Chapter One, the sound of hooves echoes through Chang'an

In 131 BC, two years had passed since the siege of Mayi.

Hall of the Declared Chamber

Your Majesty, the imperial edict has been drafted. The young man who had gone to prepare the edict is now hurrying over with the draft in hand

This is Liu Che

The most detestable thing is that the border stronghold of Dai County was actually deceived into opening its gates by the Xiongnu army, which is known only for its reckless charges and killings! Liu Che continued, "What use does my Han have for such a general?"

Good! The Emperor Wu nodded in satisfaction

The young squad leader still remembers the words of General Li Guang when he discovered that one of the five men in his squad was missing during a patrol. Li Guang's originally kind expression instantly turned extremely angry, and his face, already marked by a few wrinkles, darkened. "With a great battle imminent, soldiers who fail to return on time, what are you doing as the squad leader? Go find him! Bring him back, and you will face severe punishment according to military law!"

Wu Daliang felt a surge of anger after being scolded, but upon seeing the fierce and intimidating demeanor of the young Wu Zhang, he recalled General Li's words and ultimately restrained himself from retorting

"Order the removal and investigation of the governor of Dai County!" Liu Che commanded in the end

Autumn, Chang'an

"Yes." Han Yan understood the intention and immediately went to draft the imperial edict, but she was unsure whether this decree would arrive in time. With a sigh in her heart, Han Yan thought it might be better to have it than not.

Finally, the weary individual and horse came to a halt before the palace gate. The messenger, unable to contain his urgency, hastily unwrapped a package and handed a slender rectangular box to the guards stationed at the palace gate. The guard received the wooden box, quickly turned around, and hurriedly made his way into the palace.

In front of a massive map of the Western Han Dynasty's territory stands a tall and handsome young man, whose posture is upright and elegant. At this moment, he is intently gazing at the enormous map, his piercing eyes focused on the locations of Dai County and Yuyang.

Standing respectfully to the side, Wei Qing listened to Liu Che's words and understood that Liu Che was testing him. After a brief contemplation, he replied: "Your Majesty, I believe that the governor of Dai County, Ma Bi, is indeed at fault for being negligent. However, the Xiongnu cavalry has always been elusive, and our border garrison has too few cavalry to confront them directly. Moreover, our chariots and infantry are not as swift as the Xiongnu cavalry. Furthermore, the number of troops mobilized by the Xiongnu this time far exceeds that of previous years, so it is understandable that our border soldiers were unable to withstand them at this moment"

This coward can only serve as a deserter! Sergeant Wu, rest assured, once I find this fellow, I will be the first to step forward and teach him a good lesson

"Once I find this scoundrel, I will first strip his skin off! Damn it, I went back to visit my family only to end up with a deserter, how utterly pathetic!" The subordinate beside him remained silent, but the young sergeant couldn't help but curse, "It's infuriating that I have to travel so far just to find him. I say we might as well just kill him and be done with it, why bother bringing him back for a trial!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the other soldiers looked at him with a rather complicated expression.

In an instant, the sound of hooves erupted in a series of explosions, as a lone rider broke through the tranquility of Chang'an city in the early morning.

How is the training of the cavalry troops going now? Liu Che glanced at Wei Qing, the young general he had personally promoted and nurtured, who carried too many of his hopes for resisting the Xiongnu

Indeed, such a petty individual truly brings shame upon us

And *the picture book* said, "Captain Wu, look, that seems to be Qin Cheng!" At that moment, a sentry pointed at a figure under a large tree not far away and shouted.

"Squad Leader, although Xiao Chengzi has overstayed his leave to visit his family, we cannot label him a deserter until the matter is clarified!" At this moment, an older veteran, who had remained silent until now, spoke up, his words tinged with reluctance.

The sound of hooves striking the bluestone pavement suddenly erupted without warning

A group of four riders, led by a young man with a robust build reminiscent of a tiger's back and a bear's waist, was hastily traveling along the official road. Having just experienced a heavy rain, the hooves of the horses kicked up clumps of mud, splattering in all directions. These four riders, clad in the dark armor of foot soldiers and wielding long swords at their waists, displayed remarkable skill as they galloped forward.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The young man agreed and turned to leave.

Six days ago, Shanggu County

We can engage in battle at any time!" Wei Qing said with great confidence

The soldier of the Qimen army raised a square box high with his right hand, running swiftly while shouting loudly

The other three sentinels nearby, upon hearing their squad leader speak, felt a sense of relief despite the insults being hurled. It was far more frustrating to have thunder without rain, as they were uncertain whether they would become scapegoats. Consequently, they all chimed in in agreement.

After Wei Qing finished speaking, he looked up at Liu Che, only to find Liu Che displaying no particular expression, and then he lowered his head again. The urgent reports from the frontier of Dai County and Yuyang had just been shown to Wei Qing by Liu Che, which is why Wei Qing was able to make such a statement

Dada!

