Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

The triumphant troops did not enter the fortress directly, but stopped in an open area a hundred paces outside the gate. Chen Wei ordered the elite soldiers and garrison troops to stand guard on the perimeter, while the auxiliary soldiers were responsible for counting and collecting the spoils of war. More than twenty captured warhorses were tied to temporary wooden stakes, snorting and pawing restlessly. Twelve Hu prisoners were bound together with ropes and squatted on the ground, most of them dejected. Only the scarred leader, though wounded on the shoulder and covered in blood, still held his neck high, his eyes flashing with ferocity. Occasionally, he would look up and scan the surrounding Han soldiers, letting out a beast-like growl.

The gates of the stockade slowly opened, and Chen Xing emerged with Zhao Tiezhu, Zhou Dashan, Wu Xuejiu, Li Shu, and others. The soldiers and civilians on and below the stockade walls, seeing their lord personally welcoming them, and witnessing the mountains of weapons and armor, the powerful warhorses, and the dejected barbarians, erupted in cheers once more, a roar that lasted for a long time.

"My lord!" Chen Wei strode forward, clasped his hands in salute, and his armor clanged. "This humble general has lived up to expectations! In this battle, we killed twenty-three enemies, captured twelve alive, seized twenty-one intact warhorses, five wounded horses, fifteen sets of leather armor, thirty-one scimitars, twenty bows, and countless arrows. Our army suffered seven minor wounds, and no one was killed in action!" He spoke quickly and clearly, his face showing fatigue from the fierce battle, yet his spirit was high.

"Good!" Chen Xing patted Chen Wei's shoulder forcefully, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers whose faces were filled with pride and excitement. "All of you soldiers fought bravely against the enemy, displaying the might of our Spark Force, and have all made great contributions! All participants will be rewarded according to the first-class merit criteria of the Merit Order! Li Shu, record this in detail, without error!"

"Yes, Lord!" Li Shu replied hastily, and with his two assistants, he began to question the squad leaders of each team and tally up each person's specific battle achievements.

Chen Xing walked up to the prisoners, his gaze sweeping calmly over them. Most of these Hu prisoners were young, with rugged faces, and at this moment they appeared either terrified, numb, or resentful. His gaze finally settled on the scarred leader. This man was about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with a robust physique, and even though he was wounded and bound, he still exuded a fierce aura.

"Is this the leader of the Hu cavalry?" Chen Xing asked.

"Indeed!" Chen Wei said. "When I fought him, he showed considerable strength and courage, and he should be their leader. The other prisoners all follow his lead."

The scarred leader understood Mandarin. Upon hearing this, he suddenly raised his head, stared intently at Chen Xing, and hissed in broken, hoarse Mandarin, "Han dog! Kill me if you want! You're nothing but a cowardly eagle of the grasslands if you even flinch!" His shoulder wound burst open with agitation, and blood seeped out, but he didn't care at all.

Chen Xing was not angry, but simply said, "An eagle? An eagle with broken wings is no different from a chicken. State your name and tribe."

The scarred leader spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva: "I, your grandfather, am no stranger to changing my name or surname. I am Wuzhuer, the former centurion of the Wild Fox Barut tribe! Kill me or torture me, make it quick!"

"Wild Fox Plain... Balut tribe..." Chen Xing silently memorized it, then looked at the other prisoners, "Are you all from the Balut tribe?"

The prisoners exchanged bewildered glances, some stealing a look at Wuzhu'er. Wuzhu'er roared, "Stop talking! Anyone who does is a traitor to the grasslands, and the Eternal Heaven will not forgive them!"

Chen Xing asked no further questions and said to Chen Wei, "Separate all the prisoners and keep them under strict guard. Give the wounded basic first aid and make sure they don't die. Especially this centurion Wujuer, keep him in solitary confinement and take good care of him."

"Yes, sir!" Chen Wei understood and immediately ordered his men to take the prisoners into the fortress and lock them up in several earthen houses that had originally been used to store miscellaneous items but had now been reinforced. The prisoners were personally guarded by elite soldiers.

The inventory and transport of the spoils continued until nightfall. Besides the armor and horses, some odds and ends were found among the corpses of some Hu people and their belongings: silver ingots of varying qualities, copper coins, crude bone ornaments, leather bags containing mare's milk and dried meat, and several small bags of salt. Li Shu meticulously recorded everything. The twenty-one intact warhorses were especially valuable; they were led into a temporary stable inside the fortress and carefully cared for by auxiliary soldiers with some horsemanship skills.

That night, the council hall was brightly lit. The victory was a resounding success, and everyone wore expressions of joy, but Chen Xing's expression was rather grave.

