Chapter 442

But it was too late! Bai Ting's iron cavalry did not hesitate in the slightest, crashing straight into the unprepared flank of the Western Liang army!

The Western Liang soldiers who were besieging Zhang Honghong were instantly thrown into chaos! Their formation was shattered!

"General Zhang! Hold on!" Bai Ting roared!

Zhang Honghong felt the pressure suddenly lighten as the Western Liang soldiers besieging her were thrown into disarray by the sudden impact.

She forced back the enemy in front of her with a thrust of her lance and looked up, just in time to see Bai Ting charging toward her like a god descending from heaven!

A narrow escape from death!

She did not look back toward Tang Lin's direction, but gripped her blood-stained lance and charged back into the enemy ranks!

This time, it was a counterattack!

Seeing this, Bai Ting quickly stopped her: "General Zhang, you are already wounded; retreat a little first!"

Hearing this, Zhang Honghong had no choice but to desist; marching and fighting was not about showing off one's prowess for a moment, but considering the bigger picture.

With her injuries, she would only require her brothers to spend more energy watching over her, so it was better to retreat to the rear for everyone's peace of mind.

And... she also had things to ask that bookworm Tang Lin!

Seeing such a scene, Tufa Yan felt stifled in his heart.

His Vice General rode closer, his face beneath his helmet covered in blood and filth, and whispered: "General, the Ming Army reinforcements have arrived; judging by the flags, it is Bai Ting himself. Although our army has heavily damaged Zhang Honghong's forces and annihilated many enemies, if we continue to tangle with them, we fear being caught in a pincer attack..."

"The cooked duck has flown away!"

He glared at the reinforcements in the distance who were gathering their remnants and raising the Ming Army flags, his eyes full of unwillingness. "Zhang Honghong... Bai Ting... I will skin you alive sooner or later!"

Seeing this, the Vice General opened his mouth as if to say something else, but Tufa Yan waved his hand to interrupt him, his voice hoarse: "Retreat! Retreat immediately! Take our fallen brothers with us; don't leave a single one behind!"

He took one last unwilling look at the chaotic Ming Army lines; Zhang Honghong's figure had already been protected by her personal guards and retreated into the formation, and although she was injured, it was not a fatal wound.

"Woo—woo... woo!"

The Western Liang army's horn sounded, signaling the retreat across the battlefield.

Tufa Yan's personal guard unit turned their horses first, followed by the Western Liang cavalry, who began to retreat in an orderly fashion out of the pass, leaving behind a mess of corpses, broken weapons, and scorched earth.

Seeing this, Bai Ting did not dare to block them, but could only pull his horse to a stop at the top of the slope, his gaze sweeping across the entire battlefield before finally landing on Zhang Honghong.

Tang Lin was carefully supporting her, the two whispering to each other; Zhang Honghong's face was pale, but her eyes remained sharp.

"General, Tufa Yan's unit has not broken formation and is retreating in an orderly manner; shall we pursue?"

The Vice General rode up to ask for instructions, his tone carrying a hint of urgency. "General Zhang is not lightly wounded; this grudge..."

Bai Ting shook his head slowly, his voice steady: "Do not pursue a desperate enemy! Eagle Beak Pass is strategically dangerous, and Si Wushuang is cunning in his use of troops; who knows if there are still ambushes ahead? General Zhang is also wounded, so it is not suitable to fight again."

He paused and added, "Although Western Liang has retreated in this battle, General Zhang's unit has suffered heavy losses, and our army has not gained any advantage. Order all units to treat the wounded immediately, count the battle losses, collect the remains of the fallen soldiers, and return to defend the main camp immediately!

Send scouts thirty miles ahead to closely monitor Tufa Yan's movements!"

"Understood!" The Vice General cupped his hands in acknowledgment and turned his horse to convey the orders.

Bai Ting's gaze turned back to the direction where the Western Liang army had disappeared, his brow slightly furrowed.

He knew that Tufa Yan's retreat was by no means a rout, but rather a small victory, and furthermore, it was still unknown whether there were leaks among the brothers within Western Liang.

