To the First Emperor of Qin: The state has decreed this!

Chapter 451 A Lamb Enters the Tiger's Mouth

He knelt behind Maodun, his forehead pressed to the ground, his voice trembling: "Your Highness! Battle report from the front!"

Maodun didn't turn around, staring at the mountain range on the map, and said calmly, "Speak."

The confidant took a deep breath and reported loudly, "Princess Yun suffered a crushing defeat! Her 60,000-strong army was thwarted in its attack on Gaoque Pass, suffering more than half its casualties, and was forced to retreat north!"

The tent was quiet for a moment.

Surprisingly, Maodun did not show any surprise on his face.

He still had his hands behind his back, and his body didn't sway at all.

After a long while, Maodun turned around, looked at his trusted confidant kneeling on the ground, and calmly asked, "Where is Yun now?"

The confidant, not daring to raise his head, continued his report: "During the retreat, our army was pursued by Qin defenders who came out of the city, and then encountered a flanking attack from Meng Tian's main Qin force. Our ranks were completely scattered, and Princess Yun is now... nowhere to be found!"

Upon hearing this, the muscles at the corner of Maodun's eye twitched.

He walked silently to the brazier and sighed helplessly.

Maodun knew his younger sister, who was skilled in military strategy, very well.

Given Luan Diyun's command abilities, even if he couldn't capture Gaoque Pass, he wouldn't have suffered such a devastating defeat, with his army even being scattered.

"Yun'er is cautious and her tactics are varied. Her great defeat and the collapse of her army must have been due to her encountering that true immortal master from the Great Qin." Maodun spoke slowly, without any hint of blame in his tone.

"A true immortal master's methods are unpredictable; he can summon heavenly lightning to change the course of a battle. Yun'er's defeat at his hands was not a loss in itself!"

Maodun turned to his trusted aide and ordered, "Immediately send reinforcements to search for Yun'er in the southern foothills of Yinshan. Once found, escort her back to the royal court immediately!"

Maodun paused, then softened his tone: "Tell her that victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Why shouldn't she dare go home because of a temporary defeat?"

The trusted subordinate accepted the order: "Yes, sir! I will immediately dispatch reinforcements of cavalry from various units to provide support!"

The tent fell silent once more.

Maodun walked behind the table, sat down, picked up the wine bowl, and took a sip of mare's milk wine.

A chill rose from his eyes.

Princess Yun's crushing defeat necessitates immediate action.

"Someone come here."

Maodun's voice was deep.

The guards outside the tent lifted the curtain and came in, bowing their heads and waiting for orders.

"Go to the rear camp."

Maodun stared at the wind and snow outside the tent and said, word by word, "Invite that fake immortal master of ours to the main tent!"

……

Meanwhile, outside Gaoque Pass.

After a night of fierce fighting and half a day of pursuit, as the sun set, the Qin army was collecting the bodies of their fallen comrades and counting the weapons and warhorses they had captured.

Zhang Fan rode his warhorse slowly through the city gate.

He was covered in dust, and even his movements to dismount were somewhat slow.

He had just led 20,000 cavalry in pursuit for 30 miles outside the city, killing many stragglers along the way. Only after confirming that the Xiongnu army had been completely scattered did he order the troops to retreat back to the pass.

As soon as they returned to the city wall, a general in charge of taking stock of the battlefield quickly stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and reported.

"Reporting to the Immortal Master! This pursuit was a resounding success! Our army has slain over ten thousand enemy soldiers and captured hundreds of Xiongnu prisoners who were too exhausted to run!"

"Hmm, well done!" Zhang Fan nodded slightly.

The general paused, a strange look appearing on his face, and continued, "However, Immortal Master, we discovered something odd while escorting the prisoners. Among these hundreds of prisoners, some are women!"

"woman?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fan, Fu Su, and Mo Feng, who had just arrived, exchanged glances, all feeling surprised.

Fusu frowned slightly, his tone revealing his confusion: "In the past, only men in the Qin Dynasty served in the army. Why are the Xiongnu making women wear armor and go into battle?"

Mo Feng patted the armor plates on his body: "I guess the Xiongnu have suffered heavy casualties from days of fierce fighting, and their manpower is exhausted. They're so short-handed that they've even sent women to attack the city!"

Zhang Fan sighed and waved his hand: "Forget it, war doesn't discriminate by gender. Since we've captured them, take them all away and keep them under strict guard!"

Don't make things difficult for them. These prisoners will be of great use; they can be used for hard labor or as bargaining chips.

General Zhao Ben, standing to the side, immediately clasped his hands in obeisance and accepted the order: "Your subordinate obeys! I will immediately go and arrange the prisoner camp!"

Zhao Ben turned around and strode towards the prisoner-of-war camp.

However, as he walked, his mind began to wander, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up slightly.

As a seasoned veteran, Zhao Ben was well-versed in human relationships and worldly wisdom.

The immortal master Zhang Fan not only possesses extraordinary abilities, but is also the teacher of the eldest son, Fusu. His future status in the Qin Dynasty is limitless.

This is a perfect opportunity to build relationships and show loyalty!

"The Immortal Master has been working tirelessly to protect Gaoque Pass for days, and he is exhausted. Although he has two maids named Luo Ying and Luo Li to serve him, he still lacks someone sensible to warm his bed and relieve his fatigue."

Zhao Ben pondered to himself, "When I was counting the prisoners just now, I caught a glimpse of a Xiongnu woman in the distance. Although her face was covered in mud, her figure was extremely outstanding, and her eyes were very fierce."

"Since ancient times, heroes have been paired with beauties. Sending this fiery Xiongnu woman to the Immortal Master to quell his inner turmoil will surely please him, even if he doesn't say it outwardly!"

Thinking of this, Zhao Ben immediately summoned two of his personal guards and whispered a few instructions to them.

Meanwhile, Zhang Fan was completely unaware of Zhao Ben's ulterior motives.

He dragged his heavy steps back to the command post to handle various post-war matters.

Looking at the list of battle losses presented on the desk, Zhang Fan felt a sharp pain in his heart.

Although Gaoque Pass was successfully defended, the Qin army paid an extremely heavy price.

Nearly half of the 50,000 defenders were killed or wounded, and many soldiers were left behind forever.

It can only be described as a narrow victory!

Fortunately, the central army dispatched by General Meng Tian provided timely support.

Thirty thousand fresh troops have arrived, and twenty thousand soldiers have been directly incorporated into the garrison of Gaoque Pass to take over the city's defenses.

This finally allowed me to relax a little.

After finishing all the military affairs, it was completely dark.

Zhang Fan felt more exhausted than ever before, as if all the bones in his body were about to fall apart.

He returned to the logistics barracks, ate a few mouthfuls of millet rice brought by the cook, and then walked heavily toward his quarters.

His residence was a relatively well-preserved wooden house inside the pass.

He pushed open the wooden door. The room was dimly lit, with only an oil lamp flickering weakly on the table.

Zhang Fan rubbed his sore neck and was about to remove his bulletproof vest and equipment when he suddenly stopped and his gaze sharpened instantly.

He heard a slight struggling sound coming from the direction of the bed, followed by a muffled "whimpering" sound.

Zhang Fan immediately drew the Ding Qin Sword, and quietly approached the bed.

When he finally saw what was on the bed in the dim light, he froze, completely dumbfounded.

On his bed lay a woman!