Chapter 36: Cleverness Backfires

Xue Chengqian rode at a desperate gallop. As someone who had only just learned to ride, this night was truly a form of torture.

In his mind, he had once imagined cavalry to be awe-inspiring and majestic, but only after mounting a warhorse himself did he realize the sheer misery of it. He finally understood why the Central Plains, despite being far wealthier and possessing a better climate than the frontier, could never field hundreds of thousands of cavalrymen like the Northern Barbarians.

Being in the saddle for long hours placed an immense burden on the body. It wasn't just the feeling that his bones were about to shatter; the skin between his thighs had long since chafed raw, and every jolt of the horse sent sharp, stinging pain through him—a pain so intense it even eclipsed the biting chill of the wind. Only those Northern Barbarians, born and raised on horseback, could endure such long-distance marches or combat without the slightest strain. Moreover, amidst such agony, he had to keep a cool head, constantly thinking and reacting to the shifting tides of battle.

He had underestimated the Northern Barbarians. Although he had anticipated that their reinforcements might arrive quickly, track their escape route, and attempt to intercept them before they reached the Baguzi Mountains, his tactical diversions and efforts to buy time had still fallen short of the enemy’s relentless determination. When he led his men to rendezvous with Luo Fang and the others at the pass of the Baguzi Mountains, he had assumed they were safe, only to find the Northern Barbarians charging straight into the mountainous terrain behind them.

"Damn it! How are we supposed to shake off these pursuers now?"

Su Youfang, hearing their startled shouts, finally turned to look at the terrain and the position of the approaching enemy. One glance was enough to make his blood boil. He looked at Luo Fang and Xue Chengqian with utter disdain.

"A bunch of local militiamen, completely ignorant!" he sneered. "Since you decided to use the Baguzi Mountains as your retreat, why didn't you set an ambush at the pass? Had you done so, the terrain of the pass would have allowed us to inflict heavy losses on them!"

He had always looked down on Luo and Xue, and seeing their lack of basic military knowledge only deepened his contempt.

Xue Chengqian retorted angrily, "Are you blind? Can’t you see how few brothers we have? We were just conducting a surprise raid on a small enemy detachment; who knew we’d end up having to rescue you lot? How could we possibly spare the men to set up an ambush in advance?"

Su Youfang’s face darkened. He realized he had made a fundamental error by failing to estimate the enemy's numbers, but he was far too proud to admit his mistake. He pointed his whip toward the rear and demanded, "The Northern Barbarians are charging blindly regardless of the cost—tell me, how do you propose we deal with this?"

Having previously postured as an officer of the Imperial Guard, he now displayed an ugly hypocrisy by demanding that the very people he had looked down upon find a solution to the crisis.

Wei Xiao, standing ahead, could no longer remain silent. "Please, stop arguing. No matter how many Northern Barbarians there are, they rely on their horses to pursue us. Could we not all dismount and head up the mountain? No matter how spirited their steeds are or how skilled their riders, they cannot gallop up the mountainside, can they?"

Luo Fang and Su Youfang both changed expressions at once.

"That... while the young lady’s suggestion is one way, it is just..." Luo Fang said, clearly troubled. "Doesn't that mean we have to abandon our horses entirely?"

For the Liang Dynasty, obtaining grassland warhorses was never easy, and they were merely local volunteers. To give up the horses they had worked so hard to capture felt like cutting flesh from Luo Fang’s own heart.

Su Youfang hesitated for a different reason. Although they had been saved, he was the Imperial Guard officer with the authority to report to his superiors. He had intended to claim the glory of the battle for himself, and these horses would have served as the undeniable evidence of his victory. His main army, which had been sent to support Dongping City, had been routed by the Northern Barbarian iron cavalry; if he could show that he had remained calm in the face of disaster, counterattacked, and protected the young lady, it would be a monumental achievement.

Before Xue Chengqian’s eyes, the system prompt flashed once more:

[Although you successfully executed a surprise attack to eliminate the enemy at Dayu Village and rescued the Imperial Guard, your mission is far from over.]

[The individuals you saved are likely related to the Governor of Dongping. The Northern Barbarians have gathered a massive force outside Dongping, and Wei Xiao’s status is of grave importance, driving the enemy to pursue you with suicidal greed.]

[If you continue to flee along the path, you will inevitably be overtaken. If you retreat into the deep mountains, you must abandon your horses. If you turn to fight, the outcome is uncertain.]

[Faced with the pursuers, make your choice. While ensuring your own survival, strive to gain as much military merit as possible to continue building your reputation in the Northern Frontier.]

Xue Chengqian understood the urgency of the situation. He needed to make a decision immediately—he could not let Su Youfang continue to stir up conflict; he had to get all the soldiers moving.

He glanced at the momentum of the pursuing barbarians and issued his order: "Everyone, abandon the horses! We head up the mountain!"

"What? By what right do you give orders to us?" Su Youfang started to argue out of instinct.

"Captain Su, you are free to ignore me, then feel free to stay at the foot of the mountain and fight to the death with the Northern Barbarians!" Xue Chengqian retorted coldly, before leading his men up the mountainside.

Su Youfang was furious, but he knew that with his remaining men, there was no way they could defeat the pursuing force on their own. Fortunately, Wei Xiao offered him a graceful way out.

"Captain Su, they just saved our lives; there is no need for such petty pride. With the enemy closing in, we must unite, or we will surely be destroyed."

In truth, Su Youfang had few horses to begin with; the ones they had were captured by Xue Chengqian’s men. Even the horse Wei Xiao was riding had been a gift from them. Since even Xue Chengqian was willing to decisively abandon over three hundred horses, they really had no choice but to follow suit and take to the mountains.

Just then, Su Youfang looked at the hundreds of horses abandoned by Xue Chengqian and his men, and a greedy glint entered his eyes.

"Very well, for the safety of the young lady, we shall head up the mountain," he said.

He took his dozen personal guards and climbed alongside Wei Xiao. But just as Xue Chengqian and the others thought they had reached an agreement, the rest of the Imperial Guard soldiers suddenly turned and rushed toward the abandoned horses.

"Seize those horses! Mount up! Ride, ride!"

Su Youfang dropped his facade, cheering as he turned to command his men to seize the "ownerless" horses.