Chapter 588: Never Retreat Again
These barbarian leaders have strong confidence in their tribesmen. Moreover, they have been stationed there for quite some time, and sitting back and eating up all the resources is not a solution. Most people want to go and join the war.
After some discussion, everyone reached a consensus that three days later the army would march eastward to Jiading Prefecture to join the war.
…
"Report!"
"Generals, enemy scouts have been spotted thirty miles east of the city. They're extremely dense, and we fear a large army is approaching from behind!"
Upon hearing the news, Ma Shang and Sun Ze's expressions tightened. "Keep going and check. If the enemy has troops coming, we must find out how many they have!"
After the soldiers left, Sun Ze said, "General Ma, if the enemy comes, you stay in the rear and I will lead the troops in the front!"
"Hey! " Ma Shang sneered. "What? You look down on me? Or do you think I'm no match for you? In terms of rank and title, how can you, a bastard, compare to me? It's all very well calling you a brother on a normal day, but now that we're about to go to war, you're the only one who wants to command me? Besides, of these eight thousand soldiers, five thousand are my own."
Sun Ze's expression was solemn, and he slowly said, "General, I understand your kindness, but I owe you this, so I must return it!"
Before Ma Shang could speak, Sun Ze spoke again, "General Ma, I was previously serving as the garrison commander for Jiading Prefecture. When the southern border troops attacked, I was prepared to die in battle. However, my superiors gave me orders, and I had to obey! I withdrew from Longyou without losing a single soldier, and without a single wound on my body, and handed over Jiading Prefecture!"
"As an official appointed by the imperial court, I have the responsibility to protect the land! However, I have failed the hundreds of thousands of people in Jiading."
"Now, I'm back. No matter how many enemies there are, I'll fight to the death! Otherwise, how can I feel at peace?"
"In Jiading, I retreated! In Meizhou, I retreated! I originally thought that this was the order of my superiors, and what did it have to do with me? But in Chengdu Prefecture, who among me and my men is not tormented? This time, the commander-in-chief gave me the opportunity to defend Hongya to the death. Even if we fight to the last soldier, even if we die here, I, Sun Ze, will not retreat another step!"
"If I can survive the battle, that would be the best, but if I die here, I will be at peace!"
Ma Shang was stunned for a moment, then stood up and patted Sun Ze's shoulder vigorously. "In life, how many things can we do as we please? Just like the setting sun, there will always be a time for rebirth! Why keep the past in your heart?"
…
A day later, scouts came again to report that the allied forces of Xishan and Yechuan, with a vanguard of 8,000 people, were only fifteen miles away from Hongya City. In the rear, there were a central army of 30,000 and a rear army of more than 10,000, for a total of 50,000 soldiers and horses!
Ever since arriving in Hongya, Sun Ze has been thinking about how to deal with the attack of the army. Although it is not advisable to divert water to form a river, he ordered his soldiers to dig two trenches outside the city, and set up many arrow towers between the trenches to form the first line of defense outside the city. If the first line of defense is lost, they will retreat to the city, and the original city walls will also be raised and reinforced.
After the enemy army arrived, they stayed for two days to rest. On the third day, a force of about four to five thousand soldiers rushed towards Hongya City.
"General Ma, the city is left to you!"
Ma Shang nodded, "Take care, brother!"
"Come here, mobilize the troops to leave the city!" Sun Ze shouted, and soon, about two thousand soldiers gathered on the parade ground!
At this moment, a captain came running over and said, "General, Bai Shan and the others want to see you."
"Baishan?" Sun Ze snorted coldly, " How dare to see me?"
Bai Shan was also a lieutenant under Sun Ze, known for his bravery. However, to maintain stability in Hongya, Sun Ze ordered his troops not to harass the civilians or kill innocent people after entering the city. However, Bai Shan had a rather arrogant nature, and one day, while patrolling the city, he got into an argument with a local and injured several people with his sword.
Sun Ze was furious and wanted to behead him to uphold military law, but his generals persuaded him, so he beat him with a stick and sent him directly to the death row to await punishment.
After saying that, Sun Ze's heart softened a little. He didn't know if he could come back alive after this trip. Although he had violated military law, he was still an old brother under his command, so he decided to go and meet him.
"All officers, muster your troops and leave the city in a quarter of an hour!"
After giving his troops an order, Sun Ze rode off. Not long after, he stopped at a prison not far from the main camp.
The soldier opened the door, Sun Ze stepped in, and went straight to the innermost cell, where he saw Bai Shan tied up with iron chains!
"Tell me, what do you want to see me for?" Sun Ze asked.
"General, are you going to fight outside the city?"
"good!"
Swish! Bai Shan fell to the ground and bowed, "General, the enemy is coming. Please allow me, a man who deserves to be executed, to die on the battlefield. This way, I will not regret following you for so many years!"
Sun Ze turned around and looked at Bai Shan for a long moment before gritting his teeth and saying, "Alright! I'll grant you your wish! Once we leave the city, you'll be the vanguard in engaging the enemy!"
As he spoke, Sun Ze drew his sword and chopped it down hard, cutting the iron chain on Bai Shan's body straight off! The next moment, Sun Ze swung his sword again, and a strand of Bai Shan's hair was cut off.
"Baishan, you narrowly escaped death on this trip! This day next year will be the anniversary of your death!"
"I thank you, Marshal!" Bai Shan said in a loud voice.
Afterwards, Sun Ze took Bai Shan and all the troops to meet up and headed directly towards the west of the city!
By the time Sun Ze's troops arrived outside the city, they could already see from afar the enemy's troops forming a battle formation and slowly approaching the front!
Leading his troops directly to the side of the first trench, Sun Ze gritted his teeth and said as he looked at the approaching enemy, "We have few soldiers. We can only do our best to rely on the trenches to delay the enemy's attack. Therefore, in addition to me personally leading the troops here to engage in battle, we also need a small force to charge directly to the periphery to disrupt the enemy's formation and delay their advance!"
"General, I will take three hundred brothers with me!" Bai Shan said without hesitation.
Sun Ze drew his sword and handed it to Bai Shan. "Although you made a mistake, you are still my soldier. Even if you die, you must die in a dignified manner!"
Bai Shan bowed, "Thank you, General!"
Then, Baishan led three hundred soldiers to the side. Sun Ze took a look and then led his troops to deploy defenses.
"Kill, kill, kill!" The two sides were about two or three hundred steps apart. The enemy's troops finally launched a charge. After two or three waves of arrows, the coalition forces rushed to the side of the trench at the risk of damage. They had obviously observed and made corresponding preparations in advance. Although it was difficult to fill the trench for a while, they had prepared wooden boards of suitable length in advance.
Wide wooden boards were thrown from one side of the trench to the other, and Sun Ze's soldiers drew their spears and stabbed or poked at the boards.
