Taiping Rift 382. Night Raid

In the blink of an eye, it was already the New Year according to the customs of the Great Chu. Although they were in the borderland and could not go home to reunite with their families, the soldiers of the Mohist Army were still quite interested in preparing to kill chickens and sheep to reward themselves. The entire Mohist Army camp was also a little more festive than usual.

In contrast to the jubilation of the Mohist army, the Beirong camp not far away was cold and depressed. Since the envoy sent by the King of Beirong died of acclimatization caused by Yelu Ye, although there has been no news from the Beirong royal court, after all, the Beirong royal court is too far away from Da Chu. However, Yelu Ye has clearly felt that the situation in the Beirong royal court is extremely unfavorable to him. Moreover, the grassland is now covered with snow, making it impossible for the military pay of the Beirong to be transported to Da Chu. In the previous battles with the Mohist army, the Mohist army seemed to have taken a fancy to this weakness of the Beirong army, so they specifically attacked the Beirong's food and grass. Although the Northern Rong army would not be out of food for a while, they were still living in a tight situation. Seeing the Mohist army celebrating wildly, the laughter and joy could almost be heard in the Northern Rong camp more than ten miles away. The comparison naturally made them more depressed and uneasy.

In the Beirong tent, Yelu Ye looked at the generals below with frowns on their faces, and asked in a deep voice: "Now the two armies are in a stalemate, and our army's morale is low. What good ideas do you have, generals?"

Helian Zhen stood up and said, "Your Highness, we don't have to worry."

Yelu Ye raised his eyebrows and asked, "What do you mean, General Helian?" Helian Zhen smiled and said, "Because the Mohist army is more anxious than us. The King of Xiling Zhennan is now rushing to attack Ruichang and defend the city, and the King of Ding is rushing back to rescue. The army of Mo Jingli of the Great Chu will arrive soon, and then the Mohist army will be completely trapped. If Your Highness is anxious now, you will fall into their trap instead."

Yeluye said in a deep voice: "General Helian wants to just drag it out like this?"

Helian Zhen nodded and said, "That's right. As long as we wait until Mo Jingli's troops return, we can fight together. Are we afraid that we can't deal with the Mo family army?" Yelu Ye sneered and said, "General Helian, do you think we have so much time?" How could Yelu Ye not know what Helian Zhen said? But others can wait, but Yelu Ye can't. If the war drags on, even if he wins in the end, I'm afraid that the Northern Rong King's Court will be completely controlled by Yelu Hong. By then, I will just be making wedding clothes for others.

"This..." As one of Yeluye's most trusted people, Helian Zhen naturally knew the news about the royal court. The current situation was really a dilemma. He would definitely not be able to defeat the Mohist Army by force, but if it dragged on like this, and let Crown Prince Yeluhong take the lead, all the hard work he and the Seventh Prince had done would be in vain, and in the end, he might even lose his life.

After Yelu Ye dismissed all the generals and only left Helian Zhen and his son, Helian Zhen whispered, "What does your highness mean?" Yelu Ye smiled bitterly. The Central Plains is vast and rich in resources. It is a place that the Northern Rong have always coveted. Now that he has occupied this place, he is naturally reluctant to give it up. But is it worth giving up the entire Northern Rong for this place? If he can successfully capture the entire Great Chu, it is naturally worth giving up the barren land of the Northern Rong. But the current situation in the Central Plains does not seem to allow him to have such a wish.

More importantly, the soldiers under his command were all born and raised in the Northern Rong. Even if he broke with the Northern Rong royal court, these people might not be willing to follow him forever and leave their homes and stay in the Central Plains.

On the other hand, if I withdraw my troops and return to Beirong now, it can be said that the conquests of the past few years will be completely in vain, and all the military achievements of the past few years will be reduced to nothing. Now that my father is obviously dissatisfied with me, it is obviously disadvantageous to return in disgrace.

