Chapter 161 (1/2)
Chapter 161
Translator: Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The young, handsome Wu Danyu obliged. He was not an original member of the Southwest Emissary's Garrison. Rather, he was drafted into the army afterward by He Xiao and the rest. He was once a renowned bandit in Helan Mountains.
”General, if you are alright with this, I can think of a way to lure the enemy to Thousand Ice Lake. I'm familiar with the terrain there. Once they step in there, you won't see them again!”
Chu Qiao thought for a while before saying, ”Let's play by ear. If things permit, I authorize you to take charge of the situation.”
Wu Danyu laughed and replied, ”Thank you, General!”
”He Qi, bring the third team to guard the northern city walls. Cooperate with the first team to defend Chidu. Commander He Xiao, I will leave the city gates of Chidu in your hands. The entire of Yan Bei will be watching you from behind.”
The look in He Xiao's eyes brightened. He bowed with respect, and echoed in unison with his brother, ”We will not let you down!”
”The objective of this battle is not to wipe out the enemy's forces. We will carry out small-scale assaults to disrupt the enemy's morale while cutting off their supply of rations. This will cause them to retreat due to fatigue, delaying the assault on Chidu. Everyone, time and patience are our only weapons. As long as we last seven days, the reinforcements from Your Highness will arrive!” Chu Qiao looked up. The lights shone on her face, giving it an otherworldly feel. The young soldiers looked at the lady younger than them, with determination in their eyes.
The room was small and the lights inside were bright. Chu Qiao reached out her hand slowly and put it on her chest. Solemnly, she said, ”Everyone, the battle is nearing. There is no room for hesitation. The country is in danger. As loyal soldiers, it is our responsibility to defend the civilians. Regardless of whether we win or lose, we did not let Yan Bei down. We did not let our conscience down. We did not let the ensign above our heads down! This battle will determine whether we live or die. Everyone, please take care!”
”General, take care!” Over ten pairs of hands mimicked Chu Qiao's gesture.
The northern winds raged on outside. The room inside was brightly lit. Not far out from the city walls, the enemies had sharpened their knives. Chu Qiao gave her orders, and the warriors slowly departed from the room, assuming their positions in the battlefield. She was unsure if anyone would live from the aftermath of this battle.
The battle began that very night. The original guards of Chidu City were scared out of their wits. However, the start of the battle was not as intense as they expected. The enemy's rear backup forces seemed to be restrained, causing them to dispatch the frontline troops to the back for defense. The formation at the back had been disrupted with the occasional small-scale disturbances.
Chu Qiao knew that Feng Ting had succeeded with his assaults near the Helan Mountains. The Xia army was in an unfamiliar environment. Up till now, they had not heard from Yan Xun and the Second Army. Given Zhao Yang's cautiousness, he would be reserved in his actions. Her motive in sending out small groups of troops was to make sure that the enemy's worries were valid, and that their movements would be restrained.
As expected, Zhao Yang was an outstanding commander. Although Feng Ting had issued an official decree, Chu Qiao changed her strategies here and there, formulating a concrete and complex plan. However, the assault on Helan Mountains was declared to be a failure on the dawn of the second day. The original plan was to defend the region for two days, but her troops did not last even one day. 1,000 soldiers from the Southwest Emissary's Garrison were wiped out overnight, none of them making it back alive.
Because of Feng Ting's defeat, Mu Rong and AhMu faced the assault of the Xia troops ahead of time. The battle began from the time of breakfast, all the way until noon when it concluded. AhMu's brother escaped back to the city from the shortcut and declared the failure of the mission. Over 2,000 soldiers perished in the battle, while the rest were dispersed and never to be heard of again.
The Xia army was on a rampage. They advanced at full throttle towards the city gates of Chidu, but met an ambush at the pine forests along the way. A team of about 500 people sliced into the rear core of the Xia Army in no man's land, managing to carry out three rounds of massacres. They also managed to burn the army's central flag and central tent. The leader of the team used a retractable arrow to pierce through the vice commander's Taiyang Acupoint. With a tug, he dislodged half the brain of the Xia commander.
The Xia Army fell into shambles. The leader of the team chased after them. Zhao Yang was too late to prevent this from happening. Hence, that day, the Xia Army lost 8,000 elite troops. All of them were drowned and frozen to death in the freezing waters of Thousand Ice Lake.