Climbing to the Top: A Reborn Queen's Journey-Chapter 558: The Battlefield (Part 1)

The defeat of General Song was, in fact, not undeserved.

He led the Brave Camp to reinforce, and they were all cavalry, considered an elite force. If he had been a bit more cautious and not so eager for achievements, allowing the soldiers, weary from their long journey, to rest and reorganize for a few days, and then cooperating with the border army for a joint attack, they might have defeated the Rouran Cavalry in one stroke.

However, General Song was overly anxious for success and inherently arrogant. Stationed in the Capital City for many years, he believed his soldiers far superior to the border army. He thought the border army repeatedly lost battles not because the Rouran Cavalry was formidable, but because the border army was weak and ineffective. This time, leading troops to Sizhou, he not only aimed to defeat the Rouran Cavalry but also to showcase the prowess of the Brave Camp to the border army, and let the Emperor and officials see who the true top military general of Da Liang was!

With such thoughts in mind, General Song made the grave mistake of underestimating the enemy and advancing recklessly!

As for the Rouran Cavalry, they had previously lost most of their provisions and half their stables were burned, losing thousands of horses. That night, over two thousand were killed in fierce battles, and thousands more were killed or wounded after another day of skirmishes with the border army. It was an unprecedented defeat for the Rouran.

The Rouran Khan, Fu Mingdun, was furious and personally led troops to attack Sizhou City. The Rouran Cavalry, fueled by days of fierce warfare, were at their most bloodthirsty and morale was high.

A fatigued army from afar met suddenly with a pack of wolves relentlessly hunting their prey. The outcome was predictable.

This massive defeat cost Da Liang over six thousand elite cavalry. If not for the border army coming out at a critical time to support, more would have perished.

The reinforcements couldn’t bypass the Rouran Camp to reach Sizhou and, after their defeat, had no choice but to retreat and defend their temporary and crude camp, only able to gaze longingly at Sizhou City from forty li away.

As a result, the Rouran Cavalry stopped attacking Sizhou City and continually attacked the reinforcements’ camp.

The reinforcements bitterly defended their camp, suffering defeat after defeat, utterly demoralized. Worse yet, the Rouran Cavalry attacked during the day, and at night attempted to burn their provisions, leaving the reinforcements no peace at any time.

General Song endured for several days and nights, his eyes bloodshot; his impatience and anger were such that blisters formed around his lips.

He quickly called a meeting with the military generals to discuss a plan.

At this point, there was no place for pride. If this continues, it would only be a matter of time before the Rouran Cavalry overrun their camp. All men of the Brave Camp would be lost here.

"General, send a message to Sizhou, asking General Fan to dispatch troops out of the city to attack the Rouran Camp. We can attack together, catching them in a front-and-rear assault."

"Yes! Let’s just fight the Rouran Barbarians to the end!"

"We can’t wait any longer! The soldiers fight by day and get no rest at night; they’re about to break. If the camp gets overrun, it’s over."

"General, write the letter quickly! I am willing to personally go to Sizhou to deliver the message."

General Song looked solemn, his brows furrowed: "You’re speaking lightly. If we do this, we fall right into the trap of these Rouran Barbarians."

"The border army has been holding back the Rouran Barbarians all this time thanks to the strong walls of Sizhou. If we forsake the wall’s defense to engage them, we stand no chance against the Rouran Barbarians."

A military general sighed: "In a direct confrontation, no unit in Da Liang can stand up to the cavalry of the Rouran Barbarians."

These words prompted murmurs of agreement among the generals. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Despite their aspirations, they bowed their heads to harsh reality. Da Liang’s elite cavalry simply couldn’t compare with those barbarian hordes. When horses charged in battle, the Rouran Barbarians moved like an iron flood, quickly engulfing Da Liang’s cavalry.

We simply can’t beat them!

"Even if we send a message to Sizhou, General Fan would not easily dispatch troops outside the city." General Song let out a long sigh: "If I were the Border Army Commander, I would make the same decision."

The military generals looked at each other: "What should we do now? Are we just to be slaughtered as we sit here, waiting for the Rouran Barbarians to claim our lives?"

General Song gritted his teeth and said: "We must persevere. While we sustain casualties, the Rouran Barbarians are dying too. Let’s see who endures. We’ll do our best to deplete their forces, so the border army can firmly hold Sizhou. When the chance presents itself, we’ll strike decisively to defeat the barbarians."

...

Sizhou.

High atop the city tower, General Fan stood with hands behind his back, gazing in the direction of the reinforcements’ camp.

From dozens of li away, nothing could be seen and no sound could be heard. Yet, in General Fan’s ears, the dying cries of the soldiers continued to echo, and all he saw before him was a field of blood-red.

"The General has been standing here for half a day." General Chu advised: "Standing here won’t help, you should go back and rest!"

Indeed, when the Rouran Barbarians attacked daily before, the border army fought every day. Lately, the Rouran Barbarians stopped attacking the city and went directly to attack the reinforcements. Instead, the outside of Sizhou City became calm.

A military general volunteered to lead troops out of the city to strike alongside the reinforcements. It was General Fan who stopped them.

"We rely on the solid walls to hold Sizhou, keeping the Rouran Barbarians outside." General Fan, as if talking to his confidants, seemed to murmur to himself: "In direct confrontation, the border army is not a match for the Rouran Barbarians."

"These Rouran Barbarians are trying to force us to abandon the safety of the city walls, to make us come out. Once we can’t hold on and go through the gates, we’ll face the Rouran Barbarians’ fierce and relentless assault."

"I won’t let the border troops risk death."

General Chu couldn’t help but say in a low voice: "The Great General isn’t wrong, this subordinate understands that."

General Fan tugged at the corner of his mouth in self-mockery and sighed again: "You understand, but some idiotic people in the border army don’t. Rumors have already started, saying I’m cold-hearted, watching as others perish without aiding them, implying I intentionally let the Brave Camp deplete the Rouran forces. Later, when we claim victory, I would naturally take all the credit, using General Song as a stepping stone."

General Chu’s eyes flashed with anger: "Who dares spread such rumors! I’ll investigate immediately and deal with these slanderers."

General Fan exhaled deeply, his tone remaining calm: "The Song Family has been a military family in Da Liang for generations, and there are several Song Family sons serving in the border army. Seeing General Song suffering against the Rouran Barbarians, without the border army going out to help, it’s understandable they’re dissatisfied."

"No need for a stringent investigation, just privately find those few among them and make them keep quiet."

General Chu acknowledged and left.

General Fan stood on the tower for a long time before descending.

By this time, the day had grown late, and the border soldiers began to have their dinner. Tonight’s meal was rice porridge and corn flour buns, and each person also received a slice of meat. This was considered a rare feast for the soldiers.

General Fan walked into Yu Chong’s tent: "How is General Yu today?"