bayedsolid Chapter 2052 The Commander-in-Chief Takes to Battle Personally!
Chapter 2052 The Commander-in-Chief Takes to Battle Personally!
As the sun set, it dyed the horizon a poignant crimson, as if the heavens themselves were weeping blood for the brutal battles fought across the land.
The collapse of the left wing of the Tang army camp was like toppling the first domino, triggering a chain reaction.
After completely crushing Gao Xianzhi's troops, Zhao Yu's Chu cavalry had transformed into an unstoppable torrent of destruction.
Iron hooves crushed all obstacles, and the army's advance pointed straight at the core area of the camp—the location of the "Li" banner, which symbolized the supreme command of the Tang Dynasty's Southern Frontier Army!
The sound of horses' hooves, like a death knell, drew ever closer.
Accompanied by the unique shouts of the Chu cavalry as they charged, a mixture of killing and excitement, and the terrified screams and dying wails of the Tang army's routed soldiers, a symphony of death clearly reverberated through the relatively intact area where the central command tent was located.
On the observation deck, Li Jing still stood as still as a stone statue.
But his body beneath the purple robe trembled almost imperceptibly.
He saw the billowing dust rising from the left flank, and his own soldiers retreating like a receding tide.
I also saw the torrent of white cavalry charging forward at high speed through the fleeing soldiers, like cutting through waves!
"Report! Urgent military situation!"
A scout practically tumbled and crawled up the tower, his voice distorted by extreme fear and running.
"General Li! No... something terrible has happened! General Gao Xianzhi... General Gao... he fought to the death! The entire left-wing cavalry has been wiped out!"
"Zhao Yu... Zhao Yu personally led a large cavalry force, broke through all obstacles, and is charging towards the central command banner! He is less than three miles away from here!"
Despite having the worst premonition in his heart, when the news of Gao Xianzhi's death in battle and the complete collapse of the left wing was confirmed, Li Jing still felt a wave of dizziness and a sweet, metallic taste rose in his throat, which he forcibly swallowed.
Gao Xianzhi, the general on whom he had placed great hopes, had also... died in battle!
His face instantly turned deathly pale, devoid of any color, but the light in his eyes, like a candle flame about to burn out, burst forth with a final, most resolute, intense heat.
He abruptly turned around, no longer looking at the approaching death cavalry.
His voice was hoarse yet carried an unusual calm as he began issuing orders, perhaps his last command as commander-in-chief:
"Send the order!"
His voice pierced the panic atop the tower: "Gather all the brothers who have been defeated from the left wing!"
"Tell them the fault is not theirs! Have them assemble behind the command tent, distribute armor and weapons, rest on the spot, and treat the wounded!"
"Tell them that the Great Tang has not been defeated, and I, the commander, am still here!"
This order carried a sense of reassurance and a call to gather the last remaining strength.
"Pass on the order to General Liu Hongji!"
Li Jing's gaze fell on the right flank and the front, where the battle cries were still deafening: "Tell him that no matter what method he uses, even if he fights to the last man, he must hold off Ran Ming for me!"
"We absolutely cannot allow him to join forces with Zhao Yu! Otherwise, everything will be over!"
He knew that once Ran Ming's ferocious power also charged in from the front, forming a pincer attack with Zhao Yu's cavalry, then everything would truly be over.
Finally, his gaze fell upon the left flank, where fierce fighting was raging, but which seemed like a completely different world compared to the collapse within the camp.
Wang Zhongsi and Feng Mulan's Vermilion Bird Legion are still locked in a bloody battle.
A complex emotion flashed in his eyes—expectation, helplessness, and a final, desperate madness.
"Pass on the order to General Wang Zhongsi!"
Li Jing's voice suddenly rose, carrying a do-or-die determination: "Tell him that he doesn't need to be distracted by the fighting within the camp!"
"I instruct him to concentrate all forces and launch a final, fiercest attack on Feng Mulan's Vermilion Bird Legion!"
"Regardless of the cost or casualties! This commander doesn't care about the process, only the result."
"Before nightfall, either crush the Vermilion Bird Legion and capture Feng Mulan alive, or let Wang Zhongsi die on the left flank!"
This was his last hope, and his last gamble!
If Wang Zhongsi can defeat the Vermilion Bird Legion before then, even if it is just causing its collapse, it will greatly damage the morale of the Chu army.
It might even force Chu Ning to mobilize troops to reinforce the central army, thereby relieving the pressure on the entire battlefield! This is the only slim chance to turn the tide in this desperate situation!
After issuing these three orders, Li Jing took a deep breath.
His gaze swept over the pale-faced, trembling officers and deputy generals on the tower, and finally landed on the captain of his personal guard, who had always served as the last line of defense.
"Send the order!"
His voice became incredibly solemn, carrying a tragic grandeur reminiscent of the desolate Yi River:
"My personal guard, and all troops remaining at the central command tent, assemble immediately! Follow me—to personally confront Zhao Yu!"
"General! You mustn't!"
These words immediately caused an uproar on the tower!
An old general knelt down with a thud, pleading with tears streaming down his face, "General! Zhao Yu is brave and fierce, and the White Horse Cavalry is unstoppable!"
"General Gao has already died for his country. At this moment, the camp has no more than 30,000 soldiers who can fight, and most of them are exhausted troops and defeated soldiers. How can they possibly stop tens of thousands of fierce cavalry?"
"You are the commander-in-chief of the three armies, a person of inestimable worth. How can you personally go to such a dangerous situation? I urge you, Commander, to temporarily avoid the limelight and consider the matter carefully!"
"Yes, Commander! As long as the green hills remain, there's no need to worry about running out of firewood!"
"Please consider the bigger picture, Commander!"
The generals knelt down to dissuade him, their faces filled with fear and pleading.
They knew that if Li Jing went into battle, it would be tantamount to suicide.
However, Li Jing slowly shook his head, a bleak yet resolute smile appearing on his face.
He reached out to help the kneeling veteran to his feet, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. His voice, though not loud, carried immense weight, striking a chord deep within each person's heart:
"I understand your intentions, but where can we hide now? What plan can we discuss at this point?"
He pointed to the approaching smoke and the sounds of battle: "Zhao Yu's iron cavalry will arrive in the blink of an eye. If the commander's flag flutters, the morale of the army will collapse!"
"Only then will everything truly come to an end! Liu Hongji is fighting a bitter battle, Wang Zhongsi is risking his life, and countless soldiers are shedding their blood on the battlefield!"
"As the commander-in-chief of the three armies, how can I, Li Jing, remain aloof and cower in fear?"
His gaze sharpened, revealing an unwavering determination: "Can't stop it? We'll stop it even if we can't!"
"I, the commander, will use the flesh and blood of these 30,000 soldiers to build the last line of defense before the central army! To buy time for Liu Hongji, and even more so for—"
He paused, his gaze returning to Wang Zhongsi's direction, his voice carrying a last glimmer of hope:
"To create that miraculous turn of events for General Wang Zhongsi! We hope he can bring us a surprise!"
After saying that, Li Jing ignored everyone's advice and suddenly drew the sword from his waist. The blade reflected a cold gleam in the setting sun.
"Personnel unit! Assemble!"
"All soldiers who can wield weapons, follow me—to meet the enemy!"
He strode down from the watchtower, his purple robes fluttering in the wind. His silhouette was filled with the desolation of a hero's end, yet also with the resolute determination to live and die with the position.
Under the central command banner, the last 30,000 Tang soldiers, led by this old general, began to coalesce into a thin but incredibly steadfast defensive line, preparing to face the impending, destined-to-be-extremely brutal final showdown.