Chapter 173 Laughing Out Loud
The most helpless thing about the battle between infantry and cavalry is that even if they win a great victory, it is difficult to completely annihilate the cavalry because the cavalry has four legs and can escape fast enough.

However, faced with such a great opportunity, they could not sit idly by and watch it slip away. Xiang Chang, who had been commanding the Chu infantry formation, blew a whistle and led a thousand heavy hammer cavalry and a thousand long spear cavalry who were guarding him. They rushed out from the formation diagonally, like a dark and huge iron shovel, and shoveled the Xiongnu cavalry all at once.

The two thousand cavalrymen either wielded axes, hammers, and hatchets, hacking and smashing the Xiongnu cavalrymen they encountered one after another, or stabbed them through with their long, sharp spears, slaughtering them wantonly. The remaining Xiongnu cavalrymen were already in despair, and had lost their courage and had no will to fight. Now facing Xiang Chang’s cavalrymen who had been recuperating for a long time, they had no power to resist at all and were completely reduced to pigs and sheep to be slaughtered.

The fleeing Wuhuan King Hadan Zhaorige saw that the Chu cavalry was obviously planning to wipe out the defeated Xiongnu cavalry in one fell swoop, and that the Xiongnu cavalry, which used to be so arrogant and fierce, had turned into weak pigs and sheep. He could not help but become furious, and shouted to hundreds of his personal cavalry guards to go upstream to meet the surging black torrent.

In terms of personal bravery, Wuhuan King Hadan Zhaorige was second to none among the Xiongnu kings. He had been fighting with the infantry of the Chu army until now, but he had not killed even one infantryman. The depression in his heart almost suffocated him.

In his opinion, the dwarf sheep in southern Xinjiang were weak and completely vulnerable, so when facing the two thousand Chu cavalry, he was not afraid at all. Instead, he tried to vent all his anger and depression on them.

Of course, he was also very clear that the Xiongnu cavalry was stunned and had lost their fighting spirit. As long as he could withstand this torrent and give them time to calm down, they would boost their morale and gather together for a counterattack that would be enough to engulf the Chu cavalry.

After all, this Chu cavalry had only two thousand people, while the Xiongnu cavalry had nearly ten thousand.

If they did not stop this Chu cavalry and allowed them to continue charging like this, all of their remaining nearly 10,000 cavalry would be wiped out.

Xiang Chang, who was charging at the forefront, saw that hundreds of Hun cavalry did not flee but instead rushed towards him, especially the Hun leader who was wearing gorgeous iron armor, with two white fox tails hanging from his helmet, with a tall and strong body and an ugly and ferocious face, obviously a royal family of noble status. Xiang Chang sneered in his heart, not afraid at all, and just charged forward forcefully.

Hadan Zhaorige obviously also realized that Xiang Chang was the leading general. He had a ferocious face and was waving a heavy mace. When the two horses approached, he smashed it down on the head.

The sticks and halberds collided, making a dull sound of collision.

To Hadan Zhaorige’s surprise, this southern Xinjiang short-legged sheep general was surprisingly strong. His mace was bounced high by the recoil, and his arms felt numb. Then, the Chu general shouted again, swung the halberd in a half circle, and used it as a sledgehammer to sweep it towards his waist.

Hadan Zhaorige also let out a loud roar. Unwilling to believe in evil, he wielded the mace and attacked again.

There was another loud bang, sparks flew, and his mace was shaken away again.

This time it was undoubtedly more brutal, like a stick hitting an anvil. Hadan Zhaorige’s knuckles were broken, the corners of his eyes exploded, and a strong smell of blood filled his mouth and nose.

The Wuhuan king began to feel fearful. After only two exchanges, he knew he was no match for his opponent. Seeing the tall and majestic Chu general swinging his halberd into the air again, he finally did not dare to fight head-on. He held his mace half-held and half-unarmed, and rode his horse to escape.

