The Child Emperor

Chapter 176: The Strange Camp

Prince Donghai found himself in a predicament. He had become the most unpopular person in Shattered Iron City.

He had unnecessarily dispatched over a hundred noble scions out of the south gate, resulting in almost all of them being killed or wounded. The truth had spread both inside and outside the city, causing the surviving noble scions to distance themselves from him. The ordinary soldiers also deeply doubted his abilities. Only some soldiers from his own troop, out of past camaraderie, treated him somewhat politely.

With the arrival of the Northern Protection General, Prince Donghai’s status plummeted even further.

Han Ruzi brought good news. Word spread that fifty thousand Northern Army troops would arrive soon. The Chu army inside and outside Shattered Iron City cheered; they had been waiting for this news for too long, especially those soldiers originally from the Northern Army. After losing General of the Right Feng Shili, they longed even more for reinforcements from their comrades.

In no time, the Chu army, which had been terrified of the Xiongnu army, began to worry about another issue: would the Xiongnu flee before the reinforcements arrived?

Han Ruzi needed to boost morale, but he was not so optimistic about the situation. Shortly after arriving at Shattered Iron City, without even returning to the General’s Residence, he and a group of officers went to the ruins of Flowing Sand City to the west to meet with Chai Yue, who was stationed there, to hear his report on the military situation across the river.

The ground was as hard as iron, and a gust of wind blew snow everywhere. The Chu army had established five layers of barricades along the riverbank, with varied directions to block the impact of the Xiongnu cavalry. The hills were covered with tents, where many soldiers took shelter from the wind and cold, but they couldn’t remove their armor and had to keep their weapons at hand, ready to respond at any moment. Especially at night, they could only take turns sleeping for a short while.

Han Ruzi stood on the highest point of the ridge on horseback. After facing the wind for a while, his face felt like it was being cut by knives, his eyes teared up, and the cold shot into his head like arrows. Not far away, soldiers on several makeshift watchtowers stood for at least an hour at a time, frozen stiff and often unable to move their feet.

“Veteran soldiers in the army say this winter is colder than previous years,” Chai Yue said, wearing several layers of clothing and armor, with frost on his helmet and eyebrows. He had spent more time on the ridge than anyone else in recent days, watching even if only a single horse moved on the other side.

“The Xiongnu won’t be able to hold out here for long, and neither will the Chu army,” Han Ruzi tightened his cloak. “The supplies in Shattered Iron City are running low, and the reserve supplies in Divine Hero Pass aren’t enough to sustain an army of tens of thousands for long.”

Chai Yue was well aware of the difficulties in defending the northern frontier. “Have you decided to negotiate?”

“I wanted to hear your opinion first.”

Chai Yue took a deep breath of cold air. He had been observing for so long to give the Northern Protection General a clear answer, but when it was time to speak, he still felt uncertain.

“The Xiongnu camp looks strange.”

“Hmm.” Han Ruzi only noticed that the camp across the river was particularly long and didn’t see anything unusual.

Chai Yue pointed west. “That part of the camp is obscured. I sent scouts to observe, and they reported that the tents there are the densest, with nearly half of the Xiongnu stationed there, clearly guarding against a surprise attack. But the Chu army isn’t on the west side.”

He then pointed east. “The camp there is sparser but stretches longer. There’s a small camp even a hundred miles away, probably surveying the terrain. The east is the retreat route chosen by the Xiongnu.”

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Finally, Chai Yue pointed to the center, where a ridge was almost entirely occupied by tents. “The Great Chanyu’s banner stands there. Scouts have seen Xiongnu moving east behind the camp.”

“Are the Xiongnu fleeing?” Han Ruzi asked.

“It seems so, and not just the Eastern Xiongnu; there’s a large number of Western Xiongnu as well. The two groups have merged, and it’s said that the current Great Chanyu is also a Western Xiongnu.”

“Then are they sincere about negotiating?”

Chai Yue was silent for a moment. “Hard to say. Whatever’s happening in the west, the Xiongnu are eager to flee. A ceasefire doesn’t mean much to them. They might still want a piece of land with a checkpoint to defend against what they see as a stronger enemy.”

Han Ruzi also fell silent.

Chai Yue looked at a small group of people across the river and said, “The envoy is back. Let’s hear what he has to say.”

Han Ruzi and the others descended the ridge and entered a tent to warm themselves by the fire. Soon, the envoy arrived. He had been sent to negotiate preliminary talks and gather intelligence with the Xiongnu.

“The Xiongnu want to exchange prisoners first to show their sincerity in negotiating.”

Chai Yue frowned, “We have quite a few Xiongnu prisoners. Where did they get Chu army prisoners?”

In the previous two battles, both sides had casualties but few captives. The prisoners in Shattered Iron City were all Eastern Xiongnu captured by General Feng Shili.

The envoy replied, “The Xiongnu have over a thousand Chu army prisoners, including General Feng Shili. I saw them with my own eyes.”

The officers in the tent were shocked. According to Xiongnu custom, they only took women and children as prisoners, killing or forcing captured soldiers to fight as cannon fodder in the next battle. But in the previous two battles, no Chu soldiers had been seen, and everyone thought Feng Shili and his men were dead.

