Within a few days, Qi Jingxuan had arrived at the border.
Xu Yunchuan let Qi Jingxuan go in first. He learned from the soldiers that tens of thousands of troops from the Whip Tat Kingdom were gathered at the west gate of the Jiang Kingdom.
This is very strange. The scouts clearly reported that the country had 200,000 elite troops. Where did the rest of the troops go?
"How did they fight?" Qi Jingxuan asked.
"General, their insults were nasty, I dare not speak out of turn," General Xu hurriedly said, clasping his hands in greeting.
"Please feel free to speak."
“You tell us,” General Xu nudged the soldier next to him, who could only grit his teeth and say, “They said that if General Qi is capable, he should wipe them all out, otherwise, as long as there is one man left in the Whiplash Kingdom, they will definitely take back the northern lands they once had.”
"They even said that General Qi is a coward, and that the army has been here for two days but has not yet engaged in battle. They should just surrender now."
West Gate
Countless soldiers, cavalry, trains, and warhorses stood densely packed together.
"Is the Jiang Kingdom out of talent? They've sent only a bunch of cowards."
"Yo yo yo yo"
"Go to war! Go to war!"
Yu Lin, who was on the city wall, was furious and really wanted to go down and chop them up.
"Where is the strategist? This is Jiang Congzhi, son of Prince Jiang. From now on, you will follow General Xu."
"Yes, General Qi."
"Give me the topographic map."
"General, strategist Li Mu has arrived."
"Strategist, look quickly! The terrain here is flat, which is not conducive to our soldiers' combat. Can we retreat fifty li and set up an ambush in the valleys inside the pass?"
"That's right. The general is indeed a skilled strategist; he understood the situation as soon as he opened the map."
“Our Jiang soldiers are not as skilled at horseback riding and archery as the Bian Ta soldiers, and their physical strength is also much inferior. This is just my suggestion.”
General Xu was astonished to hear that the battle had not even begun and that they were to retreat fifty li. What kind of tactic was this? Was it a retreat without a fight? Moreover, Qi Jingxuan was still too young to shoulder such a great responsibility.
"General, if we retreat without a fight, what will our soldiers think? Isn't this demoralizing us and boosting the enemy's morale?"
"General Xu, do not be hasty. Listen to me. It is currently the winter solstice, and the weather is cold. Our soldiers are physically inferior to the enemy soldiers, and fighting on this plain is not advantageous. If we retreat back into the pass, we can take advantage of the high ground and use fire, sand, stones, and shooting to kill them. It is only 40 li to Qixia Mountain, and the mountain pass is extremely narrow. It would be best to shoot the enemy at Hukou after they enter the pass. By then, it will be too late for the enemy to retreat, and the main force will have already entered the valley. General Xu, you should take 50,000 elite troops to defend the entrance, and General Yulin should guard the exit ahead. Soldiers should be ambushed on the mountain. In this way, the entire enemy army will be ours. However, with 200,000 troops, we will surely avenge them in the next few days. We will think of another way then."
"Wonderful, Qi Jingxuan, you're truly a natural-born warrior! Hahaha!" General Xu was a carefree person, and when he was happy, he didn't care about anything else.
These are tactics that Qi Jingxuan has been studying diligently in his study for nearly a month. Whether they succeed or not depends on the warriors who fight them.
The deputy general of Yulin, standing outside the city gate, had already begun hurling insults at the enemy troops.
"Yelü Qihong, you just wait! Just wait for General Qi's order, and I will be the first to rush out of the city and cut off your dog's head to offer as a sacrifice to the flag! To bring glory to my Qi family army!"
"Then hurry up and come out! It's been so long and it hasn't moved. What else could it be but a turtle?"
"Reporting to the general, General Qi has ordered us to withdraw our troops."
"What? A major battle is imminent? How can there be talk of retreating troops before the battle has even started?"
"The general has a brilliant plan, please obey the general's orders!" The soldier who came to deliver the message left after saying this.
"retreat!"
"General Yulin!?"
"General Yulin!?"
"General Yulin!?"
"General Qi ordered a retreat. We've been fighting him for years, and he's never retreated without a fight before. It's truly humiliating."
As Yelü Qihong watched the military flags being taken down from the city wall, the cheers of the crowd soon became deafening.
"Immediately assemble the army and set up camp inside Qixia Pass, in the shady area of Qixia Mountain. All soldiers are to obey; anyone who disobeys will be executed!"
"Sigh, let's retreat!" Yu Lin sighed helplessly. He had never fought such a humiliating battle in his life.
During the retreat, Yu Lin saw General Xu. "General Xu, General Xu! Why didn't you stop that brat? You've been a senior member of General Qi's staff for a long time."
"Let me explain in detail." General Xu, still on horseback, told Yulin about the general's plan. Yulin's expression immediately changed. "This is a brilliant plan."
As the army withdrew, Yelü Qihong gave them little chance to catch their breath and immediately led his 70,000 to 80,000 troops in pursuit.
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