Chapter 156: Revenge, Bugeya

Chapter 156: Revenge - Bugya

"Sage, it can be said this way," Mei Chengwen sighed. "Sage, though these words may sound infuriating, they are the truth. This will only enrage the Xiongnu Chanyu. Whether for kinship or to maintain his prestige among the tribes, he will launch a frenzied counterattack and will not sit idly by. What will happen to the people of Fengzhou then?"

"According to your logic, Prefectural Governor, the battle between Fengzhou and the Xiongnu cannot be won under any circumstances, and we should continue to lose," the Left Chancellor said coldly.

"Your Excellency's words completely misinterpret my meaning. My point is that the third prince of the Xiongnu should not have been killed; he should have been used to negotiate peace with the Xiongnu."

Mei Chengwen deliberately said, "Is peace achieved through peaceful means not good? Must war and the sacrifice of human lives be the only way to demonstrate Prefectural Governor Bing's capabilities?"

"In my view, even if it means sparing the life of one innocent civilian or a soldier from the frontier army, it is worth it."

Mei Chengwen spoke with great righteousness and integrity.

The Left Chancellor sneered, "If the Grand Secretary is so righteous, why did you not volunteer when Fengzhou was in peril? I believe His Majesty would certainly be willing to satisfy the Grand Secretary's patriotic heart."

"You..."

"I agree with the Left Chancellor," a military official, unable to tolerate the timid scholars in court, said. "In my opinion, Prefect Bing has done nothing wrong, and he even shows the demeanor of a great general. You cowards only complain from behind the lines, turning into soft eggs when it comes to fighting. I have been on the battlefield for many years, and I have never heard of a victory being considered a mistake!"

Another military official stood up to speak for Bing Wengu, "Prefect Bing's character is more suited to us military officials than to you scholars. You scholars don't welcome him, but we military officials do. We know what it takes to lead an army, and you pen-pushers know nothing about it. Stop your incessant chatter!"

In the end, all the military officials in court stood up for Bing Wengu and forcibly classified him as a military official rather than a civil servant.

Mei Chengwen was furious, never expecting the military officials to intervene.

"Sage, I humbly advise that we send envoys to negotiate with the Xiongnu and truly pacify their anger," Mei Chengwen earnestly advised. "The loss of their third prince will not be taken lightly by the Xiongnu. It would be better to send a princess for a marriage alliance to secure peace and ensure the safety of the people of Fengzhou."

"You're talking nonsense!" The military officials, having classified Bing Wengu as one of their own, could no longer stand by. Unlike the scholars who used refined and incomprehensible insults, the military officials were straightforward and blunt in their criticism.

"Mei Chengwen, you cowardly weakling, if you keep whining, I’ll send you to Fengzhou to fight the Xiongnu. No, better yet, I'll castrate you and send you as a eunuch to serve the Xiongnu personally. With your talent for twisting facts, I’m sure you can persuade them to withdraw and maintain peace with Dayong. Then we won’t have to send the princess for a marriage alliance..."

"You..." Mei Chengwen’s finger trembled as he pointed at the general, these brutes!

The ministers in court were divided into two factions, each with different views. This matter was too significant to be resolved quickly. Moreover, Zhan Yu privately favored Bing Wengu, so he suppressed the issue.

In Fengzhou City, after Bing Wengu publicly killed a Xiongnu soldier and rallied the people, he immediately returned to the frontier army.

Bing Wengu was no fool; he could think of everything those armchair strategists in the capital could.

The third prince of the Xiongnu had been killed. Whether or not he was favored by the Chanyu, the Chanyu would have to retaliate to save face.

What they needed to do now was to prepare thoroughly for the inevitable attack by the Xiongnu.

Bing Wengu organized a pre-battle meeting, gathering all the commanders of the frontier army.

He distributed the maps that had been drawn recently.

"This is a map of the hundred-mile radius around Fengzhou City, newly drawn by my order." Bing Wengu began to explain the map in detail, the meaning of each symbol on the map, and the scale used to represent real distances.

