We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 1142 The Battle for National Destiny (8)

The Tibetan central army, beneath the majestic lion banner.

The atmosphere had become frozen solid.

The scene of defeat ahead was seen by every Tibetan general.

"Report—the vanguard is in complete disarray, and the Qing army is in pursuit!"

"Great Lord! Quickly send troops to provide support!"

"If we don't send reinforcements soon, the fleeing soldiers will break through our lines!"

"Send the 'Cha' cavalry on the rear flank up to block the Qing army's pursuit!"

"No! The Qing army's heavy cavalry are still patrolling the flanks. If our cavalry goes up, we'll be sending them to their deaths. We should send the reserve Gui warriors to hold the line!"

The generals were completely panicked, and they started talking all at once, their voices filled with fear.

Some people turned pale, some were at a loss, and some had shifty eyes, already secretly looking for a way out.

The defeat was overwhelming, leaving these usually arrogant nobles barely able to breathe.

However, Lu Dongzan, who was at the center of the storm, showed no sign of panic.

With defeat already decided, he calmed down instead.

"Shut up, all of you."

Everyone fell silent in astonishment and looked at Lu Dongzan.

Lu Dongzan stopped looking at them and turned to look at the veteran generals he trusted most:

"First, order all shield-bearing soldiers in the central army to immediately advance thirty paces to form a shield wall, with the spearmen following closely behind."

"Without my order, you are not allowed to retreat even a single step."

"Second, gather all the archers in the formation, assemble them behind the shield formation, nock their bows, and fire them in unison upon signaling the flag."

"The target is all personnel within a hundred paces of the front line directly in front of us, regardless of whether they are friend or foe!"

"Third, all scouts should set off immediately and shout along the route the retreating soldiers took."

"All retreating soldiers must not charge the main force from the front; they must detour around the flanks and regroup at the rear!"

"Anyone who dares to charge the front lines, regardless of their status, will be executed without mercy!"

The orders were issued one after another, clear and resolute.

The veterans seemed to understand something, their faces turning even more ashen, but they still gritted their teeth and carried out the order.

The other generals were even more confused and some were even dissatisfied, but they dared not voice their doubts due to the authority of Lu Dongzan.

Soon, the Tibetan central army's main formation began to change.

The soldiers at the front moved forward quickly, raising their shields to form a shield wall, with spears protruding from the gaps in the shields, pointing diagonally forward.

Behind the shield wall, thousands of archers quickly assembled and drew their bows.

At the same time, dozens of sentries galloped out, against the retreating crowd, shouting at the top of their lungs:

"By order of the Grand Commandant! Rampaging troops are not to charge the main force! Detour around to the flanks! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

The defeated Tibetan soldiers, having barely escaped the Qing army's pursuit, were still in shock and ran crying and shouting towards what they considered the safest rear area.

Then they saw the shield wall, the dense array of archers behind it, and heard the scouts' cold, ruthless shouts.

But the instinct and inertia of survival led most of them to continue charging headlong into the fray.

"Let us in!"

"The Qing army is catching up!"

"I am a warrior of the Saga family, let me through!"

Some of them killed the supervising officers and now they cared even less about military orders.

First, save your life and find a way to escape later. Even being a fugitive slave being hunted down is better than dying now.

However, their response was a cold, hard command from behind the shield wall: "Fire!"

hum-

The bowstrings twanged, and a dense swarm of arrows rose into the air like locusts, tracing deadly arcs as they plunged into the fleeing soldiers!

Puff puff puff puff—

The dull thud of arrows piercing flesh replaced the cries of pain. The fleeing soldiers at the forefront were instantly riddled with arrows and fell in droves.

Blood instantly stained the snow in front of the shield wall.

The fleeing soldiers behind them were stunned by this sudden scene. They stared in disbelief at their fallen comrades and slowly came to a stop.

Death brought them to their senses; they finally understood that the main force wouldn't let them in!

Anyone who dares to charge will die!

"Take a detour! Quickly take a detour!"

"Go from both sides!"

"Damn it, it's too late!"

Desperate cries rang out, and the remaining defeated soldiers dared not charge the front anymore. Crying and screaming, they surged toward the flanks of their main force, like a flood forcibly diverted by a dam.

Wang Sanchun, stationed at the main camp of the Qing army, witnessed this entire scene.

He slowly lowered the binoculars, his face showing little joy, and instead let out a soft sigh.

He then said to his excited deputy general Zhao Duo, "Send the order to sound the retreat and have all troops at the front cease pursuit and slowly withdraw to their own lines."

"What?!" Zhao Duo put down his binoculars, his face full of astonishment. "General! Our army has won a great victory and should be pressing on to crush the main Tibetan camp. Why are you withdrawing?"

Wang Sanchun glanced at him. Although this deputy general who had followed him for many years was brave, he sometimes lacked experience.

“If it were me a few years ago, I probably would have thought the same way you did,” Wang Sanchun said calmly, pointing ahead. “But look at what’s across the street.”

