The Rebellious Officials and Traitors of the Late Han Dynasty

Chapter 530 Qin Shou and Ke Bineng fight and Bu Dugen is the one who dies
The cold wind gradually rose, and the dry grass on the grassland was rustling. Gray clouds could be vaguely seen on the distant skyline. Wei Yan stood outside the tent, his fingers tightly gripping the hilt of his sword, his eyes gloomily looking towards the northwest.

"Report!" Another scout came galloping over, dismounted, knelt on one knee, and reported: "General, Liu Bao's troops have captured more than a thousand Xianbei people, as well as countless cattle, sheep and horses. The marching speed has greatly decreased, and we can no longer pursue them!"

Wei Yan frowned and asked coldly, "Where is Ke Bineng?"

The scout lowered his head and said, "The remnants of Kebineng have crossed the Wolf Mountain and fled deep into the northern desert. It is difficult to find their traces..."

Wei Yan was silent for a moment, then suddenly snorted, "What a good Liu Bao, he really knows how to choose the right time to 'perform merit'." He turned to look at the guards beside him, and gave an order in a deep voice, "Send a message to Gao Lan to lead the army to retreat immediately, no need to chase them anymore."

The guard hesitated and said, "General, Liu Bao's move is obviously to let Ke Bineng go on purpose. Should we..."

Wei Yan raised his hand to interrupt: "No need to say more. Ke Bineng has already fled into Mobei, and there is no point in chasing him. Besides, heavy snow is coming, and if we delay any further, our army may be trapped." He looked up at the gloomy sky and frowned even more tightly.

That night, the Tang army camp was brightly lit with torches, and the generals gathered in the tent to discuss matters. Gao Lan hurried back, with frost still on his armor. As soon as he entered the tent, he clasped his fists and said, "General, Liu Bao's troops are still moving slowly, and they are encumbered by baggage. I'm afraid they will not be able to join our army within three days!"

Wei Yan sneered, "He is delaying on purpose. He doesn't want to offend the Tang Dynasty, but he also doesn't want to really wipe out the Xianbei. We can't wait any longer. Send a message to the whole army to break camp and withdraw to Yanmen Pass tomorrow."

Gao Lan asked anxiously, "What about Liu Bao?"

Wei Yan said calmly: "Since he has 'accomplished merit', he will naturally take the spoils back to ask for a reward from His Majesty. As for Ke Bineng, he still has a long way to go. He has also suffered heavy losses this time."

The next morning, the Tang army began to withdraw in an orderly manner. The north wind howled, blowing up the dead grass and fine snow on the ground, as if foreshadowing the early arrival of winter. Wei Yan rode on his horse and looked back in the direction of Langjuxu Mountain, where the outline had been blurred by the gradually rising wind and snow.

"General, Liu Bao sent someone to deliver a letter!" A personal soldier stepped forward quickly and handed over a sheepskin letter.

Wei Yan unfolded the letter and saw that Liu Bao's words were respectful. He said that he had a lot of spoils and the march was slow, so he hoped that the general would return to the court first and he would follow later.

"Oh, you are really good at acting." Wei Yan handed the letter to Gao Lan and sneered, "After returning to the court, I want to see how he explains the matter of letting Ke Bineng escape."

Gao Lan whispered, "Liu Bao is cunning, and I'm afraid he has already thought of an excuse. Besides, he did have a 'great harvest' this time, and Your Majesty may not investigate further..."

Wei Yan's eyes were deep: "It doesn't matter. The wolf on the grassland can't hide its tail after all. Since Your Majesty let him out, he must have had a plan in advance."

The wind and snow were getting stronger, and the Tang army was moving farther and farther away on the vast grassland. In the northwest, Liu Bao's Xiongnu cavalry was slowly driving the captured cattle and sheep southward. His confidant came close and whispered: "Chanyu, Wei Yan has withdrawn his troops, and Kebi Neng is also safe."

