"General!"
Under the concerned gazes of the generals, Peng Changrong and his two companions rushed to their knees as if they had stumbled upon a life-saving log. All three were wounded, their beards unshaven, their uniforms stained and bloodied, and they were exhausted.
Peng Changrong looked up at the commander, his heart aching, and tearfully reported, "My brothers can't hold on any longer! Captain Guo and Lord Zuo sent us back to camp to beg for help. Otherwise, I'm afraid the rest of us will all die fighting in Beijiao."
Song Jikun was filled with doubts and asked directly, "Where on earth have you been these past ten days? Where exactly are you?"
"We were surrounded by enemy soldiers. We had no idea what was happening and couldn't break out, so we headed north. We ended up crossing into Beiqi territory." Peng Changrong scratched his head. "As for the specific location, I don't know—"
"What?"
"You don't even know the location?" Tong Jing was so angry that he almost fell over. He was so disappointed that he slapped his thigh and said, "Oh, you don't even know the location, and you ran back to ask for help? You ran for nothing!"
Peng Changrong quickly added, "I'm just unsure, not completely clueless."
Song Jikun remained unmoved and asked sternly, "If you weren't sure of the location, where would you send the reinforcements? Why did you wait until now to report back to the camp?"
"No, it's not." Peng Changrong had been running around for several days, his lips were cracked and bleeding, he wished he had three mouths, and he said anxiously: "We went to battle that night, and at noon the next day, everyone was preparing to return to the camp to report, but we unexpectedly discovered the enemy at the edge of the rocky ditch. The captain guessed that there were many enemies, so he immediately sent troops back to the camp to report. At the same time, Lord Zuo led his men to the east, and Captain Guo led his men to the west. The troops were divided into two groups to scout the enemy. I followed Captain Guo, and we had not marched far when we were caught up by the eastern team. Cough, cough cough cough--" He swallowed hard, his throat was almost on fire with thirst.
"Gurgle~" sounds came out a few times. The warriors who returned to the camp after a long journey were so hungry that they felt dizzy, their bodies were shaking, and they could not kneel steadily.
Seeing this, Song Jikun shouted, "Hurry up and bring the food! You three, eat while you talk."
"yes."
After a while, Peng Changrong and the other two sat cross-legged on the ground. They were so hungry that they didn't dare to eat quickly. They first drank a bowl of noodle soup slowly, and then ate the cake.
Tong Jing was impatient and urged, "Tell me quickly! Why did Zuo Zhen abandon the east and go west?"
Peng Changrong pounded his chest, tilted his head back and swallowed his multi-grain cake, then answered vaguely, "Because they were attacked by enemy soldiers."
His two companions added: "The enemy was numerous and we were few, and the terrain of the Rocky Ravine was complex. Lord Zuo was worried about being ambushed by scattered enemy soldiers, so he ordered the retreat from the Rocky Ravine. As the battle went on, we unknowingly reunited with the Western Team."
Song Jikun said in a deep voice, "The person you sent back to the camp to report the news at noon was killed by enemy soldiers."
Tong Jing continued, "The next evening, when the army was searching the rocky ravine, they found the bodies of both their own men and many of the enemy."
"No wonder! No wonder we haven't received any reinforcements yet."
Peng Changrong quenched his thirst, quickly ate half his fill, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and reported intently, "After the two groups joined forces, they fought together. The area around the Rocky Ravine is our home. The brothers are familiar with every tree and blade of grass, so the battle went smoothly. We should have won."
His two companions added, "Not long into the battle, before the outcome was decided, a violent wind suddenly blew up, the sky darkened, lightning and thunder roared, the frightened horses became uncontrollable, and the enemy soldiers took advantage of the chaos to flee."
"Those cowards fled back to the grasslands in a hurry."
Tong Jing speculated and asked, "The enemy soldiers fled. Did you pursue them?"
The messenger shook his head. "Lord Zuo and Captain Guo are being cautious. Fearing another ambush, they've decided not to pursue the enemy. Instead, they'll continue their reconnaissance, trying to understand the enemy's situation so they can report back to camp."
"Yeah." Song Jikun nodded in agreement.
"So," Peng Changrong said, his voice trembling with emotion, "we braved the rain, rushing back while scouting the surroundings. Unexpectedly, when we reached the middle of the rocky ravine, we were ambushed!"
The three of them chatted back and forth, "That time, the enemy and we were about the same number, so the battle was a bit difficult."
Peng Changrong angrily reported, "While the two sides were engaged in fierce fighting, the brothers in charge of scouting reported that the enemy troops who had fled a short time ago had secretly returned and were surrounding us on three sides."
"General, your foresight is as good as a god. The Northern Tribes are indeed not dead yet. They have secretly gathered their rabble, waiting for an opportunity to launch a surprise attack. However, they are not the same group as those who broke into the village to rob people. We just happened to act at the same time."
Song Jikun frowned upon hearing this. "The enemy wants to encircle and suppress you."
"Yes!" The messenger was still terrified. "The higher-ups urgently discussed countermeasures. At the time, everyone thought reinforcements were coming soon and their escape route had been cut off. So they decided to set up an ambush to the north before they were surrounded. They planned to join forces with the reinforcements and counter the encirclement and suppression."
