Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 54: The Dragon in the Sea
The Huns began to form up in a hurry. The low-pitched sound of ox horns and the continuous sound of whistling arrows were all intended to remind some Hun cavalry to begin gathering and defending.

Zhao Po Nu, who was leading the troops in front, saw that the distance was getting closer and closer, and shouted, "Shoot!"

Although there are not enough arrows, there is no need to save them at this time. We must show an indomitable attitude.

We must make all the Huns believe that this besieged Han army still has the strength to fight, and we must make all the Huns believe that this Han army’s target is King Zuoxian!

Seeing the Han army's arrows falling, the Hun cavalry on the first line of defense also mounted their horses and began to shoot arrows.

The two armies began to shoot at each other, which is also a common cavalry combat method.

Huo Xian, who was far behind the charging team, was observing, and suddenly smoke and dust rolled up from the south.

"Keep moving forward!" Huo Xian said to Zhao Anguo, "Pay attention to the northeast and northwest. Once we find a flaw, we must move out."

The Han cavalry continued to charge, and they seemed to be waiting for the cavalry to arrive before launching a counterattack.

The main force of the Han army came to support, and the besieged Han army now began to counterattack.

The Xiongnu Zuoxian King, who originally had 80,000 cavalry under his command, began to feel troubled, especially when he learned from some surrendered Han soldiers that this time it was the Han army's general Wei Qing who would lead the army into battle!

You have to know that that was Wei Qing. In the previous battle in Mobei, he besieged Chanyu Yizhixie, forcing Yizhixie to flee hastily with a hundred cavalrymen and he almost died!
The offensive and defensive situation changed instantly. Although the Huns had already begun to take action when the Han army left the camp, at that time their main focus was to prevent the Han army from breaking through.

The 10,000-man Han army wanted to "charge head-on", to overwhelm the defense and kill Zuo Xian Wang!
Especially the unstoppable heavy cavalry of less than a thousand horses were a major threat to the Huns.

If that team of heavy cavalry could launch a charge, coupled with the other Han light cavalry that continued to widen the gap, it would be possible to overwhelm Zuo Xian Wang's defense!
For a moment, arrows rained down and shouts of killing shook the sky.

The Han cavalry still maintained a relatively traditional horse and archery duel, but the Huns' formation changed from a four-sided encirclement to a contracted formation, and even the cavalry that had just been sent south to block the main force of the Han army retreated.

"My Lord!" Seeing the Xiongnu cavalry beginning to emerge behind him, Zhao Anguo reminded loudly, "It's time for us to move!"

Huo Xian understood what he meant and said, "Change the flag!"

Command flags are common in the military and are also used as a form of communication.

Huo Xian turned his horse to the left and said, "Follow me and charge!"

The heavy cavalry was finally dispatched, and the Xiongnu cavalry from the northwest supported the front line of defense so urgently that the encirclement became useless.

There is no need to wait for Zhao Po Nu and others, Huo Xian and others can go first, because the speed of heavy cavalry is slower after all.

Spears and lances were held high, ignoring the arrows that hit the armor.

It was too late for the Xiongnu cavalry to resist hastily at this time. Those who tried to intercept the heavy cavalry head-on had fallen off their horses and were trampled into meat paste by the large number of Han cavalry that followed.

Using Huo Shan's heavy cavalry as the assault point, the light cavalry quickly filled in and expanded after the gap was opened, ensuring that the Huns could not form a siege while also creating a larger assault space for Huo Shan and others.

The unstoppable Han army advanced several miles in an instant. Even though the Huns realized it late, they could only watch as the Han cavalry was about to break through the encirclement.

King Zuo Xian was even more furious. If he had known earlier, he would have further shrunk the formation!
But he also had one last chance. As long as he could resist Wei Qing's attack, these Han cavalrymen would not be able to escape, so they headed north in a panic!

"Sir, there must be water ahead!" Chen Ju rode his horse and said excitedly, "I will lead the guide to find water!"

"Be careful, we just rushed out." Huo Xian reminded, "Pay attention to your surroundings!"

Zhao Po Nu came over on horseback, "Shan'er, we need to find a place to rest. The men and horses can't hold on any longer."

"Go forward ten more miles!" Huo Xian insisted, "The Huns may catch up with us, so we must at least find water before we stop!" Huo Xian didn't even need to remind them. After breaking out, the scouts scattered in all directions to look for water and food.

