Chapter 1165 Defeated!

With a single order from the two of them, the entire Jin army camp began to mobilize at an astonishing speed. In mere moments, countless Jin soldiers formed neat ranks from all directions, marching towards the ten thousand Song troops led by Yao Pingzhong. Yao Pingzhong, who was in the midst of fierce combat with the Jin forces, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine without cause. When he managed to lift his head amidst the chaos to survey his surroundings, he was shocked to discover several long dragon-like formations rapidly approaching them not far ahead! Upon seeing this, Yao Pingzhong's entire body trembled, and he nearly fell from his horse. The situation had escalated to this point, and he understood that his actions tonight had been a complete failure. "Bad! Retreat! Retreat quickly!" Yao Pingzhong shouted, frantically ordering his troops to break through the encirclement and head towards Bianliang city. "Is it too late to think of retreating now?" Wanyan Zongwang sneered, observing Yao Pingzhong trapped in the encirclement. "He's quite a renowned general. If circumstances permit, spare his life; such a person could be useful!" Unlike Wanyan Zongwang, Wanyan Zonghan, impressed by Yao Pingzhong's valor, felt a pang of appreciation for his talent. "Don't forget, he's a Song man; those not of our kind harbor different intentions!" Hearing Wanyan Zonghan's words, Wanyan Zongwang became displeased. "Second brother, your magnanimity is too narrow-minded. How many Jurchen people do we have? If we relied solely on ourselves, do you think we could truly conquer the Liao Dynasty? In the end, anyone willing to fight for us is valuable, regardless of their origin!" "If you wish to lecture, return to Shangjing city and converse slowly with those young brats!" With a cold snort, Wanyan Zongwang lost interest in watching further and turned to head back to his tent. The Jin soldiers concentrated in the camp, combined with the surrendered troops they had gathered and the civilians they had coerced, now numbered nearly two hundred and fifty thousand! As the Jin soldiers surrounding him grew in number, Yao Pingzhong's back was instantly drenched in cold sweat. Even with his extensive battlefield experience, he had to admit that this time, he was likely to suffer a crushing defeat. At this moment, they were like a small boat trapped in a tide, no matter how hard they struggled, they could only be pushed back to where they started. After charging repeatedly more than ten times, even the valiant Yao Pingzhong felt his arms going numb. "I have led you all to ruin tonight!" Looking at the dwindling number of his personal guards, Yao Pingzhong's eyes welled up with tears. "Young Master, the situation has come to this. Even if we break through the encirclement, I fear you cannot return to Bianliang city. We cannot escape, but you must not die here. Find a way to break through and escape! We entrust our families to you!" Seeing Yao Pingzhong's despair, his few close attendants, who had been with him since childhood, exchanged glances and knelt beside him almost simultaneously. "If it weren't for my insistence on attacking the camp late at night, things wouldn't have escalated to this point. So many soldiers will perish at the enemy's hands, how can I, Yao Pingzhong, live on with any face?" Although Yao Pingzhong knew these men meant well, his inherent pride made him unwilling to do such a thing at this moment. "Young Master, you still have no children. If you die, your lineage will end! When you meet your parents in the netherworld, how will you face them? Must the Yao family, generations of loyal officials, have its line extinguished in your generation!" "Indeed, Young Master. We eat the royal salary and it is right for us to die for the country. But if all of us perish, what will become of our families?" "Young Master! We are willing to carve out a bloody path for you, only asking that you look after our families! If you do not agree, we will die here!" As soon as Yao Pingzhong finished speaking, his attendants drew their steel sabers and placed them at their own throats. "Alright, I swear to heaven, as long as I, Yao Pingzhong, have a breath left in me, your families will be my families!" Seeing these personal guards who had followed him through countless battles, Yao Pingzhong finally wavered. "Brothers, we will protect our Young Master and carve out a bloody path!" Seeing that he had agreed, the attendants behind him stood up one after another. They discarded everything except their weapons and then mounted their horses once more. A single desperate man is harder to stop than ten thousand! Moreover, these personal guards around Yao Pingzhong were all veteran soldiers accumulated by the Yao family over many years. When they fought with the resolve of certain death, they truly carved out a bloody path for Yao Pingzhong in the midst of the enemy. "What a valiant general!" From afar, watching Yao Pingzhong forcefully carve out a path through the enemy ranks, even Wanyan Zonghan's eyes showed a hint of admiration. "Marshal, shall I take men to pursue?" Guo Yaoshi, standing beside Wanyan Zonghan, suddenly asked as he saw Yao Pingzhong break free from the encirclement. "You?" Hearing this, Wanyan Zonghan appraised Guo Yaoshi before him. "Yes! Your subordinate is willing to serve the Marshal with his life!" Guo Yaoshi spoke and knelt on one knee before Wanyan Zonghan. Seeing the fawning smile on his face, a trace of disdain flickered in Wanyan Zonghan's eyes. Unlike Zhang Xiaochun and Yao Pingzhong, Guo Yaoshi had first pledged allegiance to Wanyan Zongwang. Although he surrendered when pushed to the brink, he had first betrayed the Liao and joined the Song army. Tong Guan had greatly relied on him, but at a critical moment, he stabbed Tong Guan in the back and turned to Wanyan Zongwang! Now, seeing that he was not heavily relied upon by Wanyan Zongwang, he was even thinking of defecting to himself, which naturally made Wanyan Zonghan look down on the man even more! Seeing the contempt in his eyes, Guo Yaoshi felt a wave of helplessness. Although he had pledged allegiance to Wanyan Zongwang, Wanyan Zongwang did not value him highly. After half of his Ever-Victorious Army was divided, his attitude towards him became even more indifferent. To curry favor with Wanyan Zongwang, he had personally led troops to raid the Great Song Royal Stables at Mutuo Gang this time, capturing all the remaining ten thousand warhorses.