Chapter 827: Ambush, the Black Wolf Yabgu! (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
The Black Wolf Yabgu didn't have to wait for long. A few days later, a large eagle came flying from the direction of the capital like a bolt of lightning, crossing the Great Steppe to land within the Black Wolf Yabgu's tent. There were only a few lines on the letter it delivered.
'The information is accurate. Wang Chong's second brother Wang Bei was released from the imperial prison several days ago and then suffered a bout of madness and began to randomly kill people on the street. The incident created quite a stir, and the Court of Judicial Review is already involved. In addition, this matter truly does involve an imperial princess.'
Beneath these words were additional bits of related information.
”Hahaha, good!”
The Black Wolf Yabgu's brow relaxed, all his worries swept away. He felt so energized and refreshed that he couldn't help but roar with laughter, his voice resounding over the steppe.
”The heavens are truly assisting me. Since we have this chance, there's no need to wait for anything else. Pass on my order for the army to assemble. Tonight, we will completely destroy the Great Tang's Qixi Armory!”
The Great Tang's massive armory had always been like a fishbone stuck in the throat of the Western Turkic Khaganate. The Black Wolf Yabgu had long desired to destroy it. This was not just some idea that he had thought up in the last two days, or even the last two years. Now, the time was right to realize his dreams.
”Yes, your subordinate will go!”
The guard quickly left.
Rumble!
Like a stone sending ripples through a lake, the Black Wolf Yabgu's order caused the neighs of horses to rise from the steppe as countless Turkic warriors answered the call. At the same time, the black wolves howled as the pack gathered.
In a flash, the steppe was tinged with the somber air that came before a battle.
……
It was the Zi Period, late at night. At the border of Qixi and the Great Steppe, what was once a heavily guarded place packed with soldiers was completely empty.
”Hahaha, using wealth to avoid calamities, these fellows truly are reliable!”
In the darkness, a rough and crude voice spoke in Turkic tongue and laughed, then the scout horseman quickly left. Suddenly, the earth began to tremble as hundreds upon thousands of cavalry began to emerge. At the very front of this army was a muscular figure, riding a mighty steed that was even taller than a man. This man's hair and clothes were flapping in the wind, and his body exuded a wild and savage aura.
”Keep up, everyone! Attack quickly to end a battle quickly! Anyone who falls behind or messes up will be punished accordingly once we return!”
The Black Wolf Yabgu's voice drifted through the darkness.
”Hahaha, relax, Milord can do no wrong!”
”We're just setting a fire in Qixi and turning the place upside down.”
”Hahaha, how can we just set a fire? We have to at least kill one or two people. Anyone who stops us will die! If we can't even do this, we should just go back and suck our mothers' milk!”
The dark night was instantly filled with laughter as the cavalry galloped through the gap and headed toward the Qixi Protectorate. Behind them, the black wolves silently followed, their eyes shining with a dark green light. After entering through the steppe, they began to head northwest, taking care to keep a distance from Wushang's City of Steel.
The late-night winds howled across Qixi, drowning out much of the noise made by the horse hooves.
The five thousand Turkic soldiers traveled through the night like ghosts, silently galloping in the direction of the Qixi Armory. Surprisingly, they encountered no lookouts or defenses. The many sentries and lookouts from Fumeng Lingcha's tenure seemed to have utterly vanished. The Black Wolf Yabgu carefully inspected the surroundings before giving a satisfied nod.
The wealth of the traitor Hulayeg had proved useful. The Hu commanders had taken these bribes and done just as expected, withdrawing all their sentries.
As long as he could burn down the Qixi Armory, everything would be worth it.
Rumble! The five thousand cavalry continued to ride through the blustery winds. Around an hour later, they finally spotted that massive building, looming over the horizon like some primordial beast, visible from several dozen li away. Even at this distance, it was still possible to sense an enormous and suffocating pressure. In the face of that massive building, all palaces and towers were like insignificant ants.
The Qixi Armory!
The sight of this massive silhouette only galvanized the Black Wolf Yabgu. This massive armory contained hundreds of thousands of various types of ballistae, suits of armor, sabers and swords, spears, and halberds. Ten-some years ago, the Black Wolf Yabgu had disguised himself as a merchant from the Western Regions and viewed it during the day. Just a glance of that magnificent scene had left him deeply shocked.