Free Web NovelChapter 1652: Chapter 1652: Defending to the Death
Ye Shikai had Huo Ziqing lead the retreat of the troops, while he led a part of his elite forces as the rearguard. There were about a hundred thousand stationed Ba Shu troops in front of the Chu Army, while three thousand elite troops from Xianyang were behind them. If the retreat was not properly commanded, the Qin Army would chase them all, turning the retreat into a rout in an instant. When the meteor fell upon East County, Ye Shikai led fifteen thousand men to block ninety thousand Qin soldiers, saving twelve thousand civilians. If it weren’t for his orderly command, the Qin Army would have devoured them down to the bone along with the civilians.
"General." At this moment, a voice suddenly came from behind. Ye Shikai turned around to see Man Cang approaching.
"Man Cang, how are you? Are you injured?" Ye Shikai stepped forward quickly to inquire. Man Cang and the Iron Armor Army under his command were the first troops to enter Ba Shu and had participated in the entire campaign.
"Rest assured, General, I’m not injured, but... those brothers..."
"Alright, don’t say any more." Ye Shikai had already expected it. The battle ahead was so dire, and those twenty thousand brothers were the vanguard, how could the casualties be small? The Iron Armor Army was elite, facing the Qin Army head-on. The most crucial part was the blocked retreat, leaving the wounded unable to return for treatment, resulting in minor injuries leading to disability, and the disabled leading to death...
"Where is Wan Qi Yuan?" Ye Shikai asked.
"He led six thousand cavalry to reinforce but got ambushed by the Qin Army, suffering heavy casualties. General Huo hasn’t deployed the cavalry these days and kept them in the camp." Man Cang explained.
"Alright, we need to prepare for retreat. Inform them and prepare accordingly. I will immediately take over the troops; the Iron Armor Army will be key in the rearguard action." Ye Shikai remarked softly. He took over three thousand elite troops from Huo Ziqing to cover the army’s retreat, most of them from his direct lineage, the rest from Mi Wen’s direct lineage since his rise. They were well-equipped and well-trained, led by loyal and virtuous generals, an absolute trump card of the Chu Army.
"Yes."
In the deep night, everything was silent as if without the slightest sound. But at this moment, over ten thousand Chu troops were quietly ascending the mountain, extinguishing torches along the way to prevent being detected by the Qin Army and marching in darkness.
Chu Army camp.
"General Bai, lead ten thousand men to defend the left side of the camp."
"Yes."
"General Luo, bring eight thousand crossbowmen under your command to guard the right side of the camp. If the Qin Army attacks, unleash a barrage of arrows with crossbows, but do not leave the camp."
"Yes."
"Man Cang, lead the remaining Iron Armor Army to guard the camp, creating a great momentum. Above all, do not let the Qin Army discover our empty camp. Lastly, the remaining forces will be commanded by me." Ye Shikai ordered, not yet able to confirm if the Qin Army’s commander was Wang Li. If it is so, Ye Shikai does not dare to be careless. Wang Li is a talented general, and if the Chu Army retreats, they might not escape his keen ’eyes.’
"Wan Qi Yuan."
"At your service."
"How many of the cavalry remain?"
"About... about less than four thousand."
"Indeed, the losses are severe." Ye Shikai murmured. Among them were his personal guard, with nearly half dead or injured. How can he not feel pained?
"It is my incompetence in command, please punish me, General." Wan Qi Yuan knelt on one knee, pleading guilty to him.
"That is not your fault. The Qin Army’s appearance exceeded my expectations. You were ambushed; I bear responsibility as well. Moreover, this mountainous terrain is not suited for cavalry combat."
"Thank you for your forgiveness, General."
"Cavalry... accompany my guard at all times, moving together."
"Yes."
..............................
"Report, in the Qin Army camp, firelight flashes; it seems they are starting to gather." Suddenly, a sentinel entered the tent to report.
"This is bad."
"General, could it be the Qin Army intends to raid the camp?" Man Cang inquired.
"Is it the Qin Army ahead or the Qin Army behind?" Ye Shikai continued to ask.
"This... both the front and rear camps of the Qin Army are beginning to assemble, seemingly... as if agreed."
"They plan to attack from both ends! Assemble the whole army, and each general perform their duty. If the Qin Army attacks, strike back immediately." Ye Shikai personally wielded his sword and went into battle, the Iron Armor Army holding long spears and iron shields, guarding the camp gate.
"General, the Qin Army is attacking the camp from both the east and west sides simultaneously, aggressively, numbering no less than fifty thousand."
"So many troops, could it be the plan was discovered?" Ye Shikai felt somewhat shocked. The retreat had just begun; why would the Qin Army attack the camp now? It couldn’t be such a coincidence.
Standing on the camp wall, Ye Shikai looked down, and a vast swath of Qin soldiers in dark armor came into view, seemingly elite.
"Report, General, the Qin Army is a hundred steps away from the camp."
"Release arrows."
Over ten thousand Chu soldiers fired a volley from the camp walls, forcing the Qin Army to halt. Huo Ziqing was an excellent general; the camp he built was easy to defend and hard to attack. Moreover, beyond the back camp was the city; even if the camp could not be held, the city could still be used as a defense.
"Everyone be aware, the Qin Army has catapults." Ye Shikai shouted, signaling the garrison troops to get down, while, at the same time, dozens of fireballs shot from the Qin Army formation, smashing heavily onto the camp walls.
Boom.
"Quick, take cover."
"Take cover, don’t just stand there!"
"Release arrows and retaliate." fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
Ye Shikai shouted loudly. The Qin Army brought heavy siege weapons like ballistae and catapults, and with so many troops, it seemed they planned an all-out assault. The camp still had thirty to forty thousand troops left, and they must hold out no matter what.
"General, the Qin Army is fiercely attacking our left camp; General Bai... has fallen."
"What."
"General Bai has fallen in battle, the left side of the camp is nearly breached by the Qin Army. Our forces are in a bitter fight; please dispatch troops for support, General."
"Guard troops."
"At your service."
"At your service."
"Follow me, all of you."
"Yes." freewebnoveℓ.com
The Qin Army launched successive heavy assaults but was repelled time and time again by the Chu Army. The battle continued until daylight, repulsing the Qin Army seventeen times in total, with corpses strewn around under the camp walls.
Four hours later.
"General Ye, the Qin Army has retreated."
Watching the retreating Qin Army from afar, and seeing the heavily damaged camp walls along with the injured soldiers groaning continuously, Ye Shikai did not dare to relax even a bit.
"Report, our army suffered eight thousand casualties, most of them... are battle deaths; the injured brothers have already been sent away."
"I understand, you may leave now." Ye Shikai wiped the blood off his armor, speaking calmly but with fatigue in his tone.
"Yes."
"Old Ye." Suddenly, a voice called from a distance. Ye Shikai looked up to see Shangguan Jian entering the camp with a troop of cavalry from the back.
"Shangguan, why are you here?"
