newbobooks Chapter 496 The defeated army returns north, their blood still warm; the remnants of the army gather
Chapter 496 The defeated army returns north, their blood still warm; the remnants of the army gather
The official road to Juzhou is more than seventy li to the north.
The setting sun, like blood, dyed the official road leading north from Juzhou a poignant crimson.
On the third day after their defeat, Xiao Ruofeng's remnant Northern Li army finally joined forces with Ye Xiaoying's defeated troops who had retreated from Fuzhou.
The two groups met outside a deserted village beside the official road, the scene of which was so desolate it was suffocating.
On Xiao Ruofeng's side, the original 30,000 troops were reduced to just over 4,000, all wounded and their armor shattered.
Banners trailed on the ground, and fewer than a hundred warhorses remained. Many seriously wounded soldiers were being helped by their comrades or lay on makeshift stretchers, leaving dark red bloodstains with every step they took.
Ye Xiaoying's side fared even worse; almost all of the 3,000 elite Double-Blade Battalion soldiers were wiped out. Of the 15,000 men who withdrew from Fuzhou, less than 8,000 remained.
They all looked dazed, many with unfocused eyes, as if they had not yet woken up from the nightmarish massacre at Ironthorn Ridge.
Ye Xiaoying was supported on horseback by his personal guards. His left arm was fixed with a wooden board and wrapped with a blood-soaked bandage. Although the wound on his right leg had been treated, his face was as pale as paper and his lips were cracked.
Only those eyes remained as sharp as an eagle's, though a lingering gloom had settled deep within them.
When the two defeated armies met, there was no cheering, no exchanging pleasantries.
There was only deathly silence.
The remaining soldiers looked at each other's wretched state, at their comrades missing limbs, and at the shocking wounds on their commanders. Everyone understood—
In this battle in the southwest, Bei Li lost, and lost miserably!
Xiao Ruofeng spurred his horse forward and reined in Ye Xiaoying's horse.
The two stared at each other for a long time, neither of them speaking first.
The setting sun cast long shadows of them onto the official road, which was covered with ruts and bloodstains, making them look lonely and heavy.
Finally, Ye Xiaoying broke the silence first, his voice hoarse like sandpaper: "Your Highness... this humble general is incompetent..."
“It’s not your fault.” Xiao Ruofeng shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the bandage on Ye Xiaoying’s left arm. “In the battle of Qiandong City, I misjudged the enemy. I didn’t expect Wen Yanzhao’s drug users to be so ferocious. It’s already remarkable that you were able to come back alive from Tieji Ridge.”
Ye Xiaoying's eyes reddened, and he gritted his teeth, saying:
"Three thousand brothers of the Double Blade Battalion... almost all of them died at the ridge pass! Those drug-infused people... they weren't human at all! They were monsters!"
Swords couldn't cut them, spears couldn't pierce them, even with severed arms and legs they could still fight! This humble general... this humble general watched them being torn to pieces..."
He couldn't continue, and a low growl, like that of a trapped beast, escaped his throat.
Xiao Ruofeng listened silently, and only after Ye Xiaoying calmed down did he slowly say, "Alas... I also lost. Bai Liluochen personally led 50,000 Pofeng Army troops to surround Juzhou City, and of my 30,000 brothers... only these few were brought out."
He paused, then lowered his voice: "Baili Luochen... spare my life."
Ye Xiaoying suddenly looked up: "What?"
"He told me to go back to Tianqi and tell my brother the Emperor... that one day he would bring his army to the city gates." Xiao Ruofeng smiled bitterly. "He also advised me that if I could get away, I should leave the court as soon as possible."
Ye Xiaoying remained silent for a long time, then suddenly grinned, his smile full of bitterness and sarcasm: "Is the old Marquis... pitying us?"
"Perhaps!" Xiao Ruofeng looked north. "It's possible that he just doesn't want the Northern Li to fall into internal strife too quickly, giving the Southern Jue and the Western Regions an opportunity to take advantage."
Neither of them spoke anymore.
The setting sun gradually sank behind the western mountains, and dusk settled in.
A bonfire was lit outside the deserted village, and the two defeated armies merged together and set up a makeshift camp.
Without enough tents, many people had to sleep around the fire, fully clothed.
The groans of wounded soldiers rose and fell, and the accompanying medics moved among them, but they had run out of even the most basic medicines. They could only use red-hot blades to cauterize the wounds to stop the bleeding, and the screams were particularly shrill in the night wind.
