noffsinger Chapter 1993: Retreat when you have the advantage?
Chapter 1993: Retreat when you have the advantage?
Helian Wujiu's 40,000 men are gone!
Only this explanation can explain why Feng Mulan dared and was able to send such a large number of reinforcements, especially this cavalry force that needed to move quickly!
This means that the battle in the direction of Luoxia Mountain has likely ended, and ended in a great victory for the Chu army!
The main force of the Vermilion Bird Legion has most likely freed up its forces and is rushing towards Black River Valley!
Cold sweat silently soaked Wang Zhongsi's back.
At this moment, he was left with only two paths, each fraught with enormous risks and uncertainties.
The first path is gambling!
They were betting that before Guo Feng's 10,000 cavalry completely disrupted their formation, they could break through Xue Dingshan's last line of defense at all costs and kill him!
If successful, at least Xue Huaide's only son would be killed, severely damaging the morale of the Chu army. This would at least salvage some face for the campaign and provide some explanation to both superiors and subordinates.
But what if they fail? Xue Dingshan's troops are already fighting like cornered beasts, and their desperate counterattack will surely be fierce, while Guo Feng's cavalry will arrive in an instant.
Once we get bogged down by this fresh force, and the main force of the Vermilion Bird Legion arrives...
Then Wang Zhongsi and his tens of thousands of troops are very likely to follow in Helian Wujiu's footsteps, be completely surrounded, and perish in this Black River Valley!
The second option is to retreat!
Taking advantage of the fact that Guo Feng's cavalry had not yet fully penetrated the battlefield and their formation had not yet fallen into disarray, he immediately ordered a break from the battle and a full retreat.
This way, most of the troops can be preserved, and the worst-case scenario can be avoided.
However, this means that all the previous sacrifices and efforts have been in vain, and we can only watch as Xue Dingshan is rescued, resulting in a complete failure.
Wang Zhongsi mobilized a large army and allied with the Scorpion Clan, but ultimately suffered heavy losses and gained nothing. This may even have damaged his prestige in the army and the court's trust in him.
Continuing the offensive is extremely risky and could result in total annihilation.
An immediate retreat would preserve strength, but it would result in a loss of face and a strategic failure.
Decisions of killing and ruthlessness can be made in a single thought.
Wang Zhongsi's gaze fell once more upon the approaching plume of smoke and dust, the crimson of the Vermilion Bird battle flag stinging his eyes.
He glanced again at Xue Dingshan, who was fighting fiercely in the inner circle, his fighting spirit rekindled by the arrival of reinforcements.
Time seemed to slow down and rush by at this moment.
The sounds of fighting in the Black River Valley were still deafening, but the air of despair belonging to the Chu army was changed by the billowing dust and thunderous hoofbeats coming from the southeast.
Hope, like a torch suddenly lit in the dark night, dispelled the gloom of impending death and rekindled a burning light in the eyes of every surviving Chu soldier.
Xue Dingshan leaned on his halberd, breathing heavily, his chest heaving like a broken bellows.
As he gazed at the increasingly clear Vermilion Bird battle flag, his taut nerves finally relaxed slightly.
But because of this momentary relaxation, his body almost went limp.
He forced himself to stay upright, knowing that this was still a matter of life and death.
In stark contrast to the soaring morale of the Chu army, a sense of unease and suspicion permeated the Tang army and the Scorpion Clan's allied forces.
That rapidly advancing cavalry force was like a red-hot blade, about to plunge into their flanks and completely alter the balance of power on the battlefield.
On the high slope, Wang Zhongsi's expression had returned to its usual calm.
But the furrowed brow and the fleeting struggle deep in his eyes revealed the turmoil he was experiencing inside.
Time seemed to stretch out, every breath a matter of life and death for tens of thousands of soldiers.
He quickly weighed the two equally weighty choices in his mind: to risk everything and kill Xue Dingshan at all costs before the enemy cavalry arrived.
Or should we decisively give up, preserve our strength, and plan for the future?
Guo Feng's cavalry surge drew ever closer, the thunderous roar of their hooves pounding the earth drowning out most of the battlefield's noise. One could even vaguely make out the gleaming sabers and ferocious faces of the cavalry vanguard.
Wang Zhongsi's gaze finally swept over the remnants of the Chu army, which stood like a rock, yet showed faint signs of a counterattack despite their desperate situation.
He swept past his own troops on the flank, who were about to be overwhelmed by the cavalry wave, and finally made up his mind.
"Ming Jin!"
Wang Zhongsi's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable decisiveness and clearly reached the ears of the messenger beside him.
"The general has ordered! Sound the retreat!"
"Dang-dang-dang-!"
A crisp and urgent gong suddenly rang out, piercing through the chaotic battlefield and clearly reaching the ears of every Tang soldier.
For these seasoned warriors, this sound meant the end of the attack and the beginning of the retreat.
The originally surging offensive was halted instantly, as if it had hit an invisible dam.
"What? Sound the retreat?"
Tuowu Jin, the leader of the Scorpion Clan, who was supervising the battle at the front and was in the heat of the moment, was stunned by the sound and could hardly believe his ears.
He abruptly turned his head, looking towards the direction of the central army's banner, his face, already bristling with beard and halberds, instantly filled with rage.
Just when they were about to completely crush Xue Dingshan and this tenacious Chu army, they decided to retreat at this critical juncture.
He couldn't understand it!
"What is Wang Zhongsi up to?!"
With a roar, Tuwu Jin could no longer contain himself. He suddenly turned his horse around and, with several guards, charged towards the high slope where Wang Zhongsi was, like a whirlwind.
He roughly shoved through the somewhat chaotic Tang soldiers who were carrying out the retreat order, and rushed straight to Wang Zhongsi's horse, his eyes bloodshot as he demanded in a stern voice:
"General Wang! Why did you order a retreat?!"
"Xue Dingshan is already trapped like a turtle in a jar. With just a little more effort, we can chop him into mincemeat! If we retreat now, wouldn't all our previous efforts be wasted?!"
Despite facing Tuwu Jin's rage, Wang Zhongsi remained calm, only his eyes became more profound.
He raised his hand and pointed to the Vermilion Bird cavalry, who were already within arm's reach, and he could even feel the chilling killing intent emanating from their charge. He said in a deep voice:
"Turkic leader, look carefully! Ten thousand cavalry are coming!"
"Feng Mulan first sent 10,000 infantrymen, and now she has sent 10,000 elite cavalrymen to reinforce her. What does this mean?"
Without waiting for Tuojin's reply, he uttered his chilling conjecture, word by word:
"This means that the battle in the direction of Luoxia Mountain is very likely over!"
"Chief Helian Wujiu and his 40,000-strong army... are probably all wiped out!"
"what?"
Suddenly, Jin was struck dumb, his furious expression frozen on his face, replaced by a look of disbelief and horror.
Helian Wujiu's 40,000 troops were completely wiped out.
The news was so shocking that he couldn't process it for a while.
Wang Zhongsi continued his calm analysis, his tone urgent yet organized: "If the main force of the Vermilion Bird Legion has been freed up, what will they do next? They will undoubtedly provide full support to Black River Valley!"
"If we are entangled by these 10,000 cavalrymen now, and Feng Mulan personally leads her army to surround us, will we still be able to escape?"
"At that point, the question won't be whether we can kill Xue Dingshan, but whether we can leave this Black River Valley alive!"