Chapter 266 The Great Chase

In yesterday's battle, the Xiaoguo Army suffered fewer than one hundred casualties, a number almost negligible.

Counting the captured warhorses and the Baier Soldiers who had long since mastered their Horsemanship, the number of pursuing Cavalry today reached over thirty-five hundred.

When this Cavalry appeared, Li Yuanlang panicked immediately and ordered Tuoba Rui to lead the remaining Cavalry to cover the retreat.

To speed up his escape and hinder the Nanyue Army's pursuit, he even ordered the abandonment of the conscripted laborers and some provisions and baggage.

Seeing Tuoba Rui, Meng Zhenshan's eyes turned red.

Simply put, this crushing defeat that nearly wiped out the Jiannan Circuit stemmed from their inability to capture Yaizhou, which was held by Tuoba Rui, despite a prolonged siege.

They had been full of confidence, aiming to recapture Yaizhou and earn merit, but in the end...

Jiang Huaizhen was transferred to a nominal post and left the Jiannan Circuit in disgrace, while the old comrades who had followed him for years were almost completely wiped out.

As for himself, he was now reduced to serving as a deputy general under a minor retainer whom he had previously looked down upon.

This sense of stifling frustration welled up in his heart, transforming into motivation for Meng Zhenshan.

Without saying a word, Meng Zhenshan gritted his teeth and charged forward, putting all his strength into his hands as he swung his broadsword toward Tuoba Rui's head.

"Clang!"

A tremendous sound echoed across the open plain; Tuoba Rui felt a sharp pain in the web of his thumb.

Before he could even catch his breath, Meng Zhenshan's second strike came crashing down upon him.

Meng Zhenshan's attacks were filled with intense hatred, each strike delivered with his full strength.

The advantage of this was that every strike was powerful and heavy, but the disadvantage was equally obvious: he would easily exhaust himself.

Tuoba Rui clearly sensed that starting from the fourth strike, Meng Zhenshan's strength and speed began to decline.

Seizing the opportunity, Tuoba Rui began to launch counterattacks.

The two fought for over thirty rounds, and Meng Zhenshan was clearly unable to hold on much longer.

Tuoba Rui seized the opportunity and thrust his spear into Meng Zhenshan's shoulder.

"Argh!"

Meng Zhenshan let out a miserable cry and fell from his horse. Fortunately, Zhao Meng was nearby and immediately rushed up with his men to block Tuoba Rui.

Unable to take the opportunity to kill Meng Zhenshan, Tuoba Rui felt deep regret.

Looking at the few remaining Cavalry by his side, Tuoba Rui decided not to prolong the fight. He called out and led his men to retreat northward.

Meanwhile, Zhao Meng sent someone to escort Meng Zhenshan back to recover from his injuries, while he and Chen Dao continued to pursue the Western Kang people.

Inside Chengdu, outside the main room of the rear hall of the Deputy Commander's residence, Wang Mian stood watching the maids going in and out.

After a long while, an old man walked out and bowed to Wang Mian.

"Reporting to the Commander, I have already staunched the bleeding and applied medicine for General Meng. His life is not in danger, but..."

Sometimes, people fear the word "but" the most. Hearing the physician say this, Wang Mian's heart skipped a beat.

However, he quickly steadied his mind.

"Speak freely."

"General Meng's shoulder bone is shattered and his tendons are damaged. I fear that in the future, he won't even be able to lift heavy objects..."

The implication was clear: Meng Zhenshan's shoulder was beyond repair, and he would have no chance to wield a blade on the battlefield again.

How cruel this was for a martial general known for his bravery.

Hearing this "verdict," Wang Mian felt the world spinning. He staggered, but fortunately, he was steadied by those around him.

This news soon reached Gao Yuan's ears, and upon hearing it, he couldn't help but sigh.

"Beauties and famous generals alike, from ancient times, are never permitted to grow old in this world."

Everyone felt deep pity for Meng Zhenshan's plight, but he himself was quite open-minded after waking up.

"Very well, very well. This can be considered a peaceful end. I must thank Commandery Duke Gao for composing these two lines of poetry for me. Hahaha!"

This hearty laughter carried a hint of loneliness, but also a sense of release.

