Chapter 2: The Stormy Weather of Yan and Zhao Section 5

  Lulongze is located at the easternmost foot of Xu Wushan, nestled between two mountains. To the left is Meishan and to the right is Yunshan. From here, entering the pass and walking along the official road that winds along the mountain for a hundred miles, one can see an endless vast plain.

  Lulong City is a mountain-built city with three layers of walls forming a "sun" shape defense system. The outer main wall is five zhang high, three zhang wide and one hundred zhang long, built from stone blocks stacked from inside to outside, with a two-zhang-high watchtower in the center called Wangri Tower. At both ends of the main wall, auxiliary walls were built along the mountain terrain, each with a tower on top. The one standing on Mei Mountain is called Meilou, and the one built on Yunshan is called Yunlou. From the two auxiliary walls, it extends to further mountains. The Great Han Empire built a city wall of over 200 miles to prevent the invasion of the Hu people. One hundred steps behind the main wall, between the two mountains, another tall city gate was built, with the same height and width as the main wall, but only fifty zhang long. On top is a tower called Lulong Tower. Both sides are connected to the main wall by stone walls. The two sides are lined with barracks for soldiers. Further back, one hundred steps away, is the new moon-shaped gate facing the official road, Xinyuelou. This city wall is four zhang high, two zhang wide and eighty steps long, with a tower on top called Xinyue Tower. On both sides are warehouses for storing grain and hay, stables and wooden houses for treating wounded soldiers.

  Li Hong and Zheng Xin supported each other, walking all night, and rushed back to Lulong Pass in the morning. Lulong Pass had been fully mobilized, with all soldiers busy at their posts. A large number of weapons and defensive equipment were piled up in the center of the square, being transported to the city wall by the soldiers one after another. The tense atmosphere before the great battle enveloped the entire Lulong Pass.

  Xiao Lan saw that only the two of them had returned and sat on the ground crying. Zheng Xin's injuries were more severe, so he was sent to the New Moon Building for treatment. Li Hong was pulled by Cheng Jie and went directly to see Lord Tian Jing. Tian Jing carefully inquired about the situation. Li Hong gave him a detailed explanation of what he had seen and his analysis based on it.

  "Stay by my side?" Tian Jing asked once again.

  Li Hong shook his head resolutely, "I want revenge, I want to kill, I want to go up on the city wall."

  Tian Jing looked at him, not saying a word. Cheng Jie, who was standing beside him, spoke up, "Sir, you can't let him go now. Yesterday my scouting team lost two squad leaders, Xiao Dao died by the riverbank, and Wang Jiu was shot dead while luring the enemy, we need to fill in one position right now. Hei Zi has made a contribution this time, it's just right to fill in."

  Tian Jing looked at him and asked: "How many men are left in the scouting team?"

  Cheng Jie's face darkened, "There are only more than 60 people left."

  Tian Jing cast her gaze at Li Hong, "Then you can fill this vacant position."

  Cheng Jie hastily pulled Li Hong down to kneel and thank him, then as if afraid that Tian Jing would change his mind, he quickly dragged Li Hong away.

  Their troops originally belonged to Tianting and were directly commanded by him. Since they were going to fight a defensive battle, the role of scouts had become unnecessary, so they were incorporated into the Left Army under the command of Hou Wufei, who was under the command of Zhou Huan, responsible for defending Meilou.

  Li Hong stood on the Mei Lou, gazing up at the large banner standing upright on the Lu Long Lou for a long time. The banner was about ten zhang high, towering into the clouds, with a huge "Han" character embroidered on its black surface. Li Hong's heart was extremely excited. As a citizen of the Great Han Empire, he would soon be defending his country and shedding blood to protect it, what an honorable thing that was.

  The winter sun lazily yawned, gazing down at the withered yellow grassland, feeling very unhappy. Without green grass, without vibrant and lovely flowers, without lively and adorable birds, the prairie seemed to have lost its vitality, everything was dull and grey, making it impossible for people to lift their spirits.

  Hanlu King Wu Yan looked up at the pale and weak sun in the sky, shrugging his shoulders. The wind on the grassland was too strong, and before it got extremely cold, the chill had already begun to seep into his clothes.

  Wuyan was a robust and sturdy middle-aged man, about forty years old, with a tall stature. Due to the erosion of time, wrinkles had prematurely climbed onto his forehead. He had a pair of wolf-like eyes, ferocity and cunning written all over his gaunt face. In his youth, he was also a hero on the grasslands, famous for his bravery and skill in battle. Later, he inherited his father's tribe and became the first to claim kingship within the Wuhuan people. The Emperor of the Great Han Empire feared that these Wuhuan people would stir up trouble, so he didn't interfere, letting them do as they pleased.

  The Wūwàn people all lived within the Great Han or in border areas, and many tribes had a good relationship with the Great Han. In the past, many tribal leaders had led their troops to help the Han people attack the Xianbei tribe. However, after the Battle of Sunset, when the Great Han was defeated and the Xianbei were victorious, the situation underwent a subtle change.

