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As daylight brightened again, Sun Yuanrang's eyes were slightly bloodshot, but his spirits were high. That night, the detachment that had rushed to intercept the ambush had achieved a resounding victory, killing and wounding most of the rebels and even seizing more than a dozen boats. Stung by this blow, the enemy boarded their boats again, preparing to circumvent the enemy.
However, whether returning or landing at a different location, it would no longer be a surprise attack from both sides. The only problem now was the enemy in front. Since the fleet had landed on the beach last night, there would inevitably be a major battle today. It might be a combined force, and since the enemy had slightly more numbers than ours, we could only work hard to boost morale.
Rations had been distributed early, and everyone had received some. Plenty of hot water had also been boiled so everyone could eat warm. Sun Yuanrang then joined the others in the refugee camp. Hastily swallowing the unpalatable rice bran, he stood before them and shouted, "Brothers, we are here to suppress the rebels. That band of thieves nearly killed the commander-in-chief and stole a lot of our money and food. It's like a hungry tiger sleeping beside us. Only by driving it away can we farm peacefully and live a stable life."
His gaze wandered over the numb faces, and Sun Yuanrang raised his voice. "In today's battle, as long as we win, everyone will be rewarded! If we capture Luling Prefecture, we will gain tens of thousands of acres of fertile farmland, all of which will be distributed to you for cultivation. I, Sun Yuanrang, will guarantee your contribution, and no one will be owed anything!"
This sentence finally made everyone raise their heads, and their eyes lit up a little. After all, everyone had come to know General Sun along the way. He was one of the few generals who could often visit the camp and eat and live with them. Moreover, this man really didn't skimp on other people's food. I heard that he even killed many wealthy people and took their money and food to distribute to everyone.
This kind of behavior is much more friendly than the high and mighty gang leader or general. Since he is also joining the battle, and since winning this battle means the mission is accomplished, what are we waiting for?
The food was still hot in their stomachs, giving them courage. Someone shouted, "Kill those sons of bitches!"
"Kill the rebels!"
"kill!"
The group began to shout sporadically, gradually growing into a deafening roar. Sun Yuanrang looked at them and secretly made up his mind: no matter what, he had to win this battle. Only by winning could he ensure the survival of as many of them as possible, and become settlers and soldiers like those in Leren City.
He didn't want to be like the Marshal and treat these people as trash. This should be his help in gaining a foothold in Jinghu!
These war cries caused a stir in the enemy camp. Marshal Wang's adopted son, Wang Xing, spat, "These bastards, just a small victory and they're already so complacent."
The news of the failed landing last night had reached him early on, and the thought of how to report to his adoptive father gave him a terrible headache. That was why he was eager to make a comeback and let his adoptive father see his bravery and ability.
"General Qian, the ambush we arranged has already drawn away a large number of enemy forces. If we fight to the death today, we can defeat the bandits in one fell swoop!" He turned and said to the people sent by Prince Xin, "General Qian, please lead our right wing and defeat the enemy in one battle."
General Qian was also a close confidant of Prince Xin, and as his name suggested, he was extremely greedy for money. It was precisely because Marshal Wang had made such a great promise and offered him so much that he was willing to put in some effort. He had to work hard, too. If he suffered heavy losses in this battle and failed to achieve a decisive victory, he would have no way of explaining himself to Prince Xin.
This "Prince Xin" was born into a wealthy family in Fujian and was extremely strict with his subjects. If he fell out of favor, he would be doomed.
Therefore, General Qian laughed heartily: "The Marshal has made such a good arrangement. With the troops from both our armies, it should be easy to defeat the straw raincoat bandits, right?"
Wang Xing's face changed slightly when he heard this. They were now using the name of the Minoyi Gang. Didn't this mean they were insulting their own people? However, there was no time to correct this minor flaw. Wang Xing simply stood up and began to arrange his formation, preparing to charge the refugees first.
This was also the tradition of the "rebel army" in warfare. If the refugees were defeated, they could potentially attack the enemy's main camp, which would be a prime opportunity for the elite troops to seize the camp. All of them were experienced warriors, and without hesitation, they immediately deployed their forces. Drums boomed, and shouts rose in all directions. Following the drumbeat, the refugees on both sides rushed forward, clashing fiercely once again.
The battle started at dawn and lasted until the afternoon. The refugees were defeated several times and gathered together several times. However, they could not fight any longer. The front line was full of elite soldiers. Sun Yuanrang sent out all his personal soldiers. They were brave warriors who would never turn back, but they failed to break the opponent's line, and there was no sign of defeat.
