Ashina Simo, feeling both ashamed and grateful, said to Li Shiji, "Thank you so much for your timely rescue, Minister. Otherwise, I would have truly failed His Majesty." Xue Wanche, the Deputy Commander and Prefect of Puzhou, snorted. He was the third brother of Xue Wanjun, who had led the last attack on Gaochang. The family had four outstanding members, all skilled and capable, all fierce generals of the Tang Dynasty. They truly looked down on Ashina Simo, this hollow Khan who had suffered repeated defeats. Ashina Simo was extremely embarrassed, but forced himself to say, "My lord, please stay and rest in the camp. I will have wine and food prepared to celebrate."
Li Shiji remained calm. "Khan, you spoke too soon. Dadu has arranged for his main force to escape. If we don't completely annihilate them, it may be detrimental to you." Ashina Simo looked fearful. "Does the Minister intend to continue attacking the enemy?" Li Shiji said, "Khan, you can rest assured. His Majesty has ordered Zhang Jian, the governor of Yingzhou, to lead his cavalry, along with the Xi, Xi (this tribe is involved in two battles), and Khitan to press on the eastern border of the Xueyantuo; Li Daliang, the Right Guard General, has been appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Lingzhou Road army, leading 40,000 soldiers and 5,000 cavalry, stationed at Lingwu; the Right Guard General..." General Zhang Shigui, leading 17,000 troops as the Commander-in-Chief of the Qingzhou Road Army, will march out of Yunzhong; Governor Li Xiyu of Liangzhou, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Liangzhou Road Army, will march out to the west. These four armies will attack Xueyantuo from the east and west respectively. The Khan only needs to allocate another 5,000 cavalry, plus my existing elite cavalry, to make a total of 6,000. Shiji can then pursue Dadushe. I request that the Khan remain here and diligently guard Shuozhou, the key to the Three Jins, for His Majesty." His words were extremely polite, but it was clear that he wanted Ashina Simo to abandon his duties and go away.
Ashina Simo, having no other choice, began to muster his troops. Li Shiji said to Huan She, "Zishen, go and assist the Turkic troops in military affairs." Huan She spoke fluent Turkic, making him the perfect candidate. He agreed and was about to leave when Li Shiji noticed blood on the shoulder and knees of his bright armor and called out to him, "Zishen, are you badly injured?" Huan She shook his head, "It's the blood of enemy soldiers." Li Shiji encouraged him, "Zishen, in your first time as commander-in-chief, you have commanded with composure and courage. His Majesty will surely be pleased." Huan She clasped his hands in a fist salute, "It's all thanks to the Grand Commander's promotion. I'll be going now."
Without pausing, Li Shiji led six thousand elite Han cavalry north to pursue the Xueyantuo. Ashina Simo had burned vast swathes of grassland during his retreat, leaving traces of Xueyantuo horses gnawing on tree bark along the Tang army's route. Xue Wanche jokingly remarked, "Ashina Simo is bad at fighting, but he's quick to learn scorched earth tactics." Li Shiji encouraged his men, saying that the Xueyantuo had launched a long and arduous campaign, lacking supplies, and that a desperate enemy should be pursued. The Xueyantuo were indeed tenacious, with small, fearless groups of soldiers intercepting the Tang army and covering Da Dushe's escape. The Tang army pursued and fought, until night fell at Baidaochuan on the southern slope of Qingshan Mountain, where they rested briefly.
The officers and soldiers had been galloping and fighting for days, and had not slept for several days. Except for the soldiers on patrol and guard duty, they were all so tired that they fell asleep as soon as they hit the ground. Huan She laboriously removed his armor, the sweat inside of which had already frozen into hard ice. He threw it onto the frozen ground with a thud, then sat crouching by the campfire, staring intently at the four black military flags erected by his son-in-chief fluttering in the evening wind of the grassland.
“Why can’t Seventeenth Prince sleep a little longer?” Cui Gun moved closer to him. “You’re quite strange, aren’t you? Everyone else’s flags are painted with tigers or leopards, or even rocs. What is this? A strange golden two-headed bird.” Huan She whispered, “It’s Jivajivaka, the bird of the same life from Buddhist scriptures. One is called Kaluja, and the other is called Upaka Kaluja. Whether alive or dead, they are never separated.” Cui Gun let out a long “Oh”: “Seventeenth Prince is thinking about his sweetheart again? If so, he should go to sleep early. Perhaps he can meet her in his dreams.” Huan She’s heart ached. “I can’t sleep. She said that when one head of the bird of the same life is awake, the other head is asleep.” Tears welled up in his eyes, and he took a deep breath. “She is very ill right now. I just hope that she can sleep a little longer in this cold winter night.”
