Zhong Ping got the front-line battle report two days after the battle. The battle report was that the Xiongnu army collapsed across the board, and the commander did not know where to go. Two days later, the 3.6 soldiers sent by Erlu arrived at Zhong Ting's temporary command post in Yinshan, and asked him to immediately retreat north, because there were no Xiongnu soldiers in the Yinshan area. About the battle situation: There are only these few words in the letter: The whole line collapses, please go to the northern camp, Erru pleads guilty in person, and will die without regret.

Zhong Ping was anxious and flustered, not knowing what the specific situation of the loss was. And Yinshan was no longer safe, so Zhongping had to gather all the guards to retreat north.

Two days after Zhongping's withdrawal, the fallen cavalry who had cleaned the battlefield crossed the Yin Mountain, and the soft hinterland of the Xiongnu appeared in front of him.

Zhao Cheng and Shaha also arrived at Eru's camp a few days later. No one told them where Eru was, but they found it themselves, which shows the high quality of their individual soldiers. .

Chapter 186: The General who was defeated and escaped

Eru led his troops to the north for three days, day and night. Finally, the army was exhausted and stopped. This wild run not only threw the fallen army far away, but also the Yinshan Mountains far away. The army has entered the hinterland of the Mongolian plateau, and the outpost has reported that Lake Baikal can be seen.

Eru seems to have lost the ability to feel light these days. As if forgetting day and night. The horse under him fell to the ground the moment Uru took the reins, foaming at the mouth and dying.

Eru Muran got up from the horse's corpse and sat silently on the sand-soaked grass beside him. The sunset on the grassland seemed to be unusually large, emitting a dim yellow and calm light, night was coming, and the autumn wind was blowing. Erlu licked his chapped lips, and then he remembered that he hadn't drank a sip of water and ate a bit of food in the past few days. The side of the kettle is still a little black, maybe it was burned by fire that night on October 10. He took a sip silently, and the water was a little astringent.

The generals of several cavalry squadrons surrounded them. They had organized their respective teams and sent out sentries in accordance with the previous practice. These formed soldiers began to dismount to rest. Several horses fell in the middle of the run. Of course, there are also skirmishers who have been broken up and the commander has surrendered. Many skirmishers rode only one horse, and many fell behind because their horses fell halfway. What's more serious is that the skirmishers who rushed out of the chaos did not follow the practice of the Hun army's march, that is to say, they only had two or three days of rations on them, or even no rations.

Eru held his head in his hands, his head hurting so badly that it almost burst. He realized that Zhong Ting was really dead, and these soldiers were now just staring at him, waiting for their orders. This confused situation and bleak battle situation made Erlu feel extremely helpless for a while. So many brothers are counting on themselves, but who knows, under such circumstances, the gods have no choice!

Erru was trying desperately to think about that night in his head, but only a vague firelight flashed into his mind, as if he had forgotten everything, or it was like a nightmare. However, the fact is in front of him, there is no Zhongting, there is no army of 300,000. Only he Uru, he Uru alone. Only these rout soldiers with frightened faces.

"Let the soldiers rest... The unorganized lean against the organized cavalry team, so that the sentinel can also remind them." There were also three surviving messengers standing beside Eru. Their faces were all grey and looked rather tired. Hearing the order, these people complied and went to spread the word. "Wait a minute..." Erlu stopped them wearily, "You," he pointed to a fairly sturdy messenger, "Go to the rest of the Yinshan Mountains to find the lord's station, and be sure to pass the word on and let the lord go to Lake Baikal. The direction is withdrawn." The scribbled letter, Erlu hesitated again and again, but he couldn't write a word. How to tell Zhongping this news? He couldn't accept this defeat himself! What's more, Zhong Ting is dead, how to tell this news? Erlu's hand holding the pen was trembling a little, and he held his head with his hand again, bursting in pain.

After holding it for a long time, Erlu only wrote one sentence: the whole line collapsed, please go to the northern camp, Erlu pleaded guilty in person, and died without regret. He did not dare to write the army's station on the letter, for fear that if the letter was lost, the remaining soldiers would be in danger. Eru just verbally told the messenger to go in the direction of Lake Baikal! To Lake Baikal!

The messenger was obviously exhausted, and everyone here was exhausted because they had run for too long. He carried forward the tenacious spirit of the Xiongnu soldiers, without saying a word, he took the letter, bowed and saluted, and was about to mount. "You go too, so you can take care of me." Erlu said to the two guards beside him. The two were named and silently bowed and saluted. The three walked away.

After arranging to report on Zhongping, Erlu leaned on the horse that fell to the ground, watching the sun in the west sink rapidly. The brain is empty, and Eru doesn't know what to do next. He was exhausted, but he couldn't close his eyes and couldn't sleep. There is only an empty sense of desolation. Is this the end? Hundreds of thousands of troops, between the fingers, between the fingers! The army was destroyed, General Zhong Ting died, and he had no reason to continue to live. The only thing to do now is to organize the remaining remnants of the force, so that they don't disperse, don't split, don't be attacked, and don't starve to death. When Zhongping arrives, he will be able to die.