Sun Yuanrang couldn't help but feel a little anxious. Was he too reckless? Should he wait for news from the Tianding Army, or wait for another day or two and wait for Cheng Xi to launch a surprise attack?
But at this point, he had no other choice. A major battle was inevitable. If he didn't fight with all his might, he would be defeated first. Even Fang Tianxi was useless at this moment. He was good at strategy, but not at tactics. He had no choice but to fight this battle alone.
Unsheathing his long sword, Sun Yuanrang took a deep breath and ordered, "Follow me, General!"
This is a way for a general to go into battle, and it is also a way to boost the morale of the army. If you can break through the enemy formation in one go, you can decide the outcome of the battle in one fell swoop.
However, before Sun Yuanrang could go out into the battle, he saw that the enemy formation on the opposite side was in chaos, and even the central army began to retreat, as if they were about to retreat.
What was going on? Could something have gone wrong with the enemy's central army? The next moment, he suddenly realized, could it be that the Red Flag Army had succeeded? Although it had come a full day or two sooner than expected, with Cheng Xi's agility and decisiveness, it wasn't impossible!
His eyes lit up, and he shouted, "Our rear army has already broken through Luling Prefecture. The bandit chief is in trouble! Brothers, follow me!"
This loud shout was transmitted layer by layer by the personal guards. In an instant, the exhausted soldiers became excited. The refugees were no longer afraid of fighting and rushed forward along with the unfurled Sun-shaped flag.
On the other side of the battle, everyone lost their composure after Wang Xing's arrival. Before them lay an all-too-familiar head, and the messenger bearing it trembled as he delivered shocking news.
"Luling City has been captured, my adoptive father is dead... This, this was only one night! Who did this? Is there a rebellion?" This was the first possibility that came to Wang Xing's mind. After all, his adoptive father had rebelled against Marshal Pan before, and now, with the army marching out, it wouldn't be surprising for someone to rebel. But how did they capture the city? Weren't they afraid that the armies would converge and catch him off guard?
The messenger was already sweating profusely and trembling, saying, "No, it's not the rebels. Someone broke through the city gate. There are one or two thousand soldiers..."
Wang Xing's hair stood on end. "Were they the soldiers sent by those bastards? How could they have taken the city in one night? How many elite troops does Sun have?"
This truly baffled Wang Xing. He was also from the Suoyi Gang, so how could he not know what was going on there? If they had dared to mobilize their elite troops to attack the city, there would have been no need for a direct attack. Besides, how did a thousand or two thousand men manage to sneak up on the city without anyone noticing? Could they have had some kind of tactical tactic?
However, before he could continue, a deafening roar came from outside, and the words "The bandit chief is dead" made Wang Xing feel cold all over.
He had only ordered the central army to retreat, and the enemy had already known about it. If this wasn't a conspiracy, then what was it? He couldn't fight anymore. He had to conserve his strength and rush back as soon as possible...
Just as he was thinking, someone rushed in: "General, it's bad, Prince Xin's troops are retreating!"
Wang Xing's vision went dark, and he nearly fell to the ground. "Isn't this just kicking someone when they're down? Stop it!"
But who could stop the allied forces, who had already made up their minds to retreat? With the simultaneous retreat of the center and right wing, the entire rebel line collapsed completely. The panicked refugee army became the last straw that broke the camel's back, and tens of thousands of troops were completely routed.
The battle was a bloody one, and by the evening, when the battlefield was being cleaned up, a messenger arrived before Sun Yuanrang and said excitedly, "General, the Red Banner Army launched their attack last night. They stormed the city gates overnight and killed the bandit leader! Now the defeated soldiers are heading to the river, apparently looking for boats."
Upon hearing this, Sun Yuanrang couldn't help but laugh. What he had shouted on the battlefield was indeed correct. Could this be considered telepathy? However, he quickly restrained his expression and said simply, "Leave someone here to clean up the battlefield. Let's rush to Luling City first."
A surprise attack might easily capture the city, but they wouldn't necessarily be able to hold it. After all, it was the rebels' lair, and if someone attacked from within, it could lead to further trouble. Now that they had won a great victory and captured Luling Prefecture, there was no need to rush after the deserters. Furthermore, the Tianding Army had barely put in any effort, and now the rebels were routed, they wouldn't be able to reap any benefits if they didn't act quickly. It would be better to let them fight for a while and wear down the rebels' fleet.
Sun Yuanrang did not hesitate and immediately rushed to Luling. The news that the battle was lost, the city was captured, and the leader was killed spread across the boat like wings.
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