PFC Chapter 389 The Pursuit of Maodun
Chapter 389 The Pursuit of Maodun
As Touman Chanyu watched his son depart, a deep and indescribable sense of reluctance welled up within him as his young son so resolutely left. After all, Maodun was still just a child, about to leave him for a foreign land; how could a father not feel heartache?
However, Touman Chanyu's subtle emotional changes did not escape the Queen's notice. She keenly sensed Touman Chanyu's reluctance to part, and was secretly delighted. But on the surface, she pretended to be worried and said softly, "Chanyu, although Modu's trip to Yuezhi will be a good experience, he is still young, and I am really worried about him."
Upon hearing his wife's words, Touman Chanyu felt an even stronger sense of reluctance, but he also understood that this was a process Modu had to go through for the long-term development of the Xiongnu. So, he could only sigh helplessly and say, "So be it, so be it, this is what he was destined to go through."
In the vast, sand-swept frontier, a caravan moved slowly forward, the heavy thud of hooves kicking up clouds of dust. In the center of the caravan, a young man sat astride his horse, his face stern, his eyes revealing a depth and resolve beyond his years—this was Modu. At this moment, with a heart heavy with complex emotions, he embarked on his journey to the Yuezhi. Every step he took seemed to be measuring an unknown destiny.
"This journey, I know not whether I will live or die," Maodun thought to himself. As the son of Touman, the Xiongnu Chanyu, he should have enjoyed honor and privilege, but because of his father's new favorite and young son, he was sent to the Yuezhi as a hostage. Along the way, he kept thinking about his future. When would the eagle of the grasslands be able to soar in its own sky again? The wind howled across his face, but it could not dispel the sorrow and resentment in his heart.
Meanwhile, Lu Jia and Liu Qi, both in the Xiongnu royal court, were closely monitoring Maodun's movements. They had successfully made contact with Tian Xiaodao and his group. Tian Xiaodao's men were no ordinary soldiers; they were 200 guards personally handpicked by Princess Jiayang, Ying Wuyou, from the military camp. Ying Wuyou had Zhou Xun secretly train them for six months. During this time, they studied the Xiongnu language day and night, imitating Xiongnu customs. Now, blending seamlessly into the Xiongnu ranks, they were completely indistinguishable from Qin people.
When Tian Xiaodao first exchanged coded messages with Lu Jia and Liu Qi, they were all filled with wariness and suspicion. However, the moment they saw Tian Xiaodao, Lu Jia and Liu Qi couldn't help but widen their eyes, their faces filled with disbelief.
Standing before them was Tian Xiaodao, tall, dark-skinned, with a full beard, and dressed in typical Xiongnu attire; he looked every bit the Xiongnu man. Such an appearance made it utterly unbelievable to Lu Jia and Liu Qi that this man, who looked so much like a Xiongnu, could actually be a Qin person.
Tian Xiaodao seemed to sense their confusion. He smiled slightly and began to explain his identity. It turned out that although Tian Xiaodao looked like a Xiongnu, he was actually a Qin person. He had been infiltrating the Xiongnu for over two months and had a fairly good understanding of their situation.
After hearing Tian Xiaodao's explanation, Lu Jia and Liu Qi finally believed his identity. They then began to discuss the war situation between the Xiongnu and the Donghu. Tian Xiaodao provided a detailed account of the Xiongnu's internal situation, including troop deployments and resource reserves.
During the discussion, Lu Jia suggested sending someone to secretly warn the Donghu to be on guard against the Xiongnu's actions. Thus, when the Xiongnu made a grand preparation to attack the Donghu, they discovered that the Donghu had been waiting for them for some time.
The main purpose of Tian Xiaodao and his group's arrival in Xiongnu territory was to infiltrate the Xiongnu, awaken the slaves and ordinary people, incite them to rebellion, and thus disintegrate the Xiongnu from within. This plan needed to be executed with extreme caution, without arousing the suspicion of the Xiongnu leadership. For the past two months, their plan had been progressing very smoothly.
Today, Lu Jia contacted Tian Xiaodao again. They met in an open meadow, where all was quiet except for the gentle sound of the breeze rustling the grass. Liu Qi stood guard nearby to prevent anyone from approaching.
Lu Jia said to Tian Xiaodao, "Now that Maodun has gone to Yuezhi, this is an excellent opportunity. Once Maodun leaves Xiongnu territory, your troops should immediately pursue and kill him. We must not let him return alive. Maodun is ambitious, and if he continues to live, he will pose a huge threat to our Great Qin."
Tian Xiaodao nodded slightly, a sharp glint in his eyes: "Don't worry, sir, I understand."
Upon learning of Maodun's whereabouts, Tian Xiaodao acted swiftly without hesitation. Knowing that time was of the essence and there could be no delay, he decided to personally lead a team of elite warriors to hunt down Maodun.
This team of soldiers was handpicked by Tian Xiaodao; they were all agile, highly skilled in martial arts, and had complete faith in him. Tian Xiaodao had full confidence in them, believing that as long as they worked together, they would definitely succeed in completing the mission.
Tian Xiaodao and his team rushed to the only route to the Yuezhi. The terrain here was treacherous, surrounded by rolling mountains, making it an excellent ambush location. Tian Xiaodao carefully observed the surrounding environment and meticulously set up traps and ambushes to ensure success.
With everything prepared, Tian Xiaodao and his soldiers quietly lay in ambush in the shadows, awaiting Maodun's arrival. Time ticked by, their nerves taut, not daring to relax for a moment.
Finally, the sound of horses' hooves approached from afar, and Maodun's army came into view. Tian Xiaodao waved his hand, and his men immediately charged out from their hiding places. Maodun hadn't expected to be attacked here. He quickly drew his long sword and shouted, "Form ranks and meet the enemy!"
His guards reacted swiftly, drawing their weapons and shielding Maodun in the center. A fierce battle quickly erupted between the two sides, the clash of swords and shouts of battle echoing through the valley.
Although young, Maodun was highly skilled in martial arts, fighting bravely among the crowd, and for a time no one could get close to him. Tian Xiaodao was secretly shocked when he saw this; he had not expected Maodun to be so powerful.
Seeing his guards fall one by one, Maodun felt a surge of panic. He knew that this stalemate was unsustainable and he feared he would have no chance of escape. In that critical moment, Maodun made a decisive move, turning and running without hesitation, completely disregarding everything else.
Upon seeing this, Tian Xiaodao was greatly surprised. He never expected Maodun to be so resolute, turning around and running wildly in the direction he had come from. This turn of events caught Tian Xiaodao off guard, and he realized that if Maodun escaped like this, then this carefully planned operation would likely end in failure.
Time was of the essence, leaving Tian Xiaodao little time for deliberation. He immediately and decisively issued the order: "Chase! We absolutely cannot let him escape!" With his command, the group shot off like arrows, hot on Maodun's heels.