Chapter 0122 - Yi Tianxing's Strategy
Given the nature of the Xiongnu, once they discovered the valley and Xuanhuang Village, there was no way they'd simply turn a blind eye.
From the villagers' earlier accounts, Yi Tianxing had already formed a hypothesis. With Liu Bao's ruthlessness, he wouldn't tolerate rebellion or escaped slaves living freely. Moreover, during the uprising, the military camp had been set on fire. Even if the flames were extinguished, most of the camp and its defensive structures would have been destroyed.
As soon as news of this reached Liu Bao, he would undoubtedly mobilize his army to march on the valley.
After all, under normal circumstances, a well-trained Xiongnu army could easily crush a small village. Nothing could stop a charge of Xiongnu cavalry—especially against a modest, newly built settlement. It was like a piece of juicy meat placed on a chopping block. There was no way the wolfish Xiongnu would ignore such a target.
The Xiongnu would definitely come.
And since they were coming, Yi Tianxing naturally planned to prepare a grand feast for them.
"My lord, do you have a plan?"Huang Chengyan asked immediately.
He was a Confucian cultivator, but not a strategist. While not completely ignorant of battlefield tactics, he didn't compare to the monstrous geniuses he knew. Still, he had his own hidden cards and sharp perception.
Yi Tianxing's expression made it clear—he had a plan.
Huang wanted to see whether Yi Tianxing had true strategic capability. If he did, then his future achievements would be immeasurable.
"Elder Huang, I've never commanded troops or participated in any major battles. What I have are just a few immature ideas. At best, you could call it armchair strategy. Let me explain my thoughts. If anything is wrong, please feel free to point it out,"Yi Tianxing said.
Back in the modern world, he had read widely in his idle time—modern and ancient texts, the Four Books and Five Classics, Daoist scriptures, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Thirty-Six Stratagems, military tactics, Thick Black Theory, and more.
He hadn't deeply studied everything, but in the information explosion of his previous life, even shallow exposure gave him a decent foundation. In terms of vision, perspective, and creative thinking, he believed he was second to none—perhaps even surpassing historical strategists in some ways.
Of course, top-tier strategists weren't great because of rigid tactics—they were great because of their intelligence and adaptability. Every strategy had flaws, but true geniuses could cover those flaws and achieve their goals anyway.
That was what set true strategists apart from those who simply parroted military texts. The latter were like paper tigers—useless in real combat.
If theory alone could win wars, why were there so few great strategists in history?
Adapting to circumstances was the real key.
"My lord, please speak freely,"Huang Chengyan replied, growing even more curious.
To be a battlefield strategist, one needed extraordinary insight and unconventional thinking. Only then could they achieve the element of surprise and turn the tide of war.
Even Cai Yan was listening closely, intrigued. She was eager to hear what method Yi Tianxing would propose to repel the Xiongnu invasion.
Because if they came, it would certainly be a brutal and bloody battle.
"I've studied the valley. Nearby, there's only one entrance—a long, narrow gorge that splits the mountains in half. Only that path leads into the valley. If we can block it, the Xiongnu army won't be able to enter. At least, not quickly. It's simple—just seal the exit with massive boulders."Yi Tianxing began.
It was a basic plan, but effective. If the path was blocked, the Xiongnu wouldn't be able to enter easily, allowing the village to remain relatively safe. But this was a passive defense at best.
"Of course, blocking them also cuts off our access to the outside world. And since they're Xiongnu, I don't want to just stop them—I want to bury them here. I want this valley to become their grave."
After learning they practiced cannibalism, Yi Tianxing had no intention of letting any of them go. If possible, they would all die.
"What's your plan, my lord?"Yang Ye arrived and asked.
"The greatest strength of the Xiongnu is their cavalry and archery. They're a horseback people—every man is born knowing how to ride and shoot. It's in their bones. So if we can nullify their cavalry advantage, we can drastically weaken them. Even with our city walls, their numbers and archery skill pose a threat. We must keep them at a distance—don't let them get close."Yi Tianxing continued calmly,"My idea is to first strip away their advantage as cavalry. Cavalry is only deadly on open plains. So, here's what we'll do…"
Yi Tianxing then laid out his strategy.
It wasn't some high-level tactic—simple, even. But in Huang Chengyan and Yang Ye's ears, it was like a light suddenly turned on. It was practical and highly feasible. If successful, the Xiongnu would effectively be turned from cavalry into infantry—losing more than half their power.
It would massively boost their chances of killing the enemy.
Yi Tianxing went on to share additional plans. Yang Ye nodded repeatedly, carefully evaluating the feasibility of each idea.
On the side, Cai Yan's eyes sparkled with admiration. She looked at Yi Tianxing with a subtly changed gaze. A confident man had his own kind of unique charisma—one that could be quite fatal to a woman's heart.
Not long after, with the plans finalized, Yang Ye led a large number of villagers out of the settlement, tools in hand, to start preparing.
As for Cai Yan, Yi Tianxing arranged for her to stay at his own residence, where Huang Chengyan also lived. No one said anything about it.
Cai Yan didn't object.
Meanwhile, in the Xiongnu camp—
The massive fire had left the camp shrouded in smoke. Most of the defenses were burned to ash. Many Xiongnu corpses had to be pulled from the ruins—some charred completely. Some had been drugged and slept through the chaos, burning alive in their tents.
Others had been slaughtered during the revolt.
The death toll was substantial.
"Zuo Xianwang, we've completed the count. Over 1,500 soldiers were killed—caught off guard and murdered, or burned to death. Many were poisoned with some sort of narcotic, severely weakening their strength."A soldier reported.
Liu Bao's face darkened at the number. In this new world, every Xiongnu death was a significant loss. Their overall strength would continue to decline unless they found a place to recover and grow. And that didn't seem likely anytime soon.
"How many of those two-legged sheep were hunted down?"Liu Bao asked coldly.
"It was too dark last night. The fugitives split up and fled in waves. Our pursuit was scattered. We did shoot down some, but the female slaves all killed themselves when caught. Not a single one was taken alive."Came the reply.
The impact of this revolt had been enormous.
But the women, knowing their fate if captured, had all chosen to die rather than fall into the Xiongnu's hands.
"Hmph. Dying was too good for them,"Liu Bao sneered.
"Report!"Just then, a blood-covered soldier was brought before him.
"Reporting, Zuo Xianwang! We chased the fugitives into a valley—the very valley you were looking for. Inside was a Han village. The slaves escaped into it. Once we realized what we'd found, we turned back. On the way, we encountered a fierce beast. Two of us died drawing it away so I could return. This is the map. We left a trail of markers to find the place again."
After delivering his report, the soldier collapsed and died—he had been fatally wounded by the beast and had only held on by sheer will.
"So we've finally found that valley—and a Han village inside,"Liu Bao's eyes lit up. The gloom of earlier vanished.
That valley was the sacred land he had dreamed of for the Xiongnu to prosper and multiply. That they'd found it now was a miraculous windfall.
"Spread the word—boil those slave corpses and let everyone eat their fill. Then prepare to march. That valley—the sacred land of the Xiongnu's future—has been found.We march to conquer it!!"Liu Bao laughed loudly.