The warlord was almost crying. He climbed onto his horse with tears and snot, flicked the whip and ran back to tell Zhao Qi the tale.
Zhao Yang sneered and leaned back in his chair. There were several thin lines drawn on the military strategy map in front of him. The young prince lowered his eyes slightly and slowly said, "Beishuo, Chidu, Lancheng, Chunyuyu, Yaoshui, Meilin Pass..." Although he didn't know the reason why Zhao Yang suspended the attack, it seemed that for Chu Qiao, every minute was a gift from heaven. She worked actively to organize the city's defense tools and systems, arrange the evacuation of civilians, integrate new recruits, and coordinate the advance and retreat relationships between various armies, and was very busy.
After night fell completely, the crying sounds in the city gradually became smaller. Chu Qiao was walking on the empty street and suddenly felt a little cold. Ge Qi walked quickly forward and put a fur coat on her. The thick clothes blocked the cold wind. Chu Qiao nodded and thanked him lightly.
The doors of the shops on both sides of the street were wide open. With a creaking sound, a wooden basin in front of the door was blown up by the wind and started spinning on the ground, making a gurgling sound.
It was bleak and lonely, with a chilly and bleak atmosphere everywhere.
"Sir, we won't win, right?" Chu Qiao was stunned. She turned around and saw Ge Qi's young eyes looking at her. He smiled peacefully and said, "If you really have confidence, you won't let all the civilians retreat."
Chu Qiao didn't say anything, just turned her head quietly. She is a senior commander who has received modern military education. She knows clearly the true meaning of war. It is not impossible to turn decay into magic, but that requires minimum capital. Even if she does not require equal strength or even power, she must have the ability to fight. With less than 10,000 soldiers, guarding a low and dilapidated town, and fighting against 200,000 elite troops of the empire, and the enemy's troops will continue to arrive. In such a war, no one will have the determination to win. However, she could not show these emotions. She was their leader and the hope of everyone here. If even she had no confidence, how could others persevere?
Chu Qiao sighed quietly. Suddenly, she saw a small black shadow in front of her. She frowned. Ge Qi behind her had cautiously stepped forward and stood in front of her. He shouted in a deep voice, "Who is it?"
The light flickered, and the soldiers walked forward, only to see that the person coming towards them was actually a child of about twelve or thirteen years old. He was wearing a small padded jacket and holding a small bundle. His face was red from the cold, he had delicate eyebrows and eyes, and he had a stiff neck, looking very stubborn.
Chu Qiao frowned and asked, "Whose child are you? Why didn't you leave with the team?"
The child didn't say anything, just lowered his head. Judging from his appearance, Chu Qiao thought that he had probably just returned from the West City Gate. Without saying anything, he turned around and left.
"Hey! Are you ignoring me?" Seeing Chu Qiao ignoring him, the child really caught up with her and asked in confusion, "Are you not going to drive me out of the city?"
Chu Qiao said calmly: "What does your life or death have to do with me? I have enough things to do and I don't have time to care about you."
The child was stunned for a moment, as if he was insulted, and then he shouted: "I am fifteen years old! I can stay and serve in the army!"
Chu Qiao glanced at him from head to toe with a blank expression. The child knew that his lie was outrageous, but he still managed to say, "Don't look at me because I'm small, but I'm very strong."
Chu Qiao still ignored him. The child wanted to run over anxiously, but was stopped outside by Ge Qi. The child had no choice but to jump up and down outside and rolled up his sleeves, trying to show Chu Qiao his strong arm muscles.
"Why don't you leave?" Chu Qiao suddenly asked in a deep voice.
The child was stunned and stood there in a daze. After thinking for a long time, he murmured, "My sister is sick and can't leave."
Chu Qiao's heart suddenly tightened. She had seen too many things like this over the years. She thought that even if she committed more killing now, it might be worth it. Only by destroying the old can the new be established. If a nation wants to move towards independence, it needs to pay a price. Perhaps many years later, the world will change because of what she does today. The children at that time may no longer have to be displaced like they are now, and the people at that time may no longer have to live in precarious conditions like they do now. That will be enough.
"May I have your name?"
"My name is Du Gouzi."
Chu Qiao frowned. Why was such a pretty child given such a name?
"This name doesn't sound good. I'll give you a new one."
The child thought about it and said, "That's fine, but the last name must still be Du."
Chu Qiao stood up and looked into the distance, "Just call me Ping An."
Du Ping'an, Du Ping'an, I hope that there will be a day of peace in the land of Yanbei. Half an hour later, all the officers and soldiers of the Southwest Town Envoy gathered at a small military square in the west of the city. Bright torches shone in the night sky. Chu Qiao, dressed in military uniform, stood on a makeshift wooden platform, looking deeply at the group of soldiers who were determined to follow her to death. She said in a low voice: "Everyone, thank you for your trust in me. In the ancient capital of Zhenhuang in the Great Xia Dynasty, in the northwest land of Hongchuan Plain, outside the city gate of Beishuo West Gate, we fought side by side and shared weal and woe. Thank you for always believing in me and following me, and for following me into this desperate situation today. I am very sorry for this."
Chu Qiao bowed slowly, then stood up straight and continued, "I don't want to deceive you, so before the decisive battle, I want to tell you that I lied before. We will not have any reinforcements. Chidu City will not have any support. We are fighting alone, and no one will give us any help."
