The Child Emperor

Chapter 162: Regrets

News from the front line reported a great victory without any ambush.

Ten thousand Xiongnu cavalry, carrying a large number of livestock, fled westward in panic, caught off guard by the Chu army. Nearly the entire force was annihilated, with only a few escaping.

Since it was difficult to supply the army in the field, Feng Shili ordered more than twenty thousand troops to return to Shattered Iron City to await further orders. He personally led five thousand men to pursue the Xiongnu, determined to capture or kill the fugitive Zaheyan.

Han Ruzi felt a bit embarrassed, but he was also very pleased. The Chu army’s great victory was far more important than his own predictions and reputation.

That morning, Han Ruzi bid farewell to the old general Fang Daye and welcomed the first batch of returning Chu troops. In the afternoon, he and Prince Donghai went to Riverwatch City to receive another contingent led by Chai Yue.

The ruins of Riverwatch City had been cleared to allow the passage of the army. It was late autumn, and the river’s shallow waters posed no obstacle.

Prince Donghai, rarely venturing outside the city, gazed at the ruins with a sense of melancholy before turning and smiling, “It seems our trip was in vain. We endured months of hardship in Shattered Iron City, yet we accomplished nothing.”

“As long as the Chu army wins, that’s what matters.”

“Yes, as long as the Chu army wins… We won’t have to spend the winter in Shattered Iron City, right?”

“That depends on the imperial court’s arrangements. The army will surely advance to quell the rebellions, but Shattered Iron City still needs to be guarded. Next year will bring even larger-scale battles…”

Prince Donghai leaned closer to Han Ruzi and whispered, “What did Lin Kunshan say to you?”

Han Ruzi looked into his cunning eyes and asked in return, “What did he say to you? When I returned to the residence, you two seemed to be having a pleasant conversation.”

Prince Donghai chuckled, “He wants to reconcile me with my uncle.” “That’s a good thing for you.”

“A good thing? My heart was stabbed by my closest kin. The wound hasn’t healed, yet he expects me to forget the hatred and pretend nothing happened?” Prince Donghai wouldn’t easily forgive those who betrayed him.

“Isn’t that what ‘closest kin’ means?”

Prince Donghai snorted, “Now it’s your turn. Lin Kunshan must have given you some advice.”

“He suggested I capture Divine Hero Pass.”

“Hah, is he mad? Even if the court agrees, you wouldn’t be able to take the pass with ten thousand troops, let alone a few hundred garrison troops.”

“I don’t need ten thousand troops, just a few men. Wu Xiu has returned to the Capital, and there’s currently no general defending Divine Hero Pass.”

“Wu Xiu returned to the Capital?” Prince Donghai was taken aback and more intrigued by this, “Did he return on orders or privately? Why did he return?”

“Lin Kunshan said he didn’t know. Divine Hero Pass has sealed off information; he only found out by chance.”

“Interesting.” Prince Donghai glanced at the guards behind him, then leaned closer to Han Ruzi again, “You should… You really should capture Divine Hero Pass and then request the imperial court to appoint you as its defending general.”

“Without a legitimate reason, it would be hard to convince others and gain the court’s approval.” Han Ruzi didn’t believe it would be that simple.

“Without a legitimate reason? Isn’t there a rebellion within the pass? You could occupy Divine Hero Pass to quell the unrest. As for the court’s recognition… Have Han Xing appoint you to an official position first. A general in the field can act on the situation. Once the deed is done, the court usually acknowledges it.”

Han Ruzi smiled and shook his head. Given his identity, anything he did was far from “usual.”

“Staying in Shattered Iron City is a death sentence. Feng Shili will undoubtedly seek revenge for his nephew, and you’ve thoroughly offended Lady Hengyang. She won’t let you go either.”

“They’re back.” Han Ruzi pointed ahead.

Chai Yue led a returning army, escorting a large number of prisoners and livestock.

This time, the victorious Chu army didn’t camp outside the city but directly entered Shattered Iron City. They were only staying temporarily; once General Feng Shili returned, the army would march to Divine Hero Pass and then participate in quelling the internal rebellion.

After coordinating with the officers inside the city, Chai Yue came to pay respects to the Northern Protection General, thanking him for the reception and bringing some new information.

“You were right; the Xiongnu were indeed luring the Chu army into an attack,” Chai Yue reported, still clad in dusty armor.

Han Ruzi was astonished, “But the Chu army achieved a great victory. I heard the Xiongnu had only that ten thousand cavalry, with no reinforcements.”

Chai Yue closed the door halfway and walked up to the Northern Protection General, speaking solemnly, “That’s the strange part. After capturing the prisoners, I interrogated some Xiongnu nobles on the march. They confirmed that Zaheyan had indeed planned a strategy, and they received a letter from the Eastern Chanyu a few days ago saying everything was going well. But on the agreed date, the Chu army arrived, and the Xiongnu main force didn’t show up. They were perplexed and furious, and it didn’t seem like they were lying.”

“That’s really…” Han Ruzi didn’t know what to say. The world was complicated; he guessed correctly but missed participating in a victory, while Feng Shili acted riskily and achieved great merit. “If General Feng Shili pursues to the west, isn’t it dangerous?”

“I sent someone to inform General Feng as soon as I got the news. He won’t pursue too far and should be safe. The strange thing is, what happened to the Chanyu’s main force? Why did they miss the date and sacrifice ten thousand cavalry for nothing?”

“Could the Eastern Chanyu have really died?”

“Maybe. That would be a great fortune for Great Chu. According to the Xiongnu’s customs, if the Chanyu dies, the princes’ power struggle could last from three to five months to over ten years. The Chu empire will have another period of stability to focus on quelling the internal rebellions.”

