Chapter 26: The Decisive Battle Against the Xiongnu—The Glory of the Qin Army

Chapter 26: Decisive Battle Against the Xiongnu, The Glory of the Qin Army

At the Royal Council Chamber:

"Greetings, King of the Xiongnu!" the various tribal leaders stepped forward one after another to pay their respects.

"I am deeply grateful to you all for traveling such vast distances to assist the Xiongnu! The Qin army is now right outside our walls! What strategies do you propose?" Touman asked, cutting straight to the point.

"What is there to fear? We have three hundred thousand iron cavalry inside Touman City. We should simply slaughter them; can the Qin people truly stop us?" a bearded Loufan general declared, his face filled with disdain. He felt it was a disgrace to the steppe tribes for cavalry to be bested by infantry.

"Do not underestimate the Qin. If it were truly that simple, I would not have summoned you all here for assistance," Touman explained, recounting his previous battles against the Qin forces to the tribal leaders.

"I, the Prince, believe that we..."

"Report! The Qin army is here!" Before Modu could finish his sentence, the shout of a Xiongnu scout echoed into the chamber.

"Speak!" Touman commanded urgently.

"Chanyu, the Qin army has arrayed themselves outside the walls of Touman City and demands that the Great King surrender the city!" the scout replied cautiously.

"What!"

"The Qin are insufferably arrogant!" Touman flew into a rage, smashing the table before him. Furious, he led the representatives of the various tribes toward the city walls.

"Great Qin, I shall finally witness your true face," the Princess of Parthia whispered to herself at the back of the procession.

Before long, they arrived at the walls of Touman City. Standing only two zhang high, the wall was little more than a low earthen barrier compared to the three- or four-zhang-high walls of the Central Plains, to say nothing of the massive fortresses and strategic passes of the heartland.

From this height, they could see much further. Standing on the seven-meter wall, they obtained a clear view of the approaching Qin army.

Across the boundless, desolate wilderness, from the direction of the rising sun, a black tide slowly emerged. A massive shadow eclipsed the entire steppe, turning the once vibrant grasslands into a silence as heavy as the moments before a storm. Animals within a hundred-mile radius had fled half a month ago; those too slow to escape trembled in their underground burrows. A sky-piercing aura of slaughter saturated the entire region.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thud! Thud! Thud!

A thunderous roar rolled in. The rhythmic, uniform footsteps acted like a resonance against the earth. Those on the walls of Touman City felt the tremors beneath their feet; the sound of the approaching march made their hearts rise into their throats, unable to even swallow.

The vast, dark mass of the army rolled forward like a relentless tide, stirring up clouds of dust that shook the earth. Amidst the surging waves, the figures of Qin soldiers raising their weapons flickered in and out of sight. Flags like clouds fluttered in the sky, their patterns of exotic beasts dancing in the gentle breeze.

"Drive!"
"Xiongnu city, twenty miles ahead."
"Thirty miles to the left and right of the main force, no signs of enemy troops."

As time passed, the full scope of the black tide became visible. Three massive, square formations moved forward in a "pin" character arrangement. On both flanks, black cavalry formations closely guarded the infantry. Over a hundred thousand warhorses paced steadily, guided by their riders.

"Xiongnu city, ten miles ahead."
"Continue scouting and report!"
"Xiongnu, five miles ahead!" the scout reported once more.

"Form up!" A command suddenly rang out from the central command tent.

While those on the walls were still guessing how the Qin would attack, the formation below began to shift. As the banners under the central command swayed, the entire army moved instantly.

Bare-chested, muscular men stood on platforms, wielding massive mallets and striking drums made of ox hide, each a zhang tall. "Dong! Dong! Dong!" The rapid beat of the war drums vibrated in their chests, causing their hearts to pound involuntarily.

"Form ranks!"
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

The army's flanks shifted. Sturdy Qin soldiers marched in perfect unison, quickly sprinting to the front of Touman City. The infantry, clad in full iron armor and carrying shields as tall as men, stood in perfect alignment at the very front.

"Bang!"

With a deafening sound, the Xuanwu shields slammed into the grass, kicking up a storm of dust. Two shields locked together to form a solid line nearly two miles long, with fifty thousand bladesmen forming three solid tiers of defense.

"Spears!"

As the command flags waved, rows of spearmen marched to the flanks, holding their twelve-foot-long spears. With tips angled outward at thirty-five degrees, they formed thirty identical square formations.

"Crossbows!"

At another wave of the flag, squads of soldiers wearing leather armor, short swords at their waists and quivers on their backs, rushed from the center. Armed with heavy bows and crossbows, and pushing siege engines, they quickly took their positions behind the shield-bearers, forming two distinct archery formations.

The Qin crossbow formations were famous throughout the world. Every major battle began with a volley of arrows to test the enemy and strike fear into their hearts. Now, thanks to the improvements made by Yang Zicheng—who had used "civilization points" to exchange for advanced technologies like repeating crossbows and bed-mounted crossbows—the Qin archery formations were even more formidable. However, since the Qin began a period of rest and recuperation, these formations had not been used, and the world had perhaps forgotten their existence.

Looking down, the area beneath the wall was packed with densely ordered Qin formations, appearing as if they had been cast from a single mold. The soldiers wore face masks engraved with the images of the Xuanwu, the Vermilion Bird, or the Qilin.

The terrifying visages created an aura of immense slaughter, making those on the wall feel as if they were facing an army of beasts.

Vivian, the Princess of the Parthian Empire, stood with the others, her blue eyes filled with awe. She glanced at her uncle, Harris, beside her; they locked eyes, their hands gripping their swords so tightly that their palms were slick with sweat.

"King of the Xiongnu, is the Qin army always like this?" asked Xila, a leader of the Yuezhi, unable to contain his question.

"Ah... this! This is my first time seeing the Qin army like this as well. This is entirely different from the Qin army of a few years ago; I truly cannot comprehend it!" Touman was utterly bewildered. He had expected the same Qin force he had fought years prior, not this disciplined, iron-clad machine.

"King of the Xiongnu, do you have any certainty of victory?" asked Anbamu, leader of the Donghu. A hint of cowardice began to spread among the gathered allies. Yet, there was no chance to run—not only were the Xiongnu cavalry watching them, but the Qin cavalry were also staring them down, already arrayed and ready to charge.

"The Qin are merely putting on a show. In reality, they are fragile. With our three hundred thousand cavalry, if every man fires a single arrow, the Qin will suffer countless casualties!" Touman said, feigning composure.

"Very well! I shall attack the Qin left flank! Let me test them!" Xila of the Yuezhi volunteered first.

"The right flank belongs to me!" Anbamu of the Donghu chose his opponent.

"The center shall be handled by my Xiongnu warriors!" Touman declared.