Who put the yellow robe on me?

Chapter 167 Tiger Guards in Danger

General Mammon stood in front of Xianyu Linyuan's tent, his face full of anxiety. The battle report he had just received made him frown.

He walked into the tent and saw Xianyu Linyuan still sitting at the desk, staring at the map with a serious expression.

"Brother Xianyu," General Mammon said in a deep voice, "the fighting in Gaochang is becoming increasingly intense. The Northern Qiang have been unable to conquer them for a long time, but I'm worried they won't give up easily. The King of the Western Regions has ordered us to return to Gaochang as soon as possible. We can't delay any longer."

Xianyu Linyuan raised his head, his brows still furrowed. He knew Mammon was right. If Gaochang fell, the entire Western Region's defenses would collapse, but the current situation was not optimistic.

Not only did they have to face Daliang's elite troops, but they also had to deal with the invasion of the Northern Qiang. The Huben Army was exhausted, and the road back to defense was extremely dangerous.

"Hmm..." Xianyu Linyuan's voice was low and calm. "But right now, our battle with Daliang has reached a stalemate, and the Tiger Guards are already at a disadvantage. If we retreat rashly, I'm afraid we won't be able to rescue Gaochang, and Daliang will take advantage of the opportunity to break through our defenses."

General Mammon's expression grew even more serious. "General, I know our situation is difficult, but if we don't return to Gaochang, the King of the Western Regions will probably be even more dissatisfied. Lord Ji came to the front lines this time because he wanted all the Tiger Guards to return to defend Gaochang, and he even wanted to seize their military tokens."

Upon hearing this, Xianyu Linyuan's eyes suddenly glared, a trace of cold anger on his face. He slammed his fist on the table and said in a low, angry voice, "Master Ji... He really is using this opportunity to undermine my position!"

"General," a deputy general hurried over, interrupting their conversation, his face pale and breathless, "We just received feedback from the front line. The 20,000 Tiger Guards that Lord Ji brought back have been completely wiped out! However, Gaochang has not fallen, and Lord Ji has returned safely."

"What?" Xianyu Linyuan's face turned pale in an instant, and his brows furrowed even deeper.

Twenty thousand Tiger Guards were completely wiped out, while Gaochang still held out? How could Lord Ji possibly return to the Western Regions unscathed?

Upon hearing this news, General Mammon angrily slammed his hand on the table. "Could this Lord Ji really be a traitor to the enemy? He took away 20,000 Tiger Guards, only to have them annihilated while he himself remained unharmed. This simply doesn't make sense!"

Xianyu Linyuan took a deep breath, calmed himself, and shook his head, saying, "No, Lord Ji is unlikely to be a traitor. He is very good at planting informants in various countries, so it is not surprising that he returned safely. Moreover, he and the Princess of the Western Regions are siblings. As long as the Princess of the Western Regions remains in favor, then he will not betray."

General Mammon nodded. Although he still had doubts, he believed Xianyu Linyuan's analysis made sense. Although Lord Ji acted cunningly, he had deep ties to the court, and the possibility of rebellion was minimal.

"But General," General Mammon frowned, "Lord Ji's actions this time are suspicious no matter how you look at them. We must be cautious with every move he makes."

Xianyu Linyuan sighed, a faint sense of unease welling up in his heart. He knew that Lord Ji was skilled in strategy, even political tactics, but the fact that he had led his army to a complete defeat and yet escaped unscathed must be a hidden cause. However, he couldn't afford to distract himself with second-guessing Lord Ji's intentions at this moment; the most important thing right now was how to deal with the enemy.

"Let's not talk about Lord Ji for now," Xianyu Linyuan said, waving his hand. "Our top priority now is to stabilize the morale of the army. Continue to send troops to support Gaochang. We must not let the Northern Qiang capture this city."

……

Meanwhile, the Northern Qiang continued their offensive against Gaochang City, breaching the walls in several places. Despite the steady flow of reinforcements from the Western Regions, the Northern Qiang's fierce cavalry, fierce as wolves and tigers, were difficult to resist.

