books44 Chapter 483 Heavy Casualties
Chapter 483 Heavy Casualties
"General, this Si Jingshan is indeed cunning; he actually dared to launch a sneak attack on us under the cover of darkness!" A soldier angrily slapped his thigh.
If they hadn't been prepared in advance, the city gates might have been breached directly.
"Alright, this has taught us a big lesson. Next time, don't get carried away by small victories," Lu Zhijin scolded.
"Understood, General." The soldier shut his mouth sheepishly.
Although the enemy's night raid was unsuccessful, it still caused them considerable losses. Si Jingshan is indeed a difficult opponent.
Most people would choose to rest for a few days after a day of fighting, but Si Jingshan did the opposite.
Lu Zhijin paced back and forth in his tent, pondering Si Jingshan's intentions. He felt that Si Jingshan's night raid might not be as simple as just capturing the city gate. The enemy had just suffered a fierce battle during the day, and their forces had been significantly weakened; this night raid must have a larger plan.
Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine. He realized that Si Jingshan might be planning to use this night raid to deplete their strength and energy before launching a large-scale attack while they were exhausted. Moreover, the chaos caused by the night raid might leave their soldiers feeling uneasy.
"Someone come here!" Lu Zhijin shouted. "Immediately strengthen the defenses of the city gates, and at the same time send people to closely monitor the enemy's movements, reassure the soldiers, and tell them not to panic."
The soldiers obeyed their orders and left. Lu Zhijin knew that the battles to come would be even more difficult, but he was also prepared to deal with all of Si Jingshan's schemes and tricks.
They had ample supplies and were not afraid of time. Since they did not yet understand the other party's intentions, Lu Zhijin did not intend to launch an attack.
However, the allied forces of the two countries have been fighting each other for a long time, and their supplies are probably running low.
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In Si Jingshan's tent, listening to his subordinates' reports, Si Jingshan looked at the words he had just written on the table. He was not angry because of the failed siege; on the contrary, he was somewhat happy.
Si Jingshan stared at the paper for a long time, then picked it up from the table and burned it in the brazier. In the firelight, a large character "Lu" could be seen written on the paper.
The two attacks today were to test Lu Zhijin's strength during the day. Although he had learned about Lu Zhijin's combat methods from others, he had never personally engaged in battle with him.
As for the night raid, he originally intended to provoke Lu Zhijin and throw them into disarray, but he did not expect that Lu Zhijin and his men were already prepared.
Si Jingshan smiled. It seemed that Lu Zhijin was much stronger than the previous King of Lingnan. He was indeed a young general who had conquered Dayong in one fell swoop. He was worthy of the things he had prepared. Now, let's see if Lu Zhijin can dodge the good things he had prepared.
Si Jingshan laughed unrestrainedly, his smile now strange, as if he had finally encountered an interesting toy.
For the next few days, neither side made a move. After a few days of rest, Lu Zhijin's soldiers had regained their previous morale.
But it didn't take long; in just three days, Si Jingshan declared war again.
This time, the Great Zhou has also made ample preparations.
The war drums thundered, their muffled sound shaking the very air. Amidst the billowing dust, Lu Zhijin's eyes sharpened as he saw Si Jingshan reveal a strange smile.
"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" Lu Zhijin's voice sounded unusually abrupt in the noisy battlefield, but he himself was completely unaware of it, with only one thought in his mind: Get out of here as soon as possible!
His heart pounded faster and faster, as if it were about to leap out of his throat, and an ominous premonition enveloped him. However, the battlefield was filled with the deafening sounds of battle, the shouts of killing, and the clanging of weapons, all intertwined in a chaotic cacophony. Lu Zhijin's cries were drowned out, and few soldiers could hear them.
Lu Zhijin was frantic with worry. He spurred his horse and galloped away, shouting for his soldiers to retreat as he desperately backed away. His gaze swept across the battlefield, where soldiers from both sides were locked in fierce combat, swords flashing, blood and flesh flying everywhere—a scene of extreme carnage.
Just as Lu Zhijin was extremely anxious, suddenly, a deafening roar resounded on the battlefield—"Boom!" The sound was like a thunderclap, deafening, and the entire battlefield trembled.
Lu Zhijin was startled by the sudden loud noise. His body jolted, and he almost fell off his horse. He quickly steadied himself and looked in the direction of the sound to see what had happened.
But what he saw before him only made his eyes widen in horror. The massive explosion, accompanied by scorching heat and flying debris, sent nearby soldiers flying into the air. Their fates were unknown, while others, though farther away, were still knocked down by the impact, their screams echoing through the air.
Lu Zhijin felt his heart being gripped tightly. What was this, and why did it have such great power?
But there was no time to think about that now, because violent explosions began to rang out in many places on the battlefield. Lu Zhijin quickly ordered Xia Ling to retreat, but the explosions were too intense, and many soldiers were still killed by the fire.
Inside the city, the accompanying military doctors were extremely busy, but there were too many seriously wounded people to keep up.
Moreover, the soldiers were so badly injured that most of them were beyond saving, and the camp was filled with a deathly atmosphere.
“General…” The military advisor looked at Lu Zhijin, who was bandaging his wounds, with a somber expression, his voice slightly choked.
Lu Zhijin's right arm was wrapped in thick bandages, and blood seeped through the bandages, staining his battle robe red.
"Tell me, how many casualties?" Lu Zhijin's voice was low and hoarse, as if he was suppressing immense pain.
The soldier took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice steady: "General, our army lost a total of 60,000 soldiers in this battle, and there are 36,000 casualties."
Lu Zhijin's body trembled violently. His eyes widened as he stared at the soldier in disbelief. Although he had already anticipated the ferocity of the battle, hearing the actual number still made him feel dizzy and his heart ached terribly.
Sixty thousand soldiers! Sixty thousand vibrant lives! They all had families, friends, dreams, and hopes. Yet, in that instant, they were all swallowed up by the merciless flames of war, forever leaving this world.
Lu Zhijin's eyes gradually turned red, tears welling up in them, but he stubbornly held them back. He was a general, and he couldn't lose his composure in front of his subordinates.
"General..." The military advisor wanted to say something to comfort Lu Zhijin, but his throat felt like it was blocked by something, and he couldn't make a sound.
Lu Zhijin took a deep breath and slowly said, "Compile the list of fallen soldiers."
Enlisting in the army, Lu Zhijin turned and left, leaving Lu alone to gaze silently into the distance, his heart filled with endless sorrow and self-reproach.