??The left wing of the Wusun cavalry completely collapsed, so that the entire array had lost its restraint effect on Gao Shun and others. Instead, it was possible to fall into counter-siege by Gao Shun, so the Wusun people retreated in a hurry.
The fighting in Wutu Valley temporarily stopped.
Gao Shun didn''t have time to feel any sorrow or emotion about the casualties, so he immediately ordered the army to deploy defenses along the Wutu Valley, make key defenses at the Wutu Valley stone wall, and target the front line from Wutu Valley to his tunnels. Warning posts were set up at several important water sources, and patrolling cavalry were deployed along the way, focusing on preventing small-scale enemy cavalry intrusion on the back roads to ensure the safety of communication links and logistics transportation on the retreat lines...
??Although the Wusun cavalry was defeated outside the entrance of Wutu Valley, no one can guarantee that the Wusun people will not make a comeback.
??There is no problem with the above orders, and no one objects to them.
But then a difference of opinion arose.
With the guards of the King''s Court behind the Che Division in front and the Wusun cavalry invading behind, Gao Shun was preparing to march towards the King''s Court behind the Che Division again. However, before this decision was implemented, he encountered strong opposition from Gao Shun''s military academy. .
Since Wutu Valley is called a valley, it is actually a fold between two mountains, forming a relatively long and narrow valley. Because the mountains to the north withstand part of the cold wind, there are suitable pastures in Wutu Valley. However, this kind of terrain does not mean that we can drive straight into it, and even after entering Wutu Valley, if the attack is not smooth and the Wusun cavalry blocks Juhua again, then there is a risk of the entire army being annihilated.
The key thing is that since the battle, big problems have arisen, both in terms of casualties and logistical supplies.
Most military academies said that up to now, Lu Bu''s mission has been completed, and it is very likely that the royal court behind the chariot division in Wutu Valley has also moved. Can''t we just keep chasing?
Wutu Valley stone wall.
?This originally belonged to the descendants of the car master, but now it has become a temporary repair place for Gao Shun and others.
??The sunset spreads along the valley and onto the low stone walls soaked in blood, dyeing everything in various reds and blacks. There were scattered arrows stuck in the crevices of the rocks. The ground was strewn with corpses of all kinds, and pools of black and red blood soaked the ground.
Some soldiers were gathering on the battlefield, packing up useful weapons. If they were too damaged to be used, they would throw them aside. Although the Han army had craftsmen accompanying the army, they did not bring an iron furnace, and even if they did bring an iron furnace, they might not have the time to slowly repair it.
The body was divided into two parts, and the body of the deceased was carried to the firewood pile in the open space and cremated. The enemy''s troops are still standing aside and have not been dealt with for the time being. If you stay here permanently, you will dig holes and bury the corpses. If you evacuate, they will be piled up in Beijing. The final decision will have to wait for Gao Shun to make...
The soldiers on the stone wall began to change their guard. The Han soldiers who had changed their posts slowly walked down the stone wall with numb and tired expressions on their faces. Many of their clothes and armor were torn, with the blood of others or their own blood on them.
The casualties of soldiers have now begun to increase.
This increase in losses is not dependent on Gao Shun''s will.
?On this day of the battle in Wutu Valley, not only the horse Changsheng was damaged, but there were also nearly two hundred casualties and two hundred and fifty war horses. The war horses were supplemented with captured Wusun cavalry horses, but what about the people?
This loss figure is very shocking.
Without gunpowder, the difficulty of a strong attack would skyrocket, and casualties would also be unavoidable.
This means that in this day alone, Gao Shun lost almost one-tenth of his combat effectiveness. It should be noted that the real army will not have 100% combat effectiveness even if it is bloodskin like in the game, but will continue to decline as casualties increase. After the Gaoshun Front Army penetrated deep into the country behind Che Division, it suffered a lot of attrition due to battles or injuries. These casualties would also affect normal soldiers and consume more manpower and material resources...
It should be noted that not all casualties occur on the battlefield.
On the contrary, only a few died in the brutal battle.
Non-combat casualties, especially the failure to receive timely treatment after combat, and the harsh natural environment.
