Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 161 When the Opportunity is Missed

The news brought by the messenger was like thunder from a clear sky, shattering the brief tranquility of the palace. Hu Bugui hurriedly put on his armor, his heart filled with anxiety. He understood that the Northern Barbarians chose to attack at this time, clearly wanting to take advantage of the new emperor of the Tang Dynasty to fish in troubled waters when the political situation was unstable. This time, he would never let the enemy succeed!

After bidding farewell to the worried Wu Tao, Hu Bugui led the army to the border at full speed. Along the way, he kept studying the map in his hand and deduced various battle plans in his mind. He knew that this battle was of great importance and the burden on his shoulders was extremely heavy.

After arriving at the border, Hu Bugui immediately threw himself into the intense deployment. He personally inspected the defense line, boosted morale, and formulated a careful battle plan based on the enemy's movements. Soon, the two armies launched a fierce battle on the border.

Amid the deafening sound of war drums, Hu Bugui led the soldiers to fight bravely. The long sword in his hand seemed to have turned into a silver dragon, flying and dancing in the enemy's formation, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and no one could stop him.

"Kill! For the Tang Dynasty!"

Inspired by Hu Bugui, the soldiers were full of morale and rushed towards the enemy like a tiger descending from a mountain. For a time, shouts of killing shook the sky, the sound of swords clashing was endless, and the battlefield was filled with blood, which was extremely tragic.

After several fierce battles, Hu Bugui gradually gained the upper hand with his superb command art and the heroic fighting of the Tang army. In particular, in a small-scale battle, he led the elite cavalry to attack the enemy's flank at lightning speed, defeated an elite unit of the enemy in one fell swoop, and won a hearty victory.

This victory greatly boosted the morale of the Tang army and also boosted Hu Bugui's confidence. Looking at the bloody sword in his hand, he felt a surge of ambition and decided to pursue the victory and venture deep into the enemy's hinterland, trying to annihilate the enemy's main force in one fell swoop and completely eliminate the threat to the border.

"Pass the order down, the entire army will rest for a day, and tomorrow we will march north and attack Huanglong directly!" Hu Bugui gave the order in high spirits.

However, his decision was opposed by the general and Li Xiaoyao. "Your Highness, this is absolutely impossible!" the general said anxiously, "Although the enemy has temporarily lost, it still has strength. We are alone and deep in the enemy's territory. If we are ambushed by the enemy, the consequences will be disastrous!"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Li Xiaoyao also advised, "The Art of War says 'Don't pursue a desperate enemy'. We should proceed cautiously and step by step."

However, Hu Bugui was so overwhelmed by victory that he could not listen to any advice. He waved his hand and said firmly, "No need to say more. I have made up my mind! In this battle, we must show the power of the Tang Dynasty and make the northern barbarians dare not offend again!"

Seeing Hu Bugui's determined eyes, the general and Li Xiaoyao were filled with worry, but they could do nothing about it. They knew that a bigger storm might be coming...

Wu Tao was extremely anxious after receiving the news. She knew Hu Bugui's character very well. He was both brave and impulsive. She was afraid that Hu Bugui would underestimate the enemy and rush forward because of his temporary victory, so she immediately set out for the border.

At the same time, Li Xiaoyao also keenly sensed Hu Bugui's intention. He knew the danger of this trip and tried to dissuade him again. "Your Majesty, going deep into the enemy's territory is like a sheep entering a tiger's mouth. Please think twice!" Li Xiaoyao knelt on one knee with a sincere tone.

"Brother Li, you are worrying too much," Hu Bugui said confidently, "Now our army's morale is high, and the enemy is already a frightened bird. This time we advance, we will definitely be able to catch them all in one fell swoop!"

"But..." Li Xiaoyao wanted to persuade him again, but was interrupted by Hu Bugui with a wave of his hand.

"No need to say more, I have made up my mind!" After saying this, Hu Bugui jumped on his horse and led the army towards the heartland of the Northern Barbarians.

When Wu Tao arrived at the border, the army had already set out, leaving behind an empty camp and a mess. She was extremely anxious, but there was nothing she could do, so she could only pray silently in her heart that Hu Bugui would return safely.

The army marched northwards, and at first it was smooth sailing, but as it went deeper into enemy territory, the surrounding environment became increasingly unfamiliar and dangerous. The towering mountains blocked out the sun, the dense forests were filled with danger, and the rugged mountain roads were even more difficult to navigate. The Tang army soldiers had been overwhelmed by the hardships they had endured.

However, Hu Bugui was unaware of this. He was still immersed in the joy of victory and had no idea that danger was approaching step by step.

