al_squad
patreon
Finest Servant Chapter 531
🕑 Added 2023-10-05 11:12:01 +0000 UTCChapter 531 Entering the City
Li Wuling, who had somehow caught up and was now at the end of the procession, looked at Labuli on the city wall with suspicion. "Brother Lin, have they figured out our plan?"
Lin Wanrong pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "Unlikely. Our disguised assault was a last-minute decision; no one else knows about it besides us. Even if the Turks are clever, they couldn't possibly anticipate our moves. Furthermore, given their temperament, if they had uncovered our plans, they would have acted already rather than waiting for us to be at the gates of Bayanhot."
While his reasoning was sound, Lin Wanrong himself wasn't entirely certain. After all, the situation on the battlefield was ever-changing, and there was no telling what could happen.
As the two conversed, Hu Bugui had already started speaking up ahead. Jabbering in fluent Turkic, he furiously shouted at Labuli. Since it was getting dark, Labuli couldn't make out Hu Bugui’s face. Moreover, given Hu Bugui's impeccable Turkic, nobody would guess that he was actually a prominent general from Great Hua, responsible for countless Turkic casualties.
Not being proficient in Turkic himself, except for a few curse words, Lin Wanrong tugged on Hu Bugui's armor. "Brother Hu, what are you saying?"
Hu Bugui whispered, "I told Labuli that I am Sheng Dan, a brave general under the command of the Right Prince Tursun, and I’m escorting war horses to Bayanhot. I demanded to know why he's barring our valiant soldiers from entering the city gates."
Lin Wanrong nodded. "Brother Hu, is it possible that Labuli might recognize this Sheng Dan?"
Hu Bugui chuckled as he shook his head. "No chance. In the Turkic Khanate, Left Prince Batur and Right Prince Tursun come from two major clans and can't stand each other. Their subordinates are no different, each looking down on the other. Labuli is indeed a renowned warrior under Batur, that's certain. However, Sheng Dan isn't all that impressive. He claims to be a formidable general under Tursun, but he could only escort a few hundred men and some horses, and we subdued him easily. Tursun has thousands of such third-rate figures. In a land like the steppes where might makes right, do you think Labuli would even bother knowing him?"
So that was the intricacy of the situation. As Hu Bugui explained, Lin Wanrong gave a long 'Oh,' finally understanding. He hadn't expected that the Turkic people, who purported to be united, also had their own internal frictions. Shaking his head in silence, Lin Wanrong chuckled. "No wonder, with one being the Left Prince and the other the Right Prince, they're naturally set up to be at odds. Even the Turkic Khan must be out of his mind, appointing a Prince on each side. It would be a surprise if these two didn't clash. Ah, the Turks have the same petty problems as us in Great Hua."
The last words left everyone speechless with astonishment. Only a character as audacious and well-connected as General Lin could dare to discuss political matters so brazenly. Anyone else would have already lost their heads for it.
As they were laughing and joking around, Labuli suddenly raised his voice, shouting loudly across the plains with enormous force. Hu Bugui translated: "Labuli says that Bayanhot is a crucial location for provisions. No errors will be tolerated, and so there will be a curfew tonight. All city gates will be closed, and no unauthorized entries allowed. Those from the various tribes who are delivering supplies must wait until daylight. Their identities will be verified before they can proceed."
Lin Wanrong snorted, ‘Wait until daylight to enter the city? Then what's the point? I was planning on taking advantage of the chaos, but now you're clearing the waters for me? This is ridiculous.’
"Brother Hu, tell him this," Lin Wanrong fumed, "I have rushed day and night from the royal court to deliver warhorses to the front lines, carrying orders from Right Prince and the Khan. Every moment we delay, more brave Turkic warriors will die in the Helan Mountain passes. While you, Labuli, are deliberately making things difficult for us. Not only are you cozying up with women, but you're also enforcing this absurd curfew, preventing me from delivering the horses. This shows utter disregard for the Khan and Right Prince, as well as disrespect for our brave Turkic warriors. To use a Turkic curse—Barıp anañdı sïpa!"