After entering Cheshi Hou Kingdom, many soldiers in Gao Shun''s queue inexplicably suffered from headaches, shortness of breath, chest tightness, anorexia, slight fever, dizziness, fatigue and other problems. The doctors could not find the cause at all, and they could not talk about it. The only way to prescribe the right medicine is to boil some inappropriate decoction and let the infected soldiers drink it, hoping to reduce their pain.
Some of these patients'' conditions will inexplicably improve and recover, while others will have to follow the pack horses back to the rear, and some will worsen as time goes by, especially after fierce battles. , they will cough, vomit blood, and fall into coma, and then they will never be able to see the tricolor flag closed on the Jade Gate with their own eyes, nor will they be able to take a sip of water from their hometown...
?This inexplicable disease leads to a shocking number of casualties in the military due to non-combat reasons every day!
Gao Shun even scolded the doctors accompanying the army in the Western Regions for this matter, but Gao Shun also knew that it was not that the doctors did not want to save these soldiers, but that they simply did not know how to save them. What''s more, scolding cannot solve the problem, and it is not the time to hold people responsible for this, but the decline in morale will inevitably occur.
Now Cha Shi Houguo is obviously connected with Wusun. On the one hand, the Che Shi Wangting in Wutu Valley resists, and on the other hand, Wusun''s cavalry invades Gao Shun''s rear.
??The worst thing now is that whether it is arrows, crossbows, swords, guns and armor, all ordnance has been exhausted...
What''s even worse is that because Gao Shun''s troops have been heavily deployed on the front line of Wutu Valley, the activities of small groups of enemies have become more and more rampant in the area south of Wutu Valley. They block grain routes, ambush messengers, and harass sentries along the way. Station, and even killed the wounded Gao Shun transported to the rear...
The current Gao Shun army is no longer as brave as it was when it first left Liuzhen and entered the grassland. Continuous marching operations not only consumed a large amount of the physical savings of Gao Shunjun''s soldiers, but also consumed their willpower. Right now, many people are on the verge of collapse, and many times they are fighting the enemy out of a person''s most basic survival instinct.
?Gao Shun has sent messages to Xihai City in the rear many times, requesting logistics supplies, but there is no news. This is completely different from what Lu Bu originally promised. This also made the military academy in Gaoshun Army feel gloomy. Logically speaking, after such a long time, even if the food transport team failed to come, the messenger should be able to come back, but there is no news.
As time passed and logistical supplies were delayed, many people realized that something had happened. As for what the accident was, it was difficult for Gao Shun to make an accurate prediction due to the lack of information from Lu Bu on the situation. Maybe the countries in the Western Regions may not be as simple as previously expected, which made Lu Bu''s march difficult; maybe the weather changes again caused the march to be slow; maybe like Gao Shun, he lacked rear supply of food and grass...
In short, there are all possibilities.
A few people have guessed a most terrifying possibility, but no one dares to speak out about it. They don''t dare to imagine what kind of result it will lead to -
?That is really terrible...
?Now, Gao Shun can be sure that something happened at least in Xihai City. But what happened, he couldn''t tell. It may be that Xihai City encountered an unexpected situation and had to terminate the dispatch of the grain transportation team to Gaoshun. It may also be that Gao Shun''s messengers encountered some problems on the way, or the grain transportation team sent was blocked halfway. attack; of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that Wei Xu''s generals who were left behind in the West Sea had some ulterior motives and could sit back and watch Gao Shun''s army lose.
Gao Shun thought for a long time and felt that the last possibility was unlikely. After all, no matter how arrogant and domineering and insane Wei Xu was, he would never dare to risk beheading and exterminating his clan to do such an outrageous thing!
It is still very possible that there is a shortage of granaries in Xihai City, but Wei Xu cannot and does not dare to sit back and watch Lu Bu''s army be wiped out. Even if he is greedy, he must take some remedial measures. Here''s the key - what steps will he take to remedy this?
Gao Shun thought about it and finally came to a conclusion,
?? Wei Xu Xihai City was probably not in extreme shortage of supplies, so he followed Lu Bu to add them, and as for Gao Shun, he "unintentionally" ignored it.
『The important thing is to get in touch with the Great Protector! This is top priority! 』
Gao Shun endured the pain on his body and explained to the guards around him.
Not only did the wounds on his body hurt, but his head also hurt.
