Chapter 893: Full Armor Camp Fully Armored

As Dong Zhuo's 8,000 private cavalry prepared to strike as planned, they were horrified to discover that their elite mounted units had been almost annihilated. Only Generals Yelü Chucai and Lin Fu remained, each accompanied by a mere twenty to thirty troopers. The losses were catastrophic.

From that point on, Northern Mang faced the embarrassing reality of having no elite cavalry remaining. In contrast, the Northern Liang skirmishers still numbered in the hundreds. This "Dragon Eye" scout battle, while meticulously planned by both sides, ultimately saw Northern Liang emerge superior.

Upon witnessing this, Agudamu, commander of the 8,000 cavalry, felt a mix of furious indignation and trepidation. His Majesty the Emperor had declared that the Northern Liang skirmishers would be completely annihilated, yet the outcome was so unforeseen. He knew that if even a single enemy managed to escape today, he would face dire repercussions.

The valiant cavalry general, whose name signified "vastness" across the steppe, roared an order. The Crow Cavalry and Black Fox Cavalry troopers swept along the edge of their formation, commencing pursuit of the Northern Liang skirmishers, who had almost simultaneously wheeled their horses. In a typical engagement between steppe cavalry and Northern Liang skirmishers, regardless of numerical disparity, intercepting and eliminating them would be nearly impossible due to the skirmishers' superior Northern Liang horses. However, today, the skirmishers were truly at their last gasp: their crossbows were depleted of arrows, their horses were exhausted, and they had already been forced to draw swords in close combat. These last remaining skirmishers, deep within the "Dragon Eye" heartland, had no hope of escaping against an army of 8,000 fresh and invigorated cavalry.

Agudamu drew a massive ox-horn bow, an unusual weapon for Northern Mang cavalry, and skillfully adjusted his breathing and aim while on his galloping horse. He drew the bow to its full extent, like a bright moon, and with a resounding *thwack*, the arrow shot forth like a bolt of lightning across flat ground. It pierced through a skirmisher's back with such immense force that it not only passed clean through his body but nearly struck the back of a second rider. Still not satisfied, Agudamu clicked his tongue, scanning the skirmishers for a specific young face. He then cackled loudly, "Lads! Whoever brings me the head of Li Hanlin, the skirmisher captain, I'll promote him to chiliarch on the spot!"

Hooves thundered, dust billowed, and the laughter of the steppe cavalry echoed.

As Dong Zhuo's principal cavalry general, Agudamu's standing was not as high as the two infantry commanders under Dong Zhuo. However, having long served the stout Dong Zhuo, who once held the title of Southern Court King, the humbly born Agudamu had ascended to the rank of commander of ten thousand through accumulated military achievements. He had witnessed numerous grand spectacles and was even granted the privilege of an audience with His Majesty the Emperor in the royal tent. The seemingly benevolent old woman, upon hearing his name, had been in good spirits and even joked that his name was auspicious and blessed. She suggested that with the good fortune of his name, Northern Mang's million iron cavalry would surely conquer an expansive territory. Agudamu took immense pride in this, vowing that one day he would ride along the banks of the Guangling River, expanding borders alongside his benefactor Dong Zhuo. His ambition was to ensure that future generations could freely gallop across the prosperous Central Plains and Jiangnan, and that the long-established scholarly gentry would tremble beneath the hooves of the steppe cavalry!

Although Agudamu presented an arrogant demeanor and found himself in an excellent position to effortlessly gather enemy heads as the "hunt" concluded, this rugged man was far from as complacent as he appeared. He not only commanded half of his cavalry to refrain from charging at full strength but also dispatched two thousand-man cavalry units to fan out on his flanks, anticipating any potential hidden moves by Northern Liang. While such a possibility seemed remote—especially given that Northern Mang's million-strong army was again bearing down, and Tiger Head City had lost its strategic value, implying Northern Liang should typically be consolidating its defenses (in the first Liang-Mang war, not a single Northern Liang soldier had entered Dragon Eye Plain, making it illogical for them to seek annihilation here now)—Agudamu was acutely aware of deception. As one of Dong Zhuo's trusted generals, his reputation was forged in the early years by a series of elusive raids alongside Dong Zhuo. These raids had consistently outmaneuvered the then-dominant Liyang army, leading directly to the failure of Liyang's initial frontier campaign—which had almost reached Northern Mang's royal court—despite Liyang being at the height of its power after annexing the Eight Spring and Autumn States. Dong Zhuo, through his individual prowess and the strength of his army, had single-handedly turned the tide, earning him the reverence of the steppe people as their most splendid eagle and a rapid ascent within the Southern Court's imperial bureaucracy. Thus, Agudamu, deeply influenced by these experiences, understood the principle of military deception better than any other Northern Court general.

