The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 685 The Capture of Hami City

After a series of raids, the soldiers were exhausted. After defeating two hundred Hami cavalry, the remaining stragglers had no strength to pursue them and simply let them escape. After a quick cleanup of the battlefield, the soldiers set up camp to rest and recover their strength as soon as possible.

The next morning, the marriage procession set off as a whole, and around noon, they finally arrived at the oasis. The thirsty people were finally able to drink heartily from the desert springs, and then filled all their water bags.

Water in the desert is more precious than gold. After replenishing their drinking water, the soldiers felt more confident and at ease, and their morale soared to unprecedented heights.

At this moment, inside the central command tent, Jia Huan and Duan Yong were convening a meeting with the soldiers, and all military officers of the rank of centurion and above were present.

Jia Huan's idea was to press on and take Hami City in one fell swoop. He thought he would have to use a lot of persuasion to convince everyone, but he found that he had worried too much!

Which man wouldn't want to be immediately granted a title and have his wife and children rewarded?

The soldiers had just won two resounding victories, and their morale was at an all-time high. In addition, Hami King Baiwa had been beheaded, and Hami City was now leaderless. It was the perfect opportunity to take it over in one fell swoop. The great achievement of expanding territory was right in front of them. Who would want to miss such a good opportunity?

It should be noted that the Great Jin Dynasty has been established for nearly ninety years. Except for the first twenty or thirty years, its territory has not increased. A few years ago, it even lost Liaodong. If Hami can be captured now, everyone present will become a hero of the Great Jin Dynasty in expanding its territory. Tsk tsk, the temptation is too great!
As for Duan Yong, who is ambitious and eager for quick success, there is no need for Jia Huan to persuade him. On the contrary, if Jia Huan does not attack Hami City, Duan Yong will probably grab Jia Huan by the neck and force him to attack.

As a result, the entire army was in a state of high unity and unanimously decided to attack Hami City and seize this readily available military achievement.

Jia Huan was always decisive and acted swiftly. He immediately dispatched Man Gui as the vanguard, leading three hundred cavalry to launch a surprise attack on Hami City.

Duan Yong, despite his lack of skill, had a strong desire to fight, so he volunteered to lead 300 cavalry as the second echelon. Since the danger wasn't high, Jia Huan granted Duan Yong's request, letting him experience the thrill of battlefield combat. Thus, the eunuch Duan happily led his 300 cavalry on their way. Next, they commended Chu Sheng, the garrison commander of Yuguan, who also led 300 cavalry as the third echelon to provide support.

After sending away the three groups of people, only a few hundred guards from the princess's residence and the militia under Lu Xiangjin remained at the oasis camp. By this time, the sun was already setting, and the late summer heat was still intense. Jia Huan washed his face by the lake and then headed towards the tents of Baochai and Daiyu.

As soon as they approached the camp, they heard the tinkling sound of a zither coming from inside. The melody was none other than Jia Huan's "composed" song, "Dong Feng Po," which was melancholic and graceful, yet romantic and beautiful, touching the heartstrings.

A cup of sorrow, standing alone by the window.

I'm behind the door, pretending you haven't left yet.

Returning to the old place feels like revisiting a familiar place, but the full moon only amplifies the loneliness.

The candlelight, still conscious in the dead of night, couldn't bear to criticize me...

Jia Huan listened quietly until the strings fell silent again, then lifted the curtain and went in, clapping enthusiastically and saying, "Sister Lin played so well! This music should only exist in heaven; how often can one hear it on earth? It's wonderful, wonderful!"

The women inside the tent were immersed in the poignant aftertaste of "Dong Feng Po" when they were suddenly startled by the loud applause. It was as jarring as burning a zither or boiling a crane, so they all rolled their eyes at the man.

Lin Daiyu sat gracefully behind a guqin, and asked with a half-smile, "Is it because you play it well, or because the music is well-written?"

Jia Huan laughed and said, "The music is good, but Sister Lin plays it even better!"

Lin Daiyu sighed, "Such a beautiful piece, it's a pity I'm not worthy to play it?"

Xue Baochai said with a laugh, "If you're not worthy to play this piece, who is? Besides, didn't you just play it?"

Lin Daiyu snorted, "If he doesn't come, I'll play the zither; if he comes, I won't. As for who will play, Sister Bao, you can ask him."