??In the past few days, not only Gao Shun''s guards, but also many people have seen him when he had a headache. Although they didn''t know what kind of torture it was, they could see beads of cold sweat as big as soybeans flowing down Gao Shun''s face and neck. They could see him holding on to his armor and the handle of his spear, gritting his teeth and enduring the pain. With a ferocious expression, you can also see him rubbing his temples and sucking in cool air while explaining military affairs to the Soldier Military Academy...
? Before Ma Changsheng was killed in battle, he privately approached Gao Shun to suggest withdrawing the army, but Gao Shun refused. Then Ma Changsheng also proposed to command for him for a while so that Gao Shun could have a good rest, but Gao Shun refused. It''s not that Gao Shun is not humble, nor that he doesn''t trust Ma Changsheng. Well, maybe that''s a little bit. It''s also not that Gao Shun wants to hold on to power and won''t let it go. It''s because Ma Changsheng''s character is really not suitable for the situation at hand. Command the whole army.
?Ma Changsheng is competent in some basic military affairs, but Ma Changsheng does not have an overall view, otherwise he would not return to Jinzihe City...
?Of course, even if Gao Shun wanted to ask Ma Changsheng to help, he couldn''t do it now.
‘You personally take a few men and two horses and go through his tunnel to find the Great Protector! Gao Shun grabbed the guard''s arm and said, "We must find the Great Protector and report everything to the Great Protector!" 『General! I''m going to find the Protector. Who will protect the general? ” Gao Shun’s close guard was a little reluctant to give up.
"go! I don''t have to worry! Gao Shun said, "The Protector-General doesn''t know that the cuttlefish is coming, so he may misjudge the situation... Go quickly. If the Protector-General has any orders, you might as well bring them back with him." 』
Gao Shun''s trusted guard then took the order.
Just as the guard left, Lu Silang came. He said in a deep voice: "Grandson of Kazana, I don''t know which muscle is wrong. I want arrows, ordnance, medicinal materials, reinforcements... Where can I find something for you?" he? What a bastard! General, is it..."
Ma Chang lived and died, Chen Sanlang was injured.
??Now only Lu Silang is left in the military academy under Gao Shun, and there is also the mercenary leader Kaza.
Gao Shun frowned slightly.
Before Gao Shun could say anything, there was a sudden noise not far outside. It seemed that someone was shouting something, and there seemed to be sounds of crying and howling mixed in, and even several war horses tied around the area. Neighing uneasily.
『What’s going on? Gao Shun raised his voice and said.
The soldiers on duty outside came in and reported: "The leader of Kaza is leading some vassal troops to kill the prisoners." 』
Gao Shun frowned immediately: "What''s going on?" Who told them to kill the prisoners? 』
??Lu Silang was also stunned for a moment, "I didn''t give the order... Damn Kaza, I told you not to kill prisoners to vent your anger!" 』
"Damn it, general, wait a moment, I''ll go take a look..." With that, Lu Silang turned around and walked out.
"etc. Gao Shun suddenly stopped Lu Silang, pondered for a while, and rubbed his head. His head started to hurt a little, which disturbed Gao Shun so much that he couldn''t calm down and think, "Let me think about it..."
?The slaughter in the distance is still going on, with loud and small sounds, screams and curses, hitting the head directly.
Gao Shun squinted his eyes and looked outside. There are several green or soap flags on the wall facing the command post. There was no wind, and the flag was just hanging softly. The soldiers standing guard under the flag also seemed listless. Their backs seemed blurry and distorted under the shaking light and shadow...
Suddenly, Gao Shun understood.
He thought wrong before.
?Perhaps the illness interfered with his thinking, or perhaps the headache made him dull. In fact, there was no need for him to annihilate the Cheshi Hou Kingdom, especially after Wusun entered the war, he had no chance to achieve this goal.
Since there is no way to annihilate Cheshi Houguo, it seems that it is not that important whether we can reach the royal court.
As soon as the goal is changed, ideas seem to come to mind instantly.
‘Tell Kaza to stop, and then call him over. Ask Chen Sanlang to come over too. Gao Shun raised his head, closed his eyes, exhaled slightly, and said, "We are going to fight the last battle... If we can''t move forward, we will lead them out... and when the battle is over, we will retreat." 』
?Lu Silang was stunned for a moment, his face became a little more excited, he nodded and went out.
