This time, the tens of thousands of soldiers did not echo.
Because Anda Third Prince laughed out loud, "You're telling me to get lost so I should get lost? On what basis are you telling me to get lost? With this broken Guanjin Line, and your infantry without horses?"
"My soldiers have already recovered from their panic. You don't have city walls to defend yourselves, so what are you going to use to fight us?"
After speaking, he looked at Zhu Changyu with some approval, "Second Prince has stalled the time very well, I'm very happy about it."
In the confrontation between the two armies, they had talked for more than half an hour.
Anda Third Prince had been enduring and not speaking all this while. It turned out he was not shocked, but giving time for the Northern Nomads to regain their spirit.
He had never given up on attacking the Guanjin Line. He wanted sufficient battle exploits to seize the position of Khan. He was playing the People of Da Yu in the palm of his hand.
Zhu Changyu's expression changed slightly, and the subtle pricking feeling rose in his heart again.
What was strange was that Fang Heng and Jiang Chengyuan across did not show any shock.
The two young generals still maintained their indifference. Only after seeing Jiang Yi wave a flag on high ground did they reveal a smile, "Then we really have to thank the Third Prince for successfully stalling the time."
"What do you mean?" Anda Third Prince's expression changed greatly.
Fang Heng smiled coldly, led his men to make way for the Jiang family's cavalry riding horses.
In the distance came the sound of horses’ hooves and fighting, representing the arrival of reinforcements from other city defenses.
"You talked so much just now, and you were actually stalling for time. Not only did you set ambushes in the city, but you also called for reinforcements. You People of Da Yu are so insidious." Anda Third Prince started his double standards again.
Fang Heng did not bother with him.
His words were sincere, his advice was sincere, and his stalling was real stalling too.
The two sides had unintentionally brought a turning point to this war.
The Northern Nomads' horses were strong and good at riding and shooting. They fought fiercely and ran fast too. Without coordinating an attack from both inside and outside the city, how could they be worn down?
"Prepare to engage the enemy, my sons!" Jiang Chengyuan got on his horse, "The reinforcements have arrived. It's time to settle accounts."
The great army responded in unison, bringing up thousands of prestige.
On the contrary, Anda Third Prince looked hesitant, unable to make a decision.
After circling around a few times, he no longer knew whether or not to believe the sound of horses' hooves in the distance.
What if it was a deliberate trick by the People of Da Yu to drive them back?
Likewise, if the Da Yu reinforcements really arrived, he couldn't afford the total destruction either.
Seeing his inner struggle, Zhu Changyu took the initiative to offer advice, "It's better to hide first. We don't know how many people Da Yu has brought, staying behind with some men is always better than being completely wiped out. The Khan will be disappointed."
Wherever there is power, there is contention for it.
Wherever there are people’s hearts, there is calculation.
Anda Third Prince soon made up his mind, "Retreat, the left wing army will cover the rear. The rest will come with me."
The strong horses raised their hooves, running at a speed that was hard to match. Countless People of Da Yu tried their best, but they could barely kill the rearguard of the retreating troops.
This was the difference, this was the disparity in strength.
Anda Third Prince laughed loudly, as if he had vented all the malice in his chest, "You ugly People of Da Yu wait for me. Breaking the Guanjin Line is just the beginning. The other lines will also be broken one by one, and sooner or later the Central Plains hinterland will be ours."
As his voice fell, Fang Heng who was rushing at the forefront suddenly overtook the main troops and slipped to the end of the Northern Nomads’ troops.
Anda Third Prince's back tightened, and he quickly summoned several guards to shield him while speeding up even more.
So Fang Heng's sharp blade could only kill the nearby Northern Nomads, every move fatal, every stroke claimed a life.
The two sides chased each other until they were outside the periphery of the Guanjin Line. The Da Yu reinforcements that had come to the rescue were unfolding to surround them.
"So it was true." Anda Third Prince broke out in cold sweat, "Fortunately Second Prince advised me, you're good, very smart."
Zhu Changyu was even more respectful, “This is all about helping each other... Prince, look, they haven't completely surrounded that side yet. We can break through the encirclement now."
The two looked at each other and smiled tacitly, leading the army to charge towards the gap.
To surround means absolute crushing numerical advantage and absolute control of directions. Although the Da Yu reinforcements arrived in time, they were still slightly lacking in numbers, struggling with all their might just to keep some of the Northern Nomads alive.
Everyone fought bloody battles, unknowingly it was dawn.
Fish-belly white emerged in the east, and the soldiers were also exhausted, the wilderness was almost covered with blood.
"They came with over 100,000 men. It seems the entire left wing army was wiped out here." After taking stock, Jiang Yi reported, "But because the retreat was timely, the main force still has some preservation."
"I heard that it was the Second Prince who told them to retreat." Jiang Fifth frowned, "If they didn't retreat, more people could have been killed."
For such a traitor, Fang Heng had nothing good to say.
To behead him with their blades was every frontier soldier’s wish.
"First clear out the spoils of war." Jiang Chengyuan walked over holding his left shoulder, "Rebuilding the Guanjin Line is no small sum. It needs the state treasury's disbursement. The battle plan in the hands of the Northern Nomads is probably a scourge."
In the attack on the Guanjin Line, both sides suffered losses. The People of Da Yu’s defense of the strategic pass could only be considered a pyrrhic victory at best.
If Anda Third Prince insisted on each side accounting precisely for their losses, to make up for the losses he suffered here, it was likely he would look for opportunities elsewhere.
Even if not for the sake of face, it had to be done in preparation for his future bid for power.
"It seems we have to carefully plan which places to focus our defense on next." Fang Heng frowned deeply, "Are you injured?"
"Just a minor injury." Jiang Chengyuan put down his hand. Blood was oozing out of his left shoulder armor.
At this point, how could it be considered a minor injury?
Fang Heng turned to call for a military doctor, but only saw bustling shadows and soldiers crying in pain all over the ground.
He sighed, took out the golden sore medicine prepared by Wen Zhiyun and threw it over unhappily, "Treat yourself, get your guards to apply medicine."
Jiang Chengyuan did not pretend to decline courteously. He laughed and raised his hand to catch it.
The army was carrying out final matters - capturing the enemy survivors, collecting usable blades, leading away healthy horses, and burying soldiers killed in action.
Rebuilding the Guanjin Line not only needed money but also time. The original 90,000 injured soldiers stationed were not enough, so Jiang Jizu also transferred another 30,000 men over, and built simple defensive measures.
What remained to be considered was the vicious parting words Anda Third Prince left when he departed.
"This prince's nature is rather suspicious. After suffering losses twice at the Guanjin Line, he will certainly not come to attack it again." Jiang Jizu circled circles on the map with his finger, "According to normal thinking, the Northern Nomads would attack the other three defense lines next."
In the past, Fang Heng and Jiang Chengyuan would have readily nodded in agreement.
But this time, after the two looked at each other, they said in unison, "Then what about abnormal thinking?"
"Abnormal thinking is catching one unaware." Jiang Jizu smiled, happy for the two's growth, "As a general, figuring out the enemy's ideas is very important. This Third Prince is quite capable, and likes to flaunt his capabilities."
Most crucially, he seemed to bear deep grudges.
Rather than saying he suffered hardships twice at the Guanjin Line, it was more accurate to say he suffered hardships twice at the hands of the Jiang family army.
"Could it be..." Fang Heng blurted out in astonishment, "Could they come attack headquarters?"
Attacking headquarters, that would be a decisive battle!