Upon sighting Northern Mang's 8,000 cavalry, Li Hanlin immediately turned his forces and commenced a decisive retreat. Meanwhile, Captain Wei Musheng, who had patiently held back with a contingent of skirmishers, observing the unfolding battle, knew his moment had finally arrived to unleash his forces and engage the enemy. "If not now," he thought, "then when?"

As Wei Musheng passed the blood-soaked Li Hanlin, he remained silent, simply clasping his fists in a solemn salute from horseback. The young captain, whose helmet was long gone, responded with only a strained, silent smile. This rising young general, whose renown was so great that even the Empress of Northern Mang had personally acknowledged him, now had disheveled hair matted with dried blood and sand. His iron armor was scarred with numerous sword cuts of varying depths.

This young man, a member of one of Liangzhou's three White Horse Skirmisher units stationed beyond the passes, was often jestingly referred to by his subordinates as the "most handsome White Horse Captain in history." It was widely claimed that even the combined attractiveness of Sun Ji and Wei Musheng could not rival his. This young cavalry general, once notorious in his hometown within the passes, suddenly turned, gazed at Wei Musheng's retreating back, and shouted, "Old Wei! Don't you dare die there! Run with me! Don't be a stubborn fool and get yourself killed!"

Wei Musheng did not turn, as if he hadn't heard, or perhaps he had heard but chose not to respond. The captain merely led his contingent to cover the rear, not solely to allow Li Hanlin's unit to withdraw from the battlefield, but also to gain crucial time for Yuan Nanting's 10,000 White Feather light cavalry to reach the engagement.

Wei Musheng and his 300 cavalry fearlessly stemmed the charge of Dong Zhuo's forces. Northern Mang still had over 3,000 cavalry genuinely engaged, and Dong Zhuo's private army was renowned for its superior combat effectiveness among Northern Mang's southern border troops. Consequently, in this engagement, no matter how bravely Wei Musheng's unit fought, their efforts were like a drop in the ocean. However, when Wei Musheng, leading his personal guard skirmishers, spearheaded a charge into the enemy cavalry formation, disrupting 3,000 riders with only 300, even some slower Northern Mang cavalry generals began to sense that something was amiss. A rational rear-guard action would involve fighting while retreating, gradually sacrificing a small number of cavalry to buy time for the main army's survival, not a suicidal, frenzied assault into the enemy ranks.

After cleaving off one skirmisher's head, Agudamu casually swung his blade, severing another skirmisher's entire shoulder. Barely concealing his apprehension, he roared, "Send orders! Have the cavalry on both flanks dispatch scouts to reconnoiter far ahead—at least five *li*! Damn it, these Northern Liang barbarians must have reinforcements! Slow the attack, eliminate these 300 cavalry, then quickly reform the formation!"

Just as Agudamu recognized the anomaly and started to devise a counter-strategy, he realized he was already too late.

Dong Zhuo's 8,000 cavalry did possess Crow Cavalry units, though their numbers were limited, with the majority having accompanied Yelü Chucai on the hunt. Moreover, Agudamu believed that deep within the Dragon Eye Plain, even if Northern Liang's light cavalry from Liuyuan Fuling military town attempted an ambush, they would neither achieve stealth nor evade his army's scouts. However, this seasoned commander of ten thousand could not have foreseen that the arriving Northern Liang reinforcements were the White Feather Guard, renowned across the land for their swift battlefield maneuvers. In the first Liang-Mang war, Northern Mang's Qiang cavalry was considered the closest counterpart to that light cavalry. Unfortunately, the Qiang cavalry unexpectedly clashed with the Dragon Elephant cavalry, completely losing their ability to maneuver, and were consequently decimated in a war of attrition. This loss so deeply grieved even His Majesty the Northern Mang Emperor that he lamented the southern border had lost not merely ten thousand troops, but its most invaluable future asset for counteracting the White Feather light cavalry.

