Although the battle had just begun, the shortcomings of Tang Zhong's defensive line had been completely exposed. The defensive line being too long seemed to be a good thing. No matter where Zhao Hai attacked, the others would be able to provide support. They could even attack Zhao Hai's flank and rear. But at the same time, this shortcoming was too obvious. This was because at every point of the defensive line, there would be defensive equipment, such as ballistas, placed on top of the defensive line.
If Tang Zhong and the others were in the rear, then this arrangement wouldn't be a problem. This was because they still had a large base to rely on. Every point could be equipped with enough defensive equipment. This way, defending the city wouldn't be a problem.
But now that they were deep inside Yalong City-State, their logistical supplies were very difficult to transport. Ballistas and other defensive equipment weren't easy to transport. Their ballistas weren't made by Zhao Hai's group, they were just ordinary ballistas. In this case, their defensive equipment wasn't enough. It would be easy for them to be suppressed by Zhao Hai's group. At that time, Zhao Hai's attack would be very smooth.
When Zhao Hai saw that the ballistas had stopped, he immediately waved his hand and the army slowly moved forward. Each soldier carried a bag of soil on their back. As long as they saw a hole, they would fill it up.
Behind these people was a type of Mengchong vehicle. This type of Mengchong vehicle wasn't small, but it was also very special. The wheels of the vehicle were very wide. Moreover, there were stones and sand inside the vehicle. There was also a cover on top of the vehicle that could block ordinary arrows. When the vehicle moved forward and the people stepped on it, the road was very solid.
Behind them were all kinds of siege weapons. These siege weapons were pushed forward by the army, bringing great pressure to the enemy.
At this time, the soldiers in front discovered several trench-like traps. However, the soldiers weren't in a hurry, they were still doing it in an orderly manner. They threw the bags of soil in their hands into the trenches. Those who didn't have any soil in their hands went to the Mengchong Carriage to get stones and bags of soil. With so many people, it didn't take long for the trenches to be filled.
Logically speaking, this was the best time to attack Zhao Hai's army. As long as there were arrows, Zhao Hai's casualties would increase. However, it was a pity that Zhao Hai's camp had almost all of the ballistas destroyed. In addition to the ballistas, the other long-range weapons were also destroyed by Zhao Hai's ballistas. At this time, besides some siege weapons that could only be used in close range, there was nothing else that could be used.
At this time, Tang Zhong also discovered the weakness of his defensive line. He immediately ordered the other camps to attack in order to restrain Zhao Hai's attack. Unfortunately, he was wrong. Zhao Hai's attack this time had 300 thousand people. 100 thousand people stayed in the camp. Although there weren't a lot of people in each camp, there were still a lot of ballistas left in the camp. Under the protection of these ballistas, it would be difficult for the Holy Court's army to attack the camp.
Besides the ballistas, Zhao Hai's camp also had trenches outside. Because of this, Zhao Hai didn't need to worry about the camp. Of the 300 thousand people that Zhao Hai sent, aside from 200 thousand, there were also 50 thousand people protecting the two flanks. Even if the Holy Court's army attacked the flanks, the 100 thousand people would be able to block it and buy time for the main attack.
Tang Zhong sending people from other camps to attack Zhao Hai's army wasn't a good choice. This was because their camps were also far and near. This would cause these reinforcements to clash with Zhao Hai's army in an orderly manner. This was a taboo for military strategists. Tang Zhong sent people from other camps in the defensive line to attack Zhao Hai's army.
Additionally, when the people from the other camps went out, they would be abandoning their own camps and engaging in a field battle with Zhao Hai's army. This was tantamount to giving up their advantage and fighting against Zhao Hai's army. Since they were in a hurry to go out, it was impossible for them to bring large weapons like ballistas. However, Zhao Hai's army could provide ballistas to any side's army. This meant that Tang Zhong's army didn't have any advantage at all. In this case, it was impossible for them to have any influence on Zhao Hai's army.
On the other hand, Zhao Hai's army didn't stop attacking. With an army of 200,000, even if there was a ditch in front of them, it would be quickly filled up. Because of this, Zhao Hai's army quickly advanced to a place not far from the Sacred Academy's camp.
At this time, the people from the Sacred Academy's camp began to use bows and arrows to attack Zhao Hai's army. However, the effect wasn't very good. After all, Zhao Hai's army had Meng Chong carriages at the front. At this time, the Meng Chong carriages were being pushed by the people pushing the carriages, causing them to hit the fence.
