I summon all the famous generals in history in another world

Chapter 1460 Xu Da – Zhongshan, the Guardian of the Nation!
Feng Sheng and the other two had been worried that Xu Da would be discouraged by the defeat, but seeing his composure, their panic instantly vanished, and they immediately obeyed the order and left.

It is important to understand that the core reason for a crushing defeat on the battlefield is often not the loss of troops, but the collapse of morale. Once soldiers lose their command and fall into chaos and flee, even if they still have half of their troops, they will become lambs to the slaughter.

Xu Da's greatest strength was his ability to maintain composure in dire situations. In the Battle of Poyang Lake, he single-handedly held off Chen Youliang's elite navy with a hastily assembled remnant force. This ability to remain calm under pressure was unmatched by anyone under Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Ding! Xu Da's skill 'National Defense' activated!"
Zhenguo: With swords and spears, he pacified the world and his mighty army secured the nation's borders. This skill was exclusive to Xu Da, the first meritorious official of the founding of the Ming Dynasty and the Prince of Zhongshan.

Effect 1: Hundred Battles to Pacify the Borders. When serving as the commander-in-chief, your own leadership and intelligence increase by 2. If you are guarding the border or fighting against foreign tribes, your leadership will increase by an additional 1, and the morale and combat power of your entire army will be greatly improved.

Effect 2: In times of crisis, when your own army is routed or in chaos, your leadership and intelligence will temporarily increase by 1 and 2 respectively. You will be able to immediately rally the routed troops and stabilize the formation, making your army immune to negative skills such as "scattering" and "escape". After successfully rallying the troops, the morale of your entire army will be restored and your combat power will temporarily increase by 1 (lasting until the end of the battle).

Effect 3: Command is as solid as a mountain. When personally serving as the commander-in-chief, the commander value is increased based on the strength of the troops under his command: +1 for less than 100,000, +2 for more than 300,000, and +3 for more than 800,000; and the loyalty of the soldiers under his command is greatly increased, reducing the risk of rebellion.

Effect 4: Pacifying the army and securing the country. When governing occupied territories after a war, political power increases by 2, and public morale and loyalty increase rapidly. If surrendered troops and generals are subdued, personal charm increases by 1, the probability of surrendered troops rebelling is greatly reduced, and personal leadership is increased by 1 point (up to 2 stacks).
Effect 5: Zhongshan Yingwei, as the first meritorious general of the founding of the country, if he fights on the same battlefield with other founding generals such as Chang Yuchun, he and the main generals of the allied forces will each gain +1 in leadership and +1 in intelligence, triggering the "Founding Heroes" effect, which suppresses the leadership of all enemy generals by 1 point.
Xu Da's current base leadership value is 101 (102) and base intelligence value is 97. When Xu Da's skill "Guardian of the Nation" is activated, leadership value +2 and intelligence value +1. When skill "Guardian of the Nation" is activated, leadership value +1 and intelligence value +1.

Xu Da's current leadership stat has risen to 104, and his intelligence stat has risen to 99!

Xu Da dismounted and walked to the top of the earthen slope. His gaze swept over the scattered soldiers below. Most of these people were personal guards who had retreated from the vicinity of the central command platform and some Yellow Turban warriors, as well as some scattered soldiers from the Five Armies Camp. They all had a look of panic on their faces, their armor was crooked, and most of their weapons were also injured. Many of them were still panting heavily, obviously having fled in a very disheveled state.

"Everyone listen!"

Xu Da drew the bright silver command flag from his waist and raised it high.

"I'm still here! The rear guard is still here! What's the panic?"

His voice wasn't particularly loud, but it had a strange penetrating power that made the panicked soldiers stop their commotion and all turn their eyes to him.

Among the Yellow Turban Army of the Great Xuan, Xu Da's prestige was second only to Zhu Yuanzhang. Especially among the lower-ranking soldiers, he was regarded as a "reassurance"—as long as Commander Xu was still there, there was no battle that could not be won, and even if they lost, he could lead everyone to a safe retreat.

"Victory and defeat on the battlefield are common occurrences for soldiers! Today's defeat at Qing Shi Valley is not due to our lack of combat strength, but rather to Jiang Xiaobai's betrayal and the Hengzhou army's treacherous schemes!"

Xu Da's gaze swept over each soldier.

"But we, the Yellow Turban Army, have never been a team that can't afford to lose! Today's defeat is just a minor one. As long as our hearts remain united and we regroup, we will surely be able to crush Hengzhou one day and wipe away this humiliation!"

At this point, Xu Da suddenly waved the bright silver command flag.

"Now! All officers, return to your posts immediately and take a headcount. All those who are able to fight, line up below the earthen mound! Wounded soldiers, assemble at the western river valley and receive unified treatment from the medical officers! Anyone who dares to leave the ranks without permission, spread rumors, or undermine morale will be dealt with according to military law!"

The army values ​​strict obedience to orders. Xu Da's words not only explained the reasons for the defeat but also boosted morale. Coupled with clear instructions, the previously scattered soldiers immediately found their direction.

