dognovel Chapter 1572 Unexpected defeat!
Chapter 1572 Unexpected defeat!
Outside Qingcheng in early September, the autumn wind was bleak, blowing up yellow sand all over the sky.
On the distant skyline, a dark shadow slowly emerged, as if dark clouds were pressing down, making it suffocating.
That was the main force of the Tang army, coming in a mighty and overwhelming force.
In the center of the army, Commander Li Ji was wearing iron armor, his warhorse neighing under his crotch, and his eyes were fixed on the outline of Qingcheng in the distance.
A hint of vigilance flashed in his eyes, and he was secretly calculating the upcoming battle situation.
A few days ago, he sent spies to Maple Leaf City to investigate the movements of the Chu army, but found that the other side showed no signs of mobilizing troops.
The news gave him some relief.
As long as there was no reinforcement to cooperate with the Chu army in Qingcheng, he was confident that he could annihilate the 46,000 cavalry led by Ma Chao in one fell swoop.
However, what puzzled him was that Ma Chao knew that the Tang army was approaching in large numbers, so why didn't he choose to retreat?
The advantage of cavalry lies in mobility; defending cities is not their strong point.
What exactly was Ma Chao's intention in doing this?
Just as he was lost in thought, a spy came galloping over, knelt on one knee and reported:
"General, the four gates of Qingcheng are tightly closed, and the Chu cavalry show no signs of leaving the city."
Upon hearing this, Li Ji frowned, a look of surprise on his face: "You knew our army was coming, but you refused to retreat. Do you want to hold on to Qingcheng?"
He muttered to himself, feeling vaguely uneasy.
Zhang Gongjin, the strategist standing by, saw this and said gloomily, "General, I think there must be some trick going on. It's best to be cautious."
Li Ji nodded slightly and gave the order in a deep voice, "Send the message, surround Qingcheng on all sides, and send out spies to investigate within a 20-li radius, leaving no room for any suspicious spots."
As the order was issued, the Tang army acted quickly and advanced towards Qingcheng in a mighty manner.
An hour later, Qingcheng was surrounded.
The flags of the Tang army fluttered in the wind, and the soldiers stood in formation, with swords and spears like a forest, and the momentum was huge.
On the walls of Qingcheng, the Chu cavalry were on full alert.
Ma Chao was wearing black armor and staring coldly at the Tang army outside the city.
His deputy general, Ma Ji, stood by with a worried look on his face: "General, will this plan really work?"
Ma Chao raised the corner of his mouth slightly, revealing a sneer: "Don't worry, your majesty's plan has never failed."
At this moment, the Tang army formation outside the city suddenly split up, and Li Ji led a team of elite cavalry and rode out, arriving within an arrow's reach outside the city.
He looked up at Ma Chao on the city wall and laughed out loud, "General Ma Chao, I know you are brave, but you are now surrounded by my army of over 100,000. Do you think you have any chance of survival?"
Ma Chao snorted coldly and responded loudly: "Li Ji, your Tang army may be numerous, but our Chu army soldiers are not cowards. If you want Qingcheng, you must show your true strength!"
Li Ji was unconcerned and continued to persuade him, "General Ma, why are you so stubborn? My emperor values talents as much as his life. If you are willing to surrender, he will definitely make use of you."
"Why would you sacrifice your own life and the lives of your soldiers for a meaningless loyalty?"
Ma Chao righteously refused, saying, "I, Ma Chao, am a Chu citizen in life and a Chu ghost in death! If you want me to surrender, I must die on the battlefield!"
Seeing that his persuasion to surrender was ineffective, Li Ji's face gradually became gloomy.
He threatened, "Ma Chao, you must think carefully! Once our army attacks the city, Qingcheng will be reduced to rubble. By then, it will be too late to regret!"
Ma Chao laughed heartily and said with great pride, "Li Ji, if you have the guts, attack the city! I want to see what your Tang army is capable of!"
Seeing Ma Chao's firm attitude, Li Ji became even more confused.
He rode back to the battle line and said to Zhang Gongjin, "Ma Chao is so confident, could there be another ambush in the city?"