Exchanging prisoners was beneficial for both sides. After discussing with the officers present, Han Ruzi agreed. The Chu envoy brought a Xiongnu back to report to the Great Chanyu, agreeing to exchange prisoners the next morning and then discuss the terms of the negotiation.

Back at the General’s Residence in the city, Han Ruzi finally had a chance to rest. Zhang Youcai and Ni Qiu, who had stayed in Shattered Iron City, had already made the room comfortable and warm. Han Ruzi, just back from the front, felt a bit embarrassed to stay there.

It was already dark. After dinner, Prince Donghai rushed in. “You’re going to exchange prisoners with the Xiongnu?”

“Yes, General Feng is still alive. As a Chu general, we must exchange him back no matter what.”

“Ha, Feng Shili…” Prince Donghai signaled his two attendants to leave. “Feng Shili is the General of the Right of the Northern Army. Once he returns, who will follow your orders?”

“Fifty thousand Northern Army troops are on their way. They’ll arrive soon. Whether Feng Shili is here or not, the Northern Army will have its own commanders.”

“Forget the Northern Army. Have you heard about the Capital?”

“I’ve heard a bit but not in detail.”

Prince Donghai stepped closer. “I bet you don’t know. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have returned to Shattered Iron City from Divine Hero Pass.” He sighed heavily, showing some anger. “I got word that the Emperor hasn’t held court for over a month. The Empress Dowager also frequently misses sessions at the Hall of Diligent Administration. Memorials are not being addressed, and the ministers are in a panic. The three Wu brothers have secretly returned to the Capital, and it’s rumored that the Champion Marquis is hiding in the city.”

“How do you know all this?” Han Ruzi had only received one letter and knew very little about the situation in the Capital.

“My uncle sent me a letter,” Prince Donghai referred to Cui Hong as “uncle” again.

Han Ruzi remained silent.

“You don’t believe me?” Prince Donghai asked urgently.

“Of course, I believe you. I’ve also heard that there’s unrest in the Capital. But what can we do?”

“What can we do? We must return to the Capital immediately, as fast as possible. We can’t let the Champion Marquis take advantage. If he declares himself Emperor, his first decree will probably be to kill you and me.”

“What about the Xiongnu here? Returning to the Capital now might not guarantee victory against the Champion Marquis, but if we leave, we will most likely lose the war against the Xiongnu.”

“My goodness, you’re usually pretty smart. How can you be so confused at a critical moment? The Northern Army belongs to the Champion Marquis. He’s abandoned his troops and returned to the Capital. Why do you care? Let the Northern Army fight the Xiongnu themselves. Feng Shili will be exchanged back tomorrow, and the future outcome has nothing to do with us. You need to prioritize. Regaining the throne means the whole world is yours. If you stay in Shattered Iron City, even if you defeat the Xiongnu, the credit will go to someone else, and you won’t even save your own life!”

“Don’t rush. There’s no clear news from the Capital yet. Let me…”

“Ah, I’m going crazy! Are you addicted to being a general?” Prince Donghai turned to leave, then quickly returned. “You want to negotiate? Fine, negotiate with the Xiongnu. But after that, you must return to the Capital with me immediately.”

Han Ruzi thought for a moment and nodded. “Alright.”

Prince Donghai left, still shaking his head.

Meng E entered. She had been sharing a room with Han Ruzi these days, protecting his safety just like in the palace. She extinguished the candle and sat on her small bed for a while before suddenly asking, “Why won’t you go back to the Capital with Prince Donghai?”

She hadn’t eavesdropped, but Prince Donghai spoke loudly and left with an angry face, so she could guess the general situation.

Han Ruzi, sitting on his bed and silently gathering his energy, replied, “The Champion Marquis returned to the Capital because he has the Northern Army and the support of nobles and the imperial clan. Prince Donghai wants to return immediately because he has the support of Grand Tutor Cui and the Southern Army. What do I have?”

Han Ruzi knew very well that he only had one use to Prince Donghai: to restore the legitimacy of the Graceful Emperor’s sons and create conditions for Prince Donghai to ascend the throne.

He didn’t want to be anyone’s puppet anymore.

“What can I do to help you?” Meng E asked.

“Don’t let me get killed.” Han Ruzi smiled, then said seriously, “I have a feeling that once the fifty thousand Northern Army troops arrive, someone will make a move. Who it will be is still uncertain.”

“Then why call the Northern Army for reinforcements?”

Han Ruzi couldn’t continue gathering his energy. He got out of bed, walked over to Meng E, and whispered, “This time, I’ll make the first move.”

Meng E was startled. “Is this what you want me to do?”

“Yes. Just protecting me isn’t enough. I need to not only survive but also eliminate enemies and have a loyal army. Meng E, do you think I’m fit to be Emperor?”

“Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come to protect you.”

“From now on, I need to do things an Emperor should do. Meng E, are you ready?”

“I’m ready.” Meng E felt once again that the young man before her had an irresistible authority, making her agree without hesitation and not dare to set any conditions.

“Good, very good.” Han Ruzi returned to his bed, silently calculating who were enemies, who were trustworthy, and who could be used but not fully trusted.

No matter what was happening in the Capital, it was a rare opportunity for him, much earlier than expected.

He had many things to do, and the first was to deal with the Xiongnu threat.

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