Chapter 368 Indestructible
At dusk, the entire coalition camp was silent, with only the shrill cries of jackdaws echoing over the camp.
The news of the border army's disastrous defeat hung over everyone's heart like a dark cloud. The soldiers gathered silently around the campfire to keep warm. Their faces no longer had the high spirits of the previous two days, and it seemed as if even the air had become heavy.
There was jubilation in the enemy camp opposite. The biting cold wind brought the faint sound of drums and music, obviously they were celebrating their victory.
Qiu Liming was in charge of patrolling the camp tonight. After checking the various sentries, he stood on the watchtower and stared irritably at the camp opposite. Unable to contain himself, he slapped the railing, causing chunks of snow to fall from it.
"My lord, why don't you allow us to launch a surprise attack on the enemy camp?" He turned to the deputy general behind him and said, "The enemy is clearly getting carried away and neglecting their defenses. If we sneak up on them at night, we will definitely be able to catch them by surprise."
The deputy general said, "General Qiu, the lord has already said it. Stealing the camp works against those foolish and arrogant enemies, but it won't work against Xiao Beiheng."
"How could that be? Didn't the lord use many strategies when he besieged Shengjing before?"
"My lord, after trying those strategies, Xiao Beiheng understood how to respond. Xiao Beiheng is a very smart man. During the siege of Shengjing, he suffered a lot because of underestimating the enemy and rushing into battle. This time, he took a steady approach and was not in a hurry at all. Even my lord could not take advantage of him."
Qiu Liming sighed and was about to go downstairs when the deputy general suddenly whispered, "General Qiu, if this continues, can we win?"
Hearing the deputy general's question, Qiu Liming turned around, grabbed the deputy general's collar, and whispered, "Watch your mouth and don't disrupt the morale of the army."
The deputy general lifted his helmet, which was covering his eyes, and said, "General Qiu, I'm not worried about our army. Your Majesty's strategy is unparalleled, and our army cannot fail. However, if General Zhao's army is defeated, the enemy will be able to immediately launch a pincer attack on our army."
"I will naturally inform the lord of this matter," Qiu Liming let go of the deputy general and walked downstairs, "Keep a good guard. If you find any enemy sneaking into the camp, sound the alarm immediately."
The deputy general straightened his collar and said, "Don't worry, General Qiu. If there is any mistake, I will bring my head to you."
Qiu Liming nodded in praise, turned around, walked down the ladder, and walked quickly towards the brightly lit central military tent in the distance.
The deputy general's concerns were not without reason; they reflected the prevailing sentiment among the coalition's generals. They trusted Xiao Zhuo greatly, but they were also concerned about Zhao Mu's situation. If the border troops collapsed in the next attack, the coalition would face an unfavorable situation, being attacked from both sides.
He walked into the central army tent. Inside the brightly lit tent, dozens of generals stood there. None of them had taken off their armor. They were covered in dust from the battle and sat in a circle, looking at Xiao Zhuo who was standing in front of the map. Shen Yuexi was also standing next to the Queen of Xiliang, Mei Dai, listening to Xiao Zhuo's explanation of the situation.
"General Zhao fought brilliantly in the first two battles, especially the second one," Xiao Zhuo pointed at the map. "Not only did he annihilate 20,000 enemy troops, he also captured their main camp and captured their chief general, Yan Yilong."
Shen Yuexi quietly pulled Mei Dai's sleeve: "Sister Mei, who is Yan Yilong?"
She had asked Wei Liang about the battle before, but Wei Liang didn't know whether he felt embarrassed or what, and he hesitated and refused to say anything, so she had no choice but to come to this military meeting to listen.
Mei Dai whispered, "After General Zhao Mu was dismissed and imprisoned by Xiao Beiheng, Yan Yilong took over command of the Northern Army. When we retreated to Leshan County, it was he who led the Northern Army in pursuit, and we defeated them three times."
"So it's him," Shen Yuexi said, "It seems he has my brother's trust."
Mei Dai said, "Yan Yilong is a general of the Dingbei Army and a trusted confidant of Xiao Beiheng. In order to weaken General Zhao Mu's influence, Xiao Beiheng replaced most of the generals in the army with his trusted confidants."
