To the First Emperor of Qin: The state has decreed this!

Chapter 450 Pyrrhic Victory

Immediately afterwards, Zhang Fan turned to the messenger and issued a series of military orders:

"Immediately raise the commander's banner and issue the highest order! Command the soldiers hidden on the east and west mountains, responsible for protecting the southern water source, to descend and encircle the Xiongnu army from the flanks!"

"Order the logistics department to bring out all the flares and fire them continuously without stopping! Light up the sky!"

"at last!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Zhang Fan's eyes. "Send men to scoop up all the excrement from the camp's latrines! Make the soldiers soak their swords and weapons in this excrement before they start fighting! They're trying to disgust us with poisonous fumes, so we'll give them 'golden juice' instead!"

The order was conveyed swiftly.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

One after another, flares were launched into the sky, illuminating the night in a stark white light.

The Huns' movements were clearly visible under the bright light.

The Qin soldiers on the city wall stirred their long spears and swords in the dung buckets.

"kill!"

The two sides engaged in the most primitive and brutal battle on the city walls.

Some Xiongnu soldiers had just climbed the city wall and hadn't even gotten a foothold when they were swarmed by the bloodshot-eyed Qin soldiers, who forcefully pushed them back down, along with their ladders, from the high wall.

On the mountain paths to the east and west, Qin soldiers, carrying torches, charged out and began attacking the flanks of the Xiongnu.

The fierce battle continued until the sky began to lighten.

The city walls were ravaged by heavy casualties, with corpses piling up everywhere.

Outside the pass.

Luan Diyun was covered in blood, and the wounds on his left shoulder and right arm were still oozing blood.

She sat on horseback, staring intently at the dilapidated city wall with resentment in her eyes.

Just then, a Xiongnu scout came running and scrambled to the front of the Luan Di Yun Ma, his voice filled with terror.

"Princess! A large Qin army has appeared ten miles away! They are carrying banners with the character 'Mongol' on them, numbering at least 30,000, and are closing in at full speed! We must retreat!"

Upon hearing this news, Luan Diyun turned deathly pale.

After a night of fierce fighting, more than half of her 60,000-strong army had been killed or wounded, leaving only more than 30,000 exhausted survivors.

If they are surrounded by the main force of the Qin army again, they will surely die.

Luan Diyun gritted her teeth, swallowing her resentment no matter how much she didn't want to accept it.

"Order...retreat!"

The low, mournful bugle call sounded as the troops retreated.

The remaining Xiongnu army abandoned the corpses and siege equipment scattered on the ground and began a rapid retreat to the north.

On the city wall.

The Qin soldiers, covered in blood, stared at the retreating Xiongnu like a receding tide. They were stunned for a moment, then burst into shouts that soared into the sky.

"The Xiongnu have retreated!"

"We won! Gaoque held on!"

Fusu leaned against the blood-stained battlements and let out a long breath, but he was puzzled: "Teacher, the Xiongnu offensive hadn't completely collapsed, so why did they suddenly retreat like this?"

Zhang Fan put away his phone, looked at the dust rising from the south, and explained, "General Meng Tian has arrived to provide support."

"Luan Diyun is a smart woman; she knows that if they don't retreat now, her remaining troops won't be able to escape!"

Zhang Fan stood on the city wall, the cold wind blowing across his face.

Outside the city, on the Gobi Desert, the remnants of the Xiongnu army were retreating northward, raising clouds of sand.

After a night of fierce fighting, the walls and surrounding areas were littered with the corpses of Qin soldiers.

Some soldiers gripped their broken spears tightly, while others perished alongside the Xiongnu soldiers, their hands still gripping the enemy's necks tightly before they died.

These disciples from Guanzhong, who were calling him a celestial master yesterday, have now closed their eyes completely.

Zhang Fan drew the Ding Qin Sword and pointed north.

"Pass on my orders!" Zhang Fan shouted.

"Leave 10,000 men to garrison Gaoque Pass, to support General Meng Tian, ​​and to treat the wounded!"

