The next day, Luzhou received a large number of carrier pigeons.
[Wurongzhou is ready.]
This was the only content of the pigeon messages, which had been released from Wurongzhou a few days prior.
Upon hearing the news, Liang Xiao summoned his generals.
"If the enemy army falls into our trap, they will be blocked by Dingguo Hou in the mountain range. At that time, the enemy will be forced to choose a more distant route to detour. General Yue Yun, you will personally lead ten thousand cavalry, march seven hundred li eastward, and after resupplying, turn southeast to harass and pursue the enemy along the way. Once the enemy runs out of provisions, they can be ordered to surrender the soldiers of Da Liang."
Yue Yun excitedly accepted the order. Ten thousand Zhongzhou cavalry, equipped with powerful bows and crossbows and rations, proceeded towards Wurongzhou via resupply stations along the route.
Although they had to travel an extra one to two hundred li, the resupply stations along the way ensured they had ample provisions.
After Yue Yun led his troops away, Liang Xiao dispatched Zhuo Ying with twenty thousand troops to encamp at the eastern mountain pass, cutting off the eastern passage and severing the support from Jiaozhou's army to Su Wencheng.
As Zhongzhou troops continued to arrive from the rear, Liang Xiao continuously reinforced Zhuo Ying's camp.
Xiao Chang and others south of Luzhou City, after understanding the situation, convened an emergency meeting but still could not comprehend Liang Xiao's actions.
"Luzhou has suddenly dispatched troops to garrison the eastern pass; how about we use this opportunity to concentrate our forces and attack Yuzhang?" suggested King Jin Pao, Xiao Che.
"King Jin Pao, this matter is peculiar!" Alexander frowned. "The enemy's objective is obvious: to block our eastward advance. This indicates that a battle is imminent in the east, or there is a large-scale logistical transport. I have decided to dispatch cavalry to reconnoiter and harass."
The group deliberated through the night, and finally, five thousand Tianri cavalry circled the mountain to observe but did not dare to attack directly.
During the night, the Da Liang army in Su Wencheng was in a state of panic.
It had been more than half a day since Gongsun Ye's troops had occupied the mountain pass, blocking their path. Their marshal was still indecisive, only dispatching men to cross the mountains and inform their southern headquarters for reinforcements.
"Since our army cannot take the mountain pass, and we only brought three days' worth of provisions, we must now retreat around the mountain, reduce our daily consumption of food, and hold out for a few days before returning!" Su Wencheng coldly issued the military order, decisively abandoning the futile attempt to attack the mountain.
The entire army retreated from the mountain pass under the cover of night.
The Da Liang army's provisions were forced to be stretched, used for three to five days instead of one. Except for the generals, the remaining soldiers were starving, and their morale was wavering.
Upon receiving the urgent report of Su Wencheng's retreat, Gongsun Ye still did not pursue but instead held his ground at the mountain pass, preventing the Da Liang army from the south from coming to their aid.
On the western narrow path, Su Wencheng's army was marching in haste, deploying a large number of archers in the rear to defend against Gongsun Ye's pursuit.
"Marshal, the enemy has not pursued!"
Upon receiving intelligence from the rear, Su Wencheng sneered, "This old dog only dares to defend himself from a position of advantage; he wouldn't dare to fight a superior force. I have already sent word to the southern headquarters, and they will undoubtedly tie down the old dog Gongsun. No need to worry about him!"
A Da Liang general reminded him, "Marshal, is it possible that the enemy has also set an ambush here?"
Su Wencheng's heart skipped a beat, and he angrily said, "Even if there is an ambush, our army must break through by force!"
Just then, the neighing of warhorses was heard from the west.
Su Wencheng hastily inquired about the situation. A cavalryman from the west reported, "It's the Jiangnan Iron Cavalry!"
The Da Liang soldiers were all terrified.
The Da Liang kingdom had few cavalry, and they were no match for the fully armed Jiangnan Iron Cavalry.
It was also unrealistic to expect the infantry to annihilate them.
In the distance, Shi Liuyun personally led ten thousand Jiangnan Iron Cavalry, charging ferociously, circling and harassing the Da Liang army formation.
Each of the ten thousand Jiangnan Iron Cavalry had three spare horses, a Da Gan bow in hand, and quivers filled with Da Gan Fengyu arrows specifically designed for breaking armor. They were all invigorated.