This seemingly defeated army continued to move north, and suddenly everyone rushed forward like crazy.

The winding river, water!
Huo Xian couldn't care less, as there was no water in the water bag. If anyone reminded him not to drink raw water, he would definitely grab his collar and ask him how many sips of water he drank a day at most. Is that still a big deal?

Not only the soldiers drank the water greedily, but the horses did too.

"If there is water, there must be a Hun camp!" Zhao Po Nu was excited. After filling the water bag, he said, "Let's look around. We'll find cattle, sheep, and horses soon!"

It is impossible to get full by just drinking water, so Huo Xian also spoke up, "Uncle Zhao, this place is still too close. Let's continue to head north and send the scouts farther away."

Zhao Po Nu had no objection, but it was a pity that he failed to capture several Hun officers when he broke out just now, otherwise he would have had a chance to obtain more intelligence!
"He is the general after all!" Zhao Po Nu said with emotion, "The Huns dare not pursue us too closely, so they are gathering heavy troops to deal with the general!"

Huo Xian also understood this. "The general has enough arrows and supplies, and the Huns can't break through the formation. How many Huns can be left behind this time depends on us!"

The direct confrontation was left to Wei Qing, but whether he could find the Huns' baggage supplies and make the Huns unable to sustain their efforts would depend on Huo Shan and Zhao Po Nu!
After escaping the encirclement, everyone was in a very good mood.

Cao Zong joked, "Uncle Zhao, I didn't know why Shan'er insisted on rushing in. I just thought it was an emergency. Who knew he had these thoughts in mind? Your Majesty only gave him the title of Piyao Xiaowei, and he gave himself the title of Huqi General!"

Huo Xian said dissatisfiedly, "Don't talk nonsense, I still plagiarize Captain Yao!"

"Your Majesty's disciple is amazing!" Zhao Po Nu praised sincerely, "Generals used to fight without restrictions, and so did Shan'er."

Everyone knew tacitly that there were some things that Huo Qubing and Huo Shan could do but others could not.

Because the father and son were taught by the emperor, who gave them enough trust and favoritism to make them unaware of what "usurpation" meant!
Zhao Po Nu looked at Huo Xian and asked, "Xian'er, where do you think the Xiongnu's baggage is?"

"I think it's in the southwest." Huo Xian analyzed, "The Huns here were the most anxious to help the central army, and they were the slowest to chase them out. But there wasn't much movement in the southwest."

Zhao Anguo's eyes lit up and he said excitedly, "Then we have to turn around quickly!"

"Stupid!" Zhao Po Nu immediately cursed, "Xian'er could see this, but continued to lead the army to the northwest. Why do you think that is?"

Zhao Anguo still didn't quite understand, so Cao Zong responded and explained, "Uncle Zhao, you mean that when the Xiongnu see us rushing out, they will also worry that we accidentally found their baggage?"

"If we turn around now, the Huns will definitely be on guard!" Zhao Po Nu nodded and said, "If we make a detour, the Huns will definitely not be able to guard against it!"

"Uncle Zhao and I have the same idea!" Huo Xian said with a smile, "I am now waiting to find a few small tribes to replenish food and rest!"

Cao Zong asked in confusion, "Food supply? We have 10,000 people now, where can we get so much food?"

Zhao Anguo laughed and said, "These Xiongnu people are just like this. In front are the young and strong Xiongnu people, and in the back may be some tribes driving cattle and sheep to follow."

Those people from the Xiongnu tribe thought that they could find pastures with abundant grass and water if they went south, but they probably didn't expect that this place might now become a supply point for Huo Xian and others!
"We should find one or two small tribes to attack and let the Xiongnu know our approximate location!" Huo Xian was full of energy. "We have finally survived the most difficult time. It's time for us to make achievements!"

Zhao Po Nu looked at Huo Shan with both admiration and worry. This young general was indeed unrestrained when fighting.

But with such courage and such a radical approach, one mistake could lead to a complete failure!

To put it nicely, the young general is as flamboyant and confident as the general. But this young general is not as capable as the general!

But now is not the time to think about these things. We should hurry up and find the place where the Huns store their baggage and supplies.

Still waiting to make amends for his crime!
(End of this chapter)