Chapter 1153: First Volume, Chapter 1153: Order Amid Chaos

First Volume, Chapter 1153: Order Amid Chaos

As casualties mounted, Zhou Chi, though filled with resentment, could only order a military retreat.

Two hundred light cavalry being crushed by fifty logistics troops—if this spread, Zhou Chi would have no choice but to resign as Vice Commander.

After a brief consultation with several Vice Commanders, Zhou Chi reported upward, claiming they had encountered Northern Border Elite.

Night deepened, yet the atmosphere inside Gusu City was extremely tense.

Facing Sun Bo's vanguard army alone would have been manageable.

But since nightfall, Gusu City had received continuous urgent military intelligence reports suggesting Northern Border Troops had already arrived at Gusu City.

Facing Qin Feng's elite, even Lin Wenwan dared not let her guard slip for a moment.

She immediately ordered Gusu City into full combat readiness, strictly guarding against Northern Border Army's secret infiltration and surprise assault.

Meanwhile, the two thousand cavalry sent to launch a stealth attack on Sun Bo's vanguard were in dire straits.

Since it was a surprise raid without infantry support, the sole value of these two thousand cavalry lay in achieving victory through unexpectedness.

If they could strike with one decisive blow and severely damage Sun Bo's morale, their mission would be accomplished.

Conversely, if the battle stalled, they must retreat immediately—otherwise, they risked catastrophic casualties, like picking up a stone only to drop it on their own feet.

"Madam, order a retreat at once!"

"Sun Bo's army consists entirely of elite troops from the Imperial Party and Jingji Garrison; though they've struggled in siege warfare and their morale has dipped."

"But to crush Sun Bo's morale with one strike is by no means easy."

"Half a Envoy ago, the messenger reported that two thousand cavalry had already suffered thirty percent casualties."

The officers beside her kept pleading with Lin Wenwan, begging her to order an immediate retreat.

In the officers' eyes, even if Lin Wenwan was deeply calculating, she was still a woman with virtually no battlefield experience.

All her theories were mere empty talk.

Ultimately, while Lin Wenwan's strategic ability was unquestionable, in tactics she was an outsider.

"Madam! Don't hesitate any longer!"

"The cavalry's mission has already been fulfilled!"

"Sun Bo's forces are primarily infantry; once they form tight formations, light cavalry becomes utterly useless."

"Breaking through enemy lines is the task of heavy cavalry, but heavy cavalry moves too slowly—without heavy armored infantry holding the line, heavy cavalry will be trapped and annihilated by enemy heavy armored infantry."

"Since this is a stealth attack, strike fast and end it quickly—do not delay; do not treat it like a full-scale battle!"

The officers were heartbroken: the Southern Border's greatest strength lay in naval warfare, followed by infantry.

Since the Southern Border was not a native source of warhorses, cavalry was inherently scarce and precious—if recklessly wasted, once Gusu City was besieged, they would lack the mobility to rapidly reinforce or rescue.

Lin Wenwan understood perfectly: without a full complement of troop types, relying solely on cavalry—even two thousand, let alone twenty thousand—might not be enough to destroy Sun Bo's vanguard.

Heavy armored infantry was the core of the battlefield, the foundational platform upon which all other troop types depended.

Without heavy armored infantry holding the line, neither heavy nor light cavalry could ever realize their true value.

Lin Wenwan had not ordered a retreat until now only because… she strongly suspected that Qin Feng's Northern Border Elite had already infiltrated the Southern Border in silence.

If this light cavalry force withdrew now, it could trigger two catastrophic outcomes.

First, they might be ambushed en route and annihilated.

Second—and the tactic Qin Feng was most likely to employ—was to allow the cavalry to enter the city.

Even now, after suffering thirty percent losses, they still numbered seventeen hundred!

So many cavalry entering the city at once would mean the City Gate could not be closed in time.

Qin Feng's Beixi Light Cavalry and Tianji Camp Guards could then surge out directly, disrupting the City Gate.

Once the City Gate fell, they would hold it as a stronghold.

Until Sun Bo's main force arrived and poured in.

Then, no matter how many soldiers Gusu City had stockpiled, they would be forced into close-quarters combat, quickly devolving into street fighting.

At that point, Gusu City would become a city anyone could enter and exit at will, dragging the entire Southern Border into a prolonged consumption war with Qin Feng over Gusu City.

Lin Wenwan waved her hand, cutting off the officers' pleas.

Her gaze was resolute: "My Southern Border has countless scouts and informants—even the Embroidered Uniform Guard, with all their heavenly abilities, could not possibly blind every single one of them at once."

"The news of Northern Border Elite's arrival is no rumor."

"The chaos on New Year's Eve may not be due to Sun Bo's ambition—it may well be the enemy's scheme!"

"The light cavalry must withdraw—but not toward the city. Order them to maneuver and circle nearby; only after confirming all surrounding enemy positions should we consider letting them enter."

Upon hearing this, the officers reacted even more fiercely.

"Madam! Our Southern Border is desperately short on cavalry—if we don't let them retreat into the city, they'll be encircled and intercepted, suffering devastating losses!"

"The cavalry stockpiled in Gusu City exists precisely to prevent Qin Feng from laying siege."

"Without cavalry, Gusu City will be at a grave disadvantage!"

Lin Wenwan nodded, acknowledging the officers' reasoning was not without merit.

But while she agreed, she refused to take the risk—she stood firm against all opposition.

"Based on my understanding of Qin Feng, he never bluffs."

"I dare swear—enemy ambushes are already stirring outside the city!"

Though the officers held military command, they could not defy Lin Wenwan's decision.

After all, Lin Wenwan was the bridge connecting the Southern Border's powerful clans—lose her support, and you lose the entire Southern Border.

The officers exchanged glances, reluctant but powerless to resist.

The Southern Border light cavalry, who had been harassing Sun Bo's main force, received the message from the city and erupted in furious curses.

"I'm out here bleeding for this war, and those bastards inside won't even let me retreat into the city?"

"The warhorses are exhausted; Sun Bo's light cavalry is about to arrive—how can we escape?"

The Nan Jing light cavalry gnashed their teeth in fury, but they had no choice but to retreat from the battlefield and charge toward the west of Gusu City.

Meanwhile, Sun Bo's vanguard cavalry, which had been maneuvering externally, had already returned.

One thousand cavalry immediately launched a pursuit against the Nan Jing light cavalry.

Sun Bo urgently ordered: "All troops, rest swiftly and advance toward Gusu City!"

Sun Bo ignored the doubts of his subordinate generals and turned to Liu Ming: "Liu Da Ren, were your words just now true? Have the Northern Border Elite already reached Gusu City?"

Liu Ming, who had rushed to the battlefield, watched as everything unfolded exactly as planned, and quietly exhaled a sigh of relief.

"Three thousand Beixi Light Cavalry have entered the territory of Gusu City in batches."

"Six hundred Tianji Camp Guards and eight hundred Black Cavalry are standing by."

"Your force need only do your utmost to drive the Nan Jing light cavalry toward the City Gate."

"As soon as Gusu City opens its gates, we shall have accomplished a great feat!"