kingnovel Chapter 2044 Battle Losses, Final Offensive!
Chapter 2044 Battle Losses, Final Offensive!
"Rocket lighting!"
On the battlefield, Feng Mulan calmly gave orders.
One after another, lit rockets were fired in the direction from which the cavalry charged, illuminating not only the enemy's position but also igniting some oil that had been scattered on the ground beforehand.
The fire walls formed on the scene, further hindering and disrupting the cavalry's charge.
"Archers, spread fire!"
Illuminated by the firelight, the Chu army's archers were able to aim accurately, and a dense barrage of arrows rained down on the chaotic cavalry, causing heavy casualties.
Huyan Ying was furious, but there was nothing he could do.
The Chu army was too well prepared; their night raid was like running into a pre-woven net.
The next three hours became a hellish ordeal.
Wang Zhongsi continuously deployed reserves and launched wave after wave of fierce attacks, attempting to exhaust the Chu army's strength and arrows by leveraging his numerical superiority.
Huyan Ying's cavalry also changed direction many times, trying to find a weak point in the defensive line.
But the Vermilion Bird Legion, commanded by Feng Mulan, remained as steadfast as a rock.
They utilized sophisticated fortifications and a tight organization to launch layer-by-layer attacks, effectively inflicting casualties.
The formation was constantly fine-tuned in local areas, the reserves filled the gaps in time, and the wounded were quickly evacuated.
Despite the immense pressure and the constant compression and retreat of the front line under the Tang army's relentless attacks, the overall formation never collapsed, and the crimson Vermilion Bird banner still stubbornly fluttered in the night!
As a faint glimmer of white light appeared on the eastern horizon once more, the three-hour-long night battle finally came to a gradual end.
The Tang army, having left behind even more corpses than during the day, retreated in utter exhaustion.
Huyan Ying's cavalry also suffered heavy losses and retreated in frustration.
On the Vermilion Bird Legion's position, smoke mingled with morning mist, and the soldiers leaned against their shields and spears, almost exhausted.
But their eyes remained firm as they gazed at the unyielding banner, their hearts filled with the relief of surviving the bloody battle and their boundless trust in their commander.
Wang Zhongsi gazed at the still majestic red military formation that gradually became clearer in the morning light, his face pale and his lips trembling slightly.
A fierce attack all night, but to no avail!
He felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness.
Meanwhile, Feng Mulan, on the other side, breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that the most difficult first night was finally over.
But she also understood that Wang Zhongsi and Li Jing would never give up so easily.
The real test has just begun.
Dawn broke again, dispelling the chill and bloodshed of the night, but the chilling atmosphere that permeated Zhennan Pass grew even stronger.
The rising sun cast its golden rays upon the earth, but it could not warm this battlefield shrouded in death. Instead, it illuminated the scene on the plains before the pass with even clearer and more shocking detail.
Layers upon layers of corpses, shattered weapons, and scorched earth silently testify to the brutality of yesterday's battle.
On the Zhennanguan city tower, Chu Ning, clad in golden armor, stood against the wind, calmly surveying the entire battlefield.
He did not relax his vigilance after the one-night truce; on the contrary, he was like a taut bowstring, waiting for the latest military intelligence.
A messenger from the Vermilion Bird Legion, weary and sorrowful, led by his guards, quickly ascended the city wall and knelt before Chu Ning.
"Your Majesty! This humble general is here on the orders of Consort Feng to report on yesterday's battle situation!" The messenger's voice was hoarse, but he tried his best to remain clear.
Chu Ning turned slightly to the side, his gaze falling on the messenger: "Speak."
"From Chenshi (7-9 AM) yesterday until the early hours of this morning, my Zhuque Legion fought fiercely against the 150,000 enemy troops under Tang generals Wang Zhongsi and Huyan Ying for a day and a night, enduring several large-scale combined infantry and cavalry attacks by the enemy, as well as a sneak attack after midnight last night..."
The messenger's voice carried a barely perceptible sob: "According to a preliminary count, our army... our army has suffered over 13,600 casualties, including those killed in action and those seriously wounded and incapacitated."
Upon hearing this number, Feng Anguo and the other generals standing on the city wall all frowned slightly.
In just one day and one night, more than one-tenth of the troops were lost, and this is only a preliminary count, which shows how fierce the battle was and how great the pressure was.
Feng Anguo clenched his fists instinctively, his eyes anxiously fixed on the area on the left flank that was still shrouded in morning mist and gunpowder smoke.
The messenger paused, took a deep breath, and his tone became slightly more excited:
"However, Lady Feng was a master strategist who had made prior arrangements and, relying on a solid formation, inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy!"
"According to observations and estimates, the Tang army's casualties far exceeded ours. Their dead numbered no less than 20,000, and the number of wounded, both light and serious, was even greater. The total loss was no less than 25,000!"
Hearing this comparison of battle losses, the somber atmosphere on the city wall eased slightly.
To achieve such an exchange ratio of 1 to 1.5 against a numerically inferior enemy force, and to successfully hold back the enemy's main force, is undoubtedly a tactical victory.
After hearing this, Chu Ning did not show much surprise on his face. He simply nodded slightly, and a hint of appreciation and trust for his beloved concubine flashed in his deep eyes.
He gazed into the direction of the Vermilion Bird Legion, as if he could see through space and see that figure calmly commanding amidst the vast army.
"I have never doubted my beloved concubine's abilities, nor have I ever doubted the resilience of the Vermilion Bird Legion."
Chu Ning's voice was calm yet powerful, carrying an emperor's certainty: "What they are facing is Li Jing's desperate madness, and the desperate attack of 150,000 enemy troops."
"They not only held their ground, but also inflicted even greater losses on the enemy! They set a good example for our army!"
He whirled around, his gaze sharp as an eagle's, sweeping over the various Chu army units that had regrouped and were poised for battle below the city walls. His voice rose abruptly, carrying an undeniable decisiveness:
"Yesterday, my beloved concubine and the 100,000 soldiers of the Vermilion Bird Legion created an excellent opportunity for us with their blood and lives!"
"They held back more than half of Li Jing's main force, leaving the Tang army's right flank and frontal defenses vulnerable and on the verge of collapse!"
His arm lashed out, pointing towards the right flank and front of the Tang army camp, his tone resolute, like a drawn sword: "The opportunity to fight is fleeting! How can we betray the sacrifices of the Imperial Concubine and the soldiers?!"
"Send orders to Guan Yun, Zhao Yu, Xue Huaide, and Ran Ming!"
"Tell them that His Majesty has decreed: Today, at all costs, you must break through the Tang army's defenses and storm into the Tang camp!"
"I don't care what methods they use, or how many casualties they suffer! I only care about the result—before sunset today, I want to see the banner of my Great Chu planted atop the core fortress of the Tang army camp!"
"Tell them that the Imperial Concubine and the Vermilion Bird Legion are still fighting a fierce battle, and they are buying us every minute and every second! Anyone who shrinks back and misses the opportunity will have their head handed over!"
"According to the order!"
Several messengers responded with a resounding roar, their voices filled with a chilling and impassioned tone.
They quickly turned around, galloped down from the city walls, mounted their warhorses, and charged towards their respective target generals like arrows released from a bow.