Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

On the southern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, Jia Jing rode on Red Hare, observing the formation of the Hunxie army opposite him.

The Hunye Khanate was mainly based in the Western Regions, and the border between the Han and Hunye Khanates was along the Hexi Corridor to the Altai Mountains.

The Tianshan Mountains are located on the only route for the Hunxie to advance eastward into the Han Dynasty, and serve as a natural barrier for the northwestern border of the Han Dynasty. Its strategic military position is extremely important.

If the Hunxie want to advance eastward and threaten the Han Dynasty, they must occupy the Tianshan Pass.

For Jia Jing, taking over Tianshan Mountain would be a good option to promote peace through war, deter the Hunxie, and also to intimidate them.

As soon as Jia Jing led 20,000 elite Han cavalrymen straight toward the Tianshan Mountains, the Hunxie Kingdom, which was closely monitoring the movements of the Han army on its northwestern border, also reacted swiftly.

Khan Hunxie dispatched his most valiant general, Galedama, to lead 60,000 of Hunxie's main army to the Tianshan Mountains ahead of time to deploy and meet the enemy.

The two armies deployed their forces at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains early this morning, and war was imminent.

As time passed, the sun slowly rose, and its warm rays bathed the earth.

But at this moment, the 60,000 Hunxie soldiers felt immense fear and coldness.

They stared at the 20,000 Han cavalrymen opposite them, their faces solemn, and their eyes revealed an imperceptible sense of apprehension and fear.

Especially the Han general riding a crimson warhorse and wielding a gleaming silver spear in front of the Han army, instilled boundless fear in their hearts.

Even though the enemy outnumbered them and they held advantageous terrain, they were still terrified.

Because they knew that the Han army commander opposite them was Jia Jing, the new generation of military genius of the Han Dynasty who had won nine battles in nine battles on the grasslands, destroyed the Yuan Dynasty, and swept away all enemies.

His heroic deeds and legendary exploits have been circulating for months in the grasslands, the Northwest, and Hunxie.

In three battles in Liaodong, he annihilated the Manchu army of 150,000, built a Jingguan (a mound of skulls), beheaded the Manchu prince, and slaughtered Manchu warriors like dogs. He was invincible under his spear!

At the foot of Yulin City, he single-handedly defeated a Yuan army of 50,000 men. His spear moved like a dragon, his arrows like lightning. He killed generals and captured flags, leaving no prisoners.

The Golden Tent of Wolf Mountain, a night raid, six thousand men defeated thirty thousand, captured the Great Khan of the Yuan Dynasty, Batu Mongke, and destroyed the Yuan Dynasty court that had existed for hundreds of years.

After that, he wiped out seven tribes of the grasslands, killed tens of thousands of enemies, captured hundreds of thousands, sealed the Wolf Mountain, and drank from the vast sea.

Before the iron cavalry of the Han army he led, all enemies suffered defeat after defeat!

Since he stepped onto the battlefield, he has fought dozens of battles, large and small, and has never been defeated! Nearly half a million enemy soldiers have perished under his command.

What does it mean to be invincible in every battle? What does it mean to be unstoppable?

The Han general before us is a living example!

So much so that countless grassland people who fled to Hunxie Kingdom described him as a devil, a demon god, an incomparable being, and someone unlike any mortal.

Even in today's chaotic world, Jia Jing's name has become a tool for locals to frighten their own children.

In the folk tradition of Hunxie, it has been circulating that "if a child cries, his parents should frighten him with a jing (a type of talisman), and he will stop crying."

The phrase "Jia Jing is coming!" is used to scare a crying child, who immediately stops crying.

This shows just how powerful Jia Jing's reputation has become in Hunxie.

So how could the soldiers of the Hunxie Army not panic? How could they not be afraid?

For them, Jia Jing's name was like a knife hanging over their heads, a nightmare that kept every Hunxie person awake at night.

At that moment, the knife hung in front of them, its cold blade pointing directly at them, about to reap their lives.

