Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 422 - 248: Annihilation of a Nation

Chapter 422: Chapter 248: Annihilation of a Nation

The battle outside Tong’an City lasted for over three hours.

From dusk, they fought until deep into the night.

When the Qi Army’s reinforcements arrived, as Liu Fa’s front, rear, and left armies were fiercely attacked by the Xixia Army,

Prince Yun himself led the cavalry to charge into the elite Xixia forces that were engaging with Liu Fa’s rearguard, thrusting his spear and leaping on his horse, stabbing several mounted officers in succession.

Caught between attacks from the front and rear, the elite Xixia cavalry was defeated, with two thousand armored soldiers lost in the battle.

At the same time, Jin Wang Cha Ge’s forces, which had been in a stalemate with Liu Fa’s vanguard, were ambushed and decimated by the forces led by Zhong Pingyuan. After a chaotic battle, their formation collapsed into disarray, leading to utter defeat.

Jin Wang Cha Ge, leading his personal guard in a breakout attempt, was pursued for seventy li by Prince Yun, Zhong Pingyuan, and Liu Fa, nipping at their heels.

The two sides clashed fiercely in a canyon, and the Xixia Army, with no way out, was forced to the point where countless fell off the cliffs to their death or injury.

Jin Wang Cha Ge, surrounded and facing capture, drew his sword and took his life.

Outside Tong’an City, the elite of the Xixia Army was annihilated in a single battle.

...

Fan Cun, panting heavily, rode his warhorse into Tong’an City.

It had to be said that Prince Yun needed to strengthen his physical conditioning.

He even fell short of the random soldiers Fan Cun had previously inhabited, a disparity that left him feeling somewhat lost.

He had intended to fight vigorously and engage the elite Xixia cavalry for three hundred rounds, but after only challenging several opponents with his superb horsemanship and spear skills, he was already exhausted.

Subsequently, he mostly watched the officers of the Western Army perform.

However, the battle was still a victory, and a beautiful one at that.

Now, with the army stationed again in Tong’an City, the situation had completely changed.

Before, Liu Fa had been compelled to fortify in Tong’an City, with the overall situation unclear and the Xixia Army lurking in the shadows, which could have led to a disastrous defeat.

But now, with the main Xixia forces led by Jin Wang Cha Ge having been encircled and crushed and Cha Ge himself dead in battle, his head had been sent to Fan Cun.

This signified that Xixia no longer had many soldiers fit for battle.

With the army pressing forward, the eradication of Xixia was imminent.

After all the troops were stationed in Tong’an City, Fan Cun could distinctly feel the change in demeanor among the officers like Liu Fa and Zhong Pingyuan as they looked at him.

Particularly Liu Fa, whose glance conveyed gratitude mixed with reverence.

Had it not been for Prince Yun’s insistence against Tong Dao Fu’s advice, it would have been he himself falling off the cliffs, defeated and dead.

What was more critical was that the obliteration of Liu Fa’s forces would have meant the Qi Dynasty’s goal of conquering Xixia would have disappeared like a popped bubble.

To these officers, Prince Yun not only demonstrated outstanding strategic insight but also proved to be quite accomplished in commanding cavalry tactics. He even personally joined the fray, toppling several of Xixia’s elite mounted soldiers.

This scenario left a profound impression on the generals.

Scholarly enough to top the imperial examinations, yet valiant enough to slay the enemy on the battlefield...

How could this be?

Suddenly, everyone’s opinion of the Third Prince underwent a drastic shift. Some even wondered if he was the reincarnation of someone significant.

As for Fan Cun’s persisting concern about his lack of stamina, which the officers hadn’t noticed,

Being a young prince, mounted and fighting was already unthinkable. To have taken down several elite Xixia cavalrymen in the process? That exceeded the boundaries of the extraordinary.

"Orders to the army, rest for three days.

"After three days, attack Xingqing Prefecture and capture Li Qianshun alive!"

Though Prince Yun wasn’t the highest-ranking officer at the time, the way he gave orders felt natural; no generals expressed any objections. They simply carried them out as if they had always been under Prince Yun’s command.

As for Tong Dao Fu, having received the military report, he would likely arrive in Tong’an City in two days.

...

"I want to kill this Tong Dao Fu; what does Your Majesty think?" Fan Cun once again inquired of the phantom of Emperor Taizu of Sheng.

Following this great victory, the system seemed to have deemed that Fan Cun had significantly advanced the progression of the instance, so he had gained a hefty amount of energy, allowing him to retain Emperor Taizu’s extra-game assistance more frequently.

Previously, when Fan Cun was commanding the cavalry in battle, he briefly utilized the guidance from Emperor Taizu. Despite the great energy expenditure, the battle results proved to be well worth it.

This victory yielded a considerable amount of spoils, especially the armor of the fallen armored cavalry, enough to equip a force of heavy cavalry.

One could say Fan Cun’s gamble paid off, as this battle alone established an immense prestige among the generals of the Western Army.

Thus, his mind naturally became more active.

With Tong Dao Fu present, he always felt encumbered. Therefore, being someone characterized by boldness, he naturally considered assassination.

Moreover, considering the detestable acts Tong Dao Fu historically committed... wouldn’t he deserve it if he were killed?

However, Emperor Taizu shook his head: "Tong Dao Fu can certainly be killed, but there’s no benefit in killing him now.

"First, this man is not someone who must be killed. There are many ways to subjugate him.

"Second, killing Tong Dao Fu now would bring too much trouble. After all, you are not the emperor, nor are you the Crown Prince, but merely a Prince. In other words, even if you wish to take a dangerous gamble and forcefully kill someone, the first target shouldn’t be someone of Tong Dao Fu’s caliber."

Fan Cun thought it through carefully and realized that Emperor Taizu might be right.

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