But he didn’t know that his stick actually missed, and Xiang Chang’s powerful halberd attack turned out to be a feint.

Just as he was stunned, he saw out of the corner of his eye that the halberd drew a strange arc, and changed from a flying chop to a straight stab!

“Pfft!”

The halberd penetrated deeply into the chest and ribs of the Wuhuan King like a spear into butter. Even the iron armor could not provide any defense, and he was knocked off his horse.

The two thousand cavalrymen behind Xiang Chang smashed and chopped the hundreds of personal cavalrymen of the Wuhuan king to pieces, causing heavy casualties.

Xiang Chang did not hesitate and led his cavalry to continue chasing and killing the fleeing Hun cavalry.

Maodun, the great Chanyu who was watching the battle from the rear, had fierce light flashing in his eyes, a furious look on his face, and an aura of tyranny emanating from his body. While cursing, he suddenly rushed forward with 10,000 reserve cavalry.

The 40,000 most valiant and elite cavalry of the Huns were all killed here. Maodun, the Great Khan, was not only heartbroken, but also furious.

When Xiang Chang saw the ten thousand Hun cavalrymen rushing towards him like ferocious monsters, he immediately and obediently withdrew his battle formation, decided to stop chasing them, and turned around to slowly retreat towards the infantry formation.

At this time, only 7,000 to 8,000 of the 40,000 Xiongnu cavalry were left. After Maodun received them, he was so angry that he stared at the 2,000 Chu cavalry. After half an hour had passed, he waved his whip heavily and led the 10,000 cavalry to slowly retreat to the north.

As he led his troops to retreat, the 30,000 cavalry of Zuo Xian Wang, who were fighting against the Chu cavalry, also began to leave the battlefield and slowly retreat after receiving the military order.

Even though the 30,000 Chu cavalry led by Huang Zhong fought bravely and tried their best, and had been battling the Xiongnu cavalry till now, they still inevitably began to lose the upper hand.

At this moment, he felt the stagnant pressure in front of him suddenly eased, and the ferocious and brutal Hun cavalry actually began to retreat. He could not help but be shocked and overjoyed, but he did not dare to force them too much, and ordered all the troops to defend their positions strictly.

The two cavalry armies, which were engaged in a brutal battle, gradually separated.

Maodun, the Great Chanyu, was worthy of being called a great leader of the grassland. He knew that he had already lost the battle and that continuing to fight would only result in more casualties, so he immediately took drastic measures to cut his losses.

Xiang Chang, who was trying to lure him into the trap and use the infantry formation to give him another heavy blow, was very impressed to see that he was able to hold back his anger and remain calm.

“Young Master, are you just going to let this guy go like this? It’s too easy for him.” Meng Xia, who was standing next to him, narrowed his eyes and revealed a look of resentment, saying hatefully.

“Yes, letting him go is indeed too easy for him.” Xiang Chang nodded, placed the halberd across the horse’s back, and said leisurely.

Just when Meng Xia and other generals were puzzled and did not know the true meaning of Xiang Chang’s words, a long and loud horn was sounded in the distance in the northeast field, and the sound of horse hooves as majestic as thunder rang out. A Chu cavalry army of 30,000 people slowly appeared and rushed forward quickly, blocking the direction of retreat of Maodun Khan’s army.

Leading the way was a general, riding a black horse, with a tall and majestic body, double pupils in his eyes, and a handsome and stern face. He exuded an aura as majestic and unshakable as a mountain, like a god, and it was none other than the Overlord!

“Maodun, you followed a few lackeys to sneak up on my Central Plains, you are the lord of the grassland in vain. Now that you are here, don’t leave, stay here forever.” The Overlord’s tongue was like thunder, and the voice was already rolling in even though the distance was still far.

Xiang Chang laughed loudly, rode forward, and joined Huang Zhong’s 30,000 cavalry with his two thousand cavalrymen. He took over the command of this cavalry and led them slowly forward.

