si-mexico Chapter 2273 Chu Ning's Decision
Chapter 2273 Chu Ning's Decision
Unlike the bustling and restless atmosphere where Helian Hui was, the temporary camp of the rebel king Chu Xuan was filled with a deathly silence and oppressive atmosphere.
Chu Xuan sat on his warhorse, his armor loose and his hair disheveled. The dignified demeanor he used to maintain was nowhere to be seen.
Several generals, covered in blood and looking panicked, stood before him, bringing news that grew increasingly desperate.
"Your Highness, we have just received confirmation from the fleeing soldiers that General Zhou Dashou and his 20,000 Youzhou warriors were completely wiped out outside Changtingpo. General Zhou fought to the death."
Chu Xuan's body swayed almost imperceptibly, and his face instantly lost all color, turning deathly pale.
Zhou Dashou, the commander of the Youzhou army whom he had secretly cultivated for many years, was the source of his confidence to challenge Chu Ning!
Those 20,000 Youzhou soldiers were his core and most elite force, brought out from his fiefdom, and were the foundation of his struggle for the throne!
Now, it's just gone like that?
Like water spilled on the ground, it evaporated silently?
"Feng Mulan...it's Feng Mulan again!"
Chu Xuan squeezed out the name through gritted teeth, his voice distorted and twisted with extreme anger and resentment.
He slammed his fist into the broken spear beside him, blood immediately seeping from the back of his hand, but he was completely unaware of it.
If it weren't for this woman... if Chu Ning hadn't married her and gained the support of the Feng family, the situation wouldn't have turned out this way!
Now, she is like a demon reaping lives, first destroying Gongsun Yi, then devouring Zhou Dashou, and now she is rushing over without stopping, wanting to wipe them all out in one fell swoop!
Immediately afterwards, news also came that Li Shiming was attempting to flee eastward and that Helian Hui was secretly gathering troops.
After hearing this, Chu Xuan did not curse like Helian Hui. Instead, he let out a low and desolate laugh, full of self-mockery and endless exhaustion.
"Good, good... When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; when the wall collapses, everyone pushes it down. The ancients were right."
He murmured, staring blankly at the leaping flames before him.
Allies? They're nothing more than a ragtag bunch hastily assembled for their own interests.
When disaster strikes, who will remember any covenants?
It's understandable that Li Shiming wanted to escape and Helian Hui wanted to run away.
He slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the generals and guards who had followed him in raising an army, but now all of them were wounded and looked terrified.
Some of these people were former subordinates of Youzhou, while others were powerful figures gathered along the way. Now they were all looking at him expectantly, placing their last hopes on him.
But what else does he have?
The annihilation of Zhou Dashou's army meant that he had lost all his biggest assets.
The soldiers around him numbered less than three thousand at most, and they were exhausted and demoralized.
With such limited strength, let alone contend with Chu Ning, even protecting oneself amidst this chaotic army would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.
A struggle for supremacy?
The throne?
In an instant, those goals that had once ignited his passion and made him willing to take risks seemed so distant and laughable.
The most pressing issue right now is how to survive.
He knew better than anyone that Chu Ning wouldn't let him go.
Helian Hui and Li Shiming may not be reliable either, and may even be using Chu Ning as a pledge of allegiance in order to curry favor with him.
The east, west, and north directions all seemed to be fraught with deadly danger.
His gaze unconsciously drifted south.
That's the direction of the heartland of Chu. It seems like walking into a trap, but perhaps that's why the Chu army's main defense isn't focused on that area.
Moreover, the South is a vast region with a dense network of waterways and abundant forests. Once separated from the main battlefield and broken up into smaller groups, there might still be a chance to hide and escape.
Although he lost the foundation of Youzhou, he had secretly set up some spies and escape routes in some southern prefectures and counties in his early years.
Although faint, it is still a little more hopeful than the completely unfamiliar northern grasslands or eastern plains.
"Things have come to this..."
Chu Xuan let out a long sigh, a sigh that seemed to drain all his strength, making him appear more hunched over.
