Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 315 I predicted your prediction
"What did you say? A bridge?!"

Li Shiji shouted and asked:

"You said the pseudo-Ming rebels built a bridge over Sishui?!"

His roar was a mixture of disbelief, confusion and indignation, which shook the scout so much that his internal organs seemed to resonate.

The poor scout looked at Cheng Zhijie for help, hoping that this veteran could be more mature and prudent than the excited general.

Little did they know that Duke Lu Cheng Zhijie seemed to have turned back into Cheng Yaojin of the Wagang Camp. He was even more impulsive than Li Shiji. He grabbed the scout's collar and shook it hard, roaring like thunder:
"Are you sure you're not seeing things?! Open your eyes and take a closer look!"

The unfortunate scout was so shocked that he didn't know what to say.

These generals are not inexperienced. They all crawled out of the mountains of corpses and seas of blood at the end of the Sui Dynasty and the beginning of the Tang Dynasty. What kind of storms and waves have they not seen?
However, these veterans who had experienced hundreds of battles were still shocked by the Ming army's outrageous actions and lost their composure. This made the scouts and the surrounding soldiers realize vaguely that -

This time, things might be really bad...

"Yaojin, hey... calm down."

It had to be the chief steward Li Shiji. He forced himself to calm down and asked the scout:
"What on earth happened, what on earth did you see?"

The scout trembled and confessed everything he had seen:
"General, I have been hiding near the bandit army's camp, and I saw the rebels marching in neat formation on the Sishui River, heading towards the other side of the river as if they were walking on flat ground.

“It was dark and they had no torches, so we couldn’t see clearly.

"I thought it was strange, so I took a closer look and found out -"

The scout's lips trembled as he recalled the incredible scene and was still shocked:

“Only then did I discover that the rebels had built a bridge across Surabaya!

"They are crossing the river safely through that bridge, escaping our army's encirclement!"

Li Shiji took a deep breath, swallowed the word "impossible", and asked the same question as Cheng Yaojin in a deep voice:

"Are you sure what you saw is true? The rebels of the pseudo-Ming Dynasty just arrived at the Sishui River. How many days have passed?"

"And they are surrounded on all sides, how could they build a bridge out of thin air?" Li Daliang at the side couldn't help but interrupt.

"This...that..." The scout was confused by the question.

He could only be sure of what he saw before his eyes, that the Ming army seemed to have actually crossed the bridge.

As for where this bridge came from and what logic lies behind it, this is a bit difficult for him as he is just a private.

"It's pointless to worry about how this 'one-night bridge' came about."

Li Shiji was the first to come to his senses:
"We must stop the other side from retreating first!"

After his reminder, the other generals who were shocked and temporarily at a loss also regained their senses and began to prepare in an orderly manner.

"Guo Xiaoke will be on the left wing, Li Daliang will be on the right wing, and I will be in the center. Prepare rockets and tung oil, and launch a night attack on the enemy camp!"

Cheng Zhijie issued orders in an orderly manner.

How the Ming army managed to build a bridge overnight will be discussed later.

The most urgent task is to stop them from crossing the bridge!
If we fail to lock the Ming army in the encirclement and allow them to retreat to the other side of the river, then everything will be over!
The Tang Dynasty's stamina is not as good as the Ming Dynasty's. If it cannot gain an absolute advantage in the early stages, then in the subsequent competition with the Ming Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty will be completely at a disadvantage!

We must seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and wipe out the main forces of the Ming army in one fell swoop!
"Report!"

However, just as the Tang army was preparing to launch a hasty counterattack, a messenger brought bad news.

"The Ming army is coming to attack the camp!"

Everyone's expressions darkened.

This is a combination of punches, using the attack on the camp to cover the retreat of the main force!

That old guy Li Jing is really shrewd and calculating!
"Ignore it!"

Li Shiji was so angry that his face turned red, but he swallowed his anger and made a rational judgment:

"That's a delaying tactic to slow down our progress, we must not fall into it!
"Li Daliang, Guo Xiaoke, you two will lead the garrison troops to defend the camp and protect His Majesty the Emperor.

"Duke Lu, you and I will each lead 5,000 elite soldiers and cavalry to attack the Ming army camp, burn the bridge, and prevent them from retreating!"

There is nothing wrong with this order. The priority is to resolve the main contradiction, that is, the enemy's escape from the encirclement.

Ten thousand elite soldiers are the limit of what can be mobilized for a night battle in the middle of the night. Moreover, the width of the battlefield is limited, so too many people will be useless.

Ten thousand cavalrymen are enough to destroy a bridge.

"attack!"

The Tang army quickly organized a defensive team and engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat with the attacking Ming army in the interweaving of darkness and firelight.