While lying down, Erlu thought about the arrangements behind him, thinking that he would surely die, and even felt a little at ease. At least you don't have to face this fatal failure, and you don't have to face such bleak consequences. He failed the Xiongnu steppe.

"General... Let's have something to eat." The general brought the barbecue. In this barren place 043, there are only small animals such as mice. The grass is not lush enough, so it is difficult to see large animals such as deer.

Erlu took it and ate it, thinking about the arrangements behind it. Before a piece of meat was eaten, the lid of the kettle had not been screwed on, and he had fallen asleep. He is so tired.

Eru felt the morning dew hit his face, and immediately woke up. The habits of the Huns for many years have returned to themselves. The Huns seem to have a special sensibility for the early morning and are accustomed to waking up at the moment when the sun is about to rise. Only slept for less than ten hours, which seemed to be as long as a century. Erlu hurriedly stood up, but fortunately, everything was business as usual, and many tired soldiers were still asleep. The old horses walked quietly and ate grass, and they actually took on the task of vigilance. Because the patrolling soldiers had fallen asleep on their horses, they were too tired.

Erru was disheartened by the panic-stricken night. This sudden serenity made Erlu burst into tears. Although this brave general loves his grassland deeply, he will not change his decision to apologise to death. He just felt so sad. .

Chapter 187 On the edge of Lake Baikal

When the first ray of sunshine in the morning came down, the large and small generals had already gathered around Eru. No one spoke, even Eru, sitting on the grass, said nothing.

Finally, a few generals who went down ran over and began to report on the food situation. Having brought soldiers for so many years, Erru has developed the same habit as Zhongping. In all military operations, first look at the food.

"The formed army we brought over can last for seven days with standard rations per person." The general looked at the statistical results in his hands and reported. "Most of the stragglers who escaped have food for about three days, and some have run out."

"The number of people! Report the number of people!" Erlu impatiently reminded him after seeing the report from the general and then stood at attention and did not speak.

"Oh... that's right," the young commander was in a hurry. "The three cavalry units of the organic army are 30,000 people, and the skirmishers are more than 10,000." Erlu knew that these 30,000 people were responsible for the defense of the north, and they were all well-groomed. Army, a cavalry column commander was assigned to command these men. Eru looked around and found that there were no officers like the column commander around, but all middle and low-level officers like the cavalry captain. Erlu was a little cold in silence. The middle and senior generals were completely lost, and most of them should have died. To be honest, even the captain of the column dared to die, and he really had no face to live.

The captains of the three cavalry teams stood in front of them all intact, with their heads bowed and a look of helplessness. To be honest, Oru usually does not see officers of this level. They command 10,000 people, which is a small number for Oru. Only the commander of the cavalry column commanding 30,000 to 50,000 people would meet him and assign tasks directly.

The slightly older officers were some of his generals, who followed him, and the captain of the guards. Erlu pointed to the two generals next to him: "You two, go and organize, organize the skirmishers, and form a cavalry team. You are the commander, the horse is not enough for the other teams, and the food is the same. Give this new The formed cavalry team will distribute rations for three more days ¨ "!"

"Understood." The two generals touched their chests with their hands, bowed, and went down to prepare.

The headache came back, and Eru felt disgusted by the trifles. In his military career for so many years, he has never felt this way. In the past, the military camp always excited him, as if he would never be bored. He was war-weary, he hated the feeling of being ready for war.

Under Oru's organization, the army spread out slightly, and each cavalry group was slightly separated. A large number of outposts were dispatched in a radial pattern. Daytime tasks became hunting to supplement the army's rations. Now Eru doesn't know what to do next. Xu Da's army numbered hundreds of thousands, equipped with amazing weapons. And by his side, there are only 40,000 defeated soldiers. What's next? All this, perhaps only Zhongping came to know. However, the best option may be to advance westward and retreat into Hexi, and join forces with the grassland wolf army led by Zhao Cheng, so as to gradually gain a firm foothold. In fact, Elu can imagine that Xu Da has now taken over the left and right parts of the Xiongnu and other places, and the steppe people have no way to migrate, they can only declare to obey Luochen's orders, that is, to be courtiers to the Han people.

Five days have passed. On the barren plateau north of Mongolia, the patrolmen actually saw a large forest. The depressions are wetter, and the soil is not as dry and cracked. In the depression of the plateau, a large forest has finally formed, and the number of animals here is significantly larger than that of the grassland sandy land. The small forest quickly became a good source for soldiers to store and improve their meals. The stream in the forest also excited the soldiers. And wood can keep soldiers out of the cold a little at night.

On the early morning of the sixth day, Oru and the soldiers were even somewhat content with their present life. The fallen army does not know where, and may be busy taking over the various tribes of the Xiongnu. No chasing troops, no battles to fight. There are a lot of prey in the forest, barbecue, coarse salt grains, and clear stream water, this is the food that every Huns can satisfy. The frightened and exhausted soldiers got a good rest here, and their emotions gradually stabilized.

