Chapter 1, An Indelible Shame

Currently, the Xiongnu army is pressing against the Han court's border stronghold of Yanmen County. Most of the garrison troops in Yanmen County have been reassigned to the Guanzhong region to monitor the unstable territory of the former Zhao king, Liu Sui. Coincidentally, the commander of Yanmen was also inspecting the border and was killed in action during the first battle. With the death of the commander responsible for the military affairs of the county, the heavy responsibility of defending the border now falls on the shoulders of the Prefect of Yanmen, Feng Jing.

Sound the drums! Quickly, sound the drums! Smoke signals have been spotted in the distance; the Xiongnu are coming!

In this year, the incident of the burning of Ganquan Palace, referred to as the 'Hatred of Humiliation' by the Han royal family, shocked the entire Han state. Upon hearing of the invasions by the Xiongnu, Wuheng, Yushen, and other foreign tribes into the northern frontier, as well as the arson of Ganquan Palace, Liu Che, the then Crown Prince and soon-to-be emperor, resolved: I shall avenge this extraordinary humiliation in my lifetime

The urgent warning drums echoed through Yanmen Pass. The northern frontier of the Han court, including Yanmen County, as well as Hexi County, Dingnang County, Dai County, and Shanggu County, all ignited the smoke signals that represented the invasion of enemy forces

It was a dagger measuring less than four inches in length and no more than two fingers in width, encased in a green leather sheath. The handle, adorned with a series of raised circular patterns, featured a vividly colored design: a circular ring with a grain ear-like lace, within which was set a bright red five-pointed star. Embedded within the star were two Chinese characters—'八一'—while the sheath bore the inscription of another two characters—'林斌'.

Beyond the Yanmen Pass, at the border outposts where the beacon fires blaze, the rudimentary enclosures are utterly incapable of stopping the howling cavalry of the Xiongnu. One Han banner after another is severed by the blades of Xiongnu horses, falling to the ground to be trampled underfoot by the Xiongnu cavalry. The Han soldiers stationed at the outpost fight to the last man; as the outpost falls, the Xiongnu cut off the heads of the slain Han soldiers and impale them on the wooden stakes of the enclosure.

Lin Bin clenched his fists as he gazed at the slaughter before him, witnessing his fellow Han compatriots perish under the curved blades of the Xiongnu. He turned to look at the other Han men who were similarly bound, seeing the humiliation reflected in their eyes. Each man gritted his teeth, knowing that among the elderly and weak being killed in the distance might be the fathers, mothers, and even young children of these men.

The northern frontier wind is like a knife, cutting through and causing pain all over the body. The fierce wind blows, lifting up withered grass and yellow sand together, yet no amount of withered grass or yellow sand can obscure the inhumane slaughter. Headless corpses are being carried and stacked together by the Xiongnu soldiers. As the number of corpses increases, they gradually form a mountain of despair, built from the blood and tears of the Han people, pressing down so heavily that it is hard to breathe

The two thousand Han soldiers also devoted themselves to the country with utmost loyalty. Their headless corpses were bound and hung beneath the city walls, their heads severed by the Xiongnu soldiers, who prepared to take them back to the steppe to be made into drinking vessels, in order to boast of their military achievements

The earth seems to tremble, as the endless Huns, howling like ghosts, drive their steeds straight towards Yanmen Pass. The thunderous sound of hooves appears to narrate the impending tragedy of a nomadic people unleashing slaughter and plunder upon an agricultural society...

A month later, the marauding and destructive Xiongnu gathered at the sound of the horn. The Xiongnu chieftain was unwilling to continue moving south, as his objectives had already been achieved. He did not wish to risk excessive losses in his forces by provoking the Han state. The chieftain's aim was to plunder freely in the border regions of the Han court, to observe the internal strife among the Han people, and to wait for the opportune moment.

The sky is vast and the earth desolate; the oppression of the weak by the strong is eternally justified. In the distance, mountains of corpses pile up, and gradually, several blood channels formed by pooling blood appear on the ground. In the barren border regions, nothing is more vivid than the color of those blood channels. The blood channels tell of not only inhumane slaughter but also leave an indelible mark of shame in the hearts of the entire Han nation

After the withdrawal of troops, send an envoy to the Han court. Inform that young emperor, who is still wet behind the ears, that since the Han and Xiongnu have been a relationship of uncle and nephew since the Han dynasty, he should send me a genuine princess. If he does not send a true princess, I, the Chanyu, will personally lead 300,000 iron cavalry to Chang'an to seize one. At that time, it will not be a matter of just one princess.

Due to the critical illness of the current Emperor of the Han Dynasty, the military forces in the northern regions were initially unaware. Furthermore, influenced by the Rebellion of the Seven Kings three years prior to Liu Qi's ascension (154 BC), most of the border troops were recalled to monitor the unstable situation in various vassal states. This resulted in insufficient military strength to defend the frontier against the Xiongnu, leading to widespread beacons of alarm across the border counties

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In fact, the military leader Chanyu's decision to march south this time is also fueled by resentment towards the Han state due to the false peace marriage incident from a few years ago, seeking to take revenge on the Han court while the Emperor of the Han is gravely ill

The tomb of Emperor Jing of Han, three years after Emperor Jing's reign (141 BC)

The massacre in the distance continues, as the Xiongnu use slaughter to inform the newly enslaved Han people: you must obey your master, for the master is the supreme being; to defy the master only leads to death

Brave to the death! Sons of the Han! The battle cry of Canglang is filled with such despair amidst the sound of hooves

In the present day, Emperor Liu Qi of the Han Dynasty is suffering from an illness that is becoming increasingly severe. The entire focus of the Han state has shifted to the critical moment of the emperor's health. The Xiongnu military leader, Chanyu, dissatisfied with the recent disrespect shown by the Han court, has once again raised troops to invade the borders. Immediately, the northern frontiers of the Han state are engulfed in smoke and flames of war

The Xiongnu people have greatly enjoyed the submission of the Han court for several decades. Whenever the Xiongnu invaded the borders, the Han court would always send beautiful princesses for marriage alliances and present gifts. This time, the military leader Chanyu led his troops south with a specific intention: to inform the Emperor of the Han court with one hundred thousand iron cavalry that our great Xiongnu still lacks a Han court princess to serve as the queen consort.