Yeluye shook his head and smiled bitterly: "What's the point of this? Now it's too late to get off the tiger. Mo Xiuyao... Mo Xiuyao is really my nemesis!" If there was no Mo Xiuyao, he would have occupied half of the country of Da Chu. Even if his father was dissatisfied with him, he could stand on his own with his own strength. But now, since Mo Xiuyao went to war, the Northern Rong army has been defeated in succession, morale is low, and people in the camp are also restless. Many soldiers have begun to miss the Northern Rong grassland.

In fact, Mo Xiuyao is more than just Yelu Ye's nemesis? Mo Xiuyao returned to the world only ten years ago. The once powerful Great Chu was in the south, the capital was moved to Xiling, the imperial city was occupied, and Ren Qining in the north worked hard to build a country, but in less than ten years, the country was destroyed and people died. The reason why the Northern Rong Royal Court was not affected by Mo Xiuyao was because the Northern Rong Royal Court was too far away from the Central Plains. Mo Xiuyao did not have the time and mood to reach out so far, but now the dispute between Yelu Ye and Yelu Hong also has the shadow of Mo Xiuyao.

Helian Zhen sighed and said, "The current situation is not favorable to us. I'm afraid Your Highness should make plans early." In fact, it can be summed up in one word - gambling. First, the three-nation coalition can completely destroy the Dingwang Palace, and the Beirong army can occupy half of the country of Dachu. At that time, even if Yelu Ye breaks with the Beirong royal court, he can still have his own troops. Second, the Beirong will take the opportunity to withdraw its troops, and Yelu Ye will use most of the Beirong military power in his hands to return to the royal court and fight Yelu Hong to the death. This is indeed a dilemma.

Beside them, Helian Peng said in a deep voice: "Your Highness, Father, I am afraid that even if we intend to withdraw our troops now, the Mohist Army may not allow it." The two looked at Helian Peng at the same time, and Helian Peng said: "Your Highness and Father, have you forgotten that our Beirong and Dingwang Mansion... have a deep hatred."

Hearing this, both of them were shocked. In the battle more than ten years ago, not only the Mohist Army suffered damage, but also the Northern Rong. However, the hatred of the Mohist Army towards the Northern Rong would never be drowned just because the Northern Rong was also damaged. Mo Xiuyao and his entourage have always been powerful and swift. They captured the Xiling Imperial City in three months and took over Chujing in more than a month. However, this time, they were not in a hurry or slow in the battle with the Northern Rong, which was completely inconsistent with his usual behavior. Thinking of this, Helian Zhen's heart sank, his face changed slightly and he said, "Mo Xiuyao wants to wipe out my Northern Rong army in one fell swoop!"

Yelu Ye was also shocked when he heard this. He said in a deep voice: "Mo Xiuyao's appetite is really too big!"

Helian Zhen said: "When Mo Xiuyao was only a dozen years old, he had already mastered the art of war, and his methods of using troops were unpredictable. After more than ten years of keeping a low profile, I'm afraid it's even more difficult. Your Highness should pay attention to the two wings of our army. If Mo Xiuyao really wants to wipe out our army, he will definitely send troops from the two wings to encircle our army from the rear and block our retreat."

Yelu Ye knew that he was no better than Helian Zhen in the use of troops, so he nodded and said, "I understand, thank you uncle for reminding me. But now, it is difficult to advance, and it is impossible to retreat. What do you think we should do?"

Helian Peng said: "I think that since we cannot retreat, we should bravely move forward. Moreover, with the climate in Beirong, even if our army safely withdraws from the border, it will take two or three months for the grassland to thaw before we can return to the Beirong royal court. In this case, why not move forward and give it a try. Dingwang Mansion and Beirong are already mortal enemies. If we break the agreement halfway, I'm afraid Xiling will not let Beirong go." Although Xiling is no longer bordering Beirong, it is still a powerful country. Moreover, Beirong is extremely short of supplies, and many things must be purchased from Xiling. If Beirong offends the two most powerful enemies at the same time, the situation of Beirong will be really worrying.

Yeluye sighed and said, "Well, what suggestions do General Helian and uncle have?"

Helian Zhen pondered for a moment and said, "Tomorrow is the New Year of the Great Chu. The entire Mohist army will definitely celebrate at that time. At that time, the Mohist army will be at its most relaxed, and our army can take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack."