Full of indignation, General Lin let loose, with Hu Bugui translating forcefully, his voice carrying far and wide. Gao Qiu was quick-witted; hearing General Lin's Turkic curse, he got the troops riled up. He led thousands of men slapping their horse's rumps and waving their scimitars while letting out a mournful howl. The spectacle was as sad and forlorn as a lone wolf lost on the plains.
Their shouts and curses, combined with the neighing of tens of thousands of warhorses, created an impressive momentum, aligning well with the wolf-like nature of the nomadic people.
Labuli's face above the city walls turned as dark as ink. He spoke some gibberish, to which Hu Bugui translated: "He says that these are military rules established by Left Prince, meant to safeguard Bayanhot. No one is allowed to break them."
"Left Prince? I might as well be Yama, the god of death!" Lin Wanrong shot a glance at Gao Qiu, who understood instantly. A thousand soldiers began to move covertly, tens of thousands of horses becoming increasingly restless. Their loud neighs neared the green city walls. The winds of the plains whipped up, howling wildly. The flowing manes of tens of thousands of fine horses danced in the wind, resembling waves of wheat, a breathtaking sight.
"Tell this Labuli," Lin Wanrong chuckled, "Don't think that having Batur backing you up makes you invincible. If these horses are startled, you won't be able to afford the consequences, even with ten heads. You may be following Left Prince's military rules, but I have the Khan's orders. By not letting me enter the city, you're not just looking down on me, and Right Prince, but also the Turkic Khan. Even if we took this to the Great Khan, I wouldn't be afraid of you. Now, I'll count to five. Open the gates, or I'll turn back and return these ten thousand horses to the royal court. Let's see how Batur and his men treat the brave Turkic warriors I've brought for the expedition."
Hu Bugui spoke urgently and sternly, his words ringing out so loudly that they could be clearly heard by both sides' soldiers.
The twilight deepened, and the cold winds of the grasslands carried a chilling edge, touching everyone's hearts. Thousands of Great Hua soldiers clenched their fists tightly, awaiting the suffocating moment that was to come.
Above and below the city walls, an eerie silence prevailed. Apart from the soft snorts of warhorses, not a single cough could be heard. In the dim glow of the firelight, both sides stood in mute confrontation.
Labuli clenched his teeth, remaining silent for a long time. Hu Bugui felt an inner urgency and leaned in to whisper to Lin Wanrong: "General, what should we do? Are we really going to retreat?"
Lin Wanrong grunted, his eyes sparkling sharply. "If he really doesn't open the gates, then breaking through by force would only cost us dearly and achieve little else. Sheng Dan may be a third-rate figure, but he has brought with him ten thousand Turkic warhorses—not a small number. Not to mention he's backed by Right Prince and Bilge Khan. This Labuli, no matter how stubborn, would he really dare to turn us away? Damn, I've yet to meet someone braver than myself! Brother Hu, issue the final ultimatum."
"Alright," Hu Bugui resolutely answered, shouting towards the city walls in Turkic: "Barıp anañdı sïpa! You cur, Labuli, daring to mistreat our Turkic warriors. I'll count to five; if you still don't open the gates, I'll send these ten thousand warhorses back to the royal court and let the Great Khan decide your fate! Starting now, one..." Hu Bugui was as good as his word, roaring out the numbers so fiercely that his voice carried far and wide.
"Two—"
Lin Wanrong subtly signaled, and Gao Qiu and Li Wuling led a few cavalrymen galloping over. With a flick of a whip, the lead horse turned and started sprinting south. Tens of thousands of warhorses slowly followed suit.