“Congratulations to you for your achievements. The court will surely reward you generously,” Han Ruzi said with a smile. Things were like that; further guessing was useless.

“Just a minor achievement,” Chai Yue also smiled. This small achievement was crucial for him; a reward from the court would bring honor to the Chai clan, ensuring his mother and brother lived better without threats to their lives. “General Feng Shili took five thousand trusted soldiers to capture Zaheyan. If he coincidentally encounters the Chanyu’s death, it might be a major merit, earning him a marquisate and title promotion.”

The two exchanged glances and laughed simultaneously, feeling both envy and amusement.

Han Ruzi sighed, “Unlucky year… No, I should blame myself. After being besieged by the Xiongnu, I became too cautious and missed an opportunity.”

“Caution ensures longevity; you did nothing wrong. It was I who planned for days, persuading you to move from Mayi City to Shattered Iron City, yet this battle had little to do with my plan.”

“Without your plan, the thirty thousand northern troops wouldn’t have stationed in the valley outside Divine Hero Pass, and there wouldn’t have been a chance to intercept the Xiongnu. So your plan was still very useful.”

They chatted for a while longer before Chai Yue said, “There’s another member of the Jin family among the prisoners.”

Han Ruzi raised an eyebrow. Chai Yue continued, “The Jin family’s lady is missing, possibly having escaped with Zaheyan. Jin Chunzhi was captured by the Chu army. I interrogated him, and he asked me to apologize to you on his behalf.”

“Apologize?”

“Yes, he said he was foolish for insisting on returning to the steppes instead of staying with… you. Now he deeply regrets it.”

“That was his choice,” Han Ruzi shrugged. He owed the Jin family no favors and had no need to worry about Jin Chunzhi’s safety or save his life. The Jin brothers were prisoners, and their fate was out of his hands.

Chai Yue observed for a moment, “In three to five days, General Feng Shili should return. Tomorrow, I will escort the prisoners to Divine Hero Pass. Northern Protection General…”

“Mm, I won’t see you off then. I hope you achieve great success.”

Chai Yue said no more, bowed deeply to the Northern Protection General, and took his leave.

Han Ruzi sat alone in the room for a long time. He couldn’t retain the old general Fang Daye, and now he had to send off Chai Yue. Though Chai Yue hadn’t achieved great merit, he would surely be promoted, and Grand General Han Xing seemed to appreciate him. Without any accidents, Chai Yue had a promising future.

Watching two capable generals slip away, Han Ruzi felt a sense of regret. As a mere Northern Protection General, he couldn’t promise wealth and honors, so he couldn’t gain loyal followers. Fang Daye and Chai Yue had grander ambitions than penniless fishermen.

The Chu troops returned in batches, in high spirits, making Shattered Iron City lively. Strict military discipline relaxed, and groups of soldiers roamed the streets, drinking, quarreling, and fighting. As long as no one died, it was tolerated. Some camps even had half-naked women, laughing and chasing drunken soldiers.

Han Ruzi wandered the city, astonished, and called for the leader of his private army, Chao Hua, to ask where the wine and women came from, as there were only a few female prisoners in the city.

Chao Hua scratched his head, “I’m puzzled too. Everyone hid some wine, but I don’t know where the women came from. Did they spring from the ground? But I guarantee, there are none in our army.”

Han Ruzi could only smile wryly.

Chao Hua took the opportunity to ask, “Everyone’s upset they didn’t go to battle. Can we…”

“In any event, I won’t be leaving the residence until dawn.”

Chao Hua understood the subtext and happily left. Being a soldier was tough; even those without merits needed occasional indulgence.

Cai Xinghai and Liu Heixiong returned later. After settling the soldiers, they came to see the Northern Protection General. They weren’t interested in what happened to the Xiongnu, only excitedly discussing the battle. After half an hour, they left.

Du Chuanyun, recovering from his wounds, came to congratulate Han Ruzi. After they left, Du complained, “What a battle, and we had more men than the Xiongnu. Did you regret missing it, Marquis Weary?”

Zhang Youcai shoved the tactless Du Chuanyun out.

Truthfully, Han Ruzi did regret it. He had taken risks all autumn, yet backed down at the last moment, losing a chance for merit.

Past midnight, Han Ruzi was about to rest when Prince Donghai rushed in, waving Zhang Youcai out, and seriously said, “I have a way.”

“What?”

“I have a way for you to safely capture Divine Hero Pass. My uncle wants to reconcile with me, right? I’ll write him a letter, asking him to give you command of Divine Hero Pass.”

“Grand Tutor Cui is the Southern Army’s Grand Marshal. I’m neither his subordinate, nor is Divine Hero Pass under the Southern Army’s jurisdiction.”

“That’s not important. The key is Divine Hero Pass has no general. We… you can take advantage of the situation, seize the pass, then ask for a title.”

“Then what? What can I do by holding Divine Hero Pass?”

“Don’t you get it? Wu Xiu’s return to the Capital is suspicious. Capturing Divine Hero Pass gives you a chance to return to the Capital too.”

“What if Wu Xiu returned for personal matters?”

“That’s the risk. Han Ruzi, aren’t you the one who loves taking risks?”

“Let me think about it. Not participating in the Chu army’s victory against the Xiongnu is one thing, seizing the pass at this time would be even more inappropriate.”

“It may be inappropriate for others, but it’s right for you. Think about it. You need to decide quickly before Feng Shili returns and the opportunity is lost.”

Han Ruzi couldn’t sleep.

Just after midnight, Han Ruzi had barely dozed off when Zhang Youcai woke him. Another Chu troop returned, bringing bad news that finally made Han Ruzi decide.

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