12dz Chapter 2171 What a ruthless scheme!
Chapter 2171 What a ruthless scheme!
Chu Ning's face darkened.
He turned his horse around and looked back at Jianghuai City.
This century-old fortified city covers a vast area with crisscrossing streets and alleys and dense buildings.
If tens of thousands of Tang soldiers had indeed broken up into smaller groups and hidden among them, it would indeed be difficult to eliminate them in a short period of time.
But why did Guo Ziyi leave so many people behind?
If a retreat is truly necessary, shouldn't we take as many troops as possible with us?
unless……
A terrifying thought surfaced in Chu Ning's mind.
"Guo Ziyi is not retreating."
He spoke slowly, each word carrying immense weight: "He is... dividing his forces."
The Imperial Guards were startled: "Splitting the troops?"
"Correct."
Chu Ning rode his horse slowly forward, his mind racing: "Li Guangbi led 40,000 main force across the river as bait to lure Zhao Yu's White Horse Cavalry."
"Guo Ziyi personally led eight thousand elite soldiers to cover the rear, which was the second layer of bait, intended to delay Han Xing. The real killing move was—"
He abruptly reined in his horse and turned to look towards Jianghuai City:
"It's the missing 70,000-strong army! They're still hiding in the city!"
This deduction turned the Imperial Guard's face pale: "But Your Majesty, what can they do hiding in the city? The city is already under our control; they're trapped like turtles in a jar..."
"A turtle in a jar?" Chu Ning sneered, "You underestimate Guo Ziyi."
He looked up to the sky.
The sun had fully risen, turning Jianghuai City into a golden hue.
This should have been the dawn of victory, but instead, it sent a chill down Chu Ning's spine.
"Preach my will."
Chu Ning's voice suddenly turned urgent: "Immediately order Feng Mulan, Guan Yun, and Ran Ming to cease the sweep, consolidate their forces, and control all key passages!"
"All troops must immediately withdraw from the narrow streets and alleys and retreat to open areas to assemble!"
The Imperial Guard urgently asked, "Your Majesty, why is this? The remaining enemy forces within the city have not yet been eliminated..."
"Because that wasn't a crippled enemy at all!"
Chu Ning interrupted sharply: "Those are the ambush troops left behind by Guo Ziyi! Once the time is right, they will emerge from their hiding place and attack from both inside and outside, dividing and annihilating our army in the streets and alleys!"
The more he thought about it, the more alarmed he became. The streets and alleys of Jianghuai City were too complex, too perfect for an ambush.
If there were indeed tens of thousands of Tang soldiers hiding inside, and they suddenly attacked when the Chu army dispersed and swept through, the consequences would be unimaginable!
"besides!"
Chu Ning added, "Immediately send a message to Han Xing and Zhao Yu, telling them to be careful, as Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi may have other tricks up their sleeves!"
"Especially Zhao Yu—tell him that Li Guangbi's 40,000 men might also be bait, and the real main force of the Tang army might not have crossed the river at all!"
The Imperial Guards were already sweating profusely. If His Majesty's prediction was true, then this seemingly resounding victory could be reversed in an instant!
"This subordinate will immediately relay the order!" He mounted his horse and was about to gallop away.
But at this moment——
Suddenly, the deafening sound of war drums resounded throughout Jianghuai City!
It wasn't the war drums of the Chu army, but the unique, deep, muffled thunder-like drumbeats of the Tang army!
The sound of drums came from all directions within the city, starting sporadically, then quickly becoming a continuous chorus, and finally merging into an overwhelming wave of sound!
Immediately afterwards, countless Tang army flags emerged from the depths of the streets and alleys, from building windows, and even from underground!
Flags fluttered like a forest, swords and spears swelled like a sea, and countless Tang soldiers surged into the streets as if they had emerged from the ground!
They were not defeated soldiers or remnants of the enemy, but a well-organized and highly motivated main force!
Their target was the Chu army that was scattered and sweeping around!
Chu Ning saw everything clearly from the high slope, and his face instantly turned ashen.
He guessed correctly.
Guo Ziyi had indeed left an ambush.
Moreover, these ambushes were launched at the exact moment when the Chu army was most relaxed and most scattered!
"Quickly!" Chu Ning roared hoarsely, "Send the order! The entire army retreats! Quickly!"
But it's too late.
Within Jianghuai City, the real bloody battle has only just begun.
This bloody battle will determine the final outcome of this decisive battle.
Chu Ning gripped the reins tightly, his knuckles turning white.
He knew that he had underestimated Guo Ziyi.
Even in dire straits, this famous Tang general still devised such a deadly move.
The outcome of this game is still uncertain.
On the south bank of the Huai River, a fierce battle raged.
Guo Ziyi's 8,000 Tang troops had shrunk into a tight circle, with their backs to the Huai River, facing the repeated attacks of Han Xing's 30,000-strong army.
Outside the circular formation, corpses piled up like mountains, and blood soaked the sand, forming dark red streams that flowed into the river.
More than half of the eight thousand elite soldiers had been killed, and the remaining men were all wounded, but their formation remained solid, and the banner bearing the character "Guo" still stubbornly fluttered in the midst of the battle.
Han Xing's face turned ashen.
He hadn't expected these 8,000 remaining soldiers to be so tenacious, and he certainly hadn't expected that Guo Ziyi, personally covering the rear, could unleash such fighting power.
Three assaults resulted in the loss of over three thousand men, yet they still failed to break through this circular formation.
"General, the casualties will be too great if we continue fighting like this."
The lieutenant wiped the blood from his face: "How about using fire? Or calling in archers..."
"No."
Han Xing gritted his teeth: "What His Majesty wants is to capture Guo Ziyi alive, or at least get his head and use fire to attack him. If he is burned to death, we will not be able to explain to His Majesty."
He was about to order the fourth assault when suddenly—
A muffled drumbeat came from within Jianghuai City.
At first, it was only faintly audible, like distant rumbling thunder.
But it quickly became clear that the drumbeats were deep, long, and rhythmically distinct, and were the war drums unique to the Tang army!
Immediately following was a deafening roar of battle cries!
It wasn't a sporadic battle, but a roar that swept across the entire city like a tsunami!
The roars of countless people converged into a terrifying sound wave, even drowning out the sounds of fighting on the banks of the Huai River!
Han Xing was startled and suddenly turned his head to look in the direction of Jianghuai City.
Although separated by the city walls, one could see new plumes of smoke rising from many places inside the city—not the thick smoke from the Chu army burning their supplies, but the beacon fires of battle!
"What happened?" the lieutenant asked in shock. "Wasn't the city already cleared out?"
Han Xing did not answer.
He stared intently at the city, his face turning from ashen to deathly pale.
As a seasoned veteran, he instantly realized—he had fallen into a trap!
Guo Ziyi was not covering the retreat at all; he was using himself and his eight thousand elite soldiers as bait to lure the main force of the Chu army out of the city to pursue them!
But the real killer move is hidden in the city!
Those Tang soldiers who "scattered," "hid," and "surrendered" were simply in disguise!
They were waiting for the right moment, waiting for the main force of the Chu army to be lured out of the city, waiting for the instant when the city's defenses were weakened—
Then, with the help of both inside and outside forces, they turned the tide in one fell swoop!
"Guo Ziyi!"
Han Xing spat out the name through gritted teeth, his voice filled with disbelief and shock: "What a ruthless scheme!"
From within the ranks, Guo Ziyi also heard the drums and battle cries from inside the city.
The old general, covered in blood, was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
The laughter was desolate yet exhilarating, like a volcano that had been suppressed for too long finally erupting.
"Hahaha! It's done! My plan—is a success!"