Cui Yan narrowed his eyes. "So you're a fool too." Huan She said, "Ninth Prince, you left home after only a month of marriage. Are you really willing to leave?" Cui Yan took off his silver helmet and hugged it to his chest. "We became husband and wife, our love unwavering. I would return to you in life, and I would long for you in death. How could I bear to leave you? You want to become a 'Jiva Jivaka' and not want to sleep, but I'm afraid that if I dream of you, my little darling will beat me and scold me for being a heartless man."
The two remained silent, listening to the distant Manggan River flowing down from the north, its rushing waters sculpting the hard river stones with a splashing sound. Cui Yan, holding a bow like a zither, plucked the strings, scattering fragments of the deep night into the river. "Chilichuan, beneath the Yin Mountains, the sky is like a yurt, covering the vast plains. Zishen, do you know that Baidaochuan is also called Chilichuan?" Huan She nodded: "Of course." Cui Yan said: "After the Xianbei gained power, they drove 100,000 Chilichuan people from the Han Sea to the plains south of the Yin Mountains, and this place was thus called Chilichuan." Huan She said: "Aren't the Chilichuan people the Tiele people?" Cui Yan laughed: "Everyone says that Huan Shiqi is most familiar with the Western Rong barbarians, but Cui Jiu is just showing off." Huan She said: "I only have a rudimentary understanding of the barbarian languages, how can I compare to Jiulang's knowledge of the past and present?"
Cui Yan sighed, “The Tiele people are descendants of the Dingling people. They are good at making high carts and are not afraid of snow on the grasslands or dangerous shoals. They were originally more civilized than the Xianbei people, but they were driven around like cattle and sheep by the Xianbei and other mixed barbarians. Later, they were enslaved by the Turks.” Huan She said, “Who would have thought that these former slaves would turn around and fight against the Turks today?”
Cui Yan rubbed the longsword against his trousers twice, wiping away the blood on the blade. The sharp point pointed northwards, towards the desolate green mountains shrouded in twilight. "We will travel north through the White Path at the mountain pass," he said. "That is the crucial passage into and out of the eastern branch of the Yin Mountains. King Wuling of Zhao used this route to defeat the Linhu and Loufan tribes. The Xiongnu invaded the Central Plains from the south. Qin general Meng Tian and Han general Wei Qing also used it for northern expeditions, driving out powerful enemies. The legendary Flying General Li Guang further solidified the reputation of the Xiongnu, making them hesitant to cross the Yin Mountains. In the third year of the Kaihuang era of Emperor Wen of Sui, Prince Yang Shuang of Wei attacked at the White Path." The Turkic Khan Shabolue was routed, with thousands of cavalry beheaded. The Turkic Khaganate thus disintegrated, splitting into eastern and western factions. In the fourth year of the Zhenguan era, renowned generals of the dynasty, including Duke Li Jing of Wei, Duke Zhang Gongjin of Tan, Zhang Baoxiang, and Duke Li Shiji of Ying, decisively defeated the Eastern Turks at Baidaokou, capturing 100,000 of their men. Enemies to the north came and went, and countless young Han Chinese from the Central Plains shed their blood on the battlefield to defend the Yinshan and Hetao regions. The land beneath our feet is a battlefield steeped in blood and blood.
Huan She was deeply moved: "Cui Jiu's words are truly inspiring!" Cui Yan said, "When I heard that Zi Shen had abandoned his leisurely official position in the capital, even rejecting the Emperor's powerful backing, I reflected on myself. I am also a military man, having practiced swordsmanship for many years, yet I only knew how to hide in the arms of a woman and enjoy comfort. I am truly ashamed." Huan She said, "Cui Jiu, actually, I originally did this for..." Cui Yan interrupted, "Wasn't it also for my woman? I wanted her to know that the husband she chose was not a coward, but a real man, a true husband, striving for fame and fortune, benefiting himself while also protecting the country. Seventeenth Prince, is there anything more worthwhile in the world?"
Huan She put on his armor and gazed at the bird of destiny on the banner. "Wei Ying, are you asleep? My dear little lover. I'm going to kill the enemy now, and I'll come back to be with you and cherish you."
The north wind blows, causing the banners to flutter. Birds of prey, with their heads touching and beaks clasped, flap their wings and fly towards the cold, silent starry night sky.
