Tang Dynasty Mingyue Song Dynasty Pass

Chapter 846 Returning in vain
The night was as dark as ink, spreading deeply across the sky, shrouding everything in darkness.

The moonlight is like a silver thread, bright and cold, with a few stars dotting it, flashing faint but firm light, adding a bit of mystery and remoteness to the boundless darkness.

The spring breeze blows gently over the wilderness, bringing with it a subtle warmth. In March in Huaibei, the grass and trees gradually wake up, the buds begin to bloom, and everything becomes full of vitality in this spring breeze.

Tian Chongjin, a battle-hardened general, led 20,000 elite cavalrymen and quietly left the Song Dynasty military camp under the cover of night. Like a ghost in the dark night, he quietly approached the northwest corner of the Wu army camp.

His eyes flashed with a cold light, and he swore in his heart: "This time, I must let the Wu army see the power of my Song Dynasty cavalry. I will trample the allied camp and show my might!"

However, Tian Chongjin did not know that his action plan had already been discovered by Wu Jun's secret agents.

And those scouts lurking in the dark, like cheetahs in the night, used telescopes to observe the movements of the Song army from afar, and then quickly returned to report this important intelligence to the commander of the Wu army.

Outside the Wu army camp, the defense lines were very solid, especially the carefully laid minefields, which were like the god of death hidden in the night, quietly waiting for the enemy to arrive.

These minefields were carefully prepared by the Wu army to prevent sneak attacks by the Song army.

When the iron hooves of the Song army were still an arrow's distance away from the Wu army's camp, suddenly, a series of explosions were heard on the ground.

The sound of "Boom boom boom!" was deafening.

Flames would pop up from time to time, instantly lighting up the night, followed by thick smoke.

The Song army's cavalry was thrown into chaos by this sudden attack.

"Damn it, the Wu army was prepared!"

Tian Chongjin was startled. Looking at the hellish scene before him, he knew that he had already alerted the enemy. He made a quick decision and shouted, "Retreat! Retreat quickly!"

However, the Wu army's preparations went far beyond this. As the Song army hastily retreated, the elite Wu army, who had been ambushed in the mountains and forests along the retreat route, suddenly rushed out from all directions like ghosts in the night, shouting and killing, shaking the earth.

"Don't let the Song army thieves get away!"

Along with this deafening roar, crossbows were fired at the same time, and arrows rained down on the Song army.

Many Song army soldiers fell off their horses in this sudden attack, and their blood dyed the land red.

Tian Chongjin knew very well that it was not advisable to stay here for long. Under the cover of night, the vision was obstructed and continuing the battle would only result in greater losses.

He suppressed his heartache and led his remaining troops to break through the Wu army's relentless pursuit, and finally escaped back to the Song army camp.

In this battle, the Song army suffered heavy losses, with at least thousands of casualties.

When the lights were dimming, Zhao Kuangyin was still working furiously at his desk, reviewing the important memorials that had come in from the capital. His brows revealed the calmness and worry of a king.

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the camp, breaking the tranquility of the night. He raised his head abruptly, a sharp look flashed in his eyes, and then he stood up, strode out of the tent, and asked in a deep voice: "What happened?" Dang Jin hurried over, with steady steps, clasped his fists and saluted, and reported solemnly: "Your Majesty, it is General Tian who has returned with his troops, but his actions do not seem to have succeeded. There are many dangerous areas around the Wu army camp. Once you step in, there will be deafening explosions."

Zhao Kuangyin couldn't help but sigh when he heard this. His eyes were deep, as if he could penetrate the night and see into the distance: "Su Chen is really thoughtful and prepared. He is not afraid of a possible sneak attack from the Song Dynasty."

At this moment, Tian Chongjin stumbled in, looking disheveled. His clothes were ragged, and he still smelled of gunpowder. His arms were covered in blood, and he was obviously injured in the battle.

