ebookland Chapter 1068: The Siege Was Failed and Suffered Heavy Damage
Chapter 1068: The Siege Was Failed and Suffered Heavy Damage
Murong Xuepo looked at the defeated troops retreating from the battlefield, feeling unwilling to give up, but he had no choice but to retreat. After returning to the camp, when he saw the detailed report of the battle losses, he was so angry that his temples throbbed and his head was splitting.
At this time, his subordinates Wulihan and Suhe walked into the tent with worried faces. Wulihan bowed and said, "Khan, the losses in this siege are too great. Our brothers have suffered heavy casualties. I am afraid we can no longer continue this strong attack."
Sukh echoed, "Yes, Great Khan, the soldiers are exhausted. If we continue fighting like this, I'm afraid we will collapse before we can capture Ordo."
Murong Xuepo frowned, glaring at the two men. He sternly shouted, "What do you know? We must capture Ordo City! From what I know, there are only 60,000 to 70,000 troops left in Ordo City, not to mention Ma Chao helping to relieve the pressure. We have over 100,000 troops, so why can't we take it?"
He paced back and forth, continuing excitedly, "Everyone go back and rest today, and we'll continue the siege tomorrow! We'll fight to take this city. Only by taking Ordo City can we legitimately lead the various tribes on the grassland. Besides, if we suffer heavy losses, how much less will Kebi Neng suffer? Xiliang is also suffering from similar losses. As long as we take Ordo City by then, those Han generals will probably be at the end of their rope. We'll take them down, and then the entire grassland will be ours!"
Wulihan and Suhe exchanged a glance. Although they were still worried, seeing Murong Xuepo's determination, they could only helplessly respond, "I will obey the Khan's order!"
Murong Xuepo waved his hand, signaling them to withdraw. After the two men left, he sat alone in his tent, gazing at the location of Ordo City on the map, a look of determination in his eyes. He knew the difficulty of this battle, but his thirst for power and status made him unwilling to give up easily. He secretly vowed that no matter the cost, he would capture the city and realize his ambition to dominate the grasslands.
For the next few days, the battlefield remained deadlocked. Every morning, as the first rays of sunlight shone across the grasslands, Murong Xuepo eagerly assembled his army for the assault. His troops surged toward Ordos like a tide, their cries of battle shaking the very earth.
But the elite Xianbei troops within Ordo City, under the command of Kebi Neng, maintained an impenetrable defense. The Golden Felt warriors stood like a steel barrier atop the city walls, their scimitars gleaming coldly in the sunlight, and every swing was met with the screams of Murong Xuepo's soldiers. Despite his vast numbers, Murong Xuepo's army struggled to breach this defensive line, leaving countless corpses strewn beneath the city walls daily.
Ma Chao, however, continued to adhere to his established strategy, maintaining a rhythm of attack that was "much ado about nothing." His soldiers feinted attacks from the southwest, shouting and fighting, but they weren't truly putting their all into the fight. This alerted Kebi Neng to the unusual behavior of the Western Liang army, but he couldn't fathom Ma Chao's true intentions.
Murong Xuepo was completely oblivious to this, his mind preoccupied with capturing Ordo City as quickly as possible. He constantly urged the tribal leaders to commit more troops to the battle, completely ignoring the soldiers' growing fatigue and declining morale.
As the days passed, the casualties of Murong Xuepo's army climbed rapidly. In the camp, the painful groans of the wounded were heard continuously, and the consumption of food and fodder reached an alarming level.
Finally, Ulihan, Suhe and other generals who had surrendered to Murong Xuepo could no longer sit still. They gathered together with great concern and came to ask to see Murong Xuepo.
The atmosphere in the tent was oppressive. Murong Xuepo sat in the main seat, his face so gloomy it looked as if water could drip out. Wulihan was the first to break the silence, kneeling on one knee and bowing. "Your Majesty, we have been storming Ordo City for days, but the losses are too great. Countless men are dying every day. This cannot continue in the long run. It seems that Kebi Neng has almost concentrated all his defensive forces against us. The pressure we are under is too great."
Su He then said, "Yes, Your Majesty. And have you noticed that Ma Chao's offensive has always seemed a bit perfunctory? He just shouts slogans and pretends every day, but he has never put his full strength into it. His Xiliang army doesn't seem to truly want to join us in the siege. I'm afraid there's something fishy going on."
A general named Batu echoed, "Your Majesty, General Suhe is absolutely right. I've observed that Ma Chao's army didn't attack with a desperate determination; they're clearly holding back. We can't let him fool us any longer. Perhaps he's just waiting to see us and Kebi both suffer losses, so he can reap the benefits."
Murong Xuepo's brows furrowed, a thoughtful expression on his face. He had noticed something was wrong with Ma Chao, but he had been unwilling to admit it. Now, after hearing what everyone said, he couldn't help but feel a little suspicious.
"I have my doubts about what you said. But now the arrow is on the string and we have to shoot it. We have invested so much manpower and energy, how can we give up easily?" Murong Xuepo said slowly.
