The actual situation is basically consistent with what Fan Ziruo predicted.
After being troubled by the two sides of the Qi army, the Yan army began to retreat westward in the direction of Luoyue Pass.
The Qi army on the Southwest King's side and the Qi army on Yin Jingcheng's side began a long-distance pursuit.
There were not many casualties in the small fights before, but now if the Yan army is completely withdrawn to the country of Yan, it will be difficult for all parties to explain. What's more, the Yan army did not withdraw to the country of Yan, but to Luoyue Pass.
Even if Luoyue Pass was breached by the Yan army, it was still a pass that was easy to defend but difficult to attack. In Yan State and in the hands of Qi State, the meaning is not the same.
In Yan Guo's hands, Luoyue Pass was the front line for their southward attack. To Qi Guo, it was a sharp blade that hung over their heads and could lose thousands of miles at any time. In the hands of Qi State, Luoyue Pass is a shield that can resist the Yan army's iron cavalry, and can kill Yan State's desire to go south.
In fact, the Yan army retreated westward in an orderly manner, and it was not a defeated general.
And when withdrawing to a large area of flat terrain, he took advantage of the cavalry's charge and killed the Qi army with a carbine.
The soldiers of the Qi army who were chasing hastily encountered the Yan army charging like a tsunami, and suffered heavy losses immediately. Of course, this does not include the new Chu army where He Yunxiao is.
On the plain west of Yin Jing, a large group of Yan Army cavalry was chasing a group of Qi Army soldiers who were retreating in a hurry.
Naturally, human legs were no match for horse legs. The distance between the two armies was quickly shortened, and then just when the cavalry was about to catch up with the infantry. The ground under the feet of the Yan Army cavalry suddenly collapsed.
Rows of Yan Army cavalry charged forward, and then rows of Yan Army cavalry stepped on the thin wooden camouflaged ground, and fell into the trench dug by Xin Chu Army with their horses.
Before Yan Jun came back to his senses, arrows from the sky mixed with grenades were thrown down, and thunder exploded on the bumpy ground. Then the soldiers of the new Chu army who had fled in a hurry just now raised their spears and spears and turned back.
Such scenes are not uncommon in the land full of yellow sand.
…
Qing Yuzi recently noticed that He Yunxiao was depressed and not in high spirits.
The most obvious behavior is that she can practice and recover at night now. In the past, He Yunxiao would not give her a chance to practice.
The place where the grassland and the Gobi border meet is sparsely populated, and it is often impossible to see a town for a day or two on horseback. Stationing troops in such a place is naturally not as comfortable as stationing troops near Yin Jing. Even the hostesses just started living in tents.
One night, Qing Yuzi found He Yunxiao and said to him, "You follow your own path."
He Yunxiao followed Qing Yuzi away without saying a word.
The two walked into Qing Yuzi's tent, and Qing Yuzi poured tea to the sullen He Yunxiao quite politely. You know, He Yunxiao is an apprentice, so it should be He Yunxiao who pours tea for Qing Yuzi.
"If you have any difficulties, you can talk to me. Since I have accepted you as an outer disciple, I will naturally not give up on you."
"Thank you Taoist for your concern." He Yunxiao said perfunctorily.
Qing Yuzi's eyebrows hidden under the veil slightly frowned. He Yunxiao's unfamiliarity made her quite uncomfortable.
On the eve of coming to the grassland, He Yunxiao would still joke with her every day, and then stare at her confidently with lewd eyes.
In his sophistry words, this is not called "sexual mist" but "appreciation of art".
But now He Yunxiao looked lifeless. Like a martial artist who has exhausted his skills, or a person who has lost his temper.
"Stretch out your hand, I will take a look for you."
"Daozhang, I'm fine." He Yunxiao said.
"Stretch out your hand." Qing Yuzi said again.
He Yunxiao had no choice but to extend his hand to Qing Yuzi.
Qing Yuzi felt for his pulse, and checked his internal strength, everything was normal.
"It's strange that you are sick." Qing Yuzi concluded.
"Daozhang, I'm not sick."
Qing Yuzi frowned.
"Why are you so listless when you're not sick?"