Jia Huan couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. He was indeed the first person to play "Dong Feng Po" for Xiao Yuanyuan. He simply played it for her because he saw that the little girl was in low spirits. Later, Xiao Yuanyuan learned it. Lin Daiyu overheard it by chance and found out that Jia Huan had taught her. So, this little jealous person would often bring it up to tease Jia Huan.

Upon seeing Jia Huan's expression, Xue Baochai knew there was something going on, but she didn't pry. She simply asked softly, "The army was moving around so much outside just now. Are we going to fight again, Huan-di?" Jia Huan nodded and said, "Yes, we plan to take Hami City. But you don't need to worry too much. We will definitely succeed in this battle."

Xueyan asked in confusion, "Now that you no longer need to marry into Hami, why does Third Master still risk attacking Hami City? Shouldn't you turn back to the capital?"

Jia Huan smiled and said, "Because I need to earn a decent dowry so that I can marry Sister Lin and Sister Bao in a grand and glorious way."

"Oh!" Xueyan said, seemingly understanding, "This servant thinks I understand."

Ying'er chuckled and nudged Xueyan, saying, "You mischievous little hussy, do you understand or not?"

Xue Baochai and Lin Daiyu blushed. Both women were intelligent and quickly understood the reason. Huan Di did indeed need a significant military achievement so that even if the emperor was not pleased, he would have to reward him. Otherwise, the reward and punishment would be unfair and difficult to convince the public.

Xue Baochai said with some concern, "Starting a business is easy, but maintaining it is difficult. I suppose it's the same for defending a city. Even if Huan Di takes Hami City, it will not be easy to hold it. When the Turpan army besieges the city, how will Huan Di deal with it?"

Jia Huan said confidently, "Amah is the Taiji of the Turpan Khanate. With him in hand, Turpan will not dare to rashly wage war. As long as we can hold out for a month or two, the reinforcements from inside the pass should arrive, and by then the emperor's edict should be issued soon."

"Even so, Huan-di, it's best not to underestimate your opponent," Xue Baochai gently advised, though she was secretly enamored with Jia Huan's confident and composed demeanor, especially the natural air of authority that emanated from his raised eyebrows.

It was a kind of imposing aura that commanded respect without anger, unlike the murderous intent of a military general; rather, it was a refined and elegant kind of domineering.

Jia Huan nodded and said, "Sister Bao is right, Huan'er has learned a lot!"

Seeing that Jia Huan was obedient and compliant, Xue Baochai was even more pleased. Lin Daiyu, seeing this, said sourly, "You didn't like what I said before, but you listened to what Sister Bao said. Fine, I'll just pretend to be mute from now on!"

Jia Huan flicked Lin Daiyu's forehead with his finger and laughed, "When have I ever disobeyed you? And you've wronged me again. Tell me, shouldn't I be punished?"

Lin Daiyu covered her forehead and said coquettishly, "Sister Bao, look, he just bullies me. You should talk to him again. Anyway, he likes to listen to you."

Xue Baochai said, "That's enough. I dare not interfere in the affairs between you masters. I will fetch water for Her Highness the Princess to wash her face."

Lin Daiyu hugged Xue Baochai tightly and said with a smile, "Good sister, I was wrong, please forgive me. How can I bear to be served by you?"

Jia Huan rolled up his sleeves, twirled his pinky fingers, and deliberately said in a high-pitched voice, "Let Xiao Huanzi serve the two elder sisters. The two elder sisters can just give you a little rouge on your lips later."

Ying'er and the others were amused and giggled. Chai and Dai blushed and secretly spat lightly. The tent was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

…………

Meanwhile, Man Gui led three hundred cavalry vanguards and rushed straight to Hami City like lightning. By the afternoon of the second day, they had reached the city walls, as if divine soldiers had descended from the sky.

Strangely enough, although many Hami cavalrymen had fled the night before, the city gates of Hami were still wide open, allowing civilians and merchants to come and go as they pleased. It wasn't until Man Gui and his men arrived at the city gates that the bewildered guards realized what was happening and hurriedly tried to close the gates.

The bewildered Man Gui had no time to ponder which link had gone wrong. He immediately ordered an assault on the city gate. A volley of arrows killed the guards who were trying to close the gate, and then the gate was smashed open. They drove straight in and took the city gate without breaking a sweat.

Soon, Duan Yong, leading the second echelon of 300 cavalry, arrived, followed by Chu Sheng, the third echelon. Nine hundred cavalry swept across the city, quickly taking control of all the city gates and raising the Great Jin flag atop the city walls.

(End of this chapter)