?After a while, the crying outside gradually became quieter.
After a while, Lu Silang and Kaza came.
Gao Shun didn''t say anything. He just motioned for the two of them to sit down, then closed his eyes slightly to rest.
Chen Sanlang came last, but no one blamed him. Because Chen Sanlang''s injury was not serious.
Gao Shun looked at Chen Sanlang and said, "How is it? Can your body still hold on?" 』
Chen Sanlang was now depleted of energy and blood. Even if he walked a few steps like this, he seemed to be very tired. He was sweating a little, but he still said bravely: "It''s okay, it''s nothing... General, just give the order. I''ll return it." I can hold it! 』
Gao Shun sighed slightly, "Sanlang, I have an important task to give you." I want you to take all the wounded soldiers at the moment, plus two hundred guards, and evacuate immediately. 』
Chen Sanlang was stunned, "General!" What are you..."
Gao Shun nodded, "Yes, we have to prepare to withdraw, but we can''t just withdraw like that..."
Gao Shun glanced at Kaza who was standing aside, "In this situation, if we retreat, we will inevitably fight with each other to seize the road. In the end, even those who can return to the West Sea will probably not survive." Kaza... If you retreat directly at this time, can you guarantee that your men will not abandon you and escape first? 』
Kaza snorted. He originally wanted to be tougher, but when Gao Shun took such a look, he felt cold in his heart. In addition, because he couldn''t help but kill the captive to vent his anger, he couldn''t help but feel guilty at the moment, so he smiled twice. Sound is the default.
Gao Shun sighed secretly in his heart. No matter what, the vassal army system was still inappropriate. But now is not the time to think about this. The vassal army must also be used, otherwise problems will definitely occur.
???Retreating at this time is extremely dangerous. A slight mistake will lead to a complete collapse of the entire line. Gao Shun has seen too many such situations. Back then Lu Bu...
Forget it, Gao Shun shook his head slightly, "Now that the chariot master Wusun has joined forces, it is obvious that he wants to contain us in Wutu Valley, so the best way now is to lure them out... If not, it will hurt them." , even if we want to retreat, we can''t! They will bite us hard and will definitely not allow us to return to the army smoothly. Kaza, you''d better go ahead and fake defeat. You have to pretend to be more serious and don''t hurt the chariot masters. They won''t be fooled... Go forward from the stone wall and spread out your soldiers. I don''t care what you can get... But you must If you want to deal a cruel blow to the Che Masters, wouldn''t your men be tempted to kill the prisoners to vent their anger? Now I give you this opportunity to vent your anger... Then we give the Cheshi people the final blow at the entrance of Wutu Valley! 』
?Kaza tensed up hard, trying not to laugh. Does this mean that he can legitimately make money and take things?
『I’ll wait for you here for three days! You can fight as much as you want, and get whatever you want, but you have to come back within three days... How about it, can you do it? Gao Shun asked, "If I can''t do it, I''ll let..."
"no problem! General! I''m familiar with this! Kaza almost jumped up, patted his chest and said, "Don''t worry, General, I can definitely handle it!" 』
"Very good..." Gao Shun nodded and said, "Then you go and prepare first, we will set off early tomorrow morning!" 』
Kaza took the order and left.
??Lu Silang looked at Kaza''s back, was silent for a while, and said to Gao Shun: "General, just rely on Kaza and those people...will...I mean, in case..."
"Well, we need to make more preparations... So, Chen Sanlang, you leave tonight, remember to let the prisoners see..." Gao Shun nodded and said, "Lu Silang, bring some people and pretend to kill in the middle of the night." The appearance of those prisoners, and then "accidentally" letting them go... Three days later, we withdrew, and all the supplies we couldn''t take with us were piled on firewood and burned directly..."
Chen Sanlang straightened his body and said, "General, I can still fight!" I...I can stay! Just ask the music leader to take the wounded back! 』
“No,” Gao Shun rejected Chen Sanlang’s request, “It’s just like what the Hussars General often said... As a general, you have the responsibility to lead soldiers to fight, and you also have the responsibility to lead soldiers home...”