Inside Gaochang, the soldiers were exhausted and demoralized, yet they stubbornly held their last stand. The city's commander, General Pang, patrolled the city walls with a grim expression, knowing full well that if Gaochang fell, the entire Western Regions would be powerless to resist.

In the Northern Qiang military camp outside the city, Yelu Mengmeng and Tuoba Daiyong were discussing the attack strategy.

"General Pang is holding Gaochang firmly, but Daliang's Tiger Guards are gradually being weakened in the rear," Yelu Mengmeng said calmly. "We must speed up our offensive and not give them any chance to catch their breath."

Tuoba Daiyong nodded, but a hint of worry remained in his eyes. "Gaochang is impregnable. If we fail to capture it for a long time, we will probably consume a lot of our troops. If the main reinforcements from the Western Regions arrive, we will probably be in trouble."

A cold glint flashed in Yelu Mengmeng's eyes. "We can't wait until the main force of the Western Regions returns to defend. We must take advantage of the enemy's internal chaos and capture Gaochang in one fell swoop." She turned her gaze outside the city, as if seeing through everything. "Xianyu Linyuan is currently entangled with the main force of Daliang and is unable to divert attention to rescuing Gaochang. Lord Ji's actions have already caused sufficient suspicion and confusion within the Western Regions. Now, as long as we seize the opportunity, we can completely break through their defenses."

Tuoba Daiyong pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "You're right. Time waits for no one." He then turned and ordered his generals, "Pass my order. Prepare the entire army for the final strike. We must capture Gaochang!"

……

Meanwhile, the tug-of-war between the Huben Army and the main force of the Daliang army intensified. Xianyu Linyuan knew that the balance of power on the battlefield was gradually tilting towards Daliang. With Daliang's continuous guerrilla warfare and attacks, the Huben Army's strength had been depleted.

"General, we are now at an absolute disadvantage," a lieutenant said anxiously, "If we don't retreat now, we will completely lose our combat effectiveness."

Xianyu Linyuan's expression was icy, his eyes fixed on the battlefield in the distance. He knew that retreat was his only option at this moment, but if he retreated improperly, not only would the Tiger Guards be scattered, but the enemy might even seize the opportunity to surround and annihilate them.

"Order the entire army, prepare to retreat!" Xianyu Linyuan finally gave the order, "We must return to defend Gaochang as quickly as possible!"

As Xianyu Linyuan issued the retreat order, the entire Huben Army began to retreat rapidly, and the situation on the battlefield suddenly changed.

……

Mi Chunhong stared intently at the Western Regions military camp in the distance. After a moment, his expression changed. He quickly walked up to Zhong Wenbin and said excitedly, "General, the enemy's main force is retreating!"

Zhong Wenbin frowned slightly, and after thinking for a moment, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, revealing a hint of a sneer: "Good opportunity, they finally can't hold on."

Then he decisively ordered: "Attack with all your strength. Make sure to take advantage of the enemy's retreat and annihilate as many of their living forces as possible!"

Zhong Wenbin turned around and shouted calmly and firmly, "Zhou Liangwei, Zuo Yongyu!"

Zhou Liangwei and Zuo Yongyu stepped out upon hearing the voice, clasped their hands in a fist, and said in unison, "Subordinates are here!"

"You two will each lead 10,000 light cavalry and rush to the direction of the Western Region Army's withdrawal, and set up ambushes along the way. Remember, you must not fight to the death, just delay the enemy's retreat!" Zhong Wenbin's voice was like a horn of command, firm and unquestionable.

"Yes!" Zhou Liangwei and Zuo Yongyu took the order, turned around and dispatched troops, acting decisively and swiftly.

Zhong Wenbin watched the two lieutenants leave, then looked at Mi Chunhong beside him with a cold smile: "Brother Mi, now it's our turn.

"Taking advantage of the enemy's retreating chaos, we will pursue them from the rear and annihilate as many of the remaining Tiger Guards as possible. Once Zhou Liangwei, Zuo Yongyu, and their men have held off the enemy at the front, we will be able to encircle them and completely annihilate them."