The fighting was fierce on the Red River border. Although Xie Bing had defended the first sand trench, the invading Xiongnu troops did not retreat an inch.
Moreover, troops continued to be reinforced along the breached border.
The soldiers fired their guns with all their might, and their marksmanship was clearly much better than that of the Hungarians.
After Al-Na discovered the problem, he ordered the bombardiers to deal with Shebing.
The bombardiers initially gained an advantage, but Xie Bing discovered their shift and targeted them directly, instantly killing half of the bombardiers.
The bombardiers dared not show themselves again.
"General, Xie Gou is a breath faster at mounting his gun than we are."
Al-Na said, "Our goal is to stall them; we don't need to worry about anything else."
Moreover, they mounted their guns very quickly, in a total of eight breaths, one inhale and one exhale, two seconds. Sixteen seconds.
Arnaud ordered the mountain guns to bombard Xie's troops. Xie's troops also suffered heavy losses.
Three hundred of the thousand men were lost. The enemy soldiers picked up guns on the battlefield, and Xie Bing taught them how to use them.
The barbarian soldiers learned quickly, but their accuracy was poor.
To avoid wasting the last of their troops, they organized a guerrilla force to launch an archery charge, forcing Arnai back three miles.
But the guerrilla force was wiped out. Then another guerrilla force followed, wave after wave charging with speed and sheer numbers. Every Hungarian musketeer killed was counted as ten kills.
Arnaud felt that his troops were of high quality, so he did not resort to a direct confrontation.
After the enemy soldiers were told to advance three miles, they were overjoyed, and Xie's troops breathed a sigh of relief. However, upon seeing that five hundred soldiers had been killed in their own ranks, their joy turned to sorrow.
When cleaning up the battlefield, it was discovered that only two hundred enemy soldiers had died.
The situation is not optimistic for Li Li and Xie Ji, according to the report.
The casualties were more than double. The Hunnic vanguard alone had already fought with their most intense firepower.
However, their defenses and troop strength declined rapidly.
If this continues, Xie Bing will be wiped out. The barbarian soldiers are simply at their mercy.
If the thousand-man firearms battalion were to perish in this battle, then no one would be able to defeat them.
Xie Ji was unwilling to give up. Li Li was already thinking of other solutions. He asked if the new Tianjing could send over the wheel cannons.
New Tianjing refused.
Li Li was very puzzled.
Even Xie Ji couldn't help but suspect the mistress's intentions. Their thousand firearms were already enough to make them a force to be reckoned with. However, they were facing a firearms army several times larger than Xie's own troops.
Nobody knows exactly how many firearms battalions the Huns had!
Li Li asked, "If it were Marshal Xie, how do you think she would respond?"
He heard that on the battlefield in Yue, Marshal Xie used ten cannons to bombard the entire Yue kingdom repeatedly, leaving the Yue army without even the courage to resist.
Why not just give them all ten cannons? Li Li didn't think Marshal Xie would stand idly by. Nor would His Highness.
But the two of them remained motionless.
Xie Ji said, "I definitely trust the Marshal. She's not giving orders right now, perhaps because she wants to observe the battlefield."
"We do not yet know how many soldiers and how many weapons the Hun people have."
"Therefore, we need to hold on tight even more."
Li Li thought for a moment and said, "This is the only way."
He planned to commit all his military forces. What would happen then...
Li Li couldn't help but clench her fists.
Xie Ji noticed his worry and comforted him, "Based on my understanding of the Marshal, she will surely send a message within three days."
"I must win. If we lose, it won't just be the fate of Yixian, but the fate of the entire Northern Region." Li Li's burden was far heavier than he had imagined. He carried not only the fate of Yixian's people, but also the future of the entire Northern Region's nomadic people.
Whether I become a slave or a human in the future depends entirely on this battle.
Xie Lanzhi received a report on the battle. Xie Bing is now the main force on the battlefield. The commander they are facing is Artu's younger brother.
The Huns have been lingering on the border for three days, only attacking without advancing. Logically, a swift victory would have been more advantageous for them. However, instead of doing so, they have continued to stall on the border.
Xie Lanzhi specifically checked the map and felt that there was no problem with the terrain. Ultimately, they still had the advantage of good location.
Let's look at Luerqu. The Northern Regions now regard Luerqu as a strategic location, and they certainly won't let their guard down. The problem is that some people might be restless and unwilling to remain idle.
She went to Jianzhang Palace specifically to find Si Xitong.
Zhang Changle had just left Jianzhang Palace. As she stepped into Jianzhang Palace, she saw Ma Hong bowing and clasping his hands in greeting to Si Xitong in the hall, and then he turned around and saw her.
Ma Hong also clasped his hands in greeting to her: "Greetings, Marshal."
Xie Lanzhi nodded. Ma Hong then left Lanzhang Palace.
Xie Lanzhi looked again at the little phoenix high on the throne, who was now staring intently at her. When Xie Lanzhi looked up, the phoenix had already looked away, leaving Xie Lanzhi somewhat puzzled.
She sensed a hint of sorrow in the little phoenix's glance just now.
Why are you suddenly looking at her like that? Xie Lanzhi was completely confused. She stepped forward to ask.
Si Xitong spoke first: "There won't be any problems, you can rest assured."
"I also think that although it's dangerous, it's definitely the safest place," Xie Lanzhi said, intentionally trying to agree with Si Xitong. She also kept staring into Si Xitong's eyes, trying to discern something.
Si Xitong remained calm and said, "Li Li and Xie Ji did a great job. What do you think we should reward them with next?"