He staggered, but still insisted on walking in front of Zhao Kuangyin, bent his knees, and knelt on the ground, with endless guilt and self-blame in his voice: "Sir, I have failed my mission and failed to complete the military order. Please punish me severely!"

Zhao Kuangyin frowned slightly when he saw this, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes, but more of it was concern for the situation: "What exactly is the reason that led to the failure of this operation? Please tell me in detail."

Tian Chongjin did not dare to hide anything and remained kneeling as he told the whole story of the attack.

From how they stepped into the deadly minefield, causing endless explosions, to how they encountered the ambush of the Wu army on the way back, were ambushed by the Wu army and suffered heavy casualties, and finally had to flee back to the camp in a panic, losing at least four to five thousand soldiers and horses.

Zhao Kuangyin frowned, his expression solemn. He thought to himself: "It is no coincidence that the Wu army was so well prepared, not only setting up the danger zone in advance, but also ambushing on the retreat route. I think there must be a gap in our army, and someone leaked the news. But such a big thing must be very complicated to investigate."

He turned his gaze to Tian Zhongjin who was still kneeling on the ground, and said in a slightly slower tone: "You should stand up first. Victory and defeat are common in the military. Although we lost today, there may be a chance of turning things around. Besides, you didn't issue a military order, so there's no need to blame yourself so much."

Tian Chongjin felt relieved upon hearing this and slowly stood up, but he still looked depressed and secretly thanked himself for not making the life-and-death agreement. He knew very well that today's defeat was a heavy blow to himself and the army.

"Let's discuss this inside the tent!" Zhao Kuangyin waved his hand and walked into the tent with several generals.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

The lights in the tent were bright, illuminating the faces of the people, some solemn and some thoughtful.

After sitting down, Zhao Kuangyin looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice: "The Wu army has mastered the advantage of firearms. Our army has suffered two setbacks today, and morale must be affected. Do you have any strategy to defeat the enemy and help our army turn the tide?"

Generals Dang Jin, Wang Zhengzhong, Gao Huaide, Tian Chongjin and Mi Xin were all silent, and there was no good plan for the time being.

After all, they had never heard of that kind of firearm before, and today was the first time they saw it. No one knew how to crack it in a short period of time!

When Zhao Kuangyin saw the silence of his generals, he had a bad feeling in his heart. How could he defeat the Wu army with such low morale and unstable army?

"The Wu army is alone and deep in the enemy's territory, so their food and grass supply is bound to be tight. This is their fatal weakness." Gao Huaide's voice was steady and clear. "I think our army does not need to rush to fight the Wu army head-on. We should avoid their sharp edge and wait until their food and grass are exhausted and their morale is low before attacking. By then, even if Su Chen has the ability to fly, he will find it difficult to escape our army's siege and will be unable to fly."

Zhao Kuangyin's eyebrows slightly lifted when he heard this, and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes. He knew that Gao Huaide's words, although not an immediate solution, were quite in line with the art of war, steady and pragmatic. However, he still had doubts about how to deal with the power of Wu's firearms.

"Alas, the advantage of firearms is indeed a major threat to our army at present." Zhao Kuangyin sighed lightly, his expression solemn again, "Do you have any other good ideas that can help our army solve this problem?"

The tent fell silent for a moment, with the generals either bowing their heads in thought or looking at each other in silence, obviously finding the situation difficult. Zhao Kuangyin felt a little annoyed when he saw this, but he also knew that impatience would not solve the problem.

"Forget it. This matter is of great importance and requires long-term consideration." Zhao Kuangyin waved his hand, signaling everyone to withdraw first. "Order the entire army to cease fighting for two days. Let the soldiers rest and recuperate. We should also think carefully over the next two days about how to defeat the enemy, especially how to deal with the Wu army's firearms."

"Yes!" The generals responded in unison. Although they still had no perfect plan in their minds, Zhao Kuangyin's decision undoubtedly gave them some room to breathe and think.