Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 467 Destiny (Part 5)

Is fate truly favoring Pei Qinghe?

Separated by hundreds of meters, and in between by three thousand elite infantrymen who had not yet been deployed, a mere assault force of a few dozen men was of no concern whatsoever.

General Situ watched coldly as the Pei family army general who had charged desperately to his death was riddled with bullets, leaving not even a complete corpse. However, he felt no joy; his heart grew colder and colder.

This battle, which has been raging since morning, has now lasted for most of the day. His proud cavalry has been defeated, and his supposedly unparalleled infantry has also been defeated. Countless men have died on the front lines, and countless others have scattered and fled. Layers of defense have been broken down, and in the end, only a few dozen men managed to rush within a hundred paces of him.

The Pei family army general, whose face was obscured by blood and whose name was unknown, was clearly severely wounded, yet he had charged here with unwavering courage and resolute will. Whether he felt fear or regret at the moment of his death, no one knows.

All General Situ knew was that he regretted it!

He regretted his arrogance and his large-scale northern expedition. If he had led the army to remain in Luoyang, dividing the north and south with Pei Qinghe, and spending several years reorganizing the forces, waiting for Pei Qinghe to launch a southern campaign, then adopting a defensive strategy and waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out, wouldn't the outcome have been entirely different?

Is this how we've lost?

Ten years had passed since he led his troops to flee Luoyang, vowing revenge. He defeated the rebel army in Jiangnan, killed King Qiao, and before he could even sit on the dragon throne in the imperial palace of Luoyang for a few days, he hastily dispatched troops to the north, where he ultimately met his demise. Had his grand career and lofty ambitions truly come to an end?
How could he be willing?
"General!" General Ma, who had been overseeing the battle at the front, rushed back unnoticed, his face filled with panic, and he could barely speak: "We've lost! The front lines are about to collapse! We can't wait any longer! Let's go!"

General Situ appeared calm and composed, but in reality, he was blank and bewildered, looking at General Ma with a slightly sluggish expression: "Go? Where to?"

General Ma gritted his teeth and said, "Retreat first! Take everyone who can leave and go back to the south, back to Luoyang! This defeat is just that, defeat. Haven't we suffered enough defeats against the rebels in Jiangnan over the years? Go back, recruit new soldiers, train elite troops, and fight back. As long as the General is safe and sound, the banner of the Imperial Guard will not fall. We still have a chance to rise again."

"General Ma is right. General, let's run! If we hesitate any longer, it will be too late!" The personal guard commander, who had been holding back his words, also spoke up and pleaded, "There are still three thousand elite soldiers and several thousand cavalry here. This force is enough to cover the General's escape."

"General! Run!"

"Let's hurry before it gets dark!"

General Situ's lips trembled slightly as his gaze swept over General Ma and his personal guards, then over the terrified faces. All of them had lost their will to fight; only the desire to escape remained.

The defeat was inevitable, and no one wanted to throw their life away here in vain. Everyone wanted to escape!
General Situ managed to squeeze out a few words: "Take the military flag and retreat!"

General Ma and his personal guard commander both felt relieved.

"Retreat" sounds better than "flee." They're essentially the same thing. This decisive battle that shaped the North-South situation was undeniably a defeat for the Imperial Guards and a victory for the Pei family army. Before they suffer a complete rout, they should flee! As long as they survive, they can rise again in the future.

General Ma quickly rallied the remaining troops. The commander of his personal guards carried the banner of the Imperial Guard, and the three thousand elite soldiers of the Imperial Guard were divided in two. One half stayed behind to cover the rear, while the other half escorted General Situ as they fled.

The moment the military flag was raised, the Imperial Guard soldiers, who had been barely holding on, completely lost their will to fight and quickly scattered. From above, they looked like ants, fleeing in different directions.

"The Imperial Guard has been defeated!" Gu Lian, who had been fighting for half a day, laughed loudly: "My men, follow me! Leave no survivors! Whoever can cut off Situ Xi's head will have performed a great feat!"

Of the ten thousand elite soldiers under her command, some were killed in battle, some were wounded, and others strayed further and further away in the chaos, their whereabouts unknown. As soon as Gu Lian's banner moved, three or four thousand men followed. They waved their weapons, shouting as they pursued the enemy, following the direction of the banner.

Wang Erhe was among them. He was of average skill and was responsible for carrying the military flag. At this moment, he was full of energy and did not feel tired at all, running forward with all his might.

Suddenly, a corpse riddled with spears came into view. Wang Erhe shuddered and stopped in his tracks.

Gu Lian frowned and followed Wang Erhe's gaze. Then, there was a moment of silence.

They'd known each other for over a decade; they were too familiar with each other. Even if the other person was riddled with bullets and unrecognizable, with half their face destroyed, she could still recognize the corpse at a glance.

Not to mention Wang Erhe, who was like a brother to Feng Chang and had escaped from their hometown together.

"Go and collect Feng Chang's body!" Gu Lian whispered, "Give me the military flag!"

Wang Erhe was trembling all over, his face covered in tears, but he refused to lower the military flag. He wiped his face hard with his sleeve and said, "After this battle is over, I will collect Boss Feng's body!"

Gu Lian sighed and said nothing more.

Wang Erhe wiped his face again, gritted his teeth, turned around, and continued to charge forward while holding the military flag.

Similar scenes are common on the battlefield, and there is no need to describe them one by one.

With General Situ fleeing, the Imperial Guards lost their leader and quickly collapsed. Sun Cheng and Pei Feng each led their troops in pursuit.

"Your Majesty! We have won this battle!" The messenger reported excitedly, "Situ Xi has fled with the military flag! General Gu, General Sun, and General Pei Feng have each led their troops in pursuit."

Pei Qinghe, who had stood under the military flag for a day, relaxed his brows slightly and his eyes gleamed. He gave a concise order: "Pass down the order to do everything in our power to hunt down deserters. If there are any surrendered soldiers or generals, confiscate their weapons and tie their hands and feet."

The messenger loudly accepted the order and left.

Pei Yu and Pei Lang, who had protected the military flag for a day, were both overjoyed: "Great! We won this battle!"

Pei Qinghe's eyes flashed: "It's not over yet! This battle won't truly end until we capture Situ Xi."

We must not allow Situ Xi to escape back to Luoyang!

Only by killing Situ Xi can the Imperial Guard be truly destroyed!

Pei Yu and Pei Lang exchanged a glance and volunteered to fight. Pei Qinghe, however, said, "You two continue to guard the banner. I will personally lead the troops to pursue Situ Xi!"

Most of the Imperial Guard had gone to war, leaving only two thousand elite troops. Pei Qinghe mustered his guards, mounted his steed, slung his bow and arrows over his shoulder, and hung his long sword at his waist.

"Follow me to hunt down and kill Situ Xi!" Pei Qinghe shouted loudly, "Completely annihilate the Imperial Guards!"

The emperor's personal guards shouted in unison: "Kill Situ Xi! Annihilate the Imperial Guards!"

(End of this chapter)