  Many Wuhuan tribesmen, without being appointed by the Han Emperor, began to call themselves kings and ignored the warnings of the Han Emperor. Incidents of harassment, invasion, and looting of Han citizens and towns occurred repeatedly. However, the Han Dynasty was indeed already on its last legs, and they were powerless to stop these incidents from happening, so they could only turn a blind eye.

  Wuyan was the first among the Wuhuan tribe to claim kingship, and he also wanted to be the first to invade the Great Han state, occupy its fertile lands, plunder countless wealth and women.

  When the Xianbei people found him, they discussed joining forces to attack Lulong Pass and invade the heartland of the Great Han State. He agreed without hesitation, having waited for this day for many years. Faced with the impregnable Lulong Pass, he often sighed in frustration, unable to come up with a plan. But now, with the help of the Xianbei army and the famous Murong Feng planning from behind the scenes, Lulong Pass was no longer a problem.

  Wuyan, in order to invade and gain more property and land, had several discussions with his old friend, the Eastern Xianbei chieftain, Mijia. The Xianbei were relatively generous and basically satisfied his demands. He then led three thousand troops to Honghuagou according to plan.

  The Xianbei army, consisting of the four major tribes of the Eastern Xianbei - Baiwar, Huima, Mugulü and Yunhai, as well as some smaller tribes that had joined them, totaling 5,000 men, was led by the chieftains of the Huima and Mugulü tribes, Qiumi and Sulili respectively. They soon arrived at Honghuagou Valley.

  A large army is marching quickly across the prairie.

  Looking at the fluttering banners and galloping warhorses, looking at the excited faces, Wu Yan felt delighted in his heart. Lu Long Pass, wait for me to take you down, I'll dismantle you, see how you can block my way again.

  Wuyan saw Queji rushing over surrounded by several guards. Wuyan hurried to greet him. Although he was known as the Khan of Lu, his actual power and wealth were not greater than those of Queji and Suoli. He put on a big show in front of these few people, it was simply ridiculous.

  "Your Majesty has worked hard." Kuaiji casually waved his hand and gave a salute. Kuaiji was also a middle-aged man in his 40s, and he was considered relatively short among the Xianbei people. He had a thick and black beard under his chin, which looked very handsome. Kuaiji's eyes were relatively small, but what flowed out from inside was fervor and greed, a fervent and greedy passion for war and wealth.

  "Adults work hard." Wu Yan also nodded, "There are still thirty miles to the Lulong Pass." He pointed ahead and said, "Known as the most solid fortress on the northern border of the Great Han State."

  Kui Ji smiled slightly, "Well, it's good that we're fighting with all our might. The siege tools sent by the General are just what we need. We're used to fighting on horseback, but when it comes to attacking a city, we still need to put in some extra effort."

  Wu Yan nodded in agreement.

  Fat and chubby Su Li rushed over with his men. Su Li was fat, but he was a very famous warrior in the Xianbei country. Su Li had great strength, and few people could withstand more than a dozen moves under his hands. Generally, fat people are pale, and Su Li was no exception. A pale and chubby man appeared before everyone. Su Li smiled and said: "I have some good news to tell you, Xiong Ba will arrive tomorrow morning."

  "Xiong Ba's arrival to help us is certainly good news. What's unpleasant, however, is that the general doesn't trust us, you know?" Qiao Ji said coldly.

  "Look at you, before we set out, the general repeatedly instructed us that this attack on Lulong Pass is of great importance and cannot be lost. We must unite." Xuli said to Queji without any reserve. "Xiong Ba hasn't arrived yet, but you're already not happy."

  Queji immediately reminded Xiong Ba bluntly, "Xiong Ba represents the general, it's better if you say less. The general has said that this time, the army will be commanded by Khan Lu Wang, so we should follow his lead."

  By then, Xuli couldn't help but burst out laughing. In his opinion, even a scoundrel like Wuyan could become king, so he himself could become emperor.

  Wu Yan got angry. He saw that this dead fat man was laughing with a problem, obviously looking down on him. Dead fat man, I'll make you look good later.

  He looked at Wuyan with a strange gaze, but didn't say anything. He really couldn't understand why Murong Feng made all the Xianbei people listen to the command of a self-righteous Wulan person.

  Tian Jing was startled awake by the urgent drumbeats. He sprang up from his chair and strode out of the house in large strides. The guards at the door were all gazing forward with tense eyes.

  Tian Jing hurried to the Wang Ri Tower in order to see the enemy approaching Lulong Pass at the first time. Due to recent exhaustion, he unknowingly fell asleep on a chair inside the house.

  Tian Jing saw the enemy. From the distant horizon, a huge group of enemies slowly emerged. The soldiers of Ludongze almost simultaneously swarmed up to the city wall as soon as they heard the alarm drumbeat. Li Hong and Cheng Jie squeezed to the edge of the city wall battlements, looking out at the vast grasslands outside the pass.

