Chapter 367: Great Defeat
On December 3, Xiao Zhuo's army encountered Xiao Beiheng's army in a place called Leye, east of Leshan County in Xiliang, and the battle that determined the fate of both sides began.
The early morning air was chilly. Shen Yuexi stood on a platform outside the tent, looking at the busy military camp in front of her.
The rhythmic sound of war drums rang out in the camp, startling the crows perched on the top of the tent. It was the order to leave the camp and form a battle formation.
Columns of armored soldiers rushed out of their tents, trampling the snow and forming lines beneath fluttering banners. The tassels on their helmets trembled in the wind, like balls of fire. The sharp spears and halberds in their hands reflected the light of the rising sun, and their eyes were filled with courage and tenacity, showing no fear of the coming battle.
Seeing that the soldiers were all eager to fight, Shen Yuexi rubbed his hands happily, jumped off the platform and returned to the tent.
Xiao Zhuo was already dressed. Seeing her come in, he took out a small bag from his arms and placed it solemnly in her hand, saying, "Yuexi, please keep this well."
Shen Yuexi recognized the bag containing the fragments of the Dragon Huan jade pendant and took it, placing it on the table. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Xiao Zhuo's neck, saying, "Husband, the battle is imminent. I won't say too much. I wish you a great victory."
Xiao Zhuo smiled and patted her head: "You used to be very active, why don't you go to the battlefield with your husband this time?"
"The baby has grown up. I don't want him to hear the sounds of fighting and smell the smell of blood, so I won't go." Shen Yuexi looked up and gazed at Xiao Zhuo affectionately. "When my husband is fighting on the battlefield, be careful of hidden arrows."
Xiao Zhuo seemed to know her worries. He held her shoulders with both hands and said, "The armor you made for me is invulnerable to swords and arrows. Besides, Doctor Hua is also here at the barracks. He's here for me if I get hurt."
Shen Yuexi wanted to say a few more words, but when she thought about the thousands of people fighting together, injuries were common, and it wasn't something that could be solved by her reminders. So she stopped talking, kissed Xiao Zhuo, and walked him out the door.
Back in the tent, she picked up the bag on the table and weighed it in her palm. The jade pendant fragments made a rustling sound in the bag.
Xiao Zhuo valued this jade pendant so much, so of course she had to keep it safe for him. After thinking about it, she simply passed the string of the jade pendant bag directly through her belt and tied it tightly so that it wouldn't be lost.
Xia Lan came in and said, "Master, Doctor Hua is here in response to your call."
Shen Yuexi said, "Please ask Doctor Hua to come in. Oh, and prepare some hot ginger tea for him."
Doctor Hua arrived at the camp late last night, bringing some medicine for Mei Dai's recovery. Mei Dai wanted to express her gratitude with money and silk, but Doctor Hua refused. Then, Doctor Hua stayed in the coalition camp, saying he wanted to contribute to the coalition.
Seeing that Doctor Hua looked much more energetic than when he was with Xiao Beiheng, Shen Yuexi nodded and said, "Doctor Hua, it's so cold, and you still came all the way here to deliver medicine. You've worked so hard. Have a cup of ginger tea to warm your stomach first."
"I was escorted here by soldiers arranged by General Feng Zhang. I rode in a car all the way, so I wasn't tired." Doctor Hua sat down and said, "I don't have any other specialties, but I have some experience in treating sword wounds, so I can do my best to help the soldiers."
After a few words, Xia Lan served hot ginger tea and a plate of snacks, placing them on the table. Shen Yuexi said, "Doctor Hua, since you're here, why don't you let me see how the baby in my belly is doing?"
Doctor Hua felt her pulse, listened for a moment, stroked his beard, and said with a smile, "Princess An, don't worry. Your pulse is stable, and the child is doing well."
Shen Yuexi finally felt relieved. She had been riding around on horseback before, appearing to be unconcerned, but she was actually a little worried about the impact on the child. Now with Dr. Hua's diagnosis, she felt much more at ease and asked, "Is Hua Duoduo feeling better?"
Doctor Hua said, "Thanks to Princess An's great blessing, his lost energy and blood have been replenished. Although he still has many scars on his body, he is still a little easily frightened. Saving his life is more important than anything else."
Shen Yuexi spoke frankly: "The fact that Hua Duoduo was rescued was mainly due to the help of my sister-in-law. I didn't actually do anything."
She had originally met Doctor Hua and his son at the Prince Ping's mansion. Although she had the help of the universal manufacturing machine and could escape at any time, she couldn't take Doctor Hua and Hua Duoduo with her, so Su Mo arranged a vehicle to rescue Doctor Hua and his son.
Doctor Hua sighed and said, "Princess Ping is also a kind person. I heard that she is in the opposing army?"
Shen Yuexi nodded and was about to respond when she heard the faint roar of shouts and the pounding of drums in the distance. Though distant, the intensity was undiminished. She knew the two armies had engaged, and she couldn't help but stand up and look outside the tent.
Doctor Hua saw her worried look and stood up and asked, "Is the princess worried about Prince An?"
Shen Yuexi felt a little nervous listening to the sounds of fighting, even her breathing became unnatural. She said, "To be honest, I am a little scared. I'm afraid we will lose."
Xiao Beiheng had an army of 170,000, not counting the 100,000 reinforcements that arrived later. Xiao Zhuo only had 150,000. Although Xiao Zhuo had always been undefeated, he had nearly been defeated at the foot of Yongwei City. That defeat was at the hands of Xiao Beiheng, and she couldn't help but worry.
Doctor Hua said, "Princess An, I have something to say. I wonder if Princess An would be willing to listen?"