"A prize?" Xie Lanzhi said, "The most important thing now is to figure out Aqina's purpose. We can talk about the prize later."
Si Xitong said, "I think we should reward them immediately, otherwise we'll waste this opportunity."
An opportunity? Xie Lanzhi's eyes narrowed. She sensed that Little Phoenix was being cryptic. Before, she had always been direct and honest with her. What was she up to today?
Their married life has been normal lately, and he probably hasn't done anything to upset his wife.
"Little Phoenix, Xie Ji's situation in Yifan is more dangerous than I imagined." Xie Lanzhi hesitated for a moment, considering whether to recall those Xie family members who were no longer needed in Yifan.
There's no need to defend the first position to the death, but it can't be lost either. In wartime, the Xie family should leverage its strengths, rather than limiting itself to the first position.
If possible, the Xie clan should retreat to the Northern Regions. The Northern Regions offer enough space for the Xie clan to preserve its strength and continue resisting the Northern Xiongnu.
Si Xitong seemed to have guessed her intention. She said, "Before I talk about my plans, let me talk about Xieji first."
Xie Lanzhi was somewhat puzzled. Xie Ji had been doing so well, so why did Little Phoenix have some other opinion about him?
"Xie Ji's ability to adapt to changing circumstances is not bad. I wonder what Little Phoenix thinks of him?"
Si Xitong said, "The evaluation is not high. After Xie Ji left the capital, he has shifted his focus to the First Division. The reason is that Tianjing made him lose his sense of belonging."
"He then treated Yifan as his second home. So he wouldn't leave easily."
The fate of the Xie family in Tianjing and various places is indeed lamentable. This was Xie Lanzhi's intention. Xie Ji will not resist, but that doesn't mean he agrees with Xie Lanzhi's actions.
The Xie family's blind adoration of Xie Lanzhi and their unquestioning obedience to her orders have already caused many within the Xie clan to regret their actions. This regret leads to speculation: what if they hadn't obeyed the Marshal? Would they still be able to remain stationed in Tianjing instead of being divided into three regions? One region had 100,000 people scattered among the common people; another region was in Xieji; and the third region's Xie clan was dispersed and mixed up by the capital's garrison.
For the Xie family, continuing the family line is fundamental. But in doing so, the Xie family has lost many things, such as talent and the core of the Xie family, which have gradually faded from the Xie clan leader.
Si Xitong said, "Lanzhi, Xie should step down."
Si Xitong was reminding Xie Lanzhi that since she had begun to withdraw the Xie family from all front lines, she should carry it out thoroughly. There should be no more dragging things out.
Xie Lanzhi fell silent. She did this because she felt there was no army in the Southern Central Plains more capable than the Xie family's. Therefore, the newly established army needed to be imbued with the Xie family's spirit and influenced by the Xie army's martial tradition. That's why she placed the Xie soldiers under the jurisdiction of the Capital Guard.
The Xie family is a restless bunch. Even those at the bottom have a stronger fighting spirit than the average person.
This is similar to silk before it is dyed; its threads are white. Only after being dyed will it have a variety of colors.
Xie Lanzhi said, "Your capital guards have reached 300,000 troops, so can you guarantee that every single one of them will be as brave as Xie?"
"With Xie Ji stepping down, who will fill the vacant position?"
Si Xitong said, "If someone needs to stay behind, I will send Ma Hong."
“If I remember correctly, his Ma family army was originally composed of light cavalry,” Xie Lanzhi said. “Sending him to suddenly face the enemy’s firearms battalion would undoubtedly be suicide.”
"There is no army more suitable than the Xie family to deal with the Huns."
These words were spoken.
She clearly heard Little Phoenix suddenly say in a chilling tone, "Is it Lan Zhi's arrogance?"
What? Xie Lanzhi felt like she was going to confront her today. Very well, then she wanted to see what Little Phoenix would do.
Si Xitong also felt that she was going against him.
She also stirred up her competitive spirit: "Lanzhi feels that I still need to rely on you. On the one hand, you think I can graduate, but on the other hand, you interfere with my decisions."
"Don't you think you're being hypocritical?"
Xie Lanzhi choked for a moment. Now, she didn't want to use the excuse of doing it for her own good to answer her. Because everything she did was for her. That was beyond question.
She just wasn't used to it. Very unaccustomed to it.
Little Phoenix's attitude now is different from before, when she used gossip to justify her rebellious phase. This time, it's a challenge!
Xie Lanzhi had never raised children, but she knew that young children always have a simple longing for their parents, elders, and even teachers.
She plays the role of both teacher and wife.
For a time, Little Phoenix really liked to imitate her. And everything she did was inseparable from her shadow. She became more and more like herself. At first, Xie Lanzhi worried that Little Phoenix would pick up some of her flaws. Now, it seems that was completely unnecessary.
The attitude Little Phoenix is displaying now is no longer as simple as she thought when she first graduated.
She now wants more than just to challenge herself; she wants to surpass herself.
So the resistance she's feeling now stems from a desire to be completely in control of herself this time.
Xie Lanzhi's emotions gradually became complicated: "You're right. Before, it seemed like I was letting you go and allowing you to be independent. But in reality, I always had a backup plan."
"That's because I still hold the belief that I can bail you out and clean up the mess."
A note from the author:
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2022-02-10 20:20:30 and 2022-02-11 20:16:12!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Qianxia Danshang (5 bottles); jueyu and Lu Cong Jinye Bai (3 bottles); Xinyang (2 bottles); Ye (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!