In the open mountain plain, two massive Macedonian phalanxes were encircled by thousands of cavalry.
The phalanxes, bristling with sharp bamboo on all sides, resembled curled-up hedgehogs. The Dangxiang cavalry circled repeatedly but could find no point of attack.
Both sides reached a stalemate.
Reports naturally reached their respective headquarters via scouts.
The Dangxiang held the upper hand, so Li Jikui was in no rush, calmly discussing with his staff how to break the hedgehog-like phalanxes.
In contrast, General Fan’s headquarters in Weizhou City was in an uproar.
Both General Fan and Qing Huai had placed high hopes on the Ansu and Yongan armies, expecting them to use the Macedonian phalanx to rescue the trapped Tielin army.
But before even reaching Qingshui Valley, the allied forces had lost over half their men, with the survivors now surrounded by Dangxiang cavalry.
“They were supposed to be proficient with the phalanx, and Qing Huai provided barbed wire. How could they be so ineffective?” General Fan was both anxious and furious.
“Commander, the Dangxiang cavalry came too fast. By the time our scouts relayed the message to Generals Ding and Cheng, they were already miles away. Half our men didn’t have time to form up and were scattered by the cavalry,” a scout said, his face bitter. “As for the barbed wire from Marquis Qing, it’s still on the carts, unopened. The auxiliaries were all killed before they could use it.”
“They moved that fast this time?” General Fan asked coldly.
Speed was always a key advantage of cavalry, but a large army’s march should be slower than a lone scout’s.
Under normal circumstances, the Ansu army would have had enough time to form up after receiving the scout’s report.
But reality had dealt them a harsh blow.
“Commander, I don’t know what happened. The Dangxiang acted like madmen, travelling light, galloping straight out of their camp. Their speed was only slightly slower than ours,” the scout said, still shaken.
He had been racing against death itself, knowing a moment’s delay would mean doom.
“It seems the Dangxiang cavalry have a skilled strategist guiding them, leaving no time for the Ansu army to form their phalanx,” Qing Huai said, gazing out the window. “I just hope the five hundred men on the southern route don’t encounter the Dangxiang cavalry.”
The northern force had survived with half its men because they carried bamboo and shields to form a large phalanx. The southern detachment, heading through mountain paths to Qingshui Valley, had only brought two days’ rations and weapons for mobility.
If they met Dangxiang cavalry, their chances were grim.
But as feared, no sooner had Qing Huai spoken than a blood-soaked scout was carried in.
“Report, Commander… General Liu at Jinfang Ridge… ambushed by the Dangxiang… entire force wiped out…” The scout gasped out the words before fainting.
General Fan’s face paled slightly, and he waved for the soldiers to carry the scout away.
Qing Huai staggered, nearly collapsing.
Both the northern and southern rescue forces had failed, filling him with dread for the Tielin army’s fate.
Even more anxious were the Ding and Cheng family advisors in Weizhou City.
The Tielin army was only trapped on the mountain for now, with no immediate danger. But the Ansu and Yongan armies had lost over half their men, and the survivors faced imminent destruction.
Even if the Dangxiang did nothing but maintain the siege, the two phalanxes couldn’t hold out.
Hastily formed, they had lost all their supplies to the Dangxiang. Food, water, and even sleep were luxuries. How long could they last?
Meanwhile, the Dangxiang could receive endless supplies and rest in shifts.
The Ding and Cheng advisors stormed into the commander’s residence, weeping and pleading for General Fan to send troops to rescue their armies.
The Yongan and Ansu armies were among the more capable units of the Zhenxi army. The two thousand survivors were their elite, and General Fan couldn’t abandon them lightly. He quickly summoned the generals for a meeting.
The noble-born generals, still regretting missing the chance to rescue the Tielin army yesterday, rushed excitedly to the commander’s residence.
But upon learning of the Ansu and Yongan armies’ fate, they were stunned into silence, none willing to volunteer for a rescue mission.
The Ding and Cheng advisors knelt, kowtowing and begging the noble generals to send troops.
But the nobles remained silent, heads bowed, pretending not to hear.
Qing Huai cursed them furiously, and General Fan was utterly disappointed in them.
The meeting ended in discord.
“General Zheng, didn’t you say last night over drinks that you’d love a chance to take on the Dangxiang? Why so quiet today?”
“Old Liu, you’ve got some nerve pointing fingers at Zheng. Didn’t you complain yesterday that General Fan was biased for not letting you march? Now’s your chance, so why aren’t you going?”
“Joking aside, in our Zhenxi army, aside from General Fan’s own Fan family army, the best fighters are the Tielin, Ansu, and Yongan armies. They’ve all fallen to the Dangxiang. Why would I go? To die?”
“It seems we need to train our phalanxes harder. If it weren’t for the phalanx this time, the Yongan and Ansu armies would be finished.”
“Pity, though. The Tielin army, the ones who created the phalanx, are done for this time.”
“Not necessarily. What if General Fan sends the Fan family army to rescue them?”
“The Fan family army has to guard Weizhou City. How could they march? If General Fan gets trapped, Weizhou City falls, and he can’t bear that responsibility.”
“Come on, place your bets! Will General Fan send the Fan family army? I bet no!”
“I bet no too!”
“Hey, keep it down, Qing Huai’s still behind us.”
“So what if he’s behind us? Let him try something!”
…
Qing Huai had always been at odds with these noble generals and had just berated them at the meeting. Fearing General Fan might order them to march, they stayed silent.
Now, outside the residence, their true nature surfaced. How could they hold back?
They gathered in small groups, teasing each other.
They didn’t bother hiding their words from Qing Huai trailing behind, some even deliberately speaking loudly for him to hear.
In their eyes, the Tielin army was doomed.
Without the Tielin army, what was Qing Huai?
Just a bastard son of the Duke of Qing’s household, no longer fit to stand among them.
Qing Huai’s eyes blazed with fury, but Liu Qiong dragged him away.
Before, Qing Huai had merely been disappointed in these generals, but now, he felt a chilling despair, even uncertainty about the future.
As fellow Dakang soldiers, how could these noble generals speak so disgracefully?
Could such men defend the northwest frontier?
Inside the commander’s residence, General Fan was indeed torn over whether to deploy the Fan family army. Meanwhile, the Dangxiang camp was already taking action.
Li Jikui dispatched another force, this time with only a small portion of cavalry, the rest being infantry and logistics troops.
They carried ample supplies and three massive siege engines.
