Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1060: Xianbei King's Tent, Ordo City

Inside the royal tent, a dead silence enveloped everyone like an impenetrable net. After a long moment, Kobe slowly raised his head, his eyes cloudy but filled with a hint of final hope as he looked at Ulanda. "Has the envoy sent to sue Murong Xuepo for peace returned?"

Wulanda's eyes were red, filled with anger and unwillingness, like two burning flames: "Father, the envoy has returned."

Kobe's heart sank at his son's expression, having already guessed that things hadn't gone as planned. He took a deep breath, tried to steady his voice, and asked, "What did Murong Xuepo say?"

Ulanda gritted his teeth, enunciating each word with deep hatred. "That Murong Xuepo is a traitor to Changshengtian! He must have been secretly colluding with the Han people. He flatly rejected our request for peace and didn't give us any chance. It's clear that he wants to watch our Xianbei royal court being crushed by the Han people!"

Kobe was trembling with anger, his cloudy eyes widening instantly, and veins popping out on his forehead. "How could this be? We have long since acknowledged the independence of the Murong tribe within the Xianbei, and we respect her as a fellow Xianbei king. Now, we are all ready to submit to him and serve him willingly, so why is he still unwilling?"

Wulanda clenched his fists and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Father, don't hold out any more hope for her! Murong Xuepo is determined to see our royal court fall to the Han people. She said that the remaining 100,000 of us are like ants in her eyes. If she didn't want to wipe us out, we wouldn't have been defeated so quickly!"

The atmosphere within the royal tent grew increasingly solemn. Kobe felt as if all his strength had been drained from him, and he collapsed on the throne. He stared at the ceiling, his eyes hollow, his heart filled with despair and helplessness. The once glorious Xianbei royal court had now fallen into such a desperate situation, and Murong Xuepo's ruthlessness had only exacerbated their situation.

Looking at his father's face, a look of dejection on his face, Ulanda felt a pang of pain in his heart, yet a surge of determination surged. He clenched his fists, his knuckles whitening, and spoke with a firm and passionate voice: "Father! Now that the Left Wise King Tarim has led his troops, as you said, with our two tribes combined, we still have 60,000 capable and skilled warriors! Let us station ourselves in Ordos City and fight the Han army to the death! Even if it means fighting to the last drop of our blood, we must show Eternal Heaven who is his most courageous and bravest subject!"

Tarim had no way to retreat, and a fierce passion burned within him. He knelt on one knee, his expression solemn and his eyes filled with determination: "Your Majesty! We still have 100,000 women and children. At this critical juncture, even if they can't lift their swords, we still have our teeth and our fists! We will fight the Han army to the bitter end and never surrender!"

Kobe's previously empty eyes gradually brightened after hearing their words, as if his fighting spirit had been rekindled. He slowly stood up, straightened his slightly bent back, glanced at the two men in front of him, and said in a deep voice, "You go down. Prepare well and convey my words to every member of your tribe. Now we are facing the danger of extinction. If we don't fight, we will die. If we fight, we will also die. So, let's fight with all our might! Let the enemy know that the blood of our Xianbei men will not be shed in vain!"

Wulan Da and Tarim followed their orders and left the royal tent. Outside, the wind raged fiercely, rustling their clothes. They knew a life-or-death battle was imminent, and they and their tribesmen were ready to die. Across the city, call-to-arms began to blare. Xianbei warriors drew their weapons, their faces etched with the determination to face death. Women and children supported each other, their eyes tinged with fear, but more so with the resolve to live and die with their tribe.

Outside the tent, the wind was still howling, as if it was also lamenting the fate of the Xianbei royal court.

Inside Ma Chao's simply furnished tent, the atmosphere was warm yet somewhat solemn. Zhang Liao and Xu Huang had just returned with their troops, having successfully annihilated another small tribe nearby. Their faces were brimming with fatigue, yet their excitement was barely concealed. Inside the tent, Ma Chao and his generals gathered around a table piled high with sheepskin maps.

Just as Kobe had suspected, after Murong Xuepo openly declared independence, he quickly dispatched envoys to Ma Chao's camp, proactively requesting cooperation. Initially, Ma Chao had concerns and was hesitant to agree. After all, in the volatile grasslands, all factions harbored ulterior motives, and cooperation required extreme caution.

However, Kobineng's actions changed Ma Chao's mind. Kobineng, intent on strangling Ma Chao and his men on the grasslands, repeatedly mobilized his troops and launched fierce attacks. Ma Chao keenly perceived the current internal strife within the Xianbei as a golden opportunity. The wisest option at the moment was to appease Murong Xuepo for the time being and concentrate on wiping out Kobineng's Xianbei forces. As for Murong Xuepo, it wouldn't be too late to deal with him after Kobineng was dealt with.

After careful consideration, Ma Chao finally agreed to Murong Xuepo's request. From that moment on, Ma Chao and Murong Xuepo established a delicate partnership. Although Ma Chao knew that this cooperation might only be temporary and full of uncertainties, it was a crucial step in breaking the deadlock under the current circumstances.

After reaching an agreement with Murong Xuepo, Ma Chao acted decisively, immediately ordering the right-wing forces led by Xu Huang and Zhang Liao to converge. After all, this was the grasslands where Kobinen's Xianbei army was entrenched, their home turf. Ma Chao knew full well that he was in enemy territory, without a steady supply of troops. The repeated attempts to evade encirclement and attack had inflicted heavy casualties on his troops.