Jung held the map, fondling it lovingly. "My lord, with this map, the situation within a hundred miles of Fengzhou City will be clear at a glance, and all the terrain will be under our control. When we fight the Xiongnu, we can accurately use the advantageous terrain."

"I’ve been in battle for many years, and I’ve never seen such a detailed and precise map. But we must protect this map at all costs; it cannot fall into the hands of the Xiongnu, or Fengzhou will become their backyard."

"You’re overestimating the intelligence of the Xiongnu soldiers. With their limited minds, they wouldn’t understand our detailed map. If you hadn’t explained it just now, my lord, I doubt any of us would have understood it either."

"My lord, you are truly both a scholar and a warrior; I admire you."

Bing Wengu waved his hand. "Come over here, everyone, and look at the sand table."

Everyone had long been curious about the object on Bing Wengu's table, and now they finally had the chance to take a proper look.

"This sand table is a scaled-down replica of the terrain within a hundred miles of Fengzhou."

The crowd drew in a sharp breath; it was an exact replica of the terrain.

Bing Wengu nodded, "The Xiongnu Chanyu will certainly not let the death of the Third Prince go unpunished. The Xiongnu have always looked down on our Fengzhou frontier army. They will likely send troops to attack us without much preparation upon receiving news of the Third Prince’s death. After all, in their eyes, we are nothing but a flock of sheep that can be slaughtered at will with a butcher's knife."

The generals of the frontier army hung their heads in shame. Before this battle, they might have felt indignant, thinking Bing Wengu didn't understand the strength of the Xiongnu. But after this battle, Bing Wengu had thoroughly convinced the frontier army of his prowess, making them realize how powerless they truly were.

"Sir, it is our incompetence," the generals felt as if their heads were too heavy to lift.

"I am not recounting these events to blame you. It is true that you bear some responsibility for the defeat, but the primary responsibility always lies with the commanders. Therefore, there is no need for you to feel overly guilty. Now that I am here, we must look forward."

"Rest assured, Sir, we will spare no effort to live up to your expectations."

"I believe in you, and yesterday you already showed me your bravery," Bing Wengu praised them.

"To be clear, I did not say those things to belittle any of you. Rather, I wanted to convey the Xiongnu's attitude towards us. The more they underestimate us, the less detailed their plans will be. So we must seize this opportunity and strike back hard against the Xiongnu."

"We will do our utmost!" everyone responded in unison.

At this moment, a Xiongnu soldier who had managed to escape returned to the Xiongnu camp.

When the soldier, covered in wounds, appeared on the steppe, every Xiongnu person, including ordinary civilians, was stunned.

In the eyes of the Xiongnu, attacking the frontier army was not even considered a real battle; it was less dangerous than hunting steppe wolves.

Sitting in his tent, the Xiongnu Chanyu asked, "Has Uyak not returned yet? Why has he been gone so long this time?"

Bugya said with a hint of resentment, "Third Brother is still young and naturally more inclined to play. I suppose he must have been so captivated by the pleasures of Fengzhou City that he forgot to return."

How could Feiman Chanyu not understand his eldest son's thoughts? He was resentful that his third brother had taken over his duties.

Feiman Chanyu shot Bugya a stern look, and Bugya dared not say more, though his heart remained unbalanced.

He was the eldest son. When his mother joined his father, his father was merely a general under the Xiongnu Chanyu. With the help of his maternal grandfather, they overthrew the old Chanyu, and his father became the new one.

But now, with his maternal grandfather gone, his father had turned cold and heartless, favoring the child of his most beloved concubine and suppressing him at every turn.

Despite his dissatisfaction, Bugya could only endure it.

At this moment, a Xiongnu soldier rushed in to report, "Chanyu, the soldiers who accompanied Third Prince on the campaign have returned."

Feiman Chanyu frowned. "What about Uyak? Why isn't he back? What does it mean to send just one soldier back? When has he ever been so unreliable?"

The reporting soldier's hands trembled. "Chanyu, please let him come in to report. There might have been an accident; the soldier came back covered in wounds."

Feiman Chanyu's face changed instantly. "Bring him in quickly."

The soldier was covered in blood, his entire body a mess. Just looking at his wretched state, one could guess he had escaped from a brutal battlefield.

