After Being Abducted by the General

chapter 163

Thousands of livestock, innumerable and cacophonous, arrived in Ye County. The local people gathered around, watching the spectacle and picking up manure from behind.

The soldiers who brought the livestock were overjoyed, saying, "Duke Wen, these are spoils of war brought to you by the General!"

Yuan Li felt delighted, his face beaming. "Did your General win?"

The soldier nodded and shook his head, informing Yuan Li about the situation in the grasslands.

Chu Hechao led his cavalry deep into the grasslands, killing scattered Xiongnu troops along the way. They had already annihilated ten thousand enemies and obtained a staggering fifty thousand livestock. Chu Hechao sent these livestock to the rear, distributing them to Northern Border, Youzhou, Bingzhou, and Jizhou.

"More livestock and Xiongnu captives are on their way back," the soldier said. "General should have reached the Xiongnu court by now."

Yuan Li's expression eased, and though Chu Hechao hadn't returned, it was still good news.

He inquired further about Chu Hechao's injuries, the situation of the wounded and sick, and the sufficiency of provisions. The soldier answered all his questions.

After delivering the livestock, the soldier's group had to return. Before leaving, he hesitated and said, "Duke Wen, General asked me to ask you for something."

"What is it?" Yuan Li asked.

"Your personal clothing," the soldier's dark face turned red, "General wants one of your clothes to ease his lovesickness."

Yuan Li: "..."

Chu Hechao was definitely teasing him on purpose.

He remained expressionless for a moment before suddenly showing a smile. He instructed Lin Tian to bring a package and handed it to the soldier.

The soldier hurriedly accepted it, thanked Yuan Li, and quickly left.

Over the next month, as the soldier had said, a continuous stream of cattle, sheep, and horses arrived in Jizhou, numbering seventy to eighty thousand. Yuan Li had the sheep and horses tended to by his men, while the cattle were given to willing settlers for farming.

While they were busy with spring plowing in the rear, Chu Hechao had already engaged the Xiongnu court in battle.

Huyan Huntu was caught off guard. His attention had been divided by the conflicts among various tribes on the grasslands, and he didn't expect Chu Hechao to know the location of the Xiongnu court and strike so deep into the grasslands in early spring.

At this moment, they were at their weakest, with their forces scattered and horses weakened. The hastily organized resistance against Chu Hechao was no match for his troops, and they suffered repeated defeats.

All seventy thousand people of the Xiongnu court were annihilated.

The Xiongnu generals, senior officials, and kings were all captured. Deprived of their horses, the Xiongnu suddenly appeared feeble, as if their ferocious exterior had been shattered. Even they themselves were in disbelief, unable to fathom the situation of being pursued and defeated.

Could they be so weak?

Could the people of the Central Plains be this strong?

The Xiongnu had been ruthless and inhumane when invading the Central Plains, committing atrocities and plundering. Yet they had never imagined that such a tragedy would one day befall them.

Now they were fleeing in panic, amidst severed limbs and agonizing screams, and their status had been completely reversed.

The Xiongnu were finally experiencing the fear that the innocent people of the Central Plains had felt when they were killed.