"That's strange. We've captured the enemy's commander. How did General Zhao Mu lose?"
Mei Dai gently touched her arm, indicating that she should listen to Xiao Zhuo.
"...During the third battle, General Zhao Mu believed that the enemy, without their commander, would be in disarray. Hoping to defeat them in one fell swoop, he dispatched 40,000 troops to attack the enemy from two directions, leaving 30,000 to defend the camp. He personally led 20,000 troops in the center to provide support."
Xiao Zhuo's tone turned serious when he said this: "But not long after the attack, the enemy suddenly rushed out with cavalry. They ignored the armies attacking from both wings and charged directly at the center where General Zhao was. General Zhao's army could not withstand the attack and was defeated. The enemy took the opportunity to cut off the retreat of the 40,000 soldiers..."
Shen Yuexi finally understood why they had lost forty thousand men in a single battle. The enemy had charged directly into Zhao Mu's central army, effectively striking at the very heart of the border troops. After Zhao Mu's defeat, those forty thousand men, cut off from their retreat, became scattered and vulnerable to the enemy.
Chen Lan asked, "How could the enemy cavalry be so powerful that they could charge all the way into General Zhao's central army?"
Mei Dai also asked in confusion, "General Zhao Mu is a veteran of hundreds of battles. The central army he leads must be heavily defended. How could the enemy have easily breached their defenses?"
The other generals in the tent also began to discuss in low voices, seemingly not quite believing it.
Xiao Zhuo raised his hand to signal for silence and continued, "There's nothing wrong with General Zhao's tactics, but the fact that his central army was overwhelmed by the enemy cavalry was the main reason for this crushing defeat. And this enemy cavalry is something we've never encountered before."
Shen Yuexi raised her hand and said, "Husband, what kind of cavalry is that?"
Xiao Zhuo said, "They call them the Iron Pagoda, and there are about five thousand of them. The soldiers are all heavily armored, leaving only their eyes exposed. Even their horses are heavily armored. After the battle, they only suffered a dozen casualties. They are truly formidable."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the tent was shocked.
Qiang Lin said in disbelief, "After a battle, only a dozen people were injured. Isn't that incredible?"
Xiao Zhuo shook his head and said, "General Wei Liang's description may be exaggerated, but the border troops suffered a crushing defeat. Now General Zhao Mu has requested that we send troops to support him. I am considering what to do."
A general said angrily, "He's asking us to support them? We only have 50,000 men, and we have to deal with 80,000 enemies, and they still ask us to support them? If we withdraw troops to support them, how can we resist the enemy's attack?"
As soon as he finished speaking, several generals nodded in agreement.
Mei Dai said, "Please be quiet for a moment, gentlemen, and allow Mei Dai to speak for a few words."
Everyone admired Mei Dai very much, and when they saw her stand up, they immediately quieted down.
"The enemy has the Iron Pagoda, and General Zhao Mu can't stand up to it. If this continues, the northern border troops will be wiped out sooner or later," Mei Dai said calmly. "Then our entire army will be annihilated. We must rescue them, and quickly."
"Sister Mei is right!" Shen Yuexi clapped her hands and cheered for Mei Dai. "General Zhao still has 50,000 troops. If we don't take care of them, these 50,000 will be wiped out."
After she finished speaking, she looked at Xiao Zhuo, who nodded in agreement.
A general asked, "The enemy's Iron Pagoda is so powerful, how can we rescue them?"
Qiu Liming stepped forward and said, "Iron Pagoda and Iron Rabbit, I don't believe they can withstand our crossbows." He then turned to Xiao Zhuo and bowed, saying, "My lord, I am a humble general, but I am willing to lead 5,000 crossbowmen to rescue General Zhao Mu."
Shen Yuexi also waved his fist and said, "Yes, shoot them to pieces."
She had full confidence in the repeating crossbow made by Daxiong and believed that it would definitely help Zhao Mu out of trouble.
Chen Lan said with some worry, "We only have 5,000 crossbowmen. If we send them all to rescue General Zhao Mu, once the enemy rushes over, we'll have no choice but to engage in close combat."
