gnovel Chapter 3 A Dead End
Chapter 3 A Dead End
The smell of alcohol mixed with the biting north wind spread across the riverbank. As Liu Yao finished saying, "I have never met the Duke of Liao," only the soft thud of warhorses pawing the frozen earth could be heard. Dozens of guards lowered their heads, deliberately avoiding the slightly embarrassed gaze of their Chanyu.
Gao Zidan held the leather bag with half a sachet of wine left, and her heart, which had been hanging in suspense for so long, strangely calmed down a lot.
Gao Zidan guessed that the Liu Yao before her was the historical warlord who conquered Chang'an and Luoyang, ending the Western Jin Dynasty. However, in this world, he hadn't yet encountered such an opportunity, and was merely a tribal chieftain on the border. But his temperament and personality should be similar to his historical counterpart—unparalleled bravery and an extreme fondness for alcohol. Furthermore, Liu Yao hadn't demonstrated much political talent in history, so although he was a powerful ruler, he probably wasn't very adept at scheming and calculating; he only possessed the cunning of nomadic tribes.
Having figured this out, Gao Zidan's remaining fear dissipated considerably, replaced by a greater sense of confidence to test the waters. Fueled by the alcohol, he propped himself up on his knees, brushed the mud and snow off his trousers, and launched into a barrage of interconnected questions. Though his speech was rapid, each word was clear, leaving Liu Yao no room for ambiguity or evasion.
"Since the Chanyu has no prior relationship with the Duke of Liao, I will only ask the essential question: You saved me, are you planning to take me to join Liu Bang, the Duke of Liao?"
"If we go, which route should we take? When should we set off? The entire territory of Youzhou is under Xiang Yu's military control, with numerous passes and fortresses along the way. How can we avoid being checked?"
"Once we reach the Liao Duke's camp, what pretext do you plan to use to bring me in? And once we meet, how will you explain the whole story of how you rescued me?"
"If we don't go to seek refuge with the Liao Duke, where do you plan to take me? Back to the Yongming tribe, or somewhere else?"
"Even if I return to the ministry, my entire family has been slaughtered, and I am all alone. I can't just follow you aimlessly without knowing where the next step is."
This barrage of questions was not a single empty statement; each one hit the most practical nail on the head, effectively blocking any ambiguous escape routes.
Liu Yao's brows furrowed instantly, his hand gripping the riding whip tightening so hard his knuckles turned white. He was a hero raised on horseback, charging into battle and capturing enemy generals were instincts etched into his bones, but he had never been adept at this kind of meticulous, step-by-step planning. Before he ventured into Youzhou, he was convinced of only one principle: Liu Bang was now the powerful leader who spearheaded the rebellion against the Song Dynasty, and to prevent the Yongming tribe from being swallowed up by the chaos, he had to establish a connection with him; and Gao Zidan's father was a core member of Liu Bang's old guard who had followed him before the uprising, so only by bringing Gao Zidan along could he legitimately meet Liu Bang and strike up a conversation.
He only had a vague idea of how to proceed, how to avoid risks, and how to negotiate with Liu Bang after meeting him; he hadn't made any thorough plans. When Gao Zidan pointed this out to him, he instantly lost face, letting out a low groan. Unlike a typical warrior, he didn't erupt in anger or shout to stop her; he simply stared intently at Gao Zidan, remaining silent for a long time—he had to admit that every question this young nobleman asked addressed a point he hadn't quite grasped.
"You little brat, you've blocked all my paths." Finally, Liu Yao cursed in a muffled voice, cracked his whip, and most of the arrogance on his face dissipated, but he still maintained the basic dignity of a Chanyu, without the slightest embarrassment of losing his composure. "Damn it, I won't lie to you, I really didn't plan these things out properly."
He glanced around to make sure no one was watching before taking a half-step forward. Lowering his rough voice, he revealed the truth hidden deep in his heart, his tone carrying the straightforwardness and frankness of a grassland man, but also concealing the frustration and resentment of struggling to survive.
