After running forty miles in one breath, Qi Duming ordered the army to stop advancing and take a rest.
It's not that he doesn't want to return to Yecheng early, but if he keeps running like this, the army will disappear on its own.
Fortunately, the third princess did not pursue them one after another. It seemed that she focused on maintaining the results of the battle and taking in the prisoners, which gave Qi Duming a big sigh of relief. He took a rough look at the team at the rear. There were at least four to five thousand people who could keep up with the formation, and the losses were a little less than expected.
Having said that, this was already an extremely heavy blow to him - whether it was the Chinese army or the clever battalion that could control crossbows and bronze cannons, they were all elite soldiers he had trained little by little, and now half of them were left on the lookout. Shandu is equivalent to severing one of the two hands, and it is not an exaggeration to describe it as a serious injury to the vitality.
Qi Duming called a messenger, "Go to Pingzhendu and inform General Lu that the main force of Shenzhou is attacking Wangshandu and ask him to quickly strengthen the defense on the other side."
"Sir, won't you report the battle situation here?"
"Nonsense! It's good if I can remind him!" Qi Duming said angrily, "If he loses, he may not notify me."
"My subordinate understands."
After the messengers left on horseback, Qi Duming asked his adjutant to open the map and confirm the army's next journey.
"We are now in the area of Wanhua Road, almost fifty miles away from Ye City. If we let the light cavalry accompany the large army, we will definitely not be able to arrive before dark." The adjutant pointed at the map and said, "So why don't we send the cavalry back first? We have to choose a place to camp tonight.”
"Let's set up camp. If I leave first, I'm afraid it will chill the hearts of the brothers below." Qi Duming sighed. He abandoned the troops who were still fighting and led the entire army to evacuate. This was already a way of compromising his prestige. In the next period of time, he must spend more money to appease people's hearts. "But when the time comes, we will double the reconnaissance cavalry and let them keep an eye on the rear to prevent the Jinxia Army from coming over again."
"yes."
Just as the adjutant responded, two cannon shots suddenly came from the mountains and forests on both sides of the official road!
The troops who had just stopped to rest suddenly gathered like frightened birds, their eyes fixed on the direction of the woods.
"Sir, this-" the adjutant was stunned.
"Don't panic, it must be a bluff!" Qi Duming said flatly, "This is in Ganzhou, there is no way they can divide their forces and go around here!"
There was no river nearby, and unlike them, Jinxia could treat the town as a stronghold and rely on land to transport supplies. How could it possibly be possible to divide the troops and intercept them? An army with more than 2,000 men must arrange baggage to follow them. If they do this, they must take action four or five days in advance. Otherwise, they will not even have to fight, and they will collapse by marching long distances.
The one who could get here in one go without being discovered by the locals in advance must be a detachment of less than a hundred people, or simply a reconnaissance cavalry. By looting civilian houses and bringing your own dry food, you can fight deep behind enemy lines, but it is absolutely impossible to stop his large army!
However, only half a quarter of an hour later, Qi Duming realized that something was wrong.
Figures of people kept coming out of the woods on both sides, probably more than two thousand in number. It couldn't be just a reconnaissance team!
How can this be
The distance between the two sides was gradually closing, reaching about a mile in less than half a quarter of an hour. He had to make a decision immediately.
"Let everyone move and continue to evacuate westward! The Qingqi team is responsible for blocking the Jinxia Army!"
It is impossible to fight. The morale of this large army is running low. At this time, a rout in the field is very likely.
The adjutant stared at the front of the official road with a look of astonishment, as if he had seen something extremely incredible.
Qi Duming turned his head, and his heart suddenly sank to the bottom - he saw a row of dark machine beasts appearing in the distance, just like the monsters he saw at Wangshandu, except that the number of these machine beasts was much larger. many!
They lined up side by side and moved towards this side in an orderly manner. Although it was the thinnest "one-word formation", he could not even think of breaking through the line.
We are all made of flesh and blood, how can we compete with this monster made of metal and wood
What made Qi Duming's scalp numb even more was that he also saw a giant fox. The fox was bigger than a machine beast, and with its two tails of different colors, it felt indescribably oppressive.
Horses are like weak lambs in front of this monster.
"Sir... we are surrounded." The adjutant swallowed.
It sounds incredible, but it is true.
A large force of two thousand people actually ran rampant in Ganzhou without being discovered, and set up an ambush on their retreat early. It seemed that they had expected that they would not be able to block the strong attack of the troops crossing the river.
Qi Duming didn't know what to say for a moment.
Is this some kind of clever plan? Not really. It's just a simple detour and flanking attack to cut off its escape route. There is only one level of strategy.
Then why didn't he think of it
This is just like asking why people can't fly.
Because besides flying, he couldn't think of how the other party could do this.
"Sir, it's bad!" Another guard came forward to report, "The scouts reported that they found traces of the princess's troops fifteen miles behind, and they are still trying to pursue us!"
"Master Qi, choose a weak point to break out of the encirclement!" the adjutant urged loudly, "The enemy has no horses, so he may not be able to catch up with Qingqi. The general is willing to stay and break up the rear!"
"No... no need... no need." After Qi Duming was silent for a long time, he said three words "no" in a row. The moment he said these words, he seemed to have suddenly aged ten years. "Let everyone put down their weapons and surrender to Jinxia."
"grown ups-"
"This is an order!" Qi Duming shouted.
The adjutant stared at him for a while, then lowered his head deeply, "Your Majesty... I understand."
"By the way, find another rope, tie me up, and escort me to the Jinxia Army." Qi Duming closed his eyes, "Just say that the blame for this battle is all my fault. You have meritorious service for your rebellion. Her Royal Highness Princess should I won’t embarrass you any more.”
When he escaped from Wangshandu, he heard the saying "Jinxia treats prisoners well".
Since there is no chance of winning if we continue the fight, and there is no chance of a comeback, doing this may save the lives of our subordinates.
However, what made Qi Duming feel embarrassed was that he did not see Her Royal Highness the Princess or the commander of the army as he wished, and no one could give him the generous speech he had planned. The Jinxia Army neither chopped off his head to claim credit, nor treated him differently because he was a general, let alone staged a scene in which the Lord untied him with his own hands.
Like other soldiers, he was escorted back east, and the Jinxia troops responsible for guarding only had about 500 people.
The thousands-man army and those bipedal machine beasts that merged not long ago seemed to have disappeared.
Are they... not going back to Shenzhou
Looking at the sparse escort team, Qi Duming suddenly felt an indescribable chill rising from the soles of his feet.
If these people have the ability to unknowingly outflank Wangshandu, then they can also use the same method to attack Pingzhendu!
The princess's purpose is not just to Qi Duming's part of the Ganzhou Army!
She wanted more.