Lin Fu and Yelü Chucai reined in their horses behind the 8,000 cavalry, finally afforded a moment to breathe. They looked up to see dust steadily rising in the distance. Both experienced cavalry generals, they quickly estimated the approaching force to be at least 8,000 strong. Lin Fu, his cheek wound hastily bandaged, spoke with a slight slur, his eyes grim. "These madmen," he muttered, "they truly dare to fight to the death!"

With the assistance of his attendants, Yelü Chucai had already removed the arrow embedded in his armor. His face impassive, he said, "Although I don't know which Northern Liang cavalry unit this is, any force daring to come here cannot be weak. General Lin, what is your proposal? I, for one, am certainly not retreating. These 8,000 cavalry represent my brother-in-law's entire mounted force. If they are lost here today, he will be utterly devastated, and I would be too ashamed to face him."

Lin Fu's expression fluctuated. He turned to glance at the few remaining Black Fox Cavalry and finally said, "With armies of ten thousand clashing on each side, my presence or absence will not alter the course of the battle. General Liu's twenty years of meticulous effort—all of it has been squandered by me..."

Lin Fu, the architect whose actions had a ripple effect across the Liang-Mang border, or rather, the one responsible for the complete annihilation of Northern Mang's elite cavalry, scoffed at himself: "If I depart now, General Yelü, you must understand, it will be far more unbearable than a glorious death on the Dragon Eye Plain."

Yelü Chucai nodded, "If you die like this, and His Majesty has no one else to execute, he will only vent his anger on old General Liu."

Lin Fu suddenly disregarded the stinging pain from his wound, his face contorted into a grimace. "If that old tortoise Murong Baoding dared to commit troops, combined with Hong Jingyan's Rouran Iron Cavalry, what a monumental military achievement that would be!"

Yelü Chucai, with a sudden sigh, lamented, "Northern Mang's territory is too vast, and its military forces too numerous. Unfortunately, this leads to an abundance of factions and intertwined powers. Ultimately, we are not as unified as Northern Liang."

Lin Fu sighed and departed the battlefield. After their dozen or so riders had galloped for thirty *li*, Lin Fu suddenly witnessed a surprising sight. He spurred his horse forward and soon encountered a figure who was unexpected yet entirely logical: Hong Jingyan, co-lord of the Rouran Iron Cavalry, the foremost martial arts grandmaster of Qijie Mansion, and a man born with exceptional abilities.

Lin Fu galloped up to Hong Jingyan, laughing heartily. "General Hong, your willingness to commit troops now is truly heaven's blessing upon our steppe! Over ten thousand Northern Liang cavalry have already penetrated the heart of the Dragon Eye Plain. This expedition will certainly not see you return empty-handed!"

Unexpectedly, Hong Jingyan sneered, "It's true I won't return empty-handed, but whether I'll be claiming military merits or collecting corpses remains to be seen. Do you genuinely believe Northern Liang possesses only the audacity to dispatch ten thousand cavalry into the Dragon Eye Plain?"

Lin Fu was first stunned, then horrified. Still unwilling to concede, he gritted his teeth and demanded, "General Hong, have you managed to persuade Murong Baoding, the Legate, to commit his forces as well? If he enters the Dragon Eye, no matter how many hidden cards Northern Liang may hold, they will not escape death!"

Hong Jingyan offered a strange, noncommittal smile, then simply led his 6,000 Rouran Iron Cavalry towards the battlefield.

Simultaneously, the Iron Cavalry—an elite Liangzhou mounted unit bridging the gap between heavy and light cavalry—had in fact set out even earlier than Yuan Nanting's 10,000 White Feather light cavalry. Their commanding general was Qi Dangguo, one of Xu Xiao's adopted sons.

Clad in heavy armor, Qi Dangguo rode at the vanguard.

From ancient times, whenever generals embarked on a campaign, a grand standard was always erected behind them. The standard-bearer was invariably a formidable warrior, thus honored by strategists as the strongest among the troops.

The Northern Liang Iron Cavalry was renowned as the finest in the realm. Tracing back to Xu Xiao leading 800 veteran soldiers out of Liaodong, the notable standard-bearers included Wang Jian, dubbed the "foe of ten thousand," who perished beneath the city gates after the devastating defeat at Yique.

