Even with Great Xia's industrial standards, it would take two months to manufacture a single aircraft, and the amount of precious metals required was uncountable.
100 Mimicry Flying Devices were all that Great Xia could afford to offer.
Together with the precious magnetic orbs, each aircraft was worth hundreds of thousands of gold coins. Crashing one was a huge loss. Besides the aircraft, the pilots themselves were also a valuable asset.
To train a qualified pilot and a qualified bombardier required at least three months of continuous, high-intensity training, and each training was a huge waste of money.
It was common for a plane to crash in the middle of training.
Thus, the role of the flying squadron in battle was similar to that of a modern strategic bomber. It was not prepared for conventional warfare, nor was it suitable for conventional warfare.
"Because we can't afford it!"
No matter how rich Great Xia was, they did not have the resources to play around with hundreds of thousands of gold coins.
"That is squandering!"
In order to rescue Lai Hu 'er and the others, the flying squadron had gone all out. After crashing two aircraft, they finally managed to carve out a bloody path on the central street.
Seeing this, Lai Hu 'er had no time to lament and immediately gave the order to charge.
"Kill!"
The five thousand Soaring Dragon warriors once again joined together like a rope, piercing into the smoke-filled battlefield like a sharp knife. Taking advantage of the enemy's confusion, they crushed the enemy's defensive line and finally broke out of the encirclement.
Wherever the army passed, the streets were a mess.
The wreckage of the aircraft, the ruins of the collapsed houses, and the corpses of the enemy soldiers were all mixed together.
Dust billowed and blood flowed like rivers.
Those who did not know better would have thought that there was an earthquake.
Charging out of the city in one breath, the soldiers of the Dragon Stallion Army felt the joy of having survived a calamity. But it was quickly followed by a tide-like exhaustion, especially for the injured soldiers.
The continuous battles, coupled with the torment of being trapped in a hopeless situation, had squeezed out every last drop of energy from the soldiers.
Lai Hu 'er rode on his warhorse. His shiny Radiant Armor was stained with blood. He glanced at the exhausted soldiers and a hint of guilt flashed across his eyes. He raised his voice and said, "My sons, grit your teeth and hold on a little longer. We will retreat to Gan Luo Pass."
The enemy had only been knocked unconscious by the flying squadron and could catch up at any time. Thus, they had not completely escaped the danger. If they gave up now, all their efforts would be for naught.
"Yes, sir!"
The Dragon Stallion Army truly lived up to their reputation as elite soldiers of a hundred battles. Upon receiving this order, all of their originally immobile appearances seemed to suddenly burst forth with new potential, instantly becoming spirited.
This kind of battle where they broke through the limits of their physical bodies was also a rare kind of tempering for the soldiers. After this battle, it was likely that many soldiers would use this opportunity to break through their bottlenecks and ascend to the next level.
Lai Hu 'er was in a hurry to return because he didn't want the pass that he had worked so hard to take down to change hands again.
It was already embarrassing enough that Gan Luo City was attacked. If they were to lose Gan Luo Pass, which they had taken down with great difficulty, then he would really be too ashamed to face His Majesty and the entire army.
The group didn't delay any longer, retreating towards Gan Luo Pass.
…
Not long after the Dragon Stallion Army had left, Wei Yan personally led his troops in pursuit. As he watched the enemy gradually recede into the distance, Wei Yan shook his head in disappointment, knowing that there was no hope of recovering Gan Luo Pass.
Seeing this, the deputy general said with a smile, "General, you've dealt a heavy blow to the enemy this time. This is already a great achievement."
Wei Yan didn't lack pride in his heart. Being able to dampen the spirit of the insufferably arrogant Great Xia army was enough for Wei Yan to brag about for the rest of his life. "Let's also withdraw!"
Gan Luo City didn't have walls and couldn't be defended. This time, the Child Protection Division had suffered a great loss, and once the reinforcements caught up, they would definitely not let the matter rest.
Since this was the case, how could Wei Yan continue to stay?
