Chapter 12: Pang Juan’s Unease_1
"Strange, are the Qin troops mad? Why haven’t they retreated yet?"
This insane war continued until midnight. The city walls of Anyi Pass were lit up by the blaze of war. Pang Juan rubbed his brow, fatigue etched on his face as he looked at the surrounding Qin troops. He felt utterly helpless against the Qin army’s reckless onslaught. It’s only the first day, is there really a need to fight so desperately?
"General, could there be a ruse?" the Deputy General asked, dragging his exhausted body over. He was covered in blood, his worry palpable, and exuded a strong Evil Qi.
"The Qin army has a million men outside the city; they shouldn’t be trying to deceive us! I’ve found out that their leader is Qin Wudao, the Ninth Prince of the Qin Dynasty. He’s young and full of vigor but lacks experience. I think he intends to capture Anyi Pass in one fell swoop!" Pang Juan mused for a moment, then shook his head. If it were a veteran like Wang Jian, he might have harbored suspicions. But Qin Wudao... He’s just a greenhorn!
The Deputy General nodded, agreeing that it made sense and was consistent with a young man’s approach to battle.
"Relay my orders! The army is to defend in rotating shifts. I want to see just how many days the Qin army can maintain this assault!" Pang Juan commanded, his gaze turning icy as he waved his hand. He knew very well that a full day of intense fighting had already exhausted his soldiers. If they didn’t rotate soon, they would suffer devastating casualties against the ferocious Qin army. The goal of this battle wasn’t to annihilate the Qin forces but to buy time.
"As you command!" The Deputy General saluted and left to deliver the orders.
Within an hour, 800,000 fresh troops were mobilized from behind Anyi Pass to relieve the weary defenders, beginning a new phase of stalwart defense.
"Retreat!"
In the Qin command camp, Qin Wudao noticed the activity on the walls of Anyi Pass. A cold sneer touched his lips as he calmly issued the order.