The Child Emperor

Han Ruzi did not sleep well. When he woke up, the tent was pitch black and chillingly cold. The charcoal fire had gone out. If Zhang Youcai had been serving him, he would have gotten up several times during the night to stoke the fire, but Meng E did not do such things, likely thinking it unnecessary. She seemed not to fear the cold at all.

Han Ruzi could endure it too. Besides, the cold had its benefits; it could help clear his mind.

He quietly got up, put on his coat and boots, and tiptoed to the tent entrance. There was no sound from Meng E’s bed, but she must have been awake as well.

As Han Ruzi stepped out of the tent, a sharper gust of cold air hit him. One foot had barely crossed the threshold when he already regretted his decision to leave the relative warmth of his bedding.

But he still went out, slowly inhaling the icy air, gradually adjusting to the environment.

It turned out he was not the earliest riser. Not far ahead, a group of soldiers had just changed shifts at their posts. Many people were cooking and feeding horses. The various sounds merged and, filtered through the cold air, clearly reached the hilltop. Han Ruzi could even hear a few unrelated shouts.

With the battle imminent, Han Ruzi felt more hesitant than when he had made his decision the previous day.

Regardless, he could not let his hesitation spread to the troops. He retreated back into the tent and sat on his bed, waiting for dawn.

“The Great Chanyu is not an easy opponent,” Han Ruzi said.

There was only one listener in the tent. Meng E always reacted slowly in conversations. She asked, “Do you think the Xiongnu have set an ambush?”

“I just find it strange. Why would the Great Chanyu choose to negotiate with me?”

“Because you are the commander of the Chu army.”

“No, my position as commander was fought and seized for, not assigned by the court. Even the appointment from Grand General Han Xing only arrived a few days ago. But before that, the Great Chanyu had already designated me as his negotiating partner. The Great Chanyu is no ordinary person; he would not place all his hopes on negotiations.”

“This extraordinary Great Chanyu was badly defeated by a group of slaves in the west.”

“I don’t know what happened in the west. The Great Chanyu’s defeat was due to underestimating his enemy, but he will not underestimate Great Chu. After two consecutive defeats, he will be even more cautious.”

“What are you planning to do?”

“We still have to fight. The Chu soldiers are ready. This is the flow that the fate seers speak of; it can only be followed, not reversed. I just need to think more comprehensively. Chai Yue will handle the formations, and Old General Fang will gather intelligence. My task is to understand the enemy leader.”

Han Ruzi remained silent for a long time, not thinking about timing, terrain, or human factors, but focusing on recalling the Great Chanyu he had seen. Finally, he said, “Thank you.”

Meng E grunted. She had no real interest in the battle; she had only spoken to help Han Ruzi organize his thoughts.

Han Ruzi got up and walked out to find Chai Yue, hoping to adjust the battle plan and reserve more troops. But before he could step outside, an urgent voice called out, “Northern Protection General, are you awake?”

Han Ruzi stepped out of the tent, surprised to see Chai Yue.

Seeing the fully armored Northern Protection General, Chai Yue was also surprised but quickly reported the urgent news. “Divine Hero Pass has sent for help.”

“What happened?” Han Ruzi immediately asked.

“The messenger says thousands of rebels are attacking Divine Hero Pass. The pass is understaffed and might not hold.”

“That’s fast!” When Han Ruzi left Divine Hero Pass, he had gathered intelligence. Though there were small rebellions in the nearby counties, none seemed significant, and they were spreading southward, not northward. He hadn’t expected the rebels to reach Divine Hero Pass in just a few days.

“I think the messenger might be exaggerating. Even with just a hundred defenders, Divine Hero Pass shouldn’t fall immediately.”

“Prince Donghai.” Han Ruzi realized he had made two mistakes: leaving Divine Hero Pass to the timid and cautious Chief Clerk Hua Bao’en, and letting Prince Donghai go. Both decisions had seemed inevitable at the time, but together, they might lead to a grave mistake, causing Divine Hero Pass to fall.

In the generals’ plan, after defeating the Xiongnu, the Chu army would immediately return south, rest and resupply at Divine Hero Pass, and then return to their camps. If Divine Hero Pass fell, the 80,000 soldiers and 20,000 auxiliaries in Shattered Iron City would collapse within days.

“Send troops to reinforce Divine Hero Pass immediately.”

“I’ve already dispatched 3,000 men.”

“Good.” Han Ruzi tried to stay calm. “Will this affect today’s battle?”

The news hadn’t spread yet, and everything was orderly. But once the soldiers heard about the trouble at Divine Hero Pass, the consequences were unpredictable. It might inspire them to fight the Xiongnu quickly, or it could cause panic and destroy morale.

Chai Yue, leading a large-scale battle for the first time, found it hard to predict accurately. “I suggest we proceed with the plan. Even if we need to defend Divine Hero Pass, we should first neutralize the Xiongnu threat.”

“Alright.” Han Ruzi could only agree. Chai Yue left to carry out the orders.