In this encirclement of the Dragon Stallion Army, they had only killed two thousand enemies, while Swordsman City itself had lost more than four thousand soldiers. If the two thousand garrison soldiers were included, the losses would be even greater.
Fortunately, the greatest significance of this battle was to dampen the spirit of the Great Xia army. Casualties were secondary.
"Let's go!"
Wei Yan patted his horse and turned back into the city.
Before leaving, Wei Yan ordered the soldiers to carry away the remains of the aircraft that had crashed in the city. This was probably the first time that the Great Xia's mimicry aircraft had fallen outside. Bringing it back to the main city would probably have some research value.
The battle of Gan Luo City had thus come to an end.
The next day, Hu Yihuang led the middle division of the Dragon Stallion Army's Second Legion to Gan Luo Pass and rendezvoused with the vanguard. Seeing that Wei Yan's army had retreated, Lai Hu 'er naturally wouldn't be polite and finally "captured" Gan Luo City.
Seeing that the Great Xia army had returned while their own army was nowhere to be seen, the citizens of Gan Luo City, who had been on tenterhooks for the past two days, were in a state of turmoil.
Upon reaching the city, Lai Hu 'er's expression turned solemn when he saw that the two crashed aircraft had disappeared. He didn't dare to conceal anything and wrote a detailed report of the battle, which he then submitted to the war zone's command headquarters to await their decision.
The news that the Great Xia vanguard had been ambushed in Sichuan and suffered "disastrous" losses quickly spread throughout the wilderness under the arrangement of some people, causing a huge wave.
In the eyes of the outside world, the Great Xia had dispatched four field legions, which amounted to nearly three hundred thousand soldiers. Not to mention the final battle, it shouldn't be difficult for them to take down the checkpoint in front of them.
Who knew that there would actually be such a twist.
Once the news spread, the people applauded Wei Yan and Swordsman City incessantly. The public opinion in the wilderness was finally not one-sided with the Great Xia, giving Swordsman City some breathing space.
This local battle also made the Great Wilderness War even more complicated and confusing.
"It's still unknown who will emerge victorious!"
…
Xiangnan Province, Rosy Cloud City.
Seeing that the Great Xia army had suffered a setback in Sichuan, South of Rosy Clouds' confidence was boosted, and he was ready to stroke the tiger's whiskers.
"Come!"
"Here!"
South of Rosy Clouds ordered, "Order the first and second legions to assemble at the designated location and be on standby."
"Yes!"
At this juncture, South of Rosy Clouds was ready to wade into these muddy waters.
"It's good to fish in muddy waters!"
South of Rosy Clouds revealed a trace of a smile, as if he had a card up his sleeve. No one knew what he was planning.
…
Dali Prefecture, Cloud City.
Cloud City was formed by the temporary merger of four territories in Dali Prefecture. It had 50,000 soldiers, and its territory included all the territories except for Dali Kingdom and its satellite cities. Its area was second only to Kunming Prefecture.
Since the territory had been "sold" to the Yan Huang Alliance, the lord of Cloud City, Little Mutuo, no longer had the right to make decisions on his own. On this day, under the instructions of the big boss, Di Chen, Little Mutuo officially submitted an application for asylum to the Dali imperial court.
After a short while, the Dali imperial court approved the application.
Under the cover of the night, 50,000 imperial guards quietly left the city and rushed to Cloud City to assemble. At the same time, the [Xiao Alliance] also began to move. They began to deploy elite troops, using the dungeons below as a cover, and left the satellite cities in batches.
The [Yan Huang Alliance]'s plans in Dali Prefecture were gradually beginning to unfold.
A premeditated storm was about to blow towards the Great Xia.
… …
September 21st, Shanhai City, Summer Palace.
Upon receiving Lai Hu 'er's battle report and letter of apology, Bai Qi, the commander of the Dragon Stallion Army and commander of the Yunnan Theater of Operations, did not dare to act on his own. Instead, he reported to the Bureau of Military Affairs, asking for instructions on how to deal with Lai Hu' er.
