Huò Qùbìng 霍去病 Attacks by Surprise

The time was the Western Hàn 汉 dynasty (period 06b), and China was being troubled by a pastoral people called Xiōngnú 匈奴 from the north, who pillaged and killed in northern villages.

In a certain year, the Xiōngnú attacked yet again, and a communiqué reached Emperor Wǔ (Hàn Wǔ dì 汉武帝, reign 06b-6). The emperor responded with about three hundred thousand troops, who headed north from the capital under the leadership of Generalissimo WÈI Qīng 卫青 to take on the menace.

General Wèi had a nephew by the name of HUÒ Qùbìng 霍去病, who had always dreamed of becoming a warrior. Huò was now 18, and begged to be allowed to accompany his uncle. The emperor, who thought well of the lad, agreed.

At the approach of the large Imperial force, the Xiōngnú drew back a long distance from the frontier. General Wèi’s scouts found little remaining trace of them. However General Wèi decided it was best to send some of his troops in pursuit. Some under General LǏ Guǎng 李广 headed one way; another party was headed by General GŌNGSŪN Áo 公孙敖. A third was under the command of general SŪ Jiàn 苏建. And General Wèi gave his nephew command of 800 troops as the fourth group.

As night approached, Generals Lǐ and Gōngsūn returned, reporting that they had found a few small groups of Xiōngnú and slaughtered them. Time passed, and eventually General Sū returned. His group had found a formidable group of Xiōngnú, and had fought a pitched battle before triumphing over them, with many casualties on the imperial side.

Still nothing was heard from Huò Qùbìng and his soldiers. They in fact had found no Xiōngnú at all, much to Huò’s disappointment. Huò had therefore decided to continue on, farther and farther from his uncle’s encampment, determined to find some Xiōngnú to slaughter in glory.

Eventually he and his 800 men came upon the main encampment of the Xiōngnú, who were just finishing dinner and retiring for the night. Huò waited until all was calm, then suddenly swept down upon the sleeping enemy, who had never imagined that imperial troops would follow them so far from the main battle zone.

It was a magnificent battle, with Huò’s forces killing nearly 2,000 of the enemy and successfully capturing the commanders. And this was due to pursuing an enemy far into a zone where others feared to go.

But was that courage or foolishness?