The Rebellious Officials and Traitors of the Late Han Dynasty

Chapter 523 Fooled

The sun was rising, and the golden light was sprinkled on the blood-stained grassland. Qin Shou stood on a high place, his black battle robe fluttering in the morning breeze, and the blood on his armor had dried up, showing a dark red color. He looked at the remnants of the Xianbei soldiers being driven away in the distance, and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"Your Majesty, in this battle, our army beheaded 8,000 people, captured 3,000 people, and seized more than 10,000 horses." Xu Chu strode over, with blood still on his armor, but his face was filled with the joy of victory. He smiled and said, "That old guy Budugen ran faster than a rabbit, and even lost the central army's banner."

Dian Wei carried his double halberds and grinned, "When those Xianbei guys saw Your Majesty, they acted like they had seen the King of Hell. They couldn't even hold their weapons properly."

Qin Shou nodded slightly, but his eyes turned to the western horizon and asked, "Where is Ke Bineng's army?"

Xun You immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the scouts reported that Ke Bineng's 50,000 troops have set up camp thirty miles away and are not moving."

"Oh?" Qin Shou raised his eyebrows, "He is quite patient."

Xu Chu rubbed his hands and shouted: "Your Majesty, why not take advantage of the victory and kill Ke Bineng in one fell swoop!"

Qin Shou shook his head and said, "The soldiers have fought all night and need to rest. Pass the order down, the entire army should be on alert, set up camp on the spot, and treat the wounded." He paused, a gleam in his eyes.

"I'm afraid Kebineng is still confused now! Budugen's 30,000-strong army couldn't even last a night." Xun You said with a smile.

At the same time, on the grassland thirty miles away, Kebi Neng's camp was covered with flags. In the central army tent, Kebi Neng was discussing military situation with his generals when suddenly the sound of hurried horse hooves came from outside the tent.

"Report!" A scout dismounted and stumbled into the tent, shouting, "Chanyu, the Tang army is resting! We haven't found Budugen's remaining troops yet."

"Damn it!" Kebineng stood up suddenly, the golden cup in his hand fell to the ground, and the wine splashed on the luxurious carpet. His face was gloomy, and he cursed: "That stupid guy Budugen, 30,000 elite soldiers of the Yazhan were ruined overnight. It would be fine if he died, but now he has ruined my big plan."

The scout touched his forehead to the ground and said in a trembling voice: "The Tang Emperor personally led 30,000 cavalrymen to attack the central army last night. Budugen Chanyu was defeated and fled, his great flag was cut off, and the Xianbei army was demoralized."

There was an uproar in the tent, and the generals looked horrified.

Although the scout did not tell the details, the generals were able to guess the details, and because of this, they became even more panicked.

Ke Bineng's face was gloomy and uncertain. He waved his hand to signal the scouts to retreat, slowly sat back in the tiger-skin chair, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest.

"Everyone, what do you think?" Ke Bineng asked in a deep voice.

The Left Grand Commandant Ashina spoke first: "Chanyu, the Tang Emperor is extremely brave. Although Budugen is not as elite as ours, the defeat of 30,000 troops in one night is really shocking. In my opinion, it is better to be cautious."

They said they were cautious, but in reality they did not dare to send troops.

"What are you afraid of!" The right commander Tufa slammed the table and stood up. "The Tang army has just experienced a great battle and must be exhausted. Now is the best time to attack!"

Xu You said slowly, "Shan Yu, although Qin Shou can defeat the enemy with fewer troops, he must be exhausted after fighting for a whole night. If we attack now, we will surely inflict heavy damage on the enemy."

"Yes, Chanyu, attack!" The generals shouted after hearing this. They all thought that this was the best opportunity to inflict heavy damage on the Tang army. Thinking of the situation of being chased all the way, the generals were furious and wanted to seek revenge on Qin Shou immediately.

However, Ke Bineng frowned, with a thoughtful look on his face. Suddenly, he took a deep breath and said, "Pass the order down, the whole army is on alert, suspend the attack, pack up and prepare to evacuate."

"Evacuate?" The generals were furious when they heard this. The decisive battle was about to begin and there was a great possibility of victory. At this critical moment, Ke Bineng actually thought of evacuating?

This is incredible!

Tufa, the great commander, was the first to object: "Shan Yu! If we retreat now, won't the Tang army laugh at us for being cowardly? How can the eagle on the grassland be scared away by a Han Chinese!"

Ashina also looked puzzled and asked, "Shanyu, our army has tens of thousands of elite soldiers and their morale is high. The Tang army has been fighting all night and is exhausted."

"Stupid!" Ke Bineng slammed the table and stood up, his eyes flashing with sinister light, sneering: "Who do you think Qin Shou is? Would he leave us such a loophole? What you think of, wouldn't the other party think of? But now he is still in front, why is that?"

The big tent suddenly became quiet, and the generals looked at each other.

Kebineng walked to the map and poked his finger at the location of the Tang army camp: "Budugen's 30,000 troops were destroyed overnight. What does this mean? It means Qin Shou was well prepared! He dared to rest under our noses, so there must be an ambush! Of course, even if there is no ambush, I am not going to fight with him."

"Is the Great Chanyu worried about the safety of the royal court?" Xu You quickly noticed this problem.

Ke Bineng's eyes were gloomy, and he nodded slowly: "Mr. Xu is indeed a man of insight. Qin Shou is a master of military tactics. Since he dares to deal with us here, he must have other plans."

He walked to the center of the tent, dipped his finger in the wine, and drew a route on the table: "Look, our main forces have been dispatched, and the royal court is empty. If Qin Shou sends a surprise force to attack from a detour, the consequences will be disastrous."

Tufa, the great commander, was dissatisfied and said, "The Chanyu is worrying too much! We have sent out scouts along the way. If the Tang army had taken a detour, they would have discovered it long ago."

"Their troops are fighting their way out of Yanmen Pass?" Ke Bineng said with a wry smile, "We were led by Qin Shou by the nose, fighting our way from the royal court to the east. Now we are a thousand miles away from the royal court."

Xu You's face suddenly changed when he heard this. The feather fan in his hand fell to the ground with a "smack". He said, "The Chanyu is wise! Qin Shou's plan is vicious. If a special force really goes straight to the royal court, we will become rootless duckweed! Qin Shou has unified the Central Plains, has many soldiers and generals, and it is not difficult for him to send out a force."

The generals in the tent suddenly realized what was going on and gasped. The bald captain turned pale and sweat oozed from his forehead. The Duan and Murong tribes were even more panicked and didn't know what to do.

A hint of determination flashed in Ke Bineng's eyes, and he said in a deep voice: "Order the entire army to break camp immediately and withdraw to the royal court in three groups. The left commander will lead 5,000 elite cavalry to cover the rear, and set up more decoys along the way to delay the Tang army."

"Yes, sir!" All the generals responded in unison and quickly left the tent to prepare for the withdrawal.

After everyone left, Ke Bineng stood alone in front of the map, his fingers heavily drawn across the Yinshan Mountains, muttering to himself: "Qin Shou, what a good strategy! I let you win again this time, I will definitely defeat you next time."

(End of this chapter)