Chapter 939 - 105: A Lion Hunts a Rabbit, Jeleme Trapped

The situation developed far worse than Zheme imagined.

As he fled the Changlu Salt Field, messages from various places gradually trickled in.

—The casualties were heavier than he had anticipated.

Whether it was the troops attacking the industrial area or the ones attacking the villages, almost all suffered ambushes.

Though not all were failures.

Yet the damage was extremely severe.

A whole fifteen thousand troops, more than half were lost in this surprise attack.

This can absolutely be described as a terrifying casualty.

To know, they hadn’t even engaged with the elite of the Song Army yet!

.....

A desolate area of the Hebei Road.

"Grand General, should we... continue eastward to attack other targets as planned?" A commander cautiously asked, his face full of apprehension.

Zheme shook his head silently, his gaze directed toward the Bohai Sea faintly visible to the southeast, then turned southwest—that was the way they came, and possibly where the Great Khan’s main force was.

He realized, he had already failed.

Not only was he unable to achieve strategic objectives, he also lost so many elite troops.

More importantly, he exposed a critical direction of the Great Khan’s strategic intent this time—the fragile junction between the coast and the hinterland.

He was not an incompetent person.

On the contrary—

Zheme could definitely be considered one of the most outstanding under the command of Temüjin, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been heavily utilized by Temüjin.

He knew clearly what this meant.

The exposure of the strategic purpose could very likely determine the failure of the entire war.

Can he be blamed for this?

Although the dispersal of the troops was a decision he made, who could have foreseen that the Song Army had already made preparations?

"We can’t continue." Zheme’s voice was hoarse, yet carried an undeniable resolve, "Order, everyone still able to move, gather immediately toward the northwest! We... will break through and return!"

"Return?" Another commander turned pale, "Grand General, the way we came might be..."

The atmosphere was exceedingly heavy.

Everyone understood this logic.

Not to mention that the Song Army had already prepared, and the news of their setback had surely already reached Dingzhou. How could the Song Army easily open a path for them to break through?

But even so, what could they do?

Zheme had no choice!

Seeing the somber expressions of his troops, he took a deep breath, a hint of ferocity flashing in his eyes: "Since Gu Yan could set up an ambush here, would he not set obstacles on our way back?"

He let out a cold snort: "But we can’t stay here waiting for death! Heading northwest, not directly back to the Great Khan, but into the hilly mountainous areas!"

He quickly analyzed, "The Song Army’s chariots and crossbow arrows are formidable, but in complex mountainous terrain, their heavy equipment operates inflexibly!"

"We must utilize cavalry in the mountains, shake off the pursuers, and detour back!"

This was the only chance, their sole path to survival.

Though extremely difficult, they couldn’t wait here to die.

Orders were quickly issued. This originally aggressive surprise attack force, now like a wounded pack of wolves, covered in blood and fear, hurriedly turned to surge toward the stretched hilly regions in the northwest.

However, Gu Yan’s game board, his pieces were placed far earlier and denser than they imagined.

Just as Zheme predicted.

Gu Yan received the news at the first instance, continuously dispatching troops to impede Zheme.

However, beyond their expectations—

Gu Yan’s obstruction was not as one might think, rapidly closing the encirclement.

He knew long before that Zheme was one of Temüjin’s fierce generals. If the encirclement tightened, it would surely destabilize the front line’s defenses. If Temüjin was unwilling to forfeit this great general, he might even save Zheme.

Precisely because of this—

Gu Yan only targeted a few key areas he envisaged, bringing in Zheme’s perspective, using common thoughts to think from another’s standpoint, then targeting the complex mountains.

This could be called a killer move!

.....

Just as Zheme’s remaining forces had just left the Changlu Salt Field range, attempting to escape into the hills, the scouts returned with news.

At the entrances of several main valley paths leading to the mountains, Song Army banners had appeared unknowingly, and they weren’t scattered village soldiers, but regular "Wandering Camps" forming tight chariot formations and crossbows cocked!

A strong sense of unease swept over immediately.

Zheme did not act on impulse.

Remaining in concealment, he sent people to scout everywhere.

But the result only led him to despair.

Almost all critical routes had been blocked by the Song Army.

Only by charging through could there be a sliver of hope!

"Charge through! They don’t have many men!"

—The battle erupted abruptly!

The Mongolian Cavalry summoned the last of their courage, launching a desperate charge at the Song Army positions at the valley entrance.

Arrows rained, men shouted, horses neighed.

The Song Army’s chariot formations were as steadfast as rocks, their crossbows as dense as locusts.

Relying on fearlessness, the Mongolian Cavalry once reached close to the chariot formations, hacking with swords, chopping with axes, even ramming with their warhorses.

But the Song Army obviously had prearranged plans for this. Spearheads suddenly thrust out from the gaps between the chariots.

These people were not just any scattered soldiers!

They were true elite.

Once, twice, three times...charges were repelled, with more and more Mongol warrior corpses and the wails of dying horses left at the valley mouth.

Zheme now had several wounds, his armor shattered.

He looked at the ever-fewer subordinates around him, watching the extinguishing flames in the eyes of those young cavalrymen, his heart turned cold.