Han Ruzi couldn’t stay calm. Despite all the books he had read and the advice he had heard, the path ahead was uncharted. Each step was a choice, and some choices were critical; one misstep could lead to disaster. While he could appear fearless, he couldn’t deceive himself.

Han Ruzi woke the guards in the nearby tents. Fifteen minutes later, he led over a hundred men across the river to a hill a few miles away, hungry but waiting for dawn. If a battle was inevitable today, he wanted to be the first to see the battlefield.

As dawn broke, the battlefield and the Xiongnu camp were still hidden. But he heard the sound of hooves from the opposite side.

Though the Chu army camped on the south bank, they had sentries on the north, usually in teams of ten. But this time, it was clearly just one rider heading towards the hill.

Chao Hua rode to meet the rider and shouted, “Who goes there?”

“Is that Brother Chao?” came an urgent voice.

“Liang Tong?” Chao Hua recognized him as one of his own soldiers.

Han Ruzi had sent two followers with Fang Daye yesterday. One, Ma Da, had returned last night. The other was Liang Tong.

Chao Hua brought Liang Tong to Han Ruzi, and Liang Tong said, “Old General Fang wants to reschedule the negotiation with the Xiongnu to noon.”

Han Ruzi was taken aback. He and Fang Daye had agreed that a negotiation before noon meant it was safe to fight the Xiongnu, as Ma Da had reported yesterday. A negotiation after noon meant Fang Da Ye had discovered a trap and the Chu army should not cross the river. What did a noon negotiation mean? Was the old general in the Xiongnu camp unable to make a judgment?

Liang Tong had only this one message and knew nothing else.

Han Ruzi still had to make a decision, and quickly.

“Return to camp,” he said, leading the way back to the south bank.

The Chu soldiers were already mounted, with the first group ready to cross the river at his command.

Han Ruzi changed direction, moving west to east, inspecting the troops ready for battle.

He didn’t look at their formations, equipment, or horses—only their faces. After a mile, he turned back to the hill where Chai Yue and other generals were waiting for his orders.

The news about Divine Hero Pass had evidently spread. Even the most ordinary soldiers knew its importance, and they were scared, anxious, and hesitant, not knowing whether to defeat the Xiongnu first or defend the crucial pass.

Han Ruzi addressed Chai Yue, Liu Kunsheng, and the others. “Cancel the operation. The entire army will return to Divine Hero Pass in phases. Leave 3,000 men to guard Shattered Iron City.”

The generals were silent, then almost simultaneously nodded. Chai Yue, Liu Kunsheng, and others voiced their agreement. After brief discussions, they personally led officers to relay the orders to each camp.

Han Ruzi stayed on the hill, observing the Chu army’s movements below. It was quiet—no objections, no shouting, no chaos. Everyone seemed to accept the retreat order.

Still uneasy, Han Ruzi sent Chao Hua with some soldiers across the river, maintaining the appearance of preparing for negotiations. He wanted to show the army that the Northern Protection General would stay to negotiate with the Xiongnu and be the last to leave Shattered Iron City.

The generals returned quickly. Chai Yue said nothing, while Liu Kunsheng and others urged the Northern Protection General to head to Divine Hero Pass immediately. Some even volunteered to negotiate with the Xiongnu in his place.

Han Ruzi declined all their offers and assigned tasks: Chai Yue would lead the vanguard to Divine Hero Pass; Liu Kunsheng would follow, then Left General Han Tong. The vanguard was to move quickly, while the other two groups marched normally. Right General Feng Shili would stay until tomorrow.

Han Ruzi was giving Chai Yue a chance, hoping he could firmly control the Northern Army at Divine Hero Pass.

Transitioning an army from attack to retreat was difficult, especially with a strong enemy behind them. Han Ruzi stayed on the hill, ensuring everyone saw the command flags. He monitored every unit’s movements, allowing no rashness.

By noon, only a third of the army had retreated. Even so, it felt too fast. Han Ruzi kept sending reminders to the generals to ensure nothing was left behind.

Then he set off with ten guards, crossing the wooden bridge to continue negotiations with the Great Chanyu.

For him, it was another unpredictable venture. The Xiongnu ahead were uncertain allies or enemies, and even the Chu army behind him was not fully trustworthy. This was a test of his authority as Northern Protection General.

At least until he left the Chu army’s sight on the south bank, everything was calm.

This time, the Great Chanyu arrived first, accompanied only by Jin Chuiduo.

Fang Daye greeted him at the entrance. Han Ruzi left his guards outside, relying on Fang Daye for translation.

“Sorry, I could not give you a clearer suggestion,” Fang Da Ye whispered. “The Xiongnu have no reinforcements, but they are determined to fight to the end. This time, the Chu army is attacking while the Xiongnu defend. I can’t predict the outcome.”

“Your message was very important,” Han Ruzi said with a smile. As he stepped into the tent, he finally felt calm, confident in his decision and in the loyalty of the Chu army behind him.

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