Xiao Ruofeng and Ye Xiaoying sat side by side by a campfire. Their personal guards brought them two bowls of thin rice porridge—their food supplies were running low, and this was the best food they could offer.
Ye Xiaoying took the bowl of porridge but didn't drink it. He just stared at the flickering flames and suddenly asked, "Your Highness, after we return... how do you plan to explain this to His Majesty?"
Xiao Ruofeng was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "To be honest, a defeat is a defeat, and I will bear the responsibility for it all."
"Will His Majesty believe it?" Ye Xiaoying looked up at him. "An army of 200,000, with 70 or 80 percent lost, yet the commander-in-chief returned alive... What will the people in the court say?"
Xiao Ruofeng knew, of course, what Ye Xiaoying was worried about.
His achievements overshadowed the emperor, he held military power, and now he has suffered a crushing defeat—any one of these three factors would be enough to ruin a general, let alone the fact that he has all three.
Not to mention, the emperor's elder brother, Xiao Ruojin, had just ascended the throne and needed to establish his authority and consolidate his power. His younger brother, who held considerable military power and enjoyed the support of the army, was the most conspicuous target.
"Whether you believe it or not, it doesn't matter anymore." Xiao Ruofeng took a sip of porridge, but it was too bitter to swallow. He steadied himself and continued:
"The important thing is that we cannot let the hundreds of thousands of brothers who died in battle sacrifice themselves in vain. Their pensions, their families... I must return to Tianqi and fight for them."
Ye Xiaoying slammed the bowl of porridge onto the ground, splashing porridge everywhere: "But if His Majesty truly intends to punish you, how can Your Highness argue against it?"
“Then let’s fight until we can’t fight anymore.” Xiao Ruofeng’s tone was calm, but it revealed an undeniable determination. “If my brother insists on killing me to establish his authority… I will accept it, but the compensation for the soldiers who followed me into battle must be implemented!”
Ye Xiaoying stared at him for a long time, then suddenly knelt on one knee, clasped his hands and said, "Your Highness is kind and benevolent, and I, Ye Xiaoying, am willing to return to the capital with Your Highness and share the blame!"
"Nonsense!" Xiao Ruofeng frowned. "You are already seriously injured. You should rest and recuperate properly after returning to Tianqi. As for this matter... I have my own plans."
"Your Highness!"
"This is a military order!" Xiao Ruofeng's voice turned stern. "Ye Xiaoying, listen to my command—after returning to Tianqi, you will immediately resign from your military post and recuperate in seclusion."
"I will deny all knowledge of any inquiries from the court. If I am found guilty, I, Xiao Ruofeng, will bear all the blame!"
Ye Xiaoying was startled and wanted to argue again, but Xiao Ruofeng's sharp gaze forced him back.
He knew that the young Prince of Langya had made a choice—to use everything he had to give the defeated soldiers a way out.
As night deepened, the campfire crackled.
In the distance came the weary footsteps of night patrol soldiers, and further away, the suppressed groans of wounded soldiers and their delirious murmurs in their nightmares.
Looking at the flickering flames, Xiao Ruofeng suddenly said softly, "Tell me... what exactly is the purpose of this battle?"
Ye Xiaoying was taken aback.
"To quell the rebellion? For the dignity of the court? Or..." Xiao Ruofeng paused, his voice lower, "...just to satisfy the suspicions and power struggles of certain individuals, to let hundreds of thousands of soldiers be buried in foreign lands?"
Ye Xiaoying couldn't answer.
He only knew how to fight and obey military orders. Why fight? He never thought about it.
"Go to sleep." Xiao Ruofeng got up and patted his shoulder. "We still have a long journey ahead tomorrow. Back in Tianqi... there's a lot to do."
He turned and walked toward his tent, his figure appearing particularly lonely in the firelight.
Ye Xiaoying sat by the fire, remaining motionless for a long time.
The night wind blew by, bringing with it the mournful howls of wolves from the distant mountains.
Meanwhile, in Fuzhou City, a hundred miles away, a light cavalry unit quietly left the city under the cover of night and headed non-stop towards Tianqi.
The knight on horseback, his body covered in bandages, carefully concealed a blood-stained battle report close to his body, his eyes filled with determination.
That was the last batch of messengers that Ye Xiaoying sent out without Xiao Ruofeng's knowledge.
He wanted to deliver the truth about the disastrous defeat in the southwest to the right people before the Prince of Langya returned to the capital.
Even if it means disobeying military orders, even if it means risking one's life.
The night was as dark as ink, concealing all secrets and schemes.
Only the campfires along the official road flickered in the darkness, like the last heartbeats of a dying person.
……