Phi-Fic Chapter 473 Rescuing Shen Xingjian
Chapter 473 Rescuing Shen Xingjian
Before departing, Shen Xingjian appointed his deputy Zhao Sheng to temporarily assume the position of commander-in-chief.
However, Zhao Sheng's talent was limited; although he could defend the camp and set up formations, he lacked the courage of a great general.
Now the generals are offering their opinions, each holding their own viewpoint.
"We must launch a full-scale attack! We must rescue General Shen!"
"No! We must defend! The Liang army is always cunning; we've walked right into their trap before!"
"Send a small team for a surprise attack!"
Zhao Sheng listened to the arguing among the crowd, but couldn't get a word in edgewise.
Just then, a steady footstep sounded outside the tent.
Everyone turned to look, and saw Xie Yanli, dressed in a black fur robe that was whipped up by the cold wind, stepping into the snow.
His expression was stern, but he didn't look travel-worn at all.
Zhao Sheng was stunned. "Young Master?!"
The generals were so surprised that they almost forgot to argue.
Xie Yanli did not answer, but slowly walked to the main seat.
He scanned the entire tent, and no one dared to meet his gaze.
After a moment of silence, he spoke, his voice cold, "From now on, I will take over military affairs."
No one questioned it anymore.
This is Xie Yanli, who went on a campaign with the late emperor at the age of fourteen!
Since the late emperor approved of his plan, they naturally dared not say anything.
His arrival brought a sense of relief to everyone.
Xie Yanli raised his hand to brush away the snowflakes, stood in front of the table, and looked at the topographical map and documents about the enemy's formation left by Shen Xingjian.
"Move three battalions to ambush south of the valley at midnight."
"Order the light cavalry to pretend to be the main force and harass the enemy in the northwest."
He issued several orders in quick succession, speaking calmly and deliberately, yet each sentence hit the nail on the head.
The night was deep, and the lamplight inside the tent flickered.
Xie Yanli and Meng Ze sat facing each other in front of the military map, which marked the elevation and undulation of the Dongshan Valley, the enemy's deployment locations, and the ambush routes.
The most urgent task now is to rescue Shen Xingjian, who is trapped.
Meng Ze said in a low voice, "Although the eastern entrance of the valley has been sealed off, there is an old cliff road thirty miles to the north. It used to be a small road for transporting ore. Although it is now abandoned, it can still be used by small groups of elite troops."
Xie Yanli traced his finger across the map, stopping at a narrow pass that was barely marked.
"We can set up a feint in the west of the valley and then ambush troops on the north cliff to lure the enemy back. Then, taking advantage of their confusion in deployment, we can break through the encirclement through a side path."
Meng Ze nodded: "This plan is feasible."
Xie Yanli raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife. "Order the entire army to mobilize immediately. Move out at midnight!"
Military orders are as firm as mountains, and commands are issued as swiftly as the wind.
As the third watch drum sounded, the Jin army deployed in three columns.
One of the key factors in this battle is whether we can accurately break through the enemy's flank defense and penetrate their weakest link.
Xie Jingchun volunteered to be the vanguard, and Xie Yanli agreed.
He led a hundred light cavalrymen in a night raid on the enemy's outposts, cutting off their defenses in one fell swoop, drawing the enemy soldiers into pursuit, and then leading them to the ambush position, thus completing the strategy of encirclement and counterattack, and making the greatest contribution.
At the same time, the main force took advantage of the situation and plunged straight into the valley.
Despite being seriously wounded, Shen Xingjian led his troops in a valiant defense and refused to retreat.
Suddenly, they heard a familiar bugle call in the middle of the night, and they all looked up in surprise.
At the valley entrance, banners fluttered as the Great Jin army broke through the clouds and entered.
Shen Xingjian was startled, then overjoyed.
He endured the pain, drew his sword, and led his remaining troops out of the valley to attack from both sides with the reinforcements, throwing the enemy into chaos.
In less than an hour, the siege of the valley was broken, and Shen Jun finally broke out.
Post-battle inventory revealed that the soldiers had suffered heavy casualties.
But they all survived.
As dawn broke, Shen Xingjian, clad in tattered armor and stained with blood, walked step by step out of the valley entrance.
In the distance, Xie Yanli stood beside his warhorse.
Upon seeing this, Shen Xingjian felt a surge of emotion, his eyes stinging with tears.
