Nine dragons fight for the throne, I don't want to sit on this throne

Chapter 2195 A sudden turn of events

Li Shiming paused, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down: "Tell him that the difference in troop strength between the two sides is not significant at present."

"He still has 20,000 cavalry, and I have 40,000 troops here. If he is willing to turn around and fight to the death, attacking me from both sides, the Chu army will surely be defeated!"

"besides--"

A cold glint flashed in Li Shimin's eyes: "Tell him that my 30,000 iron cavalry have gone to the north bank to support Li Guangbi, and are currently besieging Zhao Yu's White Horse Cavalry!"

"Although Zhao Yu is brave, his forces are far outnumbered and he cannot hold out for long."

"Once the battle on the north bank is over, the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry will be able to cross the river and head south, delivering a fatal blow to the Chu army from the rear!"

He walked to the edge of the slope, gazing at the fleeing Scorpion Clan cavalry in the distance, his voice suddenly turning sharp:

"Therefore, let him hold on for me! Hold on until the victory report arrives from the north bank! Hold on until our iron cavalry marches south!"

"If we can hold out for just one more hour—no, half an hour! We can still turn this battle around!"

"The last general takes command!"

The messenger mounted his horse and, carrying Li Shiming's message, charged down the hillside like an arrow, galloping towards the direction where Helian Hui had fled.

The general watching the messenger's departing figure, then glancing at Li Shimin's pale yet resolute face, couldn't help but whisper:

"Your Majesty, will Helian Hui... listen?"

Li Shiming was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "I don't know. Wolves on the grasslands are the most afraid of death."

"Helian Hui became Khan not because of his bravery, but because of his cunning."

"If he chooses to fight to the death now, he might still have a sliver of hope; if he chooses to run away... he will surely die."

He paused, a complex look flashing in his eyes: "But I must try."

"In this battle, I have staked the fate of the Tang Dynasty, and the lives of Guo Ziyi and 150,000 soldiers. I cannot... lose like this."

Before the words were even finished, deafening battle cries echoed from the distant battlefield once more.

Everyone looked up and saw that Chu Ning's Xuanjia Iron Cavalry had caught up with the tail of the Scorpion Clan's routed army and was hacking and slashing wildly.

The red-armored cavalry burned like flames amidst the black, routed army, leaving a trail of corpses in their wake.

Further away, Zhang Shijie's navy had already deployed from the landing point, forming a fan-shaped encirclement, attempting to cut off the retreat of the Scorpion Clan's routed army.

Helian Hui's scorpion-shaped banner appeared and disappeared amidst the chaos of the army, as he sped away in a southeastern direction.

Clearly, the Scorpion Khan has made his choice.

He chose to escape.

They chose... a path to their own demise.

Li Shiming closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened his eyes again, there was no longer any anger or resentment, only a cold resolve.

"Xue Che".

"The end will be here."

"Order the entire army—"

Li Shiming's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority: "Abandon the entanglement with the Chu army and immediately retreat northeastward. The destination is the Huai River ferry crossing, where you will rendezvous with Li Guangbi."

Xue Che was startled: "Your Majesty! We...we must retreat?"

"If we don't retreat, are we just waiting to be attacked from both sides by the Chu army?"

Li Shiming sneered: "That idiot Helian Hui has already lost; we've lost our flank cover."

"Now the Chu army can focus all its efforts on dealing with us, while the situation on the north bank is still undecided, and it is uncertain whether the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry can advance south in time."

He paused, gazing at the dark dragon banner fluttering in the morning light in the distance, a deep sense of apprehension flashing in his eyes:

"Chu Ning... is more difficult to deal with than I imagined. I have lost this round."

"but--"

Li Shiming's voice suddenly turned stern: "War is not decided in a single round."

"I will remember today's defeat. There will be plenty of time for me and Chu Ning to compete in the future."

"Execute the order. While the Chu army is still chasing the Scorpion Clan and before they can free up their forces, retreat immediately."

Xue Che gritted his teeth and clasped his hands tightly, saying, "This humble general obeys!"

The order was quickly relayed, and the Tang army, which was engaged in fierce fighting with the Chu army, began to retreat while fighting.

Meanwhile, Chu Ning had already noticed the movements of the Tang army from afar.

He reined in his warhorse, gazing at the Tang army disengaging from the battlefield, then at the fleeing Scorpion Clan, and a cold smile slowly crept onto his lips.

"Want to run?"

He murmured to himself, then slowly raised the Shangfang sword.

"Order Zhang Shijie—do not pursue the fleeing Scorpion Clan army, immediately turn around and intercept the Tang army's retreat route!"

"Mulan, you lead the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry to continue the pursuit of the Scorpion Clan, striving to annihilate them completely!"

"General Xue, organize the infantry and follow me—to pursue the Tang army!"

A series of orders were issued in rapid succession.

This decisive battle, which lasted for a day and a night, has finally entered its final stage.

And the ultimate victor is already clear.

It is the Great Chu.

It's Chu Ning.

He was that young emperor who turned the tide in a desperate situation and rose from the ashes.

The sunlight, like blood, illuminated the battlefield that was about to be completely quelled.

It also illuminates the beginning of a new era.

Ten miles northeast of Jianghuai City, on the desolate plains, the Tang army's retreat had changed from orderly to chaotic.

The Chu army pursued them relentlessly.

After annihilating the remnants of the Scorpion Clan, Feng Mulan's Xuanjia Iron Cavalry quickly turned around and flanked them from the flank.

Zhang Shijie's navy had already abandoned their ships and gone ashore. Although the 20,000 naval soldiers were not good at field battles, they were now using their overwhelming numerical advantage to hold the rear guard of the Tang army.

Chu Ning personally led the remnants of the White Dragon Cavalry and the main infantry force reorganized by Xue Huaide, like a sharp knife, directly piercing the heart of the Tang army's retreat route.

"Report! Your Majesty! The left flank has been cut off by the Chu cavalry. General Wang's 5,000 men have been completely wiped out!"

"Report! General Han of the Right Wing requests reinforcements. The naval offensive is too fierce, and we can't hold them off any longer!"

"Report! The rear guard has collapsed, and the Chu army is less than three miles from the central army!"

The bad news reached Li Shimin's court like snowflakes.

The Tang emperor was ashen-faced, the effects of the pulse-restoring powder were wearing off, and waves of excruciating pain were surging through his chest.

He leaned against the carriage, looking out the window at the chaotic battlefield and the Tang soldiers who were scattering and fleeing, his eyes bloodshot.

The tens of thousands of troops went from their initial overwhelming momentum to complete rout in just two short hours.

"His Majesty!"

Xue Che spurred his horse to the carriage. He was covered in blood, his helmet was nowhere to be found, and a deep knife wound on his left cheek exposed the bone, with blood dripping down his chin.

But his eyes remained resolute, and his voice, though hoarse, was clear: "This cannot continue! The Chu army is pursuing too closely. If no one covers the rear and delays them, our army... will be annihilated before we get very far!"

Li Shimin slowly turned his head to look at the general who had followed him for many years.

He knew exactly what Xue Che was trying to say.

To cover the rear.

We sacrificed the lives of some to buy time for the majority to retreat.

This is the cruelest choice in war, and also the most common choice.

"General Xue..." Li Shiming's voice was hoarse: "You want to..."

"This humble general volunteers!"

Xue Che dismounted, knelt on one knee in front of the carriage, and clasped his hands in a deep fist salute: "Your Majesty, please grant this humble general ten thousand men!"

"This humble general will set up a fortification here to cover the rear, which will at least buy Your Majesty an hour!"