Chapter 185 Battle of Liyang - Part 15 (1/2)
Chapter 185 – Battle of Liyang - Part 15
Tong snapped out of his thought and looked at Xu Huang.
”Go and tell everyone. Prepare to retreat to Liyang City. They should begin retreating tonight. As for the weaponry, I'll transport them to the city myself.”
Xu Huang looked at Tong in confusion. They had the advantage here, why would his lord order a retreat?
”I know what you're thinking. Do what I said.”
”Y-Yes, sir!”
...
That night, Tong's troops withdrew back to garrison inside Liyang City. Tong took the duty as the cleaner as he stored all weaponry into his [Inventory], such as catapults, ballistae, trebuchets, spike barricades, and ammunition.
The retreat decision made the soldiers questioned Tong's judgment as they had the advantage on the battlefield, yet Tong went against it.
”Is our commander inept?”
”We had the better ground, right?”
Xu Huang kept his mouth shut. He did not gossip with his friends as the others did. However, because of his position as Tong's personal messenger, his friends bothered him a lot.
”Do you know anything?”
”You were with him all the time. Has he discovered something?”
Xu Huang was helpless. After an hour of nonstop interrogating from his friends, he blurted out by accident.
”There's a messenger from Ye City. The Lord read the letter and ordered the retreat after that.”
The leaked intel spread throughout the footmen in an instant. More gossips and rumors also appeared.
”Something happens in Ye City. The Lord might order a full retreat.”
”Someone attacked Ye City, so the Lord plans a retreat.”
Many false rumors also appeared, which caught the ears of Tong in the same night which he ordered the retreat. Tong shook his head as he was amazed by the imagination of his men.
'Managing a real army is more difficult than I thought. Just one slip, the morale of my troops sinks to the ground again.'
'But it's fine this way. Once all of them crossed the river, I can use that grease fire tactic without worries.'
Tong did not dare to use the grease fire tactic he did with Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun camp during their first encounter. The flame and the impact of grease fire might cause another forest fire and spread southward toward Puyang region. He did not want to implicate the ordinary citizens or peasants because of this battle again.
However, if Zhu Jun moved his camp to the north bank, Tong could burn everything on the northern shore at his heart content as the flame would not spread to the other side of the river.
…
…
October 21st.
Zhu Jun woke up with a burning fever. He had diarrhea a couple of days ago because his men accidentally replaced his water jar with raw water from the river, and he began having a fever since then. His body was sluggish as he could not force himself to get up from his bed. Thus, he decided to rest.
His peaceful rest did not last long. A messenger rushed into his tent to give Zhu Jun an urgent report.
”Report! There's a movement on the opposite shore! The enemies have retreated!”
”What!?”
Zhu Jun sat up in disbelieved. The enemies had the advantage location. Why did they retreat?
”Have they gone yet?” Asked Zhu Jun.
”Yes, my lord. They seemed to have retreated last night.”
Zhu Jun rushed out of his tent to the frontline. He could not believe this news until he saw it with his own eyes.
When he got to the riverside, he was stunned. All barricades, weaponry, flags, and all trace about the rebel army disappeared like a dream.
Zhu Jun's heart was beating three times a second because of the excitement. The enemies had made a major mistake!
Before Zhu Jun could open his mouth and gave his order to cross the river, he recalled the defeat he had the other day. His brain and his logic, which Zhu Jun gave up, came back. He suspected that this might also be a ploy of the rebels.
”Send a thousand men *Cough* to the other side! Scout the areas and report back to me when it's done! *Cough*”
…
Later that day.
The one thousand scouts surveyed the areas and returned with the reports. The rebels indeed withdrew back to Liyang City.
Zhu Jun was delighted, yet puzzled. He still could not come up with a theory why his enemies returned to the city. Then he thought about Liu Ping Army.
'Could it be that … Liu Ping changed his destination from Julu to Ye City?'
'There's a road from Shangdang to Ye. It is possible! If Liu Ping shows up at the border of Ye City, it's obvious that this army has to return to defend the city!'