When the army reached a valley, deafening shouts of killing suddenly rang out from all directions. Countless arrows rained down from the sky, and the Tang army was caught off guard, suffering heavy casualties.

"Oh no, we've fallen into a trap! Retreat quickly!" Hu Bugui realized that he had been ambushed by the enemy, but it was too late. The Northern Barbarian Army had already surrounded the canyon, and the Tang army was trapped...

In the canyon, shouts of killing shook the sky, arrows flew like locusts, and the Tang army fell into chaos. Although Hu Bugui had been on the battlefield for many years, he had never seen such a dangerous battle, and he couldn't help but feel a little panicked. The enemy army surged like a tide, and the Tang army retreated step by step, and it seemed that the whole army was about to be annihilated.

"Your Highness! As long as the mountains are green, there will be no shortage of firewood!" At the critical moment, Li Xiaoyao and the general led a team of troops to fight their way out and desperately escorted Hu Bugui out.

Hu Bugui, who had escaped, looked at the battlefield strewn with corpses behind him, feeling extremely sad. He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his flesh, but he felt no pain at all. He had never felt so frustrated, nor had he ever realized so clearly how serious the consequences of his impulsiveness and arrogance were.

"Your Highness, victory and defeat are common in the military. You don't have to blame yourself too much." Seeing Hu Bugui's pale face and swaying body, the general was worried and couldn't help but comfort him.

Hu Bugui shook his head and said in a hoarse voice: "No, it's all my fault. I underestimated the enemy and caused the soldiers to die in vain."

Li Xiaoyao also consoled him: "Your Highness, now is not the time to blame yourself. The most urgent task is to withdraw to the border as soon as possible, regroup, and then make plans."

Hu Bugui understood that what Li Xiaoyao said made sense, so he had to suppress his grief and ordered the entire army to retreat.

Seeing the Tang army retreat, the enemy general did not rush to pursue them, but ordered them to rest on the spot. He stood on the hillside, looking at the direction where the Tang army was going away, with a sneer on his face. He knew that the initiative of this war was in his hands.

The Tang army retreated all the way until they returned to the border, and finally breathed a sigh of relief. In this battle, the Tang army suffered heavy losses and low morale, while the enemy took the opportunity to counterattack and occupied a large area of land, and the war situation fell into a stalemate.

After Hu Bugui returned to the tent, he locked himself up and refused to see anyone. He recalled the war over and over again, his heart filled with regret and self-blame. He knew that he had to change and learn to be more cautious and steady, so as not to let down the sacrifices of the soldiers and to protect this hard-won peace.

Inside the tent, the candlelight flickered, casting flickering shadows on the ground, illuminating Hu Bugui's lonely profile. He sat in front of the table with a solemn expression, the wine glass in his hand had long been empty, but he was reluctant to put it down.

Wu Tao stood quietly by the side, watching her husband like this, her heart was full of heartache. She knew that this battle was a big blow to Hu Bugui. He had always been confident, but he made a fatal mistake in this battle, which ruined the lives of countless soldiers.

"Husband," Wu Tao called softly, picking up the warm wine pot and filling a cup for him, "Victory and defeat are common in the military, you have done your best."

Hu Bugui looked up, seeing his wife's worried eyes, and felt mixed emotions. He took the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, the bitter taste spreading in his mouth, just like his mood at the moment.

"Tao'er, you don't understand," he put down his wine glass, his tone heavy, "I was too arrogant, underestimated the enemy and rushed forward rashly, which gave the enemy an opportunity to take advantage of. If I had been more cautious and thought more, so many soldiers would not have died in vain..."

"My husband, you don't have to blame yourself too much," Wu Tao held his hand and comforted him softly, "On the battlefield, things change rapidly and no one can predict everything. The most important thing now is to learn lessons and regroup, so as not to let down those soldiers who sacrificed their lives."

Hu Bugui held Wu Tao's hand. Her hand was soft and warm, like a warm current flowing into his heart, dispelling some of the haze in his heart. He knew that Wu Tao was right. Blaming himself could not make up for the loss. Only by cheering up could he face the next challenge.

"You're right. I can't be depressed any longer." Hu Bugui took a deep breath, his eyes gradually firming. "I will redeploy and deal with the enemy in a more prudent way. We must not let them set foot into our territory again!"

Just as Hu Bugui was about to call his generals together to discuss countermeasures, a soldier hurried over to report: "Report - Your Majesty, the enemy has sent an envoy to negotiate with us!"

This sudden news stunned Hu Bugui and Wu Tao. How could the enemy suddenly propose peace talks when they were so aggressive? What was the conspiracy behind this?

Hu Bugui fell into deep thought, unable to make a decision for a moment. Was it the enemy's delaying tactic, or was it a sincere request for peace?