Although the two sides had fought before, they had worked together this time to resist the enemy.

Gao Yuan did not kick him while he was down; instead, he sent some money to Meng Zhenshan's home.

After reflecting on Meng Zhenshan's situation, Gao Yuan turned his attention back to Tuoba Tao.

For the sake of this great battle, he hadn't even managed to return home in time for his wife giving birth.

A son and a daughter—his two wives had worked together to complete the character "good" for him.

Although he was anxious to go back and hold his children, Gao Yuan was in no rush; he continued to surround Tuoba Tao, depleting their meager provisions.

The Western Kang camp was still solid, and a forceful attack would certainly result in heavy losses.

Engaging in a slugfest with the Western Kang people on the plains had been a desperate measure. Now, he wouldn't act recklessly. Since he was fighting on his home turf, he had to utilize his home-field advantage to the fullest.

Tuoba Tao was also helpless. It wasn't that he hadn't tried to lead his men to break out, but he had been blocked back every time by Gao Yuan's superior forces.

Seeing the provisions dwindling, Tuoba Tao knew that his hope of breaking out was becoming increasingly slim. Even if he were to break through the lines, the remaining food would not be enough for them to retreat back to Mianzhu.

In fact, he was overthinking it. They hadn't even held Mianzhu; just as the Western Kang Army was preparing to enter the Mianzhu, the pursuit by the Xiaoguo Army arrived from behind.

There was no other choice; Li Yuanlang could only abandon Mianzhu and continue to flee with his men.

They were as arrogant when they set out from Mianzhu to attack Chengdu as they were wretched in their flight now.

Zhao Meng's gaze was firm. The provisions, baggage, and flags discarded by the roadside held no attraction for him; the infantry following behind would collect the spoils anyway.

It wasn't that Li Yuanlang hadn't tried to resist, but no matter how many men he left behind to cover the retreat, they were easily scattered by the high-spirited Xiaoguo Army.

What was most demoralizing was that since they were infantry, if they stopped even for a moment, they would be caught by the Cavalry. This forced them to run without sleep or rest.

Meanwhile, the Xiaoguo Army could still find two or three hours a day to sleep and have a hot meal. After a few days, the disparity became immediately apparent.

The Western Kang Army's escape speed became slower and slower, and more and more people fell behind. Seeing that complete annihilation was not far off, Tuoba Rui volunteered.

"This humble general will take the infantry and stay behind to block the pursuers. I ask that Your Highness return to Song Prefecture immediately to reorganize the defenses."

Li Yuanlang's eyes turned red with emotion.

"No, absolutely not. This battle is my fault; if anyone is to stay behind to cover the retreat, it should be me. General Tuoba, you should take the men and leave first!"

"Your Highness is the pillar of the nation, a person of immense value; how can we compare to you? Please, leave quickly."

Having left the plains and entered the mountainous region, Tuoba Rui found suitable terrain to set up a formation, and he actually managed to block Zhao Meng's pursuit.

Seeing that a great victory was right before their eyes, the soldiers of the Xiaoguo Army were itching to act.

"Commander, what should we do? Should I take the brothers and charge again?"

Zhao Meng scratched his head, but realized he couldn't reach it because of his helmet, so he couldn't help but punch the person who spoke.

"If I knew what to do, that would be great. Wait for the brothers behind to arrive before deciding. Divide yourselves into four shifts and take turns watching these Western Kang people. Don't let them run away."

"Understood!"

This tense and thrilling pursuit suddenly hit the brakes.

After waiting for more than ten days, the Beiwei Army infantry finally arrived. Liu Rengui immediately ordered the shield-bearers to lead the way and launch a forceful attack.

Unexpectedly, the resistance of the Western Kang people was like a paper tiger; the infantry charged right through them. Only then did they realize that Tuoba Rui had long since fled, and only two hundred men were left behind putting up a front.

Seeing the two hundred-plus corpses on the ground, Zhao Meng slapped himself across the face with a "smack."

"I am such a damn fool; I can't believe I didn't see that Tuoba Rui had fled for all these days."

Liu Rengui walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"Alright, alright. Self-reproach won't change anything now. Take the Xiaoguo Army and go in pursuit quickly."