Chapter 714 Demoted first!

"Yes, there was a chance."

"But this is the charm of war, isn't it? Every failure is a reminder for the future, making us more cautious and cherish every opportunity to fight."

Zhu Jiuyin interjected, his gaze once again cast into the distance, as if penetrating the boundaries of time and space.

Although they failed to completely wipe out Zhao Gongming and others this time, they at least dealt a heavy blow to the Hengzhou army, which gave them a good start for the next battle.

After several days of fleeing in a panic, Zhao Gongming and others who had already left the battlefield were quickly sent to Wu Qi's army by the Luowang organization that was roaming around Wuzhou.

At this time, the atmosphere in Wu Qi's tent was solemn and there was a hint of subtle tension.

Zhao Gongming, She Bishi and Xia Gengshi were all in a disheveled state, but they still stood straight and knelt in front of Wu Qi, their faces full of guilt and self-blame.

On the side, Jia Fu, Xue Kui, Bai Wenbao, Fan Lihua, Xue Gang and others were either standing or sitting, all with an expression of disbelief in their eyes.

You must know that Zhao Gongming is definitely the strongest among their vanguard army, otherwise he would not have been chosen by Wu Qi as the commander of another army. And Shebi Shi beside him is also stronger than Jia Fu and others!
Even the combination of the two of them ended up in defeat. It is conceivable that if they had gone this time, they might not have been able to come back!
"General Gongming, please stand up and speak. Victory and defeat are common in the military. There is no need to blame yourself too much. It is the greatest blessing for you and your men to return safely."

"Besides, this defeat was caused by our lack of intelligence. We did not expect that there would be such a capable person among the Yellow Turbans. It is not your fault either."

Wu Qi sat at the table, his eyes slowly sweeping over everyone, finally stopping at Zhao Gongming, but he did not show the slightest hint of blame.

He was well aware of the strength of Zhao Gongming and others, and was able to make them unable to fight back at all, and even almost unable to return.

He is definitely an opponent who far exceeds Zhao Gongming and others in strength and even wisdom!
Therefore, compared to this insignificant subsequent settlement, Wu Qi was more interested in the intelligence of Zhu Jiuyin, Sun Bin and others!

"General, we have failed to live up to your expectations. All three thousand brothers were killed by the enemy because of our improper command. Only a few of us escaped, and none of the eight hundred warriors survived."

"After such a defeat, how can we stand before the army again?"

Zhao Gongming looked up, a trace of shame flashed in his eyes. When he said this, his eyes were red, and it was obvious that his heart was filled with pain and guilt.

Wu Qi smiled lightly, stood up, walked to Zhao Gongming, and helped him up personally. "Gongming, victory and defeat are common on the battlefield. Your defeat is not due to the war, but because the opponent is too cunning and strong. I heard that Zhu Jiuyin is a rare wise man in the Yellow Turban Army, and he is also very powerful; Sun Bin is a master of military tactics. If these two join forces, even I may not be able to escape unscathed. You are lucky to be able to come back alive."

When Zhao Gongming heard this, his eyes turned red and complicated emotions surged in his heart.

He didn't expect that Wu Qi not only did not take the opportunity to blame him, but was so considerate of their difficulties.

He took a deep breath, suppressed the gratitude in his heart, and instead reported in detail what happened on the battlefield and how the "Wei Shu Square" won a glimmer of hope for everyone in desperate situations.

"The Wei Shu square formation of the Wuzu was improved by me in the past according to my own ideas based on the formation handkerchief of the military strategists. It can be reproduced today, which is worthy of those Wuzu who died."

Wu Qi listened carefully, nodded from time to time, with admiration flashing in his eyes.

He sighed softly, and his tone contained both nostalgia for the past and regret for the annihilation of the 800 soldiers.

"I know your strength, and I know even more clearly that the opponent who can make you flee in such an embarrassing manner is definitely not an ordinary person."

"Although you lost this battle, it gave me a deeper understanding of the enemy. Sometimes a failure can help us grow more than ten victories." "Then do you have a more detailed understanding of Zhu Jiuyin and Sun Bin?"

Then, Wu Qi changed the subject and asked Zhao Gongming and others.

"Zhu Jiuyin's martial power is unfathomable, and the 'Staff of Time' in his hand is even more mysterious. It seems to be able to predict our next move, making it impossible to defend against it."

"As for Sun Bin, we don't know much about him, but according to the information we got from the powerful private armies outside after we escaped, this person is a subordinate of Jiang Xiaobai, the head of the Jiang family. He has a very high level of military attainments and a rigorous layout. We were ambushed by him this time."

Zhao Gongming and the other two looked at each other, and Shebi Shi spoke.

"Zhu Jiuyin, Sun Bin... There are so many heroes in the world!"

"It seems that there are also extraordinary people among the Yellow Turban Army in Wuzhou."

After listening to this, Wu Qi frowned and said after thinking for a moment.

"Also, don't forget that although we lost three thousand brothers, we captured Qin Niu, the leader of the Wuzhou Yellow Turban Army."

"We did not completely fail in this first battle in Hengzhou. Instead, it laid the foundation for victory in the next battle."

Then Wu Qi glanced at Zhao Gongming and others below him and continued.

Jia Fu and others, who were originally in a low mood, were all cheered up after hearing this.

The capture of Qin Niu, the current commander of Wuzhou, was definitely a heavy blow to the morale of the Yellow Turban Army in Wuzhou.

Moreover, unlike the captured Qin Niu, Zhao Gongming and others' successful breakout at the risk of their lives also retained the top-level war god-level manpower for the Hengzhou army.

This will prevent Wu Qi and the others from being completely defenseless when facing Zhu Jiuyin later.

After all, even Zhao Gongming and She Bishi, two powerful generals with basic martial arts level 107, were beaten by Zhu Jiuyin, let alone Jia Fu and Bai Wenbao who are now even weaker.

If the two of them were caught by Zhu Jiuyin alone on the battlefield, it would be a question whether they could escape.

"However, we cannot let our guard down. Since Zhu Jiuyin, Sun Bin and others can make you suffer, their strength should not be underestimated."

Seeing that everyone's morale had recovered, Wu Qi nodded in his heart and continued.

"As for the three of you, although you have been defeated with honor, military law is ruthless and the punishment you deserve must be carried out."

"However, this punishment is to teach you a lesson and make you more cautious in the future."

"I suggest that you be temporarily demoted to soldiers and follow the vanguard. Once you have made military achievements, you will be promoted. Do you have any objections?"

Having said that, Wu Qi changed the subject and looked at Zhao Gongming and others, and saw that they were still asking Wu Qi to surrender.

Wu Qi was somewhat helpless, but he could only follow their wishes and symbolically demoted them to ordinary soldiers, and let them serve as the vanguard to atone for their sins!
(End of this chapter)