The Child Emperor

The cold did not crack the iron armor, but it made it feel even heavier. Even through the thick cotton lining, Chai Yue could feel the hardness and the cold of the metal, making walking more difficult as if he was carrying a large piece of raw iron.

Shortly after nightfall, Chai Yue personally led a thousand soldiers from the ridge down to Flowing Sand City. The horses were sent back the same way, and the soldiers entered the city on foot. A few soldiers stood on the city walls, keeping watch, while most stood below, ready, each holding a crossbow. They waited for almost two hours, but there was no sign of the Xiongnu crossing the river.

The light snow which had fallen earlier now stopped, and Chai Yue stood atop the city wall, peering towards the river under the faint moonlight.

The river had frozen over. During the day, Chai Yue had seen some Xiongnu throwing stones towards the riverbed, guessing they would cross the river that night. Now, he wasn’t so sure and could only pace back and forth, softly reminding the soldiers to stay alert.

If they couldn’t deal a sharp blow to the Xiongnu in the first battle, Shattered Iron City would soon fall. The heavy responsibility Chai Yue bore was heavier than the armor on his shoulders. It was not only about Shattered Iron City but also the lives of nearly thirty thousand Chu soldiers, the trust of the Northern Protection General, and the safety of his mother and younger brother in the Capital.

Chai Yue needed a decisive victory. He believed his judgment was right—winter had set in, and the Xiongnu were eager to fight, seizing any chance to cross the river. However, only facts would prove him correct. For this isolated Chu army, Chai Yue’s command was somewhat illegitimate, and one or two wrong judgments would suffice to lose the soldiers’ trust.

The thousand men on the wall and below stayed dutifully silent, without complaints, but Chai Yue knew that if the Xiongnu didn’t appear by dawn, his already scant authority would vanish completely.

Chai Yue walked among the soldiers below the wall, whispering, “The hour before dawn is the most dangerous. The Xiongnu are most likely to cross then.”

The soldiers remained silent, but Chai Yue could guess their doubts: Why would the Xiongnu, with their large army, sneak attack a small city guarded by thirty thousand Chu soldiers? And if the pre-dawn hour was the most dangerous, why did they have to be on guard all night?

Chai Yue had explanations: though numerous, the Xiongnu sought to capture Shattered Iron City with minimal cost. The pre-dawn hour being the most dangerous didn’t mean other times were safe. To be ready for any scenario, he had to wait at Flowing Sand City all night. But there was no need to voice these explanations; the soldiers needed to see the Xiongnu crossing the river secretly.

Someone behind Chai Yue whispered, “Might as well freeze to death here; it would save the Xiongnu the trouble.”

It was one of the noble youths forced into service by Prince Donghai. Chai Yue pretended not to hear. Results and achievements could win over ordinary soldiers; only rank and status could subdue these nobles.

A soldier on the wall gently tapped a stone twice, causing Chai Yue’s whole body to tense, a rush of adrenaline driving out the cold.

The entire Chu army, hearing the taps, readied themselves, adjusting their grips on the crossbows.

Chai Yue, trying to appear calm, walked up the stairs slowly but quickened his pace on the last few steps.

A group of Xiongnu cavalry was crossing the river, but their numbers were too few, roughly one to three hundred, and they weren’t heading straight for Shattered Iron City but towards the ridge, targeting Flowing Sand City.

Chai Yue and his men quickly hid behind the parapets.

Though they outnumbered the Chu forces, the Xiongnu were cautious, sending scouts ahead to assess the situation.

Chai Yue’s ambush was in a dilemma. Shooting the scouts would be easy but would expose the ambush.

The Xiongnu conversed quietly below. With the north gate closed, they circled the city, looking for another entrance.

Chai Yue descended the wall, quietly ordering his men to hide in nearby houses. Most houses were dilapidated, roofless, making it easy for the Xiongnu to discover them, but Chai Yue had no other choice after waiting all night.

The appearance of the Xiongnu slightly boosted the soldiers’ trust in Chai Yue. They immediately followed orders to hide. The noble youths remained troublesome, with one grabbing Chai Yue’s arm and threatening in a low voice, “You’ve already offended the Chai clan. Do you want to offend everyone? If anything happens to me…”

Chai Yue shook off his grip, coldly saying, “Luo Ji, here you are a soldier, not the son of the Victory Marquis.”

Luo Ji huffed, joining the others in hiding, fearing the collapsing walls more than the Xiongnu.

Not all noble sons disliked this mission. Zhang Yanghao, grandson of Marquis Piyuan, whispered to Chai Yue, “The Xiongnu, eager to attack, won’t search too thoroughly.”

Chai Yue smiled, hiding in another ruined house.

