mtl008 Chapter 237: Meeting the Enemy Again
Chapter 237: Meeting the Enemy Again
"The main force of Qi State has not arrived yet, but I have already suffered enough." Du Zhe smiled bitterly, sighed slightly and said: "Ahead is the pass of Qi State, Pofu Pass."
"To be honest, I haven't even encountered that closed door until now..." Du Zhe lowered his head and stood up to get the map and spread it out in front of Zong Yanli. He launched an offensive against Qi State according to Zong Yanli's instructions, but after several attempts, it seemed that he was completely defeated by Qi State.
Zong Yanli took a quick look at the map, thinking a little, and then asked, "Tell me about the national conditions of Qi and the general situation of the military deployment."
Qi was the largest country in the northern region, and Lu was slightly inferior to it.
However, there were many coups in the royal family of Qi, which often gave Lu and the northern countries opportunities to take advantage of, and they fought many times.
"The King of Qi is nearly seventy years old. I heard that he has just chosen the heir to the throne today. It is the Second Prince of Qi." Du Zhe raised his eyes slightly and said, "The leader of the Qi army is the Second Prince's mother's brother, Min Wenshan, General Min."
"Min Wenshan is currently trying to annex the Northern Kingdom to lay the foundation for the Second Prince to ascend the throne." Du Zhe seemed to want to laugh as he spoke. He looked at Zong Yanli and said, "And this time, because Daqian invaded the Northern Land, Qi's plan was disrupted. If nothing unexpected happens, Min Wenshan will arrive soon."
Zong Yanli listened and nodded slightly, and when he heard the name Min Wenshan, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
Qi Jiazhen, the second prince of Qi, was not a smart man at all. Qi Jiazhen was able to inherit the throne and sit on the throne of Qi State only because of the protection of his maternal family, among whom Min Wenshan was the backbone. Later, after Qi Jiazhen succeeded to the throne, Min Wenshan became the king's uncle, and he commanded all the military forces of Qi State and held a high position of power.
Others joked that the Second Prince was merely sitting on an empty throne, and everyone could see who held the imperial power.
Min Wenshan was indeed a capable man, and his subordinates were all fierce generals. Among them was a man whom even Zong Yanli had to avoid: Min Wenshan's adopted son Xue Liqing. This man was so powerful that even Zong Yanli could not defeat him.
In order to keep this brave general, Min Wenshan married his beloved daughter to Xue Liqing, which created a beautiful story. As a result, Xue Liqing obeyed the words of Min Wenshan, his adoptive father and father-in-law.
"General Zong Yan, what are your plans next?" Du Zhe said this, obviously handing over the power of commanding the battle to Zong Yanli. Although this was in the northern territory, Du Zhe thought that he was not capable of leading the army, and Sai Ya had said before that all matters should be arranged by Zong Yanli, and Wuhuan could just assist from the side.
"It will take some time for Min Wenshan to arrive. I want to implement a plan to intercept and ambush him." Zong Yanli thought quickly. He was not afraid to retreat at all because of the knowledge of Qi's elite army. Instead, he was determined to take the initiative to attack without fear of death.
"General Zong Yan..." Du Zhe's heart sank and he looked at Zong Yanli in surprise.
"Qi has been in a high position for too long. Min Wenshan has been leading the army to completely crush the Northern Kingdom for many years. I'm afraid they don't think highly of you Wuhuan. I never thought that such a small 'ant' would dare to swallow an elephant." Zong Yanli's thoughts were very clear. She could always analyze the enemy in an instant and think about the battle situation from the top position.
"This is the best time to set up an ambush." Zong Yanli stood up with a cold expression and pointed on the map: "Qi will definitely take this route, and this is the best place to set up an ambush."
"In order to confuse the enemy, I want you to continue to lead the troops to attack Pofu Pass." Zong Yanli looked up at Du Zhe and said, "Qi is not familiar with me, which also gives me the best opportunity to take the initiative."
"How can I not use the winning strategy that is delivered to my door?"
Du Zhe looked at Zong Yanli blankly after hearing this, and asked with some disbelief: "You don't need my help?"
Zong Yanli smiled proudly: "No need, I just want to meet this mighty general of Qi State."
Du Zhe was shocked by Zong Yanli's tone. He had always thought that Zong Yanli was a cautious person who would think carefully before acting. However, he did not expect that this time he would be so reckless and actually go head-on to confront Qi's elite army single-handedly.
If this is a loss...
"Don't worry, General Du. I won't fight a battle that I'm not sure of winning." Zong Yanli laughed, said goodbye to Du Zhe and turned away.
She didn't have much time left, and the days of marching made her very tired. After returning, Zong Yanli took the time to rest, and then convened an emergency military meeting to inform them of the next steps, and began to prepare intensively.