The fear of losing their lives gripped them, making their hearts feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

They were really scared!

Beneath the wolf-head banner of the Hunxie army's central commander.

Galedama, the commander of Hunxie, was ashen-faced. He was the fiercest general under Hunxie and had few defeats in his half-life of battles.

But at this moment, his hand holding the weapon was trembling slightly.

On his left and right were his lieutenants, Saiin Boke and Baturze.

Both men wore solemn expressions as they stared at the bright "Jia" character on the Han army's banner fluttering opposite them, as if they were seeing a death warrant.

"Damn it! How are we supposed to fight like this? My men can barely hold their weapons, they have absolutely no morale to fight the Han army!" Saiyin Burke's voice was hoarse and weak, completely lacking confidence.

It wasn't just that the Hunxie soldiers couldn't hold their weapons properly; very few of the generals were truly unafraid.

Jia Jing's reputation has become incredibly prominent in Hunxie lately!

Countless fleeing people from various tribes on the grasslands unanimously praised his bravery and invincibility!

Compared to the soldiers' limited access to information and hearsay, they understood much more clearly how terrifying the Han general before them was.

No one can beat Jia in martial arts!

He single-handedly defeated a 50,000-strong Northern Yuan army!

Over a thousand enemies defeated in a single match!

A spear can lift a heavy supply wagon weighing a thousand pounds!

These are all true and accurate records that I learned after making many inquiries; there is absolutely no exaggeration involved!

How do we fight this?

"It's all that damned Manchu bastard's fault for stirring things up! He's brought such a formidable enemy upon our country!"

"Damn it, if I survive this battle, I will definitely teach the Manchus a lesson they won't forget!"

Baturze spoke in a stern voice, clearly venting his fear and anger on the Manchus.

If it weren't for the Manchus stirring up trouble, saying that the Han Dynasty was in decline and a pushover, and that they were trying to take advantage of it!

Why would the Hunxie send troops to invade the border of the Han Dynasty and provoke the Han Dynasty's retaliation?

As a result, instead of picking on the easy target, they ended up picking on a tough nut to crack!

"Alright! Stop talking! It's no use saying anything now! We have no way out!"

Galdarma said in a low voice with a gloomy face.

His face was ashen, and he was filled with resentment.

One of the two lieutenants couldn't even hold his weapon properly, and the other was already thinking about his own death—this was simply unheard of!

We must find a way to boost morale, otherwise there's no point in fighting this battle!

"Why can't we just agree to the Han Dynasty's peace terms? If we agree to the peace talks, the Han army will withdraw."

There's a saying among the Han people: "As long as the green hills remain, there's no worry about running out of firewood..."

Baturze's eyes flashed, and he muttered under his breath.

"Insolence! Do you want the Khan to abandon his dignity?"

"If we agree to the Han Dynasty's terms for ceding territory, losing the southern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains, Hami, and Turpan would be tantamount to completely opening the eastern gate of the Khanate."

"The Altai Mountains, all the way to the Ili River Valley, the heart of the Khanate, will be flat and indefensible!"

"Not to mention that Yarkand and Gashkar were the most important sources of revenue for the Khanate and the economic lifeline of the Khanate."

"If these cessions are made, the Khanate will lose countless amounts of silver, cloth, and grain, and its tax revenue will plummet. This will be a devastating blow that the Khanate cannot afford!"

Galdarma's expression hardened, and he spoke sternly.

Although he was a fierce general, his ability to serve as the commander of the Hunxie army in this expedition clearly demonstrates his political acumen!

He knew that the Great Khan would not agree to the Han's four harsh peace terms unless absolutely necessary.

If they surrender without a fight, they will not only face the loss of territory, reparations, hostages, and the loss of trade.

This would cause the people to lose heart, the powerful ministers to become disloyal, and even cause the Khan to completely lose his dignity and prestige, leading to the division of the Hunye Kingdom.

Therefore, even if the odds of winning are not high, Hunxie has no choice but to fight this battle!