novelSusiti Chapter 60 Helan Cangfeng, A Great Battle Is Imminent
Chapter 60 Helan Cangfeng, A Great Battle Is Imminent
Sitting upright on his throne, Helan Cangfeng looked at the generals below who were scrambling and fighting amongst themselves. Far from being annoyed, the smile of complete control on his lips deepened.
In his view, the generals' eagerness to volunteer for battle was a sign of their high morale and eagerness to fight.
As for the disagreements and discord among them, as long as they do not affect the overall situation, they can actually motivate them to perform even better on the battlefield, vying to kill Xia soldiers to prove themselves.
That's the kind of savage, lustful fighting power he wants.
"Alright!" He raised his voice at the opportune moment, with an unquestionable air of authority.
The tent gradually quieted down. The generals, still unwilling to accept defeat, glared at their opponent, panting heavily, awaiting his verdict.
Helan Cangfeng's gaze slowly swept over Bayan and Timur, then looked at the other eager leaders, and he spoke slowly and deliberately:
"You generals are all commendable for your bravery and high morale, which greatly pleases me! Since you all wish to pave the way for the army, I will grant your request!"
He paused, then gave a clear order:
"At dawn tomorrow, Bayan, I will send your 20,000 Ula cavalry as the vanguard on the left flank; Timur, I will send your 30,000 Khorchin infantry and cavalry as the vanguard on the right flank. At the same time, we will build pontoon bridges at both the upstream and downstream sections to force a crossing of the Onon River! Nurhaci,"
His gaze shifted to the corner.
"You will lead the remaining troops of your unit, closely following the vanguard on the left flank, to support Bayan and secure the beachhead! The rest of the units will follow in order and cross the river!"
Once the vanguard breaches the Xia army's defenses on the south bank, the entire army will press forward, leaving no survivors, and charge straight at the Great Xia army! In this battle, I will use the blood of the Xia people to stain the Onon River red!
"We will obey the commander's orders!" Bayan and Timur were slightly dissatisfied that they had not been able to take the lead in the vanguard, but since they were both involved, they responded in unison, glared at each other, and returned to their seats.
Nurhaci also stood up to accept the order, his face still showing little emotion, but he clasped his hands together more forcefully.
The other leaders had their regrets, but the military order had been given and they dared not openly disobey. They could only secretly resolve to fight hard after crossing the river the next day, to take as many heads as possible, and not to fall behind in the merit list.
Helan Cangfeng, beaming with pride, raised the newly filled gilded wine bowl and proclaimed loudly:
"Come! For tomorrow's great victory, for the wealth and women of Youzhou, drink this bowl to the brim!"
"For a great victory! For wealth and women! Cheers!" The generals inside the tent laughed wildly and raised their bowls in response. The rough shouts and the clattering of bowls and plates mingled together, and in the flickering campfire light, they reflected faces distorted by greed, alcohol, and blind self-confidence.
As night deepened, the Dongyi camp grew increasingly noisy.
Campfires blazed brightly in every tent, filling the air with the aroma of roasted meat and the sour smell of cheap milk wine. Soldiers gathered to gamble, wrestle, and boast about the battle achievements and riches they would gain the next day. There was no trace of the grim atmosphere and tension before a major battle; instead, it was like the eve of a grand carnival.
Nurhaci returned alone to his somewhat old and remote tent.
After waving away his guards, the composure he had been maintaining instantly crumbled.
He suddenly grabbed the empty silver bowl from the table and slammed it hard onto the animal-hide-covered floor with all his might!
"Clang!" A piercing, loud crash rang out, and shards of porcelain flew everywhere.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked, his fingernails digging deep into his palms, and blood seeped out from between his fingers, dripping onto the broken porcelain shards, blooming into dark red spots.
Veins bulged on his forehead, his eyes were bloodshot, and a hoarse growl, like that of a wounded beast, escaped from deep in his throat:
"Tian Heng! Tian—Heng—! Tomorrow! By the Onon River, I will make you pay for your crimes in blood! If this grudge is not avenged, I, Nurhaci… swear I am not worthy to be a man!"
Just then, a guard's cautious, slightly unsettling voice came from outside the tent:
"Chief... General... The General's personal guards have sent word that you... must go to the main tent immediately. The General says... he has important matters to discuss, please... do not keep him waiting."
Nurhaci's body stiffened abruptly, and the hatred and violence surging in his eyes were instantly replaced by a deeper, more complex emotion mixed with humiliation, fear, and helplessness.
Because the Dongyi people all know that Helan Cangfeng is fond of male homosexuality.
He slowly loosened his clenched fist, letting the blood drip down, took a few deep breaths, and tried to calm his distorted face, even managing to squeeze out a trace of almost numb obedience.
He turned around and said in a hoarse voice, "Understood. Reply to the General's personal guards that Nurhaci... will arrive immediately."
He straightened his somewhat shabby leather armor, dusted off non-existent dust, and strode toward the tent entrance.
The moment he lifted the curtain, the firelight and clamor of the camp's revelry rushed in, reflecting on his expressionless face. In the depths of his eyes, there was only frozen hatred and endless darkness.
Meanwhile, on the south bank of the Onon River.
The Great Xia army camp strictly controlled lighting, with only necessary sentry posts having a faint light.
The vast majority of soldiers had already slept fully clothed under the orders of their officers, ready to fight at any moment.
The camp was completely silent, save for the light footsteps of the patrolling soldiers, the occasional snorting of the warhorses, and the ceaseless sound of the Onon River, like the prelude to a war drumbeat.
A river separates two completely different nights. Arrogance and tranquility, clamor and chilling stillness, greed and discipline… The scales of victory and defeat had already tipped subtly in every detail before the war drums sounded. Dawn was approaching, yet to arrive, and the world was shrouded in a chaotic, leaden gray.
The thin morning mist, like the cold breath of the dead, clung to the vast grasslands on both sides of the Onon River, its chill penetrating even the heaviest armor.
Only the turbid Onon River, carrying mud, sand, and ice shards, continues to roar and surge tirelessly, its deep, muffled sound like the panting of an ancient beast. It is the only eternal background noise on this land that is about to be stained with blood.
The rising steam from the river mingled with the morning mist, forming a hazy veil, as if heaven and earth were holding their breath for the tragedy that was about to unfold.
"Waaaaah—!!"
From the direction of the Eastern Yi camp, the mournful sound of ox horns, like the howl of wolves, suddenly tore through the silent morning sky. Each horn sounded more urgent than the last, carrying the urgency of the wilderness and the ferocity of killing, shaking the surrounding area.
The sleeping camp instantly came to life, like a huge monster that had been awakened.
Countless animal-hide tents were roughly torn open, and sleepy-eyed, yawning Dongyi soldiers poured out like a flock of sheep being herded.
They were disheveled, hastily putting on all sorts of old or rudimentary leather and chainmail armor, and grabbing long knives, battle axes, maces, and bows and arrows leaning against the tent.
Some were still fastening their belts, some were stuffing cold jerky into their mouths haphazardly, and many more were disoriented and heading towards the riverbank ferry amidst the officers' whips and rude shouts.
Shouts, neighing horses, accidental clashes of weapons, heavy footsteps... all converged into a cacophony of noise, completely drowning out the tranquility that should have been present at dawn on the grassland.
The air was thick with the stench of stale alcohol, sweat, and animal excrement, which mingled with the damp chill of the morning mist, making it nauseating.