  Wuwan Khan Rouran's 3,000 troops were in the center, Xianbei Qiemochi's 2,500 troops on the left wing, and Xianbei Suli's troops on the right wing. The entire army marched towards Lulong Pass in a neat and orderly manner, forming a "品" shape.

  The colorful flags fluttered in the wind, the shining knives and guns were arrayed in a stern and eye-catching manner. The infantry marched in neat steps, the cavalry formed long lines, under the command of the loud and high-pitched bugle calls, they stepped in unison and walked over with determination.

  On the city wall, the Han army silently formed a scattered formation, motionless and staring at the enemy as they approached Lulong Pass step by step. Everyone's heartbeat nervously jumped with each step of the enemy's advance.

  Li Hong slowly made out the enemy's flag, and suddenly found that Suli's war flag was facing his direction. He couldn't help but get excited, "Fatty, it's the fatty of Xianbei. Damn it, this time I must fight him hand in hand to see who is stronger."

  He stood on the city wall, shouting loudly. Although his voice was not loud, the heroic spirit suddenly infected the surrounding soldiers. They immediately recovered from the tense and oppressive atmosphere, and soon they were chatting and laughing, talking and laughing. This relaxed atmosphere spread like the wind, spreading throughout the entire city wall, blowing to every corner of Lulong Pass.

  Tian Jing saw the warriors quickly wake up from their shock, and nodded very satisfactorily. He turned around to the messenger standing behind him and said: "Tell the drummer to beat the drum and assemble the troops!"

  The orderly immediately exited the crowd and said to the flag bearer standing at the outermost: "The general has ordered, beat the drum and assemble the troops." The flag bearer immediately jumped onto the city wall and stood on the battlements, making a flag signal towards the drum platform on the top of Lulong Tower.

  A burst of fierce drumbeats, like thunderbolts striking from the sky, exploded in every soldier's ears. The warriors immediately scattered and ran wildly, searching for their unit's battle flag, gathering under it with the fastest speed.

  Li Hong had been in the Lu Long Pass for over a dozen days and had participated in several unit trainings, so he still had some basic knowledge. He hastily gathered his own squad of soldiers and concentrated them under the banner of the hundred-man team. Then Cheng Jie led them to concentrate under the left camp's war flag. One camp had two hundred warriors. One division had two camps on the left and right, four hundred warriors. One unit had two divisions on the left and right, eight hundred warriors.

  Tian Jing stood under the city wall of Wangri, looking at the two teams of soldiers lined up on both sides, and his heart surged with a thousand emotions. He suddenly drew out his long sword, held it high above his head, and shouted loudly: "For my great Han, kill..."

  The surrounding soldiers followed him closely, waving their arms and shouting: "Kill..."

  The soldiers farther away heard it, all the soldiers heard it, even the drummer heard it. They were one by one excited, raised their arms and shouted: "Kill... kill..."

  A loud and clear voice shot up into the sky, shaking the universe.

  Wuyan seemed to have not heard the Han army's shouts, expressionless on horseback, leading the great army to march forward resolutely.

  The two sides were three hundred paces apart. Wu Yan raised his hand, signaling the army to halt. The eight thousand men and horses stopped as one, their footsteps synchronized in the midst of the loud cowhorn sounds.

  The Han army stood silently on the city wall, watching the enemy's movements and preparing to join the battle at any moment.

  Wuyan rode his red horse and started running along the central army.

  He slowly drew out the battle sword from his waist, and suddenly raised it high above his head. At that very moment, more than a dozen ox horns sounded simultaneously, and immediately three thousand troops almost simultaneously let out a thunderous roar: "Hooooo..."

  This roar came so suddenly, so fiercely, so thickly, and so greatly that it almost swept away all living things in the world in an instant.

  "Hmm... huh..."

  Qianji, Su Li's troops were unwilling to fall behind, followed closely behind, and shouted again.

  The roar of 8,000 people is unimaginable in its impact, enough to make an ordinary warrior's blood boil with excitement, no longer fearful, no longer shrinking back, no longer afraid of death, charging forward without hesitation until the battlefield is stained with blood.

  The Han army was stunned.

  The thunderous roar of the 8,000 men seemed to shake Lou Long's fortifications to pieces, as if it would shatter them into dust. This roar was a huge blow to the confidence of the Han army soldiers.

  Tian Jing let out a cold laugh, suddenly ran to the left side of the flag-bearing soldier, snatched the large Han military flag from his hand, and in a few steps jumped onto the city wall's battlements. The soldiers' gazes were instantly drawn to his actions.

  Tian Jing stood on the city wall, with his back to the Huns army and facing his own soldiers. He waved a large military flag with all his might and shouted: "For Great Han, kill..."

  The soldiers were moved by Tian Jing's bravery, and they seemed to have suddenly forgotten the enemy's loud roar, forgot that the enemy's roar was still echoing on the grassland, and once again raised their arms, shouting loudly one after another:

  "Kill..."