freenovelworld Chapter 2220 Falling short of success
Chapter 2220 Falling short of success
Chu Xuan stopped looking at Han Xing, as if he were already a commodity belonging to Li Shiming.
He waved his hand, signaling a squad of elite personal guards to step forward: "Capture Han Xing and his remaining troops, guard them carefully, and do not let them slip through your fingers or neglect them."
He specifically emphasized that "there must be no mistakes" and "there must be no negligence".
Clearly, Han Xing, this "goods," must remain intact until the city is captured.
Several guards stepped forward and tried to support the swaying Han Xing.
With his last bit of strength, Han Xing jerked his hands away, leaned on the broken hilt of his sword, staggered a step, but ultimately did not fall.
He glanced one last time in the direction of Jianghuai City, where His Majesty should be safe by now.
Then, he closed his eyes, letting the darkness and weakness engulf him, and was supported by Chu Xuan's personal guards and dragged away from the battlefield he had defended with his blood.
The morning light finally shone down completely, illuminating this chaotic battlefield and the dawn filled with betrayal, deals, and cold calculations.
The outline of Jianghuai City stands silently in the distance; a new confrontation and struggle has only just begun.
The city walls of Jianghuai City stand tall, their cold bricks gleaming with a bluish-gray luster in the rising sun, yet unable to dispel the gloom and oppression that permeates the city walls, heavier than the morning mist.
Chu Ning stood alone behind the battlement, his black dragon-patterned cloak fluttering slightly in the morning breeze.
He braced his hands against the cold brick wall, his knuckles turning white from the force, his gaze fixed on the field outside the city, where the sounds of battle had gradually subsided, but which was still shrouded in thick blood and smoke.
The fighting has stopped.
It is not the end of victory, but a silence filled with ominousness, a silence born of forced intervention.
The sight that met my eyes was chilling.
Nearby is the battlefield of the Tang army, where they were pursued last night but were held back by Han Xing, leaving behind a large number of corpses and damaged weapons.
Further away was the hillside where Han Xing's troops had last held their ground, now completely submerged. There, corpses piled up like mountains, and the tattered "Han" banner was still faintly visible, but there was no sign of any activity belonging to the Chu army.
Further out, like a moving city wall and a black tide, the army completely occupied that area and the wider region.
To the west was a massive infantry formation bearing the banner of Youzhou, with impeccable military discipline; to the north and northeast were the fierce and wild Scorpion Clan tribes, whose cavalry moved back and forth.
They did not disperse; instead, they subtly formed a semi-encirclement around Jianghuai City.
Among these enemy troops, remnants of the Tang army could be seen regrouping and regrouping.
Overnight, the roles of offense and defense reversed, and the hunter became the prey that could be surrounded.
Chu Ning's face was as gloomy as the sky before a storm.
What surged in his chest was an indescribable anger, frustration, and a trace of lingering fear and trepidation that even he himself was unwilling to admit.
He won, yet it seemed he had lost completely.
On a tactical level, he personally led a large army and decisively defeated the main force of the Tang army, killing Guo Ziyi, the pillar of the Tang Dynasty, and his eight thousand elite troops.
They forced Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty into a desperate situation with no chance of survival, achieving the most glorious victory since the start of the war.
The might of the Great Chu cavalry was unmatched in the world.
But he still lost, losing due to strategy and the hearts of the people.
One hundred thousand soldiers!
One hundred thousand of the most elite soldiers of the Great Chu were buried on the banks of the Yangtze and Huai Rivers after days of bloody battles, especially last night's final breakout and rearguard action!
Among them were veterans who followed him in raising an army, promising young talents, and generals like Han Xing who could stand alone as pillars of the state.
Their blood almost stained the mighty river red.
Such a heavy price was paid to lay the foundation for unifying the world, but it all vanished because of Chu Xuan's betrayal, the Scorpion Clan's intervention, and Li Shiming's reinforcements in his desperate situation!
Fall short!
A complete failure at the last minute!
He was once only one step away from taking Li Shimin's head, ending the Tang Dynasty, and completing his imperial career!
That step was briefly blocked by Guo Ziyi's flesh and blood, and then completely severed by Chu Xuan's cold knife stabbing him from behind.
What pained him even more was Han Xing.
That brave, decisive, and skilled general resolutely stayed behind last night, using his ten thousand isolated troops to buy himself and the main force precious time to retreat into Jianghuai City.
Now, the fighting outside the city has ceased, Han Xing's banner has fallen, and his fate remains unknown.
Were they captured?
Did they die in battle?
still is……
Chu Ning dared not think about it further.
If Han Xing were to die, it would not only be a loss for the Great Chu, but also a heavy blow to his prestige and public image.
If captured... and fall into the hands of Chu Xuan or Li Shiming, their fate would probably be even worse than dying in battle.
"Chu Xuan..."
Chu Ning clenched his teeth; the name was like a poisonous thorn, deeply embedded in his heart.
Betrayal by blood relatives is often more damaging than the swords of external enemies.
He recalled Chu Xuan's respectful and cautious demeanor in the past, and the trust he placed in Chu Xuan when he entrusted Youzhou to him, and felt waves of nausea and chills.
The purge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the collusion with the Scorpion Clan, and the sudden betrayal at a crucial moment—this was by no means a spur-of-the-moment decision, but a long-planned conspiracy!
I was completely kept in the dark by this kind and honest older brother!
And Li Shiming too!
Chu Ning's gaze fell on the Tang army's dragon flag that had been raised again in the distance.
His opponent's tenacity and ruthlessness also exceeded his expectations.
Using Guo Ziyi as bait, they secretly reached some kind of agreement with Chu Xuan and the Scorpion Clan?
How did he persuade Chu Xuan?
What enormous benefits were promised to the Scorpion Clan?
From the very beginning, this battle may not have been just a decisive battle between the Great Chu and the Great Tang, but rather a vast and complex web of intertwined forces, far more dangerous and intricate than any other.
"His Majesty,"
Feng Mulan's voice sounded from behind, filled with worry and exhaustion.
Her red armor was also stained with blood; she was the last to lead the cavalry to retreat last night when they covered the rear.
"The city's defenses have been initially reorganized. General Xue Huaide is inspecting various locations and intensifying the deployment of defenses. The casualties of the various armies are being tallied."
Her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.
The casualty figures will undoubtedly be an astronomical number that will break one's heart.
Chu Ning did not turn around, but nodded almost imperceptibly.
His gaze remained fixed on the outside of the city, watching the enemy troops adjust their formation in the dawn light. They seemed to be in no hurry to attack the city, but rather as if they were waiting for something.
at this time--
"Your Majesty! Look outside the city!" A sharp-eyed captain suddenly pointed westward.
Suddenly, several riders emerged from the gap between Chu Xuan's Youzhou army and the Scorpion Clan cavalry.
These riders were moving slowly and appeared quite cautious. Most peculiarly, the leader held aloft a crude flag made of hastily tied white cloth, which swayed weakly in the morning breeze.
white flag?
messenger?
The Chu soldiers on the city wall tensed up instantly, and the archers instinctively nocked their arrows and turned their eyes toward Chu Ning.