Wulihan raised his head and said sincerely, "Your Majesty, we understand your determination, but if we continue to attack like this, even if we capture Ordo City, we will likely suffer heavy losses. If Ma Chao seizes the opportunity to attack, how will we respond? We should suspend the siege and reconsider our strategy. See if we can find a way to get Ma Chao to contribute effectively, or perhaps change our offensive strategy."
Murong Xuepo was silent for a long time. He scanned the crowd, finally landing his gaze on Agula. He slowly said, "Agula, go back to Ma Chao's camp. Go and reprimand him, and ask him why he isn't putting all his efforts into the siege. Just tell him that we've suffered heavy casualties, while he's just been perfunctory. If he doesn't put all his efforts into the siege, we'll withdraw our troops and stop cooperating with him."
Agula obeyed the order, but his heart was filled with worry. He knew Ma Chao was difficult to deal with, but he dared not disobey the Khan's order, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go to Ma Chao's camp.
Arriving at Ma Chao's tent, Agula looked at the dignified crowd inside, took a deep breath, and tried his best to sound less humble. He said, "General Shenweitian, my king has ordered me to come here to inquire why you are not giving your all in the siege. Our army has suffered heavy casualties, reaching over 40,000, while you, the general, do not seem to be giving it your all. If you do not mobilize your forces, my Khan will probably have no choice but to withdraw, and this cooperation will be over."
Ma Chao looked embarrassed and sighed, saying, "Agula, you don't know that our Xiliang army has suffered heavy losses in the past few days of siege, and our manpower is already insufficient. It's not that I don't want to contribute, but I simply can't."
At this time, Xu Shu smiled and spoke casually, "Brother Agula, the fighting has been intense these past few days, and it's been tough on everyone. You've suffered 40,000 casualties, but what about Ke Bineng? What were their losses?"
Agula was only thinking about persuading Ma Chao to send troops, and did not expect Xu Shu to ask this question suddenly. He panicked and answered subconsciously: "Kebi Neng's side also suffered more than 10,000 casualties..." As soon as he said this, he realized that he had said the wrong thing, and thought to himself that it was not good.
Xu Shu's eyes flickered with a subtle glint, and he continued with a smile, "I see. It seems all sides have suffered heavy losses in this battle. I just wonder how long your food and fodder can last?"
Agula felt a surge of regret, knowing he couldn't outmaneuver these cunning men. He gritted his teeth and said, "Mr. Xu, please stop trying to get me to say anything. I'm only here to implore the general to send troops. I won't say anything else."
Seeing this, Ma Chao tried to smooth things over, saying, "Agula, don't worry. It's not that we don't want to help, but we're truly in trouble. Let's discuss this and see if we can come up with a solution that satisfies both sides. Go back and report to Murong Xuepo, and tell him that I, Ma Chao, will definitely give him an explanation."
Agula had no choice but to say goodbye and leave. Looking at his departing figure, Ma Chao and Xu Shu exchanged a glance, a trace of thought flashing in their eyes.
Ma Chao's expression was solemn. He glanced at everyone in the tent and said slowly, "It seems we need to put some effort into attacking the city. On the one hand, we can put some pressure on Kebi Neng, and on the other hand, we can ease Murong Xuepo's tension. Otherwise, if Murong Xuepo withdraws his troops now, we will have to face Kebi Neng alone, which will definitely waste more manpower."
Xu Shu quickly nodded in agreement, echoing, "My Lord, you are absolutely right. I'm afraid Mr. Jia Xu has already led his troops to attack Murong Xuepo's tribe. If Murong Xuepo retreats to support them, Mr. Jia Xu and his men will be outnumbered and in danger."
Lu Su stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before saying, "My lord, besides attacking the city, we can also dismantle Murong Xuepo's power from within. Think about it, his tribes have only just joined, and their morale is unstable. We can secretly send people to persuade the tribal leaders, promising them generous rewards and making some secret promises to alienate their loyalty to Murong Xuepo. In this way, Murong Xuepo's power will be greatly weakened."
Ma Chao was instantly interested when he heard this. He looked at Lu Su with a sharp gaze and said, "Zi Jing, your idea is very good. Please elaborate on it."
Lu Su smiled faintly and spoke, "My lord, the reason so many tribes under Murong Xuepo's command have temporarily submitted to him is, ultimately, because we haven't yet taken action against him. And Kebineng can't provide sufficient protection for these tribes. They follow Murong Xuepo simply because they're worried that our army will be too strong and they won't be able to resist, so they can only seek refuge."
Inside the tent, the generals all revealed a hint of pride upon hearing this. Although their forces had been over half destroyed during this campaign on the grasslands, it was undeniable that they had fought their way through the grasslands, leaving the various tribes trembling in fear. This was an indisputable fact.
Ma Chao's face also showed a confident smile, but he quickly regained his seriousness and said, "Everyone, please do not be too proud. Although our army has achieved great success in the past, the situation is now complicated. If we are not careful, we may lose everything."
Ma Chao's words made the generals' pride fade away, and their faces became solemn. Ma Chao then said to Lu Su, "Zi Jing, tell me what you think."