bookrandom Chapter 2072 Didn't catch up
Chapter 2072 Didn't catch up
Xue Dingshan glanced at his son beside him, his eyes revealing undisguised approval.
Xue Dingshan quickly bowed to his uncles on horseback, his attitude respectful.
The four generals stood outside the city gate, exchanging congratulations and briefly recounting their respective victories.
Although the air was still thick with the stench of war, there was an even stronger sense of joy at victory and a warm feeling of camaraderie among comrades.
The victorious soldiers around them felt a great sense of honor watching their generals chatting and laughing, and smiles appeared on their tired faces.
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves and footsteps came again from the official road to the north.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Feng Anguo leading the troops that had been pursuing Li Jing back.
Compared to the high spirits of Ran Ming, Zhao Yu, and others, the faces of Feng Anguo's soldiers clearly showed signs of fatigue and regret at not achieving complete success.
Their armor was also covered in dust, and many of their weapons still bore traces of blood, clearly indicating that they had also gone through a fierce battle.
Upon seeing Feng Anguo, Ran Ming, Zhao Yu, Guan Yun, and Xue Huaide immediately suppressed their smiles.
They all clasped their hands in salute on horseback, their voices loud and clear, filled with respect: "Greetings, General Feng!"
Feng Anguo was not only a highly respected veteran general, but also the emperor's father-in-law, and enjoyed the emperor's deep trust.
Now shouldering the heavy responsibility of pursuing the enemy commander, everyone naturally showed great courtesy.
Feng Anguo bowed slightly on horseback in return, his face showing the weariness of battle, but his eyes remained sharp.
His gaze swept quickly across the generals and the ranks behind them, as if he were urgently searching for something.
When he didn't spot that familiar, dashing figure, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, and a hint of barely concealed worry crossed his face.
He finally couldn't help himself, looked at everyone, and asked, his voice tinged with barely perceptible tension:
"Generals, have you seen Lady Feng?"
Even a seasoned veteran is now just a father worried about his daughter's safety.
Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback at first, but then they all showed understanding smiles.
Ran Ming, with his most boisterous and straightforward personality, grinned widely and answered in a loud voice:
"General Feng, rest assured! I, Old Ran, have seen it all clearly. Empress Feng has always been by His Majesty's side, and she is incredibly brave!"
"As soon as the war was over, His Majesty and Consort Feng, under the protection of his personal guards, returned to the city in triumph! They must have already settled in inside the pass by now!"
Upon hearing Ran Ming's definitive answer, Feng Anguo's heart, which had been hanging in his throat, finally settled down with a "thud".
The tense lines on his face softened instantly, and he let out a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. He said repeatedly:
"That's good, that's good... Thank you for informing me, General Ran."
His daughter was safe and sound, and even made great contributions by protecting him. This made him more gratified than any of the battles he had achieved in the pursuit.
With a huge weight lifted from his heart, Feng Anguo looked much more relaxed.
Ran Ming was an impatient man, and seeing this, he couldn't help but ask, "General Feng, you personally led the troops in pursuit, what is the situation with that old man Li Jing? Have you captured or killed him?"
This question instantly attracted the attention of Zhao Yu, Guan Yun, Xue Huaide, and others, and everyone looked intently at Feng Anguo.
If we can kill or capture Li Jing, the commander of the Tang army, in battle, this victory will be absolutely perfect.
When Li Jing was mentioned, the relaxed look on Feng Anguo's face was immediately replaced by a hint of regret and solemnity.
He slowly shook his head and sighed deeply, his sigh filled with helplessness: "Alas, he got away."
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Feng Anguo briefly recounted the course of the pursuit:
"Although Li Jing was defeated in battle, his escape skills were very sophisticated."
"He left behind several elite troops to block the enemy at every turn, cutting off their retreat and trying to survive."
"The Soviets, with three thousand remaining soldiers, managed to hold off our army for two hours, but were ultimately wiped out, with no survivors."
"Afterwards, several Tang army groups, fearless of death, intercepted us along the way. Although our army defeated them one by one, it still took too much time."
"When my main force broke through the numerous obstacles and pursued them to Heifengyu, thirty miles to the north, Li Jing had already led his core cavalry, relying on their familiarity with the terrain, into the mountain tunnels and disappeared without a trace. They only intercepted and captured some of the Tang infantry who followed."
Feng Anguo's words did not excuse his failure to capture the enemy leader.
Instead, he expressed a complex mix of admiration for the tenacious fighting spirit of the Tang army's rearguard troops, while also objectively analyzing the reasons for Li Jing's successful escape.
After listening to Feng Anguo's account, the generals all fell silent for a moment.
Ran Ming clicked his tongue and muttered with some regret, "That old bastard really got off easy!"
Zhao Yu, with a deep gaze, calmly said, "Li Jing is, after all, a renowned general of the Tang Kingdom with a solid foundation. Even though we suffered a crushing defeat in this battle, it will not be easy to completely eliminate him."
"General Feng has done his best, capturing a large number of their troops and burning some of their supplies, which is a great achievement."
Guan Yun and Xue Huaide nodded in agreement, indicating their understanding.
War is never perfect. To defeat hundreds of thousands of Tang troops, recover lost territory, kill and capture a large number of their generals and soldiers, and seize countless supplies and weapons was a great victory that could shake the world.
"That's enough. After this battle, Li Jing has lost his army and his country has been disgraced. He has lost all his elite troops and will hardly be able to pose a threat to our Great Chu in the short term."
Feng Anguo waved his hand, ending the topic, and his face regained its resolute expression.
"Generals, after days of bloody battles, you must all be exhausted."
"We should hurry into the city to report the results of the battle to His Majesty and let the soldiers rest properly."
"General Feng is absolutely right!"
"That's right!"
Everyone agreed.
At that moment, the army was led by generals such as Feng Anguo, Ran Ming, and Zhao Yu, followed by generals such as Guan Yun and Xue Huaide.
The victorious troops, following their orders, marched in a grand yet orderly fashion through the wide-open south gate of Zhennanguan, a symbol of victory and triumph, and slowly entered the pass.
Inside and outside the city gates, the garrison troops and the people of the city, who had already received the news, spontaneously gathered on both sides of the road, bringing food and drink to welcome the royal army.
Cheers, exclamations, and cries mingled together, creating a triumphant symphony.
Looking at the soldiers' tired yet spirited posture, and at the battle flags that were tattered yet still fluttering in the wind.
Everyone understood that the Great Chu had once again stood firm in the face of crisis, defending the nation's dignity with iron and blood.
The setting sun cast long shadows of them onto the road leading into the fortress, as if drawing a solemn and hopeful conclusion to this epic battle.
Inside the Great Wall, what awaited them was the emperor's reward, the congratulations of their comrades, and hard-won peace and tranquility.