20demayo Chapter 80 Game Theory
Chapter 80 Game Theory
A moment later, as expected, Marquis Jiu Sai arrived surrounded by a group of soldiers, but he was accompanied by very few people, only a few dozen personal guards.
Moreover, the Marquis of Jiu Sai was seriously injured, not to mention the other injuries on his body.
A spear pierced his chest, and blood flowed from his mouth.
Half of the spear blade remains in his body to this day.
His face was as white as a sheet of paper.
Upon seeing him, everyone immediately stepped forward and said, "Greetings, Lord Marquis."
Marquis Jiu Sai nodded.
Zheng Tong hesitated for a long time before saying, "My lord, the Northern Barbarian pursuers behind us show no signs of stopping, and the stronger members of our team are all seriously injured. I suggest we head to the central army, as it is the closest to us."
Marquis Jiu Sai glanced at him coldly: "If you can survive seeing Marquis Yun Du, do you think we'll even survive?"
Regardless of the circumstances, the Marquis of Jiu Sai bears responsibility for this defeat.
With tens of thousands of soldiers killed in battle, those in power will inevitably find someone to take the blame.
This Jiu Saihou is the perfect scapegoat.
As the absolute Marquis of Yundu, he was naturally well aware of the information from the higher-ups.
If I go there, I will most likely have no chance to argue. If Marquis Yundu gives the order, Marquis Jiu Sai will probably be beheaded and his head displayed to the public.
As the commander-in-chief, the other side carries His Majesty's imperial sword and wields absolute power in the army.
Therefore, the Marquis of Jiu Sai cannot go to the central army. He must return now to personally meet with the Emperor and fight for a chance of survival.
Zheng Tong's expression changed.
Then he clasped his hands and said, "Since Your Excellency is unwilling to go to the central army, I can only go ahead and pay my respects to Marquis Yundu."
At this point, he naturally wouldn't follow Jiu Saihou in being hunted down.
"Please go ahead."
"The Marquis of Jiu Sai said coldly."
Then, he let Zheng Tong leave.
Zhou Hongling and the others remained gathered around Jiu Saihou.
In this battle, this border lord, along with other border generals, have clearly become victims.
"Gentlemen, let's leave as soon as possible, otherwise not only the Northern Barbarian army, but also the Cloud Hidden Army under the command of Marquis Yundu will catch up with us soon," Jiu Sai's weak voice rang out.
However, he then added, "If anyone else wants to leave, I won't object, and I guarantee that no one will hold me accountable later."
He has worked hard all his life, enduring bloodshed and fire to get to where he is today.
However, under the oppression of such supreme power, one could face the threat of having nothing overnight.
This is the tragedy of grassroots generals. If they were marquises, they would have their families backing them up and their patriarchs protecting them, and no one would dare to scheme against them like this.
Seeing all this, Lu Yuan truly realized just how ruthless the power struggle at the top really was.
However, as a nobody now, all he can do is observe and wait.
But when he turned around, he found that many people were looking at him. It was clear that Lu Yuan was the only one who still had the strength to leave alone, since he was not injured and he had also preserved some of his men.
If they really leave, their chances of escaping with their lives are very high.
Lu Yuan seemed to know what everyone was thinking. He simply tightened his saddle and ordered his men to protect the generals and ensure their orderly retreat.
Seeing this, many people breathed a sigh of relief.
"Let's go then," Zhou Ming called out, and mounted his horse to ride forward.
This time, the Zhou family will most likely be implicated. Although they won't be as unlucky as the Marquis of Jiu Sai, they will definitely be suppressed.
Lu Yuan nodded, reorganized his men, and they continued their journey.
Although Zhou Hongling was now sitting alone on a horse, Lu Yuan was leading the horse in front of her.
The two kept a very close distance.
Of the current team of several hundred people, Lu Yuan is arguably the one whose combat strength remains the most intact.
The others were all seriously injured, and if they encountered the enemy...
They have almost no combat power.
The rest of the time consisted of tedious travel.
No one knew where they would end up, and no one expected that coming here just to gain some credit would end up like this.
Of all these people, Lu Yuan thought the least.
His official rank was low, and even if the battle was lost, it wouldn't affect him at all. All he had to do was keep earning military merits, which he could then exchange for when he returned.
