Chapter 543: The Fierce Tiger Leaves the Gate! Huoshu Huicangs Strike (1/2)
Chapter 543: The Fierce Tiger Leaves the Gate! Huoshu Huicang's Strike
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
”But right now, who in the southwestern territory can help us? Could it be the Wang Clan father and son? But shouldn't they be far away by now? Did they come back to help us?”
The tall and thin general grew increasingly doubtful. Subconsciously, he turned to look at his Protector-General, Xianyu Zhongtong.
Xianyu Zhongtong had been appointed by the previous protector-general, Zhangchou Jianqiong. If it wasn't for this incident, even though he lacked the qualifications to completely command the obedience of these soldiers, even though the soldiers still held some objections, all of them would have accepted this result for the sake of Zhangchou Jianqiong. But right now…
Everyone knew that the Annan Protectorate army was only united on the surface while internally a complete mess. Otherwise, a large portion of its soldiers wouldn't have left with the Wang Clan father and son.
However, despite this, there were still many people in the protectorate army who were willing to follow Xianyu Zhongtong, the successor appointed by Zhangchou Jianqiong.
Victory and defeat were both commonplace for a soldier, and a defeat in battle was not necessarily the fault of a soldier. In the view of a general, the mobilization of both Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang, a total of over five hundred thousand soldiers, was not something the Annan Protectorate army could ever have dealt with.
Mengshe Zhao had never before worked with Ü-Tsang. Even if Protector-General Zhangchou Jianqiong were here, he would probably be similarly helpless.
”I don't know…”
Xianyu Zhongtong looked down the mountain in silence. To tell the truth, he had rather complicated feelings about the Wang Clan father and son, but these feelings were far from anything that could be described as hatred. On the contrary, he felt some gratitude. If the youngest son of the Wang Clan hadn't built Lion City, and if the Wang Clan father and son hadn't brought soldiers and rallied the morale of his own troops, the southwest army would have probably already been wiped out.
Xianyu Zhongtong had always understood that while his talent and understanding of the art of war was more than enough to be a general, it was also far from enough to be an influential Imperial Protector-General whose words could shake the world.
But everything had been decided by Lord Zhangchou Jianqiong, and even Xianyu Zhongtong could only accept it.
However, no matter what, he was solely responsible for the current plight of the Annan Protectorate army.
”Although I don't know what's going on, there's one thing that I can be sure of. The one commanding the troops below isn't Wang Yan or his son!”
Xianyu Zhongtong took in a deep breath as he broke free of his stupor. Even if these generals might only be loyal to him on the surface, as the commander-in-chief, Xianyu Zhongtong still had the duty of leading his soldiers out of this predicament.
”…Wang Yan's style is clean and excessively cautious. Given his temperament, he would never use this sort of surprise-attack strategy. As for Wang Fu, his intelligence and flexibility surpass his father's, as well as mine, but… he still wouldn't be able to pull off such a feat!”
Xianyu Zhongtong had followed the Lord Protector-General for many years, and though his strength hadn't reached that level, his insight had.
”But if it isn't the Wang Clan father and son, who else could it be?” the southwest general with the scar on his left brow asked in surprise.
Of all the generals of the southwest at present, those who could match or exceed Xianyu Zhongtong's level in strategy and tactics were only the Wang Clan father and son. But if not even they could pull off this sort of strategy, just who was it that was leading these attacks against the Tibetans?
The general with the scar on his left brow was stupefied, this answer completely catching him by surprise.
”Could it be that another formidable figure has appeared in the southwest? Could it be Li Zhengyi? But didn't he die in battle?”
This general's mind was in turmoil.
”There's no need to overthink it. No matter where he comes from, there's one thing we can be sure of: he's a friend, not an enemy! Pass on my order! All soldiers should do their utmost to hold the Tibetans down.”
Xianyu Zhongtong's eyes flashed as he raised his right arm and gave the order.
And with Xianyu Zhongtong's order, the entire army rumbled to life.
Although he was no master of reckless offensives and proactive assaults, he was a mighty general when it came to infantry defense. Thus, even though Huoshu Huicang had double Xianyu Zhongtong's number of troops, he was still unable to break down Xianyu Zhongtong's forces.
”Kiiiill!”
War drums thundered as cries of battle filled the sky. The army once more plunged into an intense battle.
……
”Milord, we've been attacked in the southwest!”
”The enemy disguised as our own forces and we've been dealt heavy casualties!”
”If this continues, the army will collapse!”
”Milord, the southeast has been attacked again!”
……
At the base of the mountain, Huoshu Huicang was seated on a highland steed that was taller than a man. Around him, messenger after messenger was riding forward. At the start, Huoshu Huicang had not really cared about these irritating attacks. If battles could be won through these troublemaking methods, battles wouldn't need to be fought. Everyone would just use these strategies.
As the personal commander of one hundred thousand soldiers and the commander-in-chief of the more than two hundred thousand elites of the Ngari Royal Lineage, Huoshu Huicang thought of these methods as childish tricks, or to describe it more accurately, self-destruction.
But what happened next was completely beyond his expectations.