The visibility was poor at night, and it was impossible to see the size of the enemy clearly, but it seemed that there were people everywhere.

Li Shiji led the counterattack team to bypass the battlefield and head straight for the entrance of the camp.

The fact that they were able to quickly raise an attacking force of 10,000 people in a hurry was enough to prove that the Tang army was well-trained.

But just as this elite force approached the barracks gate, flames suddenly exploded and shot straight into the sky.

There was a pile of dry firewood and tung oil at the door of the Ming army's spy barracks, waiting for them to get close and then immediately set them on fire to block their way!

If we want to put out the fire, we will inevitably waste more time!

"Cunning Li Jing... they are determined to block our way!"

Li Shiji stared at the flames rising into the sky, his eyes bloodshot with anger.

"It's too late, charge!"

Cheng Zhijie was much more direct than him. He took the lead and rushed into the flames.

Speed ​​is of the essence in war, time is life, and it is even more so the destiny of the Tang Dynasty!
If we had burned that damn bridge a quarter of an hour earlier, we could have saved hundreds or thousands of enemies and reduced the pressure of future wars!
"Duke Lu, be careful!"

Li Shiji led his army to follow in a hurry.

Their troops braved the raging fire and managed to break through the blockade.

In open areas, fires just look scary.

If they can really charge forward regardless of the consequences, no matter how big the fire is, it will not be able to stop them.

In this way, ten thousand people safely passed the first hurdle and successfully rushed out of the barracks without suffering much damage.

"Is there any loss?" Cheng Zhijie reined in his horse and turned back to ask loudly.

Li Shiji answered loudly:
“There are some losses, but they are relatively minor!
"Some people were burned, but more were injured by the hidden arrows shot by the Ming army spies who were ambushed around the fire scene!"

"Damn it, you despicable villain!" Cheng Zhijie cursed and whipped the horse's butt hard.

"Keep moving! The more Li Jing tries to stop us, the sooner we will fight back and give him a loud slap in the face!"

…………

Twenty thousand elite Tang troops braved the darkness and rushed desperately towards the Ming army's camp.

Everyone felt the heavy responsibility on their shoulders and was speechless along the way.

The rise and fall of the country, the survival of the society, all depend on this battle tonight!

Soon, tiny sparks of fire appeared ahead.

The Ming army camp came into view.

At the rear of the camp, one could vaguely see neat rows of torches moving slowly along the banks of the Si River.

When the torches moved to a certain spot on the river bank, they would all go out at the same time, and this cycle would repeat over and over again, as if there was a spirit standing there that was devouring fire.

Li Shiji narrowed his eyes and looked at that position carefully.

I saw the surface of the Sishui River, sparkling in the firelight, was broken at that location.

Something was covering the surface of the river, blocking the reflection of the flames in the water.

"It's a bridge, there really is a bridge there..." Li Shiji murmured.

Cheng Zhijie's face turned black:

"They really built a bridge across the river? In just a few days?"

"I'm afraid it's not just a few days. The bridge on the other side may have been under construction for quite some time." Li Shiji shook his head slightly:

"This place is far away from the battlefield. Maybe we just haven't discovered it yet."

Upon learning that the other side was actually stealing a chicken under his nose, Cheng Zhijie's face became even darker.

"Those rebels actually...had courage!"

Li Shiji's expression was much more serious than his.

"It's not just courage. They were able to build the bridge in this critical location ahead of time, and they were able to complete it so quickly...

"Whether in terms of strategic vision or the progress of construction by craftsmen, they are far superior to us..."

From site selection to construction, bridge construction is a systematic project.

The Ming Dynasty was able to build a bridge just right in such a short time.

The national mobilization capacity and productivity behind this are far beyond imagination...

"What's the use of defeating us even if they are more numerous? I can burn down their bridge!" Cheng Zhijie didn't have the leisure to express his feelings with Li Shiji.

He flew into a rage, waving his arms at the Sishui Bridge over the river:

"All troops, listen up! Raze that bridge to the ground!"

It is always easier to destroy than to build.

Building a bridge requires the hard work of many craftsmen, but it only takes a fire to destroy it.

"Yes!"

The Tang army gathered their strength and rushed towards the enemy positions with great vigor and confidence.

But when they were halfway there, they were suddenly hit by a fierce rain of arrows.

"There's an ambush? Take cover where you are!"

Li Shiji was shocked and reined in his horse.

An arrow drew a perfect parabola in the air and hit him right in front of him.

If he had taken one more step, his head would have been pierced through by the arrow!

However, his soldiers were not so lucky.

The leading few were immediately shot into hedgehogs by the rain of arrows, and fell off their horses one after another, like crops harvested in autumn.

