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While Wang Ling was still feeling smug, the other half of the government troops were in despair.
The Red Flag Gang did not divide its troops, and the strength of the two sides seemed to be equal, but the morale was very different.
After so many days of marching, they'd only suffered two defeats, suffered countless casualties, and were constantly harassed by the enemy. Who wouldn't be terrified and suffer terribly? Now the enemy has reinforced their forces, and they're only at half their strength left. How can we fight like this?
Forced into a corner, the commander gritted his teeth and shouted, "The bandits have killed countless people and hate the imperial court. If we fall into their hands, we will most likely die without a burial place. We are evenly matched with the enemy. If we retreat while advancing and delay them for a while, the Marshal will naturally send his troops to support us!"
He spoke passionately, but the soldiers below could still hardly hide their panic.
Would reinforcements really arrive? A large army had to be divided. Could it be that the general was trying to escape? Besides, they'd heard of the Red Flag Gang. Aren't they all former subordinates of General Qiu? It wasn't them who harmed General Qiu, but that bastard Wang Ling and the corrupt officials at court. Why would they risk their lives fighting the Red Flag Gang?
With doubts in their hearts, they moved even more slowly, but the enemy would not sit idly by and wait. The army calmly deployed its battle formation and separated into left and right wings, as if intending to encircle and attack from both sides.
"Charge! As long as we charge, we can escape the pursuit!" On every warship, the generals shouted at the top of their lungs, wishing they could fly away.
There was a brutal and terrifying enemy in front of them, and a war supervisor who was eyeing them covetously behind them. What else could the soldiers do? They had to grit their teeth and fight to the death.
For a moment, there were artillery fire and arrows flying everywhere, and the killing was very lively.
Although the government fleet was devoured by the enemy forces on both wings, and at least many warships retreated, the obstacles in front of them became increasingly thin, and they really managed to fight their way out.
What are you waiting for? Run for your life! The thieves don't have any artillery anyway, so how can they attack you from behind?
With hope in their hearts, many people really rekindled their fighting spirit, but it didn't take long for the officers and soldiers to discover a problem.
He was running for his life, but the people behind him were chasing him relentlessly, with no intention of letting go.
Because of the charge, the troops suffered heavy losses, and the excitement of the successful breakout disappeared, leaving only fatigue and despair.
Turning back and firing back was out of the question. If they caught up, they would most likely be dead. This was still Red Flag Gang territory, and the enemy was definitely more familiar with the terrain. Would they launch another night raid?
The bandits neither beat the war drums nor threatened or intimidated anyone. They were like a pack of silent wolves following the flock of sheep, waiting for them to be exhausted so that they could rush forward.
Unfortunately, the army, with its morale completely shattered, was no more resilient than a flock of sheep. After only half a day of pursuit, the government troops in front could no longer hold out and actually split into several groups and fled in all directions.
This was a typical rout. Li Niu excitedly shouted, "Everyone, cheer up! This is fat meat in your mouth, don't let them escape!"
Dispersing like this might make it easier to escape, but what was the Red Flag Gang's origin story? Chasing and intercepting people at sea with just a few boats was their specialty.
He had the right time and place, not to mention the people's hearts. Didn't he just pick up the credit easily?
When an ordinary army is defeated, there will be crowds of people all over the mountains and plains, and it will be impossible to catch them all. However, naval battles are not like land battles. No matter how hard they try to escape, they will travel together in groups of several or dozens of ships. If they are really left alone, let alone the powerful enemies of the Red Flag Gang, even a few ordinary pirate ships will not be able to withstand them.
What’s even more terrible is that the escape route they chose includes an island that has already been recaptured by the Red Flag Gang.
Faced with the mighty army, those sea merchants and boat people did not dare to move forward. Faced with a group of fleeing defeated soldiers, was there any reason to miss the opportunity?
This battle was really unremarkable. Apart from the fact that it took a little longer and some effort to collect the prisoners, it was a smooth and uneventful battle.
However, it was a great victory, a pursuit battle with the least losses, and a battle of persuasion, which brought indescribable excitement to the soldiers. This time, the opponent was the imperial army, but they were beaten and fled in panic. The Red Flag Gang was indeed the strongest!
And they once again saved their homes!
