RPAGF Chapter 519 - 46: Breaking Ugucheng, Gu Clan Butcher (Double-Length - )
Chapter 519 - 46: Breaking Ugucheng, Gu Clan Butcher (Double-Length - )
Meanwhile, inside Wuguo City.
Listening to the cries and screams from outside the city, Gao Wuzhi’s expression was extremely serious at this moment.
"Commander, is this the reinforcements?"
The expressions of the generals beside him were complex as well, and they couldn’t help but ask.
Gao Wuzhi did not answer.
How could he answer?
In fact, he couldn’t quite figure out the situation outside the city either.
Although Gao Wuzhi wanted to believe these were reinforcements, he didn’t dare to act hastily.
Should he fall for the Tang Army’s trick, there would truly be no turning back; the day the city fell would surely be the day of his death.
Even if Li Shimin could easily spare him, with Yeon Gaesomun’s temperament, he would undoubtedly die.
He must remain calm.
Seeing that Gao Wuzhi didn’t speak, the soldiers felt increasingly uneasy.
"Commander, if these truly are reinforcements, this is a godsend opportunity! Even if we can’t annihilate the Tang foes, we should at least break their camp, dampen their spirits!"
"Commander, please make a wise decision, and dispatch the troops quickly!"
"Deploy troops? If this is a ruse by the Tang Army, what then? The commander is of the Gu Clan, have you all forgotten the Gu Clan’s past cunning?"
"..."
The generals in the tent were deeply divided, some excited, some hesitant.
An atmosphere of anxiety and unease spread and intensified.
Gao Wuzhi’s face was as heavy as iron, and seeing the emotional outbursts of the generals, he suddenly slapped the table and shouted, "Prepare the troops!"
——The tent fell silent instantly.
The eyes of all were on Gao Wuzhi’s face—some showed joy, others shook their heads repeatedly.
"But we can’t mobilize the entire army!" Gao Wuzhi’s gaze was like lightning as he swept his eyes over the crowd, then turned to a trusted deputy general with a stern voice:
"Convey my order: Lead two thousand elite cavalrymen and rush to support! If you detect deceit or observe unusual beacon fires, return swiftly, with no mistakes allowed!"
"If they really are reinforcements, be sure to investigate the situation of the battle outside thoroughly!"
This is the choice Gao Wuzhi had to make.
He couldn’t let the entire Wuguo City completely lose its ability to resist, nor could he miss this opportunity in vain.
Hearing this, the soldiers nodded in agreement.
And the general, carrying out his orders, immediately led his troops into battle.
Ooooo....
As the sound of horns blared within Wuguo City, another battlefield was suddenly opened up.
The Tang Army suffered a pincer attack.
Yet they remained unfazed, stubbornly isolating any potential communication between the two forces.
Gu Jing personally led his troops into battle, confronting the defenders of Wuguo City.
No mercy at all.
Although the scale of the battle was far smaller than the northern front, its bloodiness had already exceeded that of the tens of thousands of the battlefield.
Both sides were left with only one choice: fight to the death.
The Tang Army thus, and the Goguryeo-Baekje alliance likewise.
Even when faced with attack from both sides, the terrain and equipment assisted the Tang Army significantly, preventing them from completely collapsing under pressure.
Fortunately, those who had set out were elite Tang troops, and they wouldn’t panic even under pincer attack.
The defenders within Wuguo City were the same.
Even if confirmed that those outside were reinforcements, they too dared not pour out.
In essence, Gao Wuzhi feared death.
As long as he could hold onto the city, if Goguryeo were truly defeated in the end, it wouldn’t be his concern.
But if Wuguo City, this vital city, were really lost.
He would have no escape but death.
This was Gu Jing’s greatest confidence, as he trusted his own judgment.
The Tang Army only needed to face pressure from one direction, and this pressure would only diminish.
The defenders within Wuguo City would lose hope.
The reinforcements would also lose hope!
One day;
Two days;
Three days;
...
The battles continued for ten days, with countless troops remaining on the field.
The Tang Army suffered nearly three thousand casualties, while the defenders of Wuguo City incurred over two thousand, and reinforcements lost more than ten thousand.
The entire valley was piled with bodies.
An intangible sense of despair engulfed both the reinforcements and Wuguo City.
——Despair!
Simply despair!
They didn’t know how to break the current stalemate.
But whether for each Goguryeo commander or for Gao Wuzhi, they no longer considered a full assault.
Yet Yeon Gaesomun’s orders were clear.
For the next ten days, they attempted various methods.
Attacking Beisha City, sending letters requesting aid from Zhang Liang, aiming to distract the Tang Army’s forces.
But Gu Jing directly ignored Zhang Liang’s pleas and completely stabilized his soldiers.
Counter-encircle the Tang Army——
Attempting to cut off the Tang Army’s supply line, pressuring the Tang forces internally as Gu Jing did with Wuguo City from the outside.
But the Tang Army was not the Goguryeo Army.
When capturing Beisha City, the Tang Army secured countless provisions, leaving them with no shortage of supplies in the short term, while the deep mountains on either side abounded with game for the Tang to hunt.
But this was all they could do, as a full assault was impossible, leaving only the option to drag it out!
But for Goguryeo, this was enough.
As long as they could firmly hold the Tang Army, keeping Gu Jing from influencing the northern battlefield was sufficient!
Time passed slowly.
Li Shimin has now already advanced to Anshi City, holding a standoff with the entire Goguryeo Army.
Within the current states of Liaodong.
Goguryeo’s strength was indeed unrivaled, even against the celestial soldiers of the Great Tang, Yeon Gaesomun perfectly used the pre-built defensive lines to repel them.
Even while constantly at a disadvantage, they felt no fear.