So he was quite at ease, except when he was traveling.
They are also working hard to improve their cultivation.
Two days later.
In the past two days, the injuries of Jiu Saihou and the others have not improved; on the contrary, they have become more serious due to the lack of timely medical treatment.
That evening, everyone was eating around the campfire.
The atmosphere was heavy because the food that Zhou He had brought with him, which was supposed to be enough for everyone to return to Icefield Fortress, was completely used up in just two days.
This is the last meal; once it's finished, that's it.
Zhou Hongling leaned against a rock, the firelight illuminating her slightly pale face. She looked at Lu Yuan and said weakly, "This team has little chance of getting out of the wasteland. You should take the uninjured ones and leave."
Two days is enough time for the northern barbarians to discover our marching route. They should be catching up soon; if we don't leave now, we'll miss our chance.
In the past two days, she had secretly tried to persuade Lu Yuan several times.
"Da da!"
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar.
A scout who had been sent out galloped over and dismounted as soon as he got close, shouting, "The northern barbarians are catching up, their numbers are about three thousand!"
As his voice faded.
"flap!"
Lu Yuan immediately stood up.
He shouted to the crowd, "Uninjured brothers, follow me!"
After saying that, he raised his sword.
The cyan crescent blade gleamed in the moonlight.
Behind him, more than 800 people gathered in a short time.
They were all holding weapons.
Seeing this, Marquis Jiu Sai smiled bitterly and said, "I never imagined that after a lifetime of fighting on the battlefield, my life would be tied to that of a mere centurion."
He naturally understood that at this moment, as long as Lu Yuan ensured Zhou Hongling's safety, even if he abandoned them with his men, nothing would happen.
Because without the other side, these wounded generals simply couldn't get out of this vast wilderness.
Once I get back, as a centurion, I can shift the blame to my superiors, and no one will say anything.
After all, the entire right wing has been broken up, and whatever the outcome, those in power will accept it.
But the other party stayed.
This favor is now very big.
Meanwhile, Lu Yuan was preparing to engage in battle.
At this moment, in the imperial city of Dayong, inside a seemingly inconspicuous but exceptionally luxurious manor.
Led by the butler, a figure hurried through the pavilions and towers, heading inside.
Upon arriving at the backyard, the steward stopped outside a quiet courtyard: "Master, Marquis Xisai requests an audience."
"Let him in," a hoarse, aged voice said.
The courtyard gate was also opened at the same time.
Following behind the steward, Lord Xisai dared not be negligent and immediately bowed and carefully entered.
This rugged-looking marquis, ruthless and cold-blooded on the battlefield, couldn't even stand up straight in front of the people in the courtyard.
Because in front of him was the previous Grand Commandant of the Great Yong Dynasty, who had also risen from humble beginnings to reach this point after a full century.
He was the representative of grassroots generals in the court, and also their leader.
However, even though he amazed an era, he was ultimately no match for the powerful families who had buried their roots deep in every corner of the dynasty, and he was no longer in the court.
He simply lived out his days in the imperial city.
But no one dares to underestimate his influence.
"You haven't been back to the capital for a while, have you come here on business?" the old Grand Commandant's voice rang out.
Marquis Xiguan hurriedly said, "Grand Commandant, I am returning to the capital to report on my duties, but I have just received some news that compels me to come and disturb you."
After he finished speaking, he presented a jade slip.
The old Grand Commandant reached out and took it. As the thick true energy was poured into the jade slip, his pale eyebrows furrowed together.
His eyes widened, no longer cloudy, but instead gleaming with a sharp light.
His full head of white hair was scattered loosely, and he kept brushing it up.
"These nobles have crossed the line. Now they don't even care about the lives of border marquises. Who gave them the audacity to harm court officials for their own benefit?"
"Whoosh!" The old Grand Commandant stood up.
Marquis Xiguan immediately knelt down: "Please, Grand Commandant, do us border marquises justice."
"Just wait and see."
A rough and hoarse voice rang out.
The old Grand Commandant called out to the outside, "Prepare the carriage, I'm going to the palace."
Clearly, this senior official of the Yong Dynasty was preparing to meet the emperor.
The reason why Marquis Jiu Sai insisted on returning to Dayong was precisely because of the presence of this old Grand Commandant, which made him believe that he had a glimmer of hope.