After only half a day's rest, the army was reorganized and dispatched again.
Du Zhe felt as if he had just managed to catch his breath, and immediately received Zong Yanli's order to attack the city immediately.
Du Zhe felt that he was a little overwhelmed by such a high-intensity battle. He really didn't understand, could Zong Yanli be such an iron-clad man?
The soldiers under the tent didn't even have any complaints?
Below the Daqu Gorge, the Qi army marched into the canyon in a mighty procession. The yellow flags were very eye-catching in the wind and snow. The canyon was not narrow and the army could pass through easily.
"After passing this place, we will be close to Pofu Pass." The one sitting upright on the warhorse in front of the Qi army was Min Wenshan, surrounded by dozens of personal soldiers and guards, forming a small military formation. Following him was a man wearing Ming Guang armor and carrying a silver spear. He was truly heroic and the precious horse he rode showed his outstanding status and position in the Qi army.
He is Xue Liqing, a fierce general under Min Wenshan.
Min Wenshan glanced at Xue Liqing. As long as he saw Xue Liqing beside him, Min Wenshan felt at ease. Hearing this, he laughed and said, "Liqing, don't worry. A mere Wuhuan dared to provoke us like this. We should have annexed them long ago."
"I just feel it's a pity. The Northern Kingdom is vast, and now we have to make a detour just for the Wuhuan..." Xue Liqing smiled and said, "Why don't you take over the Northern Kingdom first and then deal with the Wuhuan?"
"Haha!" Min Wenshan raised his head and laughed, "One Wuhuan is not worth mentioning, but the southern Daqian invaded the northern region and attacked my Qi State. It's really abominable."
Min Wenshan frowned and said mockingly, "The Northern Kingdom and Lu Kingdom once sent troops south but were beaten back. This is really a disgrace to the North."
He looked at Xue Liqing earnestly and said, "I came back to help because I heard that the leader of the Southern Division is a man named Zong Yanli, and even Kan Shi from Lu couldn't do anything to him. I just want you to give him a try."
Xue Liqing's face suddenly turned serious when he heard this. He tightened the reins and said, "How dare a small soldier like you to mention me, my foster father? When I see this man, I will definitely cut off his head and present it to you, my foster father!"
Min Wenshan laughed out loud, and just as he was about to speak, he suddenly saw a figure passing by above the canyon. He suddenly raised his hand to stop his horse, and looked up at the top of the canyon. Xue Liqing followed Min Wenshan's gaze and looked up at the top of the canyon, asking doubtfully, "Did godfather notice anything wrong?"
Min Wenshan looked around but didn't see any clues, but he always felt uneasy in his heart. His vigilance as a general for many years made him cheer up and said, "Li Qing, don't leave your father's side."
"Don't worry, godfather! I will never let anything happen to you as long as I am here." Xue Liqing said as he took out the silver spear in his hand, staring at the surroundings with his eyes as sharp as torches.
The Qi army stopped for a while. Min Wenshan saw that there was no unusual movement around him. He looked at the sky again and frowned, saying, "Slow down the march and be on guard in all directions."
The soldiers obeyed the order, gathered into a defensive formation very decisively, and slowly entered the middle section of Daqu Gorge.
On the top of the canyon, Zong Yanli was lying in the snow. She had no idea how long she had been there. The snow beneath her had melted away, but the biting cold didn't make her want to move at all. She controlled her breathing steadily, taking in all the changes in the Qi army below.
"The Qi army has discovered us?" Long Feiguang was slightly shocked and felt a little nervous and panicked when he saw the Qi army changing their formation and slowing down their marching speed.
"No." Zong Yanli's cold and resolute voice came, and Long Feiguang's panic that had just risen was suppressed in an instant. He remained motionless and waited for Zong Yanli's instructions.
"You are indeed a veteran who has been through many battles." Zong Yanli looked intently, paying attention to the movements of the Qi army and whispered, "Get ready to take action."
As a clear whistle sounded, the soldiers lying on the ground at the top of the canyon on both sides suddenly drew their swords and stood up. Without hesitation, they swung their swords to cut the ropes beside them and pushed the huge rocks down. The bound wood loosened and rolled down the slope of the canyon towards the Qi army below.
Zong Yanli held up the flag and shouted, "Archers——!"
"Shoot the arrow!!!"
"kill--!"
The sudden ambush caught Min Wenshan off guard. Even though he had given warnings in advance and his shield soldiers blocked the attack, they were unable to stop the wooden blocks and boulders that rolled down the mountain. The moment the army formation was disrupted, a rain of arrows followed.
Min Wenshan was protected by his personal guards and was unharmed. He looked around and saw Zong Yanli standing above the canyon, holding a military flag and giving orders.
