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Chapter 249: Sniping
In the Queen's palace, Xiao Chanyan looked at the Deposed Qi Consort and advised, "The Emperor and I share the same thoughts; why must you be so stubborn?"
The Yang Clan touched her slightly protruding belly and said, "It is fate; I must comply. I only ask for your grace, my lady, for the child within me..."
The two had a friendship since the previous dynasty, and Xiao Chanyan comforted her, saying, "After all, he is the Emperor's nephew; he will surely inherit a title in the future. This Palace will also take care of him."
"Thank you, my lady. With this assurance, I have no more worries. The Royal Clan Office lacks nothing; it is a place for self-cultivation."
After a moment, the Yang Clan took her leave and returned to her residence. The plaque of Qi Wang Mansion had long been removed and replaced with one that boldly read Royal Clan Office.
Inside, besides the deposed King Qi, Li Yuanji, there were many members of the Royal Family. Some were sentenced to lifelong imprisonment while others for several years. Many carriages were parked outside the gate, and upon seeing the Yang Clan return, they immediately came forward.
"Wangfei, please help me bring some clothes inside. The wind has been strong and the nights cold these past few days; how can my poor child endure this? Woe is me!"
"Wangfei, these two bundles of food are my county lord's favorites. The old woman begs you..."
"Wangfei..."
The Yang Clan said little else and instructed a servant to check everything before helping them carry it inside. Currently, in this Royal Clan Office, she still held some privileges; others who came here at the Emperor's uncle's behest could expect no favors.
Even though it was the Royal Clan Office, those imprisoned inside were all royal relatives, yet there was still a hierarchy among them. The deposed King Qi resided in the most spacious courtyard.
After delivering items to various places, the Yang Clan returned when suddenly a disheveled Li Yuanji jumped out from somewhere: "Have you seen the Empress? Have you seen her?"
The Yang Clan shook her head: "I only saw the Empress."
Li Yuanji's eyes flashed with a fierce light as he shouted, "Useless thing, you are pregnant. You can make a scene in the palace; who dares to stop you from seeing the Empress!"
The Yang Clan remained silent, only calmly looking at her husband. Li Yuanji, filled with resentment, said, "Then why did you come back? Get out, get out and never come back!"
Hearing this, the Yang Clan finally showed a faint smile on her face. "I must accompany you. Besides, this is our royal residence; I will never leave."
"I have not caused any trouble, so the Empress agreed to me that our child will have wealth and honor in the future."
Li Yuanji said nothing more, only gazing despairingly at the sky. How long had it been? He was already close to forgetting how to ride a horse and hunt.
...
Li Jing took the initiative to join forces with Yang Jishan and Wang Bo, then began to arrange troops strategically at key positions.
Some were genuinely meant to intercept, while others were merely for show; it would be best if they could intimidate the Turkic forces. Even if they couldn't scare them off, it was essential to make the Turkic troops feel apprehensive with every step they took.
With the current number of troops, it was unrealistic to block the Turkic army of over a hundred thousand soldiers. However, Li Jing was confident that through his strategies, he could turn the Turkic withdrawal into a rout, making them panic-stricken.
Faced with Li Jing, Yang Jishan, and Wang Bo, no one dared to defy them. After all, in terms of qualifications and status, few in the court could compare with the Duke of Wei.
This individual not only had remarkable military achievements but was also the Emperor's mentor—who would dare offend him?
As time passed, Li Jing's troops gradually increased. The court was doing everything possible to transport reinforcements without alarming the Turkic forces.
When Li Jing noticed Turkic deserters, he knew that their army was about to retreat. He then ordered Su Dingfang, Pei Xingyan, Cheng Zhijie, and Xue Rengao to each lead five thousand elite cavalry on standby.
These four fierce generals with twenty thousand elite cavalry were crucial for breaking the Turkic army. To cause a troop's collapse, there needed to be an interception in front, pursuing forces behind, and constant threats from the sides.
They aimed to make them feel surrounded with no chance to catch their breath; the collapse of the camp was only a matter of time.
Xieli and Tongye Hu finally made the painful decision to withdraw their troops, allowing the rear guard to clash with the Tang army, abandoning all supplies and only taking enough food for a few days for the soldiers.
The Turkic Army did not dare to stop for even a moment, as no one knew how long the rear guard could hold out. If they were caught by the Tang army again in a hurry, who could they rely on for support?
They had to travel until their mounts needed water and rest, and only then did the soldiers take a brief respite, which provided them with some reassurance.
Xieli said to Tongye Hu, "The Tang army has been relentless in holding us back these days; they must be trying to exhaust our troops and encircle us. There is likely an ambush ahead, and we need to prepare early."
Tongye Hu nodded in agreement, "If their troops were sufficient, they would have already encircled us. This shows they are still lacking in numbers. We should send out scouts and carefully avoid dangerous areas so we can return safely."
At that moment, they suddenly heard shouts not far away. Xieli hurriedly climbed to a high point to look, only to see dozens of their own cavalry galloping wildly in the distance.
Suddenly, flags appeared behind them, followed by a sea of helmets. Then came more and more Tang soldiers pouring out, riding horses and charging forward.
The fleeing Turkic scouts were shot down one by one. Without needing Xieli Khan's orders, the Turkic Army quickly mounted their horses and prepared for battle.
Once Xieli Khan clearly saw the formation of the Tang army, he felt relieved; there were only five or six thousand riders.
After mounting, the Turkic cavalry actively moved to encircle that group of Tang soldiers while Xieli and Tongye Hu led the main force to retreat without any further plans.
However, suddenly another group of Tang soldiers charged out, and the Turkic cavalry responsible for guarding the right flank immediately engaged them.
But after a brief skirmish between these two forces and the Turkic Army, they withdrew. The Turkic commanders followed Khan's orders and did not dare to pursue; they quickly turned their horses around to return for protection.
Not long after, two more Tang Dynasty cavalry units appeared, harassing from a distance with their ranged attacks. When they saw the Turkic cavalry engage, they retreated directly.
Xieli and Tongye Hu had no good options; they could only arrange similar forces to respond at any time, while allowing the rest of their troops to rest and focus on the journey. However, the soldiers were too afraid to do so.
After walking for a while, they saw the Tang army's banners prominently displayed in the forest ahead, with an unknown number of troops hidden among the trees, causing countless birds to take flight in alarm.
The Turkic army dared not enter and had to detour, but no matter how they circled, there were Tang troops everywhere. Thus, in a small grove, Xieli ordered the main force not to avoid confrontation, resulting in the Tang troops inside fleeing directly.
The forest was filled with banners and dummies made of grass and weapons.
Xieli Khan was furious and ordered the cavalry to pursue the foot soldiers. However, unexpectedly, aside from the Tang cavalry that had been harassing their flanks, thousands of cavalry appeared ahead, escorting the foot soldiers as they retreated leisurely.
Xieli Khan could only endure this setback. Not far ahead was another small grove; if they detoured around it, they would have to cross a river. Therefore, Xieli commanded scouts to investigate first.
As soon as the Turkic scouts approached, they were met with a rain of arrows. Enraged, Xieli ordered his men to set fire to the forest. Tongye Hu hurriedly advised against it, explaining that while burning the forest was easy, it would force them to take a longer route, and the pursuing enemy was not far behind.
………………
(End of Chapter)
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