N-A-A Chapter 908 The lingering battle!
Chapter 908 The lingering battle!
"He's stalling for time." Gao Yao practically squeezed the words out through gritted teeth. A chill ran down his spine. Yi Xiaochuan's reckless pursuit of the battle, regardless of the consequences, wasn't simply a matter of exhaustion. He was waiting! Waiting for the force that would determine the outcome of the battle!
Gao Yao suddenly raised his head, gazing far into the horizon beyond the battlefield. Although he hadn't yet seen Chen Tou, he could almost sense a terrifying, heart-pounding pressure rapidly approaching. Xiang Yu! It must be Xiang Yu's main force rushing in at full speed! Once that ferocious army arrived on the battlefield, forming a pincer attack with Yi Xiaochuan before him, his southern border troops, deep within enemy territory, would be doomed, no matter how elite they were!
It can't go on like this!
Gao Yao's mind raced. Initially, he sought a positional battle, hoping to leverage the Southern Border Army's strict formations and powerful infantry to severely damage or even defeat Yi Xiaochuan's cavalry vanguard in a field battle, thereby demoralizing the enemy and gaining the initiative for the remainder of the battle. Later, provoked by Yi Xiaochuan, he attempted to quickly resolve the battle by beheading the general and capturing the flag, but was thwarted by the enemy's slick tactics.
The situation was now clear. Continuing to engage in this asymmetric, tug-of-war and positional war of attrition on the periphery with the Chu cavalry, whose mobility far surpassed theirs, was tantamount to self-destruction. Every second of delay pushed the Southern Border Army into the abyss.
"Hu..." Gao Yao exhaled a long breath of bloody air, his eyes flashing with determination. He had to change his strategy immediately!
"Order!" His voice suddenly became high and clear, piercing the din of the battlefield. "The front army will become the rear army, and the rear army will become the front army! Each unit will take turns to provide cover, and the entire army will retreat! Retreat to the camp! Rely on the fortifications and hold firm until reinforcements arrive!"
"Crossbowmen, advance and cover the front of the camp a hundred paces! Spearmen, hold the antlers of the trench! Sword and shieldmen, guard the flanks! Quick!"
Orders were passed down one after another. The Southern Border Army demonstrated the exceptional quality of an elite force. Despite being constantly harassed and attacked, the troops, under the command of their officers, began to retreat in an orderly manner. Shieldbearers raised their massive shields, forming a formation and slowly retreating. Spearmen advanced like a forest, forcing back the approaching Chu light cavalry. Crossbowmen, under cover, fired precise volleys again and again, suppressing the Chu army's momentum.
The entire army, like a frightened hedgehog, quickly retracted its outstretched limbs, curled up, and revealed the spikes based on the camp's defense.
The battlefield situation reversed instantly.
The originally relatively open field battle situation instantly turned into an offensive and defensive battle in a heavily fortified camp.
Yi Xiaochuan, who had been directing the guerrilla battle from the periphery, sensed the enemy's intention almost immediately after Gao Yao ordered a retreat. He immediately raised his hand, signaling his cavalry to halt the attack.
The Chu cavalry retreated like a tide, regrouping within an arrow's reach of the southern border camp. The cavalry panted, wiping the blood from their weapons. Many of their horses bore wounds, a testament to the intensity of the battle.
Yi Xiaochuan stared at the camp that was rapidly becoming as solid as an iron barrel, frowned slightly, and then slowly relaxed.
He understood Gao Yao's intentions. If positional and field battles continued, the Chu army, with its cavalry advantage and initiative, would indeed gain every advantage. Gao Yao's losses would continue to mount, and it would be unable to escape the fate of being entangled until Xiang Yu arrived and completed the encirclement.
Now, Gao Yao decisively chose to retreat and defend. While seemingly passive, it was the most correct, yet also the most helpless, choice at the moment. Relying on pre-set camps, trenches, antlers, and arrow towers for defense could significantly weaken the Chu cavalry's impact, bringing the battle to a rhythm more suited to their infantry. The Southern Border Army was well-equipped and had ample supplies of food and arrows, making it entirely feasible for them to hold out for a short period of time while awaiting reinforcements. This undoubtedly posed a difficult problem for Yi Xiaochuan.
If they forcibly attacked this alert and well-prepared camp, the Chu cavalry would inevitably have to dismount and fight on foot, or launch a cavalry assault, resulting in heavy casualties. Either approach would incur a heavy price. This contradicted his original strategic intent of delaying, attriting, and waiting for an encirclement.
"Sound the retreat." Yi Xiaochuan gave the order calmly without much hesitation.
The crisp sound of golden bells rang out, and the Chu cavalry began to retreat as a whole, maintaining a safe distance from the southern border military camp.
For Yi Xiaochuan, his strategic objective had essentially been achieved. He had stalled and pinned Gao Yao's main force, preventing a smooth retreat. Gao Yao's decision to hold out certainly increased the difficulty of the final annihilation battle, but it also meant he had completely lost the initiative on the battlefield, becoming a turtle trapped in a jar, albeit one retracted into a hard shell.
The task of breaking through this hard shell, as well as the honor and responsibility of ultimately annihilating the main force of the southern border army, will be undertaken personally by the upcoming King of Western Chu, Xiang Yu.
Yi Xiaochuan reined in his horse, his gaze sharp as a hawk's as he swept across the heavily fortified Southern Border Army camp ahead, which stood like a hedgehog. While his Chu cavalry, after repeated attacks, maintained their morale, they were exhausted and suffered heavy casualties. More importantly, the forces he had at his disposal were insufficient to launch a decisive battle aimed at annihilating Gaoyao's tens of thousands of infantry.
Even if they were lucky enough to defeat his army, the scattered soldiers would be in disarray, and accurately locating and killing Gao Yao, who was intent on hiding or breaking out, would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Gao Yao was as cunning as a fox and would never surrender easily. If they couldn't completely destroy him in one fell swoop, even if they won a decisive battle today, it would only increase casualties and alert the enemy, potentially making Gao Yao even more vigilant and more difficult to deal with in the future.
Weighing the pros and cons, Yi Xiaochuan made the calmest yet most helpless decision in a split second. He raised his hand suddenly, and the crisp sound of golden gongs echoed. The Chu cavalry, hearing the order, retreated like a tide, maintaining a safe distance from the southern border camp. Banners fluttered, the sound of horses' hooves faded, leaving only the devastated ground and the lingering smoke of gunpowder, signaling the temporary end of this fierce outpost battle. Yi Xiaochuan's eyes were cold and resolute. Although he hadn't achieved complete victory today, his strategic goal had been achieved—he had successfully trapped Gao Yao, the fierce tiger, within this camp, waiting for Xiang Yu's main force to arrive and capture him.
Meanwhile, within the Southern Border Army's central tent, the atmosphere didn't ease much despite the Chu army's retreat. Gao Yao, having removed his armor, closed his eyes in concentration, trying to dispel the fatigue of days of fighting and analyze the complex situation before him. Then, footsteps echoed, carrying a strong scent of blood. A fierce general strode into the tent. It was Ying Bu, who had been ordered to lead his troops to engage another section of the Chu army.