Tiger Guards

Chapter 673 Fleeing Upon Hearing the Rumors
It is located more than 30 li southwest of Zhongtao City.

This is the small mountain pass where Yan Xing's troops ambushed and killed the Ren clan's migrating group, and Han Sui's army camped here for the night.

The entire army, stretching from front to back, numbered over 60,000 infantry and cavalry, and gathered in this river valley that was more than ten miles long from east to west and five or six miles wide from north to south.

Han Sui's army arrived here yesterday and occupied the two existing camps left by Yan Xing, and spent a day and a night reinforcing and repairing them.

Thirty li is a distance that would normally take half a day to cover during a march.

However, if they discarded the baggage, tents and other burdens, this distance could be covered in one breath by some soldiers with good physical fitness!

"Yan Ming!"

As Yan Xing rode his horse at full gallop, he saw a cavalry unit coming from the west. The unit was being pushed back by the fleeing soldiers and could only retreat to the foot of the mountain to observe the changing situation.

At this moment, Yan Xing was somewhat disheveled. He recognized Suolan, a hero from Longyou, at a glance and wanted to pretend he didn't see him.

Unexpectedly, Solan led a dozen knights forward and shouted again, "Yanming! Why were you defeated?"

Yan Xing turned his head to see Suolan, and his stiff expression showed a slight easing. He hurriedly said, "The Zhao traitor concealed his tracks, imitating Bai Qi's old trick, and suddenly appeared in Tianshui, causing the heroes of Tianshui to be wiped out in an instant! Now the Zhao traitor has led his elite cavalry to launch a strong attack on our camp. Our army... the camp was not secure, and thus we suffered a defeat."

"Zhao the traitor..."

Solan was also stunned. He was younger than Yan Xing, and his hands were trembling as he asked, "He really came?"

"How could it be false?"

Yan Xing glanced around and saw that the commander of this cavalry unit was Solan. He hurriedly asked, "What brings Zifang here?"

"Here comes to deliver military intelligence."

As Solan spoke, he took out a scroll of silk and handed it to Yan Xing. The two men's cavalry formed an oval formation to protect them. On both sides of this oval formation were the fleeing infantry and cavalry who were constantly running westward.

When the knights fled, they were still in good condition, with their horse tack, armor, and weapons mostly intact. But when the infantry arrived here, they had already discarded most of their burdens, leaving them with only their winter clothes.

Yan Xing caught the silk scroll and read it quickly. He immediately frowned and said, "No, this is fake! I haven't seen Zhao Ang's 30,000 Longnan righteous soldiers, let alone 10,000 Hanzhong soldiers! The heroes of Tianshui said they could raise 30,000 troops, but I haven't seen a single one! All I've seen are Zhao traitor's elite troops who are sent to conquer the Hu! Go and report to the general that this is a trap set against my Hehuang people!"

He practically roared these words, and even Solan and his mount were shaken back by Yan Xing's imposing aura.

After regaining his balance, Solan Lema couldn't help but ask, "Yanming, is what you said true?"

"Quickly inform the General that the traitor Zhao is about to launch a surprise attack!"

Yan Xing pointed to the west and further south and said, "I request that the General leave several dozen paces to the south so that our army can retreat behind the fortifications and palisades. Zhao's troops are cavalry and chariots, and now the heavy snow has closed the mountains and forests, making it difficult for the enemy to cross the mountains!"

"it is good!"

Solan responded and immediately pulled hard on the reins to turn the horse around. Before Yan Xing could say anything else, he spurred the horse to speed up and led his riders away in a whirlwind.

Seeing this, Yan Xing could only swallow his words about asking for a few spare warhorses and watched as Solan's two hundred riders thundered away. After all, they were fresh troops, and even in their retreat, they were quite imposing.

"General, the enemy is closing in! We must retreat!"

His riders urged him on urgently. Yan Xing looked back and faintly heard the sound of drums. He immediately nodded and said, "Hurry up!"

The horses had run for more than ten miles and were now exhausted, but Yan Xing and the others did not care about them at all.

What are the lives of horses worth compared to theirs?

Once you escape the battlefield, you'll never lack good horses to ride.

Only by escaping can there be room for negotiation regarding surrender.

Otherwise, if captured here, there's a high chance your head will be spun off and hung from the neck of an enemy cavalryman, or onto a chariot.

Solan galloped back to Han Sui's camp, only to find the gates wide open. The fleeing infantry and cavalry poured into the camp with their last breath, many collapsing to the ground as soon as they entered, gasping for air, the icy air seeming to slit their throats. Han Sui arrived upon hearing the news, mounted his steed, and watched the endless stream of fleeing soldiers and officers, realizing the situation was completely out of his control.

