Rebirth: So what if my husband is a little crazy? He loves me.

Chapter 337 Luring the Enemy Deep

At this time, a fierce battle had just taken place in the western part of the desert, with more than 30,000 corpses lying on the ground. The Left Wise King led more than 20,000 of his remaining troops in a hasty retreat.

The Rongdi people had developed a psychological aversion to the dark muzzle of the musket. They had clashed with the Great Zhao more than once and had encountered muskets in the past, but their power was far less than that of this one, and they had never encountered a three-eyed musket before.

This thing can fire three times in a row, and its range almost exceeds that of a bow and arrow. As soon as the musket fires, the horses are thrown into disarray. How can it not be defeated?

Most importantly, they came to encircle and suppress them, but they were ambushed instead. It's already a miracle that more than 20,000 people managed to escape.

"General, why don't we give chase?" the lieutenant urged, rushing forward to ask.

Lin Wan'er, clad in silver armor and bathed in blood, stood at the very front of the column. Upon hearing this, she casually wiped the blood from her face and said in a cold voice, "Don't pursue a desperate enemy. Reorganize the army and advance."

"Forward?" The lieutenant paused, "We've broken through the Left Wise King's encirclement, shouldn't we go back to rejoin the main army?"

"What happens after we reunite?" Lin Wan'er asked.

The lieutenant pondered for a moment and said, "Let's fight again..."

“Dividing our forces doesn’t necessarily mean we can’t fight.” Lin Wan’er said coldly, “We will advance deep into enemy territory, with our target being the Xiongnu court.”

The deputy generals looked at each other in bewilderment. They were well aware that the royal court was currently vulnerable and it was the perfect time to attack. However, after the battle, they only had a little over 10,000 men left. Could they really conquer the royal court?

That's the heartland of the Rong and Di people; if we can't take it, we're doomed.

Lin Wan'er looked into the distance with a determined gaze. She was not unaware of the dangers of this journey, but with the commander-in-chief suffering a defeat, if she did not seize the opportunity to achieve a surprise victory, the battle would surely end in defeat.

So many people have died on the border. If the outcome of this war is ceding territory and paying reparations, how will she face the people if she returns alive?

Moreover, she was certain that this was a fleeting opportunity, and her intuition was not wrong.

"Pass down the order: abandon unnecessary supplies and march at full speed," she ordered again.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Mokou Pass.

Seven days after Shen Li ventured deep into the Rongdi territory, another two thousand cavalrymen she personally selected, along with five thousand elite cavalrymen led by the deputy general sent by the main general Xu Sheng, arrived together, totaling seven thousand men.

These were the reinforcements that Shen Li had requested by writing to Xu Sheng after changing his route. The reinforcements had just arrived at Mokou Pass when they received a message from the Flying Fish Guard via carrier pigeon, which contained Shen Li's personal instructions to enter the Rongdi territory.

The deputy general and the centurion did not delay and immediately set off for the Rongdi through Mokou Pass. After a day's march, they encountered a ten-man messenger team.

The squad leader presented a map drawn by Shen Li and pointed out the marching direction that Shen Li had instructed him to take.

So the seven thousand men, carrying only enough rations for a dozen days, quickly marched toward their target location, killing any small groups of troops and tribes they encountered along the way to prevent the news from spreading.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

At this moment, a granary in the Rongdi territory is ablaze with flames, which illuminate the night sky in red and also reflect the corpses of Rongdi soldiers lying scattered on the ground.

"Miss, are we really only bringing enough food for a few days?" Peony looked at the raging fire with a pang of pity: "That's all grain!"

"What we can't take away are the enemy's supplies. Do you want them to be well-fed before they come to attack us?" Shen Li took off her helmet, looked at Shaoyao's reluctant gaze, and softened her voice.

Peony shook her head repeatedly.

Shen Li touched her head, and sighed as she smelled the burnt smell in the air: "War is cruel, and those who are not cruel enough will lose their lives."

"This servant doesn't know much about this, but what Miss is doing must be right."

"It's alright if you don't understand. We'll rest tomorrow night, and your sister Lianqiao can make some pancakes for us." Shen Li changed the subject to something lighter.

"Okay." Peony's eyes brightened up.

"Sir, shall we continue searching for the next granary?" Ma Zheng asked after distributing the grain he had taken with him.

This was the third granary they had burned in ten days. Although most of them had been burned, the soldiers had been eating fine rice and flour these days, and their morale was high despite being deep in enemy territory.

Shen Li shook her head: "No, our reinforcements should be arriving soon. We'll head straight for the Right Wise King's tribe starting tomorrow."

"Yes!" Ma Zheng responded loudly.

Shen Li's team launched a night raid while marching at night. By the time several surrounding tribes noticed and rushed over, the granary was ablaze, and the small team had already disappeared.

The tribe was so angry that they cursed and swore, but no matter how much they cursed, it was to no avail. They could only quickly spread the message and protect the nearby granaries.

Thus, Shen Li's small team moved stealthily by day and moved by night, avoiding small tribes and heading straight for the Right Wise King's hometown.

The reinforcements, on the other hand, swept through the land with overwhelming force, leaving almost nothing but desolation in their wake. Seven thousand iron hooves launched a surprise attack.

Not far from the tribe, Shen Li's army was waiting. Through the telescope, they could see that the large tribe of over 100,000 people had troops gathering.

"Sir, is this a prelude to us?" Ma Zheng asked. "Isn't it possible that news of our burning of the granary has been leaked?"

"After burning so much, it's time to make a move." Shen Li said as she looked at the items. "Did you do as I told you to reveal your whereabouts a few days ago?"

“It’s done. But I don’t understand. If we reveal our whereabouts, they will catch up. Look at the army and able-bodied men they have gathered. Even if we ambush them, we probably can’t win.”

Ma Zheng continued, "After all, they know we exist, so they'll be on guard."

Shen Li nodded repeatedly: "Your analysis is good, but are we a small group?"

"Huh?" Ma Zheng was stunned by the question.

Isn't a team of a thousand people considered small?

Shen Li chuckled softly: "Think about it again carefully."

As the two were talking, Chen Su quickly walked over, cupped his hands and said, "Sir, our reinforcements are currently fifty miles away and will arrive before dark."

"Pass on my military order: after marching thirty li, they shall eat and prepare for battle on the spot. The enemy will soon deliver themselves to our doorstep."

Although Chen Su did not understand, he still obeyed the order: "This subordinate will send someone there immediately."

"Ma Zheng." Shen Li turned to look at him: "Pass on the order to slowly retreat towards the main force."

Ten thousand Rongdi soldiers charged forward with great momentum, including three thousand cavalry and the remaining seven thousand infantry. They followed the trail of retreating small groups of people.

The two forces clashed in the afternoon, about ten miles away. The Rongdi's 10,000-strong force quickly routed the 1,000-man squad and then pursued them relentlessly, preparing to annihilate the pesky bug.

As darkness fell, the three thousand cavalrymen, far ahead of the others, were the first to enter the encirclement and engaged in fierce combat with the catching-up squad.

The musketeers and archers lying in ambush on both sides did not fire; their calm gazes were waiting for the infantry behind them.

Shen Li led her men in a fighting retreat, preserving their strength.

Until the last infantryman stepped into the encirclement.