Chapter 148: This Dao breaks through alone
The actual situation is basically consistent with Fan Ziruo's prediction.
After being troubled by the Qi army's two-sided attack, the Yan army began to retreat westward, toward Luoyue Pass.
The Qi army on the side of the King of the Southwest and the Qi army on the side of Yin Jingcheng began a long-distance pursuit.
The casualties in the previous small-scale fighting were not large. If the Yan army was allowed to withdraw to Yan State intact, it would be difficult for all parties to explain. What's more, the Yan army did not withdraw to Yan State, but to Luoyue Pass.
Even if Luoyue Pass was breached by the Yan army, it is still a pass that is easy to defend and difficult to attack. The meaning in the hands of Yan State and Qi State is completely different.
In the hands of Yan State, Luoyue Pass is their front-line position for attacking southward. For Qi State, this is a sharp blade hanging over their heads, which may lose thousands of miles of land at any time. In the hands of Qi State, Luoyue Pass is a shield that can resist the Yan army's iron cavalry and can strangle Yan State's desire to go south.
In fact, the Yan army retreated westward in an orderly manner, not a remnant of defeated soldiers.
And when they retreated to a large area of flat terrain, they took advantage of the cavalry's charge and turned back to kill the Qi army.
The Qi soldiers who were hastily chasing encountered the Yan army's charge like a tsunami, and they suffered heavy losses. Of course, this did not include the New Chu Army where He Yunxiao was.
On the plain west of Yinjing, a large group of Yan cavalry were chasing a group of Qi soldiers who were retreating in a hurry.
Human legs are naturally no match for horse legs. The distance between the two armies was rapidly shortened, and then just when the cavalry was about to catch up with the infantry. The ground under the feet of the Yan cavalry suddenly collapsed.
Rows of Yan cavalry charged forward, and then rows of Yan cavalry stepped on the ground camouflaged with thin wooden boards, and fell into the trenches dug by the New Chu Army in advance.
Before the Yan Army came to their senses, arrows mixed with grenades were thrown down from the sky, and thunder exploded on the bumpy ground. Then the New Chu soldiers who had just fled in a hurry raised their spears and lances and looked back.
Such scenes are not uncommon in the land full of yellow sand.
…
Qing Yuzi recently found that He Yunxiao was in a low mood and not in a good mood.
The most obvious behavior is that she can now practice to recover at night. In the past, He Yunxiao would not give her the opportunity to practice.
There are few people in the area where the grassland and the Gobi meet, and you often can't see a town after riding for a day or two. It is naturally not as comfortable to station troops in such a place as to station troops near Yinjing. Even the heroines just started to live in tents.
One night, Qing Yuzi found He Yunxiao and said to him: "Come with me."
He Yunxiao followed Qing Yuzi without saying a word.
The two walked into Qing Yuzi's tent, and Qing Yuzi was quite polite to pour tea for the unhappy He Yunxiao. You know, He Yunxiao is an apprentice, and it should be He Yunxiao who pours tea for Qing Yuzi.
"If you have any difficulties, you can talk to me. Since I have accepted you as an outer disciple, I will not abandon you."
"Thank you for your concern, Taoist priest." He Yunxiao said perfunctorily.
Qing Yuzi's eyebrows hidden under the veil frowned slightly. He Yunxiao's unfamiliarity made her feel quite uncomfortable.
On the eve of coming to the grassland, He Yunxiao would still joke with her every day, and then stare at her with a lecherous look.
In his sophistry, this is not called "lecherous" but "appreciation of art."
But now He Yunxiao looks lifeless. Like a warrior whose power has been exhausted, or a person who has gone astray.
"Stretch out your hand, I will take a look for you."
"Taoist priest, I'm fine." He Yunxiao said.
"Stretch out your hand." Qing Yuzi said again.
He Yunxiao had no choice but to stretch out his hand to Qing Yuzi.
Qing Yuzi felt his pulse and used his internal force to detect his power. Everything was normal.
"Your illness is strange." Qing Yuzi concluded.
"Master, I'm not sick."
Qing Yuzi frowned.
