xymnovel Chapter 710 Demotion First!
Chapter 710 Demotion First!
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"Yes, there was a chance."
"But isn't that the allure of war? Every defeat serves as a reminder for the future, making us more cautious and valuing every opportunity to fight even more."
Zhu Jiuyin continued, his gaze once again fixed on the distance, as if piercing through the boundaries of time and space.
Although they failed to annihilate Zhao Gongming and his men this time, they still dealt a heavy blow to the Hengzhou army, giving them a good start in their next battle.
...
After several days of chaotic escape, Zhao Gongming and his men, who had already left the battlefield, were quickly sent to Wu Qi's army by the Luo Wang organization that was roaming all over Wuzhou.
At this moment, inside Wu Qi's tent, the atmosphere was heavy, yet tinged with a barely perceptible tension.
Zhao Gongming, Shebi Shi, and Xia Geng Shi were all in a sorry state, but they still stood up straight and knelt in front of Wu Qi, their faces filled with guilt and self-reproach.
On the side, Jia Fu, Xue Kui, Bai Wenbao, Fan Lihua, Xue Gang and others stood or sat, all with expressions of disbelief in their eyes.
It should be noted that Zhao Gongming is currently the strongest among the vanguard of their army, otherwise Wu Qi would not have chosen him as the commander of another army. Moreover, Shebi Shi, who is by his side, is also stronger than Jia Fu and the others!
Even their combined effort suffered a crushing defeat, so it's conceivable that if they had gone themselves, they probably wouldn't have made it back!
"General Gongming, stand up and speak. Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. There is no need to blame yourself too much. The fact that you and the others have returned safely is the greatest blessing."
"Moreover, this great defeat was due to our lack of intelligence; we did not expect that there would be such a capable person among the Yellow Turbans. It is not your fault."
Wu Qi sat upright at his desk, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone before finally settling on Zhao Gongming, but he showed no sign of reproach.
He was well aware of the strength of Zhao Gongming and his men, opponents who left them utterly helpless and nearly prevented them from returning.
They were definitely opponents who far surpassed Zhao Gongming and his ilk in terms of strength and even strategy!
Therefore, compared to this insignificant post-event settlement, Wu Qi was more interested in the intelligence about Zhu Jiuyin, Sun Bin, and others!
"General, we have failed your expectations. Three thousand brothers perished at the hands of the enemy due to our poor command. Only a few of us escaped. As for the eight hundred elite soldiers... not one of them survived."
"With such a defeat, how can we face the army again?"
Zhao Gongming looked up, a hint of shame flashing in his eyes. As he spoke, his eyes reddened, clearly filled with pain and guilt.
Wu Qi smiled gently, stood up, walked to Zhao Gongming, and personally helped him up. "Gongming, on the battlefield, victory and defeat are common occurrences for soldiers. Your defeat was not due to a lack of skill, but rather because your opponents were too cunning and powerful. I have heard that Zhu Jiuyin is one of the few wise men in the Yellow Turban Army, and also possesses extraordinary martial prowess; Sun Bin is a master of military strategy. If these two joined forces, even I might not have been able to escape unscathed. It is a great fortune that you have returned alive."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Gongming's eyes reddened slightly, and a complex mix of emotions welled up within him.
He didn't expect that Wu Qi would not only not blame them, but would also be so understanding of their difficulties.
He took a deep breath, suppressed his gratitude, and then gave a detailed report on the course of the battle and how the "Wei Shu Formation" had secured a glimmer of hope for everyone in a desperate situation.
"The Wei Shu formation of the Wu soldiers was improved by me based on the military formation manual I learned in the past. It is a testament to my own ideas that it can reproduce its power today. It is a worthy tribute to the Wu soldiers who died."
Wu Qi listened attentively, nodding occasionally, a look of admiration flashing in his eyes.
He sighed softly, his tone filled with both nostalgia for the past and regret for the complete annihilation of the eight hundred warriors.
"I know your strength, and I know even more that the opponent who made you flee in such a sorry state is no ordinary person."
"Although you suffered a defeat in this battle, it gave me a deeper understanding of the enemy. Sometimes, a single defeat can help us grow more than ten victories."
"Do you have more detailed information about Zhu Jiuyin and Sun Bin?"
Then, Wu Qi changed the subject and asked Zhao Gongming and the others.
"Zhu Jiuyin's martial arts are unfathomable, and the 'Time Staff' in his hand is even more mysterious and unpredictable, as if it can predict our next move, making it impossible to defend against."
"As for Sun Bin, we don't know much about him. However, according to the information we gathered from the powerful private armies on the outskirts after we escaped, he was a subordinate of Jiang Xiaobai, the head of the Jiang family. He was extremely skilled in military strategy and his plans were meticulous. We fell into his ambush this time."
Zhao Gongming and the other two exchanged glances, and Shebishi spoke up.
"Zhu Jiuyin, Sun Bin... how many heroes are there in the world!"
"It seems there are some extraordinary individuals among the Yellow Turban rebels in Wuzhou."
After listening, Wu Qi frowned, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.
"We did not suffer a complete defeat in this first battle in Hengzhou; on the contrary, it laid the foundation for victory in the battles to come."
Wu Qi then glanced at Zhao Gongming and the others below him and continued speaking.
Upon hearing this, Jia Fu and the others, who had been feeling somewhat down, were all invigorated.
The capture of Qin Niu, the current commander of Wuzhou, is a heavy blow to the morale of the Yellow Turban Army in Wuzhou.
Moreover, unlike Qin Niu who was captured, Zhao Gongming and others' successful breakout at the cost of their lives preserved a vital force of top-tier war gods for the Hengzhou army.
This would prevent Wu Qi and his companions from being powerless to resist when facing Zhu Jiuyin later on.
After all, even Zhao Gongming and Shebi Shi, two powerful generals with a base martial arts level of 107, were easily defeated by Zhu Jiuyin when they joined forces, let alone the even weaker Jia Fu and Bai Wenbao.
If the two of them were captured by Zhu Jiuyin alone on the battlefield, it would be a question whether they could escape.
"However, we cannot let our guard down. Since Zhu Jiuyin and Sun Bin were able to make you suffer losses, their strength should not be underestimated."
Seeing that the crowd's morale had recovered somewhat, Wu Qi nodded in approval and continued speaking.
"As for the three of you, although you were defeated, you still deserve honor. However, military law is merciless, and the punishment you deserve must still be carried out."
"However, this punishment is to remind you of this lesson and to make you more cautious in the future."
"I intend to temporarily demote you to the rank of soldiers and have you operate with the vanguard. You will be promoted after you have rendered meritorious service. Do you have any objections?"
At this point, Wu Qi changed the subject and looked at Zhao Gongming and the others, who still seemed to be asking Wu Qi to punish them.
Wu Qi was somewhat helpless, but he could only go along with their wishes and symbolically demote them to ordinary soldiers, making them serve as vanguards to atone for their sins!
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