"Will this work?" Yeluye hesitated. Mo Xiuyao was one of the most famous generals in the world. Would he really make such a mistake? Helian Zhen said, "It is better to strike first. If our army continues to endure, it will only make our morale worse than the Mo family army's step-by-step retreat."

Yeluye pondered for a moment, sighed and said, "Just do as my uncle says."

In the Mohist army camp, the lights were on and there was constant laughter and joy that night. Even the alcohol ban that was strictly enforced on weekdays was temporarily lifted because of the march, and the whole camp was filled with the strong aroma of wine.

Dozens of soldiers gathered together, drinking and eating meat around the blazing bonfire. Mo Xiuyao, Ye Li and other generals also appeared in the camp to drink with the soldiers. Although it was a cold winter, there were blazing fires everywhere in the camp. The soldiers drank strong liquor and did not feel the winter cold at all. Even Mo Xiaobao sat next to Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, with a happy smile on his delicate face.

In the dark night, a group of Northern Rong soldiers quietly approached the Mohist Army camp. The cheers and noises coming from the Mohist Army camp could be heard from three or four miles away. The fire that almost illuminated half of the sky made the Northern Rong soldiers who were ordered to attack at night feel even colder and unbearable, and they could not help but feel a strong envy for the Mohist Army.

"What a blessing! We are starving and freezing here, but they are drinking and eating meat." A Beirong soldier shook himself and complained in a low voice. The people around him nodded in agreement: "That's right, the Mohist army is indeed much richer than us. We can hardly eat a meal of meat now. I heard that they still eat meat every day." Now the road from Beirong to Dachu is blocked, and military supplies cannot be transported. Since the Mohist army began to confront Beirong, many of the remaining civilians under the control of Beirong have run to the Mohist army, and they can't even rob them. Therefore, the food and grass in the army has been severely reduced. Although there are many soldiers and horses, the most important thing for Beirong is the soldiers and horses. Therefore, unless it was absolutely necessary, it was absolutely forbidden to kill soldiers and horses for food. As a result, the Northern Rong soldiers, who were used to eating meat and drinking wine, had to learn from the Central Plains people to eat coarse food to fill their stomachs.

"Once we capture the Mohist Army camp, those things will naturally be ours." Another Beirong soldier said expectantly.

"Not bad... We should celebrate the fact that we have seized the Mohist Army's food!" The others also agreed and were looking forward to seizing the Mohist Army's food.

The Northern Rong army, which was preparing for a surprise attack, waited for an hour or two a few miles outside the Mohist army camp, and then saw the lights in the Mohist army camp gradually dimmed, and the previous noise also became much quieter. They knew that the Mohist army soldiers had finished celebrating and were ready to rest. They waited for half the night, waiting for the Mohist army to be drunk and exhausted before taking action.

Helian Peng, who was leading the army in the front, saw that the time had come, and whispered to his men to pass on the order. The Beirong soldiers who had been hiding in the snow immediately took action again and rushed towards the Mohist Army's camp.

Approaching the Mohist Army camp, Helian Peng looked at the Mohist Army camp that had already fallen into darkness and could not help but stop. The general beside him was puzzled and asked in a low voice: "General?"

Helian Peng said in a deep voice: "Something is wrong." Even if the Mohist army was incompetent, they shouldn't have come so close without any movement. This looked like a trap. After hearing what Helian Peng said, everyone couldn't help but get nervous and watched vigilantly, "General, you mean..." Helian Peng's bad feeling in his heart became even worse, and he immediately said: "Retreat!"

However, it is easier said than done. In the darkness, fires suddenly appeared all around, and a loud laugh came from not far away, "General Helian, since you are here, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" The neatly-organized and high-spirited Mohist army suddenly rushed out from the darkness and surrounded the Beirong soldiers in the center. A young general in his twenties rode out wearing a black battle robe, looked at Helian Peng with a smile on his face and said, "New Year's Eve, General Helian, are you here to wish me a happy new year?"