Many mid- to low-ranking officers stepped forward, shouting out their unit numbers. The soldiers greeted each other and slowly gathered together. Although the formation was still not perfectly orderly, the atmosphere of anxiety had largely dissipated.

Xu Da then ordered all the dry rations and drinking water carried by the team to be distributed, and instructed the cooks to quickly cook rice porridge.

The aroma of steaming rice porridge filled the air. The soldiers held their earthenware bowls, drank the hot porridge, and the fatigue and fear on their faces gradually faded away. People need food to survive, especially after a defeat and retreat. The comforting effect of a hot meal is comparable to the encouragement of a victory.

Just as Xu Da was methodically reorganizing the rear army, more and more remnants of the army were fleeing from the front. Most of these people were soldiers from the central army and the front line who had retreated. There were soldiers from the Five Armies Battalion, the personal guards of the Taiping Sect, and some stragglers from the coalition of powerful families. They were all dressed in rags, with fear on their faces. Many of them were also injured. They ran and crawled towards the rear army position.

"Make way! Make way for all of you!" "The Hengzhou army is attacking! Run!"

Chaotic shouts rang out again, and the rear guard positions, which had just stabilized, showed signs of unrest once more.

"Stop right there! Commander Xu is here, what's the panic?"

Upon seeing this, Feng Sheng immediately led his personal guards forward to stop them, shouting sternly.

But the routed soldiers were already terrified and ignored all advice, charging forward like madmen. Many even tried to break through the rear guard's formation.

"Open the eastern passage. All defeated soldiers shall enter from the east and be registered and reorganized by Deng Yu! Anyone who dares to charge the main force shall be killed without exception!"

At this critical moment, Xu Da raised the bright silver command flag again and said in a deep voice.

As the command flag was waved, a gap slowly opened in the formation on the east side of the rear army. Deng Yu led a team of officers to guard the gap, comforting the fleeing soldiers while quickly registering their unit numbers and counting their numbers.

Meanwhile, the soldiers in the main formation maintained their formation, with swords and spears drawn and bows and crossbows nocked, forming a solid barrier that prevented the fleeing soldiers from disrupting the formation and was ready to deal with any potential pursuit by the Hengzhou army.

This method of "diversion and reorganization" is extremely crucial in the retreat on the battlefield. Xu Da knew very well that although the fleeing soldiers were in a panic, there were many capable fighters among them. If they were blocked, it would only intensify the conflict and even cause infighting; if they were left unattended, it would disrupt the defensive formation of the rear army.

This method of "opening the side gate while keeping the main force still" can both absorb the defeated soldiers and preserve the strength of the rear army, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone.

In just half an hour, Xu Da, with his amazing command skills, reorganized the originally chaotic rear army into an orderly one.

The main force consisted of the remaining elite troops from the Fifth Army Battalion and some Yellow Turban warriors, forming a solid defensive formation. On the east side were the reorganized defeated soldiers, who were rapidly replenishing their armor and weapons to form a second line of defense. On the west side were the wounded soldiers and cooks, with medics busy treating their wounds and wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys, creating a scene of orderly progress.

"Commander Xu! The front lines and the central army have completely collapsed! The Hengzhou army has broken through all defenses and is advancing in an orderly manner!"

Just then, a scout rode up on a fast horse, dismounted, knelt before Xu Da, and said urgently.

Xu Da's heart sank. Although he had expected it, hearing the news with his own ears still caused him a pang of pain.

He climbed to the top of the earthen slope and looked into the distance. He saw that in the direction of Qing Shi Valley, there were countless defeated soldiers with yellow turbans on their heads, running wildly like stray dogs. Some soldiers had even dropped their weapons and were so focused on running that they couldn't even tell which way was which.

Behind the routed soldiers, the Hengzhou army's formation resembled a moving Great Wall of Steel, advancing step by step in perfect unison.

At the very front was a vanguard formation of long-spear soldiers, their blades pointing diagonally to the sky, like a forest of sharp knives; in the middle was a square formation of cavalry, their black armor as hard as iron, their steps steady and each one perfectly synchronized, as if the entire square formation were a single entity; on the flanks were guerrilla cavalry and white tiger cavalry, like two torrents, ready to charge and kill any fleeing enemy troops.

The Hengzhou army's advance was not fast, but it carried a suffocating sense of oppression. They did not chase or rush, but steadily advanced, squeezing and dividing the scattered Yellow Turban soldiers little by little. Occasionally, Yellow Turban soldiers who tried to resist were instantly killed, and they could not form any effective resistance.

This tactic of "waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out and advancing steadily" was Wu Qi's forte—giving the defeated soldiers no chance to breathe or regroup, and completely destroying their will to resist with formation and momentum.

"Sigh, Wu Qi, that old fox, is indeed shrewd."

Xu Da put down his binoculars and sighed softly. At this point, the front line and the central army were completely beyond saving. All they could do now was to try to gather as many remaining soldiers as possible and preserve the remaining strength of the rear army.

(End of this chapter)