Chapter 29: The Final Battle Against the Xiongnu—The Fall of a Nation and the Annihilation of Its People

Chapter 29: Decisive Battle Against the Xiongnu—Annihilation of a Nation

A breeze swept by, carrying a nauseating stench.

The Modao infantry formation before Touman City stood in perfect, unwavering order, gazing coldly at the figures atop the city walls. The lead general, clutching a blood-stained Modao, stepped forward and slammed the heavy blade into the ground with such force that it carved a deep crater into the turf. He bellowed with all his might:

"Who dares to fight!"

"Who dares to fight!" the entire Modao army roared in unison, sending Touman and his men stumbling backward in terror.

"Clang!"

Somewhere, the sound of a weapon hitting the ground echoed. Like a falling row of dominoes, the clatter of weapons hitting the earth erupted one after another. As the Xiongnu soldiers looked upon the fierce, grim visages of the Modao infantry, they scrambled to flee in a panic.

The Xiongnu had been defeated; the outcome was decided in an instant!

The entire battlefield was littered with fleeing Xiongnu; some began slaughtering one another in a frantic struggle for warhorses. Those who did not flee were simply paralyzed by terror, lacking the strength to run.

"Attack!" With the order from the central command, the entire Great Qin formation shifted. Bows were drawn and crossbows leveled. Within a mere half-hour, under the fierce assault of the Qin forces, the soldiers scaled the walls of Touman City and breached the gates.

The tide had turned—there was no better way to describe the fate of the Xiongnu.

To prevent the Xiongnu from vanishing entirely into the river of history, Touman surrendered, begging only that the Great Qin refrain from a general massacre. Some of the smaller tribes fled, while others were captured. None of this mattered; what mattered was that their kin would soon face an even more brutal retaliation from the Great Qin! Such was the price of choosing the wrong side.

As the battle drew to a close, military clerks began to tally losses, soldiers cleared the field and escorted captives, and army physicians tended to the wounded. News of the victory soon reached Yanmen Pass. The entire pass became a scene of jubilation, especially among the merchant caravans who, upon receiving orders to collect supplies, rushed toward Touman City like madmen.

"A great victory! A great victory!"

The shouts of excitement traveled all the way from Yanmen Pass to Xianyang.

The citizens of Xianyang, initially stunned, suddenly erupted into cheers. Households ran to one another, sharing the joyous news.

"Everything everyone consumes today is on me!" a middle-aged man in a restaurant stood upon his table and shouted excitedly. Scenes like this played out across the entirety of Great Qin.

In the rear garden of the Xianyang Palace, ever since Yang Zicheng had proposed the seven-day work week, the First Emperor had finally found rare moments to spend time with his concubines and children.

On this day of rest, the First Emperor was strolling through the garden as usual. Princess Jingyang clung to his arm, teasingly saying, "Father, you know everything, so why keep secrets from your daughter? Hmph!"

"Qianyue, a dignified Imperial Princess acting as a waitress at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion—you’ve shamed me! Had I not gone there to eat, I never would have discovered you!" the First Emperor said with a chuckle. Such a warm scene would be hard to imagine for those who knew the once austere and stern First Emperor; it seemed his temper had mellowed significantly.

"Report!" an usher announced from outside.

"What is it?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, it is a great victory!" Shang Ying took the battle report and replied.

"Excellent!"

"Where is the report? Let me see it!" The First Emperor walked over with excited, long strides.

Opening the report, it briefly detailed the great victory over the Xiongnu and requested that the Empire immediately dispatch officials to take over the land, supplies, and population, and to begin constructing cities. A detailed military report would follow later.

"Excellent, excellent, excellent! Reward them! A grand reward!" The First Emperor praised repeatedly. Holding the report with trembling, excited hands, he felt a surge of immense pride.

Ignoring Princess Jingyang’s helpless expression, he led his entourage toward the Qilin Hall with a brisk pace.

"Your Majesty, please slow down!" Shang Ying reminded him.

In the Qilin Hall, the civil and military officials had been waiting for a long time. Upon receiving the news sent back by the northern expeditionary force, they danced with excitement in the hall.

Since the order to crusade against the Xiongnu was issued at the beginning of the sixth month, less than a month had passed. The northern army had sent over a dozen reports, but only today’s was a truly decisive victory.

In one month, Meng Tian had led the northern expeditionary force to sweep across the northern grasslands, destroying dozens of Xiongnu tribes and ultimately forcing the entire Xiongnu people to surrender. They had captured countless warriors from various nomadic tribes, slaughtered over one hundred thousand enemy combatants, and taken more than five hundred thousand prisoners, including soldiers and herdsmen. Countless livestock, horses, gold, silver, and mountains of furs were seized, with the inventory still ongoing.

Over a hundred high-ranking leaders from various tribes, including Touman, were captured. They had occupied Touman City, defeated the Yuezhi and various Western Regions nations, and seized thousands of fine horses, including the prized steeds of Dayuan.

This victory declared that the Ordos Loop and the northern grasslands now officially belonged to Great Qin. Aside from the Yuezhi and Donghu tribes to the east and west, there were no longer any Xiongnu strongholds in the northern grasslands.

This triumph would push the First Emperor’s prestige to its zenith. Chinese territory had expanded by a thousand miles to the north, and hundreds of thousands of square miles of grassland had become the finest pastures for Great Qin, ensuring a constant supply of warhorses and providing the people of Qin with affordable meat. Soldiers would grow stronger on a diet of meat, and the Great Qin would grow ever more prosperous.

With this, half of the First Emperor’s grand plan—to conquer the Baiyue in the south and repel the Xiongnu in the north—was complete.

According to his original vision, by reclaiming the Ordos region, driving out the Xiongnu, and holding the Great Wall, the Great Qin could secure these lush pastures, ensuring a steady stream of horses and ending the fear of constant incursions by nomadic tribes.

However, based on the reports, his previous vision had been too conservative. After seeing the world map presented by the Immortal Master, he could now set his sights even further north, where even vaster lands awaited. As for the other countries that had supported the Xiongnu, he would find a time to invite them to Great Qin for tea and a discussion on the sustainable development of the Asian continent.

"Someone, send this battle report to the Imperial Press. Have it printed in the latest edition of the Great Qin Daily. Within half a month, I want this news to spread throughout the realm. I want the people of Great Qin to share in this joyous news!"

Watching the usher depart with the transcribed report, the First Emperor sat upon his throne in high spirits. Suddenly, a figure came to mind—the meritorious official who had brought so many changes to Great Qin and made it so powerful.

"Has the Immortal Master returned?" Ying Zheng asked the attendant by his side.

"Your Majesty, the Immortal Master has not returned; he is still at Touman City. A letter arrived half a month ago saying the Immortal Master intends to return with the main army," the eunuch replied.

"My esteemed ministers, you have all seen the report. In one month, the army will return in triumph. I shall lead you all ten miles outside the city to welcome our Great Qin sons home!"

"As you command!"