Chapter 568: War breaks out in the middle of the night
The next day, it was midnight!
In the Longtai Town camp, Xie Jing was clearly not in the mood for sleep. If reinforcements didn't arrive, he would have to fight to the death. But by then, of the 20,000 soldiers under his command, only a few would be able to make it out.
"General!"
Just then, a bodyguard rushed in.
Xie Jing stood up and asked, "But are the enemy troops moving?"
"General, there's flames all over the sky in the northwest. Judging from the direction, that should be where the enemy camp is."
"The enemy camp is on fire?" Xie Jing's face was full of surprise. It's not that he had not thought about setting fire, but the enemy was guarding their troops so tightly that even a small group of troops could not get close to him.
"It's not clear whether it's an enemy camp. General Du has already led his troops out to investigate. However, judging by the direction and distance, it should be the area around the enemy's main camp."
"Good, good, good! Pass on my order, all officers gather their troops and be ready to break out at any time."
After the guards left, Xie Jing shouted, "Come here, get me my armor!"
When Xie Jing got dressed and walked out of the tent, Guo Wei also rushed over from a distance.
"General, do you think it could be the Marshal's reinforcements that have arrived?" Guo Wei spoke with a look of surprise on his face.
Xie Jing shook his head. "It's not clear yet, but if the barren mountain is on fire, the enemy camp will be in chaos. In any case, this is our chance."
"Later, I will lead the troops out of the camp, and you go to the rear to gather the troops and launch a surprise attack. Don't let these bastards stab us in the back while we are having a great time. Whether we can make it out alive depends on tonight."
"Okay!" Guo Wei responded, and then hurried away.
Afterwards, the other officers and generals in the army also gradually led their troops to rush over. Although it was the middle of the night, after receiving the news, everyone knew that this was a rare opportunity. Therefore, under the temptation of survival, everyone was eager to fight.
"Brothers, the Marshal's reinforcements should be arriving outside. We've been surrounded by those bastards for nearly half a month, and now it's finally time for revenge. Later, I will personally lead the charge with my guards, and you all must follow me closely. If anyone shows signs of cowardice, don't even think of me as a soldier."
Although I don’t know if they are reinforcements, it’s always right to say so.
As expected, the officers and soldiers present were all excited when they heard this. Putting aside the defeats of the past two days, now that reinforcements had arrived, they could fight their way out and survive. Who would hold back at this moment?
"All officers, organize your troops and await my orders. Someone, go show me where Du Jie is and report back with any news from the front..."
As he was speaking, the earth suddenly shook, and from the direction where the flames were rising into the sky, bursts of horse neighing could be heard. Furthermore, there were also vague shouts and cries of killing.
Xie Jing's eyes lit up. He was originally not sure whether reinforcements were coming, but now, it was obvious that something had happened to the other side. They would not kill each other. The most likely possibility was that reinforcements had really arrived.
He didn't bother waiting any longer and shouted, "All officers, listen up! The Marshal's reinforcements are already engaged with those bastards. Everyone, form up and follow me as we charge forward."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Jing mounted his horse and rode ahead, followed closely by the rest of the soldiers, led by their respective officers.
After running for several miles, scouts came to report from the front.
"General, right now, there's a fire in the enemy camp to the left, and the enemy is in chaos. Thousands of cavalry have charged into the mountain pass and broken through the enemy's formation. General Du Jie is clearing obstacles at the pass ahead, and troops from the main camp on the right have also begun to move, but they've all been scattered by the cavalry in the valley."
"What flag is that cavalry flying?" Xie Jing asked anxiously.
"Brothers, look, it's a big banner with the Chinese character 'Lu' on it!"
Xie Jing was overjoyed when he heard this, "It must be the Marshal's personal guard, Vanguard General Lu Feng!"
He turned and looked at the troops behind him. He had arrived quickly, and there were about 7,000 to 8,000 soldiers behind him. He thought for a moment, then gave the order, "Kang Guang, you stay here and wait for the follow-up troops to gather. Once the troops are ready, come back and join me."
"Xiang Min, Li He, you two will each lead 1,500 soldiers on either wing. Follow me and charge directly in to join the reinforcements."
"Du Yingcai, take one thousand of your soldiers and sneak to the rear of the right main camp while the chaos is going on. Look for the right opportunity to launch a surprise attack. They're in disarray right now, and the main camp's defenses are lax. If you succeed in your surprise attack, their troops in front will be thrown into chaos."
All the generals received the order, and then Xie Jing took the lead and led the troops to continue charging forward.
At this moment, there was chaos in the valley.
After nightfall, Jia Cong ordered a small group of soldiers to hide in the barren mountains. Although there were enemy scouts in the mountains, it would not be easy to find this small group of soldiers. Therefore, these teams of soldiers went directly to the designated location and then poured oil and set fire to the forest.
Only when the fire started did they quietly retreat.
By the time the enemy camp discovered the fire above, it was too late to put out the fire.
Thick smoke billowed in, and even though all the trees around the camp had been cut down, it still caused chaos. Moreover, if a fire broke out, how could they find shelter in this open space?
The commanding general did not dare to delay. He immediately sent troops to try to prevent the fire from spreading, while letting other troops go down the mountain to take shelter.
However, this was the main camp. It was easy for people to leave, but how difficult would it be to move all the baggage and food? Add to that the raging fire, and everyone was in a panic, and the entire camp was in chaos.
Fortunately, this general was quite calm. While gathering the troops in the camp, he also ordered the soldiers to leave in batches with some food and fodder.
But not long after, the sound of horse hooves could be heard from the direction of the mountain pass. The general suddenly realized that the fire was not an accident, but an enemy attack.
Sure enough, about half an hour later, shouts and cries of battle could be heard from below. Soon after, a soldier arrived to report that a large number of enemy troops had been charging down below. The troops that had descended the mountain earlier were already in disarray, and carrying baggage, so they were immediately scattered. Most of them were killed or wounded, and some took advantage of the chaos to flee, while others simply surrendered.
"Can our other camp send troops to rescue us?" the general asked urgently.
"Tong Jiang's army did send troops down, but before they reached the foot of the mountain, they were ambushed by the enemy. After a fierce battle, they lost two to three thousand men and have temporarily retreated."
The general's face was pale. The enemy had clearly come prepared, and the situation was unclear. Going down the mountain now was indeed unwise, but the fire was growing stronger, and even in the camp, the scorching heat could be felt. Even though they knew the situation below was dire, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and descend.
"Come, gather your troops and follow me forward! Leave two thousand soldiers behind to guard the rear and escort the baggage and food."