Military Affairs Minister Du Ruhui received the report. His brows were tightly furrowed, and he was similarly hesitant.
Lai Hu 'er was a general that the king had specially requested from the Great Sui. Upon his arrival, he had been entrusted with a heavy responsibility. Who would have thought that because of a momentary lapse in judgment, he would advance prematurely and make such a grave mistake?
At this moment, the one who had lost the most face was probably the king.
Thus, Du Ruhui did not want to use this matter to nag the king at this time. But Lai Hu 'er was the commander of the army and a fourth-rank general, so the Bureau of Military Affairs had no right to directly punish him.
After all the twists and turns, he still had to present the matter to the king.
Thus, the monarch and the minister in the imperial study had come up with a proposal.
Upon hearing Du Ruhui's report, Ouyang Shuo expressionlessly said, "According to military law, a person who underestimated the enemy and advanced prematurely, resulting in a setback in the war and loss of soldiers and generals, should be punished in this manner?"
Du Ruhui's heart jumped. Could it be that His Majesty wants to shed tears and behead Ma Su?!
"Reporting to His Majesty, he should be stripped of his title and dismissed from his post," Du Ruhui carefully said.
Ouyang Shuo nodded and was about to give the order.
Seeing this, Du Ruhui clenched her teeth and stepped forward. "His Majesty!"
"Mm?" Ouyang Shuo frowned.
The king's eyes swept over her, causing Du Ruhui's palms to sweat. She braced herself and said, "The battle on the front lines is in full swing, and it is a great taboo to withdraw a general just before a battle. I ask that His Majesty, for the sake of the battle on the front lines, temporarily spare Lai Hu 'er so that he can atone for his crimes and be dealt with after the battle."
Du Ruhui's words seemed impulsive, but she was actually trying to understand His Majesty's intentions. If His Majesty were to be forced to deal with Lai Hu 'er in such a harsh manner, it would be detrimental to His Majesty's sacred reputation.
Ouyang Shuo gave Du Ruhui a deep look. After thinking for a moment, he turned to Scholar Qingyi of the Pavilion of Secret Texts and said, "Draft an edict!"
"Yes!" Qingyi nodded.
"Edict: General Zhen Wei, Commander of the Second Legion of the Dragon Stallion Army, Lai Hu 'er, was too eager for quick success and underestimated the enemy, resulting in a setback in the war and the loss of soldiers. His crimes cannot be forgiven. With this, Lai Hu 'er is stripped of his position as Legion Commander and demoted to Vice Legion Commander. Hu Yihuang of the First Legion is promoted to Vice Legion Commander, temporarily acting as Legion Commander. At the same time, Lai Hu 'er's title of General Zhen Wei is stripped and his salary is forfeited for one year as punishment. "
This was already a heavy punishment that Lai Hu 'er would remember for the rest of his life.
Du Ruhui couldn't help but bow. "His Majesty is wise." Although Lai Hu 'er had lost face after being demoted to Vice Legion Commander, he still had a chance to atone for his crimes.
Moreover, His Majesty had not appointed a new Legion Commander, so it was clear that he was still giving Lai Hu 'er some leeway.
Ouyang Shuo, however, was not at ease. "Help this King pass on a message to Lai Hu 'er. If he cannot make a contribution in this battle to atone for his crimes, then he will be sent back to the Great Sui after the war!"
"Yes!"
Du Ruhui carefully replied, knowing that His Majesty was truly angry this time. If Lai Hu 'er really was sent back to the Great Sui, he would probably be too ashamed to show his face in the wilderness and would only be able to commit suicide.
… …
Early the next morning, the imperial edict was delivered to Ganluo City.
Lai Hu 'er received the edict and then listened to His Majesty's verbal edict. His heart was filled with excitement as he knelt on one knee and bowed to the south. Choking with emotion, he said, "Thank you, His Majesty, for your great kindness. This general will definitely sacrifice his life to repay His Majesty's kindness!"
This time, Lai Hu 'er had no way out.
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