South of Anria, on the official road leading to the royal city, Anderjef led his army at a rapid pace, constantly looking back.
He knew that as soon as he left the city, the Bedouins would catch up with him.
With so many infantrymen under his command, if they were caught up in the open field, defeat and death would be the only outcome.
Therefore, Anderdev could only hope that the soldiers left behind could stop him and buy him some time to escape.
As for the safety of Anria City and the entire northwest defense line, that was no longer within his consideration.
After all, the Parthian king and his ministers had already threatened him with the lives of his family, so why should he think so much more?
For Andreev, whose heart had already turned cold, whether Anxi was defeated or perished was no longer of any concern to him.
Rumble!!
Just as Andreev was lost in thought, a thunderous sound of hooves came from behind.
"Sigh, it's finally happened!"
Hearing the commotion behind him, Anderjee sighed. It seemed that the soldiers left behind were not acting according to his instructions.
Turning his head to look, Andreev's pupils contracted when he saw the dense swarm of pursuers behind him.
"I never imagined the Bedouins would resort to such cunning. This time, I'm truly doomed!"
Previously, he had repeatedly inquired about the number of Bedouins, and based on the amount of smoke from cooking fires and the number of tents, he always believed that there were only 20,000 Bedouins.
Now, seeing that the enemy force numbered as many as 50,000, Andreev's face was filled with despair.
The border guards following Andreev were also terrified. The entire column was thrown into chaos, and some even threw down their weapons and began to flee for their lives.
Andrzej did not stop his panicked men. He knew that if he encountered 50,000 cavalry in the wild, his less than 30,000 men would lead to the same result no matter how he dealt with them.
As the pursuers drew ever closer, Andreev's face showed a newfound calm as he waited quietly.
"Finally, I'm free!"
As the pursuers charged into his ranks, Andreev murmured something softly before slowly closing his eyes.
In an instant, the neighing of warhorses and the screams of border guards echoed in all directions.
"Is this a case of knowing one cannot survive and preparing to await execution?"
Ma Teng, who was leading the charge at the forefront, also noticed Anderjee in the formation.
With a cold laugh to himself, Ma Teng immediately spurred his horse and led his men straight towards Anderjee. The Parthian soldiers along the way also retreated to the side, fearing that if they were too slow, they would die under the hooves of the enemy.
In a short while, Ma Teng spurred his horse and charged up to Anderdev, his saber aimed straight for Anderdev's neck.
Despite feeling the chilling aura emanating from the blade, Anderjee showed no fear or dread on his face.
However, after waiting for several breaths, Anderjee did not feel any pain or abnormality; the sounds of shouting and wailing still echoed in his ears.
He opened his eyes in surprise and saw a sharp military knife resting on his shoulder, just inches away from his neck.
"May I have your name?"
Just as Anderjee was wondering what was going on, Ma Teng's voice drifted into his ears.
"My name is Andreev!"
"Aren't you afraid of dying?" Ma Teng asked curiously, looking at Anderjee's calm expression.
"Of course I'm afraid, but what can I do if I'm afraid?" Anderjee gave a wry smile, then looked up at Ma Teng: "Judging from your appearance, General, you must be a Han Chinese, right?"
“That’s right!” Ma Teng nodded, not denying that his appearance was very different from that of the Bedouin and Parthians.
Of course, the main reason is that the blood flowing in his veins is his greatest pride, and no matter what the reason, Ma Teng cannot deny his identity.
Anderjee looked enlightened: "No wonder the Bedouins have become more and more powerful in recent years. It seems that you were the one who orchestrated all of this?"
Ma Teng shrugged: "I did do some things, but ultimately, the main problem is that Parthia is getting weaker and weaker, isn't it?"
"General, you're right. Parthia is indeed on the verge of collapse!" Anderjee sighed, then said, "General, you should do it. I'm going to die anyway, so dying at your hands won't be shameful!"
"Heh, interesting!"
Ma Teng chuckled lightly, then looked Anderjee up and down.
The other person had a fair complexion and light blue pupils, and had an appearance different from that of the Parthians.
"Are you from the Western Regions?" Ma Teng asked curiously.
“My grandmother was from the Kingdom of Gaochang!” Anderjee replied.
"I see!"
Ma Teng nodded, then said in a deep voice, "I do admire you quite a bit, and now I'm willing to give you a chance to live. I wonder if you're willing to accept it?"
What are your conditions?
Ma Teng's words startled Anderjee slightly, and a glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes.
"Surrender to the Han Dynasty, then lead your army back to your capital and await orders at any time!"
"Surrender to the Han Dynasty?"
Upon hearing this, Anderjee was slightly taken aback. Looking at Ma Teng's serious expression, he immediately understood the reason.
In his view, the Han general leading the Bedouin must have been sent by the Han Dynasty to develop its power and prepare to launch an attack on Parthia at any time.
"What a terrifying country!" The thought that the Great Han had begun its scheme to annex Parthia more than a decade ago filled Anderjee with lingering fear and dread.
Anderjee gave Ma Teng a deep look, and finally nodded: "I swear to Heaven that I am willing to surrender to the Han Dynasty and be at the Han Dynasty's beck and call at any time. If I break this oath, may I be struck down by Heaven and Earth!"
"In the future, you will thank yourself for this wise choice you made today!"
Upon seeing the other side swear to surrender, Ma Teng couldn't help but laugh, and immediately ordered his army to stop massacring the border guards.
Before long, the two armies separated, and the surviving border guards gathered behind Anderdev with lingering fear in their eyes, their eyes filled with gratitude.
They knew that if it weren't for their commander, none of them would have survived.
Anderjee then took out a seal from his pocket and handed it to Ma Teng: "General Ma, this is my seal. You can use this to make the soldiers stationed in Anlia City surrender."
"good!"
Ma Teng took the seal of office, then led his troops, turned their horses around, and headed towards Anlia City.
Watching Ma Teng's departing figure, Anderjee looked at his personal guards and said in a deep voice, "Pass down the order: no one is to divulge today's battle. Also, deal with those people planted by the ministers!"
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