This night attacking force set out in haste, was lightly equipped, and did not carry heavy shields to defend against arrows.

They could only rely on their righteousness and the armor on their bodies to resist the enemy's arrows. Although the solid Tang armor could help them resist the fatal arrow wounds, the incident happened in a hurry and the horses under their crotches had no time to equip any protection, and a large number of them were shot down immediately.

The formation suddenly became chaotic, with screams, wails and groans ringing in the ears.

Just when the Tang army's formation was in chaos, the rumbling sound of marching drums suddenly rang out.

Some soldiers heeded the drum's command and continued to charge forward, but were soon shot off their horses.

"Don't move! Who is beating the drum? Who orders our army to move forward?!" Li Shiji was puzzled.

Cheng Zhijie also shook his head in confusion:

"Wasn't it you who gave the order? To have the soldiers charge forward quickly under the hail of arrows?"

"It's not me!" Li Shiji shook his head desperately.

Damn it, the visibility was poor late at night and there was confusion in command, making the already chaotic situation even more out of control.

A very bad idea sprouted in Li Shiji's mind.

"It's not you, it's not me, then who's playing the drums there?"

The drumbeats grew louder and closer, accompanied by the rapid and orderly sound of horse hooves.

A cavalry group emerged from the darkness.

Leading the group was a young general, dressed in golden armor and looking very heroic. However, he had no helmet on his head, only a fiery red turban that danced like a flame.

"Ming Vanguard Xue Rengui has been waiting for you for a long time!"

The young general introduced himself loudly.

Li Shiji's heart skipped a beat:
"Fell into a trap!"

The enemy had predicted our prediction and expected that the Tang army would attack the Sishui Bridge at all costs, so they set up an ambush on the road they had to pass in advance!
As for the raid on the camp tonight, it was just a deliberate feint set up by the other party to divert their attention!
And the Ming army's tricks did work.

Li Shiji really thought that the enemy was trying every means to prevent them from leaving the camp, so he relaxed his vigilance after successfully breaking out of the camp. As a result, he plunged headlong into the encirclement without distraction!
"So your target is actually us? The troops that attacked Sishui Bridge at night?" Li Shiji shouted at the young general.

Xue Rengui was in no mood to chat with him, and immediately instructed his men to set off fireworks into the sky.

Gunpowder had been invented. Although it was not enough to blow up the city walls, the brilliant light could easily convey the signal of attack in the dark.

The sound of killing was deafening. A large group of infantry and cavalry rushed out from the side and quickly moved towards the commander who had given the signal.

When the ambush troops finally emerged from the darkness and into the range of the torches, Li Shiji and Cheng Zhijie were both shocked.

The Ming army was large enough to wipe out the 10,000 light cavalry led by the two of them!

"Damn it! The terrain along the banks of the Si River is flat. There are no mountain caves or forests that can provide large-scale hiding places. Where are they hiding?!" Cheng Zhijie asked in horror.

Li Shiji replied palely:

"The darkness itself is the best concealment. I'm afraid they have been waiting right under our noses. It's just that our attention was completely attracted by the Sishui Bridge in the distance, and we didn't notice the enemy nearby!"

Use the majority to fight the minority, encircle the encircled, and use the prepared to fight the unprepared.

The Ming army had every advantage they could gain on the battlefield.

Xue Rengui was so excited that he could hardly control himself.

Many thanks to General Manager Li Jing for giving him a chance to hold his head high!

"kill!"

He shouted orders loudly, as if he wanted to vent all his resentment for being teased, harassed and defeated during this period of time on the ten thousand enemies in front of him!
…………

Immediately, shouts of killing shook the sky, and the Ming and Tang armies engaged in a head-on confrontation.

The air was soon filled with a strong smell of blood, occasionally mixed with the sound of metal colliding and the groaning of people falling to the ground.

The brutal battle was intense, but it did not last long.

Because the Tang army’s disadvantage was too great.

They had left the camp in a hurry and were lightly equipped, while the enemy were all heavily armed infantry and cavalry.

Whether in terms of equipment, formation, or numbers, the Tang army was completely defeated.

No matter how elite they are, the objective gap cannot be made up by the quality of the soldiers.

The army was defeated like a mountain.

Ten thousand Tang troops were quickly killed and most of them were captured. The participating troops, together with the two commanders, were surrounded.

"Give up resistance, surrender and you won't be killed!"

Xue Rengui shouted at the enemy troops in the encirclement.

"Fuck you! If you have the guts, kill us all!" Cheng Zhijie cursed back.

"If you don't accept my toast, I'll drink a penalty toast." Xue Rengui was too lazy to waste words with them and was about to command his army to launch the final attack.

