L'hibiscus comme peinture - Chapitre 20
A battle between two armies with vastly different troop strength:
On the battlefield, with 50,000 against 5,000, they were completely wiped out in terms of sheer force. But as a general, even knowing that they were going to lose, he could not disobey military orders.
"Haha... Want to avenge your humiliation? Then let's see if you have the ability!" Tuoba Lu looked at the small group of five thousand infantrymen in front of him with a look of 'disdain' and laughed arrogantly.
He simply couldn't understand why, upon learning that Ouyang Jinxuan was under the command of some unknown military advisor named Mo Jun, the Crown Prince would mobilize 50,000 troops, even appointing him personally to lead the army, and repeatedly instructing him to remain calm and not fall into any traps. Judging from the enemy's formation, it was clear that this Mo Jun was utterly incompetent, completely ignorant of military strategy and tactics. The Crown Prince was being far too cautious this time.
"Let's see if I, Old Zhao, have the ability. Brothers, kill!" With a command from Zhao Zhiyang, five thousand men charged towards the enemy, each with a death wish.
Knowing that death was inevitable, as soldiers, especially as officers under Prince Jin, they would never desert their posts. Even if they died, they would kill a few enemies to make it worthwhile.
For a time, the fighting was fierce and chaotic. Although the Longxuan soldiers were ten times fewer in number, they fought bravely and were determined to die. The Cangliao army was unable to gain any advantage for the time being.
Just as the two sides were locked in fierce fighting, Tuoba Lu suddenly gave the order: "Withdraw." Instantly, all the Cangliao soldiers seemed to panic and retreat.
Seeing the enemy retreating in such a 'disheveled' manner, Zhao Zhiyang wiped the enemy's blood from his face and laughed loudly, "Hahaha... Trying to use the same old trick again? I, Old Zhao, won't fall for it."
Just as he was about to order a return to camp, a lieutenant immediately rode forward, took out a brocade pouch from his body, and said, "General, this was given to me by Military Advisor Mo before the battle. Military Advisor Mo said that as soon as the enemy retreats, it should be given to General Zhao so that he can act according to orders."
Zhao Zhiyang took the brocade pouch with a puzzled look: What does that person want to do now?
Upon opening the brocade pouch and seeing the words inside, Zhao Zhiyang angrily threw it to the ground, looked up and roared at the sky, "Damn it, you won't rest until you've killed me and these five thousand brothers, will you? Fine, I, Zhao Zhiyang, will haunt you even as a ghost!"
He turned to look at his brothers who had risked their lives with him, and Mo Jun's words, "My orders are as strict as those of a prince," echoed in his ears. He gritted his teeth and ordered, "Pursue!"
A cloud of yellow sand rose from the vast plain. Before long, the battlefield, which had just been fiercely fighting, became eerily quiet. Only the blood-soaked fallen soldiers lay on the ground, and next to the conspicuous yellow brocade pouch, a single, heavy character was written in neat white paper: 'Pursue'.
The Strategist and the Princess: Battlefield Chapter 20 - A Masterful Plan
Zhao Zhiyang led 5,000 infantrymen in pursuit at all costs, following Ao Jun's orders. However, because he was leading infantry, their progress was slow. By the time they reached a canyon, the enemy had vanished.
Zhao Zhiyang surveyed the surrounding terrain, then turned and shouted to his five thousand soldiers, "The terrain here is dangerous. The enemy may be lying in ambush in the canyon. Brothers, be careful!" He then ordered them to continue advancing.
At this moment, the same deputy general immediately rode forward, took out a white brocade pouch from his bosom, and handed it to Zhao Zhiyang, saying, "General Zhao, this was given to me by Military Advisor Mo before the battle, along with the yellow brocade pouch we just received. Military Advisor Mo instructed that the yellow brocade pouch be given to you as soon as the enemy retreats, and the white brocade pouch be given to you as soon as the enemy disappears."
"What is she trying to do now? Sending us to our deaths isn't enough, she wants to play us for fools too. Why all the tricks?" Zhao Zhiyang was furious when he heard that it was another brocade pouch left by Ao Jun. He grumbled as he roughly tore open the pouch to see what was inside.
"This...?" Upon seeing the words written inside, Zhao Zhiyang was puzzled. He didn't know what Ao Jun was up to. This was the first time since he joined the army that he didn't understand the meaning of the order issued by his superior, but he still had to obey it.
Given the current situation, how could we possibly harm him? Once Zhao Zhiyang understood, he stopped hesitating and gave the order: "All soldiers, listen to my command, retreat to the left."
For a moment, clouds of dust rose again, and soon the noisy canyon entrance fell silent.
The Cangliao army, which had been lying in ambush in the canyon for a long time, waited for a long time but the soldiers of Longxuan Kingdom did not enter the valley. Tuoba Lu couldn't help but wonder to himself, "Why haven't they come yet? I clearly saw Zhao Zhiyang chasing after them, why haven't they come yet?"
Just as Tuoba Lu was puzzled, a scout from Cangliao rode up to report: "Reporting, General, the Longxuan army suddenly turned around and retreated when they reached the valley entrance."
"What?! I've been waiting for so long, I can't let them get away, chase them!" Tuoba Lu was so angry that his face turned green, and he mounted his horse to give chase.
“General, please reconsider! The Longxuan troops have changed their previous strategy. Knowing it was a trap, they still pursued us, but suddenly retreated when they reached the valley entrance. There may be something wrong with them,” a deputy general beside Tuoba Lu advised.
