The Prodigal Son

Half an hour later, a disheveled Si Rong led less than a thousand remaining troops to join Yan Wujiu.

Feeling the murderous gaze of Yan Wujiu, Si Rong trembled and cautiously stepped forward, "This humble general..."

Bang!

Si Rong had only uttered two words when Yan Wujiu kicked him.

Enraged, Yan Wujiu kicked Si Rong, sending him flying two zhang away. Si Rong crashed heavily to the ground, coughing up blood.

"What are you good for?"

Yan Wujiu's eyes were like knives as he stared intently at the fallen Si Rong and roared, "I already sent someone to inform you beforehand! Didn't you have any precautions at all? Thirty thousand men, and you just let them be wiped out like this? How dare you live?"

Si Rong's defeat was even more humiliating than Sima Jin's!

Sima Jin's troops were exhausted. Faced with the Ning army's sudden counterattack, they were caught off guard and suffered heavy losses, which was understandable.

But what about Si Rong?

Thirty thousand soldiers, rested and ready to meet the enemy!

However, they suffered such a crushing defeat.

Is this no different from the complete annihilation of the army?

Si Rong's defeat disrupted all his plans and put them in an even more passive position!

Yan Wujiu unleashed a torrent of angry curses, his rage growing with each word. He roared menacingly, "Come here! Drag this piece of trash away and behead him! Hang his head on the flagpole!"

Although Si Rong was the Crown Princess's elder brother, in Yan Wujiu's eyes, that status was not enough.

Even if Si Rong were the Empress's elder brother, let alone the Crown Princess's elder brother, he would still kill this good-for-nothing today.

Seeing Yan Wujiu's personal guards charging towards him, Si Rong turned pale with fright and wailed, "Your Highness, this humble general... is innocent..."

"Injustice?"

Yan Wujiu raised his hand to stop his personal guards, stepped forward to Si Rong, and demanded with a frosty expression, "Tell me, how did you get wronged?"

Si Rong struggled to his feet and knelt down again. "This humble general...this humble general did not receive any message from His Highness!"

"Still trying to argue!"

Enraged, Yan Wujiu kicked Si Rong to the ground again. "The moment I anticipated the Ning army's surprise attack on Wulin, I sent someone to inform you via a side path. I also ordered you to concentrate all your troops at the Linjiang military camp for defense. Do you dare say you didn't receive those orders?"

"This humble general truly has not received any military orders!"

Filled with grief and indignation, Si Rong pointed to the remnants of his troops who had come with him and said, "If Your Highness doesn't believe me, you can ask them! If I have uttered even the slightest lie, Your Highness, even if you were to tear me to pieces, I would have no complaints!"

Looking at Si Rong's confident words, Yan Wujiu felt a chill run down his spine.

Could it be that the messenger I sent to deliver the message was intercepted and killed by Ning's men beforehand?

Thinking of this, Yan Wujiu immediately gave Cheng Lin a wink.

Cheng Lin understood and immediately led several of his personal guards to inquire about the remnants of Si Rong's troops.

About fifteen minutes later, Cheng Lin came to Yan Wujiu and said, "Your Highness, they indeed did not receive Your Highness's military order! The messenger Your Highness sent should have been intercepted and killed by Ning's men."

"asshole!"

Yan Wujiu clenched his fist and glared angrily at Si Rong: "Even if you didn't receive my military orders, you led 15,000 men to defend the city against a weary army that had made a long march, and you shouldn't have suffered such a crushing defeat!"

"This humble general is guilty."

Si Rong said with grief and indignation, "This humble general intended to defend the city, but... but my men all think this humble general is afraid of death..."

Si Rong became more and more aggrieved as she spoke.

Yes, he knew that they had indeed lost badly.

But he was also harmed by those damn bastards!

If they defend the city, even if Wulin City falls, they can at least kill more enemy soldiers!

However, he was coerced by his subordinates and had no choice but to lead his troops to reinforce the Linjiang military camp.

As a result, the reinforcements failed to arrive, and the Chinese side suffered heavy losses instead.

They weren't reduced to just this few men.

The reason they were left with so few men was because they were defeated and routed by the Ning army. Many of them had not yet been regrouped, and more and more people fell behind or deserted during their escape.

Hearing Si Rong's explanation, Yan Wujiu's anger flared up again.

flight!

They might as well have all died in battle!

He knew all too well what these deserters would do when they had no money or food!

Soldiers and bandits!

Soon, large numbers of soldiers and bandits will appear on the land of Pangzhou!

Faced with these soldiers and bandits, the desperate civilians could not simply stand by and wait to die!

They had no choice but to rise up in rebellion!

Thinking about what was about to happen, Yan Wujiu felt as if thunderbolts were exploding in his head, causing him a splitting headache.

House seemingly endless rain!

The situation within Yan will soon spiral out of control!

However, Ning Jun once again opened up a new route of advance.

Yan Wujiu, enduring his headache, looked at Si Rong and asked with a frosty expression, "When did the war end?"

"It was almost dawn..."

Si Rong answered cautiously.

Hearing his words, Yan Wujiu's heart sank to the bottom.

Finished!

It ended when dawn broke!

In other words, the Ning army has recovered!

It's estimated that the Ning army on the other side of the Yi River has already attacked!

Even if he led the Flying Fang Cavalry to attack, he wouldn't have a chance!

With his last glimmer of hope shattered, Yan Wujiu had no choice but to give the order in grief and anger: "Order the rear guard to become the vanguard and retreat to Yuchan!"

A simple sentence, yet it seemed to have exhausted all of Yan Wujiu's strength.

The question now is not whether we can retake Wulin, but whether they can hold onto Yuchan, and for how long!

No one could answer his question, not even he himself knew the answer.

He even wondered if they should retreat to Pangzhou Prefecture.

But he rejected the idea as soon as it came to mind.

If we retreat to Pangzhou Prefecture now, we will inevitably be attacked by Ning troops from both Xiaxing and Wulin.

Moreover, the Jade Toad is positioned precisely between Wulin and Xiaying.

Once they withdraw, the two armies of the Ning Army can smoothly converge.

We can't retreat, and we mustn't retreat!

Holding Yu Chan would at least cut off these two Ning armies in half.

They still have enough food for the time being. Although Sima Jin's troops lost 20,000 men, he still has more than 60,000 men at his disposal!

Even if the Ning army holds the Jade Toad stronghold, it won't be easy for them to break through!

Even if Ning's army breaks through Yu Chan, they will inevitably pay a heavy price!

Guard!

Hold the Jade Toad stronghold and seize the opportunity to retake Wulin and Linjiang military camp!

Yan Wujiu made up his mind and gasped for breath.

"Your Highness..."

Cheng Lin looked at Yan Wujiu with concern, wanting to comfort him, but not knowing how.

At this point, no amount of comforting seems to make a difference.

No amount of consolation can compare to the real benefit of a victory.

"I am fine!"

Yan Wujiu waved his hand, feigning composure, and instructed Cheng Lin, "You personally ride back to Huyao at top speed and tell His Majesty and the Crown Prince that I am determined to lead my troops to defend Yuchan to the death. As for the subsequent battles, they... can decide what to do!"

He was no longer able to attend to other battlefields!

It's already quite an achievement that they managed to hold onto the Jade Toad and find an opportunity to take a bite out of Ning's army.

After saying this, Yan Wujiu mounted his horse and, forcing himself to stay alert, followed the army towards Yuchan...