Peng Changrong dared not betray the slightest complaint, and said sternly, "In the end, reinforcements never showed up, and we entered Beiqi territory. We fought the enemy in a circuitous manner, and were forced deeper and deeper into the grasslands."
His companion, also cautious, chimed in, "Before setting up the ambush northward, Captain Guo sent a second group of men back to the camp to ask for help."
"On the third day, there was still no sign of reinforcements. The brothers became anxious, so Lord Zuo sent a third group of people back to the camp to report the news."
"I was the fourth group, a total of twenty people. Under the desperate cover of our brothers, we broke through the encirclement. We almost got lost on the way and traveled south. In the end, only three of us were left alive to see the general."
Everyone couldn't help but sigh, and silence fell in the meeting room.
Tong Jing sighed, "Before this, the camp hadn't received any news at all. They were searching like headless flies, almost going crazy."
Another general said helplessly: "After that rainstorm, water accumulated everywhere in the rocky gullies, and on the vast grassland, there was no trace of the enemy even if we tried to follow them."
Song Jikun suddenly understood and nodded slowly, "So, you were surrounded by enemy soldiers and were advancing deeper into the grassland?"
"yes."
"Alas, no one expected this, but somehow, by some strange combination of circumstances, we ended up on the grassland."
Song Jikun felt the situation was even more difficult. "It seems that you were the ones who foiled the Beijiao's border invasion plot. How many troops do you have left now?"
"The casualties were substantial. When we left, there were about 1,500 men left." Peng Changrong was uneasy, his eyes red. "But now, a few days have passed, and it's hard to predict the outcome. Going deep into this territory alone without reinforcements would be extremely dangerous."
Song Jikun had deep nasolabial folds on his face, his brows were furrowed into the shape of a "川" character, and he was lost in thought without saying a word.
Although Tong Jing was always competitive and always disliked Guo Honglei, when facing the enemy, the two could fight side by side. He rubbed his chin and asked in confusion, "You didn't bring any dry food when you set out. What did you eat to fill your stomach?"
Peng Changrong answered without thinking, "Robbery."
The generals were stunned, "What?"
"Robbery?"
Song Jikun instructed: "Don't be anxious, first explain the situation in detail."
"yes!"
Peng Changrong managed to remain calm and explained in detail, "After we were surrounded, we had no way to retreat. We could only bravely head north, hoping to find an opportunity to break out to the east and west, and then head south back to camp. The horses were fine; they could just lower their heads and graze, but we had no food, so we marched intermittently along the Cang River, hungry."
His two companions were lost in their memories and couldn't help but smile. "Fortunately, there is always a way out. At dusk on the third day, we found the temporary granary set up by the pursuers behind the gentle slope by the river. There were not many defenders."
"The brothers were almost fainting from hunger, so they launched a surprise attack and won a great victory!"
Peng Changrong gestured with his hands, "Inside the tent, there's a sheepskin bag this big, stuffed with dried meat and a lot of kumis."
"Unfortunately, we were robbed on the way back and our dry food was stolen."
Song Jikun nodded and breathed a sigh of relief.
At that moment, Tong Jing and others couldn't help laughing, "Hahaha, it really is a robbery!"
"From ancient times to the present, we have always prioritized 'defense.' We've been robbed countless times by the Northern Ao, but now we've finally counter-robbed them once."
"Humph, what a relief!"
…
"The higher-ups don't allow us to drink alcohol. After we have a good meal, we try to take as much dry food as possible. If we can't take it away, we will burn it."
"It's probably because the food was burned that we managed to shake off the first group of pursuers."
Song Jikun looked calm and said, "Could there be a second batch?"
Peng Changrong nodded. "We were lucky enough to overcome our food shortage, but we were exhausted and had to rest for the night. We set out on our journey before dawn the next day, hurriedly heading back to camp. Unexpectedly, we encountered a second group of enemy soldiers along the way."
His companions were furious. "There are many tribes in the Northern Qi, and they are constantly fighting. They have divided the grassland into pieces, and each of them claims to be king. We are not familiar with the borders, so we were just passing through, and we were hunted down."
"There's no other way. We can only continue to fight in a roundabout way."
"There was no reinforcement, and it was extremely dangerous. At noon that day, Captain Guo sent us back to the camp to ask for help. What happened after that is unknown."
Peng Changrong was terribly worried. "So, General, when you asked about the 'specific location' just now, we can't confirm it. Now, we don't know where our brothers have been transferred to? We also don't know... whether they are dead or alive?" After speaking, the three of them pleaded in unison:
"Please, General, send reinforcements as soon as possible to bring them back!"
"Otherwise, the rest of the people would probably be trapped to death."
The matter was of great importance, and everyone had different thoughts as they all looked at the commander.
Support? In this situation, sending troops to rescue a lone unit deep in enemy territory would be like stirring up a hornet's nest, with unpredictable consequences. Warfare requires food and the preparation of backup support... It's very complicated.
Offensive wars are costly and cumbersome, so since ancient times, border troops have focused on "defense".