After careful consideration, Ma Chao realized that only by concentrating his forces could he more effectively deal with Kobe Neng's forces. After the two sides joined forces, they were like two sharp blades combined into one, gradually forming a powerful offensive, gradually forcing Kobe Neng into his current predicament.

However, the campaign was not without its challenges. The armies led by Ma Chao and Zhang Liao paid a heavy price in the protracted battles. Although they achieved initial successes through superior tactics and tenacious fighting spirit, their own forces were severely depleted. Now, the combined forces number only about 60,000.

Inside the tent, Ma Chao gazed upon the weary yet resolute faces of his soldiers, feeling both relieved and apprehensive. He knew the upcoming decisive battle with Kobinen would be an exceptionally difficult one. They faced not only a disadvantage in terms of manpower, but also the complex and unpredictable terrain and climate of the grasslands, as well as Kobinen's desperate counterattacks.

In fact, upon closer examination, Ma Chao's losses went far beyond the loss of troops. In the bloody battles of these days, several brave and valiant generals had fallen one after another, and behind each of their names was a story of brutal fighting.

The brave general Wang Fang led the charge when Ma Chao started his army. He used his spear with superb skill. However, when he was covering the army's breakout, he was surrounded by Xianbei cavalry in the center of Gai. He fought to his last breath, and his eyes were still wide open when his spear broke and his horse fell.

After defecting to Ma Chao, the Jie leader, Moli Xige, became known for his fearlessness and daring. During a nighttime assault on a Xianbei forage camp, he led the charge, personally beheading three Xianbei centurions. Unfortunately, he was shot in the throat by a stray arrow, and with his dying breath, he clutched the Xianbei's hair, refusing to let go.

To protect Ma Chao's escape, the Eastern Qiang leaders, Ohe and Shaodang, volunteered to guard the flanks. Early in Murong Xuepo's split with Kobineng, a Xianbei stragglers attacked the flanks. The two led the Qiang soldiers in a desperate defense, ultimately running out of arrows and dying alongside their tribe's warriors on the sand dunes, their bodies merging with the yellow sand.

Whenever these names were mentioned, the atmosphere in the tent suddenly grew solemn. Ma Chao's grip on the wine glass tightened slightly, spilling a few drops onto the table. These men were not just his generals, but brothers who had shared blood together. Their deaths in battle cut like knives into the hearts of the men, and only fueled the flames of revenge in the eyes of those who remained.

Zhang Liao sighed and said gravely, "Wang Fang and his men sacrificed their lives to bring about this situation. We must not let their sacrifice be in vain. In this battle for Ordo City, we must avenge them."

Xu Huang pressed the long sword at his waist and replied in a muffled voice, "That's right! Kobe's good days are over. Even if half of our 60,000 brothers die, we will destroy his royal court!"

Ma Chao slowly raised his eyes, scanning the crowd within the tent. His voice was hoarse but filled with unwavering determination, "Their blood will not be shed in vain. Once we capture Ordo City, I will erect a monument in their honor on Wolf Mountain, so that everyone on the grassland will remember who pushed Kobe Neng into a desperate situation."

Inside the tent, everyone was lamenting the deaths of their comrades. Xu Shu suddenly frowned and looked at Ma Chao, "My lord, it's already July. We previously agreed with Mr. Jia Xu's left wing army to rendezvous at Beihai in July, but now we're trapped before the Xianbei royal court. I'm afraid they're getting impatient."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the tent felt a little worried. After all, the agreement was clear when the troops were divided, and now the war was at a stalemate, delaying the war, it was inevitable that people would be worried.

Lu Su shook his head and said calmly, "No. Given Mr. Jia Xu's temperament, he might hold his troops in place and wait a while, but with Pang De here, he will definitely try to join our army."

Everyone was puzzled when they heard this, and they all looked at Lu Su, wanting to hear his reasoning. But Lu Su smiled without saying anything, and only took a sip from his teacup.

Seeing this, Ma Chao had a plan in mind. He said in a deep voice, "Zi Jing is right. Although Ling Ming and I are master and servant, we are actually like brothers. If he reaches the North Sea first and sees no trace of our army, he will certainly not sit idly by. Given Ling Ming's temperament, he will definitely inquire along the way, and if he can't find us, he will search all the way here. We just need to gain a foothold here. Sooner or later, he will find us and reunite with us."

Zhang Liao nodded in agreement. "General Pang De is known for his composure, yet he also values ​​friendship above all else. He will certainly not allow our lord to face the formidable battle of Ordo City alone. Perhaps he's already on his way with his men."

Xu Huang also said, "That's perfect. When Mr. Jia Xu and General Pang De arrive, our forces will be increased, and we'll be more confident of taking the city."

The anxiety within the tent dissipated considerably, and everyone returned their gaze to the map on the table. The July grasslands were already chilly, but the soldiers' hearts, fueled by their trust in their comrades, ignited a stronger fighting spirit.

The wind outside the tent seemed to be even stronger, blowing up dust and beating it against the tent curtains, as if weeping for the heroic souls who had passed away, or beating the drum for the upcoming decisive battle.