The Bodyguard King's CEO Wife

Chapter 1630: Chapter 1630: The Scales of Fate

Governor’s mansion.

"Huo... General Huo, are you alright?" Man Cang led his troops to the governor’s mansion and happened to encounter a team of attacking Qin Army. He immediately led the Iron Armor Army to repel them, only to find Huo Ziqing holding off the Qin Army there.

"General Man, this is wonderful." Huo Ziqing excitedly gave Man Cang a big "hug." If the earlier Chu Army trumpet was just a lifeline, then seeing Man Cang with his own eyes was truly a deliverance. They survived, and with reinforcements arriving, the situation was sure to turn. The Qin Army had originally surrounded them, but Man Cang’s sudden arrival must have caught them off guard.

"I’m really sorry, we marched the whole night and just arrived now. It has been hard on the brothers." Man Cang asked, "What’s the current situation of the battle?"

"The Qin Army has already breached the city walls and entered the city. Fortunately, you came; otherwise, in at most an hour, Wan City would have fallen." Huo Ziqing felt glad that he hadn’t retreated through the tunnel earlier, because that would have been truly "awkward." Yet, he was inherently a brave general, and even without reinforcements, he would have fought to the last moment.

"My reinforcements have already entered the city. The Qin Army is unprepared and is bound to be defeated."

"Very well, General Man, let’s counterattack them together."

"Alright, brothers, follow me out of the city." Man Cang shouted. The city was filled with Qin Army, at least ten thousand strong. Upon entering the city, he had ordered the Iron Armor Army to seize the South Gate, cutting off the Qin Army’s retreat. If all went well, the Qin Army inside the city would be like "fish in a barrel."

"Attack!"

Outside the city.

"General Guo, it’s not good; a large number of Chu Army appeared in the city and have... have encircled the vanguard unit."

"How is that possible? Our scouts already checked the defending forces in Wan City. There were only twenty thousand old and weak soldiers; how could they encircle us?"

"Man Cang came with a large army to support and entered from the North Gate while we breached the city. Our troops were unprepared... suffered heavy losses and are now retreating towards the South Gate."

"Man Cang, damn it, if I’d had just one more stick of incense time, or two, Wan City would have been ours."

"General, our army has been exhausted by the long march and took significant losses during the siege. Now the Chu Army has united, and their forces far exceed ours. In my opinion, we should retreat."

"I was ordered by General Wang Li to lead forty thousand troops to capture Wan City. We were so close to breaching the city. To retreat now, how would I ever face the general again?" Guo Ling was very angry. He was just one step away from success. If he captured Wan City, the ten thousand Chu Army would surely be defeated, and he would have claimed the top merit of the battle. The cooked duck flew away; who wouldn’t feel unwilling?

"General, the Chu Army has already seized the South Gate. The brothers we sent in are now inescapable. If we don’t retreat, even the remaining brothers won’t be saved. We are now deep in Chu territory, without food or supplies. If we hold on, our entire army could be wiped out. Please consider the big picture."

Guo Ling showed an unwilling expression. He couldn’t stand this failure, yet had to face reality.

"Convey my orders, the entire army retreats. Break through the South Gate to cover the brothers in the city during the retreat."

"Understood."

The Qin Army had no prior plan for retreat and could only collapse in the face of the sudden Chu Army attack. Even the citizens assisted by blocking alleyways with heavy objects, cutting off the Qin Army’s retreat. The retreat turned into a rout with countless deaths and injuries, the ground littered with Qin Soldier corpses. Man Cang did not intend to stop there and led his troops out of the city, pursuing the retreating army to the riverside before halting.

.................................

"Old Ye, it’s dawn, and the rain... has stopped too."

"Yes, I wonder what’s happening in Wan City." Ye Shikai looked south, having heard nothing throughout the night, which made him uneasy. Yet, at this moment, Wang Li shouldn’t feel "relaxed" either. If he guessed right, Wang Li hadn’t slept a wink either.

"Have the scouts returned yet?" freewebnσvel.cѳm

"They should be... soon, it’s been two hours. We sent out seven batches of scouts; someone should have returned by now," Shangguan Jian reassured him.

"Reporting to the General, great news, wonderful news indeed." Suddenly, a guard ran over hastily.

"What’s the matter?"

"It’s the Qin Army; the Qin Army opposite has retreated."

"What, is it true?"

"It’s true."

Ye Shikai and Shangguan Jian walked to the camp walls, and sure enough, the Qin Army opposite was packing and retreating, with Wang Li’s command flag lowered.

"Old Ye, look quickly, they’re really retreating."

"Don’t let your guard down; maybe Wang Li is trying to deceive us. Order the entire army to strengthen defenses."

"Understood."

Two hours later.

"That’s excellent, the Qin Army finally retreated." Until the last Qin Soldier had left, Ye Shikai could finally breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed the crisis at Wan City had been resolved, and Man Cang arrived just in time.

"I knew Man Cang wouldn’t let us down, hahaha." Shangguan Jian excitedly patted his shoulder.

"Yes, it’s truly wonderful."

"Report to both generals, Wan City sent a military report. General Man and General Huo joined forces to defeat the invading Qin Army, decapitating over ten thousand and capturing thousands."

"Great!" Ye Shikai punched the camp wall and shouted excitedly.

"Brothers, we’ve won. Wan City is secured; the Qin Army has retreated."

"What, the Qin Army has retreated?"

"The Qin Army retreated, that’s wonderful, we’re alive."

The soldiers, already mentally and physically exhausted, finally showed smiles on their numb faces upon hearing this news, then turned to frenzied shouting and celebration. The Qin and Chu Armies were like gamblers at a casino, playing a game called war, and their wagers were their lives. Now the scales of victory tilted towards the Chu Army, and they became the "survivors," winning this gamble...

"Bring out all the wine and meat in the camp to celebrate with the brothers."

"Alright."

Ye Shikai was also quite agitated. Last night alone nearly decided the fate of over two hundred thousand people on both sides. Fortunately, they won, and Man Cang was undoubtedly the greatest hero.

"Old Ye, the Qin Army’s surprise attack on Wan City ended in a disastrous retreat. Their forces have already suffered significant losses from the past few days of fighting, and their morale is at its lowest. I think it’s time for a counterattack," Shangguan Jian suggested.

"Yes, General Ye, I am willing to lead the cavalry to chase the Qin Army," Wan Qi Yuan volunteered to go to battle.

"There’s no need to be hasty. Wang Li, after all, is also a renowned general. Although he lost, it doesn’t mean he is defeated. Though we’ve won a battle, we must not underestimate them," Ye Shikai shook his head and said, "Send more scouts to monitor their movements."