"Yun, Ting!" After several clashes in the past few days, Helian Peng naturally had a good understanding of the generals under the Mohist Army. He was also familiar with Yun Ting, the young general that Princess Ding valued.

Yun Ting smiled proudly and said, "It is this general. General Helian, how have you been these days?"

Helian Peng lowered his eyes and frowned slightly. Suddenly, he was shocked and raised his head and said, "You are the only one in the camp?!" The Northern Rong army's sneak attack was such a big thing, but there was only one Yun Ting in the Mo family army. If it weren't for the people in Prince Ding's mansion who looked down on the Northern Rong people, then... at this time, there was no one else in the Mo family army camp. Yun Ting was the only general at this time and place.

Yun Ting did not hide it either, and smiled in surprise: "General Helian is indeed very discerning." What he meant was to acknowledge that at this moment and in this place, he, Yun Ting, was the only one in charge of the Mohist Army camp.

But Yun Ting's recognition did not make Helian Peng happy, but made him even more restless. With only Yun Ting, Helian Peng might not be incapable of taking down the Mo family camp. But what would be the point of taking down an empty camp? More importantly... where did Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li go with the other generals?

Compared to Helian Peng's gloomy and uncertain expression, Yun Ting looked very satisfied. He seemed not to be worried at all that his men, only tens of thousands, were besieged by Helian Peng's army. He smiled and asked, "General Helian, do you want to ask about the whereabouts of the prince and princess?"

Helian Peng said in a deep voice: "General Yun, please tell me."

"General Helian guessed it. The prince and princess went to attack the Beirong camp." Yun Ting laughed loudly, "General Helian, do you think only you Beirong would attack? When it comes to military tactics, we in the Central Plains are the ancestors!"

Helian Peng's face suddenly turned pale. Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, with almost all the generals under the command of the Mo family army, attacked the Beirong camp, obviously determined to win. He turned around and shouted: "Retreat! Return to the camp immediately!"

Yun Ting sneered, "Isn't my Mohist Army camp a place where you can come and go as you please?!" With a wave of his hand, the Mohist Army soldiers had already blocked the Beirong Army's way. The location of the Mohist Army's camp was very strange. The Beirong Army had only one shortcut to return, but that road was blocked by the Mohist Army ambushed on the side, and the other roads were not only dangerous and rugged, but also took who knows how many miles to go around. If Helian Peng wanted to go back to rescue the Beirong Camp, he could only rush past Yun Ting.

However, Yun Ting joined the army when he was young. He followed Murong Shen, Zhang Qilan, Lu Jinxian and others successively. He grew from an ordinary soldier to a young general who could lead an army. In the past ten years, he has participated in more than a hundred battles, big and small. It is not so easy for Helian Peng to succeed.

Yun Ting sat high on his horse, looked at Helian Peng with a smile and said, "General Helian, don't be anxious. You should have a fight with me first."

"Looking for death!" Helian Peng was confident in his martial arts. Even in the Central Plains martial arts world, there were few rivals, not to mention a young general like Yun Ting. He thrust his long sword and flew towards Yun Ting. When the two commanders moved, the soldiers below were naturally not polite, and they quickly entangled with each other with shouts of killing.

Yun Ting smiled at Helian Peng, but he didn't confront him head-on. When he saw Helian Peng coming, he immediately picked up his horse and ran to the other side. Helian Peng flew up and down a few times and caught up with Yun Ting, "Where are you going?!"

Yun Ting turned around and smiled at him, "I know that General Helian is very skilled in martial arts, so I specially invited a few masters to exchange some knowledge with General Helian." As he spoke, a few shadows emerged from the darkness. Helian Peng glanced at the dark pattern on the black-clothed man's collar and said in a deep voice, "Qilin."

"That's right." The leading man in black laughed softly and raised his head. It turned out to be Xu Qingfeng, the third son of the Xu family.

Yun Ting got rid of Helian Peng and immediately bowed to Xu Qingfeng and said with a smile: "Commander Xu, I'll trouble you to take care of General Helian." After that, he pulled the reins and rushed into the battlefield again.