Within three days after the fall of Yanmen Pass, the military and civilians of Yanmen County suffered casualties exceeding 20,000, with most of the strong men and women being herded by the Xiongnu cavalry to gather in the border outposts awaiting their fate

At this time, Yanmen was still a small border county. The Yanmen Pass was merely a mud wall constructed of loess, straw, and stones, measuring just over 2 zhang (1 zhang during the Han Dynasty is 2.31 meters). Since the failure of Emperor Gaozu's northern expedition, the Xiongnu intensified their southward plundering activities. In order to strengthen the defenses of Chang'an and the affluent Sanfu region, the Han court established border counties, relocated border troops, and moved border residents. It was not until the reign of Emperor Wen of Han that Yanmen County began to take shape, yet it still could not bear the heavy responsibility of blocking the southern advance of the Hu people.

He is a paratrooper of the Republic. During a mission, he lost consciousness after jumping from a transport plane and woke up in this completely unfamiliar place. He wandered aimlessly in this area for half a month, and later encountered a kind old man who took him in. At that time, the only thing he possessed that could be considered commendable was a military dagger.

After the withdrawal order from the military commander Chanyu was issued, the Han people who had been driven together by the Xiongnu were divided into groups: the elderly and weak formed one group, women formed another, and strong men were bound under the threat of swords and spears. They were herded to the wasteland of the border counties, driven like livestock by Xiongnu soldiers wielding sharp blades, and forced into temporary enclosures set up by the Xiongnu.

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Although the Xiongnu cavalry were not skilled in besieging cities, the walls of Yanmen were low and the garrison was small. After holding out for two days, the city was breached. Feng Jing, the governor of Yanmen Commandery, a civil official, took command of military affairs and fought valiantly to his death, his head being severed by a Xiongnu chieftain who sought to claim credit for the victory.

The Xiongnu are currently very powerful, but they do not yet have the capability to swallow the prosperous Central Plains. The military leader, Chanyu, is well aware of this fact. Therefore, after completing their plundering, he intends to withdraw his troops. The local garrison of the Han court is gathering in this direction. He has already delivered a warning to the Han court and has set fire to the emperor's palace (Ganquan Palace) as the strongest form of deterrence. Continuing to linger has become meaningless.

Many border counties of the Han court have been breached, and hundreds of thousands of military personnel and civilians in these border regions are trapped in dire straits

Too many occurrences, too many unforeseen events led to the most sorrowful year for the Huaxia nation, as well as the most suffering year for the four northern frontier commanderies. In this year, the prolonged invasions by various nomadic tribes against the agrarian population resulted in a rapid decrease in the population of the four northern commanderies, with casualties and abductions of military and civilians exceeding 100,000, which was equivalent to 40% of the total population of the then Dingnang Commandery, Yanmen Commandery, Dai Commandery, and Shanggu Commandery.

The term "Yanshi" refers to the title given by the Xiongnu to the princesses sent to marry into the Han court, equivalent to the Han concept of an empress. However, the Yanshi held no power among the Xiongnu, merely enjoying a hollow exalted status

The Xiongnu believed that the elderly and weak were of no use on the grasslands, so they dragged the elderly and weak Han people to an open area. They loudly praised the "Kunlun God" for granting them a great victory, forcing these elderly and weak individuals to kneel in long rows. The Xiongnu soldiers standing behind raised their curved blades and struck down with force, as if they were weeding. Under the powerful blows, heads rolled chaotically, and the green grasslands changed color. The dew on the grass was no longer clear; patches of originally vibrant green grass were soaked with the blood of the Han people. The Xiongnu soldiers standing behind raised their curved blades and struck down with force, as if they were weeding. Under the powerful blows, heads rolled chaotically, and the green grasslands changed color. The dew on the grass was no longer clear; patches of originally vibrant green grass were soaked with the blood of the Han people

Lin Bin was watching, his eyes wide open as he stood by the wooden fence of the sheep pen, gazing at the distant slaughter. He observed the innocent elderly and young children being escorted to kneel on the ground, and then, amidst their cries, their heads were severed. Anyone witnessing such a tragedy could not remain indifferent. He stared with wide eyes, gritting his teeth, and unconsciously bit through his lip, a trickle of blood dripping down his chin onto his strong chest

At Yanmen Pass, the Han soldiers poured out of the barracks in a steady stream, clad in red robes and black armor, wielding spears and halberds as they shouted battle cries while climbing the city walls. Looking back at the fewer than two thousand Han soldiers standing on the battlements, and then at the approaching Xiongnu army, the Han governor of Yanmen, Feng Jing, raised his sword to the heavens. At that moment, the image of his young son, Feng Lin, flashed through his mind. He understood that he would not escape this battle, and let out his final roar of anger in this life.

Why is this happening? Lin Bin's mind was in a state of confusion; he did not understand why he had suddenly appeared here. He only knew that he had just arrived, and in less than half a month, he had already become the wealth of the Xiongnu.