Maodun looked angry and gloomy. This blocking cavalry was obviously a strong army that had fought in many battles. Once they were entangled by them, the Chu cavalry in the rear would attack from the rear. With a two-pronged attack, the remaining 40,000 Xiongnu troops would probably be killed here.

Fortunately, he still had 10,000 cavalrymen to rely on.

These 10,000 cavalrymen were directly under his royal tent and had the strongest combat power, ranking among the top among the entire 400,000-strong Hun army.

It was with this cavalry that he defeated the kings of the grasslands, roamed the desert, and became the overlord. With these 10,000 cavalry, it should be easy to break through the 30,000 cavalry that blocked his way.

Maodun turned his head and glanced at Han Wangxin and Zang Yan, who were shivering beside him.

At this moment, a voice from the Chu army in the rear kept shouting:

“Han Wangxin, Zang Yan, your mission is accomplished. The old villain Maodun has fallen into a trap and will never escape. You have performed extraordinary feats. Come back quickly to receive your reward.”

Maodun’s eyes were filled with murderous intent. He snorted coldly and waved his hand. The guards beside him looked grim, raised their spears and stabbed down fiercely. While Han Wangxin and Zang Yan looked horrified and shouted “No! No!” “This is a false accusation, a false accusation!”, he killed the two and the guards beside them.

The 40,000 powerful cavalry were defeated and almost wiped out, and now 30,000 Chu cavalry blocked their way. These guards hated Han Wangxin and Zang Yan, the instigators, and carried out Maodun’s orders thoroughly.

Maodun naturally knew that this call was just a divisive ploy by the Chu army, and that Han Wangxin and Zang Yan were wrongly accused. But if it weren’t for these two bastards, his 80,000 Xiongnu troops wouldn’t have suffered such heavy losses. Now that they have lost their usefulness, it’s just right to kill them to vent his anger.

Maodun ordered the kings of Loufan and Hunxie to lead 7,000 cavalry as the vanguard and fight their way out, while he led the remaining 3,000 guards to follow closely behind. As for the 30,000 cavalry led by the Zuoxian King Jizhou, who withdrew from the battle with the Chu cavalry, they served as the rear army to guard against the Chu cavalry led by Xiang Chang who was slowly approaching.

Next, the 30,000 cavalry led by the Overlord himself collided fiercely with the 10,000 Hun cavalry.

The cavalry was able to exert its strongest combat power in the hands of the Overlord, and with the advantage of numbers over numbers, they successfully blocked the charge of 10,000 Hun cavalry who were in a crazy and indestructible state, and the two sides entered into a brutal and exhausting state of fighting.

The Overlord took the lead and led the heavily armored cavalry to the front. He swung his halberds with great force and howled with strong winds. The Huns blocking the way fell off their horses one after another and no one could stand up to them.

Forced into a corner, King Loufan and King Hunxie personally stepped forward to make a sniper attack, but one was cut in half and the other had his upper body split open, and they died miserably.

As for the heavily armored cavalry surrounding the Overlord, they charged back and forth, sweeping and charging, knocking away and killing any Hun cavalry they encountered and trampling them into the mud.

Once the heavy cavalry started running, they swept everything away, unstoppable, until the cavalry and horses were exhausted. Although this Xiongnu cavalry was brave, it was still far inferior to the carefully selected and battle-hardened heavy cavalry of the Chu State, and was abused miserably.

At this time, the cavalry led by Xiang Chang in the rear also began to engage in battle with the cavalry of Zuo Xian Wang Ji Zhou, tying him up and leaving him no energy to rescue the front.

The heavily armored cavalry of the Chu State was like a ferocious dragon, charging recklessly into the formation of 10,000 Hun cavalry, gradually disrupting it.

The Chu cavalry that followed behind swarmed up, constantly dismembering them, and making further careful cuts and divisions, turning the 10,000 Xiongnu cavalry from a huge and tough whole into pieces of easy-to-swallow desserts, which they then ate slowly, bite by bite.