Feiman Chanyu could no longer sit still. He stepped down and grabbed the soldier by the collar. "What happened? What went wrong? How did you end up like this? Where is Third Prince? Why hasn't he returned?"

The soldier stammered, "Chanyu, we were deceived. The newly appointed governor of Fengzhou is not a civil official but a fierce warrior secretly trained by the Great Yong Emperor. His martial skills are formidable; he cut through our ranks and beheaded Third Prince without giving him a chance to fight back."

"Nonsense!" Feiman Chanyu raged uncontrollably. "It must be your cowardice that led to my son being left to fight alone, outnumbered and outmatched."

Bugya couldn't believe what he was hearing. Uyak was dead. His greatest rival for the Chanyu throne, Uyak, had died so easily, and at the hands of the Great Yong people, no less. This kind of humiliating death would leave Uyak a laughingstock even in death. To die at the hands of the seemingly meek Great Yong people—Uyak truly was incompetent.

If not for the presence of Khan Feiman, Bogya would have burst into uncontrollable laughter. It was too satisfying, truly too satisfying!

"Prince Three is a brave warrior of the steppe; how could he be so easily killed by those useless men from Dayong? There must have been a traitor among you who betrayed my son. Now that my son is dead, you still want to smear his name!" Khan Feiman drew the precious sword hanging in the tent and killed the soldier with one stroke.

The soldier's eyes were wide open, unable to rest in peace. He had not lied; Prince Three was indeed powerless before the Prefect of Fengzhou.

But no one gave him the chance to explain further.

Killing the soldier did nothing to resolve the situation, and Khan Feiman roared in anger, "Bring everyone to me! I will avenge my son!"

Soon, the warriors of the steppe gathered in Khan Feiman’s tent.

Of course, Khan Feiman could not admit that Prince Three was incompetent. Moreover, he genuinely did not believe his son could be defeated by a Prefect of Fengzhou. Thus, he told everyone that there had been a traitor in Prince Three’s camp, which led to his death.

Everyone believed him, not because they thought Uyak was so powerful, but because they looked down on the frontier army of Dayong, considering them all as good-for-nothings.

"The Prefect of Fengzhou has gone too far, resorting to such despicable means when he couldn't defeat our Xiongnu warriors. Who is willing to lead the troops against the frontier army and seek justice for my son?" Feiman asked loudly.

At this moment, Bogya stepped forward, secretly pinching his thigh hard, tears streaming down his face.

"Khan, whether you believe it or not, although Uyak and I often have conflicts, they are merely minor squabbles between brothers, not lasting grudges. Now, hearing that my third brother was killed by the people of Dayong, my heart is torn with pain. I beg you, Khan, give me the chance to avenge my third brother and honor our brotherhood!" With the competition over now that his brother was dead, Bogya saw no harm in feigning grief to win favor.

Khan Feiman, deceived by Bogya’s act, patted his back, "Well done, you are a good son of mine. Go, and bring back the head of that Prefect of Fengzhou to honor your third brother."

"Yes, Khan!"

Bogya left after receiving the order, quietly instructing his subordinates. His confidant asked, "First Prince, is there really a traitor among us on the steppe?"

Bogya sneered, "How could there be? Our steppe warriors are true men; none of them would do such a cowardly thing."

Bugya was full of disdain, "According to the soldiers who fled back, it was Uyak's own incompetence that led to his defeat by the Prefect of Fengzhou, and he was killed. It’s said that Uyak couldn’t even put up a fight against the Prefect of Fengzhou?"

"How could Uyak be such a failure?"

"He is nothing but a failure! His current standing is solely due to his father’s favor." Bugya sneered, "But at least he died as he should have. This time, once I bring back the head of the Prefect of Fengzhou, I believe even Uyak’s former subordinates will genuinely thank me for avenging him and rally to my side."

"Then, the First Prince’s power will be unmatched, and the position of Chanyu will surely belong to the First Prince."

"Of course." Bugya laughed heartily, "Come, let’s go and fetch the head of the Prefect of Fengzhou to honor the useless Uyak."