He quickly stepped forward, bowed deeply, and was about to kneel down.
"Your Highness's kindness is truly appreciated, Shen Xingjian—"
Before he could finish speaking, Xie Yanli had already reached out and helped him up.
"We stand shoulder to shoulder in defending the country, no need for formalities."
The sun was rising in the distance, the smoke of war had not yet dissipated, and the world was silent.
Thirty li north of Dongshan is the main camp of the Daliang army.
Inside the main tent, Li Wuyang stared at the battle report that had just been laid out before him.
Shen Xingjian has been rescued by the Great Jin reinforcements, and the siege of the Dongshan Valley has been broken.
"boom!"
The jade cup shattered with a crack, and hot tea spilled all over the floor.
Li Wuyang's face was ashen, and he gritted his teeth and growled, "They've been rescued?"
"I surrounded him with 70,000 troops, trapping him with three layers of deadly defenses, and he still managed to escape?!"
He suddenly stood up, swept his sleeves, and the map on the table scattered all over the floor.
Most of the generals of the Great Jin Dynasty are dead; those who remain are useless.
That's why he sent troops; he couldn't let the Great Jin Dynasty have a chance to catch its breath.
So where did this person come from?
They actually foiled his plan!
What people are left in the Great Jin Dynasty...?
Suddenly, a name popped into Li Wuyang's mind.
Xie Yanli.
He stood up, his tone icy: "Order the army to halt."
"I'll have the generals at the front avoid his sharp edge and focus on holding their ground. I want to see how many more moves he can make next."
-
The Great Jin Dynasty court.
Gao Xian unfolded the secret letter and read it word by word.
Shen Xingjian has escaped danger, all three lost territories have been recovered, and the army has secured the border.
The hall instantly erupted in chaos.
"Young Master Xie has indeed lived up to expectations!"
"With such a general in our Great Jin Dynasty, what fear is there of a powerful enemy!"
Gao Xian's face lit up with joy, "A generous reward will be given to the entire army. The soldiers who have rendered meritorious service will not be overlooked!"
All the ministers knelt down and prostrated themselves, saying, "Your Majesty is wise; the Great Jin will surely prevail!"
Hou House.
Inside the small Buddhist shrine, incense smoke curled upwards, and the fire in the stove remained burning.
Qin Jiuwei knelt on the prayer mat, her hands clasped together, a golden Buddha statue in front of her, and several sticks of incense burning.
She was dressed in plain clothes, with a strand of hair hanging down by her temples.
She didn't believe in gods or Buddhas before, but now she's willing to.
She was willing to believe that there truly was a divine being above, who could protect the people she cared about and ensure their safe return.
"Miss!" Xiaohe pushed open the door and entered, her voice filled with barely suppressed joy, "The battle report has arrived from the front!"
"The young master rescued General Shen and won a battle! The enemy retreated, and the border was stabilized!"
Qin Jiuwei was stunned for a moment, and then her eyes reddened.
However, the war did not end as quickly as everyone had imagined.
For two months, the battle has remained deadlocked.
The border remains tense at times, and the smoke of battle has not yet dissipated.
The strength of the Great Jin and the Great Liang were originally similar. Although Shen Xingjian and Xie Yanli were jointly guarding the border, the army was short of manpower and the generals were scarce, making it difficult to defeat the enemy quickly.
Li Wuyang was even more ruthless and extremely skilled in deploying troops.
Although several proactive attacks failed to break through the defenses, they consistently kept the pace of the Great Jin's counterattack firmly in check.
The battle raged on the front lines day after day, while reports from the rear came in a constant stream, with victories and defeats occurring intermittently.
Gao Xian convened court assemblies several times. Although no one among the officials shook the morale of the army, everyone knew the truth.
This battle proved far more difficult than they had anticipated.
Inside the border military tent.
The wind howled outside the tent, and the night was deep.
"Father." Xie Jingchun lifted the curtain and strode in.
The boy under the moonlight had sharp eyes and a cold, ruthless aura, having lost some of his youthful spirit.
He had grown taller, and his complexion had changed due to prolonged sun exposure; it was no longer as fair as before, and he exuded a more composed and austere aura.
A shallow scar on his forehead, left from a small-scale breakout not long ago, has now scabbed over, but he hasn't applied any medicine to cover it up; instead, it only accentuates his fortitude.
Xie Yanli nodded slightly and continued writing; he was writing a letter at his desk.