Chapter 364: The Allied Forces Retreat Westward
"Continue to retreat westward?"
Shen Yuexi was about to stick a carrot into the snowman's face as a nose, but was stunned when she heard Xiao Zhuo's decision.
Xiao Zhuo and his two sisters fought so well. Facing the aggressive enemy, they won three battles in a row. The morale of the coalition forces was unprecedentedly high. General Qiu Liming even rubbed his hands and said that he was ready to push the enemy back in the next battle.
The situation on the battlefield is very good, why does Xiao Zhuo continue to retreat to Xiliang?
Xiao Zhuo scooped up a handful of snow, added it to the snowman's round head, patted it, and said with a smile, "Why do you look so reluctant? Is it because you built such a big snowman and you can't bear to leave?"
The snowman was right next to the allied army's general's tent. It was about a man's height, with a round head and body like a large, snow-white gourd. Xiao Zhuo and his men were fighting at the front, so Shen Yuexi couldn't join them, so she built it by herself.
Shen Yuexi rolled her eyes at him, stood the carrot upright, and thrust it into the snowman's head. She turned and walked towards the nearby tent. Xiao Zhuo trotted over and held her arm, "Be careful with your steps. Don't slip."
Back in the tent, Shen Yuexi still looked unhappy and stood there in silence. Xiao Zhuo helped her take off her cloak and said with a smile, "It will snow again later. Let's build a bigger snowman then."
The maid brought a basin of water, and Shen Yuexi said as she washed her hands, "This isn't about the snowman at all."
Xiao Zhuo was a smart man, how could he not know what she was worried about? He was actually playing dumb and deliberately teasing her.
She didn't want to leave Shengjing; it was her and Xiao Zhuo's home. Although she was outside the city, gazing at the outline of Shengjing from afar made her feel at ease. What if the coalition forces continued to retreat westward and Xiao Beiheng led his troops into Shengjing, burning, killing, and looting?
The thought of this scene filled her with fear. It was one thing for the coalition forces to fail to withstand the enemy's attack; that was simply because they were weak. But why were they retreating westward when they had clearly routed the enemy?
Xiao Zhuo washed his hands, warmed them over the charcoal basin, turned around and rubbed his hands on her red face, saying, "It's noon, let's eat. I asked Xia Lan to prepare chicken soup."
Shen Yuexi was wiping her hands when she heard this. She was so annoyed that she really wanted to stuff a big chicken leg into the man's mouth.
It's chicken soup again. I've developed a fondness for eating chicken. It's just that I ate chicken a few times when I was down and out, and I'm reminiscing about the good times.
"Master, the meal is here." Xia Lan lifted the curtain and let the maid carrying the tray in.
"I'm not hungry," Shen Yuexi stuffed the towel into Xiao Zhuo's arms and ducked under his armpits, "Let His Royal Highness Prince An eat."
This man must be punished by eating all the chicken. This is called giving someone a taste of his own medicine. After eating it for ten days or half a month, he will definitely come to her with a sad face and beg her, saying, "Madam, can we change to something else? Eating the same thing every day is too greasy."
Of course, she couldn't just let it go. She solemnly told him that chicken was very nutritious and that he should eat more. If he couldn't finish it, she would feed him herself. She stuffed the chicken head, neck, wings, legs, and butt into his mouth, and even after he finished it all, she forced him to drink two more bowls of chicken soup.
When she thought of Xiao Zhuo's sad face, she almost laughed.
But then he thought, chicken is very nutritious. If he really eats so much, will Xiao Zhuo become as fat as a balloon? Oh, no, that won't do. Even if a handsome man is elegant and graceful, he will be completely ruined if he becomes fat like a balloon.
She turned around quickly: "Husband, I'm afraid... I'll eat it."
Xiao Zhuo was sitting at the table tearing lamb chops. Seeing Shen Yuexi turn around, he smiled and said, "What are you afraid of?"
Shen Yuexi sat down opposite him, looking at the tray that contained a whole rack of roasted lamb chops that had been roasted to a golden brown and smelled fragrant. Beside it were steaming white bread, a few small dishes of dipping sauce, and a large bowl of meat sauce. She thought to herself that this man was really cunning and even knew how to play the game of making a feint to the east and attacking in the west.
She swallowed and said, "I'm afraid that the enemy will pursue us when we retreat."
Xiao Zhuo smiled and handed her a lamb chop, saying, "This is why we have to withdraw after winning a battle. If we retreat westward now, the enemy's morale will be low. They will suspect we are plotting a trick and will not dare to pursue us. Only then can we retreat smoothly."
"Do we have to retreat? We fought well... Mmm, it's delicious."
"Our forces are limited, and even if we win three more battles, it won't be of much use. My brother's southern army is about to arrive, not to mention there are two armies on the way to support us. We should retreat westward first. This way, we can not only escape from danger, but also get closer to the four counties of Xiliang and receive reinforcements."
"What about Seungkyung?"
"Trust me, my brother will definitely not attack Shengjing. I will leave 10,000 defenders in Shengjing and let Feng Zhang and Yang Cong defend it. We will move camp and set up camp early tomorrow morning."
"Oh right, did the scouts find any trace of Qiang Lin?"
"We found dozens of Dingbei Army corpses in a dilapidated temple, along with broken chains. Judging by the cuts, they were likely made with a weapon made by Daxiong. Only Qianglin has such a weapon. He should be fine."