Moreover, the isolated army had been deep in the grassland for half a month. Perhaps the team had been surrounded and wiped out by the enemy.
To save? Or not to save?
Song Jikun was the commander, but only the commander. While he cared for his men, he had other considerations. He spoke slowly, "That's not called 'support.' More accurately, it's called 'attack.' Sending reinforcements would affect the entire force. This is a serious matter, and we must carefully consider the overall situation." He pointed to a map hanging on the wall and asked, "Can you three read?"
Peng Changrong nodded quickly with anticipation.
Song Jikun was filled with worries and had a headache. He ordered, "Mark down the enemy's terrain in detail."
"yes!"
Meanwhile, grassland
Near the river, between two gentle slopes, a team of more than a thousand people is resting.
The horses ate grass and the men ate dry food, and both the men and the horses were exhausted.
Zuo Zhen took off his helmet, collapsed, and lay flat on his back, looking up at the sky. "Oh, my back hurts, I need to lie down for a while."
Guo Honglei had several wounds, none of them fatal, but he had lost a lot of blood. He also lay down, using his helmet as a pillow, grabbed the ration bag, untied it, and stuffed a handful of dried meat into his companion's pocket. "It's time for lunch."
"Thanks." Zuo Zhen was too lazy to pull his dry food bag and ate the dried meat with the river water. After a while, he said "Pah~" twice, rubbing his cheeks with both hands, and said disdainfully: "This dried meat tasted delicious at first, but after eating too much, my cheeks hurt from chewing it. It's far inferior to our steamed buns and cakes."
Guo Honglei nodded in agreement, holding up the jerky and taking a look. "It's really tough and chewy, but it's better than going hungry, so I'll just make do with it."
"We killed another group of enemies today. What a relief! They seemed to have been completely caught off guard by our incursion deep into the grasslands and catching them off guard. Hehehe."
Guo Honglei smiled, "Another group of pursuers."
Zuo Zhen chewed vigorously, "Ah, it doesn't matter. It's like not worrying about having too much debt."
"Too."
Zuo Zhen stared up at the sky in a trance. After a moment, he whispered, "Brother, there are only a thousand of us left. More than half of us have been killed, and many are wounded."
Guo Honglei also looked up at the sky and said, "Yes."
"Tell me," Zuo Zhen turned his head, becoming increasingly anxious the more he thought about it. He whispered, "Why on earth haven't the reinforcements arrived yet? Could it be that... the general hasn't sent any help at all? Doesn't he care about our lives?"
To prevent the troops from losing morale, Guo Honglei whispered, "I believe the general. He's definitely not that kind of person! Perhaps the people we sent out to report the news were killed by the enemy."
"Damn it, damn it!" Zuo Zhen was helpless, gnashing his teeth and asking distressedly, "What should we do next?"
Guo Honglei's eyes were firm. "The strategy remains unchanged. We'll fight in a circuitous manner and try to move south. We'll return sooner or later."
"But the truth is, we're getting further and further north, and we're probably about to hit the enemy's lair."
Guo Honglei comforted him, "Not really. If we do find the enemy's lair and destroy it, we'll have died a worthy death."
"Brother, do you think I'm afraid of death?"
"How dare I? When did I ever have such an idea?"
Zuo Zhen lost his appetite and chewed the dried meat slowly. "Since I joined the army, I'm not afraid of death. I just feel guilty and regretful. Alas, I'm afraid I won't be able to see my parents to their graves, nor will I be able to see my son get married or my daughter get married."
Guo Honglei whispered, "Your children are already teenagers, but I, whose father died young and whose mother is still alive, have a four-year-old son and a one-year-old daughter. If I were to die in battle, the burden of supporting the family would most likely fall on my wife's shoulders."
Zuo Zhen patted his comrade's arm and said, "What are you worried about? Don't you have two younger brothers?"
The third brother was born sickly, and the fourth brother was playful and useless. Guo Honglei was silent and could not help but smile bitterly.
Zuo Zhen understood and consoled them, "Every family has its own troubles. Mine is also troubled, but don't worry. If we die in battle, according to the law, the court will provide a pension to the martyrs' relatives!"
Guo Honglei couldn't describe the feeling in his heart. He stared at the clouds in the sky, his eyes sore from staring, and suddenly he felt dizzy. He seemed to see his wife's smiling face, and suddenly he felt sad. "I am just like you. I am not afraid of dying for my country. I just worry about my family. I am afraid that my family will be bullied after I die."
"Your wife is the county magistrate, and your father-in-law is a high-ranking official in the imperial court. Who would dare to bully your family?" Zuo Zhen advised his friend. "You're just worrying for nothing!"
Guo Honglei sighed. "To be honest, my father-in-law is old and in poor health. He had already considered retiring at the beginning of the year. As capable as my wife is, she's still a weak woman. It's inevitable that she might occasionally lose sight of one thing while focusing on another. It's truly worrying."
"Ah? This, this..." Zuo Zhen slapped the grass fiercely, "Hey, it seems that we must return home alive!"
Seeing his companions cheer up, Guo Honglei breathed a sigh of relief and echoed boldly, "Yes, we must leave the grassland alive!"
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