Shen Yuexi suppressed her inner uneasiness, sat down again and said, "Doctor Hua, please speak."
"Although I am only a commoner, I am certain that Prince An will win this war," Doctor Hua said with conviction. "Not only do I believe this, but the people of Liansheng Capital also believe this. Xiao Beiheng's actions are perverse, and even if he ascends to the throne, he will be a tree without roots and water without a source. His army may seem powerful, but it will definitely not be able to defeat Prince An."
Shen Yuexi asked, "Doctor Hua, do you also understand military strategy?"
Doctor Hua smiled and shook his head. "I don't understand military affairs. I just see it from the perspective of an ordinary person. We've been dealing with each other since we were in Daliang Village. As the saying goes, 'A red flower grows redder by the company of a red flower.' With a wife as virtuous and wise as you, Prince An is bound to be a wise and understanding ruler. Even the falling of a leaf can herald the coming of autumn. Prince An has already won the hearts of the people, while Xiao Beiheng has been deserted by his friends and relatives. I've heard that even the Prime Minister and other officials in the capital are against him. Compared to the two, how could Prince An fail?"
Shen Yuexi felt that what Doctor Hua said made sense, but she still couldn't let it go. After seeing Doctor Hua off, she listened to the movements in front of her in the tent. She couldn't sit still and stayed up until noon, urging Xia Lan to go and find out the news from the front.
After Xia Lan found out the details, she happily reported to Shen Yuexi, "Master, both Prince An's and Xiao Beiheng's armies have been cautiously conducting probing attacks. From this morning till now, both sides have lost over a thousand soldiers. They are evenly matched, with no clear winner."
Shen Yuexi was eating lunch and put down her spoon and said, "Then why are you so happy?"
Xia Lan said, "There's a stalemate here, but a great victory was won in the north. Xiao Beiheng sent 90,000 troops to fight General Zhao Mu, but they were beaten to pieces by General Zhao Mu, losing over 10,000 men."
Shen Yuexi was overjoyed and stood up and asked, "Really?"
If we can defeat tens of thousands of enemy troops in one battle, then doesn’t that mean we can wipe out all the enemy troops in the north in just nine battles?
She had never thought that Zhao Mu, a drunkard, could be so good at fighting. She hadn't had a very good impression of the border troops before, especially remembering the time when Wei Liang's troops were defeated by the Western Rong. But under Zhao Mu's leadership, the troops became so brave and skilled in fighting. It was true that a strong general would have no weak soldiers.
Xia Lan said, "General Zhao Mu just loves to drink and is very fierce in battle. I heard that he and Prince of Qi Xiao Ming were two powerful generals under the late emperor. However, he was prone to drinking and made mistakes, which offended Emperor Yongde and almost cost him his official position. It was Prince of Qi who saved him and let him guard the border."
Chen Yuexi was overjoyed and clapped her hands, saying, "As long as my husband can hold off my brother's attack, once we've wiped out the enemy troops in the north, we can outflank them and attack their rear. Then we'll definitely win."
She was so happy that even eating chicken became enjoyable.
As the sun set on the second day, news of victory came from the north. General Zhao Mu had won another great victory, annihilating 20,000 enemies and forcing them back more than ten miles. He even captured the enemy's main camp, while he himself suffered only 10,000 casualties in total.
Shen Yuexi counted on her fingers. To have wiped out 30,000 enemy troops in just two battles was no human, it was a god of war. If that were the case, four more battles would be enough to wipe out the remaining 60,000. It was simply unstoppable.
She remained beautiful until the third day. Xiao Zhuo and Xiao Beiheng clashed daily, with Xiao Zhuo losing over 5,000 men and Xiao Beiheng suffering around 8,000 casualties. The two fought to a draw. However, Shen Yuexi wasn't paying much attention to the present, instead urging Xia Lan to gather information about the northern route.
At dinner time in the afternoon, Xia Lan rushed into the tent, her face filled with panic, and shouted, "Master, this is bad! We've been defeated!"
Shen Yuexi was teasing the parrot Liuli. Xia Lan's voice was so shrill that Liuli was scared and flew away.
"Who did you say lost?" Shen Yuexi asked, "Don't panic, take a breath first."
"General Zhao Mu was defeated," Xia Lan said with a sad face. "Nearly 40,000 people were killed or wounded in the battle. The camp they had previously captured was also lost. They were directly defeated and retreated back to their original camp."
Shen Yuexi didn't believe it and laughed, "You must be teasing me, trying to surprise me. General Zhao Mu is such a good fighter, how could he lose so badly?"
"It's true," Xia Lan said, jumping with anxiety. "How dare this servant tease you? If you don't believe me, go to the general's tent and see if the messenger who brought the news is still there."
Shen Yuexi stood up and said, "Maybe I heard it wrong. I'll go ask in person."
The border troops lost 40,000 men in one battle, plus the 10,000 casualties from before, which was equivalent to losing half of their troops. Are you kidding me? All the gains from the previous few days were suddenly reversed. Did Zhao Mu lose his mind and just stand there in a row to be slaughtered?
She arrived at the general's tent, where a dusty-faced border general was sipping water. Upon seeing her, he quickly put down his water bag and saluted, saying, "Your humble servant greets Princess An."
Shen Yuexi recognized the man as Wei Liang, a man he knew. His face was covered in dust, and there were a few spots of blood on his clothes, but he didn't know whose it was. He asked, "General Wei, what brings you here? I heard the fighting in the north is not going well?"
Wei Liang showed a look of shame and said:
"Princess, we suffered a crushing defeat, losing forty thousand men in a single battle. General Zhao sent me here to request assistance."
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