He was no longer the ambitious rebel king, but more like a gambler who had lost everything and was left only with the instinct to survive.
"Pass on the order,"
His voice was hoarse and calm, yet carried a heartbreaking resolve: "Gather all the horses, travel light, and break out to the south."
"Your Highness, to the south is..." a general exclaimed in surprise.
"I know."
Chu Xuan interrupted him, a bleak smile on his face.
"It's precisely because it's in the south that there might be a glimmer of hope. No need to say more, carry out the orders. Whether we can escape alive is up to fate."
With the order given, the remaining Youzhou army began to prepare silently.
There was no rousing mobilization, no angry shouts, only a repressive and desolate silence.
They followed Chu Xuan onto this path of no return, and now their future is uncertain. Perhaps heading south into the vast mountains and unknown dangers is their last resort.
Chu Xuan glanced one last time at the faintly visible banner representing Chu Ning at the heart of Changting Slope, his eyes flashing with extremely complex emotions.
Regret, resentment, and bitterness ultimately transformed into the cold flame of survival.
From the north, east, and south, three armies, driven to the brink of despair, scattered like startled beasts in the deepest darkness before dawn.
They are about to launch a final, desperate charge toward what they believe to be the path to survival.
The hunters, ready to close the net, are already on high alert.
Inside the Chu army camp.
The news brought by the scouts was like pouring a ladle of ice water into an already boiling pot of oil.
Chu Ning stood on the makeshift command platform, the night wind billowing his black cloak, carrying with it the increasingly clear sounds of division and collapse on the battlefield.
When he heard the three completely different breakout directions—"Li Shiming heading east," "Helian Hui heading north," and "Chu Xuan heading south"—the cold, commanding look on his face remained unchanged.
But in his deep eyes, a subtle light flickered, like a stone thrown into a cold pool, rippling out layers of calculation.
He slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over Xue Huaide, who was standing beside him, and Zhao Yu, who had just been ordered to return to hear the latest instructions.
Veteran Xue Huaide remained calm and composed, though his white eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as if he were weighing the pros and cons.
The young Zhao Yu gripped his sword hilt, his face displaying the sharp edge of a predator, clearly eager to challenge any enemy from any direction.
Below the stage, the various units of the Chu army stood ready, their morale soaring, the torchlight forming a vibrant, pulsating sea.
He only needs to give the order, and it will become a torrent that bursts its banks, crushing all resistance.
Three directions, three goals, three completely different meanings and values.
Li Shimin, who was heading east, was the nominal ruler of the enemy state of Tang. If he could be captured or killed, his political and deterrent significance would be enormous, enough to shake the world and greatly weaken the prestige of the Tang Dynasty.
However, the terrain to the east is relatively open, and Li Shiming's remaining troops are all cavalry. They are extremely fast because they are focused on escaping, and it is hard to guarantee that they will not have backup. Pursuit may be time-consuming and laborious, and there are many variables.
Helian Hui, who fled north, was a fierce foreign Khan, whose Scorpion Clan cavalry were powerful and cruel.
If we allow it to escape back to the grasslands, it would be tantamount to releasing a tiger back into the mountains, which would inevitably become a long-term border problem in the north.
Pursuing Helian Hui would not only eliminate border troubles and establish military might, but also deter other covetous tribes.
However, the steppe cavalry are skilled in mobility and will be determined to break out to the north. The pursuit battle will likely be extremely fierce, and going deep into the north will be disadvantageous in terms of both supplies and terrain.
Chu Xuan, who fled south, was a usurper of the royal family and a cancer within the Chu state, a matter of national foundation and legitimacy.
Only by eliminating this villain can we thoroughly eradicate internal troubles, consolidate imperial power, and bring peace to the nation and its ancestral temples.
Chu Xuan's forces have suffered a severe blow, leaving him with the weakest troops. Although his escape route to the south seems like a dead end, he may actually be hiding using the complex terrain and his old, hidden forces.
If it escapes, the consequences will be disastrous.
Pursuing Chu Xuan seems to be the most promising option and also the most directly related to domestic stability.