NOVEL NEXT Chapter 525: Mission Accomplished
The sun leapt over the horizon, and the world suddenly became bright.
The main force of the court's army was advancing grandly, heading directly toward the rebel stronghold of Ning'an County.
However, the anticipated rebel resistance did not materialize; instead, along the way, they constantly encountered large groups of refugees being driven toward them.
On a certain hillside.
Xue Shence, in full armor, gazed solemnly at the plain ahead. A cold wind brushed his face, making the hair under his helmet flutter:
"Can the army still not advance?"
In the front view, the road was completely congested. Refugees fleeing from Ning'an County, dragging their families with them, filled the road, almost seeming endless. They carried luggage, carts, and horses, forcing the court's army to halt.
Though the soldiers below kept guiding the refugees to the side of the road to avoid clashing with the army, the troops could only move forward at a very slow pace.
"Reporting, my Lord, there are too many refugees. We've brought a lot of equipment and supplies and can't take a detour. This is already the fastest speed possible," a military officer behind him responded helplessly.
Xue Shence sighed lightly, waved his hand, furrowing his brow, and murmured:
"Something is amiss."
Behind him, Mo Chou approached up the hillside against the wind and inquired:
"What doesn't seem right? The other side is clearly using these refugees to hinder our marching speed, avoiding a direct confrontation with us."
Today marks the grand counteroffensive, and the troops in the city were divided into three groups.
Xue Shence, leading the largest army including Chen Huoshen's Firearms Camp, spearheaded the direct advance.
Shi Meng and Yuan Feng, the two Commanders, each led a group attacking along two different routes.
Xue Shence said calmly:
"From the refugees' mouths, it has been confirmed that most of them are civilians from around Ning'an County, including Wenshui County, being ordered out of the city by the rebel army and driven along this route to flee to us. This tactic is clever because it severely slows our speed, buying more time and burdening us heavily...
Heh, if it comes to the most crucial moment, and the rebels decide to burn the city, then these refugees would be homeless, and the court will have to think about expending a great deal of resources to settle them. Commander Zhao's painstakingly collected military rations might not even be enough to feed these refugees. This is their real killer move."
Of course, he didn't mention that driving out the refugees was also to reduce the harmfulness of the "burning city" act.
Even though Mu Prince has already been labeled a "rebel," he chose the doomed-to-be-cursed act of burning the city, but just burning houses, fields... and burning people are two entirely different things.
Su Dan drove the massive number of refugees out, not only sickening the court but also reducing the resistance and consequences of the city burning.
Mo Chou questioned in confusion, "Since you see things so clearly, what seems off?"
"Time," Xue Shence turned back, his gaze deep as he looked at her:
"It's too early to use this move. If the fullest battle is pursued, more time should be sought by first deploying troops, relying on the geographic advantages along the way to hinder our progress, causing us as much damage as possible, and then driving out the refugees... But Su Dan chose to do this now. I suspect some earlier judgments were mistaken, but we still need feedback from the other two teams to verify."
Mo Chou pressed her lips, her eyes filled with worry as she said:
"We've been out of the city for several hours, considering that Shi Meng and Yuan Feng's teams set off earlier, there should be some news coming back by now."
Almost as soon as the words fell, an eagle from the military broke through the clouds in the eastern sky.
Soon, a military report from Yuan Feng arrived at the hillside.
Xue Shence unfolded the letter, and after scanning it, his expression slightly darkened as he addressed the gathered military generals:
"Unstoppable momentum, Yuan Feng's team is advancing much faster than expected, they have already passed Yinma Village."
Everyone cheered:
"It must mean that the enemy acknowledges our overwhelming force and sees they cannot resist, so their morale has dropped, and they lack the will to fight to the death."
Mo Chou was also puzzled: "Isn't that a good thing? Why do you look worried?"
Xue Shence shook his head and sighed deeply:
"A good thing? When something is too unusual, it must be addressed cautiously. From my previous skirmishes with Su Dan, this faction of rebels is definitely not a disintegrated rabble that would retreat so quickly. Combined with the current refugees, there is only one answer, which is that Su Dan has already withdrawn the main rebel forces, leaving outside only a group of incompetent soldiers occupying the territory! Although he clearly commands the geographic advantages, he voluntarily gave up the territory to us! What does this indicate? It indicates that he didn't plan to fight us, nor did he intend to hold the city! From the start, he planned to withdraw the army! We were fooled by his feigned actions!"
Fooled?
Mo Chou and the others felt a jolt in their hearts!
For the past few days, the court continually analyzed the rebel's actions, concluding that: Su Dan had prepared for defeat but would still engage in battle with the court.
This was to buy time to transport looted supplies from the city, and also to weaken the court's forces as much as possible and hinder the advance.
The subsequent tactical plans were also made based on this judgment.
Yet now, Xue Shence said, Su Dan never intended to engage in battle and had already begun withdrawing.
Mo Chou's heart suddenly skipped a beat: "If this is true, doesn't that mean the other side might burn the city in advance? They wouldn't wait until 'unable to hold the territory' or 'unable to defeat us' to do it, instead, from the beginning, the purpose was to burn the city?!"