si-mexico Chapter 1984: Preparations to Die with the Enemy!
Chapter 1984: Preparations to Die with the Enemy!
Xue Dingshan was in a dilemma!
Once he makes a move, his 20,000 cavalrymen will likely be entangled with the enemy infantry and the Scorpion Clan cavalry's counter-charge in the first instance, and will be worn down and eaten up by the overwhelming force in this Blackwater Valley!
At that time, not only will they be unable to complete the mission of blocking reinforcements, but they will also lose this valuable cavalry force.
But if we don't take action, are we just going to watch these 50,000 fresh troops march through the Blackwater Valley and head straight for the battlefield 50 miles away?
At that time, Consort Feng's Vermilion Bird Legion will face the danger of being attacked from both sides, and the plan to annihilate Helian Wujiu will surely fail!
The entire Eastern Front war situation could be reversed because of this!
Fighting would likely mean certain death and mission failure.
If we don't fight and just watch the enemy pass through, the mission will still fail, and the consequences may be even more serious.
The immense pressure weighed on Xue Dingshan's young shoulders like a mountain, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
His expression shifted constantly, veins bulged on his forehead, and he bit his lower lip so hard that a trace of blood seeped out.
His gaze was fixed on the direction of the valley entrance, as if he could already see the banners that blotted out the sky and the billowing dust.
To fight or to retreat?
This difficult choice was placed heavily before this young general, who was only twenty years old.
The silence of the Blackwater Valley was like the stillness before a storm.
Xue Dingshan stood on the earthen slope, his young body stiffening and wavering for a moment after learning the exact strength of the enemy forces.
Fifty thousand against twenty thousand, and the enemy force was a combined infantry and cavalry force. This huge disparity in troop strength was like a cold iron chain binding his heart, almost suffocating him.
He could even foresee the horrific scene his 20,000 men would face once the battle began.
However, this tremor lasted for less than ten breaths.
His mind flashed rapidly back to his father, Commander Xue Huaide's, earnest and weighty instructions before his departure:
"We must buy at least two more days to ensure that Consort Feng can completely annihilate Helian Wujiu's forces!"
The scene flashes past the grand battlefield where Consort Feng's 100,000-strong army annihilated Helian Wujiu's 40,000-strong allied army, and then flashes past the main battlefield of Luoxia Mountain, where the father is leading his soldiers in a bloody battle, holding back Wang Zhongsi's main force.
"We cannot retreat...we absolutely cannot retreat!"
A voice cried out in his heart, growing louder and louder until it finally overwhelmed all fear and hesitation.
His gaze gradually shifted from struggle to resolve, becoming as hard as tempered steel.
He quickly weighed the pros and cons.
If these 50,000 enemy troops are allowed to pass, the Vermilion Bird Legion will be attacked from both sides, the encirclement and annihilation plan will fail, and Helian Wujiu and Zhang Xun's 40,000 enemy troops will be able to escape, and may even turn around and bite back. At that time, the entire eastern front will be in ruins!
If he were to fight to the death to stop this enemy army, even if the entire army were to be wiped out in the end, as long as he could hold them off and buy enough time for Consort Feng.
So, exchanging 20,000 cavalry for the annihilation of the enemy's 40,000 elite troops is a worthwhile trade no matter how you look at it!
Moreover, Wang Zhongsi dared to send out 50,000 troops, almost all of them, to come to the rescue. So the Tang army camp at Luoxia Mountain must be extremely weak at this moment!
This is the perfect opportunity for Father Commander to break through their camp in one fell swoop and secure victory!
Sacrifice the individual for the greater good!
Sacrifice this place in exchange for decisive victories on the battlefields of Luoxia Mountain and Helian Wujiu!
Thinking of this, Xue Dingshan felt a surge of heat rush to his head, and all his distracting thoughts were washed away by this determination to die.
He suddenly raised his head, his face showing no hesitation whatsoever, but rather an almost tragic determination and an unquestionable resolve.
He turned to the messenger beside him, his voice steady yet urgent, with a metallic quality: "Prepare two carrier pigeons immediately, for an urgent dispatch over 800 li!"
"First, a messenger to Consort Feng! Reporting that our troops encountered reinforcements sent by Wang Zhongsi in the Blackwater River Valley. The force is 50,000, a mix of infantry and cavalry."
"Inform Your Majesty that I, Xue Dingshan, am determined to lead my 20,000 soldiers to block the enemy here at all costs, so as to buy time for Your Majesty to annihilate Helian Wujiu's forces!"
"Your Majesty, please do not worry about this place. Just focus all your efforts on attacking and annihilating them!"
"The second one, fly to report to my father! Also inform him of the enemy situation here and my determination."
"And tell your father that since Wang Zhongsi has sent a large force to reinforce him, his camp must be empty. This is a golden opportunity!"
"Father, please do not worry about me. Seize the opportunity, launch a full-scale attack, and be sure to capture the Tang army camp as soon as possible to secure victory!"
"Yes! General!"
The messenger sensed the resolute determination in Xue Dingshan's words, his eyes reddening slightly, but he accepted the order without hesitation and immediately turned to make arrangements.
After issuing these two messages, which were likely the final orders, Xue Dingshan took a deep breath and slowly turned around to face the 20,000 soldiers who had already concealed themselves in the ambush formation.
Most of them were young, and many of them still bore the fatigue of a long march and the tension of an unknown battle.
Xue Dingshan's gaze swept over the familiar and unfamiliar faces. His voice, though not loud, clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying a heavy and tragic power: "Brothers!"
All the soldiers' eyes were focused on the young commander.
"As you all probably already know, outside the valley, there are 50,000 Tang soldiers and a combined Scorpion Clan army heading towards us."
He paused, then, without hiding anything, stated the harshest reality:
"We only have 20,000 men. This battle is extremely dangerous, with the enemy outnumbering us. Perhaps... this will be the last battle for many of us!"
These words struck like a heavy hammer, leaving a chilling atmosphere in the air.
But Xue Dingshan immediately changed his tone, his voice rising sharply, full of passion and inflammatory rhetoric: "However! Fifty miles behind us, Imperial Concubine Feng is leading an army of one hundred thousand to encircle and annihilate Helian Wujiu's forty thousand rebel troops!"
"A hundred miles behind us, Commander Xue Huaide is personally leading his troops in a fierce attack on the Tang army camp at Luoxia Mountain!"
"The longer we hold off the enemy here, the more confident that Lady Feng will be in annihilating them!"
"If we shed our last drop of blood here, Commander Xue's side may break through the enemy camp a moment sooner, laying the foundation for the victory of our Great Chu on the eastern front!"
"If our sacrifice can lead to the annihilation of Helian Wujiu's 40,000 enemy troops and the collapse of the Luoxia Mountain defense line, then it will be worthwhile! It will be a worthy death, heavier than Mount Tai!"
His voice echoed through the valley, carrying a powerful and awe-inspiring force: "Soldiers of Great Chu! Today, we will show the Tang army and the Scorpion Clan barbarians what the unyielding spirit of our Great Chu warriors is! What the illustrious military soul of our Xue Family Army is!"
"Even if we are reduced to a single soldier, we will never retreat a single step!"
"Follow the general to the death!"
"Fight to the death!!"
"May Great Chu be victorious!!"
After a brief silence, the 20,000 soldiers erupted in a thunderous roar!
The initial tension and fear were transformed into a do-or-die fighting spirit by Xue Dingshan's impassioned words!
Morale soared to its peak instantly, with everyone's eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit, ready to die alongside the enemy!