Chapter 723: Exhaustion, both sides suffered heavy losses!

Chapter 723: Exhaustion, both sides suffered heavy losses!

The sequelae was exhaustion, or simply collapse. However, Gao Yao had been forcing himself to endure the extreme fatigue and insisted on returning to the back hall of the county government office before he sat down heavily on the ground like a deflated ball.

At the same time, sweat kept pouring down his forehead, cheeks, and neck like a flood. This sweat was not only a proof of his physical fatigue, but also the effort he made to give confidence to the Southern Border Army.

Because Gao Yao knew that his existence was of great significance to the Southern Border Army. He was like a flag, representing hope and victory. As long as he was still there, the morale of the Southern Border Army would not collapse.

Although the current situation is favorable to the Southern Border Army, Wu Rui has fallen into their hands, and the Wu Army is unlikely to act rashly. Moreover, the Wu Army has no military rations, and the only options they can make now are to retreat, return to Nanjun, and then discuss how to get Wu Rui back, or elect a new King of Wu. As for forcibly attacking Huiyang County, this possibility is very small.

However, Gao Yao did not let his guard down. He understood that war was full of uncertainties and any negligence could lead to disastrous consequences. Therefore, he kept holding on until he safely returned to the backyard of the county government office, and then he collapsed on the ground as if relieved.

"Prime Minister, Prime Minister, are you okay?" Wu She was frightened by the scene before him. He rushed to Gao Yao and asked with a worried look on his face. The soldiers beside him did not dare to neglect him and hurried forward to help Gao Yao up and asked about his condition with concern.

"It's okay, take off my armor for me!" Gao Yao's voice was a little low, as if he had just experienced an extremely tragic battle. He let out a long breath, feeling relieved, but the fatigue and pain could not be easily concealed.

Following his order, someone quickly stepped forward and carefully took off the heavy armor for him. Every movement was extremely gentle, for fear of causing more pain to Gao Yao.

When the armor was finally removed, Wu She and Gao Yao's personal soldiers could not help but gasp. Gao Yao's armor was already soaked with blood, and the thick bloodstains made it impossible to distinguish which were his own and which were the enemy's.

Not only that, Gao Yao's body was covered with bruises and other crisscross wounds. These scars were so shocking that people couldn't help but feel pity when they saw them.

Gao Yao's armor does have excellent defensive capabilities, but no matter how strong the armor is, it is impossible to be impeccable. The enemy's attack will always find some loopholes, and these loopholes are often the reason why Gao Yao was injured.

Moreover, even if the enemy's weapon failed to pierce the armor, the powerful impact force would be enough to leave Gao Yao's body covered with bruises, and might even cause internal injuries.

Despite this, Gao Yao's performance in this battle was still heroic. He killed more than 300 enemies, and this record was enough to prove Gao Yao's strength as an unparalleled general. However, the reason why he looked a little embarrassed was because he was too arrogant. After all, the difference in the number of people on both sides was too big, which undoubtedly brought him huge pressure.

"Okay, go and arrange for someone to give me a bath. Remember, this matter must not be spread outside! The matters of the next few days will be fully handed over to you, do you understand?" Gao Yao ordered Wu She with a serious face.

Wu She quickly bowed and responded: "Well, please rest assured, Prime Minister. Wu She will do his best and will never slack off!" His voice was slightly choked, and he was obviously moved by Gao Yao's words just now.

Wu She knew clearly that Gao Yao was able to defeat the enemy's central army with 10,000 men and capture Wu Rui alive. In the past, the saying "Ten thousand soldiers take the enemy's head" was mostly just a way to describe the bravery of a general, but now Gao Yao has really done it. This is not an exaggerated adjective, but a real thing that happened.

Gao Yao relied entirely on his own martial arts skills to fight his way through the battlefield, almost turning the tide of the battle by himself. This feat can be described as a deity descending from heaven!

Not long after, Dou Yong received a message from Gao Yao, and learned that Wu Rui had been captured by Gao Yao. Moreover, Gao Yao also made a request, hoping that Wu Jun could exchange Wu Rui for him through negotiations.

Faced with such a situation, Dou Yong did not make any radical moves this time. He knew very well that Wu Rui was in Gao Yao's hands. If he continued to attack, Wu Rui's life would be threatened. Dou Yong obviously did not have the courage to take this risk. After all, he did not want to cause Wu Rui's death because of a momentary impulse.

Therefore, Dou Yong made a prompt decision and chose to withdraw without hesitation. He knew that in this situation, preserving strength was the most important thing. Moreover, since Wu Rui had been captured, there was not much point in continuing to fight.

At the same time, the battles on other fronts also entered a brief period of peace. Although Han Xin had gained some advantages before, Zhao Shuo chose to hold his ground. Although Han Xin's army had food supplies in place, it would not be easy to overcome Zhao Shuo's defenses in a short period of time. After all, Zhao Shuo still had an army of nearly 80,000, and his strength should not be underestimated.

Although Han Xin still had a stockpile of black gunpowder, it was not easy to break through the defenses of a city. Even if he succeeded in breaking through the defenses, it would likely trigger another round of bloody battles. Before coming up with a comprehensive plan, Han Xin would never attack easily, because the losses would be too great. Although Dongjiao County was within reach, if he attacked by force, he would not only fail to conquer it, but would also put himself in trouble.

In addition, the envoy sent by Wei Bao had already rushed to Nanjun, which made Han Xin naturally guess that the purpose of Wei Bao's sending the envoy must be to negotiate peace. However, the specific conditions for the peace negotiation are still unknown, which needs to be judged based on the actual situation.

Han Xin knew that even if he attacked fiercely, the results would be very limited. Since he could solve the problem without fighting, he would not attack for the sake of military merit. After all, his side was not without losses in the war.

Of course, Han Xin was not completely idle. He constantly tried to engage in small-scale contact and collision with the Wei army in the surrounding areas. His purpose was not only to destroy the enemy's manpower, but also to find out the specific location, direction and route of action of Zhao Shuo's army deployed outside the city.