kingnovel Chapter 2053 Helpless
Chapter 2053 Helpless
When Li Jingna's order, carrying the last hope and heavy pressure, passed through the chaotic battlefield and reached Liu Hongji, the commander of the front line of defense...
This general, whose battle robes were already stained with blood and who was exhausted both physically and mentally, was personally wielding his sword, panting at a breach that had just been broken through by the Chu army and then desperately recaptured by him and his men.
"General! The commander-in-chief has given an urgent order!" The messenger's voice was choked with sobs.
Liu Hongji grabbed the command token and quickly scanned the words on it.
"The camp is in grave danger. Gao Xianzhi has died for his country. Zhao Yu's cavalry charge straight at the central army."
"Your troops must hold the line to the death and absolutely not allow Ran Ming's troops to join forces with Zhao Yu! Do not retreat an inch, and wait for General Wang Zhongsi to break the enemy's defenses!"
Every word struck Liu Hongji's heart like a heavy hammer.
Gao Xianzhi died in battle?
Zhao Yu actually managed to reach the central army?
The situation has deteriorated to such an extent!
He suddenly looked up towards the central command, as if he could sense the imminent crisis.
On his own side, facing the relentless attacks of Ran Ming's six echelons, his defenses were already riddled with holes, his forces were stretched thin, and his soldiers were barely holding on by sheer willpower.
"We will not retreat an inch, awaiting General Wang Zhongsi's opportunity to defeat the enemy!"
Liu Hongji murmured the same sentence repeatedly, a bitter look on his face.
He knew that this "no retreat" order meant that he and his remaining soldiers had become expendable pawns.
They were willing to risk their lives to buy Wang Zhongsi that slim, or perhaps nonexistent, chance to defeat the enemy.
But he had no choice, and no time to hesitate.
Liu Hongji took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing all his fear, despair, and exhaustion.
He suddenly stood up straight, and with all his might, he let out a hoarse but incredibly determined roar at the wounded and numb-eyed soldiers around him:
"Brothers! Listen up!"
His voice drowned out the noise of the battlefield, attracting the attention of all the soldiers who could still move.
"General Gao Xianzhi has fought valiantly on the left flank and died a martyr! Zhao Yu's cavalry has already reached the commander's central army!"
He made no attempt to hide the harsh reality, shouting it out: "The commander-in-chief has ordered us to hold this place to the death, without retreating an inch!"
"We absolutely cannot let that scoundrel Ran Ming get past us and join up with Zhao Yu!"
He brandished his dulled sword, pointing it at the Chu army surging forward like a tidal wave, his eyes burning with a flame that would fight to the death:
"Behind us is the Commander-in-Chief! It's in the direction General Wang Zhongsi is fighting! We have no way to retreat!"
"Today, we will either fight to the death here and use our corpses to seal this breach!"
"Either we wait for General Wang Zhongsi to defeat the Vermilion Bird Legion, then we'll have a sliver of hope!"
"I know you're tired and scared! I'm tired and scared too!"
"But think of our fallen brothers! Think of the Tang Dynasty behind us! Where can we retreat to?!"
He slammed his sword into the ground, spread his arms wide, and roared like a wounded beast:
"Fellow soldiers! I, Liu Hongji, hereby swear a blood oath! As long as we live, the position will stand; if we die, the position will fall!"
"If you want to get past me, you'll have to step over my dead body! If you want to be my enemy, you'll have to step over the dead bodies of my Tang Dynasty soldiers!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The surviving Tang soldiers were moved by their commander's tragic and resolute vow, and their long-depleted fighting spirit was rekindled!
They roared furiously, gripped their weapons tightly, and their eyes regained their fierce glint.
Using the ruined fortifications and the corpses of their comrades, they quickly reorganized their defenses, preparing to meet the next, and perhaps final, frenzied assault from Ran Ming's forces.
Liu Hongji stood firmly at the forefront of the defense line, knowing that every extra moment he held out here meant a greater degree of security for the central army and a greater glimmer of hope for Wang Zhongsi.
Almost at the same time Liu Hongji received his order, on the left flank battlefield, Wang Zhongsi also received Li Jing's weighty instructions, which could even be described as an ultimatum.
"The situation within the camp is critical. There is no need for distraction. Concentrate all our efforts on launching a final attack on the Vermilion Bird Legion. We must defeat them or capture Feng Mulan alive before nightfall! No matter the cost!"
Wang Zhongsi gripped the command arrow so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
He gazed toward the central army, and although he was blocked by layers of military formations, he could almost hear the chaos and shouts of battle coming from there, and feel the immense pressure and endless expectations of Commander Li Jing.
With Gao Xianzhi dead in battle and Zhao Yu's army at the center, the situation had deteriorated to such an extent!
He then looked at the crimson Vermilion Bird banner still fluttering in the evening breeze opposite him, and at the Vermilion Bird Legion's defensive line, which, though compressed, remained incredibly resilient.
After two days and one night of bloody fighting, he committed a huge number of troops and suffered far more casualties than the enemy, but he was still unable to achieve a decisive breakthrough.
Feng Mulan's command was like an impregnable fortress, and the resilience of the Vermilion Bird Legion was beyond imagination.
For the Tang army, which was outnumbered and in dire straits, a stalemate was itself a defeat.
It can't go on like this!
A glint of madness flashed in Wang Zhongsi's eyes. Conventional tactics were no longer sufficient to complete the mission before nightfall. Only by taking risks could they find a glimmer of hope!
He turned abruptly to the generals gathered around him and said decisively:
"Pass down the order! Cease all attacks and assemble the entire army! In three quarters of an hour, when it is completely dark, we will launch our general offensive!"
The generals were all taken aback upon hearing this. One of the lieutenants quickly tried to dissuade them:
"General! Assemble the entire army and abandon the current offensive. If we fail in this first strike, our army will have no strength left..."
What are you afraid of?
Wang Zhongsi interrupted sharply, his gaze sweeping over the crowd like lightning: "The commander-in-chief's central army is in danger, General Gao has died for his country, can't you all see the situation clearly?"
"If this stalemate continues, our morale will surely plummet! Once the camp completely collapses, we will all be sitting ducks!"
"Only by concentrating all our forces and launching a swift and decisive attack might we be able to break through Feng Mulan's defenses and turn the tide of the battle!"
He took a deep breath and uttered a decision that sent shockwaves through all the generals:
"In this general offensive, I will personally lead all the elite troops, including my personal guard, as the vanguard, straight to the location of the Vermilion Bird Legion's central command flag!"
"General! No!"
"You are the commander-in-chief of the three armies, how can you personally risk your life?"
"The Vermilion Bird Legion has a tight formation; if we force our way in, we may not return alive!"
The generals all paled and hurriedly tried to dissuade him.
If the commander-in-chief personally charges into battle and fails, the entire left-wing army will collapse instantly.
They are now locked in a stalemate with the Vermilion Bird Legion. If their commander were to personally lead the charge and something were to happen to him, the battle would be lost.
This is the last thing they want to see!