Zhao Duo quickly raised his binoculars again and looked carefully.

He saw the Tibetan army's well-prepared shield wall and archer formation, and he also saw them shooting down their own routed soldiers. His brows furrowed even more.

Why would they kill their own people? Isn't that self-destructive?

Wang Sanchun shook his head: "On the contrary, he is trying to save himself."

He patiently explained, "If the fleeing soldiers are allowed to rush into our lines without any resistance, panic will spread, and even the most disciplined formation will be disrupted, causing morale to collapse instantly."

"By then, we won't need a full-scale attack; we can simply follow up and annihilate their entire army."

"Unfortunately, Lu Dongzan was a military strategist. He used bows and arrows to stabilize his own position and used ruthless methods to force the routed soldiers to detour, thus preserving the main formation from falling apart."

"Now, he's like a hedgehog that's curled up. Although his posture is ugly, at least he's saved his life. If we had tried to bite him, we would have ended up with our mouths full of blood."

Zhao Duo was still somewhat unconvinced: "But they just suffered a major defeat and their morale is low. With the momentum of our great victory, we may not be unable to defeat them!"

"Foolish!" Wang Sanchun's voice turned stern. "In the pursuit, the various battalions have long since become separated. Musketeers, infantry, and archers are all mixed together. What kind of formation is that?"

"Without artillery support, Yueyun's heavy cavalry is also driving away the fleeing troops and is unable to regroup for a charge. Do you expect our brothers to fight to the death?"

He paused, then said solemnly, "Yes, our morale is high, and if we charge forward and fight to the death, we might win."

"But what if? What if Lu Dongzan has a backup plan? What if his heavy infantry fight like cornered beasts?"

"The battlefield is not a casino! Why risk your life when there's a safer way to win?"

Zhao Duo opened his mouth, finally understanding the commander's considerations.

He took a deep breath, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "This subordinate understands! I will go and relay the order immediately!"

Woo-woo-woo-woo

A deep, resonant gong sounded within the Qing army formation.

The Qing army soldiers at the front line were all taken aback upon hearing the sound.

They were having a great time killing each other, and many people had already chased after them for several hundred meters.

Seeing the defeated Tibetan soldiers like lambs to the slaughter, it was the perfect opportunity to take their heads. Why did they stop?

However, military orders are absolute.

Despite their confusion, officers at all levels began shouting orders to their subordinates to retreat in formation.

The new recruit from Sichuan was following the veteran as they caught up with a wounded Tibetan soldier who had fallen behind.

The wounded soldier lay on the ground, looking at them with a terrified expression.

The new recruit raised his spear to thrust it down, but then heard the sound of a gong, causing him to pause involuntarily.

"Alright, that's enough for today." The veteran grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

The new recruit put down his spear, somewhat bewildered.

The Tibetan soldier breathed a sigh of relief, just as he was about to celebrate his escape from danger.

The veteran stabbed him in the mouth with a spear, pinning him to the snow.

Then, nonchalantly, he said, "This ear is yours too."

Only then did the new recruits have time to look down at themselves.

My hands, arms, and armor were splattered with dark red blood that had partially congealed, and the smell of blood in my nostrils was now incredibly clear.

The inexplicable exhilaration of the chase had receded like a tide, replaced by a belated feeling of nausea rising in my throat.

"vomit--"

He bent over and began to gag violently, but only vomited up some sour water.

My stomach was churning, and my vision was blurring.

The veteran stopped and, without saying a word, patted him hard on the back.

The force was considerable, making the recruit grimace, but the nausea seemed to dissipate somewhat.

After finally recovering, the recruit was pale and covered in cold sweat.

He straightened up, his eyes still somewhat unfocused, and asked in a weak voice, "Brother...it's over? The war is over already?"

The veteran twitched the corner of his mouth: "Well, this phase is over."

The new recruit was somewhat bewildered. He looked at his fellow Qing soldiers who were also beginning to retreat, and then at his own blood-stained hands.

He muttered to himself, "Everyone says being a soldier is tough, a nine-out-of-ten chance of death, but I don't think I did anything... just ran, shouted, and chased after people, hacking away..."

He spoke incoherently, but the veteran understood him.

The veteran paused for a moment, gazing at the distant battlefield strewn with corpses, a complex and unfathomable emotion flashing in his eyes.

"Silly boy... that's because you've been born at the right time."

"Before this, it wasn't just a matter of life and death, especially for ordinary people like us..."

He didn't say anything more, but just patted the new recruit on the shoulder: "Come on, go back and wash up. The war isn't over yet, and there's still a long way to go."

The new recruits seemed to understand but not quite, following the veterans as they trudged along the muddy, blood-soaked road home.

The sound of the retreat bell still echoed, and the crimson banners of the Qing army fluttered in the wind.

In the distance, the majestic lion banner of Tibet still stands tall.

However, they no longer seem as arrogant as they were at the beginning.