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As Kang Saeng left, Yeon Gaesomun turned his attention back to the battlefield. The situation was dire, but he refused to give up. "Choi Minho," he said, his voice low, "we need to push forward. If we can breach the walls before their reinforcements arrive, we still have a chance."
Choi Minho nodded, though inwardly he felt a growing sense of dread. The Oriole agents had assured him that Lie Fan's forces would be relentless, but he hadn't anticipated the sheer scale of their preparations.
The 30,000 strong force attacking their rear was just the beginning. He knew that Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong, the masterminds behind Xiangping's defenses, had more tricks up their sleeves than just this.
On the walls of Xiangping, Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong stood side by side, their eyes scanning the battlefield with a calm, calculating gaze. The chaos below seemed almost distant to them, as if they were observing a game of chess rather than a life and death struggle. Their minds worked in unison, analyzing every move and countermove, anticipating the enemy's actions and planning their response.
"The 30,000 strong force is engaging the Goguryeo's rear formation," Pang Tong said, his voice filled with quiet satisfaction. "They'll be too preoccupied to notice the other two groups moving into position."
Zhuge Liang nodded, his fan resting lightly in his hand. "Indeed. The 10,000 men on the left flank and the 10,000 on the right will strike simultaneously. By the time Yeon Gaesomun realizes what's happening, it will be too late."
Gongsun Gong, standing beside them, couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at their strategic brilliance. "You've thought of everything," he said, his voice filled with admiration. "I've never seen such precision in battle."
Zhuge Liang smiled faintly. "War is not just about strength and numbers. It's about strategy, timing, and understanding your enemy. Yeon Gaesomun is a formidable general, but he is also predictable. He relies on brute force and momentum. We will use that against him."
Pang Tong smirked, his sharp eyes gleaming with confidence. "Let him think he has the upper hand. By the time he realizes the truth, it will be too late."
As they spoke, the two flanking forces began their advance. Moving swiftly and silently, they closed in on the Goguryeo army from both sides. The soldiers on the walls of Xiangping watched with bated breath, their hands gripping their weapons tightly. The Hwacha and ballista operators stood ready, their eyes fixed on the enemy forces below.
Zhuge Liang raised his hand, signaling for the next phase of the plan to begin. "Fire," he said, his voice calm but firm.
The Hwacha operators pulled the triggers, sending another volley of arrows streaking through the air. The ballista fired their heavy bolts, each one finding its mark with deadly accuracy. The Goguryeo soldiers screamed as the arrows and bolts tore through their ranks, their shields offering little protection against the devastating firepower.
At the same time, the flanking forces launched their attack. The 10,000 men on the left flank charged forward, their swords and spears gleaming in the sunlight. The 10,000 on the right flank did the same, their battle cries echoing across the battlefield. Caught between the relentless barrage from the walls and the sudden assault from the flanks, the Goguryeo army began to falter.
Yeon Gaesomun watched in horror as his forces were overwhelmed. The reports of casualties were coming in faster than he could process them. The 30,000 strong force attacking their rear had been bad enough, but now the flanking attacks had thrown his entire strategy into disarray. His men were being cut down on all sides, their morale crumbling under the relentless assault.
"General!" Choi Minho shouted, his voice filled with urgency. "We need to pull back! If we don't regroup, we'll be annihilated!"
Yeon Gaesomun's mind raced, his instincts screaming at him to retreat. But he couldn't bring himself to give the order. Retreat would mean admitting defeat, and that was something he couldn't accept. "No," he said, his voice low but firm. "We press forward. We break through the walls, or we die trying."
Choi Minho's heart sank. He knew that continuing the attack was suicide, but he also knew that Yeon Gaesomun's pride wouldn't allow him to retreat.
The Oriole agents had tasked him with ensuring that Yeon Gaesomun pressed the attack, but now he wondered if he had made a terrible mistake, once that would cost his life and Yeon Gaesomun life.
As he only wanted to betray Yeon Gaesomun not kill him, but if the Oriole Agents has their own plans he couldn't do anything to stop them.
As the battle raged on, the outcome became increasingly clear. The Goguryeo army, once a formidable force, was now on the brink of collapse.
The defenders of Xiangping, led by the brilliant minds of Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong, had outmaneuvered them at every turn.
Below the walls, the ground was littered with the bodies of fallen Goguryeo soldiers, their shields and armor offering little protection against the deadly precision of the defenders. The air was thick with the acrid smell of smoke and burning pitch, the cries of the wounded echoing across the battlefield.
Despite the overwhelming odds, Yeon Gaesomun refused to retreat. His pride and determination, once his greatest strengths, had now become his greatest weaknesses.
He stood at his command post, his eyes fixed on the battlefield, his expression one of grim resolve. The reports of casualties were coming in faster than he could process them, but he refused to let despair take hold. "We press forward," he said, his voice low but firm. "We break through the walls, or we die trying."