"Although we have won this battle, the seeds of disaster have been sown." Chen Xing looked around at everyone and said slowly, "The Wild Fox Yuan Balut tribe has lost more than thirty riders and a brave centurion. They will certainly not let this go easily. We must quickly extract information from their prisoners about their strengths, intentions, and the surrounding situation, and make preparations accordingly."

Chen Wei nodded: "This subordinate has ordered the guards to be on high alert to prevent the prisoners from colluding or committing suicide. That Wuzhuer is very stubborn, and it will be difficult to get him to talk. Perhaps we can start with the other prisoners, choose the cowardly ones, and offer them a way out. Maybe we can get some information from them."

Zhao Tiezhu said angrily, "These Rouran dogs were so brutal when they killed our people! In my opinion, we should kill a few to scare them out of their wits, and they'll naturally talk!"

Zhou Dashan cautiously said, "Chief Zhao, the information obtained through torture may not be true. Moreover, it would be worse if it aroused a death wish."

Wu Xuejiu stroked his beard and said, "In my observation, although Wuzhu'er is fierce, he is still very concerned about the label of 'traitor' after being captured. This can be seen as a sign of his strict tribal rules, or it can be seen as a weakness. Perhaps we could start by examining his tribal honor and the safety of his family?"

Chen Xing pondered for a moment, then said, "What you all say makes sense. The methods of interrogation are nothing more than 'coercion,' 'enticement,' 'division,' and 'psychological warfare.' Since Wuzhu'er is the leader, his will is relatively strong, so we can delay him for now. Let's start with the other prisoners. Chen Wei, among the prisoners, are there any who are younger, more seriously injured, or who appear most terrified?"

Chen Wei recalled: "There was a prisoner, about seventeen or eighteen years old, pale and thin, with an arrow in his left arm. He was trembling all over while being bandaged, and his eyes were timid. He did not seem like someone who had been through many battles. Another person had his leg injured by a rolling log and was wailing incessantly, seemingly quite afraid of death."

"Let's start with these two," Chen Xing said. "Interrogate them separately. Start with the younger one. Chen Wei, you interrogate him personally, bringing two fierce-looking elite soldiers with you. Tie Zhu, you and Da Shan stand by and intimidate him with words, but don't use torture. I'll observe from behind the screen."

With the plan settled, everyone immediately took action.

Inside the fortress, a makeshift interrogation room with thick walls and only one small window provided dim light. The young Hu prisoner was brought in; blood seeped from the bandage on his left arm, his face was deathly pale, and his eyes darted around, avoiding the gazes of the tall Han Chinese officers in the room.

Chen Wei sat upright behind the desk, his face ashen. Two Wei soldiers in gleaming armor stood on either side of the prisoners, their hands on their swords, exuding a murderous aura. Zhao Tiezhu and Zhou Dashan stood to the side, their gazes icy.

"Name, tribe, and position in the Balut tribe?" Chen Wei asked, his voice not loud, but carrying the authority of someone who had served in the military for a long time.

The young prisoner trembled, his lips quivering, and he whispered in broken Chinese, "I...I'm called Suhe...I'm a herdsman from the Balut tribe...not a warrior..."

"A shepherd?" Chen Wei raised an eyebrow. "Why is a shepherd carrying a bow and riding a horse, accompanying the army into battle?"

Suhe said in a tearful voice, "It was...it was a temporary requisition by Centurion Wujuer before he went to war...the tribe didn't have enough men who could ride horses...I didn't want to come, but I dared not disobey..."

Zhao Tiezhu slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Bullshit! Can a shepherd ride a warhorse? Can he draw a strong bow? This is clearly sophistry! It seems you won't tell the truth without torture! Guards, give him twenty lashes!"

Two Wei soldiers made a move to advance. Su He was terrified and collapsed to the ground, kowtowing repeatedly: "Sir, spare my life! Sir, spare my life! I'll tell you everything! I... I am indeed an ordinary herdsman, but I've known how to ride a horse and shoot arrows since I was a child... I was forcibly conscripted this time, and I was only given an old bow and ten arrows... to follow behind and make a show of force... I really haven't killed anyone, please, sir, see the truth!"

Chen Wei raised his hand to stop the soldiers and continued, "What is the purpose of your visit? Who gave you the order? How many troops have you brought? Are there any reinforcements coming?"

Suhe, still shaken, blurted out, "It was...it was the order from the tribal chief, Tuoba He. He said a new Han Chinese village had been established at Black Wind Ridge in the south. There weren't many people, but they had food. He sent Centurion Wuzhuer with men to 'take a look.' If they could fight, they were to take it down and seize the food and women; if not, they were to intimidate them and make them pay tribute...Originally, he only said he would send thirty riders, which is what we have today...The follow-up...the chief didn't say anything about the follow-up, so...there shouldn't be any more, right? Most of the able-bodied men in the tribe are here, and some have to guard the pastures and livestock..."