If the spy were to be rooted out by Western Liang, the loss for the Ming Army would be even greater.

The next day, inside the Western Liang Royal Palace in Luoyang.

"General Tufa Yan set an ambush at Eagle Beak Pass, heavily damaging the unit of the fierce Beijiang general Zhang Honghong, annihilating over six thousand enemies, while our own casualties were far lower than the enemy's! General Tufa has now led his troops to retreat safely!"

The attendant read the victory report from the front lines in a loud voice, the sound echoing in the empty hall.

The civil and military officials standing in the hall immediately showed joy on their faces, bowing one after another to congratulate Wei Wenlie on the throne: "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! General Tufa is divine and brave, dealing a heavy blow to the momentum of Beijiang!"

Wei Wenlie leaned back on the throne, the gloom of the past few days seemingly dispelled by this victory report.

A rare smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and he waved his hand: "Good! Tufa Yan has not failed this King's expectations! Reward him! Promote Tufa Yan to Marquis of Zhenxi and bestow upon him a set of golden armor! Reward the participating soldiers with three months' pay!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" The ministers praised in unison once more.

Wei Wenlie seemed to be in high spirits and signaled the attendant: "Prepare a banquet! Today, I shall celebrate with all of you!"

The victory banquet was soon set up in the side hall of the palace, with fine wine, delicacies, and singing and dancing.

Wei Wenlie drank several cups in a row, his face glowing red as he chatted and laughed with his close ministers.

However, when a song ended and the dancers retreated, leaving the hall somewhat quiet, the smile on Wei Wenlie's face suddenly vanished.

He slammed the golden cup in his hand onto the ground!

Glazed glass fragments splashed everywhere, mixed with amber-colored wine; the crisp sound of shattering made the hall instantly deathly silent, and the singing and dancing stopped abruptly.

The musicians, dancers, and attendants were scared out of their wits and knelt down in a panic.

"Get out, all of you!" Wei Wenlie roared, his voice cold, a completely different person from the joyful one just moments ago.

The crowd scrambled out as if granted amnesty, and the heavy palace doors slowly closed, shutting out the noise of the outside world.

Only the flickering candlelight and Wei Wenlie's heavy breathing remained in the hall, and Si Wushuang's figure appeared silently in the shadows.

Wei Wenlie did not look at him, but stared at the shattered wine cup and the flowing wine on the ground, his voice carrying suppressed anger: "Military Advisor, the 'bait' at Eagle Beak Pass was taken... but has the mole been fished out?"

He raised his head, his sharp gaze fixed on Si Wushuang. "Zhang Honghong is heavily wounded, so Jiang Jinshi must be heartbroken.

But what I care about more is, who leaked the news of Tufa Yan's ambush to Beijiang in advance?

Allowing them to send Bai Ting to reinforce in time? Hmm?"

Si Wushuang walked forward slowly and stopped three steps away from Wei Wenlie, bowing slightly: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Regarding this matter, I have investigated thoroughly."

"Speak!" Wei Wenlie leaned forward, his hand pressing hard on the armrest of the throne.

Si Wushuang's voice was steady and clear: "According to the investigation, General Tufa's ambush plan was finalized only two days before the action, and those who knew the entire plan...

Apart from General Tufa himself and his two trusted Vice Generals, only Your Majesty, myself, and the highest person in charge of the channel for delivering secret orders knew."

"The delivery channel?"

Wei Wenlie's brow furrowed. "Are you saying the problem lies in the delivery process?"

"That is the most likely possibility."

Si Wushuang nodded. "I have interrogated all seven people who handled the delivery of this secret order overnight.

They are located at the Wuguan and Tongguan transit stations and the Luoyang headquarters, respectively.

After repeated investigations, isolated interrogations, cross-verification, and the assistance of... necessary means, all seven insisted that they strictly kept the secret and did not leak it to anyone.

Their whereabouts and the people they contacted before and after the delivery of the secret order were also not suspicious. Searches of their homes also revealed no unusual wealth or evidence of collusion with the enemy."