tkworld Chapter 2665 Wan Qian invades the Han camp, making rapid progress and capturing two routes.
Chapter 2665 Wan Qian invades the Han camp, making rapid progress and capturing two routes.
Chapter 2665 One Hundred Thousand Gan Enemies Enter the Han Camp, Making Rapid Advances and Taking Two Routes
Since the Han Dynasty marched south, the first large-scale decisive battle between the Han and Qian dynasties has officially come to an end.
Under Xue Rengui's orders, 20,000 Han cavalrymen split up and pursued the enemy for three days and three nights before finally ceasing their pursuit and returning to camp with their prisoners.
Having been under immense mental strain for three consecutive days, Xue Rengui was already exhausted. However, even after his troops returned to camp with fruitful results, he still didn't rest immediately.
He was standing outside the central command tent when a morning breeze blew by, carrying with it the lingering smell of blood and burnt flesh from the battlefield.
Zhou Qing rode up from behind, dismounted, and quickly walked to Xue Rengui's side, handing him a battle report that had just been compiled.
"Brother, we've done a preliminary inventory."
Xue Rengui took the battle report compiled by Zhou Qing and looked down at it.
—In this battle, the Qian army deployed approximately 340,000 infantry and 30,000 cavalry, totaling over 370,000. After a night of fierce fighting, approximately 30,000 of the 340,000 infantrymen died in battle. Half of them died on the spot during the cavalry raid, and the other half died during the retreat due to trampling or falling into the water.
—More than 100,000 people were captured.
The remaining 200,000 or so scattered and fled, either hiding in the mountains and forests or disappearing into the depths of the wilderness. It was difficult for them to regroup in a short time. The 30,000 Qian cavalry also retreated in an orderly manner.
—The captured supplies and provisions were countless, and the weapons, flags, and drums were piled up like mountains.
"On our side, casualties..." Zhou Qing paused, then said in a low voice.
"General Guo Ziyi's troops suffered more than 3,000 casualties. General Hun Jian was ambushed by Ji Chengfu during the pursuit, and nearly 1,000 of his 3,000 men were killed. General Tan Zhi was unfortunately killed by Jiang Chen. General Wang Yi's troops suffered only minor casualties."
Xue Rengui silently read the report, folded it up, and put it in his pocket.
He did not speak. Of the 340,000 infantrymen, nearly half were lost in the battle. Even elite units like the Crimson Cloud Swords suffered heavy losses.
Our own casualties were only a little over four thousand, making it a complete and resounding victory from every perspective. This battle is destined to leave a shining mark in history.
However, most of the enemy troops still managed to escape, which was ultimately a regret for Xue Rengui and also diminished the excitement of the battle.
Meanwhile, 100,000 prisoners were being escorted in large groups to makeshift prisoner-of-war camps, stretching for miles along the way, with the line almost endless.
Some of the prisoners had their heads down, some had blank stares, and some were still sobbing softly, but most of them just walked in silence, like a herd of livestock being driven.
Zhou Qing followed his gaze and said softly, "Brother, in this battle, we've broken Ji Chengfu's backbone."
Xue Rengui shook his head and said, "Breaking the spine is not difficult; the difficult part is preventing it from growing back."
Zhou Qing was taken aback.
Xue Rengui did not explain. He simply turned around and looked northwest, towards White Wolf Ridge, towards Bai Qi, and also towards Jiang Ziya.
"Any news from Bai Qi's side?"
"Not yet, but judging by the timeline, it should be soon."
Xue Rengui nodded.
"Brother, what should we do with those prisoners?" Zhou Qing asked worriedly.
One hundred thousand prisoners—that's no small problem. Just feeding the people and horses would be an astronomical figure every day. Moreover, with so many prisoners, any mishap in guarding them could trigger a huge crisis.
Xue Rengui remained silent for a moment before replying, "Separate them and keep them in different pens. Give them something to eat, so they don't starve to death." Xue Rengui was also having a headache over these 100,000 people; incorporating them into his own ranks was definitely out of the question.
These 100,000 people are all native to the Great Qian Dynasty. Their families are still in the rear. To rashly incorporate them so quickly is tantamount to planting a time bomb within our own ranks.
However, if they were to keep them, it would take up a considerable portion of their military strength just to guard the prisoners.
In fact, Xue Rengui had a bloodthirsty side to his personality, and the historical Xue Rengui had a history of this.
However, Xue Rengui was no political novice either. Killing these 100,000 people could solve the immediate problem, but the long-term consequences would be much greater.
They came to occupy the land, not to loot it once and leave.
Once this killing spree begins, the battles that follow will be even more difficult.
Upon hearing that Xue Rengui had made a decision, Zhou Qing immediately clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Understood."
"In addition, send two copies of this battle report, one to General Yue Fei and one to Tianjing." As Zhou Qing was about to leave the tent, Xue Rengui gave his final instructions.
Zhou Qing paused, turned around, and replied again, "Understood!"
Xue Rengui nodded and watched Zhou Qing lift the tent flap and stride away.
Outside the tent came Zhou Qing's voice calling to the messenger, followed by the sound of horses' hooves gradually fading into the distance.
Xue Rengui withdrew his gaze, sat down behind the desk, and focused his eyes on the map spread out in front of him.
Xingbei Road, Bailangling, Sishui, Yuehupo... place names flashed by in his eyes, finally settling on the location of Bailangling.
Bai Qi should have received the news by now, right?
"Someone come here."
The curtain was lifted, and a young guard appeared at the door; he was Xue Rengui's cousin, Xue Xiantu.
"Go and invite General Guo Ziyi, Mr. Wang Changluo, and Mr. Zhang Liang to come over for a meeting."
"Understood!" Xue Xiantu turned and left, his footsteps hurried.
Xue Xiantu moved very quickly, and soon footsteps could be heard outside the tent.
Xue Rengui turned around and saw the tent flap being lifted, with three figures filing in.
The man at the front, with broad shoulders and a kind face, was none other than the Divine General Guo Ziyi. He walked with steady steps, each step firm and solid. After entering, he clasped his hands in a salute and said, "General."
Following closely behind were Wang Changluo and Zhang Liang, both dressed in blue robes and scholar's caps. The two walked with ease, their faces bearing their usual gentle smiles. After entering the tent, they did not rush to speak, but simply nodded slightly as a gesture of respect.
Xue Rengui pointed to the seats on both sides and said, "Sit."
The three sat down, and the tent was quiet for a moment. Xue Rengui returned to his desk and sat down, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the three men.
"You have all seen the outcome of this battle."
"I called you here to hear your opinions. What's the next step for us?" Xue Rengui said calmly.
Although this battle was not a complete victory, it was still a great victory, even a resounding one, which set a good precedent for the war. Compared to the previous period, Xue Rengui was somewhat more relaxed in his mindset.