Zhang Fan's tone was firm: "The remaining 20,000 soldiers who can still wield a sword, mount your horses and follow me out of the city in pursuit! This time, we must avenge our fallen soldiers!"

Zhao Ben wiped the blood from his face, drew his sword, and shouted, "This subordinate obeys!"

Fusu stepped forward, intending to speak: "Teacher, our army is exhausted..."

Zhang Fan raised his hand to interrupt him: "We are exhausted, but the Xiongnu are even more exhausted. If we don't take this opportunity to inflict a heavy blow on them, our fallen brothers will have died in vain!"

Zhang Fan's words spread.

The Qin soldiers around them, exhausted, straightened up and gripped their weapons tightly.

A chorus of battle cries converged.

Below the city wall, the bugle call to attack sounded.

Twenty thousand Qin cavalrymen quickly assembled inside the pass. Warhorses puffed out white steam as soldiers mounted their horses and drew their longswords.

With a dull thud, the gates of Gaoque Pass were slowly pushed open.

Zhang Fan spurred his horse forward, followed closely by 20,000 cavalrymen. Their hooves pounded the ground as they galloped wildly in the direction the Xiongnu had fled.

……

Thirty li outside the pass.

The remnants of the Xiongnu army were trekking across the Gobi Desert, their steps faltering and their ranks scattered and disorganized.

Luan Diyun sat on horseback, his face pale.

The arrows in her left shoulder and right arm had been broken off and pulled out. The wounds had been simply bandaged, but blood was still seeping out, staining half of her leather armor red.

The night's fierce attack exhausted her forces and destroyed the morale of her soldiers.

The warhorses were foaming at the mouth, and the entire army was exhausted.

A fast horse caught up with the group from behind and headed straight for Luan Di Yun.

The scout reined in his horse, dismounted, and knelt on one knee to report loudly: "Your Highness! The gates of Gaoque Pass are wide open, and the general guarding the pass has led 20,000 Qin cavalry in pursuit!"

Upon hearing this news, Luan Diyun swayed, aggravating her wounds and experiencing a sharp pain.

She felt a sweet taste in her throat, and a mouthful of blood welled up in her mouth, which she swallowed back forcefully.

She turned around and looked at the southern horizon, her face full of disbelief.

"Don't they know the basic military principle of 'don't pursue a cornered enemy'?"

Luan Diyun gritted his teeth and growled, "The Qin army defended all night, suffering equally heavy casualties. How dare they leave the city to pursue us? Could it be that Qin general named Mo Feng learned of Meng Tian's reinforcements before I did?"

Luan Diyun gripped his riding whip tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand: "Damn Mo Feng! I will avenge this!"

The situation is urgent.

Once the 30,000 remaining soldiers were caught by the Qin cavalry behind them, coupled with Meng Tian's main force pressing in from the flank, the Xiongnu army faced the danger of total annihilation.

"Pass on my military orders!"

Luan Diyun decisively ordered, "The entire army must discard all excess baggage! Leftover rations, tents, and damaged equipment on the road! Advance lightly equipped!"

The generals immediately dispersed to relay the orders.

Soon, the retreat route was littered with all sorts of supplies.

After reducing their load, the Xiongnu army was able to retreat at a faster pace.

Luan Diyun summoned the commander of his guards: "Bring the Flying Eagle here."

The guard stepped forward carrying the birdcage.

Luan Diyun tore off a strip of cloth, bit her finger, wrote a plea for help in blood, and tied it to the falcon's leg.

She lifted the falcon with both hands and threw it forcefully into the air.

"Go to the royal court and request reinforcements from the Chanyu!"

The falcon flapped its wings and soared high, flying towards the depths of the Yin Mountains in the north.

……

As time went by.

Noon the next day.

Deep in the desert, the royal court of the Xiongnu.

A brazier was lit inside the spacious main tent, dispelling the chill of the northern frontier.

Modu Chanyu stood before the map, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

The tent flap was lifted, and a gust of cold wind blew in.

A trusted general strode in, looking flustered.