The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 403 Great Victory
Ningwu Pass.

When Wu Shigong, the garrison commander, came to the yamen to report, he heard several newly arrived generals talking in the hall. The content of their conversation made Wu Shigong prick up his ears.

"Old Liu, there should be fighting over Yangwuyu, right? What do you think?"

"We can definitely win, but the fighting power of the Datong army should not be underestimated. For every thousand enemies killed, eight hundred of our own will be lost. If we fight head-on this time, the casualties on both sides will be heavy."

"I didn't know much about the Datong Army, but recently Datong has done a lot of shocking things, showing a spirit of not being afraid of being held accountable by the court. As a result, many people in Taiyuan are talking about it. Isn't that strange? In the past, it was so difficult for us to get anything, but this time, it has all been delivered in just a few days. It still feels like a dream."

"Haha, with the way the military town of Datong operates, who outsider isn't afraid? Even I get chills when I hear about some of their practices."

"That's true. Although I can understand why the Datong Army did this, going too far is as bad as going too far. Which of us brothers would dare to accept it? I certainly wouldn't."

"Otherwise, why would Admiral Zhou be so confident? He comes from Datong and knows that area inside and out."

"The military governor over there is named Wang Xin, right? I heard he's only in his thirties."

A few people chatted idly.

Wu Shigong listened with deep emotion.

Since Ningwu Pass was reinforced with more soldiers, increasing its number tenfold, and a group of adjutants and guerrillas arrived, he was no longer in charge of Ningwu Pass and became a menial soldier.

When Wang Xin first came to Datong a few years ago, he was just a guerrilla fighter.

He was a guerrilla commander at Yanmen Pass, and soon became a deputy commander who established the Datong Western Army. Then he rose to the rank of general and military governor. His speed of promotion was truly enviable.

"not good!"

Someone rushed in and shouted.

Everyone was shocked.

Outside the pass.

The Datong army appeared, one after another, and although the terrain outside the pass was long and narrow, it was enough to deploy dozens of Hongyi cannons.

"Should we call out?"

"Let's see what they're up to first."

The general on the gate tower, frowning, had no idea what the other party was going to do.

Firearms are not unfamiliar to us.

However, firearms have limited power.

Remembering the formidable reputation of the Datong Army, the commander chose to play it safe, refusing to launch any probing attacks and giving the enemy no chance whatsoever.

Sudden.

Flames flashed across the way, followed by an earthquake.

It was as if the sky had fallen.

"what!"

The general almost fell, but with the help of his guards, he regained his balance and felt a tingling sensation coming from the soles of his feet, which made his heart go numb.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Dozens of cannons were aimed at the pass and opened fire.

Round after round.

"what?"

Wu Shigong was checking supplies in the pass when he suddenly felt a tremor under his feet. Then he heard a loud noise outside. He looked up in disbelief and saw only the city walls of the pass.

"Boom."

I don’t know how long it took.

Wu Shigong saw that the city wall had collapsed.

"This"

The soldiers had lost all morale.

"kill!"

"kill!"

"Great Harmony is mighty!"

"Marshal is mighty!"

"Long live!"

"Long live!"

Amidst the roars echoing across the mountains and plains, the Datong soldiers charged forward without hesitation.

One person falls, and the person behind quickly overtakes them.

"Great Harmony is mighty!"

The flag bearers held their flags high, and as the army charged forward, the flags resembled splashes of water in a wave, one after another, crashing against the city walls.

Wu Shigong heard the continuous roars, the clear shouts of the Datong soldiers. Even though he hadn't fought a war for over a decade, Wu Shigong knew what it meant.

"It's over."

Wu Shigong murmured.

"boom!"

"boom!"

Yangwuyu.

The Divine Fire Crow left a trail of flame in the sky, magnificently landing in the opposite fortifications, then flashing with firelight. The momentary blinding light was quickly extinguished, and Zhou Wen could see it clearly from a high slope in the distance.

After the fire, several Datong soldiers were covered in flames, and no one dared to approach them, as they could easily be caught in the blaze.

Instead of fleeing, the other Datong soldiers rushed forward to rescue the soldiers, extinguishing the flames on their bodies as quickly as possible, despite being covered in grime themselves.

Burns are still injuries, but those soldiers didn't scream or howl. Instead, they hid like the others, seemingly unaffected.

"hiss."

Zhou Wen felt a toothache.

This high slope was where Zhou Wenbu's main camp was located. The advantageous terrain in the valleys on both sides had been seized by Wang Xin's troops, who had built fortifications against the mountain. They tried twice to see if they could take it back, but both attempts failed.

Several generals also looked grim.

"Like a turtle shell, Wang Xin is such a coward."

"Turtle shells are indeed difficult to crack open."

“Wang Xin is truly capable and has already made his stance clear. It will be easy for us to defeat him, but it will come at a great cost. It’s a gamble on whether we are willing to suffer casualties,” Yao Baoshan said confidently.

"That's so unfair."

