pappabearbooks Chapter 427 Thinking He's Invincible!
Chapter 427 Thinking He's Invincible!
She had been well-versed in military strategy since childhood and thought that she would be invincible after obtaining the sixteen-character mantra of the immortal master. However, she never expected to be beaten to a pulp.
"Princess, the warriors are simply too exhausted to run any further."
A cavalry commander, looking disheveled, walked over and knelt on one knee. "That bright light was terrifying. Now, when everyone closes their eyes, all they see is a white blur."
Moreover... after that frantic run, the warhorse was exhausted!
With the mountains blocked by heavy snow, not even a single blade of grass can be dug up from the ground. Without fodder, the horses will quickly lose weight or even freeze to death!
Looking at the dejected warrior, Luan Diyun felt powerless.
She knew that the tactic of nighttime harassment had completely failed.
As long as the Qin army possessed the magical ability to turn night into day, any Xiongnu cavalry approaching at night would be committing suicide.
"Are we just going to slink back to the royal court like this?"
Luan Diyun gritted her teeth, a hint of resentment flashing in her eyes.
If she were to return like this, not only would she be unable to hold her head high in front of her father, but the arrogant Qin army would also ridicule her as having no one among the Xiongnu!
"No refunds!"
Luan Diyun suddenly stood up, drew his curved sword from his waist, and shouted sharply, "The warriors need rest, and the warhorses need fodder! Since we can't raid their camp at night, let's strike at their weak point!"
"Commander, pass down the order: the army shall set up camp in this valley to rest and recuperate! Send out scouts to keep a close watch on the Qin army's supply lines heading north!"
Luan Diyun's eyes flashed with a ferocious light like a hungry wolf: "The Qin army has 300,000 soldiers, and the amount of grain they consume every day is astronomical. Their grain transport teams must be huge and cumbersome!"
Three days later, once the warriors have recovered their strength, we will use all our forces to raid the Qin army's grain supplies!
"If we seize their provisions and fodder, we can not only survive, but also starve the Qin army to death on this snowy plain!"
"yes!"
Sensing the princess's resolute stance, the commander of the ten thousand cavalry immediately obeyed and departed.
……
Three days later.
North of Yinshan Mountain, on a vital road leading to the main camp of the Qin army on the front line.
As the wind and snow subsided, a large grain transport team slowly moved forward across the vast snow-covered plain.
This force was extremely large, consisting of a full ten thousand Qin soldiers escorting the shipment.
Hundreds of heavy four-wheeled carriages pulled by crossbowmen were lined up in a row.
At the very front of the procession, on a grain truck, Mo Feng was sitting with his legs crossed on a pile of grain sacks.
He was wearing a thick bearskin coat and idly playing with a finely crafted crossbow in his hand, but if you looked closely into his eyes, you would find excitement and agitation hidden there.
"Don't give anything away! I reckon the Huns are coming soon!"
Mo Feng shouted at the top of his lungs to the crowd.
The Imperial Advisor's move was truly insidious to the extreme...
Mo Feng muttered to himself, while cautiously glancing around.
Just then, the light cavalrymen who were on reconnaissance in the distance rode back.
"Enemy attack! A large force of Xiongnu cavalry, numbering no less than 20,000, has been spotted to the north!"
Upon hearing the warning, the grain convoy immediately descended into chaos, following the pre-rehearsed tactics. The infantry on the outer perimeter panicked and began to surround the grain wagons, seemingly attempting to form a defensive line and hold their ground.
At the horizon, a dark mass of Xiongnu cavalry swept in.
Luan Diyun took the lead, and when she saw the Qin army's grain transport team in chaos in the distance, as well as the mountains of grain and fodder, her eyes immediately turned red.
For three days, the 30,000-strong army was crammed into the valley, receiving only a tiny amount of food each day.
The warhorses were so hungry they were gnawing on tree bark!
The entire Xiongnu army was on the verge of running out of ammunition and food.
This batch of grain in front of them is their only hope for survival!
"Warriors! The Qin people's grain is right before our eyes! Slaughter them all and seize their provisions!"
Luan Diyun raised his curved sword high.
"kill!"
Twenty thousand Xiongnu cavalry charged toward the Qin army's supply wagon formation.
Three hundred steps.
Two hundred steps.
One hundred steps!
Just as the Xiongnu cavalry were about to swing their swords and kill...
Mo Feng, who was standing on the lead vehicle, suddenly stood up and yelled, "Open the hatch! Fire the arrows!"
All I saw was...
The camouflaged grain bags and wooden planks on the sides of hundreds of grain trucks instantly overturned and crashed down!
Inside each vehicle, three layers of crossbow firing ports were exposed!
Armor-piercing heavy arrows pierced into the densely charging ranks of the Xiongnu cavalry.
"Pfft pfft pfft!"
The Xiongnu cavalry at the forefront were shot into a pincushion before they even had time to react.
With just one volley, the Hunnic offensive was abruptly halted, their formation thrown into chaos, and they suffered heavy casualties.
"We've fallen into a trap! There's an ambush inside!" a Xiongnu general cried out in terror.
Luan Diyun's warhorse was grazed by a stray arrow, nearly throwing her off her feet.
She steadied herself, her heart bleeding as she looked at the warriors ahead, now turned into hedgehogs.
The Qin army was too cunning!
This isn't a grain transport team at all; they're just waiting for me!
"Princess, let's retreat! We can't break through!" The lieutenant, his face covered in blood, rushed over to dissuade him.
But Luan Diyun gritted her teeth, her heart bleeding.
We can't retreat!
If they fail to seize the grain this time, even without the Qin army's pursuit, these tens of thousands of people will starve to death in this freezing cold within three days!
"Fight to the death! Ignore the arrows! Fill the gaps with your lives! Seize the grain carts!" Luan Diyun's eyes were bloodshot as he brandished his scimitar and recklessly gave the order to charge once again.
In order to survive, the Xiongnu people displayed extreme ferocity.
Braving the Qin army's crossbow fire and trampling over the corpses of their comrades, they frantically charged towards the grain cart positions.
Some even used their warhorses to ram the grain carts in an attempt to break through the Qin army's defenses.
The two armies were instantly plunged into an extremely fierce and brutal battle.
Wood chips flew everywhere, and blood stained the snow a shocking dark red.
Mo Feng stood on high ground, watching the Xiongnu people's reckless fighting style as they retreated continuously.
"That's about it. We've used enough bait, and the fish are biting the hook."
Mo Feng stroked his chin and shouted without any backbone:
"The wind's blowing hard, let's get out of here!"
He immediately ordered: "Everyone, abandon the supply wagons! Spearmen cover the rear, cavalry provide cover, and the entire army retreats south!"
As soon as the order was given, the Qin army, which had been holding out by relying on the grain carts, suddenly changed its formation and decisively abandoned the cumbersome grain carts.
Large numbers of soldiers retreated to the rear in an orderly manner, running away with remarkable efficiency.
When Luan Diyun saw the Qin army suddenly retreat, he was first stunned, then overjoyed.
Regardless of why the Qin army withdrew, they left behind their supplies!
"Don't chase! Seize the supplies! Seize the supplies!" Luan Diyun shouted, stopping his subordinates who wanted to give chase.
The remaining Xiongnu soldiers swarmed forward and pounced on the carriages.
Despite suffering thousands of casualties, they finally managed to secure life-saving food!
With these supplies, they can return to the royal court alive!
……
Night falls.
Inside the sheltered valley, the campfire blazed brightly.
The Xiongnu soldiers, who had been starving for three days, wolfed down their food, not even caring whether it was fully cooked, stuffing it into their mouths.