bookrandom Chapter 2271 Li Shimin's Choice
Chapter 2271 Li Shimin's Choice
The scout's teeth chattered, and he was almost incoherent: "Our eight thousand cavalry... are all... all gone!"
"Feng... Feng Mulan's troops suddenly appeared and attacked from both sides... Our army could not withstand them, and eight thousand cavalrymen were completely wiped out, Your Majesty!"
"Even Zhou Dashou of the Youzhou army died in battle, and General Gongsun Yi under the walls of Jianghuai City also... also perished in battle!"
"what?"
Li Shiming was struck dumb, his grip on the scout's hand loosened weakly, and he staggered back a step.
His face turned deathly pale in the flickering torchlight, followed by a deep, desperate ashen color.
The eight thousand cavalry were his last reserve of mobile force, which he hoped could turn the tide of battle or at least cover the retreat at a critical moment.
Gongsun Yi's Scorpion Clan cavalry is also an important ally and fighting force.
Now, they've all been wiped out in one fell swoop by Feng Mulan?!
This news was not only a huge loss of troops, but also a heavy blow that shattered the last bit of hope in his heart.
Feng Mulan not only resolved the flank threat, but also demonstrated combat prowess and decisiveness far exceeding expectations.
This means that not only is the current encirclement impregnable, but even the only possible, faint hope of rescue from the outside has been completely cut off.
A chill ran down his spine and spread throughout his body, making Li Shiming feel dizzy.
He looked around, and in the firelight, he saw the tired and panicked faces of his Tang soldiers.
Further away, the increasingly malevolent gazes gleaming beneath the ferocious totem banners of Helian Hui's scorpion cavalry, and the commotion and whispers emanating from the Youzhou army of the traitorous king Chu Xuan.
"It's over...it's all over..."
A voice screamed in his heart.
Should we continue fighting?
Facing an enemy that outnumbered them by more than two, beset by internal and external troubles, and with morale shattered, this was no longer an encirclement and annihilation, but a desperate struggle destined to be crushed.
More importantly, he suddenly realized a danger even more terrifying than defeat.
The backlash from allies.
Helian Hui, the Scorpion Khan who only cares about profit, has lost many of his elite troops. Would he be willing to perish here with him?
Chu Xuan, an ambitious man who would betray even his own brothers, what wouldn't he do to survive or seize greater benefits in a desperate situation?
Now, among the three allied forces, Li Shiming's remnants of the Tang army are probably the weakest link.
It is only natural for Chu Ning to kill him.
But what if Helian Hui and Chu Xuan, in order to "show their merits" to Chu Ning, to fight for that possible sliver of hope, or even just to vent their anger, would they take his head as a pledge of allegiance first?
The thought sent chills down his spine, and his vest was instantly soaked with cold sweat.
He could almost feel the two gazes from different directions in the darkness, like the tongues of venomous snakes, licking at his neck.
"Your Majesty! The enemy is advancing again!" The lieutenant's hoarse reminder pulled him back to reality from his chilling fear.
Li Shiming looked up and saw that the flames of Chu Ning's army were steadily moving forward, and the drumbeats were becoming deep and oppressive, a final ultimatum before the general offensive.
Zhao Yu's white horse cavalry quickened their pace on the outer perimeter, the sound of their hooves like a death knell.
Xue Huaide's formation, like a silent city wall, slowly crumbled in.
We can't hesitate any longer!
Every moment of delay increases the casualties among his subordinates, while the dagger from his "ally" may be one inch closer to his back.
Breakout?
Which direction should it swerve in?
Surrounded by enemies on all sides and with a vast disparity in troop strength, breaking out would be tantamount to suicide and could immediately invite Helian Hui and Chu Xuan to take advantage of the situation.
Li Shiming's eyes flickered violently, a chaotic mix of emotions including despair, resentment, fear, and scheming.
In the end, all the light settled down, turning into a bottomless darkness and an almost cruel calm.
He clenched his fist tightly, his nails digging deep into his palm, bringing a sharp pain that helped him maintain his last vestiges of consciousness.
He took a deep breath of the air filled with the smell of gunpowder and death, and slowly turned to his trusted generals, who were also pale-faced.
His voice was hoarse yet exceptionally clear, carrying a resolute determination as if cutting off all escape routes:
"Order...all units to cease attack."
The generals looked up in astonishment, incredulous.
Li Shiming closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again. Inside was a still, lifeless pool of water.
"Concentrate all forces and break out to the east!"
He paused, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth, heavy with emotion.
When he uttered the last few words, he felt as if all his strength had been drained, yet he also felt a strange sense of relief.
At least, this choice might save the lives of the soldiers who followed him here.
It's also possible that he could temporarily avoid the more deadly blade coming from behind.
As for how Helian Hui and Chu Xuan will react, and how Chu Ning will deal with him, that is another abyss-like question.
Right now, all he wants is to catch his breath in this desperate place that is about to be submerged in a sea of blood.
The flickering firelight illuminated the pale, complex profile of the utterly defeated king.
The ending of Changtingpo unfolded quietly in a way that no one could have predicted.
Li Shimin's orders were secretly transmitted among the remaining elite Tang troops as quickly as possible.
There were no bugles, no war drums, only the officers' hushed shouts and gestures.
Driven by their will to survive, the exhausted soldiers unleashed their last strength.
The wounded were silently placed in the ranks, the still-ridable warhorses were gathered together, the tattered armor was hastily fastened, and the blood-stained swords and spears were once again held in their hands.
An undercurrent quietly gathered on the chaotic battlefield, gradually forming a breakout spearhead of about a thousand riders around Li Shiming's golden dragon banner.
They deliberately avoided contact with the Scorpion Clan and the Youzhou Army, quietly retreating and adjusting their direction.
Like a wounded beast, baring its teeth in the darkness, silently licking its wounds, gathering strength for the final strike against the fence.
However, in this battlefield shrouded in fire and killing intent, every inch of air seemed to be filled with invisible eyes.
Chu Ning knew the terrain of Changtingpo like the back of his hand, so how could he not be wary of a cornered beast fighting back?
As early as the encirclement was completed, elite night scouts had already been dispatched like ghosts, closely monitoring any unusual movements within the allied forces.
A Chu scout, crawling among the rocks and grass on a hillside, almost blends into the darkness.
His sharp gaze pierced through the flickering light and shadow, fixed on the illogical movement of the Tang army's troops.
He saw the Tang cavalry, who should have been holding their ground, quietly gathering; he saw the infantry formation subtly adjusting to cover their flanks; and he saw the tattered dragon flag shifting imperceptibly eastward.
His years of experience as a scout allowed him to instantly sense danger.
He retreated silently like a raccoon, found the hidden warhorse, mounted it, and lashed the horse's rump with a whip.
The warhorse, in pain, reared up and charged like an arrow toward the high ground where Chu Ning's central army was located.
Along the way, relying on passwords and his familiarity with the terrain, he avoided the chaotic war zone and sped along the shortest straight-line distance.