bookrandom Chapter 2000: Gathering, Battle Damage
Chapter 2000: Gathering, Battle Damage
Feng Mulan's voice was unlike that of ordinary women; it possessed a clear, resonant, and dignified quality, like gold and jade, reaching clearly into everyone's ears.
"General Xue Dingshan, you've worked hard."
She paused, her tone filled with unreserved praise, "In the Battle of Black River Valley, you single-handedly held off the combined forces of Wang Zhongsi and Tuwu Jin, numbering 50,000, with only 20,000 men."
"After a day and night of fierce fighting, we fought to the death and refused to retreat, which bought the most precious time for me to annihilate Helian Wujiu's forces."
"The merit of this battle is comparable to reshaping the battlefield! On behalf of His Majesty and the soldiers of the three armies, I thank you and all the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives in Black River Valley!"
These words of praise, coming from the usually dignified and reserved Feng Mulan, carried immense weight.
The surroundings immediately fell silent, and all the generals stood in awe.
Upon hearing this, Xue Dingshan, supported by his father, quickly bowed respectfully, his voice weak but his attitude humble.
"Your Majesty flatters me! This humble general...this humble general was merely fulfilling his duty as a soldier."
"If it weren't for Her Majesty's foresight in sending 10,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry to reinforce us in time, I and my brothers in Black River Valley would probably have already... already sacrificed our lives for the country. We wouldn't have been able to hold out until victory, and we would have no face to return and see Her Majesty and Father."
"The one who truly strategizes and wins battles from afar is Your Majesty."
His words were not entirely humble, but came from the bottom of his heart.
If it weren't for those two reinforcements arriving like timely rain, Xue Dingshan would already be a loyal soul in the Black River Valley.
Feng Mulan gently shook her head, her white veil swaying slightly with her movement.
She seemed unwilling to dwell on this issue any longer; both Xue Dingshan's heroic deeds and her own command abilities were now a foregone conclusion.
She slightly raised her gaze, sweeping it over Xue Huaide and the main generals present, her tone becoming calm and pragmatic:
"The record of merits will speak for itself."
"I will personally report the details of this battle to His Majesty and request commendations for all the meritorious soldiers."
"However, the most urgent task is not to celebrate achievements and reward merits."
Her gaze sharpened as she looked towards the deep western night, the direction from which Wang Zhongsi had retreated.
"Although Wang Zhongsi was defeated, his main force still survived. He joined forces with Tuwu Jin and retreated to Zhennan Pass, where he was bound to join Li Jing's troops."
"Although our army has won a great victory, it is also exhausted and urgently needs rest."
"The next step is to press on and expand our gains, or to consolidate our defenses and build on our victory. This needs to be decided as soon as possible. The situation is constantly changing, and we cannot afford to be complacent."
Upon hearing this, Xue Huaide immediately understood Feng Mulan's meaning.
While the joy of victory is certainly worth cherishing, as a commander, one must look further ahead.
He stepped aside to make way, bowed respectfully to Feng Mulan, and clasped his hands in a fist salute, his tone respectful and sincere:
"Your Majesty is absolutely right! The military situation is urgent and we must discuss it immediately."
"This is not the place for discussion. Please move to the central command tent so we can discuss our next steps in detail."
Feng Mulan nodded slightly: "General Xue, please lead the way."
After saying this, she walked into the camp surrounded by Xue Huaide and others.
The crimson cloak, illuminated by the firelight, resembled a flowing battle flag, foreshadowing a new round of decisions and storms that were about to unfold in the recently calmed Luoxia Mountain camp.
Xue Dingshan, under the care of his personal guards, was sent to the military medical department for treatment.
He laid the foundation for this victory with his own blood. The journey ahead still requires him to conserve his energy and make new contributions.
A moment later, in the central command tent of the Chu army camp.
The tent was brightly lit, and the thick tallow candles crackled softly as they burned, casting long shadows of the people inside onto the tent walls, which swayed slightly in the firelight.
A faint scent of ink, leather, and metal filled the air, replacing the lingering smell of blood and burnt metal outside the tent.
Despite the great victory, the atmosphere inside the tent was not relaxed; instead, it conveyed a sense of solemnity, as if the aftermath of a major battle required reflection, analysis, and planning for the future.
Imperial Noble Consort Feng Mulan had removed her phoenix-winged helmet, but was still wearing her gilded armor, which allowed her to move easily, and sat upright in the main seat.
A white veil concealed most of her face, but her deep, cold eyes, illuminated by the candlelight, shone with a calm and wise light as she quietly looked at Xue Huaide and his chief strategist Jia Yu, who stood below her.
After a brief silence, Feng Mulan's clear voice broke the stillness in the tent, cutting straight to the heart of the matter:
"General Xue, Mr. Jia, although we have won this battle, what was the cost?"
"The specific battle losses of our army, the approximate casualties of the enemy, and the current available troop strength of our army still need to be clarified one by one."
Upon hearing this, Xue Huaide stepped forward. His posture remained upright, but the weariness and sorrow from days of fighting were unmistakable between his brows.
He bowed slightly, and began his report in a steady and clear voice. Behind each number lay the loss of countless vibrant lives:
"Your Majesty, the statistics for the battle of Luoxia Mountain have been completed."
He paused, as if weighing the weight of the heavy numbers: "According to the estimates of the corpses and prisoners found in the village, of the 50,000 Tang soldiers left behind by Wang Zhongsi, after yesterday's fierce attack and today's breakout, about 38,000 were killed, several thousand were captured, and the rest scattered."
"Our army also paid a price in order to break through this stronghold, with a total of more than 15,000 casualties."
This number cast a somber shadow over the tent. It was only natural that the attacking side would suffer fewer casualties than the defending side, but the loss of 15,000 loyal and brave men still weighed heavily on our hearts.
Xue Huaide took a deep breath and continued to report on another battlefield that was even more troubling to him:
"As for the Black River Valley direction..."
His voice unconsciously lowered, with a barely perceptible hoarseness:
"My son Ding Shan's troops number 20,000, plus the 10,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry reinforcements sent by the Empress, bringing the total force to 40,000."
"After a day and two nights of bloody fighting, a preliminary count shows that our army's casualties... amounted to 25,000."
"Based on battlefield traces and the circumstances of the battle, the enemy's 50,000-strong allied army under Wang Zhongsi and Tuwu Jin suffered approximately 20,000 casualties."
He raised his head and summarized the current troop strength: "After these two battles, my troops and General Guan Yun's troops have joined forces. Excluding the wounded, we currently have about 120,000 soldiers who are still capable of fighting."
"Wang Zhongsi and the defeated enemy of Tuwu Jin, after the losses in Heihe Valley and Luoxia Mountain, are estimated to have only about 40,000 remaining soldiers, who have retreated towards Zhennanguan."
Feng Mulan listened quietly and nodded slightly.
These figures are not much different from her previous estimates.
She then spoke, her voice steady yet carrying an inherent authority, recounting the sacrifices made by the Vermilion Bird Legion:
"In this battle, the main force of my Vermilion Bird Legion successfully blocked and annihilated 40,000 enemy troops under Helian Wujiu on the outskirts of Luoxia Mountain, but we also suffered more than 11,000 casualties ourselves."