Capítulo 1558: Chapter 73: Siege (43)_7
“Is this what you ca to tell ?” Winters asked wearily.
“No,” Luosong shook his head and smiled, “I ca to congratulate you.”
He said solemnly, “Congratulations, His Excellency Montaigne, [Perseverance] has already been swallowed by you.”
“Not yet swallowed,” Winters’ emotions were cold and detached, a side effect of excessive spellcasting, “Jade Crossing is still in the hands of [Perseverance]. In theory, Vansco Alda still has a chance to turn the tables.”
“At least you can say,” Luosong was unconcerned, “[Perseverance] is already in your mouth.”
Winters laughed a few tis.
Luosong couldn’t grasp the emotions the Lion of Vineta wanted to convey through this laughter; he only felt it was sowhat frightening.
“Wrong, Major,” Winters said, “In fact, from the start of the battle until now, Vansco Alda has done nothing wrong. If I were him, I would also pursue relentlessly and occupy the Fifty High Ground. Maybe I wouldn’t leave just one regint at Bend Gate, but the outco wouldn’t be much different from his current predicant.”
“What do you an?” Luosong asked, puzzled.
Winters stood up, gazing at the fading light over the Fifty High Ground, “The next mont is the test of Vansco Alda’s decision-making.”
“Make a choice, Colonel Alda,” Winters murmured, conversing with his opponent as if they stood face-to-face, “Is it to fight desperately and break through overnight? Or to place hope in the troops at Jade Crossing and hold firm awaiting reinforcents? Tonight, you must decide, and your decision will determine the life or death of [Perseverance].”
Luosong watched Winters’ back and suddenly asked, “What do you think he will choose?”
“I don’t know,” Winters turned and shook his head, answering honestly.
“What would you choose?” Luosong asked again.
Winters answered calmly: “Breaking through will surely incur heavy losses, but ‘reason’ tells to break through imdiately; holding firm offers potential for change, steadfastly defending provides ‘hope’.”
Luosong listened intently.
“And hope triumphs over reason every ti,” Winters said, cold and detached as steel, “That is why I left Jade Crossing to [Perseverance].”
—————–
Night fell, at “Bend Gate,” Mason was wielding a shovel while encouraging the reserve officers beside him.
“Dig away!” Mason said with a smile, “Rember, a day in the life of an engineer starts at night!”
Just then, a service soldier ca running to report, “Major, Major Luosong wants to see you.”
Mason’s smile froze on his face.
He sighed, put down his shovel, and followed the service soldier to the back of the Thirty High Ground.
He thought Luosong was there to look for accountability, because the experint with the horse-drawn artillery was quite a failure. Out of three cannon cars, two collapsed, and eventually, it was still Luosong’s cavalry that relayed the cannons in groups to drag them outside the enemy’s fortress, reassembled it on site, and managed not to delay the operation.
Even so, only two rounds were fired from the three cannons. If only effective shots were counted, it would be just one round.
So upon eting, Mason bowed deeply to Luosong.
“The cannon wasn’t ready,” Mason apologized, “I…”
Unexpectedly, Luosong grabbed Mason’s hand, shaking it painfully.
“Lord Mason,” Luosong said earnestly, “Horse-drawn artillery has great potential!”
—————–
Deep into the night, on the provincial avenue, a group of Piaoqi Troops was patrolling the road leading to Jade Crossing.
Among them, a young man nad Alexander was still caught in the day’s excitent.
“Today’s battle was really exhilarating! Sir,” the young Piaoqi Trooper laughed, “Really exhilarating!”
“Exhilarating? Not quite,” Andrea replied coldly, “But indeed, the battle should have been fought this way long ago.”
—————–
Winters, clad in heavy armor, rested his sword on his knees, sitting still as a marble statue, watching the enemy’s high ground until dawn.
When the first ray of golden light erged from the horizon, Winters spoke.
“[Perseverance] is finished,” he said quietly.
Vansco Alda also stayed awake all night.
But what startled him was not the sunrise, but the thunderous sound of hooves in the distance at dawn.
The thunderous sound signaled the end of [Perseverance].
Alda’s heart felt as if it were clamped viciously by the demon’s claws.
[Perseverance] is finished.
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