Even Labuli, who was stationed on the city walls, seemed taken aback that a man as insignificant as Sheng Dan—sent by Right Prince Tursun—could display such audacity. The Turkic cavalry defending Bayanhot murmured among themselves. The gesture from the Right Prince to aid the Left Prince was unexpectedly being rejected by a general under the Left Prince. This made no sense, neither emotionally nor logically.
"Three—"
The moment Hu Bugui's words fell, thousands of Great Hua cavalry also pivoted their horses, brandishing their whips and driving the massive herd forward.
There was immediate restlessness atop the city walls. With such a vast number of warhorses at stake, who would dare to easily turn them away? Labuli's expression turned frantic.
"Four—" This time, even Hu Bugui turned his horse around, uttering a short 'hei' and lashing out his whip, yelling, "Labuli, we'll meet again in the Khan's camp!"
Seeing that Labuli was adamant, Lin Wanrong broke into a cold sweat. This Labuli was a tough nut to crack indeed. As Hu Bugui shot him an inquisitive look, Lin Wanrong clenched his fists and was about to nod when a shout came from atop the city: "Hold on, Sheng Dan!"
The voice sounded like heavenly music in everyone's ears, and Hu Bugui was instantly overjoyed.
"Don't rush," Lin Wanrong whispered with a slight smile. "Don't forget, we are proud Turkic warriors; we can't change our minds so easily."
Hu Bugui chuckled a few times, lashing his whip loudly as if he hadn't heard Labuli's words, making as if to leave.
Seeing that "Sheng Dan" was truly about to leave, Labuli finally became anxious. "Brother Sheng Dan, please wait. This matter can be negotiated."
"Negotiate what?" Old Hu furiously whipped his horse and shouted, "We, the noble Turkic warriors, never beg for mercy from others. If Bayanhot is not our destiny, then we'll return to the depths of the grasslands. I believe our Khan will do justice for us. Brothers, let's go!"
"Roar!" Gao Qiu and Li Wuling bellowed, joining their fellow soldiers in a collective outcry of "anger."
Facing a daredevil unwilling to yield, Labuli was taken aback by the sight of ten thousand charging warhorses. Although fierce, he was wary not to push things too far. Grinding his teeth, he declared, "Fine. Since Brother Sheng Dan has come a long way with sincere intentions and commands from the Great Khan, I will make an exception today. Open the city gates!"
At Labuli's command, the massive gates of Bayanhot began to creak open with a thunderous rumble. Made of iron and stone, the enormous doors slowly parted, stretching about ten meters wide. All soldiers held their breath, gripped their fists, and awaited that pivotal moment.
Unable to contain his immense joy, Old Hu's voice trembled as he asked, "General, what should we do now? Shall we go in?"
"Go in, of course! We've been waiting so long just for this moment. Only a fool wouldn't enter." Lin Wanrong looked at Labuli's cautious face atop the city walls and chuckled. "Old Hu, get these tens of thousands of horses running as fast as possible. We'll storm right into the city. If Labuli likes warhorses so much, I'll give him a taste of being trampled by them."
Old Hu, being astute, understood his intentions. He chuckled and winked, "Exactly as the General said. Our warhorses have suffered due to Labuli's misjudgments; they're easily frightened. I'm sure General Labuli will understand our predicament."
He turned his horse around and shouted in the Turkic language, "Warriors, let us thank General Labuli for his generosity. To express our gratitude, please send our finest warhorses into Bayanhot. Go!"
"Roar!" The ten thousand warhorses moved, the rumbling of their hooves shaking the endless grasslands. The soldiers roared, their whips cracking in the air as the immense herd of horses, like a cloud covering the sun, surged through the open city gates. The Turkic cavalry on both sides were scattered in disarray, unable to withstand the force.
"Ahead is Bayanhot. Brothers, follow me!" Lin Wanrong shouted, cracking his whip against his horse's backside. His steed leaped forward, hooves off the ground, with Old Hu and Gao Qiu closely following. The thousands of swift horses, like arrows released from their bowstrings, charged into the city with unstoppable momentum.