"Li Qing, that's the commander!" Min Wenshan immediately called Xue Liqing.
"Godfather, go first, I will follow immediately!" Xue Liqing understood immediately, and rushed forward with a silver spear in hand.
Zong Yanli also saw Xue Liqing in the silver armor, and his eyes suddenly turned cold. He said, "Good job!"
The two men suddenly met in the middle of the canyon. Long Feiguang took over the military order after just one look. He did not chase after Min Wenshan who had escaped, but directly tore open the middle section of the Qi army, intending to devour all the Qi army in the second half that failed to pass through the canyon.
It would be good to take the general's head, but he always kept the military orders in mind. The purpose of this ambush was to weaken the military strength of Qi!
If we forcefully pursue the leader, we will probably be surrounded and defeated by their front and rear, and then today's ambush will be completely meaningless.
When Long Feiguang was holding a military order to strangle the enemy, Zong Yanli had already held his sword in front of him and was fighting with Xue Liqing. Under the rocks, the two men were a little hindered in riding their horses, and the silver spear seemed to be filled with a thousand pounds of force and swung towards Zong Yanli.
Clang——!
Zong Yanli blocked with her long sword. She had always been the one who overpowered others, but today she felt her knees sink, her arms bent, and she had to use her shoulders for support, and only then did she manage to block Xue Liqing's attack.
"You can actually take my gun!" Xue Liqing was also shocked by this. He immediately put away his contempt and stared at Zong Yanli's bronze face. In a flash, he seemed to suddenly remember something and said with his eyes wide open: "You are Zong Yanli?"
"Heh..." Zong Yanli shook his numb hands, took a deep breath, gathered his energy, and stared at Xue Liqing.
"Then I want to see what you are capable of!" Xue Liqing suddenly became very eager to fight, and with a loud shout, he rushed towards Zong Yanli again.
Zong Yanli took a step forward and faced the enemy again without any fear.
As the sounds of fighting got closer, Zong Yanli had no idea how many times he had fought off Xue Liqing. Xue Liqing was not much better off. Zong Yanli's swordsmanship was so domineering that he would give Xue Liqing a blow even if it meant injuring the enemy by a thousand and injuring himself by eight hundred. Such a reckless fighting style made Xue Liqing feel timid.
After having his chest armor cut open by Zong Yanli again, Xue Liqing couldn't help but turn his head and saw that almost all the troops of Qi had passed through the canyon.
He no longer wanted to fight, so he blew the whistle, mounted his horse, and turned to look at Zong Yanli, with deep fear and murderous intent in his eyes: "Zong Yanli, if we fight again tomorrow, I will take your head!"
"Take care of your own head first." Zong Yanli smiled and did not stop Xue Liqing from leaving, or rather, she did not have the ability to stop him.
Xue Liqing gripped the silver spear tightly and rode away on his horse. Zong Yanli covered her chest with her hands to suppress the fishy and sweet taste in her throat. She couldn't help but kneel on one knee with her long sword. The blood mark on her knuckles was so clear that she suppressed the pain in her chest and swallowed the blood in her throat.
Wen Nian rushed over covered in blood: "General!"
There seemed to be a bloodshot in his eyes that had not yet faded, and his face was filled with tension and worry.
"Hey, it's okay." Zong Yanli stood up slowly and said in a hoarse voice: "How is the battle going?"
"All the enemy troops that were cut off in the rear were annihilated." Wen Nian's breathing was a little heavy. He reached out and held Zong Yanli's hand. He whispered, "I will support you, General."
"Go back to the camp." Zong Yanli allowed Wen Nian to help him get on the horse. He quickly cleaned up the battle situation, took away the available military supplies, and returned to the camp with his troops.
Her injuries were in the dark, with bruises on her chest and back that looked a bit bloody, and her arms were trembling slightly. Zong Yanli sat upright in the tent, looking down at the ribs above her abdomen, and pressed them with her hand. Her face was distorted in pain, and her straight back was bent a little.
Xue Liqing was too strong. If Zong Yanli wanted to kill him head-on, he would probably be half dead...
Zong Yanli simply applied medicine to the more private parts, such as the thighs and chest, then wrapped his chest, tied the belt, and called Wen Nian with a pale face.
Wen Nian had been waiting outside for a long time. When he heard Zong Yanli's call, he came into the tent without hesitation.
"Don't make any noise, apply the medicine for me first." Zong Yanli looked up at Wen Nian and whispered.
"How could the general be injured so badly?" Although there was no blood, the internal injuries were more troublesome. The blood in Wen Nian's body had not yet dissipated, and he could not even take care of his own injuries. All he could see were the bruises all over Zong Yanli's body.