Chapter 268: Tuhe
The Liaoxi Army suffered a major defeat, and the Xiongnu Barbarians also had casualties, with the exact numbers of losses known only to the Xiongnu Commander.
Now the main force of Xiongnu Barbarians are all outside Liaoxi Commandery, with some still guarding Changli County. These over two thousand Xiongnu Cavalry originally plundered everywhere, then upon encountering the fleeing over a hundred cavalry, immediately sent troops over.
Yang Hu, Yang Huai, Song Dalang, and Lu Feng are all on the city wall at this time.
Yang Hu and Yang Huai brothers have both fought side by side with Pei Qinghe before, while Song Dalang and Lu Feng are seeing Pei Qinghe shoot arrows and kill for the first time with their own eyes.
Pei Qinghe pulled the bow with her left hand and nocked the arrow with her right, her movements fast as lightning. Before the crowd could even blink, the sharp arrow had already left the string.
The next moment, the Xiongnu Barbarian charging at the forefront had his throat pierced by the sharp arrow and fell straight off his horse.
Song Dalang drew in a sharp breath.
Lu Feng thought to himself that his father losing to Pei Qinghe that day was not unjust at all. Pei Qinghe not killing his father with one saber stroke truly showed mercy.
When Pei Qinghe shot her second arrow, Pei Yan, Pei Zhi, and others all shot arrows as well.
Pei Qinghe remained expressionless as she shot her third arrow. Everyone with a bow and arrow in hand raised their arms. Sharp arrows fell like a sudden rain, mercilessly.
A group of Xiongnu Barbarians were shot down, crying out in alarm and cursing as they pulled their bows to shoot back.
The Xiongnu Barbarians were proficient in riding and shooting; it was always them shooting enemies off their horses with sharp arrows. Today, on the first clash, they suffered a loss—how could they swallow this insult.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh, the sound of sharp arrows piercing the air was incessant, and the screams and cries of those hit were even more piercing.
Soon there were casualties on the city gate as well.
The Pei Family Army held the high ground, occupying a natural geographical advantage. More Xiongnu Barbarians below the city died. Neither side showed any intention of stopping. After another round of shooting, some Xiongnu Barbarians charged to below the city gate. At Pei Qinghe’s command, round logs rolled down from the city gate, smashing several Xiongnu Barbarians, along with their warhorses, into bloody pulp.
“Luckily the General led us into Tuhe County in time,” Lu Feng couldn’t help saying to Song Dalang. “If we faced these over two thousand cavalry in the wilderness, who knows how many of us would die.”
Song Dalang was honest and didn’t poke at Lu Feng’s sore spot, immediately agreeing: “These are Xiongnu elite soldiers. Even our Pingyang Army wouldn’t stand a chance against them.”
Lu Feng smiled bitterly and sighed, when Pei Qinghe’s voice came to his ears: “The Xiongnu Barbarians are going to run.”
Song Dalang and Lu Feng immediately focused their attention.
With no siege tools, relying only on warhorses, bows and arrows, and curved sabers, it was clear they couldn’t take Tuhe County. The Xiongnu Barbarians had the intent to retreat, with people successively turning their horses around.
For the Xiongnu Barbarians, this didn’t count as fleeing. They always fought this way: slaughtering wildly when in the upper hand, riding away fast when at a disadvantage, and coming back another day.
“Coming and going like the wind is the Xiongnu Barbarians’ advantage and also their flaw.” Pei Qinghe’s gaze burned like fire. “They lack the belief to fight to the death. As long as we break them head-on, they will flee.”
“Now they want to run. All cavalry prepare; I’m leading troops out of the city to pursue and kill the Xiongnu Barbarians.”
Pei Yun, Pei Yan, and others immediately responded and went down the city wall to prepare their horses.
“General Yang, you stay here to command.” Pei Qinghe said to Yang Hu.
Yang Hu’s personal martial prowess was average; what he excelled in was formulating strategies and commanding.