The Da Liang army was already exhausted from their forced march. Faced with the archery and maneuverability advantage of the Jiangnan Iron Cavalry, they suffered immensely.
"We are of the same origin, why do you invade our territory!"
Facing the roaring questions from the Jiangnan soldiers, the Da Liang soldiers were filled with shame and dared not respond.
The peace between the two countries was common knowledge among both civilians and soldiers. They still couldn't understand why they were invading Da Gan and refusing to retreat after holding their ground for half a year.
That was a country with An Guo Hou and the Great Qian Holy Emperor overseeing it, unprecedentedly powerful. How could they possibly win?
Countless soldiers had strange thoughts, even comparing Xiao Qing to Mu Xuan, and Liang Xiao to Su Wencheng.
The more they compared, the more they missed Mu Cheng and Qin Feng.
At least the late emperor and the Zhen Guo Hou treated their soldiers as their own children and never sent them to their deaths!
The Jiangnan Iron Cavalry did not engage in a fight to the death, but the battlefield was perilous, a matter of life and death. More than two thousand Da Liang soldiers still died under Da Gan arrows.
The Da Liang army no longer cared about these corpses, as Su Wencheng had ordered the army to urgently retreat to the main force.
Facing such military orders, more and more soldiers became dissatisfied. The troops lacked the will to fight, and some cavalry even secretly deserted and retreated south first, which could not be stopped.
The Da Liang army's cavalry was already pitifully few, and they scattered like birds and beasts in an instant. Su Wencheng could no longer control them.
A mere ten thousand Jiangnan Iron Cavalry had plunged the Da Liang army's morale to a low point, leaving them with no desire to fight.
"General, what shall we do with these bodies?"
Another five thousand Jiangnan infantry arrived from the rear. Seeing the Da Liang soldiers' corpses scattered everywhere, they reluctantly began to bury them.
This was Gongsun Ye's order. Regardless of personal feelings or public justice, Da Gan had to bury the bodies of these soldiers, promoting their righteousness while simultaneously demoralizing the enemy.
The news that Qin Feng had ordered the Ministry of War to cut off frontline military pay was naturally known to the officials of Da Gan. However, since the Da Liang army did not retreat, it meant they must have other dependencies. The Da Gan soldiers could only engage in battle and no longer harbored any侥幸心理.
Shi Liuyun's Jiangnan Iron Cavalry continued their daily harassment, and the number of Da Liang soldiers killed and deserting intensified.
Some Da Liang soldiers even fled north, kneeling and surrendering, only hoping for atonement and a chance to return home one day.
The Jiangnan soldiers, apart from detaining them, did not make things difficult for them. Even the food provided to them daily was no different from that of civilians. The Da Liang soldiers were all grateful.
In just one day, Da Gan had accepted the surrender of over three thousand Da Liang soldiers and buried over five thousand.
As more and more Jiangnan infantry reinforcements arrived to support the Jiangnan Iron Cavalry, the issue of accommodating the prisoners was also satisfactorily resolved.
At this time, Gongsun Ye, holding his position in the mountains, was also being engaged and held back by the Da Liang army from the south.
"Marshal's insight is brilliant!"
The generals of Jiangnan were utterly convinced and no longer doubted Gongsun Ye's decision not to pursue.
If they had rashly divided their forces, and Wurongzhou could not provide timely reinforcements, this mountain pass could not have been held.
"Our remaining forces are only seventy-three thousand?"
On the morning of the third day, Su Wencheng took advantage of the army's rest period to count the casualties, surprised and enraged.
Out of a ten-thousand-strong force, more than twenty-seven thousand had been lost!
The soldiers were all dejected, with gaunt faces, daring to be angry but not to speak.
Su Wencheng saw their reactions and felt as if needles were pricking him.
If he didn't do something soon, there might be a mutiny!
"Marshal, I have a plan that can help atone for my sins!"
Just then, a middle-aged man holding a paper fan walked towards Su Wencheng.
Since "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" became a bestseller in both countries, Kongming's feather fan had become a favorite accessory for scholars and literati.
Su Wencheng's gaze sharpened, and he angrily said, "Du Gū Yun Cheng? It is precisely because you vouched for Han Zhongyun's reliability that our army has fallen to this state!"