After a brief rest of two watches, before they could even get a deep sleep, the group set off again under the cover of night, heading northeast from Baidaochuan along the Manggan River towards the Qingshan Mountains. As they rode over a small hill about ten zhang high, the Turkic cavalry shouted, "Qingzhong, Qingzhong, Han princess, Xiongnu queen." It turned out to be the tomb of Wang Zhaojun, named for the evergreen grass growing on the mound, but in the dead of night, it was just a dark shadow. Huan She had already ridden over the hill when he heard the word "princess," and his heartstrings were stirred again. Looking back at the hill, he saw a rider catch up. "Huan She!" It was Cao Ling's voice. He had also accompanied the army north, but did not fight personally, remaining only in the camp.
“Minister Cao!” Huan She responded. For days, Cao Ling had been ashen-faced, and Huan She knew his anger hadn't subsided. He himself felt immense regret when he thought of Wei Ying. But now, Cao Ling's voice held a hint of panic: “Huan She, I vaguely heard Qin'er's flute.” Huan She exclaimed in surprise, “What?... Wei Ying is thousands of miles away!” Cao Ling said, “I heard it in a dream, ethereal and dreamlike, yet the timbre of the flute was so similar.” Huan She's heart pounded. “Wei Ying said the flute was lost long ago.” Cao Ling cried out in anguish, “Lost?…” Suddenly, he lashed out at Huan She with his whip. “If anything happens to her, I'll kill you first.” The whip didn't hurt much on his already frozen shoulder, clad in heavy armor, but Huan She felt a heart-wrenching pain. “Wei Ying and I are bound by fate; if I'm alright, she'll be safe too.” Cao Ling said bitterly, “Fine, remember those words. I'll settle accounts with you after the war.”
Entering the Green Mountain Pass, towering mountains stood on either side, with gravel beaches in the valley and a stream flowing to the right. A white path wound its way up steeply. After traveling a short distance, snow began to fall, and the biting cold made the gleaming armor on everyone's bodies feel as if it were covered in ice. In the dead of winter, the mountain path was slippery, and they moved stealthily without torches, relying solely on the hooves of the horses behind them rubbing tightly against the rump of the horses in front. The heavy, panting breaths of men and horses condensed on their armor, turning into silver frost. Spears, lances, swords, and armor clashed against each other, yet the six thousand men advanced in orderly ranks without a sound.
The road wasn't particularly wide, and the Tang army's 6,000 iron cavalry stretched out in a very long column. After traveling for a watch, they suddenly heard a commotion behind them, with men and horses falling and horses stumbling. "Zishen!" Li Shiji called out. "Yes, Grand Commander." Huan She and Cui Gun turned back and saw that two cavalrymen under Lu Shuang's banner, exhausted from riding day and night, had fallen asleep on their horses. Several hungry wolves from the mountains had followed and bitten their horses, and Lu Shuang's flag bearer, in his panic, had mistakenly raised the wrong flag, causing a great disturbance within his own ranks. A law enforcement officer rebuked, "Chen Ti, as the flag bearer, should not have lowered the flag. He has thrown his own troops into disarray before the enemy even arrived. He should be punished."
Chen Ti stood on his horse, head bowed and silent, a wisp of gray hair peeking out from under his helmet. Huan She felt a pang of sorrow at the sight. Seeing Lu Shuang riding beside him, watching the officer reprimand him, and remembering the humiliation of the tattoo Lu had inflicted on him, a nameless rage surged within him. "Whose responsibility is this inadequate protection and lax discipline in this unit?" Cui Gun, however, spoke gently, "General Lu, look at Chen Ti's shoulder injury. He carried the heavy banner for so long; although he violated military discipline, there is room for leniency." Lu Shuang smiled, "General Cui is quite right. I was negligent; the blame lies with me." Cui Gun pressed, "General Huan, wasn't your right bannerman injured yesterday?" Huan She understood, "General Lu, I lack a bannerman. Could Chen Ti be temporarily transferred to my command?" Lu Shuang cupped his hands and smiled faintly, "I am under General Huan's command. The allocation of troops is entirely at your command."