"Problem? What problem? I doubt Zhao Zhiyang has the strategy, and that Mo Jun is even less of a threat. Besides, they only have a mere five thousand men. If we let them escape right under my nose, how will I save face? I'll be laughed at for having fifty thousand troops unable to harm a mere five thousand. Stop talking, or else let them escape back to camp! Chase them!" Tuoba Lu completely ignored his deputy's words and Yelü Ying's advice. He spurred his horse forward while ordering his ambushing soldiers to give chase.
Seeing their commander gallop out of the canyon and hearing the order, the Cangliao soldiers, though unaware of what was happening, still followed their commander out of the canyon.
Because Tuoba Lu was eager to annihilate Zhao Zhiyang and his five thousand soldiers in one fell swoop and achieve a great victory, he only cared about pursuing them at full speed, with ten thousand cavalry close behind, while the remaining forty thousand infantry were left far behind. Tuoba Lu didn't care, he was confident that his ten thousand cavalry could annihilate Zhao Zhiyang's five thousand infantry in one fell swoop.
Upon reaching a wide, treacherous area, the 40,000 infantrymen of Cangliao could barely see their commander and 10,000 cavalrymen ahead. Their ranks, already scattered due to the ambush, hastily followed Tuoba Lu out of the canyon before they could regroup. As their commander grew increasingly distant, almost invisible, panic gripped the soldiers, and the ranks became as chaotic as a mutinous riot. The worst thing for an army is to be leaderless, and the dignified general of Cangliao had made such a basic mistake.
"Charge!" Just as the Cangliao infantrymen were in a chaotic rush toward the place where their commander had disappeared, shouts suddenly came from the surrounding high ground. The Longxuan soldiers who were lying in ambush all around charged down from the surrounding high ground in an orderly manner, surrounding the 40,000 Cangliao infantrymen.
Although Longxuan's troops were few in number, they managed to maintain control of the situation despite the sudden attack. The Cangliao troops resisted for a while, and although their numbers were nearly ten times greater, they were still unable to break through.
On the other hand, Zhao Zhiyang followed Ao Jun's instructions and retreated to the left. As they retreated to a natural crevice filled with ravines and gullies, Zhao Zhiyang's confusion deepened: He really didn't understand where she wanted them to retreat to.
Just as Zhao Zhiyang was hesitating whether to ask the deputy general, Mo Jun, if there were any more 'military orders', a soldier stepped forward and reported: "Reporting to the general, the Cangliao troops are coming after us."
At this moment, the deputy general came up again. Before he could speak, Zhao Zhiyang said in an unfriendly tone, "Is there another secret pouch? If so, bring it here." Really, couldn't he just say it directly? Why go through all this trouble? Why use a secret pouch?
"Huh?" The lieutenant was startled and didn't know how to react for a moment. It wasn't until Zhao Zhiyang shouted impatiently that he reacted and tremblingly handed a purple brocade pouch to Zhao Zhiyang.
After reading the words in the brocade pouch and glancing around, Zhao Zhiyang's furious face finally showed a hint of joy. He perked up and said, "Brothers, listen to my command! The first team will ambush on the left, the second team on the right, the third team in front, the fourth team covering the rear, and the fifth team will follow me to fight the enemy in Cangliao. We will not let a single enemy soldier escape."
"Understood."
Following Zhao Zhiyang's orders, the Longxuan soldiers quickly and orderly took up positions at the designated locations, waiting for Tuoba Lu to fall into their trap.
Sure enough, Tuoba Lu led his troops to this place in no time. After all, he was a veteran general. The closer he got, the more he felt something was wrong. He knew the terrain here better than anyone. Once he calmed down, he realized that the situation was too strange. He had acted too impulsively. He was about to order a retreat, but it was too late.
"General Tuoba, we've been waiting for you for a long time." The mocking voice, as loud as a bell, seemed even more deafening on the narrow path.
As Zhao Zhiyang mocked them, a group of men appeared in front of the Cangliao army under his leadership, and another group immediately cut off their retreat, effectively trapping the Cangliao army in the middle.
"Zhao Zhiyang, you are too despicable." Seeing that he had fallen into the trap, Tuoba Lu was so angry that he spoke without thinking.
"Haha... All's fair in war, General Tuoba must know that! Haha..." Zhao Zhiyang was overjoyed at Tuoba Lu's helpless look; he could finally avenge his humiliation.
"You... Hmph, you think you can defeat this general like this? You're too naive!"
"Then let's try. Brothers, now is the time to avenge our fallen brothers. Kill!" Zhao Zhiyang drew his sword from his waist, pointed it forward, and gave the order.
"Kill!" Tuoba Lu also drew his sword from his waist and ordered the enemy to fight.
For a moment, the narrow path was filled with the glint of swords and the cries of agony and the neighing of warhorses. Although the Cangliao army had 10,000 men, they were all cavalry and could hardly move in this confined space. On the other hand, the Longxuan army, though only about 2,000 men, were lightly armed infantry who could move nimbly in this narrow space, each one fighting like ten. Soon, the Cangliao army gradually began to be defeated.
"Retreat, retreat quickly, retreat to the left!" Seeing that the situation was not good, Tuoba Lu quickly ordered a retreat. Since the rear route was blocked, they had no choice but to retreat to the left.
Unexpectedly, as soon as they retreated to the left flank, the Longxuan soldiers who were lying in ambush on the left flank suddenly rushed out and intercepted them. Tuoba Lu then ordered a retreat to the right, where the Longxuan soldiers who were lying in ambush on the right flank also intercepted them.