"Why are you so listless if you're not sick?"
"I..." He Yunxiao paused, "Master, you don't know that the Qi and Yan armies have killed 300,000 people in the past few days. There are mountains of people and rivers of blood... How can you let me be happy?"
Due to the prior preparations and the extensive use of fortifications, explosives, and arrows, the rear army suffered the least casualties in this Qi-Yan decisive battle, but even so, it reached more than 20,000. He Yunxiao still knew many of them.
Even though casualties on the battlefield are the most normal, such a large area of desolation makes He Yunxiao feel sad from time to time.
The scenes of broken walls that cannot be seen directly under the night make He Yunxiao often wonder whether this Qi-Yan battle is meaningful?
What did Yan get? What did Qi get?
In He Yunxiao's memory, Qi and Yan had been fighting for a long time, but the border of the two countries' main territories had hardly moved. It was nothing more than fine-tuning in small places.
For example, the Hexi County that was lost 20 years ago was recaptured by the efforts of Chu Fan's father Chu Tianzhu and the Chu family army more than a decade ago.
"He Yunxiao." Qing Yuzi sat upright. "As the leader of an army, if even you are so negative, how do you let the rest of the soldiers think?"
He Yunxiao opened his mouth, speechless. But after closing his mouth, he said unwillingly: "The Taoist priest wouldn't think that I would be like this in front of the soldiers, right?"
Qing Yuzi: ? ? ?
He Yunxiao spread his hands, "Bad emotions can't be brought to work, which is something every adult should understand. I was depressed in front of the Taoist priest just because I got off work and went home, and I didn't treat the Taoist priest as an outsider."
"You..." Qing Yuzi didn't know what to say. M.
"But I still thank Master for caring about me. This is the first time that Master has taken the initiative to call me an 'outer disciple'. It's not easy." He Yunxiao said with emotion.
Qing Yuzi held his breath. I was kind enough to care about him, but this guy actually started teasing me shamelessly.
"Master, let's be serious. The fighting has been fierce these days, and the Yan army has suffered a lot of casualties. Mr. Fan estimates that if the Yan army does not intend to fight to the death, they will withdraw further west. Until they withdraw to Luoyue Pass."
When Qing Yuzi heard "Luoyue Pass", he could vaguely feel what He Yunxiao wanted to say.
He Yunxiao continued: "If Qi and Yan do not fight for their lives, there will definitely be peace talks. If Luoyue Pass is in the hands of the Yan army, we will be passive during the peace talks. If it is in our hands, then we will be passive during the peace talks." Yan will fall into a passive position during peace talks."
"This pass is easy to defend but difficult to attack. The previous pass was broken by the Yan State's grand master's illegal actions. It is conceivable that once the Yan army retreated to Luoyue Pass, the Qi army did not have a grand master to take action, or several grand masters tried their best to take action. The Luoyue Pass is difficult to break."
"Master, what do you think is the safest way if Yan State takes the initiative for peace talks and wants to imprison Luoyue in their hands?"
Qing Yuzi said softly: "You mean, the great master who broke through Luoyue Pass is probably still in Luoyue Pass?"
"Yes. It's very possible." He Yunxiao nodded. "The only way to lure the great master of Yan State out is to break the barrier."
"Do you want me to clear the barrier for you?"
"Yes. But I will let Xiaoxiao and Master go together to make sure nothing goes wrong."
"No." Qing Yuzi shook his head. "The Taixu Sect has regulations. Warriors above the Grand Master must not interfere with the laws of the world."
"Master, we are only trying to break through the barrier. The Qi army will not attack the city." He Yunxiao explained: "The attack will inevitably force the Yan army to defend the city. This will cause hundreds of thousands of casualties. It is unnecessary. We only need to attack the city first." The country has proven that we have the ability to break through the barrier without any harm, so just force them to give up Luoyue Pass in the negotiation, and we won’t be participating in the secular world, right?”
"This way can be broken by one person." Qing Yuzi said.
"Let Xiaoxiao come with us," He Yunxiao said.
"No, I can break through this alone."