Huan She brought Chen Ti back to the ranks and nodded gratefully to Cui Yan. Cui Yan's broad, resolute red face broke into a hearty smile. "Aren't we brothers?" He paused. "But isn't he your enemy? If it were me, I'd be too busy crushing him. Seventeenth Prince, you're so soft-hearted." Huan She watched Chen Ti's figure following under the double-headed bird flag. "Speaking of enemies, isn't Lu Shuang one? But I can't forget the kindness Chen Ti showed me back then." He wiped the cold snowflakes from his face, and the scene of his encounter with Li Weiying four years ago during the snowy season flashed before his eyes. "Besides, sometimes I think, if he hadn't harmed me that day, how could I have escaped, and how could I have met the princess?"
“Where did Lu Shuang go wrong?” Cao Ling rode alongside. “Huan She, don’t forget that he once saved your life in Gaochang. Even if it was Chen Ti, the Dali Temple would have charged him with embezzlement for accepting bribes from those under his jurisdiction, and he should have been flogged and exiled for two thousand li. Fortunately, Lu Shuang listed Chen Ti’s military achievements and pleaded with the Emperor, which led to a change of sentence to demote and be placed under General Xue Wanche in Puzhou.” Huan She remained silent.
“Huan Shiqi, Lu Shuang tattooed your face. Although the method was vicious, it was also necessary for the situation. Lu and Chen were vying for the throne, and the capable would take it. I only know that Lu Shuang has a winning record, is calm and determined, and is far more impetuous than Chen Ti. I did something stupid back then, and no one in the capital is willing to associate with me anymore. Only Lu Shuang, my childhood friend, has always been the same to me. I am confident that I have not misjudged him.”
Cui Yan laughed and said, "Have the three of you, Huan, Cao, and Lu, saved each other's lives countless times? Today, we are going to the battlefield together, and we are all comrades-in-arms." Huan She raised his Mo Dao, creating thousands of arcs of snow-white light. "Well said! Men should be quick to avenge wrongs and forget the past. We should only fight together to kill the enemy and serve our country."
After a night of galloping through the mountains, leaving the steep southern slope behind, they reached the summit of Baidao Dam. As dawn broke, the wind and snow temporarily ceased, but everyone's beard and brows were covered in snowflakes and ice crystals, their bows, swords, and arrows stained with frost. Where the riders stood, sheer cliffs pierced the sky, surrounded by dark, verdant mountains, deep valleys frozen solid, and a fierce wind whipping through the grass. Only a crumbling section of the Great Wall from the Zhao dynasty remained, its walls rising and falling amidst the drifting clouds. Looking back in the direction they had come from, the Yellow River's turbid waves surged and roared, while the Manggan River rushed straight into the Yin Mountains, stretching for two thousand miles.
Li Shiji snapped his whip and faced the howling north wind: "Gentlemen, look north!" The soldiers followed him and gazed ahead—below the northern slope lay an endless plain where the wind blew and the grass bent low; there were dense, hard-growing oat fields, the most cold-resistant oat crops; there was a place where the ancestors of the emperors of the Northern Zhou, Sui, and Tang dynasties had once heavily guarded the area; there was the end of the treacherous Baidao Pass, the starting point for attacking the powerful Rong and Di tribes—Wuchuan!
PS: Manggan River: now known as the Dahei River in Inner Mongolia.
Baidaochuan: also known as Chulechuan, now Tumotechuan in Inner Mongolia.
Cui Yan recited a poem by Su Wu of the Western Han Dynasty.
Wuchuan: Located northwest of Hohhot in Inner Mongolia, north of the Yin Mountains, it is known as the land of emperors. Chapter 38
38. [Nuozhen]
As soon as the 6,000 Tang soldiers rode down the northern slope of Qingshan Mountain and arrived at the Wuchuan Plain, Le Yan and Yuan Faran, leading two scouts, reported: "Enemy troops, numbering about 30,000, have been spotted fifty li ahead." Li Shiji praised them, saying, "Such courage and perseverance from scions of noble families on their first battlefield experience; these young men are truly formidable, a blessing to the Tang Dynasty." Huan She looked at the two young men; their once fair and delicate faces were now weathered and roughened by a month of harsh winds and sandstorms. Their former privileged airs and arrogance had been replaced by the tenacity and resilience of warriors. Shouldering reconnaissance duties, they worked even harder than the main army, barely resting, relentlessly pursuing the enemy and rushing back to report. Le Yan winked at Huan She, teasing him about his injured eye; Huan She clenched his fist, laughing back at the split palms on his hands.