"I..." He Yunxiao paused, "The Daoist doesn't know, the two armies of Qi and Yan have killed 300,000 people in the past few days. There are mountains of people and rivers of blood... How do you make me happy?"
Due to the preparations in advance and the extensive use of fortifications, explosives, and arrows, the rear army had the least casualties in this decisive battle between Qi and Yan, and even so it reached the level of more than 20,000. Many of them were familiar to He Yunxiao.
Even though the casualties on the battlefield were the most normal, such a large area of desolation made He Yunxiao feel sad and sad from time to time.
Those scenes were shrouded in the night, and the ruins that could not be seen directly made He Yunxiao often wonder whether there is any meaning in this battle of Qi Yan
What did Yan Guo get? What did Qi get again
In He Yunxiao's memory, there were constant grievances and grudges between Qi and Yan, and they had been fighting for a long time, but the border between the two countries' main territories was hardly touched. It is nothing more than fine-tuning and fine-tuning in small places.
For example, Hexi County, which was lost 20 years ago, was regained with the efforts of Chu Fan's father, Chu Tianzhu, and the Chu family army more than ten years ago.
"He Yunxiao." Qing Yuzi sat upright. "As the leader of an army, if even you are so negative, how do you make the rest of the soldiers think?"
He Yunxiao opened his mouth, but was speechless. But after closing his mouth, he said unwillingly: "The Taoist priest doesn't think I'm doing the same in front of the soldiers, does he?"
Qing Yuzi:? ?
He Yunxiao spread his hands, "Bad emotions can't be brought to work, every adult should understand. I was unhappy in front of the Taoist priest, just because I got off work and went home, and I didn't treat the Taoist priest as an outsider." .”
"You..." Qing Yuzi didn't know what to say.
"However, thank you Master for caring about me. This is the first time I heard Master call me an 'outer disciple'. It's not easy." He Yunxiao said with emotion.
Qing Yuzi held his breath. I cared about him kindly, but this guy actually started teasing him cheekily.
"Master, let's be serious. The battle has been fierce these few days, and the Yan army also suffered a lot of casualties. Mr. Fan estimates that if the Yan army does not plan to fight to the death, they will continue to retreat westward until they retreat to Luoyue Pass."
When Qing Yuzi heard "Luoyue Pass", he could vaguely sense what He Yunxiao wanted to say.
He Yunxiao continued: "If Qi and Yan do not fight each other with their lives, there will be peace talks. If Luoyueguan is in the hands of Yan Jun, we will be passive during the peace talks. If it is in our hands, then Yan will fall into a passive state during the peace talks.”
"This pass is easy to defend and difficult to attack. The previous pass was broken by the Grand Master of the Yan Kingdom who violated the rules. It is conceivable that once the Yan Army retreats to Luoyue Pass, the Qi Army will not have a Grand Master to take action, or several Grand Masters will fight desperately. Falling Moon Pass is hard to break."
"Master, what do you think, if Yan Guo takes the initiative to keep Luoyue in their hands for peace talks, what is the safest way?"
Qing Yuzi said softly: "You mean, the great master who broke through Luoyue Pass is very likely still in Luoyue Pass?"
"That's right. It's very possible." He Yunxiao nodded. "The only way to lure the great master of the Yan Kingdom to come out is to break through the level."
"You want Ben Dao to break through for you?"
"Yeah. But I'll let Xiaoxiao stay with Master, just to be safe."
"No." Qing Yuzi shook his head. "The Taixu sect has regulations. Warriors above the grand master must not interfere with the laws of the world."
"Master, just try to break through the barrier. The Qi army does not attack the city." He Yunxiao explained: "Siege of the city is bound to make the Yan army defend to the death. This is another hundreds of thousands of casualties. It is unnecessary. We only need to attack the city first. The country has proved that we also have the ability to break through without injury, so it is good to force them to give up the Luoyue Pass in the negotiation. If you don’t break the pass for the Qi army, you will not be considered as participating in the secular world, right?"
"One person breaks through this way." Qing Yuzi said.
"Let Xiaoxiao go together." He Yunxiao said.
"No, this way breaks through alone."
(end of this chapter)