"I had heard of Wang Xin's reputation before, but I never expected him to be so indifferent to the lives of his subordinates."

"Yes, in any case, whoever is stronger should step back voluntarily, and everyone should save some strength. How can he be so ruthless? He showed no mercy to the Hu people, but I never expected him to be so ruthless to his own people as well."

"It would be a great misfortune for the world to allow such a person to succeed."

Everyone shook their heads.

Zhou Wendu couldn't help but start to have doubts.

They were all Zhou soldiers after all. Fighting is fighting, but whoever had the upper hand, the other side wouldn't fight too hard. Just like in Daizhou, the thousands of soldiers in Daizhou had the same idea, so they didn't put up a firm resistance.

The same was true at Yangwuyu ahead; the Datong army won, but the losing side did not show any signs of fighting to the death.

Now that he has the upper hand, Wang Xin should retreat, both morally and logically. Or, if he is unwilling, he should test the waters a little more before retreating. How could he be so unethical as to use the lives of more than 10,000 Datong soldiers to make him hesitate to act?

Zhou Wen narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Pry open this turtle's shell, capture Wang Xin alive, and I'll skin him alive."

The generals all nodded in agreement.

Although there are many fortifications, they can be broken through one by one over time, unless the Datong army comes out to fight against our side. However, the number of Datong army is far less than our side, and fighting would be disadvantageous for the Datong army.

The cost was heavy casualties on both sides.

This shouldn't have happened. Wang Xin is a true villain, and a villain who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

That's what everyone thinks.

"boom!"

"boom!"

Various firearms continuously fired at the fortifications of Yangwuyu.

Although the advance was slow and tense, it was steady. The soldiers of Datong did not have a strong desire to fight, and there were few counterattacks in the past two days. They seemed to rely entirely on the fortifications.

"It seems that Wang Xin still knows his limits."

"At least he's still a human being."

They all breathed a sigh of relief.

If it were just a bit of hardship, that would be fine. Although Wang Xin's actions were still unpleasant, they were better than not taking the casualties of the soldiers of both armies seriously.

"Five days!"

Yao Baoshan held up a hand and said confidently with a smile, "We'll take Yangwuyu in five days at most."

Zhou Wen finally smiled.

He could now report back to the Grand Secretary.

The subsequent successful recapture of Daizhou taught Wang Xin a heavy lesson.

Xuanfu divided the trade routes in the capital region and each of the provinces in Shanxi. Although it was impossible to kick Wang Xin out, since he occupied Datong, it was better for the three to share the trade routes equally than for him to monopolize them.

He also had the backing of Shanxi Province. If, after Governor Tao was transferred and the court didn't appoint a new governor for Shanxi, his power as the Taiyuan Commander would increase even further. ...

Listening to the sounds of firearms outside.

You can tell what kind of firearm it is just by the sound.

Wang Xin and many others had dark circles under their eyes. Since it was a war, no one dared to be careless. They hadn't slept well for the past few days, and no one dared to sleep too soundly.

Although Yangwuyu is a valley, it is not so much that the terrain is particularly dangerous.

Otherwise, there would be a pass here.

It's definitely better than flat ground.

"More than thirty people were injured yesterday."

"Although we were well prepared, Zhou Wen's troops were firing at full force and were not to be underestimated. We still suffered more than a hundred casualties."

How many died?

"The latest number is not clear yet. Yesterday it was eleven, and some of the wounded are seriously injured."

"It's really frustrating to keep getting pressured like this."

"Fortunately, morale was not affected, but many generals below could not understand why they did not fight back and complained that they had missed many opportunities."

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions.

Water has no fixed shape, and military tactics have no fixed form.

Opportunities are often fleeting and depend on the abilities of lower-ranking military officers on the front lines. Victories in various places accumulate, and many things will fall into place naturally. Victories achieved through surprise attacks are ultimately rare.

However, a strict order was issued to retaliate.

The more experienced the military officer, the less he could understand.

"Fortunately, it's our Datong army," Qi Shannian said with emotion. "If it were anywhere else, morale would have been severely affected, if not collapsed."

"indeed."

"It is often said that a general is the courage of his soldiers, but often a general also relies on his soldiers for his confidence. The reason why you and I can be so relaxed and confident today is because of the support of the soldiers below us."

"The General has arrived!"

Outside the great battle, someone sang a hymn.

"Shh."

The dozen or so generals inside the tent stood at attention, ramrod straight.

"All generals, listen to my command."

Wang Xin entered with a serious expression. Under the gaze of the generals, he walked to the main seat, but did not sit down. Instead, he turned around and ordered the generals, "Return to your respective units and await orders. Once the order is given, the entire army will launch a counterattack!"

The generals looked surprised.

Those who realized what was happening were overjoyed.

Everyone looked at Wang Xin, who nodded. "Ningwu Pass has already headed south, and I believe it won't be long before Zhou Wen has received the news."

"Great!"

"Marshal is mighty!"

Someone shouted.

