Chapter 1334 – Attack on Huang Song, Unifying Dongqing (75)
“Military Adviser, this—”
Feng Jue’s voice was low, “Liu Xi is indeed a terrifying person.”
He rarely admired anyone, but Jiang Pengji, who had repeatedly outsmarted him, was definitely one of them.
In a situation like this, where defenses were held tight in the rear, the person could either be overly cautious or possess foresight.
There was no way Jiang Pengji could be the former, which only left the latter—she must have anticipated that Feng Jue would lead troops to sneak attack the rear!
“What are we to do now?”
The general’s face was urgent, his rugged features shadowed by significant worry as beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
“What to do?” Feng Jue replied, “Once the bow is drawn, there’s no turning back; it is natural to fight!”
What, should they retreat just because the enemy was on guard?
The general looked sheepish, seemingly realizing he had asked a foolish question.
Unbeknownst to him, Feng Jue was also in a tight spot.
Leading his troops to ambush Jiang Pengji’s rear, in tandem with the front lines, would also help boost the morale of Huang Song’s main forces.
If he gave the order to retreat now to avoid the enemy’s sharp edge, the morale of the front lines would inevitably collapse like a frightened dog.
Thus, even if he had to stubbornly hold on, he could not take a step back.
The news of the ambush on Jiang Pengji’s rear had not only reached Jiang Pengji and her team but was also noticed by Huang Song, stationed in the center.
After thinking it over, Huang Song still could not figure out the identity of the assailant until Cheng Jing’s words woke him up.
“My Lord, it must be Huai Jian’s troops.”
Cheng Jing calculated the time; the unknown forces attacking Jiang Pengji’s rear could only be led by Feng Jue, no one else.
Huang Song’s expression brightened, and he quickly ordered the drums to continue beating, using it to stir the soldiers’ morale, the beat like a torrential downpour.
Before Jiang Pengji could act, her eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of a barrage of comments, and her fingers trembled, almost revealing a crack in her typically perfect expression.
【Wandering the World】: The drums on the battlefield… it’s like a spinning class needs some turbo music too, right? Adrenaline boost?
【Stowaway Non-Money】: Up there, you’re so shameless; how am I supposed to take the spinning class’s BGM seriously?
The war drums indeed had the effect of invigorating the morale, but they also served another critical purpose, conveying orders and warnings.
Soldiers didn’t fight like actors in a drama, each with impressive martial skills; they only knew the simplest moves. No martial arts knowledge didn’t matter; there were so many of them coordinating an attack simultaneously that their lethality wasn’t any weaker than that of martial arts experts.
With different drumbeat rhythms, they would attack together, defend together, or pursue the enemy together…
After all, this was an era without phones, wireless Bluetooth, or even an electronic loudspeaker.
Upon Huang Song’s order to attack, the drummers increased their tempo and frequency, applying psychological pressure on the enemy.
If a single charge could breach the enemy’s defenses, causing them significant casualties, the soldiers’ morale would only rise.
The soldiers under Jiang Pengji also noticed the changes in the rear; the soldiers at the front momentarily hesitated. Before they could react, the enemies pounced like wolves. Perhaps their injuries weren’t fatal, but the stampede of the enemy was enough to turn them into bloody slush—
Seeing this scenario, Jiang Pengji promptly adjusted her tactics, adopting a defensive formation to counter the enemy.
The morale on Huang Song’s side was unstable; as long as Feng Jue’s forces couldn’t break through the rear, and the front lines couldn’t chew through the enemy, morale would inevitably plummet over time. At that moment, Jiang Pengji could then issue orders to turn defense into offense, breaking through the enemy’s psychological defenses all at once.
She remained calm and collected, issuing military orders with ease, and Huang Song indeed hadn’t gained an advantage.
At another location, Xie Ze also stabilized the situation, not only preventing the enemy from advancing but even pushing them back a bit.
“This battle is crucial!”
Xie Ze called out loudly.
“I shall live or die alongside you all!”
As he spoke, he charged ahead, taking down two enemies in quick succession, encouraging the nearby soldiers.
Xie Ze’s martial skills matched those of Li Yun, and both were putting forth their utmost effort, making victory odds even. His long spear felt like a part of his body, radiating a shimmering glow that zipped through the air like lightning, claiming lives in an instant.
After eliminating several foes, Xie Ze rapidly issued more commands, keeping the two armies locked in a fierce struggle.
Though it appeared evenly matched, Feng Jue was keenly aware that if this dragged on, it would inevitably be his defeat. Their army had rushed from Wanzhou to here; even though they had rested midway, the wear and tear on the soldiers’ bodies and minds hadn’t fully recovered, while the enemy was in a different condition altogether.
Feng Jue was contemplating a strategy, but could the battlefield be controlled by just a few people’s wisdom?
Observing the situation, Jiang Pengji suddenly said, “Bergao is about to lose—”
The Dried Fish audience was puzzled; looking at the battlefield situation, she hadn’t gained much of an advantage herself; Huang Song wouldn’t be defeated that quickly.
Meanwhile, Yang Si crossed his arms, twirling his neatly trimmed beard, “Huang Song’s forces are doomed.”
Han Yu nodded.
Why were the three so certain?
Because they all heard the enemy’s drumbeat rhythm had gone awry.
The highs and lows of the drumming, the rhythm, and the spacing all conveyed different meanings; beating the drums signaled advancement, while ringing bells meant to halt.
The enemy’s drumming was clearly for an attack, yet they were showing signs of retreat; this was an evident sign of plummeting morale.
Furthermore, the drummers were dispirited and distracted, leading to a few mistakes in the war drums; this could be fatal on the battlefield.
Realizing the moment was right, Jiang Pengji seized the opportunity and ordered a strong offensive.
In an instant, the army surged forward like a dam bursting, water cascading down, charging fiercely at the enemy, the drums now vibrant and dense.
With the ebb and flow, Huang Song’s troops found themselves increasingly outmatched.
Huang Song’s face turned ashen, his teeth clenched tightly, the veins on his forehead bulging.
At that moment, a blood-soaked general galloped in, severely injured, nearly falling off his horse when he dismounted.
“My Lord, our front lines have collapsed—”
Huang Song fiercely closed his eyes, gritting his teeth, “Retreat!”
“Withdraw the troops!”
As soon as the order to retreat was issued, the soldiers rushed to turn back, each one thinking only of escaping, inadvertently giving advantage to the pursuing enemies. Jiang Pengji seized the momentum, chasing after them, and the bodies left behind by the enemy’s retreat could nearly equal the previous losses!
With a resounding victory at the front, Feng Jue at the rear quickly fell into disadvantage.
Jiang Pengji’s gaze was distant, her left hand lightly brushing the hilt of her God-Slaying Blade.
After a moment, she spoke, “Summon Captain Jiang and pull together five thousand troops to come with me!”
Upon hearing this, Yang Si’s nerves tightened instantly.
Han Yu, a beat behind, also realized what the Lord intended—
“My Lord, we shouldn’t pursue a retreating foe!” Yang Si’s eyes widened, forcing out a line he himself didn’t believe.
“Take advantage of their illness, and strike for their lives!” Jiang Pengji scoffed, “I only know how to kick a dog when it’s down!”
Nong Qin received the message and without hesitation pulled together five thousand elite cavalry.
Her Lord’s orders, right or wrong, were laws to her.
Yang Si: “……”
