Chapter 928: First Volume, Chapter 928: Racing Against Time

First Volume, Chapter 928: Racing Against Time

Ultimately, it still comes down to that old saying: mercy toward the enemy on the battlefield is cruelty toward oneself.

The battle outside the city lasted half a Envoy longer than Qin Feng expected.

That is to say, from the start to the end of the battle, exactly one Envoy had passed.

Although this deviated far from the original plan, Qin Feng felt no anger; instead, he was quietly pleased, for battlefield conditions change rapidly, and under numerical disadvantage, eliminating Chen Si's personal guards within one Envoy without major errors was already an extraordinary achievement.

After clearing the area outside the city gate, the Beixi soldiers hastily wrapped the bodies of their fallen comrades in cloth and slung them across their horses, heading toward Changshui County.

Qin Feng and the wounded comrades rode in a hastily requisitioned cart, positioned in the middle of the column.

Ning Hu had been wounded in the shoulder by Wu Lao's stealth attack and was now among the injured, riding beside Qin Feng; as they began their return journey, Ning Hu kept glancing back, fearing enemy cavalry might pursue them.

Despite his usual boastful tongue, Ning Hu was more cautious than anyone else when actual battle loomed.

"Brother Qin, conservatively speaking, at least a hundred of Chen Si's personal guards escaped. Based on timing, cavalry from Wang Du could be chasing us within one Envoy at the earliest."

"For safety's sake, shouldn't we set up an ambush first to delay their pursuit as much as possible?"

It's true that careful navigation ensures safety for ten thousand years, but context matters.

Under heaven, there has never been a foolproof tactic; even the most brilliant strategy must be adapted according to terrain and circumstances.

Qin Feng shook his head and said firmly: "No need to panic."

"Chen Si's confidants can deliver the news to Wang Du within one Envoy at the fastest—but that's all they can do."

"With such a major incident, ordinary generals have no authority to act—they must report it to the Ministry of War."

"Even if it's only reported to the Ministry of War, without needing to reach the Northern Di Emperor, it will take at least one and a half Envoy just for the report to be processed, plus additional time for deliberation and troop deployment—minimum two and a half to three Envoy before Wang Du Garrison cavalry even begin pursuit."

"We're already a large group, transporting corpses and wounded, moving slowly. At this moment, we must not impose limits on ourselves—we must seize the chance to cover as much ground as possible."

Qin Feng was so certain because tonight's events exceeded everyone's expectations, and given the gravity of the matter, ordinary officials would never dare take responsibility—they would report it immediately, which undeniably gave Qin Feng a chance to escape.

As for leaving soldiers to set up defenses, it would be unwise—this is the Northern Di Imperial Court region, where large cavalry forces can be mobilized in short order; any small detachment left to ambush would achieve negligible results.

In short, it's just one phrase: flee as fast as you can. Without fortified cities to rely on, you must never engage in large-scale combat with the enemy.

Qingshan County is neither too close nor too far from Changshui County; light cavalry with swift horses could cover the single journey in just over three Envoy, but for Qin Feng's fleeing group, moving slowly, it would take at least nine Envoy—three times as long.

Yet, to uphold the principle of "never abandon, never give up," Qin Feng had no choice but to take this risk.

As Qin Feng led his soldiers galloping toward Changshui County, some of Chen's escaped personal guards had already returned to Wang Du.

"Open the gate! Open the gate! I have urgent military intelligence!"

The Chen family's personal guard stood beneath the city gate, screaming hoarsely.

Since it was deep into the second watch, the city gate had long been closed; the soldiers on the City Wall, seeing the blood-soaked, disheveled Chen family guard, grew wary.

"Who are you? State your name at once!"

The Chen family guard gasped for breath: "I… I am a personal guard of Grand General Chen! Open the gate immediately!"

The guard's brow furrowed as he barked: "Do you have proof?"

Proof? To escape, this Chen family guard had discarded nearly everything useless; to avoid suspicion, he even removed his armor—besides his clothing, he had nothing on him at all. Where could he find proof now?

To get the message inside the city, the Chen family guard roared desperately: "I am Grand General Chen's personal guard, bearing a Ten-thousand Urgent Military Report! Is there any Manager here? Come out at once! If you delay this military intelligence, you will all be held accountable for death!"

Seeing the guards still unmoved, the Chen family guard exploded: "If I'm a bandit, execute my Nine Clans! If I'm telling the truth, execute your entire family—dare you?"

Due to the urgency and gravity of the military intelligence, the Chen family guard dared not speak to just anyone—he could reveal the details only to his superiors.

Seeing the man was not bluffing, the guards, for safety's sake, notified the Colonel in charge of the City Defense.

The Wang Xiaowei, in charge of the City Gate, knew recent times had been turbulent, with major incidents occurring frequently; to avoid blame, he hurried up the wall and demanded of the guard below: "Why knock on the gate at this hour? What military intelligence do you bring?"

The Chen family guard shouted: "Are you the one in charge?"

Wang Xiaowei replied quickly: "I am the City Gate Colonel—no one here outranks me. State your matter plainly, no beating around the bush!"

Hearing this, the Chen family guard no longer hesitated and roared: "Qin Feng has risen in rebellion!"

What?

At these words, Wang Xiaowei froze for a moment; after a brief daze, he said gravely: "What do you mean, 'risen in rebellion'?"

The Chen family guard slapped his thigh in desperation: "Qin Feng was ambushed by Lü Zhu Guo's troops—this enraged him completely. Grand General Chen led us to reinforce him, but on our return, passing through Qingshan County, Qin Feng tricked us into disarming, then launched a sudden attack, slaughtering countless men. Grand General Chen was lured into the city and is likely dead. I've come back specifically to report this!"

Hearing this, Wang Xiaowei's head rang with a whirring sound; he scrambled down the wall, ordered the guards to detain the Chen family guard at the City Gate, mounted a horse himself, and raced toward the Ministry of War.

Since it was deep night, only a Senior Clerk remained on duty at the Ministry of War.

When Wang Xiaowei burst into the Bing Bu DaTang, panting, he startled the Senior Clerk.

"What's the meaning of this haste? Where is your decorum?"

At this moment, Wang Xiaowei cared nothing for decorum—he reported anxiously: "Qin Feng has risen in rebellion in Qingshan County. Grand General Chen is presumed dead."

For the Senior Clerk, these words were like a thunderclap—he remained stunned for a long while before regaining his senses.