"Our three Xiongnu tribes all descend from the Tiefu lineage. Liu Cong of the Xuanming tribe led his people to submit to the Zhao Song court in the south a few years ago and went south to enjoy a peaceful life; Liu Yuan of the Yuanhai tribe led his entire clan to surrender to Li Longji, the governor of Yunzhou in the northwest, and has now become a general, leading a battalion of soldiers, occupying excellent pastures, and no longer having to endure the wind and rain or be at the mercy of various lords."
"Only my Yongming tribe remains. They are unwilling to grovel as vassals, nor are they capable of raising their own banner and establishing themselves independently. They can only huddle in the mountains bordering Yunzhou and Bingzhou, making a living through a combination of farming and herding. The entire tribe, including men, women, and children, numbers only about three thousand people, and at most, there are only about a thousand or eight hundred soldiers who can be armed and ready for battle. Compared to Xiang Yu's Youzhou army or Li Longji's Yunzhou army, they can't even gain the slightest advantage over the local powerful families and fortified villages."
Gao Zidan understood immediately; it was indeed much as he had predicted—this seemingly imposing Yongming Chanyu was actually struggling to survive with his entire tribe, caught between several major powers.
Liu Yao grabbed a wine flask from the ground and gulped down a large mouthful of strong liquor. The alcohol took effect, and his words became more frank, his eyes filled with barely suppressed resentment and restlessness: "A while ago, the whole world was in an uproar! Liu Bang, the Duke of Liao, raised the banner of rebellion in Yingzhou, directly cutting off the supply lines of the 600,000-strong Song army sent to conquer Goguryeo! Those were 600,000 elite troops of the imperial court! Without supplies, they suffered from cold and hunger in Liaodong, and were almost completely wiped out! This incident shook the world, exposed the true nature of the Song court, and all the warlords were now eyeing their own interests!"
"I knew it! Things were about to change! If we stayed holed up in the mountains, we'd be devoured by other forces sooner or later, leaving not even bones behind! I know your father was a trusted subordinate of Liu Bang before he raised his army. The whole of Youzhou knew your family was going to follow Liu Bang against the Song Dynasty, which is why Xiang Yu's Youzhou army slaughtered your entire family. That's why I took a few dozen guards and secretly ventured into Youzhou, hoping to find a way to get in touch with Liu Bang. I never expected to run into you, the only survivor."
Having said all that, the whole story has been laid bare. This is the tale of a small tribal chief in a chaotic world who risked his life to carve out a sliver of hope for the survival of his entire tribe.
Gao Zidan stood there, his mind racing. He finally grasped the situation and figured out Liu Yao's trump card. He had originally planned to use this opportunity to analyze the situation based on Liu Yao's words, and then find out more about the power structure of the feudal lords in this world, the current spheres of influence of Liu Bang and Xiang Yu, and other details about this distorted timeline.
But just as he was about to speak, a series of rapid hoofbeats suddenly came from the edge of the open field on the west side of the riverbank!
The sound of hooves grew increasingly rapid and loud, like a barrage of drumbeats striking frozen ground—a sound far beyond what the few dozen riders around could produce. Immediately afterward, a scout spurred his horse back like a madman. Before he even arrived, his shouts rang out: "Chanyu! It's terrible! A large force is approaching from the west! Judging by the banners, it's Xiang Yu's Youzhou army! They're pursuers! At least two hundred riders!"
Upon hearing this, the surrounding Xiongnu knights instantly changed their expressions, gripping their ring-pommel swords at their waists, nocking their bows, and drawing their swords, instantly entering a state of combat readiness.
Liu Yao's face instantly darkened, all traces of his previous drunkenness vanishing, replaced by fierce determination in his eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, he leaped onto his horse, grabbed Gao Zidan's arm, and with a slight pull, dragged her onto the horse in front of him, growling in a rough voice, "Hold on tight! Don't move if you don't want to die!"
Gao Zidan felt dizzy and disoriented as he was thrust onto the horse's back. The howling wind filled his ears, and the approaching hoofbeats and shouts of battle grew louder behind him. He had no choice. Ahead lay the vast, unknown mountains, and behind him, Xiang Yu's Youzhou army pursued him. The only person he could hold onto was the Xiongnu Chanyu who had just revealed his entire fortune to him. He could only passively follow Liu Yao, galloping away at breakneck speed.