At this moment, Solan saw Han Sui's general's battle banner and immediately spurred his horse forward. He and his men were exhausted, but he managed to report with all his might: "General! The Zhao traitor has secretly led a large army to attack Tianshui, and the 70,000 troops in Tianshui have been completely crushed!"

"Seventy thousand troops wiped out in an instant?"

Han Sui thought he had misheard, and glared angrily at Suolan, gripping his whip as if to lash him: "Even if there are 70,000 stray horses, Zhao Ji would need several days to gather them! Impossible, he couldn't possibly have wiped out all the armies in Tianshui and then still managed to break through Yanming's vanguard!"

Solan pointed behind him: "Yanming is not far away. If the general does not believe me, he can ask Yanming!"

Han Sui shook his head again: "That's impossible. When the armies in Tianshui were annihilated, there must have been some defeated soldiers who fled into our army."

At this moment, Guo Xian, who was following him, spoke up: "General, the day before yesterday, a band of rebels harassed the vanguard and was defeated. There are rumors in the army that the vanguard officers and soldiers were greedy for their wealth, which is why they suddenly rose up and attacked. As a result, the entire army that came from the east was wiped out."

Han Sui slowly turned his head to look at Guo Xian: "You mean the defeated soldiers from Tianshui have been killed by the vanguard?"

Guo Xian remained silent, but nodded earnestly to Han Sui.

Upon seeing this, Han Sui looked up and let out a long sigh of relief, his expression one of bewilderment and terror.

He really didn't know what to do. It wasn't difficult to hold on here now, as the narrowest part of the ravine was only thirty steps wide!
The steep slopes with pine forests on both sides were already difficult to climb, and now that it has snowed, it is even more impossible for the pursuers to take a detour.

He wasn't afraid of tactical infiltration, but he was afraid of strategic flanking maneuvers.

For example, if Jincheng is lost, or if the troops around Jincheng gather in the city and abandon the road, then Zhao Ji's army can easily move outside Jincheng and launch a surprise attack from Didao!

Most importantly, even wild animals in the mountains and forests have difficulty finding food under heavy snow, let alone the people and livestock in the army!
Supplies were already scarce. If they stayed here and held out, they could at least resist and repel any tentative attacks, but then what?

Even if the Jin army cannot outflank and attack from Jincheng, the poor supply will lead the entire army to a dead end!

What's truly terrifying isn't the enemy's strategic flanking maneuvers or our own dire supply situation, but rather that the Hehuang Han-Qiang allied forces have no shortage of skilled fighters!

When these people are winning, they are like mercury flowing across the ground, penetrating everywhere. They can sweep across like a flood, while also subtly irrigating and flooding every snake and rat hole!
Han Sui wasn't the only one in the army using his brain; even those from small tribes were learning how to use their brains.

Buying high and selling low has become a survival instinct for these people.

Given the current situation, these people are completely unreliable!
While Han Sui was still analyzing whether Zhao Ji had the stamina and morale to fight again in the short term after sweeping away the various armies in Tianshui, a subordinate official rode up at full speed and whispered quickly when he was a few steps in front of Han Sui: "General, the Qiang King of Shaodang has begun to order the camp to be broken up!"

"This stupid dog will cause the entire army to die here!"

Han Sui, without further analyzing Zhao Ji's potential for re-fighting, immediately instructed his men: "Withdraw lightly. Burn the supplies in the camp if possible. Don't leave them for Zhao Ji. He has already suffered in the Battle of Tianshui and lacks equipment. If our army abandons its equipment, his power will be even greater and he will be even harder to resist."

As he spoke, someone spurred their horse around and galloped towards their own camp.

As Yan Xing rode his panting horse into the camp gate, he saw Han Sui's general's battle flag moving further and further away from him.

The routed soldiers of the vanguard were slumped over in various places, completely exhausted from the moment they lay down to rest.

Even if the Jin army catches up and tries to kill them, they can only lie on the ground and try to roll over, having no other energy left.

"General?"

A young military officer trudged up to Yan Xing, looking at him expectantly.

Yan Xing looked around and felt that his answer was inappropriate, and that a mutiny might break out here immediately.

Yan Xing took a deep breath, met the gazes of those around him, and said in a heavy tone, "Retreat to the sides. If the pursuers come, I will personally surrender in order to save my life."

So the exhausted and routed vanguard soldiers drew energy from the void and made way for the enemy.

However, some soldiers who had hiked here still squatted on the cold ground, motionless.

(End of this chapter)