We must end the battle quickly before dawn!
"General!"

At this time, the message came:
"The enemy's reinforcements are coming!"

"What? So fast?!" Xue Rengui was surprised.

The other party's reaction was too quick. They noticed something was wrong so early, and it's not even dawn yet!
Given Xue Rengui's character, he will definitely continue to fight this battle.

At least we should eat up all the remaining dumpling fillings in the encirclement first.

If he fails to gain the military merit he has earned, he will wake up in anger every night from now on!
however--

"General Manager Li Jing has ordered that we must not linger in the battle and must retreat immediately if we encounter enemy reinforcements..."

Xue Rengui gritted his teeth and weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

In the end, reason prevailed.

"The most elite main force of the Ming Dynasty is in my hands, and I can't let it go to waste!
"withdraw!"

At the command, the Ming army obeyed the order, immediately withdrew their troops, and retreated quickly towards Sishui Bridge.

This is the overall strategy of the Ming army - everything is done with the ultimate goal of covering the retreat.

Under the premise of ensuring absolute safety, you can get some bargains.

But you must never sacrifice yourself for the sake of petty profits.

…………

"The enemy... retreated?"

Li Shiji, who was trapped in heavy siege, was already in despair.

However, when their side was about to be annihilated, the Ming army took the initiative to retreat and let the big enemy in the encirclement go.

A ray of light appeared in the eastern sky, and dawn was approaching.

"Duke Lu, are you okay?" Li Shiji shouted.

Amid the dead, a somewhat old but spirited voice echoed:
"I'm not dead yet! Damn it, but our troops are almost dead, more than half of them have been killed! Ten thousand elite light cavalry!"

"We are lucky to be alive..." Li Shiji murmured, not knowing whether he was comforting his old friend or himself.

"But...the enemy almost wiped us out, why did they retreat in the end?"

As if to answer his question, the outline of a third army appeared in the faint morning light.

It is the reinforcements from the Tang Dynasty.

The leader is not a warrior on horseback.

It was a carriage.

It is the dragon chariot of His Majesty the Emperor.

"His Majesty!"

Li Shiji and Cheng Zhijie hurriedly dismounted and stepped forward to greet them.

"Instead of doing these things, why don't you fight the war better?"

The voice of His Majesty Li Shimin was heard from the dragon chariot, with a hint of fatigue in its teasing.

"...Your Majesty is teaching me to be ashamed of myself." Li Shiji and Cheng Zhijie both blushed, feeling extremely guilty.

The troops that were trying to intercept the enemy were instead intercepted by the enemy, and most of their elite troops were lost.

Not only did they suffer heavy losses, but they also failed to complete the mission and let the enemy escape.

"Alas... I don't blame you, I don't blame you." Li Shimin felt even more tired.

"If you chase them, you will fall into an ambush. If you don't chase them, you will have no choice but to watch the Ming army escape the encirclement.

"The Ming Dynasty is already invincible. This is their strategic victory. No matter how much you try to make up for it tactically, it will be useless. Alas..."

Li Shimin sighed deeply with reluctance.

"It's not you who lost, it's me who lost, I lost to that unfilial son of mine."

Soldiers compete against soldiers, generals compete against generals, and the competition between two monarchs is about strategy.

Although Li Ming was at a disadvantage, he used his foresight and the Ming Dynasty's abnormal productivity to build a bridge across Si Shui in a short period of time, thus regaining 10%.

With the bridge, no one could stop the Ming army from retreating to the safe areas of Qi and Lu.

In other words, all the preparations made by Li Shimin in the early stage were in vain.

The Ming army successfully escaped through his fingers. And with it, the chance to defeat the Ming was also slipping through his fingers.

He lost, and he lost with conviction...

"Your Majesty, there is still time! We can continue the pursuit and destroy the bridge! There are still a considerable number of enemy troops who have not evacuated, so we should leave as many as possible!" Cheng Zhijie was still unwilling to give up.

"Yaojin, forget it." Li Shimin's voice was flat:
"Do you think there is a bigger trap waiting for us?

"If we preserve our strength, we may have a fighting chance in the future. If we give up all our main forces here, like you just gave up 10,000 light cavalry, then our hope of a comeback will be completely ruined."

He didn't give the two generals any face at all and made their faces turn red and white.

In the distance behind them, the Ming army continued to step onto the newly built Si Shui Bridge in an orderly manner and retreat to the other side of the river.

At this speed, the 200,000-strong army will soon be able to retreat to a safe area intact.

The Tang army just watched and did not dare to stop them.

God knows what kind of "surprise" Li Jing has prepared for them in the dark night.

(End of this chapter)