Zhou Jianjia sat upright in the tent, her brows furrowed, her eyes flashing with anger and anxiety.
The fall of Lianghe Pass was like a bolt from the blue, causing the Empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty to lose face.
Caught between the Da Gan and Da Wu forces, with only 60,000 troops at her disposal, her original plan to encircle and annihilate Chen Zhennan has now turned into a lone battle for her.
Zhou Jianjia summoned her generals, and the atmosphere inside the tent was heavy, like the calm before a storm.
"Gentlemen, the fall of Lianghe Pass has separated my 60,000 troops from the capital. Only Chen Zhennan's 30,000 men remain at Lianghe Pass. I intend to turn around and take Lianghe Pass directly to annihilate Chen Zhennan's 30,000 men. What do you think?"
The generals looked at each other in bewilderment. Zhou Jianjia's idea could hardly be considered a solution, but there seemed to be no other way to deal with it.
“Your Majesty, although Lianghe Pass has been lost, if we can strike at the heart of the enemy and capture Wang Gan alive, the morale of Chen Zhennan’s 30,000-strong army will surely collapse, greatly increasing our chances of victory.” Li Guangyi suddenly stepped forward, a sly glint in his eyes.
Zhou Jianjia pondered for a moment, then a glint of light flashed in her eyes.
"This plan is brilliant. With my 60,000 troops, taking over the Daqian Imperial Palace will be as easy as taking something out of a bag."
After a pause, Zhou Jianjia announced loudly, "Send down the order: 10,000 troops will serve as the vanguard and immediately set out to surround the Daqian Imperial Palace!"
At his command, ten thousand elite soldiers charged straight towards the Daqian Imperial Palace like arrows released from a bow.
However, just as the encirclement was about to close in, the silence of the battlefield was broken by the rapid sound of horses' hooves.
A massive cavalry force, like divine warriors descending from the heavens, clad in Great Wu armor and waving Great Wu banners, stormed into Zhou Jianjia's rear army like a raging storm.
"Oh no, we've fallen for their trap!"
Zhou Jianjia's heart tightened; her army, like a flock of sheep being torn apart by a tiger, instantly descended into chaos.
"kill!"
The shouts of the Da Wu cavalry were deafening. They surged forward like a tidal wave. Amidst the flashing swords, Zhou Jianjia's soldiers fell like autumn leaves swept away by the wind.
"This is outrageous, Song Xuan! How dare you deceive me like this!"
Enraged, Zhou Jianjia drew her sword and personally engaged in a fierce battle with the Da Wu cavalry.
On the battlefield, dust flew and flesh and blood flew everywhere; every clash of swords was accompanied by the loss of life.
"Your Majesty, be careful!"
A loyal general stood in front of Zhou Jianjia, but was pierced through the heart by an arrow and fell into a pool of blood.
"No!"
Zhou Jianjia was filled with grief and indignation. She swung her sword and killed several enemy soldiers, but the cavalry of Da Wu came in an endless stream, and her army was on the verge of collapse.
"Stay calm! Stay calm!"
The battle intensified, with soldiers from both sides clashing on the battlefield, their blood staining the earth red.
Although Zhou Jianjia's army was numerous, it gradually became bogged down in a fierce battle under the onslaught of cavalry.
"Retreat! Retreat!"
This single word seemed to have exhausted all her strength; her voice was filled with endless frustration as she led her remaining troops in a disheveled retreat back into the territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The victorious cavalrymen behind them, like a pack of satiated wolves, watched their prey escape into the mountains and forests without giving chase. Instead, they stood there shouting, their voices echoing across the open plains, as if mocking the defeated mercilessly.
Zhou Jianjia was in a terrible mood at this moment. She thought that this battle would be a sure thing and that she would be able to annihilate the 30,000 troops of Da Gan in one fell swoop. In particular, she hated Chen Zhennan so much that she wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.
But who would have thought that they would be outmaneuvered by the cunning and treacherous Song Xuan, who was as cunning as a fox?
Now, she has not only lost most of her supplies, but her carefully prepared camp was also destroyed in the fierce battle. She and her soldiers can only hide in the mountains like stray dogs.
Zhou Jianjia looked around and saw the soldiers looking disheveled and dejected, and her anger flared up instantly.
It's truly a case of 'trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead.' They had hoped for a great victory, but now they've ended up like this."
Zhou Jianjia knew that the current situation was extremely difficult. The remaining food and fodder were very scarce and could only last for five days at most. Even a clever housewife cannot cook without rice. Without food and fodder, how could this battle be fought?
It seems there are only two options: either recapture Lianghe Pass and regain supplies.
Alternatively, they could bypass the Lianghe Pass, return directly to the capital of the Great Zhou, and then regroup and launch a counterattack.
Just as Zhou Jianjia and her generals were sitting together, discussing countermeasures with worried expressions, a sudden burst of shouts and battle cries came from the mountains and forests.
The sound, growing louder as it approached, was like rolling thunder, breaking the silence of the mountains and forests.
Everyone was startled, and Zhou Jianjia thought to herself, "Could it be that the enemy army has caught up with us?"
Just as Zhou Jianjia was wondering, Chen Zhennan took the lead and led his army like heavenly soldiers to launch a sudden night attack.
In an instant, the battle erupted, and the entire mountain forest seemed to have turned into a huge battlefield.
Chen Zhennan rode a tall horse, the sword in his hand gleaming coldly in the moonlight, like autumn water.
"Soldiers, today is the day of our great rise! Charge!"
After saying that, Chen Zhennan squeezed the horse's flanks with his legs, and the horse charged towards the enemy formation like an arrow released from a bow.
He charged into the enemy ranks, his sword flashing up and down, his swordplay fierce and powerful, each move containing immense force.
Behind him, the soldiers charged forward with great courage, their battle cries shaking the heavens and the earth.
What Zhou Jianjia didn't expect was that Chen Zhennan had come prepared; he had brought a large number of rockets.
With Chen Zhennan's command, countless rockets streaked across the night sky like meteors, hurtling towards the Great Zhou army in the mountains and forests.
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