With a loud bang, the fence of the camp was broken. Then more Meng Chong carriages broke through the fence. Then the army poured in and began to attack the Sacred Academy's army.
When they rushed into the camp, the Sacred Academy's army basically stopped resisting. Besides a few people who stayed behind to fight, most of them ran out of the camp.
When Zhao Hai's army occupied the camp, Tang Zhong led the army to counterattack. However, they were repelled by Zhao Hai's army.
Although this process was short, a day had already passed. Tang Zhong and the others discovered that they couldn't capture the camp in a short time. Therefore, they could only retreat.
When the sky turned dark, Tang Zhong called all the generals to the main tent. The generals' expressions weren't good, they just sat there and didn't make any noise.
Tang Zhong looked at everyone and said, "Today, Zhao Hai's attack was very fierce. I didn't expect this. Now that they have taken control of the camp, tomorrow, they will use it as a base to attack us. At that time, our days will be even more difficult. This is because the defensive line we established has completely disappeared. Therefore, we don't have any terrain advantage. Moreover, I received news that Zhao Hai might send a River Breaker expert to attack Nanhua Gate. If that's the case, then we will be finished. We will be trapped here by Zhao Hai's army. When that time comes, only death will await us. Because of this, I have decided to withdraw the army overnight. Everyone, go back and prepare. Aside from food, don't bring any other supplies."
When everyone heard Tang Zhong, they stared. Then their expressions changed. They stood up and cupped their fists towards Tang Zhong before turning around and leaving.
Tang Zhong and the others didn't make a big fuss when they retreated. Instead, they quietly packed their things and tried to make as little noise as possible. In the middle of the night, they only brought some food and then directly ran away.
Naturally, Tang Zhong didn't forget to leave some people behind. This time, General Wu was the one who stayed behind. If Zhao Hai chased after them, then they would turn around and fight to the death with Zhao Hai. This time, General Wu had gathered a lot of elite soldiers. Not only could these soldiers fight, they also dared to fight. Because of this, having them cover the retreat was the best choice. If they let others cover the retreat, then they might not even wait for Zhao Hai's army to arrive before being defeated.
How could Zhao Hai not know that Tang Zhong and the others ran away? However, he didn't order the army to chase after Tang Zhong and the others at night. Because of this, it would be inconvenient to command the army in the dark. At that time, the casualties would be very high. Because of this, Zhao Hai didn't order the army to chase after them. In any case, he had an ambush ahead of them, so he wasn't afraid that Tang Zhong and the others would run away.
Tang Zhong and the others were in a hurry this time. They didn't bring anything, only some food. Zhao Hai believed that when they reached the valley, they would be very tired. When the time comes, they would be finished.
Zhao Hai and the others slept very well that night. When they woke up the next morning, Zhao Hai had the army eat their fill. Then they went to occupy the cities that Tang Zhong and the others left behind. Because they were in a hurry and didn't want to be discovered by Zhao Hai, Tang Zhong and the others left behind a large number of supplies. These things could be regarded as the spoils of war for Zhao Hai and the others.
When the generals saw Tang Zhong and the others run away, they couldn't help but be happy. This time, they won a big victory and left behind a lot of spoils. They can more or less get some of the spoils. This would also reduce the pressure on the logistics. Tang Zhong and the others were very happy.
This wasn't the end. After they took over the cities and barracks, Zhao Hai immediately formed an army of 150 thousand cavalry. They only brought some food and set off the next morning to chase after Tang Zhong and the others.
The reason why Zhao Hai waited for this day was because he wanted to take over the cities and barracks. Secondly, he wanted the Sacred Academy to leave as well. This way, the defensive line that they established would be useless. This would make it easier for them to attack. Sure enough, Zhao Hai waited for a day. When he formed the cavalry to chase after the enemy, the defensive line that General Wu and the others set up was already empty. General Wu and the others had also left.
Actually, a general like General Wu should wait for the army to be safe before leaving. However, these people didn't want to die. And with the successive defeats, their morale was very low. This job was very dangerous. In the end, General Wu couldn't keep the army under control. Because of this, he could only retreat.
When General Wu retreated, Zhao Hai and the others immediately chased after them. General Wu's defensive line didn't have any effect. General Wu and the others didn't expect Zhao Hai to catch up this quickly. They thought that with Zhao Hai's calm character, he would delay for a few days after taking over the cities. However, they didn't expect that Zhao Hai didn't delay at all. When General Wu and the others discovered that Zhao Hai's cavalry had caught up, it was already too late.
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