Chapter 456: First Volume, Chapter 456: Brewing the Decisive Battle

First Volume, Chapter 456: Brewing the Decisive Battle

The great battle lasted two days and two nights; the Border Army suffered heavy losses, with casualty rates reaching a staggering seventy percent, all Gate Generals killed, only one Deputy General remaining, and the Former General, while overseeing the battle, was struck by a stray arrow in the left shoulder.

The Piaoqi General's unit lost nearly two thousand men; the Beixi County side fared no better—the Black Cavalry on the Eastern Front lost five hundred, the light cavalry was nearly wiped out, and the infantry suffered two thousand casualties.

This battle was, for the Northern Border Army, nothing short of a devastating blow.

But as the attacking side, the Di forces suffered even heavier losses, with overall casualty rates three times higher than those of the Liang defenders. Beyond manpower losses, the strategic defeat was the truly unacceptable cost.

After this battle, the Di army had retreated ten Li from the border; cavalry formed a front line to prevent Liang from launching a counterattack, while infantry held the rear to rest and regroup.

At the Vanguard Camp, the atmosphere was extremely oppressive.

Despite the defeat, no one blamed Chen Si—after all, tactically, this battle had already shattered the Liang Kingdom Border Army's strength; if Liang did not continue reinforcing the Border Stronghold, the stronghold was effectively lost. Yet strategically, failing to capture the Border Stronghold remained a fact.

No one had anticipated that Qin Feng, stationed in Jingdu, would suddenly appear on the Northern Border.

Given Qin Feng's current status and position in Liang, wherever he went, he was always escorted by a large retinue; the journey from Jingdu to the Northern Border should have taken at least half a month. Yet according to the report brought back by Night Owl, Qin Feng had traveled alone, riding hard day and night, covering the distance in just three short days.

This was no longer the powerful Supervisory Special Envoy of Liang—it was a messenger rider!

Though unwilling to admit it, Qin Feng's sudden appearance had caught the Di off guard.

Chen Si let out a long breath, his eyes instantly weary: "I had assumed Li Zhang lacked the courage to reinforce the Border Army, and I believed Qin Feng could never come to the Northern Border—even if he did, the battle would already be over. Since no outsiders are present here, I'll say something that boosts the enemy's morale and diminishes our own."

"Since our forces first encountered Qin Feng, we have suffered defeat after defeat; his military talent far surpasses mine. Sending Night Owl deep into Liang's rear area and failing to kill Qin Feng in one strike was a loss for Da Di. Now that Qin Feng has arrived on the Northern Border, this battle will be even harder."

The generals present, though unwilling to admit it, knew well that Liang and Da Di were two great powers; attempting to break through Liang's Northern Border and strike toward the Central Plains required exhausting Da Di's entire national strength.

Now, with Qin Feng's arrival, the Northern Border Army has gained the strength of a tiger with wings—not only his military talent, but his commanding presence as well!

According to Night Owl's intelligence, it was precisely because of Qin Feng's covert coordination that the three armies of the Northern Border could unite.

The Vanguard Commander, frowning deeply, said solemnly: "This battle has consumed the blood and sweat of countless Da Di citizens. If we lose, we naturally bear undeniable responsibility—but as long as there remains a glimmer of hope, we must not abandon it. Not just for ourselves, but for the prosperity of Da Di's people."

"Chen Si, you are the Supervisory Special Envoy—speak plainly: can we still fight this battle?"

Chen Si had long considered this carefully; the most rational choice now was to retreat, shift from offense to defense, leave a portion of troops on the Front Line to resist any potential Liang invasion, and enter a standoff of attrition with Liang.

In this way, as long as the war continued, Da Di would not be considered defeated and could ignore all of Liang's insolent demands.

This would allow us to recuperate, wait for Da Di's national strength to recover, and retain the flexibility to either fight or negotiate in the future.

But this move would inevitably provoke fierce opposition across the entire nation.

The one who proposed it would surely bear the curse of "eternal traitor."

After all, Da Di's army is strong; neighboring states all submit. Throughout history, when has Da Di endured such humiliation?

If we continue fighting, the chance to break through Liang's border is now extremely slim; if we lose, territorial cession and indemnity are inevitable.

Whether to endure hardship in silence or fight to the death—Chen Si cannot decide. This matter must be settled by the Emperor.

"If we fight, we must not delay!

"Liang holds the advantage of home ground, backed by the support of autumn harvest farmers and fortified cities; they will recover quickly. We cannot outlast them in attrition.

"If we fight, we must strike with one decisive blow, at any cost!

"If we seek the Emperor's approval and convene the Imperial Court for deliberation, endless debate will follow—and by the time we launch, Liang's Northern Border will be an iron barrel, and we will be exhausted. Then it won't be an attack—it will be suicide."

All present were Martial men, but none were fools; they all understood the implication behind Chen Si's words.

Whether to fight or retreat was not the issue.

The issue was: who could bear the responsibility?

Chen Si could take responsibility—he had the courage and resolve—but the problem was, the Emperor had appointed Chen Si as Supervisory Special Envoy, not Supervisor of War; he was given a nominal title while secretly granted real authority.

The meaning was clear: let Chen Si command the battle, but not bear the blame.

After all, the Emperor knew well that Da Di's power brokers were either old warlords or rigid traditionalists; against an opponent like Qin Feng—bold, aggressive, yet brilliantly talented—they were powerless.

If anyone could match Qin Feng's mettle, it was only Chen Si.

Even if Da Di lost, Liang could never annex Da Di; the reason was simple: Da Di's territory was vast and predominantly nomadic; even if Liang wished to intervene, it lacked the capacity to govern.

The worst outcome would merely be the loss of wealthy lands. In the future, Da Di would still need to deal with Liang—and Chen Si's role would remain vital.

This was less a standoff between Da Di and Liang, and more a game of strategy between the Emperor of Beidi and the Liang Emperor.

The Emperor of Beidi and the Liang Holy Man had never met, yet they were old rivals; since their ascensions, they had engaged in constant covert and overt struggles, vying for dominance.

Qin Feng and Chen Si were the embodiments—or representatives—of the Liang Holy Man and the Emperor of Beidi.

The atmosphere in the tent grew even more oppressive.

After a long silence, the Vanguard Commander finally closed his eyes and nearly conceded: "Chen Si, make your decision. Whatever the outcome, I, the Commander, will bear full responsibility."

It was not that the Vanguard Commander acted out of noble righteousness—it was that, in this tent, only Chen Si and the Vanguard Commander himself could shoulder such responsibility.

After all, bearing responsibility was not something anyone could do—it depended on status and rank.

Meanwhile, Beixi County presented a completely different scene.

The people rejoiced, and the soldiers' morale was extremely high; this was the first major military victory Liang had achieved since the battle began.

Everyone knew clearly that this victory belonged to Beixi County—and in Beixi County, all credit went to Qin Feng.

Those who had once doubted Qin Feng for his careless demeanor now had all their doubts dispelled, filled instead with admiration.