"Yes, Your Majesty." A young man dressed in official robes shuddered slightly and hurriedly responded, then quickly walked away as if fleeing to prepare the imperial edict

A messenger clad in red armor swiftly and rhythmically struck the belly of his horse with both feet, urging the steed to gallop rapidly towards the Weiyang Palace. The rain from last night had soaked him completely, and the mixture of rainwater and sweat had long since blurred the distinction between the two.

The young sergeant's expression was grim, and the several sentinels beside him did not dare to speak.

The young man, of robust build, was dressed in a black imperial robe, with a sword hanging at his waist. At this moment, his left hand was resting on the hilt of the sword.

Dah!

The siege of Mayi ultimately failed due to the vigilance of the Xiongnu, but this marked the beginning of a century-long history of warfare between the Western Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu. Thereafter, under the leadership of Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, the Western Han Dynasty abolished the policy of marriage alliances and commenced military confrontations with the Xiongnu

... ...

The thick black clouds of the East have not yet completely dispersed, but the morning sunlight has already burst forth from the gaps in the dark clouds. The red sun rises, instantly dyeing the horizon a brilliant red. The countless majestic high walls and towers, as well as the ordinary small houses of Chang'an, are outlined in simple yet profound contours by the rosy clouds. After a night of heavy rain, Chang'an is particularly tranquil at this moment

Once it is prepared, just send it out. Liu Che waved his hand

... ...

Every time he thought of this, the young sergeant's expression darkened further, and his breathing became even heavier

On weekdays, I get angry every time I see his pathetic appearance. I never expected that this time he would openly act as a deserter. I truly regret not having dealt with him properly earlier

In 133 BC, the Western Han Dynasty, which had maintained a policy of alliance through marriage with the Xiongnu, suddenly gathered an army of 300,000 around Mayi with the intention of luring the main forces of the Xiongnu into a pre-arranged encirclement, aiming to annihilate them in one decisive blow and eliminate the border issues that had persisted since the establishment of the Western Han Dynasty. This event is historically referred to as the "Siege of Mayi".

Urgent, urgent news from the border!

Hmph! The young sergeant snorted in anger, using one hand to adjust his military cap that had been knocked askew by the galloping warhorse. He exclaimed loudly, "This fellow is truly worthless! If he wants to visit his family, so be it, but how can he not return even after the deadline? Whether he returns early or late, he just had to choose to come back when General Li is inspecting the camp. It's making me look bad! Damn it, this is really unfortunate!"

"Wait a moment, Han Yan," Liu Che called out to him. "You need to send another edict to Li Guang, the governor of Shanggu County, with an urgent request for 800 li. Instruct him to be vigilant against the Xiongnu and to avoid repeating the mistakes of Dai County and Yuyang! Shanggu is situated between Dai County and Yuyang, and there is no reason for Shanggu to remain unscathed while both Dai County and Yuyang have suffered from Xiongnu incursions."

"Good, ambitious!" Liu Che finally revealed a hint of a smile

Wei Qing! Liu Che tossed aside his imperial robe, walked over to the side throne, took a moment to calm his mind, and called to a young man standing respectfully before him, dressed in general's black armor, saying, "Share your thoughts."

Before the onset of autumn, I had repeatedly instructed the governors and generals of the border regions to be vigilant against the routine incursions of the Xiongnu this fall. Liu Che's deep voice resonated in the grand hall, revealing his anger. He emphatically pointed to the location of Yuyang in Dai County on the map twice with his right index finger, then turned to face the two young courtiers before him. Yet these governors and generals treated my warnings as mere whispers in the wind, allowing the Xiongnu to invade, resulting in countless casualties among the border populace, millions left homeless, and immeasurable losses of property and crops.

The young man at the front had a very sullen expression, as if he were harboring an overwhelming anger that could not be vented. His eyes were fixed straight ahead, as if he intended to swallow the very air before him. In truth, one could hardly blame him; any squad leader whose soldiers had deserted would not have a pleasant demeanor.

As he spoke the last few words, Liu Che's tone intensified, causing the heads of the two young men before him to bow even lower

Wei Qing pondered for a moment, then resolutely stated: "If I do not die, the Xiongnu shall not set foot in Han territory even by half a step"

If this is tolerable, what is not tolerable

What you have said are the issues that we have been contemplating and need to resolve over the years. Liu Che's tone gradually softened, yet it remained heavy. He raised his hand and pointed at Wei Qing, "Wei Qing, if it were you, would you be confident in withstanding the Xiongnu's attack this time?"

Damn it! The young sergeant seems to have made up his mind to eliminate this guy who has caused him to lose face, and even jeopardized his future in front of General Li. After all, if the governor learns that one of his subordinates has fled, his own military prospects would be at an end. Therefore, the young sergeant did not hesitate to curse loudly, "Wu Daliang, don't even think about lying through your teeth to cover for this kid! Who doesn't know that late autumn is the time when the Xiongnu most enjoy raiding south? At this time, being overdue for leave is clearly just a sign of cowardice; it's desertion! Didn't you hear what General Li said today? If you continue to make excuses for this kid, I'll have you dealt with by military law first!"