Once Ningwu Pass is captured, the situation will be clear.

Take Ningwu Pass.

The army marched south along the main road for thirty or fifty miles until they reached the intersection of the main road, cutting off Zhou Wen's retreat. At that point, it wouldn't be so easy for Zhou Wen to escape.

Their supply lines were cut off, and their food supply routes were also lost.

Both ends are blocked.

You can't escape even if you have wings.

Everyone was ecstatic.

Two hours later, Zhou Wen's troops suddenly fell into chaos. Two armies began to leave the camp and return. Such a commotion could not be kept from the scouts, and they also received news from Ningwu Pass again.

Wang Xin no longer hesitated.

Too many fortifications hindered Zhou Wen's troops from deploying, and conversely, also hindered Wang Xin's troops from deploying.

But what he wanted was to delay.

By sending the army out, Zhou Wen was being told that he was about to attack, which would deter Zhou Wen from dividing his forces, or rather, give him the confidence to divide his forces and defeat the Datong army.

This is the principle that warfare has no fixed form.

All plans are wise as long as we can win, but if we can't win, all preparations are a joke.

Wang Xin climbed to a high place to look into the distance.

Looking at Zhou Wenbu's twenty-mile-long camp in the distance, with nearly eighty smaller camps one after another, stretching as far as the eye could see, one wonders how much food they must consume every day.

"Surrender without killing!"

"Surrender without killing!"

"I am Wu Shigong. I recognize your commander, and I have even helped you before." Wu Shigong didn't have time to run away. Seeing the murderous aura of the Datong army and the terrified and demoralized men around him, Wu Shigong immediately made a decision.

"Wu Shoubei".

A general came out from the other side; he looked to be a high-ranking official.

"Are you General Liu Zhong?"

Wu Shigong recognized the man and immediately knelt on one knee. "I have led my troops to surrender to the commander. I beg General Liu Zhong to show mercy and give my brother a way out."

"It's easy to talk about."

Liu Zhong smiled and helped Wu Shigong up.

Wu Shigong had served as the garrison commander of Ningwu Pass for over a decade. With his defection, Ningwu Pass could be stabilized as soon as possible. They also needed to expand their gains quickly, recruit as many Taiyuan soldiers as possible, and move south as soon as possible.

So how could Liu Zhong refuse? He couldn't be happier.

To lower or not to lower?

After capturing Ningwu Pass, the cavalry advanced unimpeded.

They quickly caught up with a large number of fleeing soldiers.

They pursued them as far as the Guoshan area. A general gathered a large number of defeated soldiers, intending to rebuild the defensive line, rely on Guoshan to block the pursuers, buy more time for the main force, and gather more defeated soldiers.

The Datong Army won many battles.

They were very experienced in expanding their gains and dealing with all sorts of possible scenarios, and had long been prepared for this situation.

Many cavalrymen ignored the scattered fleeing soldiers along the way and kept chasing forward, precisely to prevent any generals from attempting to restore the soldiers' organization on the main road.

Hundreds of cavalrymen could launch a charge at a single command.

The routed soldiers came from various units, had no complete command, had lost many of their weapons and armor, and lacked morale. Apart from needlessly sacrificing lives and inflicting some cost on the enemy, they had no chance of winning.

"We're all Zhou Jun's men, must we really let our brothers die?"

The cavalry general asked in a cold voice.

"Ugh."

The person on the other end sighed, dropped their weapon, and said dejectedly, "Surrender."

"Crash."

All sorts of weapons were abandoned, and many soldiers were also unarmed, having lost them long ago during their escape.

The cavalry charged forward, reaching the front and blocking the main road.

Blocked from retreat, the routed soldiers found it difficult to escape and had no chance to regroup, so they could only run into the mountains on either side. At this time of year, who could survive a trek across mountains for ten days or half a month? If they got lost, they would be doomed.

After a day of stabilizing the order at Ningwu Pass and taking in the routed soldiers, the situation was not fully resolved. Wei Yi, the adjutant in charge of the southwest of Datong, left behind 2,000 men and personally led 7,000 main force soldiers south in haste.

He led three Class B battalions.

Although it was a Class B battalion, it played a leading role this time.

The commander was just bait.

Making Zhou Wen mistakenly believe that Yang Wuyu's side was the main force was nothing more than a feint.

That's all the usual tricks.

Ultimately, it comes down to which side's soldiers are more capable in combat.

"On the day of our victorious return, we will recount the story of filial piety. Family and country are interdependent, and our filial piety will never change." The cavalry had already seized the initiative, while the infantry, carrying muskets and long spears, marched and sang.

It's like a beautiful scenic line on the main road.

Farming in peacetime, fighting in wartime.

After two days of continuous fighting, they had to rush to march again.

An infantry sentry encouraged them, "Brothers, are you tired?"

"Not tired."

"Hey buddy, are you scared?"

"Not afraid!"

"Brothers, are you suffering?"

"Not bitter."

(End of this chapter)