According to reconnaissance, the Tang army swiftly pursued the Xueyantuo army, and after a brief engagement, feigned defeat and retreated. The 30,000 Xueyantuo troops, seeing only 6,000 Tang soldiers, were overjoyed and underestimated the enemy, launching a counterattack, only to find themselves trapped in the Tang army's trap. When the enemy was within 150 paces, Tang crossbowmen formed a wedge formation, nocked their crossbows, and unleashed a volley of arrows, felling the Xueyantuo's front-line soldiers. The Tang cavalry then split into three groups. Huan She led the central force in a frontal charge, like a sharp sword cutting through the enemy's ranks, advancing relentlessly and unstoppably. Cui Yan and Lu Shuang each led their troops on the left and right flanks, quickly flanking and attacking, coordinating with Huan She's forces in repeated attacks and splitting the Xueyantuo army into several isolated fragments.
Chen Ti raised the banner, his long-handled sword getting stuck in the body of an enemy rider, who fell off his horse with the sword still attached to him. With a clang, Huan She raised his round shield to deflect a sword from behind that was aimed at Chen Ti by another Xueyantuo soldier. Chen Ti was still stunned on his horse when Huan She casually tossed his own long-handled long-handled sword to him.
"Brother Chen, follow me!" Huan She blurted out.
Suddenly, childhood memories flooded back: the brat in the Guazhou camp, being chased and beaten by his uncle, resisting the temptation of sweet melons and fruits, still pestering Chen Ti to learn archery and horsemanship, thinking that he would never be afraid of his uncle's slaps again. "Brother Chen"—Huan She's throat tightened. When did he feel too embarrassed to call him that anymore?
Holding a long spear, Huan She rode swiftly, deflected another blow for Chen Ti, struck Chen Ti's horse in the belly, and led him out of the enemy's encirclement.
"Why did you save me?" Chen Ti finally drew his sword and fought the enemy, his face turned away, so Huan She couldn't see his expression.
“You taught me that those who go to the battlefield are all brave and fearless warriors of the Tang Dynasty,” Huan She said, his short-handled sword flying out and slicing into the neck of a Xueyantuo soldier. He then used his long spear to deflect the enemy’s long sword and thrust it at the enemy soldiers beside him. “Brother Chen is the most powerful warrior in Guazhou.” These were words that Chen Ti had boasted about years ago, so long ago that even he himself had forgotten them.
"Xiao She..." Huan She vaguely heard Chen Ti's indistinct whispers drifting through the sounds of swords clashing. When he looked at him again, he was already protecting the two-headed bird banner.
Although they had routed 30,000 Xueyantuo troops, the Tang army, with only 6,000 against 30,000, still suffered minor losses. The Tang army rested briefly on the spot, replenishing their own forces with captured enemy horses and treating the wounded. Huan She's left eye, grazed by an enemy blade in the previous day's battle, remained red, swollen, and bleeding due to lack of rest. Reapplying medicine only made it more difficult for him to open and close his eye. Everyone else had minor injuries. Yuan Faran, wounded in the back, saw Huan She covering his eye and immediately forgot his own pain, laughing merrily at his supposed blindness. Before he knew it, Cui Yan flicked his forehead, "How can you joke like that?"
During the Battle of Wuchuan, Xue Dadu was not found. Li Shiji remarked, "Xue Dadu escaped quickly." Because many non-Han people had names but no surnames, the Tang people customarily added their tribal name before their given name when addressing them, such as Qibi Heli during the attack on Gaochang, who was named Heli of the Qibi tribe. Xue Wanche cursed, "Damn it, he doesn't deserve the surname Xue!" Li Shiji slapped his horse and laughed, "Sanlang, go and capture him and force him to never use the surname Xue again."
The Han Chinese army marched 400 li (approximately 200 kilometers) from Bingzhou to Shuozhou, while Lu Shuang's troops, led by Xue Wanche, had already marched over 700 li (approximately 350 kilometers) north from Puzhou, the southernmost point of the Hedong Road, to reach Bingzhou. After a fierce battle in Shuozhou, they marched another 400 li (approximately 200 kilometers) north, crossing the Qingshan Mountains, which were over 100 li (approximately 50 kilometers) wide, to fight in Wuchuan (this is the straight-line distance measured on my map; the actual distance was probably more than double. Of course, compared to the thousands of li (approximately 500 kilometers) of other Tang army campaigns, it was nothing, but recalling every li they traveled, it was still so arduous; every drop of sweat and every drop of blood embodied boundless courage and fighting spirit). The long march and battle in the bitter winter had left the Han Chinese soldiers extremely exhausted, and their casualties were heavier than those of the Turkic army. Therefore, Grand Commander Li Shiji ordered the Turkic cavalry to continue the pursuit, while the Han Chinese remained for an extra hour.
