The Resolute Cannon Fodder Teaching In Ancient Time

Chapter 60: Sixty Treasures ✨

The battle was over in less than a day, a stunningly quick victory. Though Longmen’s walls had suffered significant damage, reinforcements had arrived armed with wooden spears, standing on the ramparts to both intimidate and maintain order.

The sky, once dark and ominous, cleared once more. Farmers from Longmen, grieving their losses, carried buckets of dirty water, the mixture of mud and grime resembling slushy snow.

The Hu and Han armies stared each other down across a vast, snow-covered expanse. After a tense pause, the Hu leader seemed to grasp something, his expression twisting in fury. His eyes flared with anger as he kicked a kneeling servant in blue, glowering toward the Longmen walls.

With the first light of dawn, the Hu forces began to withdraw en masse. A victory report was hastily stuffed into a messenger’s pouch, and the horse galloped toward Chang’an, spurred on by the rider’s whip.

The people of Longmen emerged to clean up after the battle’s destruction. Both sides had suffered nearly equal losses. The Han forces of 3,000 had resisted an army of 10,000 Hu soldiers, losing only around 200 men—a better outcome than in previous encounters.

The fallen soldiers were wrapped in straw mats, the soft sounds of muffled sobs breaking through the silence. Exhausted, the surviving troops rose at dawn, gathering the bodies and loading them onto carts to be taken to the desolate green hills.

Cries of grief, once stifled, now erupted in full, echoing across the land.

The world was growing ever more unstable, a far cry from the peace it had once known.

At the city gates, Xu Zhen, her once white clothes now gray with grime, crouched and chewed on a dry biscuit. After some time, the governor approached, asking how Xu Zhen had managed to turn the tide of battle.

Xu Zhen explained everything, holding nothing back.

Stunned, the governor left. Soon after, the owner of the flower house came, followed by scholars and others, all seeking answers from Xu Zhen. Uninterested in answering each one individually, she quietly slipped away into the crowd.

The landscape remained as awe-inspiring as ever, but the principles of warfare and strategy felt elusive.

What use was idle talk?

With the Hu army defeated, it would take them at least three months to regroup—time that had to be used wisely.

But how?

Xu Zhen smiled and dashed off to find the little beggar, eager to discuss their next steps.

After the battle, soldiers in battered armor led their exhausted horses through the snow, exiting the city.

Xun Qianchun, having excelled in the war, drew the attention of military commanders. Her courage and strategy were exceptional, her combat skills unrivaled.

Though she was Hu, few in Yongzhou seemed to care anymore.

A female commander approached her, saying, "This battle has proven your strength. Your skills are extraordinary, but I don’t have the authority to promote you. I’ll need to get approval first."

Xun Qianchun bowed her head slightly, "Thank you."

The commander paused, then asked, "Is there anything else you need?"

Xun Qianchun shook her head. "No, nothing."

The commander nodded. "Alright, I’ll inform the general. Take a few days to rest; there’s no rush."

Xun Qianchun agreed, her voice steady.

At that moment, Xu Zhen arrived, catching part of the conversation as the commander granted Xun Qianchun permission to return home. She rushed over to Xun Qianchun, checking her injuries more carefully this time.