Since the beginning of the battle, the repeating crossbows that can penetrate wooden shields have always been the mainstay. Even if the infantry suffers a loss in battle, they can retreat calmly. The enemy is afraid of the repeating crossbows and dare not pursue them at all.
Xiao Zhuo said, "That's all right. For the next few days, our army will temporarily suspend combat, dig deep trenches, and set up numerous barricades. General Qiu, please lead 5,000 crossbowmen to rescue General Zhao. Without further delay, gather the troops now and march after nightfall."
After the generals dispersed, Qiu Liming reorganized the crossbowmen, left the coalition camp under the cover of night, and headed north.
Chen Yuexi and Xiao Zhuo stood on the watchtower, watching the five thousand crossbowmen disappear into the darkness. Chen Yuexi asked Xiao Zhuo, "Husband, where did that Iron Pagoda come from? Why have I never seen my brother use it before?"
Xiao Zhuo's eyes were filled with deep thought, as if he was muttering to himself, "The enemy soldiers are wearing heavy armor, and their horses are also heavily armored. Ordinary crossbows can't penetrate them at all. No wonder General Zhao Mu was defeated... Perhaps it was my brother who secretly prepared this."
Shen Yuexi put her hands to her mouth and blew out the warm air, then buried her head in Xiao Zhuo's arms and said, "Husband, it's cold. Let's go back and rest."
Xiao Zhuo touched her cold hair lovingly, took off his own cloak and put another one on her, saying, "Dr. Hua said that our baby is doing well?"
The two of them went down the watchtower. Shen Yuexi leaned in his arms and slowly walked towards the sleeping tent. She said, "Of course, I was very worried at first."
"Then have a good rest and don't run around." Xiao Zhuo smiled and stretched out his finger to scratch her nose. Shen Yuexi wrinkled her nose and made a face at Xiao Zhuo: "It's so cold, I would stay in the camp obediently without you saying anything."
A night passed, and in the morning, Xiao Beiheng sent his troops out to shout and curse as usual. Xiao Zhuo did not send troops to fight as usual, but ordered his men to hang up a banner of exemption from fighting. The enemy army shouted and cursed for a while, but felt that it was meaningless and had to go back.
After Shen Yuexi finished breakfast, she planned to go watch Xiao Zhuo training his soldiers. As soon as she left the tent, Mei Dai hurried over and said, "Sister, the armor has been delivered and is on the training ground. Let's go and see it."
"What armor?" Shen Yuexi didn't understand for a moment.
"They belong to the enemy Iron Buddha soldiers," Mei Dai said, taking her hand and rushing towards the parade ground. "Didn't General Zhao Mu injure over a dozen of them? He stripped off their armor and sent it to us. It just arrived. Also, who do you think is leading the Iron Buddha army?"
"Who is it?"
"Doctor You and Magistrate Jiao."
"No way!" Shen Yuexi had countless questions in her mind. "Doctor You is the village doctor of Daliang Village, and Magistrate Jiao is the county magistrate of Tongliao. How did these two old men become generals of the Iron Buddha?"
"Sister," Mei Dai smiled and pushed her gently, "you forgot that they are all Pei Jingyun's subordinates. This Iron Pagoda is obviously an army secretly established by Pei Jingyun." Shen Yuexi suddenly realized it.
The two men arrived at the parade grounds and saw a frame in the center. It was shaped like a horse at the bottom and a human at the top. Both were clad in black armor, which gleamed in the morning sun, creating a rather imposing presence. Xiao Zhuo, Shen Lan, and several other generals stood fifty steps away, discussing something.
Shen Yuexi and Mei Dai came up to Xiao Zhuo together. Shen Yuexi asked, "Husband, is this the armor of the Iron Buddha?"
"That's right," Xiao Zhuo said to the soldier standing nearby holding a crossbow, "Release."
The soldier picked up the crossbow and pulled the trigger. Three "whoosh" sounds were heard, and three crossbow arrows flew out, hitting the head, chest and abdomen of the wooden dummy, and the chest of the horse respectively.
Dangdangdang! None of the three crossbow arrows penetrated the armor, and all of them bounced off and fell to the ground.
Shen Yuexi gasped and shouted, "Oh no!"
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