Flowing Sand City was small. The Xiongnu quickly reached the ajar west gate, broke it open, and rode in, galloping through the streets.

The footprints left by Chu soldiers on entering the city were now covered in frost and snow, but the prints below the wall remained clear. If the Xiongnu lit torches or dismounted to inspect, they would find them.

Chai Yue was gambling.

The Xiongnu, emboldened, began shouting, at times only separated from Chu soldiers by a wall. But they didn’t linger in the city, their shouts soon fading.

Chai Yue stepped out, barely restraining a cheer.

Several officers joined him, surprised, “They didn’t stay to guard the city.”

“The Xiongnu don’t like cities,” Chai Yue said calmly, though uncertain. Some Xiongnu had adapted to settled life, but these scouts evidently didn’t want to stay.

To the soldiers, Chai Yue appeared prescient. As they passed him to the wall, their gazes held newfound respect. Even Luo Ji and his noble peers lowered their heads, obediently climbing the steps.

A thousand Chu soldiers stood in three rows on the wall, bending low, feet on the crossbows, hands drawing the strings, gently nocking the arrows.

The crossbows could reach the riverbank, leaving the Xiongnu nowhere to hide.

Chai Yue looked out from the parapet. As he had predicted, many Xiongnu cavalry were crossing the river, gathering at the foot of the ridge, some carrying long ladders, clearly planning an attack on Shattered Iron City before dawn.

Chai Yue’s doubts and tension vanished, replaced by unprecedented confidence. No matter how nervous his soldiers were, he remained calm, silently observing, waiting for the perfect moment.

The Xiongnu finished gathering. Their vanguard began moving. Chai Yue walked to the signal officer and nodded. The officer, understanding, raised a pre-prepared horn, warming up his cheeks before blowing strongly. The Chu army usually used drums to signal orders, but as an ambushing force, horns were more practical.

Chu soldiers straightened and advanced, firing the crossbows from the parapet, then retreating as the second and third rows took their turn.

Chai Yue didn’t watch the battle below; the screams and horse cries told him enough. He patrolled the wall, ensuring the soldiers followed the sequence. Victory was assured. His task now was to make it flawless.

Under his supervision, the soldiers repeated the cycle of drawing, nocking, and firing, flawlessly coordinated, feeling Chai Yue’s eyes on them even when he wasn’t nearby.

Approaching, Luo Ji fumbled, failing to draw the string twice. As his row moved forward, he struggled, panicking.

Chai Yue motioned him to move back, to allow the line behind to move forward cleanly.

Blushing, Luo Ji had no arrow to shoot this round. He finally drew the string as he retreated.

Chai Yue continued, feeling the unity of his men, an extension of his will.

Screams continued below. Officers reported, “General Chai, the Xiongnu are retreating.”

Chai Yue finally looked, seeing many bodies on the dark ground, more Xiongnu fleeing across the ice, slipping in their haste.

“Shall we pursue?” an officer asked, emboldened by victory.

“No, we withdraw. The whole army withdraws,” Chai Yue commanded, knowing the Xiongnu excelled in counter-attacks during pursuits. Even with all Chu soldiers here, crossing the river would be costly.

He aimed to break the Xiongnu’s momentum while awaiting reinforcements.

Without horses, the Chu soldiers ran back to Shattered Iron City. By dawn, scouts had verified the battle, and the gates opened to welcome the unscathed “dare-to-die” troops and their commander, Chai Yue.

Prince Donghai met them at the gate, bringing food and drink, recording everyone’s merits, especially Chai Yue’s.

All day, the Xiongnu were quiet, crossing the river again by dusk to retrieve bodies and occupy Flowing Sand City.

Chai Yue had sent messengers to Divine Hero Pass early. Despite receiving congratulations, he remained cautious. The Xiongnu, thwarted, would delay their attack, eventually resorting to direct daylight assaults, truly testing Shattered Iron City.

Chai Yue slept soundly that night but woke early. He headed to the west wall, where nearly all officers, including Prince Donghai, were gathered.

“General Chai, what are the Xiongnu doing?” Prince Donghai asked, relieved by Chai Yue’s arrival.

Chai Yue looked west. Flowing Sand City was gone, dismantled by the Xiongnu overnight.

“They’re venting their anger by dismantling the city?” Prince Donghai asked, many officers thinking the same.

Chai Yue’s heart sank, “The Xiongnu are building ramps for an assault!”

Piling earth at the city walls, forming ramps, the enemy could storm the walls. Chai Yue had expected to hold Shattered Iron City for at least ten days, but now saw the timeframe drastically cut. He looked south, hoping to see reinforcements from Divine Hero Pass soon.

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