Chapter 1593: Siege and Retreat
Chapter 1593: Chapter 1593: Siege and Retreat
"Strong crossbow, the Rong people are using strong crossbows!" Hu Company Commander looked at Company Commander Cao who had been shot and flew out, hurriedly said, "Everyone get down, don’t get hit by strong crossbows!"
Yao Chief Commander pointed to the right and said, "The Rong people are likely to flank us. Archers, use poison, shoot arrows to the right side!"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
The archers immediately switched to arrows tied with poison bags, shooting to the right. After the poison bags burst open, poison spread.
Soon, the sound of bodies hitting the ground rang out, and the Rong people attempting to flank them were knocked out by the poison.
"Continue shooting poison arrows, shoot to the left!" Yao Chief Commander usually didn’t speak much, but after all, he was a Chief Commander. Without Ding Ge, he should actually be the Company Commander of the Military Office of Qianyang County, so he knew how to fight. He understood that once the Rong people flanked, they would attack from both sides, and he immediately instructed the archers to shoot poison arrows to the left.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
After the poison arrows were shot, soon the sound of bodies hitting the ground was heard from the left as well.
This was the Rong people who were sneaking from the left being knocked out by the poison.
Yao Chief Commander was very pleased, instructing the archers, "Keep shooting poison arrows to both sides!"
The archers fired poison arrows four more times, finally knocking out the sneaking Rong people.
...
Leading the Rong people in the sneak attack were two Silver Tent Company Commanders. Seeing their warriors being knocked out by poison over half, they immediately called a halt, retreated, and had two unconscious warriors carried to meet their leading General.
"General, the poison of the Great Chu commoners is too potent, our warriors are knocked out by it," the Silver Tent Company Commander responsible for flanking from the right said, risking his life.
Bam!
Hu Helu kicked over the Silver Tent Company Commander who was speaking, cursing, "Useless things, it’s just an army of Great Chu commoners, and you can’t even handle them!"
Hu Helu was one of the four Generals in this attack on Xing’an Prefecture, commanding the Rong people lurking on the east route. But ever since he received the message from the Great General to advance early, things were not smooth for him.
First, the Golden Tent Troop Commander lurking in Guanlu County didn’t assemble on time, then about one-tenth of the Rong warriors in Da Chen County were lost, and upon arrival at Ancang County, they faced an ambush!
Hu Helu knew very well that their plan to attack Xing’an Prefecture was discovered by the Great Chu commoners, so they sent troops to ambush them, attempting to delay their arrival at Xing’an Prefecture.
"Call the witch doctor to check those two wastes and hurriedly prepare an antidote," Hu Helu instructed, pointing to two Silver Tent Company Commanders, "Take your people to the front, join the warriors in a frontal assault, use our mighty Rong iron hooves to crush these Great Chu commoners!"
"Yes." The two Silver Tent Company Commanders hurriedly took their troops to join the Rong people engaged in the frontal assault, starting a fierce attack.
Soon, the Rong people witch doctor was called, examined the two poisoned Rong people, frowned, drew out a knife, and made several cuts directly on them.
Ripping sounds as chunks of flesh were cut off their chests, the witch doctor said to Hu Helu, "The poison from the Great Chu commoners is quite complex, we need some effort to prepare the antidote."
Hu Helu frowned at hearing this, but he dared not kill the witch doctor, he could only urge, "Hurry up, if you delay Leimuqin Great General’s grand plan to flatten the Northwest, even Lord Wizard cannot save you!"
The witch doctor did not respond, only frowned and nodded, pointing at the two unconscious Rong people, "Have people come and carry them away, we need to dissect them to examine in order to quickly prepare the antidote."
They would just kill them?
However, Hu Helu and the others were accustomed to this, in Da Rong, witch doctors often did medicine this way, and red meat was often used as a medicine lead in the medicines they consumed.
Even in poison, there were toxins from rotten meat.
"Everyone, carry these two wastes away for the witch doctor!" Hu Helu instructed, adding, "There are still many knocked out over there, if it’s not enough, feel free to drag them away."
As long as the antidote could be made, dissecting a few wastes knocked out by the poison of Great Chu commoners didn’t count for much.
"Yes." The witch doctor nodded, led away the two unconscious Rong people, but the poison prepared by Gu Jinli was too complex, they wouldn’t be able to make the antidote in a short time.
...
Behind the third trench, Company Commander Cao had already been rescued by the soldiers, the crossbow arrow that pierced the shoulder was cut off, but the crossbow arrow had barbs, they were not military doctors, couldn’t remove such a complex crossbow arrow: "Company Commander Cao, please bear with it for now, once back in the county, let Doctor Ye treat your wound."
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
The Rong people’s crossbow arrows were killing like money wasn’t an issue, piercing a dozen soldiers, and some soldiers were pierced right through the head, dying on the spot.
"The Rong people have started the strong attack, we can’t hold on, spread poison and retreat!" Hu Company Commander looked at the crossbow arrows raining down, listened to the thunderous sound of iron hooves, was frightened too, immediately issued the retreat order.
Scouts started beating gongs and waving flags to call the soldiers to retreat, "The Rong people are strongly attacking, retreat, quickly retreat! Soldiers without horses run first, cavalry covers with poison arrows to buy time for brothers without horses to escape!"
Before the battle, Qin San Lang had told all soldiers how to fight the Rong people, how to retreat, so the soldiers knew what to do, and upon hearing the scouts’ words, they immediately acted.
Soldiers without horses ran desperately towards the county, those with good stamina even carried wounded soldiers.
As for those soldiers who died in battle, their bodies could only be left behind.
"Hu Company Commander, Cao Company Commander, Guo Company Commander, quickly get on horseback, I’ll lead the cavalry to cover with poison arrows." Yao Chief Commander urged, staying behind with his troops, leaving last, after all, he had the lowest rank here.
Company Commander Cao had long wanted to escape, endured the shoulder’s severe pain, followed Hu Company Commander and the others crawling, only dared to stand up and ride to escape after crawling out of the range of the Rong people’s strong crossbow.
Yao Chief Commander instructed, "Cavalry, first shoot poison arrows twice, once the Rong people’s strong attack is interrupted, immediately crawl backward. Once out of range of the Rong people’s arrows, immediately ride away!"
If they stood up now, they would be shot like sieves by arrows, they had to crawl first, crawl out of the range of arrows before taking action.
"Yes!" The cavalry answered, first shooting poison arrows twice, knocking out a batch of Rong people, then used hands and feet to crawl backward.
Once crawled out of the range of arrows, they immediately whistled to summon the horses.
The horses, hearing the whistle, rushed over, the soldiers mounted quickly and galloped towards the county of Ancang County.
The Rong cavalry followed closely, the soldiers shot a wave of poison arrows backward while riding.
Soon, the sound of bodies hitting the ground rang out, the soldiers felt at ease, the Rong cavalry was knocked out by poison!
"Run fast!" Yao Chief Commander shouted, galloping at full speed, unexpectedly catching up with the infantry running last, scolding angrily, "You useless bunch, didn’t eat? Why are you running so slow?"
The soldiers: "..."
Really hadn’t eaten!
They were nearly starving.
Yao Chief Commander spoke to the cavalry, "Stop temporarily, prepare to shoot poison arrows!"
They had to stop, otherwise when the Rong cavalry caught up, these soldiers without horses would be doomed.