Chapter 7 Negotiations for Peace

"I..." Zhang Chong was momentarily at a loss for words, his face flushing bright red. After struggling for quite a while, he finally managed to squeeze out a complete sentence, "Are those devices truly that miraculous?"

"More than that!" The cavalrymen, oblivious to Zhang Chong’s discomfort, continued to animatedly describe the wonders of those contraptions.

Chen Mu listened in silence the entire time, refraining from adding any words that might further embarrass Zhang Chong.

He could understand what was on these cavalrymen's minds. As horsemen, they had been suppressed by the barbarians' riders for years, and now, having finally turned the tables, their excitement was well deserved.

News of the victory at the front quickly spread throughout Chen Mu’s army, and the already high-spirited soldiers grew even more enthusiastic.

Only Zhang Chong remained in low spirits. After forcing out a few congratulatory phrases, he fell quiet, shrinking into himself atop his horse, so diminished that he seemed half his usual height.

Chen Mu found it rather odd to have Zhang Chong at his side with almost no presence at all.

Upon arriving at the camp, Zhao Lai greeted Chen Mu outside and led him into his own tent.

Even after entering the tent, Zhang Chong remained listless and disinterested.

Zhao Lai and Zhang Chong had a good personal relationship, yet even he had never seen his old friend so subdued.

"Now that reinforcements have arrived, we should immediately pursue the barbarians," Chen Mu said to Zhao Lai. "This battle must utterly crush them, so that the neighboring petty states will be cowed, ensuring lasting peace for our Great Xia’s borders!"

His words were powerful and resolute, and Zhao Lai nodded in full agreement.

The next day, the soldiers Chen Mu had brought were left behind to guard the camp and keep the supply lines open, while Chen Mu and Zhao Lai led the main forces in continued pursuit toward the northern frontier.

"General Zhang, this time you shall remain at the rear to oversee the camp’s defense," Chen Mu said to Zhang Chong with a broad smile.

To Zhao Lai’s astonishment, the usually proud Zhang Chong accepted this rear-guard task without protest, raising no objections to Chen Mu’s arrangement.

"Your Highness, how did you persuade him?" Zhao Lai inquired curiously during the march. "If it were me giving that order, I’d have had a fierce argument on my hands."

Chen Mu only smiled mysteriously and said nothing more.

The rest was all too easy. Even at their peak, the barbarian warriors were no match for the Xia army, let alone now, when only a ragtag group of survivors remained.

The barbarians had already been routed by Zhao Lai’s forces, fleeing three hundred li before finally catching their breath. But before they could recover from their terror, word came that the Xia army was once again upon them.

There was no other option. The remaining thousand or so barbarians barely had time to mount a hasty resistance as they fled north toward their homeland, abandoning their camp behind them.

Many among them had lost their horses in the first battle, and now, before the fully armed Xia soldiers, they were utterly defenseless.

This was no battle—it was a one-sided rout.

It was only when a messenger arrived from the rear bearing an imperial edict that Chen Mu and Zhao Lai ordered a brief halt to their pursuit.

The contents of the edict were straightforward. Chen Xingtian began by lavishly praising Chen Mu and Zhao Lai, then requested that they return the army to the capital as soon as possible.

The reason was simple: the expedition had drained the treasury, and the crafting of new equipment by the Ministry of Works had consumed even more. The imperial coffers were nearly empty.

Moreover, the campaign’s objectives had been achieved: the barbarians who threatened the Central Plains had been driven off, and the neighboring states had been firmly intimidated.

For at least the next ten years, Great Xia’s borders would know no trouble.

Chen Mu read the edict and fell into deep thought.

They had advanced this far—just one step more and they would reach the barbarian heartland.

If the aim was to eradicate the barbarians completely, was this not a golden opportunity?

But he had to admit that Chen Xingtian’s concerns were valid; sustaining thousands of troops was no easy burden.

"Your Highness..." Zhao Lai looked at Chen Mu’s troubled expression and carefully ventured, "Do you think perhaps we should..."

"Give me five hundred elite soldiers," Chen Mu suddenly raised his head, his eyes resolute. "With those five hundred, I’ll press further into the north. You and General Zhang Chong will follow the edict and lead the main army home."

Five hundred elite troops would not exhaust the treasury, and they would suffice to deal with these defeated barbarians.

"Your Highness, you mustn’t!" Zhao Lai protested in alarm. "Your life is too precious to risk so recklessly! And besides, the imperial edict..."

"A general in the field is not bound by orders from the capital," Chen Mu replied unwaveringly. "Besides, this realm belongs to my father. As crown prince, how could I not rid the nation of its foes?"

This argument won over Zhao Lai.

Indeed, this land was his family’s—what could Zhao Lai say in response?

Thus, Chen Mu selected five hundred elite soldiers and personally led them deeper into the northern territories.

Things went even more smoothly than he had imagined.

By now, the barbarians were like startled birds, on edge at every rustle of grass, fleeing at the slightest sign of danger, utterly unwilling to face Chen Mu head-on.

Under the fierce assault of the Xia army, the already diminished ranks of the barbarians fell apart during their flight. The largest group Chen Mu pursued numbered only two or three hundred.

In just three days, Chen Mu’s force had reached the very heart of the barbarian lands.

Their leader and most of the women and children had gathered there. If this place was overrun, Great Xia would be free from barbarian harassment for good.

It was at this critical moment that the soldiers reported to Chen Mu that supplies were running low.

The Xia court’s finances were truly stretched thin, and recent rations had dwindled with each delivery.

Even with Zhao Lai’s best efforts, the five hundred men had barely enough grain for another two or three days, and there was no telling when the next shipment might arrive.

The barbarians, though at the end of their strength, were not utterly destroyed yet; as the saying goes, a centipede dies but never falls. Chen Mu considered carefully and realized he was not confident he could annihilate them within the few days left.

Yet to simply withdraw was unthinkable.

"Send an envoy to the barbarian chieftain," Chen Mu said, a subtle smile on his lips. "Tell them I wish to discuss peace."

The news sent a wave of elation through the barbarian camp.

They had already resigned themselves to defeat and exile, but now, with the Xia army at their doorstep, it was the Xia who proposed negotiations.

Only a fool would refuse.

Though Chen Mu had made no specific demands, the barbarian chieftain himself traveled alone to Chen Mu’s camp to negotiate, demonstrating his sincerity.