Chen Qiong fell in the Battle of Jinliao, a man also known as the biological father of Chen Zhibao, the King of Shu.

Both men died on the battlefield without ever achieving the rank of marquis or general.

Subsequently, Wang Linquan retired from service and returned home, becoming the wealthiest man in Qingzhou. He was now also the new King of Liang's father-in-law, a truly fortunate conclusion to his life.

Next came Qi Dangguo. After joining Northern Liang, his official post remained modest; he served merely as a Zhechong Duwei, a fourth-rank commander.

On this occasion, Qi Dangguo requested to lead the Iron Cavalry in a rapid assault on the Dragon Eye Plain. Not a single person within the Huaiyang Pass Northern Liang Protectorate, from the highest official to the lowest, was willing to grant his request. Chu Lushan was especially opposed, and even Yuan Zuozong, the cavalry commander-in-chief, upon learning of Qi Dangguo's intent, urgently wrote to the Protectorate, demanding that Chu Lushan absolutely forbid Qi Dangguo from leading troops without authorization.

He heard every excuse: the 6,000 Iron Cavalry were ill-suited for long-distance raids, the Qingyuan military town—the western gate linking Liangzhou and Liuzhou—required a seasoned cavalry unit stationed there, and that he, Qi Dangguo, was destined to appear as a standard-bearer on the greatest battlefield yet to come. Qi Dangguo understood all these reasons. However, having completely missed the first Liang-Mang war, he felt he had failed his adopted father, the revered woman who had once beaten the drums in mourning white at Xilei Wall, Mr. Li, who toiled tirelessly in the Tidal Listening Pavilion, and especially his adopted father's eldest son.

Among Xu Xiao's six adopted sons, the two who were ultimately granted death by "the Butcher" (Xu Xiao himself) had appeared, at the time, to be naturally the closest to the Young Master. Chu Lushan had been the most obsequious and hopeful regarding the young Young Master, while Chen Zhibao and Yuan Zuozong consistently maintained a detached, observant stance.

However, only Qi Dangguo, despite his limited interactions and conversations with the young man, genuinely loved the child from the bottom of his heart. Even as the boy grew more capable, even achieving the status of a grandmaster of martial arts—a height Qi Dangguo could only admire from afar—Qi Dangguo always felt that the child needed his care. Over the years, as Xu Fengnian matured and garnered increasing worldwide attention, Qi Dangguo felt both pride and a degree of sadness. When drinking alone, he increasingly felt his age, believing himself to be old and utterly useless.

That year, upon hearing that the Young Master had returned to Liangzhou after three years of travel, it was Qi Dangguo who led the cavalry, even making a grand display by riding out of the city as the standard-bearer to greet him.

Qi Dangguo resolutely led his army towards the Dragon Eye Plain. Behind him marched 6,000 Iron Cavalry from the Manjia Camp, one of the veteran regiments. Six captains and over twenty commanders within his army jointly requested to engage in battle. Not a single soldier in the entire Iron Cavalry was unwilling to fight to the death.

The Manjia Camp, now fully armored with equipment comparable to the 10,000 Great Snow Dragon Cavalry, had not always been so well-equipped.

In the early days, Xu Xiao's army frequently faced shortages of provisions and manpower. Fully armoring an entire camp with iron was an impossible dream. The Manjia Camp, one of the veteran regiments, was arguably where Xu Xiao had placed an abundance of hope.

Before his departure, Qi Dangguo left a letter in his military tent.

"I may die after my adopted father, but I will never die before the Young Master!"

For reasons unknown, at the letter's conclusion, Qi Dangguo still referred to Xu Fengnian, the new King of Liang who had earned the respect of both Liang and Mang, as "Young Master."

As Qi Dangguo could already discern the smoke of battle rising in the distance, this fierce Northern Liang general suddenly turned and shouted, "Gentlemen, my Iron Cavalry, formerly the Manjia Camp, is now fully armored. What shall we do?"

The 6,000 cavalry roared in unison, "Fight to the death!"

Approaching the battlefield, Qi Dangguo called out, "Raise spears!"

Amidst the yellow sands of the vast desert, iron armor clanged.

The Manjia Camp is fully armored!