Chapter 422 Another Blow
"What?!"
Upon hearing those words, even the composed Yuwen Ye's expression changed instantly.
It should be noted that this time the imperial court ordered him to lead 150,000 troops, but only 50,000 troops actually followed him out of Daxing City. Of the remaining 100,000 troops, 40,000 were garrison troops stationed in Fufeng County, and another 60,000 were reinforcements sent by the imperial court to Fufeng after Xue Xian advanced eastward and pointed his troops toward Daxing City.
Therefore, the 100,000 troops are currently under the command of Ma Xu, the garrison commander of Fufeng, and will be handed over to him once he arrives in Fufeng.
But now, out of 100,000 troops, 80,000 have been wiped out!
In other words, before he even reached Fufeng, his troops had already suffered more than half their losses!
Although the soldier who came to deliver the message was unaware of the court's arrangements, the loss of 80,000 men was a near-devastating blow under any circumstances. With red eyes, he knelt on the ground and trembled as he said, "Just the day before yesterday, Xue Xian's 130,000 vanguard troops arrived at Fufeng and attacked the city, challenging us to battle. General Ma went out of the city to meet the enemy, but he underestimated them and advanced recklessly. All 80,000 men under his command were killed by Xue Xian. He himself escaped back to the city with only a dozen or so light cavalry. Fortunately, the adjutant sent people to meet him and closed the city gates tightly, which prevented Fufeng from falling."
"..."
Yuwen Ye's face turned ashen, and he gritted his teeth, unable to utter a word.
Standing beside him, Shang Ruyi's heart sank. Even though countless torches were still burning around them, it was as if they had fallen into darkness.
Eighty thousand men, all wiped out...
Even if he were to arrive in Fufeng immediately, he would only have his 50,000 men and the remaining 10,000 men in Fufeng. How could such a force possibly resist Xue Xian's 130,000-strong vanguard army? Moreover, his remaining troops should arrive in Fufeng soon.
Isn't this a losing proposition?
Just thinking about it made Shang Ruyi feel a chill rise from her heart, even though the weather was hot and the summer wind was blowing. The soldiers around her were even more terrified when they heard this.
If all 80,000 troops were wiped out, what use would their 50,000-plus men be if they went there?
Isn't that just sending them to their deaths?
Whispers had already begun, and in the flickering firelight, fear and unease were palpable in everyone's eyes. Seeing this dejected atmosphere before the battle even began, Shang Ruyi also became somewhat nervous. She turned to look at Yuwen Ye, who remained silent under everyone's gaze.
At this point, he should say something.
Just as everyone's eyes were on him, Yuwen Ye raised his head, waved his hand dismissively, and said, "Those who have finished eating, get ready to set off immediately."
"...?"
Seeing him like this, no one dared to utter a single extra word, and the unease and dejection in their hearts deepened even further.
Is it possible that even this Grand General has lost confidence in the battle of Fufeng?
So, they're too lazy to even appease them?
Thinking this, everyone seemed to have lost their strength and were unwilling to say anything more. They all retreated and silently ate the dry rations in their hands. The already dark road ahead seemed to become even darker.
That gloomy mood gradually spread among the soldiers.
After a short while, the rest was over.
Yuwen Ye mounted his horse, glanced at the dejected faces of the soldiers who had lost all will to fight in the darkness, and waved his hand, saying, "Forward!"
So the troops began to march forward again in the darkness, but they were even more exhausted than when they had marched all day without food or water.
As Shang Ruyi rode on her horse, she looked at the somewhat numb faces around her, then turned to look at Yuwen Ye, whose expression was solemn. After hesitating for a long time, she couldn't help but whisper, "Aren't you going to say anything?"
"..."
Yuwen Ye looked up at her.
Shang Ruyi said softly, "Ma Xu's army was defeated and 80,000 men were wiped out. Although the situation is very critical, you should still say something to your men to boost their morale."
"..."
"It looks like this now—"
Yuwen Ye looked around and said in a deep voice, "Now is not the time to boost morale."
"Um?"
"Because once we reach Fufeng, there will likely be another blow—or perhaps an even bigger blow than this news."
"..."
"If we boost morale now, and then suffer another blow later, even the most resilient person will be driven to collapse. It's better to let morale remain low now."
Another blow?!
Moreover, what's even greater than the complete annihilation of these 80,000 troops?
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi stared at him with wide eyes in surprise: "There's more? What is it?"
Yuwen Ye did not answer her immediately, but remained silent for a moment before turning to look at her. A cold glint flashed in his deep eyes as he said, "Now that you have come to the army with me, I will not protect you like I would at home. There are some things you need to see with your own eyes, and some things you need to experience firsthand."
"..."
"This is the choice you made yourself."
Hearing his almost cold words, Shang Ruyi's heartbeat slowly sank.