"Great. Give me another pancake and more meat sauce."
…
On the third day of Xiao Zhuo's coalition's retreat, Xiao Beiheng's Southern Army arrived at the outskirts of Shengjing and joined forces with the Northern Army.
Without Zhao Mu, the Northern Army's new generals were badly beaten by Xiao Zhuo, losing nearly 20,000 men. Seeing Xiao Zhuo withdrawing his troops in broad daylight, the Northern Army's generals feared it was a ploy and dared not pursue, allowing Xiao Zhuo's coalition forces to depart.
Xiao Beiheng didn't care. Even if 30,000 soldiers were killed or wounded, he still had 170,000, not counting the 100,000 reinforcements. Furthermore, Xiao Zhuo's coalition wasn't without losses either; there were currently fewer than 50,000 men left. With this steady and cautious approach, he would eventually triumph.
When the generals of the Northern Army learned that Shengjing had only 10,000 defenders, they immediately met with Xiao Beiheng at night and asked him to capture Shengjing and burn, kill, and loot to boost the morale of the army.
"I know what you are thinking," Xiao Beiheng said coldly to the generals, "but I am the Son of Heaven, and all the people in the world are my subjects. If you attack Shengjing, wouldn't that harm my people? No."
The generals were stunned, but they dared not disobey the emperor's will and had to withdraw. After leaving the imperial tent, the Northern Army generals were unwilling to give up and gathered together to discuss the matter.
A Dingbei Army general who knew Xiao Beiheng's past said, "When Your Majesty was still the Crown Prince of Qi, you slaughtered the Beidi villages at will. Why are you suddenly soft-hearted now?"
Another said, "Xiao Zhuo is not in Shengjing, so why did Your Majesty attack? Your Majesty is personally leading the army to suppress the rebels. Shengjing's walls are strong, and it would take a long time to take them down. Instead, you let Xiao Zhuo escape."
One general was dissatisfied and retorted, "We have 170,000 troops here. A mere city is easily captured. It won't be too late to pursue Xiao Zhuo after we take it."
Everyone was talking about it. Su Mo happened to pass by and heard the generals talking. She thought that Xiao Beiheng was going to attack Shengjing next and was shocked.
She wanted to persuade Xiao Beiheng, but he was used to having his own way and would not listen to her advice. In the past, when the Dingbei Army was on the Western Expedition, she could still persuade him with a few words, but now if she said too much, Xiao Beiheng would suspect that she was biased towards Xiao Zhuo, so she no longer dared to persuade Xiao Beiheng.
Back in the tent, she was restless, overthinking things. She wanted to get up and look for Xiao Beiheng several times, but she was afraid he would misunderstand her. But if she let it go, once Shengjing fell, the people would suffer.
After much deliberation, she could only weep silently, feeling truly worthless. She hadn't been able to stop Xiao Beiheng's massacre of the Beidi villages. Now, the Beidi Grand Marshal, seeking revenge for his son, was leading the Beidi cavalry in an attack on the border. The Great Yan Dynasty was already plagued by internal and external troubles. Now, Shengjing was about to suffer another disaster, with tens of thousands of people in imminent danger, and she was powerless to do anything.
As she was shedding tears, Xiao Beiheng's voice rang out from behind her: "Momo, what's wrong with you?"
Su Mo shuddered, quickly wiped away her tears with her sleeve, turned around and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, I was blinded by the wind outside the tent just now."
Xiao Beiheng believed it and asked, "Momo, are there really gods in Shengjing?"
Su Mo stood up and helped him undress, saying, "I don't know either, but folklore says that the gods carved through the mountains overnight and established Shengjing. The people of Shengjing all say that the gods are blessing this place. The Xirong have been unable to capture this place despite several attacks. Perhaps there really are gods secretly blessing it."
"Today, the Northern Army generals asked me to attack Shengjing," Xiao Beiheng said nonchalantly, "I refused."
Su Mo was delighted and couldn't help asking, "Why did His Majesty reject the generals?"
Xiao Beiheng fell onto the bed, Yanque Sword clutched in his hand, exhausted. He placed his arm on his forehead and said, "Shengjing is right before my eyes. I don't want to anger the gods. Perhaps the gods will be merciful and dispel the evil spirits that haunt me, allowing me to sleep soundly."
"We can set up an altar in the barracks, and Your Majesty can offer sacrifices of cattle, sheep, and other things to the gods..."
Xiao Beiheng's expression first showed joy, but then suddenly turned to fear. He turned around and curled up, hugging Yan Que Sword, saying in a panic, "No, no, no, don't let the gods know I'm here. Momo, hold me, I'll have nightmares again if I close my eyes."
He hoped the gods would relieve his pain, but he feared the gods would be angry at his actions. Whenever he closed his eyes, those he had killed would appear. First, it was the puppy he strangled as a child, then a maid like Leng Shuang, then the people of Beidi Village, his brothers like Xiao Kai, and finally, his father, Xiao Ming.
Su Mo felt sad when she heard this. She went to bed and hugged Xiao Beiheng's trembling body from behind, saying, "Your Majesty, I am holding you here. Go to sleep, I will not leave you."
These words seemed to have a calming effect, causing Xiao Beiheng to gradually calm down and finally close his eyes.
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