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"Well said!" As the applause echoed, a mounted Qin Soldier emerged from the shadows. "An Youchen! Do you still remember me?"
Li Xin, with his inherited farsightedness, took a look at the newcomer by the firelight and immediately deflated like a punctured ball. His original plan was to have Meng Wu arrive shortly after to launch a surprise attack on the Zhao Army from behind. A quick volley would likely take out seventy to eighty percent of the enemy forces. Even if a few dozen remained, they would be no match! They could easily surround them and end the battle.
But now, this person had come out all on his own!
Was this a deliberate early reveal? An Youchen did not think so! With the light from the burning torches illuminating the figure, he nearly fell off his horse. He clearly remembered how that battle had unfolded. They had clashed over thirty times, and it had mostly ended in complete defeat. If it weren't for the timely arrival of the armies from Han, Wei, Qi, and Chu to provide support, he would have long since met his end.
At that time, the Qin Army had been besieged by the five-nation Allied Forces for nearly a month, and their successful breakout was achieved by cutting through the Zhao Army's camp. As the commander of the Zhao Army back then, An Youchen learned that old Meng had fled without organizing any resistance, running away even faster than a rabbit! It was only when his personal guards caught up with him that he dared to ask his soldiers if their heads were still attached.
An Youchen recalled that there were rumors at the time that Qin General Meng Wu had been caught and killed by pursuing forces from the five-nation Allied Forces after successfully breaking out. But how could he be here in the middle of the night!? There was no time to think about that; he needed to run! He pulled on the reins and sped away.
The Zhao Army Soldiers, suddenly leaderless, exchanged glances in confusion. Now that they wanted to escape, they found themselves surrounded by large numbers of Qin Army troops. They sighed deeply and dropped their weapons in surrender.
Was the battle really over just like that!?
Li Xin watched as Qin Army Soldiers began rounding up prisoners and suddenly felt that Meng Wu appeared much more imposing than before. A look of envy crossed his face as he secretly admired him. A general who fought on the battlefield truly instilled fear in enemies! He had scoffed at such things before but was witnessing it firsthand today! If he had been the one to stroll out and shout "Li Xin is here!" just now, he would have likely been shot full of holes!
If at first Li Xin had some doubts about Luzi's judgment, witnessing this real-life confrontation magnified Meng Wu's impressive image significantly. He approached respectfully and said enviously, "General Meng truly retains his might from years past!"
Hearing this, Meng Wu smiled wryly and shook his head without responding. Looking at the swirling snowflakes, an inexplicable sense of desolation surged within him. The might of a general has always been built upon mountains of soldiers' bones. He was still alive at this moment, but those brave subordinates had long since returned to their homeland.
But now was not the time for sentimentality; he turned to the waiting Herald and said, "Immediately inform General Lu! Old Horse Ridge is now under our control; please ask him to send reinforcements quickly."
Upon hearing the command issued by Meng Wu, Li Xin immediately realized that the Zhao Army unit they had just encountered must be stationed at Old Horse Ridge. This meant that the Zhao Army camp had been completely dismantled. Just as he was about to inquire whether this deduction was valid, he heard the second command being issued.
"Notify the brothers guarding the camp to pack their things and head up the mountain overnight!"
As the soldiers delivering the message left, Meng Wu turned to Li Xin and said, "There's no time to waste! We need to move up the mountain and set up defenses immediately! If I'm not mistaken, the vanguard of the Zhao Army will attack Old Horse Ridge tomorrow afternoon!"
Li Xin glanced back at the defected soldiers, who were showing fearful expressions, and sighed inwardly. Killing was indeed easy, but that was under the premise that the enemy was armed. Facing unarmed individuals made it difficult to take action. He wondered how Bai Qi managed to do it; he was truly a butcher in every sense! However, not dealing with the defected soldiers was not a solution either.
"Since we are leaving now, what should we do with these people? If we let them go, they will surely pick up their weapons again once they return."
Meng Wu, preparing to mount his horse, grunted heavily and then jumped onto his steed. "What else can we do!? Just let them all go! The important matters take precedence!" With that, he pulled on the reins and headed up the mountain along the path.
If Li Xin would have opposed this before, now he followed orders without question. A person's reputation is built on their actions; a general's prestige is earned through their own hands! Seeing Meng Wu already embarking on his journey, Li Xin was about to mount his horse to follow when he heard an inquiry from behind.
These were all lives at stake; they were still waiting for their land back! A sergeant approached and bowed slightly, whispering, "General! We came out empty-handed..."
Hearing this, Li Xin immediately became displeased. "What kind of army are we running here!? Didn't you hear General Meng's command!? Let them go immediately!" He waved his hand. "Everyone follow me! If anything happens to General Meng, you can consider your heads forfeit!"
This statement reminded the soldiers who were still contemplating collecting heads of the most important point. Military law clearly states that if a general falls in battle, his troops must commit suicide and all merits will be revoked. Others involved would be punished for dereliction of duty according to law! If they died in battle alongside their general, they would not be held accountable.
In other words, if Meng Wu were shot by the Zhao Army, their merits would also be canceled. If it came to that point, what use would those heads be!? Thus, the soldiers dared not entertain thoughts of personal gain any longer and hurriedly followed along the mountain path to catch up with Li Xin, who had already run ahead.
The mountain path ahead was slippery; both generals should slow down!
Abandoned by the Qin Army, the Zhao Army's Defected Soldiers suddenly realized that there were no Qin soldiers around them. They exchanged glances and felt a sense of relief. After confirming that they had escaped, they scattered like birds and beasts. Whether these soldiers returned to the Zhao Camp or chose to become deserters out of fear of death did not impact the upcoming battle, so it was not mentioned further.
As the first rays of sunlight illuminated Old Horse Ridge, the vanguard of the Qin Army had already occupied the camp left behind by the Zhao Army. Just as Meng Wu had anticipated, there were no Zhao soldiers in the camp at that moment. However, there was a considerable amount of abandoned supplies, enough food for everyone to last half a month.
At the beginning, Li Xin had been worried about the supply of provisions, but upon seeing these supplies, he felt relieved. The ability to hold out until the Army arrived still depended heavily on provisions. One should never underestimate these grains and dried meat; maintaining morale relied on this. As long as there was enough food, the soldiers would not worry about their meals. As for combat issues, they were here precisely to fight!
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