The battle here was going smoothly, and Wang Ling's journey over there was also relatively safe. Fearing that the nearby islands would be controlled by the Red Flag Gang, he took a detour on purpose. His target was not the artillery batteries and camps in Doumen, but he planned to go straight to Panyu City, first protect the provincial capital, and then recapture the garrisons one by one.
Of course, he had his own calculations in mind. After all, the morale of the army was extremely low, and it might not be possible to fully succeed if he tried to seize the garrison.
Going to the provincial capital would at least allow a group of officials and gentry to feel at ease, and then he could find someone to smooth things over, atone for his sins, and maybe even reduce the guilt on him.
Of course, shirking responsibility and finding someone to blame is inevitable. Who is the culprit of this battle? Of course, it is Xu Xianrong, who was captured by him. If he had not sent troops to attack the Red Flag Gang first and returned with a crushing defeat, how could he have ended up in such a situation?
Letting Wang Ling lead the troops might make him a bit timid, as the intrigues and schemes in the officialdom were his forte. Now that there were no external enemies, he naturally had to think carefully.
He thought everything through, but when a large group of government troops appeared near the coast, someone hurried to report the news.
"Boss! The government troops are coming. There look to be a hundred or so boats!"
This shout interrupted the vigorous wrestling game on the deck. Shen Feng turned around and raised his eyebrows in surprise: "Only a hundred or so boats?"
"That's right! They probably suffered a defeat, and the formation of the ships is a bit messy." The messenger said quickly.
Shen Feng asked again: "Are there any members of the Red Flag Gang following us?"
The man shook his head: "I didn't see it."
"It seems that the Red Flag Gang has gained a lot. They really live up to their reputation." Shen Feng laughed and clapped his hands. Without even rolling up his sleeves, he walked to the bow and blew a loud whistle. "Everyone, get up and stretch your muscles. Let's have a good fight. Don't let others think you're just freeloaders."
This remark caused the group of pirates to burst into laughter, but after the laughter, their fighting spirit was also ignited.
Aren't the reasons why these people are guarding Doumen just to beat up the downtrodden dog and show off in front of the Red Flag Gang?
Now that their allies were gone, they couldn't attack from both sides, but so what? The Red Flag Gang could withstand a large army and deal with a remnant, so how could the Green Phoenix Gang handle it? Guests were welcome, so they had to be treated well.
Just when Wang Ling finally figured out a plan and the fleet circled back to Panyu, preparing to head towards the estuary with great fanfare, a surprise force suddenly appeared on the flank of the army and rushed up like a tiger or a wolf.
At this moment, Wang Ling was really stunned and felt inexplicably terrified.
Could it be that the Red Flag Gang still had enough strength to arrange an ambush at the estuary? However, the next moment, he discovered who the enemy in front of him was. It was actually the Qingfeng Gang!
Weren't they supposed to be attacking other garrisons? Why were they suddenly on their path? Wait, was this also planned by the Red Flag Gang? They were waiting for them to fall into a trap so they could attack them from both sides?
The more he thought about it, the more panicked he became. Wang Ling could no longer care about anything else and shouted, "The camp has been lost. If we want to atone for our sins, we must defeat the enemy and recapture the artillery position!"
It is no longer possible to go to Panyu, so we have to go back to Doumen Camp first, at least to save our lives.
Wang Ling's idea was not bad, but he missed one point. After a series of defeats, the soldiers finally escaped with great difficulty. It was not easy to restore the morale of the relaxed soldiers.
The Qingfeng Gang is not the Chiqi Gang. Their military appearance is disorganized, their formation is loose, and they can only charge around recklessly, causing the officers and soldiers who are used to fighting the Chiqi Gang to relax their vigilance.
When the real fight came, the ferocity and madness of these pirates completely shattered the remaining fantasies of these tired soldiers.
So, right at their doorstep, on the sea just an arrow's throw away from the camp, the government army was defeated. No one was willing to listen to the commander's orders, and everyone scrambled to escape to the shore, trying to fight for their own survival.
This was not actually a fierce battle. The Qingfeng Gang had no intention of risking their lives, and they were not even interested in pestering the enemy.
But when Wang Ling staggered down from the flagship and stepped onto the Doumen camp again, he could not hold back his tears.
He was defeated, completely and utterly defeated.
In this state, how can I make amends and revive my career?
He just wanted to win some credit, so why did he become like this?
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