Choi Minho, standing beside him, felt a growing sense of dread. He had been tasked by the Oriole agents to ensure that Yeon Gaesomun pressed the attack, but he hadn't anticipated the sheer scale of the devastation.
The 30,000 strong force attacking their rear, the 10,000 men on each flank, and the relentless barrage from the walls had thrown the Goguryeo army into disarray. He knew that continuing the attack was suicide, but he also knew that Yeon Gaesomun's pride wouldn't allow him to retreat.
The Goguryeo soldiers, their morale already at rock bottom, were now facing an impossible task. The battering rams and catapults had been destroyed by the Hwacha and ballista, their operators killed or driven away.
The only option left was to use the siege ladders, but even that was proving to be a death sentence. The soldiers tried desperately to climb the ladders, only to be pushed back by the defenders on the walls. The ladders were knocked down, only to be put back up again, each attempt resulting in more casualties.
As the situation grew increasingly dire, some of the soldiers began to lose hope. The sight of their comrades falling in droves, combined with the relentless attacks from all sides, was too much to bear.
One by one, soldiers began to desert, fleeing the battlefield in a desperate attempt to save their own lives. The deserters were quickly spotted, and Yeon Gaesomun's orders were clear, capture them and bring them to justice. Desertion was punishable by death, and Yeon Gaesomun was determined to make an example of them.
But the crackdown on deserters only made the situation worse. The soldiers who had once believed in Yeon Gaesomun's leadership now began to waver. They had followed him into battle, trusting in his vision and his determination, but now they were beginning to question his sanity.
How could he continue to push forward when the situation was so hopeless? How could he expect them to sacrifice their lives for a cause that seemed doomed from the start?
Choi Minho watched as the morale of the army continued to crumble. He knew that the situation was spiraling out of control, and he began to prepare himself to flee.
He had no intention of dying on this battlefield, not for a cause he didn't truly believe in. But he also knew that he had to keep up the act, at least for a little while longer. He couldn't afford to let Yeon Gaesomun suspect him of betrayal.
At that moment, Kang Saeng entered the command post, his armor splattered with blood and his face etched with exhaustion. "General," he said, his voice urgent, "we need to retreat. If we don't pull back and regroup, we'll be overwhelmed. The men are at their breaking point."
Yeon Gaesomun turned to him, his eyes blazing with anger. "No!" he shouted, his voice filled with desperation. "We cannot retreat! If we do, Goguryeo will lose everything! We must push forward, no matter the cost!"
Kang Saeng's face fell, his expression one of disbelief. "General, please," he said, his voice pleading. "The men are dying. We've lost too many already. If we continue this attack, there will be nothing left of the army."
Before Yeon Gaesomun could respond, a loud commotion erupted outside the command post. A large group of soldiers, their faces filled with anger and desperation, barged in.
They were led by a grizzled veteran, his eyes burning with fury. "General!" he shouted, his voice carrying over the noise. "We demand that you order a retreat! We cannot continue this attack! Too many of our comrades have died already. We will not throw our lives away for nothing!"
Yeon Gaesomun's face turned red with anger. "How dare you!" he roared, his voice shaking with rage. "This is an act of military disobedience! You will obey my orders, or you will face the consequences!"
The soldiers, however, were beyond fear. They had seen too much death, too much destruction, and they were no longer willing to follow orders blindly. "We will not die for your pride!" the veteran shouted, his voice filled with defiance. "If you will not order a retreat, then we will take matters into our own hands!"
The tension in the command post was palpable, the air thick with anger and desperation. The soldiers, their patience worn thin, began to riot, their voices rising in a chorus of defiance. Yeon Gaesomun, his authority challenged, tried to regain control, but it was too late. The soldiers were no longer willing to listen.
Choi Minho, seeing the situation deteriorate beyond repair, knew that it was time to leave. He slipped away from the command post, his heart heavy with guilt. He had betrayed Yeon Gaesomun, not out of malice, but out of necessity.
He had been given a task, and he had carried it out to the best of his ability. But as he looked back at Yeon Gaesomun, his once proud general now surrounded by chaos and despair, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.
As Choi Minho disappeared into the chaos of the battlefield, the riot in the command post continued to escalate. The soldiers, their anger boiling over, turned on Yeon Gaesomun, their voices filled with accusations and demands. Kang Saeng, caught in the middle, tried to restore order, but it was no use. The army was falling apart, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.
On the walls of Xiangping, Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong watched the chaos unfold with a sense of quiet satisfaction. Their plan had worked perfectly. The Goguryeo army, once look very united, was now on the brink of collapse. The soldiers were deserting, their morale shattered, and their leadership in disarray. The battle was all but over.
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Name: Lie Fan
Title: Overlord Of The Central Plains
Age: 33 (200 AD)
Level: 16
Next Level: 462,000
Renown: 1325
Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)
SP: 1,121,700
ATTRIBUTE POINTS
STR: 951 (+20)
VIT: 613 (+20)
AGI: 598 (+10)
INT: 617
CHR: 96
WIS: 519
WILL: 407
ATR Points: 0