Liu Bao's mouth curled up slightly, and a hint of pride flashed in his eyes: "Although the Tang Dynasty is strong, the grassland is our world after all. This time, we have gained both practical benefits and favors, so why not do it?"

The confidant laughed and said, "The Chanyu is wise! But... I'm afraid Wei Yan won't let it go."

Liu Bao looked towards the south and said calmly: "It doesn't matter. As long as Kebi Neng is still in Mobei, the Tang Dynasty still needs us Xiongnu people." In the snow, the two armies went in opposite directions, each with their own calculations. Kebi Neng, who was far away in Mobei, was standing on a high slope at this moment, looking at the sky in the south, sneering and saying to himself: "Liu Bao, do you think I can be grateful for this? The fight on the grassland has just begun..."

The morning on the desert grassland was stained with blood. Qin Shou reined in his horse and stood on a high hill. The iron cavalry of the Black Armor Yulin Army spread out behind him like a dark cloud. On the distant horizon, Zhao Yun's white horse volunteers had cut off Bu Dugen's escape route to the east.

"Report—" The scout's horse hooves splashed bloody grass debris, "General Zhao has burned down three of the Xianbei's food and forage camps!"

Qin Shou stroked the sword at his waist. He suddenly grinned, revealing his white teeth: "Pass the order, kill all men taller than the wheel."

When the black banners of the Yulin Army swept across the meadow, the ground began to tremble. The heavily armored cavalry rolled over the tribal camp like an iron plow, trampling the sheepskin tents and the old and young inside into the mud. A Xianbei boy rushed out of the tent door holding a bone arrow, and was nailed to the flagpole by three crossbow arrows at the same time.

"Your Majesty! We have found the Budugen King's tent in the northeast!" Xu Chu's voice was distorted by excitement. Qin Shou saw the figure wearing a white wolf skin in front of the golden tent in the distance, who was retreating in a hurry under the escort of his personal guards.

"Bring me my bow." When Qin Shou drew the three-stone strong bow, his arm armor made a tooth-grinding friction sound. The arrow pierced through the king's tent and the banner three hundred steps away. The wolf-tooth arrow with kerosene instantly ignited the flag that symbolized the Xianbei kingship.

Zhao Yun's White Horse Volunteers entered the battlefield at this time. The Silver Armor General took the lead, and Longdan's bright silver spear knocked two Xianbei centurions away. Suddenly, he saw the Yulin Army stringing the prisoners together with iron hooks and taking them aside for beheading.

His face was calm. Gongsun Zan had done the same thing in the past, and his behavior was even more cruel than what he was seeing now.

"General Zilong!" Dian Wei rode over with a big laugh. Five heads tied together with hair were hung next to the saddle. He shouted, "Budugen's head is worth a thousand gold! What a pity that he escaped again this time."

Zhao Yun looked at his blood-soaked colleague and found that his eyes were dancing with a light more terrifying than a bonfire. In the distance, cheers from the Yulin Army came, and it was obvious that they had gained countless benefits.

That night, the grassland within a thirty-mile radius was burning. Qin Shou sat on the saddle and listened to Xun You reporting the results of the battle: "Twenty-one tribes were burned, 400,000 cattle and sheep were captured, and 7,300 heads were beheaded."

At this moment, Xun You was wearing a woolen coat, his face was flushed and he looked very weathered. He no longer had the demeanor of a cabinet minister, but looked like a grassland herdsman.

"Budugen suffered heavy losses this time. After this battle, they didn't dare to go south for nearly ten years." Qin Shou said with a smile.

He originally came to fight Kebi Neng, but in the end it was Budugen who was almost killed. If Budugen knew that things would end like this, he should have started an army with Kebi Neng and attacked the Tang Dynasty together.

Unfortunately, he didn't do that.

After dawn, the surviving Xianbei herdsmen saw the direction in which the Tang army was leaving. The vultures circling in the sky were denser than the clouds.

No one knows which tribe will be the next unlucky one.

(End of this chapter)