Unexpectedly, after the Han troops set off, they encountered the Turkic cavalry who were fleeing in panic. Li Shiji questioned them about the battle and learned that they had caught up with Dadu She's 60,000 troops and had been routed in the first engagement. Li Shiji was furious: "What kind of soldiers are those who flee at the first sign of the enemy?" A Chur shouted in broken Chinese: "The Xueyantuo have 60,000 men. They once defeated Shabuluo Khan, and even General Ashina She'er was defeated by them. The Xueyantuo are the nemesis of the Turks!" Another Tudun cried out in a trembling voice: "We can't win. Even if you add up, you don't have 6,000. They have 60,000! Run for your lives!" More than 4,700 Turkic cavalrymen pulled on their reins and surged down the river, about to scatter the more than 1,000 Han cavalrymen.
Snap! Snap!
Almost simultaneously, two muffled thuds of swords slicing through bone rang out, and two bald heads flew into the air, their blood splattering onto the heads of the fleeing Turkic soldiers.
Huan She and Lu Shuang exchanged a glance, then sheathed their swords. Huan She ordered the flag bearer to use a horse spear to hoist the heads of Chuo and Tutun, who were staring in astonishment with their mouths agape. Huan She shouted in Turkic, "Those who desert the army, behead them! Who else wants to be a deserter under the swords of my Great Tang?"
The Turks were so frightened they dared not move an inch. Li Shiji said in a deep voice, “You Turks were once the Tang Dynasty’s archenemy, raiding and plundering for years, harming the people. The Emperor is magnanimous, settling you in China after your defeat, teaching you to farm and weave, showing you kindness and care, providing you with food and clothing, and treating you like Han people. When you were attacked by the Xueyantuo, the Emperor ordered me to lead the army to your rescue. Is there another Khan in the world who repays evil with kindness?” Huan She loudly translated his words into Turkic, and the Turkic soldiers fell silent.
"Look at your actions today! Abandoning your ranks and fleeing, you not only betray the Emperor's boundless grace and earn the contempt of the Chinese people, but also embolden the Xueyantuo people. We will forever trample you under our feet." Li Shiji's face was solemn. "Are you really willing to abandon your young children and weak women at home, and let your women be humiliated and raped, cursing yourselves as ashamed to be born men?" The Turks began to feel ashamed. "My greatest pride in life is to roam the battlefield, displaying the blood of men, even if it means dying nine times. Han sons, are you willing to follow me to fight the enemy and bring glory to the Tang Dynasty?" "We swear to follow you to the death, my lord!" More than a thousand Han officers and soldiers shouted in unison and marched forward in formation.
Huan She raised his whip high, shouting, "Are there any Turkic warriors here willing to fight alongside my Han people and slaughter all the Xueyantuo traitors who dare to offend the might of the Tang Dynasty and look down on the Turks!"
"We are all followers of the Heavenly Khan, and all of us are warriors!" The Turkic soldiers also drew their swords and shouted, spurring their horses to follow.
***
Both the Xueyantuo and the Turks were nomadic peoples of the grasslands, and their original mounted archery tactics were similar. Later, the Xueyantuo painstakingly studied methods to defeat the Turks and trained their infantry in combat. Cavalry is inherently about agility and flexibility, but nomadic cavalry lacked the superior armor of the Han Chinese, resulting in poor protection. Their arrows were weak, and they lacked the complex and powerful crossbows of the Han Chinese, making mounted archery difficult and unreliable. Furthermore, besides the flat grasslands, the vast deserts and barren wastelands were unsuitable for prolonged horse hooves. Comparing these factors, the Xueyantuo changed their strategy, utilizing the strong defense and endurance of their infantry. They formed groups of five: a leader with five horses to monitor from behind, while the other four fought on foot. Only after a victory did the leader grant them horses, and the five would pursue the fleeing enemy. Those who hesitated to fight would be denied horses and executed, their families confiscated, and the spoils used to reward the victors – a strategy reminiscent of a desperate gamble. Relying on this unusual and novel tactic, the Xueyantuo repeatedly defeated the Turks.
Dadu gathered the remaining forces and deployed 60,000 troops at Nuozhen River (located north of Wuchuan, within the present-day Darhan Mumingan Joint Banner, the site of the story of the grassland heroines), stretching for ten miles. After the initial victory against the Turks, the Xueyantuo army regained its morale and launched a counterattack.