Helian Peng's face was very ugly at this time. In the past few days, Qilin of the Mohist Army and his subordinate Yazi had been fighting openly and secretly for dozens of times. However, Qilin rarely lost, while Yazi, who he had high hopes for, was almost killed or wounded after fighting for several months. Helian Peng also understood the difference between Qilin and Yazi, and hated Princess Ding who trained Qilin even more.

At this time, although these people who surrounded him were not his match if they fought alone, they would be in a mess if they attacked him all at once. Not to mention, these people didn't have to kill him. As long as they trapped him for a few hours and he couldn't go back to rescue them, everything would be over.

"The Third Young Master Xu?" Helian Peng stared at Xu Qingfeng and said, "I didn't expect that the Xu family, a family of scholars, would produce a military commander like the Third Young Master." Xu Qingfeng didn't care about his ridicule and smiled leisurely, "Learning martial arts is voluntary, and our Xu family has never been demanding. Even if I join the army, I will not disgrace the Xu family martyrs." Although Xu Qingfeng likes martial arts, he grew up in the Xu family after all. He has been influenced by poetry and books since he was a child. Although his talent is much worse than that of the Xu family, it is much better than that of ordinary people. What's more, Xu Qingfeng has never regretted his choice, nor has he ever thought that he has done anything wrong. Helian Peng's words, which are neither painful nor itchy, are not even qualified to tickle.

Helian Peng also knew that it was useless to say more in this situation, so it would be better to get rid of Qilin's siege as soon as possible and lead the troops back to rescue. His face was calm, and he said in a deep voice: "Then, this general will learn from Qilin's tricks."

Xu Qingfeng and the others didn't say much, they just took out their weapons and went up to fight. The strength of the Qilin people is that they fight in groups. Although they are not as powerful as a single person, when they are surrounded by several people, Helian Peng can only be restrained everywhere for a while.

On the other hand, Yun Ting led his soldiers to charge into the chaos, and many Beirong soldiers who had no time to react were killed. The mountains and plains were suddenly filled with the sound of killing.

At this time, Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao had already appeared not far from the Beirong camp. Looking at the Beirong camp, which was still brightly lit, Mo Xiuyao showed a cold smile. Obviously, Yeluye and others in the Beirong camp were still waiting for news from Helian Peng. However, Yeluye could not have imagined that the person they wanted to sneak attack had already appeared in front of him without his knowledge.

Ye Li rode beside Mo Xiuyao, looking at the camp not far away with him, and smiled faintly: "Helian Peng must have already fought with Yun Ting." As long as Helian Peng and Yun Ting fought, it would be impossible to evacuate for a while. And they also had enough time to deal with Yelu Ye and Helian Zhen.

Mo Xiuyao nodded and said, "Not bad. I wonder if Helian can really imagine that I am outside his camp right now?"

On the other side, Feng Zhiyao laughed and said, "Helian Zhen must have thought that the prince was frightened by Helian Peng's sudden attack." The various festive and joyful appearances in the Mo family army camp were originally a trap set for the Beirong people. How could Mo Xiuyao be so proud and the whole army celebrate before a complete victory? Unfortunately, Helian Zhen actually didn't understand Mo Xiuyao at all.

"Are you ready?" Mo Xiu Yao asked calmly.

Feng Zhiyao nodded and said, "We are ready. Sun Yaowu will lead his troops to encircle from the left, and Chen Yun will lead his troops to encircle from the right. Zhou Min has already led his troops to wait in Huifeng Valley. We will attack from the front. After an hour, Yun Ting will release Helian Peng to meet up with Yelu Ye and others to ensure that no Beirong soldiers will escape."

Mo Xiuyao nodded in praise, "Very good. I want to see... whether Helian really still has the power to turn the tide." Although he spoke with a smile, a cold and murderous aura emanated from Mo Xiuyao's words.

"Your Majesty, shall we start now?" Feng Zhiyao was also eager to try.

"Let's do it." Mo Xiuyao nodded.

Feng Zhiyao smiled, pulled out an arrow from behind, put the arrow on the bow, drew the bow, and a long arrow with a flame flew straight towards the Beirong camp.