Seeing that the 10,000 cavalry were scattered all over the place, scattered here and there, and then under the siege of the Chu cavalry which was several times larger than their original size, they were rapidly shrinking and disappearing, until they finally disappeared without a trace. Maodun’s face finally turned miserable and his eyes panicked, knowing that this time defeat was inevitable.

Under the protection of more than a thousand elite cavalrymen, he raised the big banner in place, deliberately avoiding the majestic figure like a god. He spotted the weakest point on the battlefield and rushed forward.

After the conflict was over, Maodun did not look back and rushed to his lair in the northern grasslands. He completely abandoned the Xiongnu army that was still fighting.

Poor Xiongnu kings, they kept staring at the big banner, thinking that their Chanyu would stand firm with them in the resistance, so they fought desperately, and then died one after another on the spot.

After the Overlord led the heavy cavalry to break through the battle formation of the 10,000 Xiongnu cavalry, he launched a surprise attack on the 30,000 troops of Zuo Xian Wang Ji Zhou. Together with Xiang Chang, they finally defeated the 30,000 Xiongnu army.

At this point, the Xiongnu cavalry could no longer maintain the integrity of the battle formation and were defeated across the board. They urged their horses to flee frantically in the direction they came from.

The Chu army also turned to an all-out pursuit. In order to kill as many Xiongnu cavalry as possible, they ignored those who surrendered and simply stabbed them with spears or chopped them down with swords, and then continued to pursue them.

In the end, of the 80,000 Xiongnu troops, only more than 10,000 managed to escape, including the Zuoxian King Jizhou, the Xianbei King Aqiletu, and a few others.

Standing on a high hill, Xiang Chang, who had reunited with his father Overlord, looked down at the army chasing and killing the Xiongnu cavalry indiscriminately. The wind and smoke gradually disappeared on the northern horizon, and everyone had a relaxed smile on his face.

After this battle, the Xiongnu army suffered such a great defeat and was completely hurt. They would not dare to invade the border again for several years. The three kingdoms of Yan, Zhao and Han were also pacified in one fell swoop and completely returned to the territory of Chu.

Xiang Chang took this opportunity to explain to the Overlord the future strategies for these three places.

Xiang Chang decided not to enthrone the princes, but to continue to implement the county system according to the Qin system. Soldiers who had made contributions in the war or were injured were transferred to officials at all levels of the county and prefecture on the spot.

In addition, 20,000 troops were left to garrison in these three places. Li Yi was still the first commander, and Wang Zhou was the deputy general.

The State of Yan has been cleaned up by Li Yi, and Han and Zhao have been severely damaged by Han Wangxin. Those powerful people in the three places who have the strength, influence and ability to rebel have all suffered heavy losses. The three places will undoubtedly enter a rare period of stability, and it will become much easier to govern.

Xiang Chang was halfway through his speech when the Overlord stopped him with a wave of his hand and said to him with a smile: “I will take care of the military strategy, and you will take care of the internal affairs. Do whatever you want to do.”

At this time, the Overlord also deeply realized that governing a country was undoubtedly not that easy.

After he destroyed the Qin Dynasty, he did not choose the Qin county system but instead implemented the feudal system. This was because he saw the demise of the Second Emperor of Qin and instinctively felt that this system was unreliable.

However, the Zhou Dynasty’s feudal system lasted for 800 years.

But what was beyond his expectation was that the feudal system he established could not even be maintained for a year. The feudal princes began to rebel. If it were not for his good son, even he, the overlord, would have been overthrown.

Now Xiang Chang wants to restore the county system of the Qin Dynasty and seems to be very confident, so let him go ahead and do it.

Xiang Chang smiled and said deliberately: “Father, what if the county system causes chaos in the country and rebellions break out?”

The Overlord laughed, stroked his beard, looked at his son happily, and said in a heroic tone: “Then we father and son will plow this world again and establish our own kingdom again!”

Xiang Chang also laughed out loud when he heard this.

(End of this chapter)