Yang Hu didn’t stand on ceremony and nodded in acceptance of the order. Yang Huai took the initiative: “I’ll go out of the city with General Pei.”
Song Dalang quickly reacted and called out loudly: “I’ll go out of the city with the General too.”
The Pingyang Army had only sent one thousand men, but each had a warhorse; they were all cavalry.
Pei Qinghe couldn’t directly command them, so Song Dalang volunteering was the best. Pei Qinghe smiled at Song Dalang: “Good.”
Lu Feng felt somewhat awkward. First, the Fanyang Army had limited cavalry, only a pitiful two hundred. Second, the Fanyang Army soldiers had their courage broken by the Xiongnu Barbarians a few days ago. Going out now, they might not only fail to contribute but drag down the main army.
Pei Qinghe seemed to see through Lu Feng’s embarrassment and said warmly: “Young General Lu, guard the city together with General Yang.”
Lu Feng endured his shame and nodded in agreement.
“Hurry and go!”
The Xiongnu Barbarians below the city shouted while turning their horses: “These people are much more powerful than the Liaoxi Army; not easy to deal with.”
“We’ll wait for reinforcements and fight then.”
The Xiongnu Barbarians always held the initiative on the battlefield, coming when they wanted and leaving when they wanted. After resting for a couple of days, they’d come again.
They never expected that before they had run two li, the sound of horse hooves rang out behind them.
“They actually dare to come out of the city to chase us!”
“Without city walls, killing them is like slaughtering cattle and sheep!”
“Kill!”
The Xiongnu Barbarians, having suffered a defeat, were full of pent-up anger. Now they grinned ferociously, turned their horses, and raised their gleaming curved sabers, preparing to hack wildly and give the enemy an unforgettable lesson.
This pursuing cavalry force was large in number, with sturdy warhorses. The leader had a slender figure…
“It’s that Female General!” A quick-thinking Xiongnu Barbarian guessed the enemy’s commander and suddenly cried out in alarm.
“She’s the one who killed Wu Yan!”
A man’s fame casts a shadow like a tree’s.
The Female God of Slaughter who slew Wu Yan on the battlefield and routed the Xiongnu was right before them. Even the arrogant Xiongnu Barbarians felt some panic. However, with cavalry charging at full speed, there was no time for them to retreat or hesitate.
Bang bang bang bang!
Warhorses fiercely collided together; some fell off their horses, some were hacked down. Once falling from the horse, they would be trampled by the dense warhorses—an almost certain death.
This intense clash revealed the Xiongnu Barbarians’ prowess. Most of those knocked off their horses were from the Pei Family Army side. No matter how much training, on the real battlefield, their lack of experience and poor horsemanship showed.
If it were any other army, just this one clash would terrify them.
Though the Pei Family Army suffered heavy casualties, they did not lose heart. Because their General Pei was always ahead of them, using her own flesh and blood to hold back the Xiongnu Barbarians’ savage assault.
The Xiongnu Barbarians gained the upper hand in the first clash and wanted a second round, but found the Pei Family Army sticking tightly to them without letting go. Unable to open distance, they naturally couldn’t organize another cavalry charge.
The Xiongnu Barbarians showed no fear at all, grinning ferociously as they raised their sabers to fight to the death.
They were born warriors, raised on horseback from childhood, as steady on horses as on flat ground. They could effortlessly perform all sorts of maneuvers on horseback, with curved sabers as extensions of their arms.
The Pei Family Army was fighting real horse combat for the first time and fell into disadvantage immediately upon engaging.
Pei Qinghe wielded her saber, hacking a clawing Xiongnu Barbarian off his horse. That Xiongnu Barbarian fell in horror and was trampled into a pile of bloody flesh by the chaotic hooves.
Pei Qinghe forcefully blew the bamboo whistle in her mouth.
The sharp bamboo whistle sounds came one after another.
The Pei Family Army, familiar with various bamboo whistle signals from daily training, reacted almost instinctively, forming a military formation with those beside them, together waving sabers, spears, and sharp blades.
