke? Out of so many noble scions, you’re the one to have a private army of a thousand. What an awe-inspiring sight even compared to proper generals. If you can afford to feed a thousand people, can’t you afford to eat something better?”

Zhang Youcai and the other attendant rolled their eyes. Neither of them liked Prince Donghai.

“Is that all you found out?”

“The Xiongnu have retreated.”

“Really?” Han Ruzi was surprised. It was early autumn, and traditionally, the next two or three months were the best season for large-scale Xiongnu invasions.

“It’s certain. I knew it earlier than the Grand General.”

“Is this battle over just like that?” Han Ruzi was greatly disappointed, unable to even finish his food and drink.

“It’s far from over. This is the Xiongnu’s strategy. The Chu army is just gathering, full of momentum, so they dare not engage. But there are too many Chu troops. Every day they stay in the border region, they consume countless provisions. We can’t hold out for long either. We can only disperse the troops. The Xiongnu will send small forces to probe around. By next spring or summer, they’ll gather their main forces and suddenly attack the weakest spots.”

“Why isn’t the Chu army pursuing the Xiongnu now?” Han Ruzi remembered clearly that during the reign of the Martial Emperor, several times they had sent troops north beyond the Great Wall and achieved overwhelming victories, leading to the division of the Xiongnu into its eastern and western factions.

“With Han Xing’s old bones, it’s commendable enough if he can make it alive to the northern border. Pursue the Xiongnu? He’d drop dead halfway. The old man is good at defense, not offense. He’s already decided to divide the troops and station them on the border. That’s why I’ve come to look for you.”

“Where will we be assigned?”

Prince Donghai glanced at Han Ruzi’s two attendants. Reluctantly, they silently left the tent, taking the remaining food and drink with them.

“Attendants will gradually become like their masters. Yours are still dull. That eunuch is slightly better, but the other one, where did he come from? He acts like a savage, he doesn’t even know how to bow.”

“You’ve met him before. He’s called Ni Qiu, from the Chao family Fishing Village.”

Prince Donghai shook his head, indicating he didn’t remember. Then he continued formally, “They say it’s an assignment, but it’s actually a choice. You’re the Northern Protection General; Han Xing will have to give you a city. He’ll discuss it with you…”

“Will he?” Since arriving in the northern border, Han Ruzi hadn’t met Han Xing alone.

“He will. Trust me. Don’t choose a city outside the Great Wall; those have horrible conditions, and they’re easily raided by the Xiongnu. And don’t pick the northeast; it’s especially cold in winter, and it’s the Southern Army’s defense zone. You don’t want to obey Cui Hong’s orders, right?”

Han Ruzi shook his head.

“Definitely don’t choose the northwest; that area falls under the jurisdiction of the Northern Army, and the Champion Marquis isn’t friendly towards you.”

“Then there’s nowhere left to go.”

“There’s still one option. Mayi City is known as a direct barrier against the Xiongnu, with the Grand General personally stationed there. Even if the Xiongnu are fools, they won’t come to probe here. It’ll be safe until next spring. You can say you want to stay by the Grand General’s side to learn more. Endure this winter, regroup the troops in spring, and the Xiongnu won’t be a threat anymore.”

Han Ruzi smiled but remained silent. Prince Donghai continued, “I came to inform you in advance. Don’t make reckless decisions. If you’re really sent to a solitary city and surrounded by the Xiongnu, we won’t make it through. This isn’t a joke. No matter how great your ambitions are, you have to survive first.”

“Do you have to follow me?”

Prince Donghai said coldly, “Do you think I want to? I’m doing this for Cui Hong to see, to let him know that even without the Cui clan, I have options.”

Zhang Youcai entered the tent. “Master, the Grand General requests your presence.”

Both men in the tent stood up simultaneously. Prince Donghai nodded discreetly, whispering, “Survival matters more than anything else. Stay away from danger.”

This was a military camp, so meeting the Grand General required formality. With the help of Zhang Youcai and Ni Qiu, Han Ruzi put on his armor again and walked out of the tent. Guided by a messenger, he headed towards the central command tent.

Han Xing had already removed his armor and was sitting in a fur chair, dressed in civilian clothes. He was indeed too old for this, needing rest.

Han Ruzi was surprised to find he wasn’t the only one invited. Chai Yue, who often watched him during the day, was standing quietly beside the Grand General.

[1] The Great Wall was not actually a singular wall, but a series of fortifications along China’s northern borders, forming a defensive line. The term Great Wall will be used to denote this defensive line since it’s a familiar term.

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