strictlysupreme Chapter 1646: Heavy losses, discouraged
Chapter 1646: Heavy losses, discouraged
The cold wind howled, blowing up the snow on the ground and forming pale whirlpools in the Han army camp.
In stark contrast to the clamor of the Zhou army's celebration banquet in the distance, the Han army camp was dead silent, with only heavy footsteps and occasional sobs echoing in the cold air.
The corpses were neatly arranged in the open space in the center of the tent, covered with burlap. Some of the sheets were soaked in blood and frozen into dark red ice flakes in the cold wind.
The soldiers transporting the bodies had numb expressions on their faces as they mechanically unloaded their dead comrades from the carts and placed them next to the pile of corpses that had already piled up like a mountain.
Huo Quji stood in front of the pile of corpses, his silver armor stained with dried blood, and his handsome face was now terrifyingly gloomy.
His eyes swept over each body, and his fists clenched and rattled.
"What are the losses of our army?" His voice was hoarse and cold, as if it came from the depths of hell.
The logistics officer in charge of the inventory sighed, his voice trembling, "Reporting to the Protector of the Country, after a night of inventory, our army's losses are approximately 38,000 men."
Huo Quji's pupils suddenly contracted, and his knuckles turned white from excessive force: "How much did the Zhou army lose?"
"About fifteen thousand people."
"Bang!" Huo Quji punched the wooden stake next to him, and wood chips flew everywhere.
His eyes instantly became bloodshot, like a wounded beast: "Damn Chu Ning! He actually plotted against me, causing such heavy losses to our army!"
The cold wind blew snowflakes against his face, but it couldn't extinguish the anger burning in his heart.
He thought of Chu Ning's smug smile and the cheers of the Zhou army soldiers celebrating their victory, and the anger in his heart almost burst out of his chest.
"Send the order!"
Huo Quji suddenly shouted, frightening the surrounding soldiers and saying, "All troops, go on the defensive! No one is allowed to attack without your Majesty's order!"
General Feng Jianan, standing by, was shocked when he heard this and quickly stepped forward: "What do you mean, Lord Protector of the Country?"
Without even turning his head, Huo Quji said in a tone that was icy cold: "I leave this place to you. I will go back and apologize to His Majesty."
Feng Jianan was so anxious that sweat broke out on his forehead. He grabbed Huo Quji's cloak and said, "Duke Protector of the Country! This defeat is not your fault alone! If you want to apologize, I am willing to go back with you!"
The loss is so great that if the Protector returns alone, he will definitely be punished.
If all the generals went back with them, at least someone would be able to plead for the Duke of Protectorate.
"Let go!"
Huo Quji violently shook off Feng Jianan's hand with such force that the battle-hardened general staggered back two steps.
"The front line can't do without you! The defeat in this battle is all due to my greed and recklessness. The fault lies with me, not you!"
After saying that, Huo Quji strode towards his warhorse, his silver armor reflecting a cold light in the snow.
He jumped on his horse and took a last look at the camp littered with corpses. The anger in his eyes gradually turned into determination.
"Go back to Beijing!"
With a command, he rode away with dozens of his personal soldiers. The snow and mud splashed by the horses' hooves drew a desolate arc in the air.
Feng Jianan could only shake his head helplessly upon seeing this. He knew that he could not stop Huo Quji's decision and could only watch him go back.
Seeing this, the other generals around couldn't help but ask: "General Feng, what should we do next?"
Feng Jianan sighed and said, "Let's follow the orders of the Duke of Protectorate and strengthen our defenses."
At the same time, on the official road within the territory of Chu State, a cavalry team of a thousand white horses was galloping past.
The horse's hooves crushed the snow, leaving a series of deep marks behind them.
Chu Ning was wearing a black cloak and riding a horse at the front.
The cold wind blew in his face, but it couldn't hide the expectation in his eyes.
Zhao Yu followed closely behind, looking around vigilantly.
After half a month of traveling day and night, they finally caught up with Wu Zhao's carriage at a post station not far from Kyoto.
"Father is finally back!"
A clear childish voice suddenly rang out, and a little girl of about seven jumped down from the gorgeous carriage, her delicate face filled with joy.
She was wearing a goose yellow cotton jacket and flew towards Chu Ning like a cheerful little bird.
Chu Ning laughed and dismounted, opening his arms to catch his daughter. "Xiuning, have you missed your father recently?"
Wu Xiuning wrinkled her nose and pushed Chu Ning's face away with pretended disgust: "No! I don't miss you when my mother is by my side!"
"Hahaha!"
Chu Ning was amused by his daughter's duplicity: "I don't know who jumped out of the carriage the moment he saw me."
Wu Xiuning's face flushed immediately, and she turned to look towards the carriage for help: "Mother, look at Father, he bullies me as soon as he comes back!"
The curtain of the carriage was gently lifted by a delicate hand, revealing Wu Zhao's stunningly beautiful face.
Although she had taken off her dragon robe and phoenix crown and was only wearing a plain purple dress, her innate majesty still made people dare not look directly at her.
"Okay, your father is just teasing you."
Wu Zhao's voice was cold yet gentle: "We are not far from Kyoto now. Your father must have traveled a long way. Let him rest in the carriage first."
Wu Xiuning winked cunningly: "I know you have something to say, I'll go find the master!"
After saying that, she nimbly broke free from Chu Ning's arms and ran towards Zhao Yu.
Chu Ning shook his head and laughed, then got on the carriage.
The carriage was warm as spring, with a faint scent of ambergris.
He held Wu Zhao's hand, feeling the warmth from her palm: "Did you miss me?"
"What do I want you to do?" Wu Zhao rolled her eyes at him unhappily, but let him hold her hand.
Chu Ning chuckled and recounted the battle situation. "This plan was very successful. The Han Dynasty lost 38,000 men. Adding the previous losses, the total is at least 40,000. However, our army also lost more than 20,000 men in the two battles."
Wu Zhao's tense shoulders finally relaxed upon hearing this: "Winning with fewer troops is never easy. They've suffered even greater losses, so I'm sure they won't dare to attack rashly in the future."
"Yes."
Chu Ning nodded, a gleam in his eyes: "Take advantage of this time, I will go back with you to confirm your and Xiuning's identities first."
Wu Zhao raised her eyebrows slightly. "You agreed to give me the title of Imperial Consort, so why did you suddenly create a Vice Empress?"
Chu Ning stared into Wu Zhao's eyes and said firmly, "After all, you are the Empress of the Great Zhou. Being an Imperial Consort is too unfair to you. Being a Vice Empress is my bottom line!"
Wu Zhao's heart trembled, and a trace of emotion flashed in her eyes.
She knew that the man in front of her was truly thinking about her.
Even though she lost the throne, he still gave her the dignity and status she deserved.
But then, a trace of worry emerged in her heart. She knew too well the complexities of court politics: "Will those ministers of Chu really agree to this?"
Outside the carriage, the wind and snow were getting stronger.
The wheels made a creaking sound as they rolled over the snow, as if foreshadowing that what awaited them ahead would be a court game that would be no less intense than a battle on the battlefield.