Zhang Gongjin pondered for a moment and replied, "General, the Chu cavalry is not good at defending cities. Ma Chao's actions are indeed unusual. Perhaps they have other plans. We must be on guard."
Li Ji nodded. "Pass the order down. Strengthen the guard to prevent a surprise attack by the Chu army. Also, continue to send out spies to investigate the army's movements."
At the same time, the Chu army in Qingcheng was also making intensive preparations.
Ma Chao summoned all the generals and said in a deep voice, "Men, although the Tang army is numerous, as long as we hold on for three days, reinforcements will arrive."
"When the time comes, we will be able to defeat the Tang army by combining our internal and external forces!"
All the generals responded in unison and their morale was high.
The next morning, Li Ji came to the city again and tried to use psychological warfare to undermine the morale of the Chu army.
He ordered his soldiers to shout loudly: "Comrades of the Chu army, you are surrounded! Those who surrender will be spared, and those who resist will be killed without mercy!"
The Chu soldiers on the city walls remained unmoved. Ma Chao, standing on the top of the wall, shouted back, "Tang soldiers, why are you acting as accomplices to this evil? Li Ji is simply using you to get himself killed! We, the soldiers of the Chu army, swear to fight to the death and refuse to surrender!"
Li Ji became anxious when he saw that the psychological warfare was ineffective.
He ordered: "Prepare siege equipment, and attack the city with all your strength tomorrow morning!"
On the night when the Tang army was preparing to attack the city, there were sudden unusual movements in the mountains and forests outside Qingcheng.
Li Ji received an urgent report from a spy: "General, it's bad! The Chu army's reinforcements are coming from the rear!"
Li Ji was shocked: "What? Reinforcements? Where are they coming from?"
"General, it's... it's the Chu army coming from Jicheng, the capital of Wei."
Li Ji's face suddenly changed.
This must be because Chu Ning had already anticipated their actions and secretly dispatched an elite force to take a detour and avoid the detection of the Tang army.
At this moment, the support troops were attacking from the rear of the Tang army.
Li Ji hurriedly ordered: "The entire army turns around and engages the enemy in the rear!"
However, it was too late.
The Chu reinforcements surged in like a tide, forming a pincer attack on the Tang army with Ma Chao's troops inside the city. The Tang army was attacked from both sides and its formation was in chaos.
On the battlefield, the sound of killing was deafening.
Ma Chao led the cavalry out of the city, joined forces with the reinforcements, and launched a fierce attack on the Tang army.
Although Li Ji tried his best to command, the morale of the Tang army had been lost and they were defeated one after another.
Zhang Gongjin, seeing the situation was hopeless, advised, "General, we've fallen into a trap. Let's retreat immediately!"
Li Ji gritted his teeth: "Chu Ning, you are really cunning!"
In desperation, he had to order a withdrawal.
The Chu army pursued the Tang army and defeated it.
The siege of Qingcheng was lifted. Ma Chao stood on the top of the city wall, looking at the fleeing Tang army with a victorious smile on his face.
Deputy General Ma Ji sighed, "General, your Majesty's plan is truly flawless!"
Ma Chao nodded: "Yes, as long as we are united, there is no enemy that we cannot defeat."
After the battle, the Chu army cleaned up the battlefield and treated the wounded.
Ma Chao ordered his men to send the battle report out as fast as possible.
He understood that only when things were settled here could His Majesty go and look for Princess Wu Xiuning with peace of mind.
Li Ji led his defeated troops back to Tang territory, feeling extremely regretful.
He realized that he had underestimated the wisdom and courage of the Chu army, and paid a heavy price for his underestimation of the enemy.
To this end, he ordered to set up camp on the border between Tang and Wei and wait for the opportunity.
Ma Chao's reputation spread far and wide, and the morale of the Chu army was greatly boosted.
The Tang army had to re-examine the strength of the Chu State and temporarily stopped its offensive.
The autumn wind still blows, and the smoke on the battlefield outside Qingcheng gradually dissipates.
Ma Chao stood on the top of the city wall, gazing into the distance, muttering to himself, "I wonder what the situation is like over there, Your Majesty."