She knew that Yuwen Ye didn't want her to go on the expedition with the army, but these words weren't meant to mock her. On the contrary, this was something she had to go through to enter the military camp and go on the expedition, and it was also the belief he upheld as the commander-in-chief. Even when she first followed him into the Taiyuan military camp, he had the same attitude, watching her compete in archery with Huang Gongyi. Although she lost, she won his respect because of her frankness and willpower.
In the military, he was always the fairest.
Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and said softly, "I understand."
Yuwen Ye nodded and said nothing more. He held the reins and continued to ride forward at a fast pace. The people and horses around him also remained silent as they moved forward in the night.
At this moment, Nie Chong, who was not far behind them, slowly lowered his head, and a deep emotion flashed in his tired eyes.
But the sound of people chewing loudly around him interrupted his thoughts.
Turning around, I saw Shan Tong'er. Ever since he was enlisted in the army, his mouth had never stopped. This time, he carried several times more rations than others, which he carried on his horse like a cargo carrier. Even while riding, he was still eating a steamed bun. Luckily, the boy was carefree and didn't choke.
Seeing his expression, Nie Chong said softly, "Eat less."
Shan Tong blinked, his mouth still stuffed with half a steamed bun: "Why? I'm not full yet."
"I'll throw up."
"Um?"
Shan Tong blinked again, and asked in even greater surprise, "Why would I vomit? I never vomit. Food is so precious."
Looking at the child, who could easily defeat several adults with a single blow, yet still appeared so innocent, Nie Chong didn't say much, only shook his head, and continued riding forward.
And so, the team traveled more than ten miles under the cover of night, and finally arrived in Fufeng County as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds.
Fufeng was originally just a small county town with only a few thousand soldiers, but it was a crucial pass on the road from Longxi to Guanzhong. Therefore, after Xue Xian occupied Longxi, Yuwen Yuan immediately dispatched tens of thousands of troops to guard the place. Furthermore, when Xue Xian attempted to advance eastward, he repeatedly sent troops to the area.
Unexpectedly, his plans were almost ruined by Ma Xu.
Upon entering Fufeng County, the already low morale became even more somber.
Although Xue Xian did not enter the city, his massive military campaign and the momentum of his 130,000 vanguard troops had already made the people in the city like frightened birds, panicking and keeping all their doors and windows tightly shut. They were terrified at the slightest sound.
Looking at the scene around her, Shang Ruyi couldn't help but frown.
Yuwen Ye said, "Is this the last blow?"
But isn't the low spirits after defeat to be expected? It's hardly a blow.
Just as she was thinking, a commotion suddenly broke out ahead. Many soldiers guarding the city began to gather in that direction. Looking up, she saw that it was the city gate of the county. The ground there was a mess, with many wounded people leaning against the corner of the wall groaning. Some swords that had been hacked and chipped lay scattered on the ground, completely unattended.
how so?
Yuwen Ye frowned slightly and spurred his horse forward.
Although the crowd ahead was so dense that it was impossible to squeeze through, Yuwen Ye was riding a fine steed from the Western Regions. It was huge, and riding it was like standing on a small building. He could see the tightly closed city gate ahead at a glance. A general with thick bandages wrapped around his shoulder and arm, clearly seriously injured, rushed forward, grabbed another person and pushed him to the ground, and said with a ferocious look in his eyes, "I'll kill you today!"
This person is Ma Xu.
The one who was pinned to the ground and unable to struggle was a military officer in armor, who looked to be in his early twenties, with a round face and thick ears, and appeared to be quite steady and honest.
He was pinned to the ground by Ma Xu and unable to move, only gritting his teeth as he said, "General Ma, what are you doing?"
Ma Xu said fiercely, "Dai Junliang, you still dare to speak?!"
Dai Junliang?
Upon hearing this name, Shang Ruyi frowned slightly.
On the way there, she also took the opportunity to ask the soldier who came to deliver the message, and learned that the garrison commander Ma Xu had underestimated the enemy. Seeing Xue Xian advance, he wanted to lead all 100,000 troops out of the city to fight and win the first victory. However, the adjutant general Dai Junliang tried his best to dissuade him. Although he could not stop him, he left more than 10,000 people to guard the city. Later, when Ma Xu was defeated, it was he who closed the city gates tightly and resisted Xue Xian's pursuit.
In a way, this person managed to retain some military strength in the city.
But why did Ma Xu start fighting with him?
Just as she was puzzled, Ma Xu burst out cursing, "This defeat is because you were a coward! If you had been willing to lead those ten thousand men out of the city, I would never have been defeated. It's all because of you!"
"..."
"If you're so eager to see us defeated, you must be a spy sent by Xue Xian to infiltrate the city!"
"..."
I'll kill you today!
After saying that, he drew the long sword from his waist and chopped it down at Dai Junliang's head!
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