There was a sudden panic in the team, but it was quickly brought under control. They stared at Chu Qiao closely without saying a word.
"The Great Xia army is divided into two groups. One is attacking the east gate of Beishuo head-on. The main force is as many as 400,000, not counting the reserve army and logistics laborers. The other group, which is the 200,000 elite soldiers under our city, will cross the Helan Mountains and attack Chidu City by surprise. The purpose is to break through the Chiyuan Ferry, penetrate into the inland of Yanbei, and attack Beishuo City from both the east and west lines. They will also create chaos in Yanbei in the rear and undermine the morale of the frontline. Once Chidu City is broken, the millions of soldiers and civilians in Beishuo will have no way to escape. If they flee, they will inevitably fall into the massacre of the Xia army, and the elite forces of Yanbei will be greatly damaged. Half of the country in the east will fall into the hands of Daxia! As the second line of defense in the inland of Yanbei, Lancheng in the rear is also impossible to send reinforcements to us. They have less than 100,000 defenders, guarding the long beacon line of the Sunset Mountains, and have no power to look east. The Second Army led by His Highness is still in the distant Meilin Pass, and it is impossible for them to come back to help us. "
The firelight shone on the small face of the woman. She had a straight back, a tall figure, and bright eyes. She said in a deep voice: "So, this is a tough battle. The enemies you will face are twenty times your number, and they will increase in the future. However, we cannot retreat. Once we retreat, the retreat route of the Beishuo army and people will be blocked. Even if they run away, they will have nowhere to escape. Behind us are the people in the Sunset Mountain area. Without us, the iron hoofs of Daxia will ruthlessly trample on their heads. The elderly, women, and children will all face a catastrophe. No one can escape. Yanbei will face a catastrophe of life and death!"
Chu Qiao's eyes were red, her face was a little excited, and she continued, "Soldiers of the Southwest Town Government, you have always been called rebels. Your fathers once betrayed Yanbei, betrayed their blood and hometown. In the past eight years, no one in the entire continent has looked up to you. You have endured countless curses and contempts. Even though you helped Prince Yan Xun escape from Zhenhuang, even though you personally created the Zhenhuang Incident that shocked the world, even though you once stubbornly repelled the Northwest Army that was dozens of times larger than you, the name of traitor has always been pinned on your head. No one believes you, and no one is willing to accept you. But today, everything will be different. An opportunity is in front of you. As long as you get through it, you will be the heroes of Yanbei and the heroes respected by all the people!"
The soldiers' eyes began to heat up. The wind was howling and the snow was flying everywhere. Under the dark sky, Chu Qiao's figure was like a solid war spear. She said passionately: "Soldiers! Pick up your swords and guns, follow me, defend Yanbei, defend the unarmed women, children and the elderly, wash away the past shame with blood, defend our military flag, and polish the glorious name of Southwest Town! Of course, some people will die, and some people will not see the snowflakes next winter, but the people will be grateful to you, Yanbei will remember you, and your names will be engraved in Yanbei's military merits, and will be admired and worshipped from generation to generation! Soldiers, I will be with you, sharing life and death, and never leave you!"
"We share life and death! Never leave each other!" The soldiers suddenly let out a sinister roar. They raised their hands, their eyes were red, some even shed tears, years of shame poured out like magma, they shouted loudly, "Defend Yanbei!"
The sound shook the sky and rolled up into the sky along with the howling wind!
The sound was so loud that it could even be heard on the snowy fields outside the city. Zhao Yang, dressed in a snow-white fox fur coat, glanced sideways and sneered disdainfully.
The time is almost up. If we delay any further, Zhao Qi might turn hostile.
He cast a cold gaze towards the low city wall and gently touched the snowflakes on his fur coat with his fingers. In his eyes, it wasn't even a city. He just glanced at Chidu in the darkness and casually ordered the generals beside him: "Go, tear down that annoying wall for me."
"Yes, sir!" The generals responded in unison, turned around and strode away. The soldiers received the order to fight and immediately advanced in formation, wielding swords and guns.
boom! boom! boom! The ground shook slowly beneath their feet, and the soldiers shouted earth-shakingly, "Kill the enemy!"
A loud charge suddenly sounded, startling the war eagles flying in the sky. The sky and the earth were solemn, the grass and trees were broken, and a heavy snow fell.
Welcome, dark night! "Feng Ting, gather a thousand scouts and divide them into five teams. They will attack freely and use the familiar terrain to launch guerrilla warfare against the enemy's follow-up troops. Do your best to harass the enemy's food and grass convoys. We must stop the enemy on the side of Helan Mountain for at least two days."
The young general in military uniform nodded and replied, "Yes!"
"Murong brought 2,000 newly recruited militiamen to set up an ambush at Baizhang Cliff, stockpiling rocks and rolling logs, waiting for the grain and grass army to break through Fengting's blockade in two days. At that time, Laomu will meet you and instruct you on the follow-up actions."
The two soldiers answered at the same time: "Yes, sir!"
Chu Qiao spread out the map with a swish sound, and drew a line along the southeast area with her slender white fingers, and said in a deep voice: "Wu Danyu will lead 500 archers to hide in the pine forest and use bows and arrows to attack the enemy's flanks. Once the enemy launches an attack, you must evacuate immediately and resolutely not confront the enemy head-on. Do you understand?"