"How many people does the Wild Fox Plain Barut tribe have? How many soldiers are capable of fighting? What is their equipment like? How far is it from here?" Chen Wei pressed.

"In the tribe, there are about four hundred men, women, and children. Usually, there are only fifty or sixty people who can ride horses and fight, but almost all of them have come this time. As for equipment, the chief and centurions have leather armor and good swords and bows, while the others have ordinary hunting bows and scimitars. Wild Fox Plain is about a day and a half away from here on horseback."

Are there any other forces around the tribe? Who are you on good terms with, and who are your enemies?

Suhe tried to recall: "There are two other small tribes to the west, about the same size as us. Sometimes they fight over pastures... To the south... I heard there used to be Han Chinese fortified villages there, but they seem to have been scattered by other bandits or government troops... Beyond that, I don't know. Our tribe doesn't get along well with the Ulolan tribe to the west; they often fight over pastures..."

Chen Wei then asked for more details, such as the terrain of the tribal settlement, water sources, the personality of the chief Tuoba He, and the tribe's food reserves. Suhe's knowledge was limited, but she tried her best to answer, and there were no major contradictions between her answers.

After interrogating Suhe, they then interrogated the prisoner with the injured leg. This man was even more afraid of death, answering whatever was asked. His account largely matched Suhe's, and he added that the tribe's food reserves seemed to be insufficient, the grasslands were poor this year, the cattle and sheep were thin, and the chieftain, Tuoba Hecai, was eager to find Han Chinese villages to "replenish" their supplies.

After two rounds of interrogation, it was nearly midnight. Chen Xing emerged from behind the screen and said to Chen Wei and the others, "It seems that the Balut tribe is not a powerful or large tribe. They have a population of over four hundred, with fifty or sixty soldiers, limited food supplies, and conflicts with neighboring tribes. This time, they lost over thirty riders, which is a serious blow. Their leader, Tuoba He, will either be enraged and send his entire tribe to retaliate, or he will be wary and temporarily avoid confrontation. The key is what kind of 'impression' we leave on them."

Chen Wei said, "Today's ambush was clean and efficient, and should make them wary. However, if their leader is violent, he may come to retaliate at all costs. Although our army has won, if they attack with their entire clan, which numbers four or five hundred, even if only twenty or thirty of them are still capable of fighting, it will be troublesome if they drive women, children, the elderly and weak as the vanguard."

Zhao Tiezhu said, "What's there to be afraid of! If they dare to come, we'll ambush them again! Or we'll hold out against the wall and wear them down!"

Zhou Dashan said worriedly, "Being trapped in a defensive position will ultimately put us at a disadvantage. Moreover, if the war drags on, it may attract the covetous eyes of other forces. We are about to begin reclaiming the wasteland, and we cannot afford to delay."

Chen Xing paced back and forth for a moment, then suddenly said, "Perhaps we shouldn't wait for them to make their choice."

Everyone looked at him.

"Isn't that Wuzhu'er tough?" A cold glint flashed in Chen Xing's eyes. "Tomorrow, I will interrogate him personally. I will not only extract information from him, but also make him... a pawn in our hands."

"What does the lord intend to do?" Chen Wei asked.

"Let's try diplomacy first, then force," Chen Xing said. "Doesn't he value tribal honor? Doesn't he look down on 'traitors'? Then I'll show him whether his tribe and his chief are worth his life. I'll also make him understand that only a living eagle has a chance to fly back to the grasslands."

He looked at Wu Xuejiu: "Mr. Wu, you will be taking notes during tomorrow's interrogation. Some things need to be embellished by you and told to Wu Zhuer."

"I understand," Wu Xuejiu said, bowing.

"Chen Wei, during tomorrow's interrogation, place the summary of Su He and the wounded prisoner's confessions in a conspicuous place. Also... go and skin those dead and wounded Hu horses, divide the meat, and keep the horse heads."

Chen Wei hesitated for a moment: "My lord, this is...?"

"Some truths can't be made clear just by talking," Chen Xing said calmly. "He needs to see with his own eyes what happens to a defeated general, a traitor to his tribe. He also needs to think about whether his tribe would risk another bloody defeat for his thirty or so defeated soldiers."

Night had fallen, yet the lights in the council hall remained burning. A psychological battle, devoid of swords and bloodshed, was about to unfold after dawn. Meanwhile, a hundred miles away in Wild Fox Plains, the chieftain of the Balut tribe named Bald-haired He was perhaps anxiously awaiting the return of his thirty riders, completely unaware that a far greater storm was brewing because of his greedy probing.