Oru rode in circles around the various camps. Some soldiers have already raised a fire. The meat that was not eaten last night was roasted on the fire for a little while, and then cheerful oil particles appeared. Others fetched clean water from the creek, and a group of people gathered around the fire to feast. It was as if a happy camping life had begun. Seeing Eru, these soldiers quickly stood up and said, "General! Do you want to eat barbecue?"

Erlu smiled and waved his hand, and then walked away.

A cavalry sentry rushed over, and Erlu's face changed. The sentinel shouted excitedly: ".'The lord is here! The lord is here!" He rushed to Eru, panting, "General! The lord is here! You go to meet him!"

Erlu's face calmed down, and he waved to the soldier: "You go first, I'll go get something, I'll be there soon." The soldier promised and immediately turned around and went back.

Zhongping ran wild day and night, resting almost every time. About 10,000 guards all withdrew here. The sentinel's reconnaissance confirmed Eru's statement that the fallen troops crossed the Yinshan Mountain and took over the various tribes of the Xiongnu. Men, women and children were brought together, and horses were strictly restrained. It was seen that the tribal army would be severely declaring martial law in the tribe. But Xu Da, the legendary most powerful general in the Central Plains, did not show up.

Zhong Ping already knew the situation in his heart. The command post of the remaining Yinshan Mountains and all the guards around (Hao Zhao Zhao) were withdrawn southward. Follow the location provided by Oru, in the direction of Lake Baikal.

Zhongping encountered Eru's sentinel, and the sentinel was ordered to rush to report, and soon came back to lead the way. Zhong Ping took a hundred guards and went to the camp non-stop. Fortunately, the camp is not worth it along the way, and the sentry is tight. More importantly, the soldiers' faces were still ruddy, and there was no discouragement after the defeat. This is what Zhongping is most grateful for. Fortunately, as long as the leader is there, this team still has the backbone and there is no chaos. The only thing that made Zhong Ping vaguely uneasy was that neither Zhong Ting nor Erlu came out to greet him, but it was also possible that they were too busy.

An officer not far away screamed, and Zhong Ping was taken aback. I saw the officer hurriedly ran out of the tent, and his words were no longer easy: "General Erlu...General Erlu...killed himself!".

Chapter 188 Fatal Loss

The hussar general went to the sick and led his division, and the generals who had obtained meat and porridge were about light and juicy. They were involved in Zhangqu, and they beat the generals of Zuo by killing Cheqi. Ji Gonglu was awarded the King of Tuentou and King of Han, and eighty-three generals, prime ministers, dang households, and commanders. He was sealed as a wolf to live in Xushan, Chan in Guyan, and boarded the Hanhai Sea. There are 443 ranks of the 70,000 people who hold the halogen, the division rate is reduced by three, and the food is eaten by the enemy.

— "Historical Records: Biography of General Wei's Hussars"

Zhong Ping was stunned for a moment, and he didn't even seem to realize the true meaning of what the officer said. "General Erru committed suicide!" cried the young officer again in horror.

"Fart!" The captain of the guard kicked the officer fiercely, and then slammed into the tent.

Zhong Ping felt that the guard behind him pushed him, and then he came back to his senses and entered the tent of the Chinese army with one foot deep and one foot shallow.

In fact, everyone present understood, because there was no sound in the tent, if Erlu hadn't died, he would have come out of the tent and scolded mother. However, there was no sound in the tent, and he told everyone rationally and clearly, but subconsciously, everyone was reluctant to believe it.

The captain of the guard knelt on the ground, sobbing softly. On the command sword that Zhongting handed over to Erlu, the blood had dried up, showing a dark red color. The wound was on the neck and was no longer bleeding.

Zhong Ping was a little stunned. He didn't know why the general was so confused... He knew that the whole line had retreated, and his main army had been hit hard. Even he thought about scolding these two people severely. However, never thought of losing them! There are not many loyal right-hand men around Zhongping. Besides, I am also responsible for this defeat. Moreover, according to the observation report, the weapons of the fallen army are quite powerful, and no one can stop it... In short, why do you think that you will commit suicide!

Zhong Ping slowed down and looked at his general quietly. The officers and guards around him stood in a circle, and no one dared to make a sound, except for the low sobbing of the captain of the guard.

"Eru..." Zhong Ping opened his mouth with the first sentence, his eyes were already moist, and his hands were shaking. He saw that his suicide-dead general looked calm, even serene. It seems to be very calm about it all. As if his own death was deserved.

"I was riding around on a horse just now... I heard that the lord was coming, and the general asked me to greet him, saying that he would come in a while..." the sentinel cried.

"Where's Zhong Ting?" Zhong Ping raised his head and looked at the surrounding officers. "Call Zhong Ting over here..."

No one answered, their lord thought that Zhong Ting was busy somewhere! In fact, Zhong Ting had already died.

"Where's Zhong Ting!" Zhong Ping suddenly felt that the atmosphere was not right, and an ominous premonition flooded into his heart, but... how is it possible? So it will be like this? Zhong Ping did not dare to reason or think about it. He asked sharply again: "Where's Zhong Ting! Immediately ask him to run over to meet me!"