Chapter 1046
The fight started
Chapter 1046 The fight started
Beijing Post Station,
The place was bustling with people at the moment. Many soldiers had gathered and were on standby, lined up on the official road, protecting the carriages of several princes. Seeing this, many common people fled in all directions, and their numbers were as numerous as nobles crossing the river. After all, this was the south gate of the capital, and there were farmers and caravans coming and going outside the city in an endless stream.
When something unusual happened outside the city, the gate guards naturally had to be on guard. The gate lieutenant went down first, holding a whip, and started to beat the people violently, cursing;
"Get out of the way, get out of the way, don't worry about your life,"
The people panicked and scattered. At this time, 3,000 heavily armored soldiers from the Bingmasi ran down from the city wall one after another and lined up a hundred meters in front of the city gate. Han Ling, in particular, looked to the south vigilantly. Suddenly, the ground seemed to vibrate slightly. He was startled and wondered where the cavalry came from.
Just when everyone was alert, the area south of the post station,
Zhang Jinyu was already riding a horse, leading a large number of cavalrymen straight to the capital. He originally wanted to let the cavalrymen return to the Anhu camp first, but then he thought that since His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin had returned to the capital with glory, he still had to make a big show. So, these cavalrymen were to create momentum for His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin.
Only when they entered the capital did the cavalry slow down.
"My Lord, the capital posthouse is just ahead, and it will be less than ten miles to the capital."
Looking at the Anhu camp that had already disappeared in a flash, Ning Byeon calculated the distance behind him and estimated the approximate location.
"Well, it's good that we're almost there. We've been walking for three days and my body is a little numb from riding a horse. When we get back, let the brothers wait at the Anhu camp. After we get the silver, go back and tell Duan Hong to let the brothers have a good rest."
"Yes, Lord Marquis."
Zhang Jinyu touched his numb legs and looked at the people hiding on the official road without paying any attention. He raised his head and looked forward. Unexpectedly, he saw a group of elite soldiers forming a battle formation on the official road next to the post station. He was stunned, wondering where these soldiers came from.
"Report, Lord Marquis, there are more than 10,000 elite soldiers on the gentle slope five miles ahead. Judging from the flags, they should be the carriages of several princes inside the pass."
At this time, the scouts in front immediately turned back to report the situation. Zhang Jinyu was stunned. The princes inside the pass were the King of Zheng, the King of Wu, the King of Chen and others, but how did they get together? The King of Chen was in the northwest, the King of Han was in the southwest, the King of Zheng was close to the Central Plains, the King of Song and the King of Wu were in the south. If it was said that the King of Zheng was waiting for the King of Song and the King of Wu on the road, that would be easy to explain, but if he was mixed with the King of Han and others, that was a bit intriguing.
"Interesting! Send out orders, assemble the troops, and disperse the cavalry."
"Yes, Lord Marquis."
Zhang Jinyu narrowed his eyes. Was this considered blocking the way, or was it a way to intimidate him? It would be better to use formation against formation. The order just given was to disperse the cavalry team, which was a formation ready for charge. The three cavalry formations were left, right, and center, which were used to deal with the infantry formation. If the formation was dispersed like this, wouldn't that be a provocation?
Ning Bian was about to say something but hesitated, and could not help but remind him carefully,
"My Lord, those are several princes!"
"Nonsense, how could I not know that they are princes, but they are still separated from Your Majesty. Your Highness the Prince of Jin is in the carriage, so you must not lose your momentum. Let Duan Hong prepare the cavalry and remove the crossbows and pistols."
Zhang Jinyu thought about it and thought, why not scare these old princes and see how good they are.
"Yes, Lord Marquis."
Ning Byeon understood and immediately waved his flag. Then the cavalry on the left and right wings changed their formation and drew out their javelins, while the cavalry in the center removed their arm crossbows and held them across their left hands.
This action was completed in an instant, causing a commotion among the soldiers on the opposite side. One general immediately shouted:
"Raise your shield, guard, guard!"
Starting from the front row of armored soldiers, the sword and shield soldiers immediately stepped forward, raised their large shields, and formed a circle. Their reaction speed made Zhang Jinyu's eyes focus. This mixed team actually reacted so quickly. They must be the elite confidants of the palace.
It was this action that caused several princes in the carriage to frown. Prince Zheng lifted the curtain and asked,
"What's going on outside?"
"Your Highness, a group of cavalrymen are coming from the south, and they have already deployed their troops, so the former general can only order defense. However, I just saw the flags on the opposite side, which should be the troops of the imperial court, but I don't know who is leading them."
Manager Zheng wiped his sweat, wondering how come something unexpected happened just when they arrived in the capital? Looking at the soldiers behind him, they all looked pale, obviously overly nervous.
"What cavalry? Could it be the troops of Marquis Luo Yun? Isn't he in the south?"
King Zheng frowned, guessing the other party's identity. Since there were large-scale cavalry, only the Beijing camp that followed Luo Yunhou to the south had such strength. Wang Ziteng's palace army had all returned, so there were only Luo Yunhou's troops in the south. But now it was not the right time.
"Your Highness, these are all cavalrymen, so perhaps they can travel a faster distance."
Zheng Zongguan guessed with trembling lips, after all, riding a horse is faster than walking on two legs,
"Okay, follow me down to take a look."
King Zheng had a solemn expression on his face, and his hooked nose made his thin face look even darker.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Zheng Zongguan agreed, and quickly lifted the curtain of the carriage, called the guards on both sides, and walked out with a horse, heading towards the southern front. When he moved, the carriages of several kings behind him also moved. Several princes, especially Han Wang Zhou Lingguang, actually carried a precious sword in his hand and followed behind angrily. Only Wu Wang and others followed behind in fear, especially Wu Wang Zhou Desheng, who saw that his brother was still holding a sword and asked in confusion;
"Brother Wang, what are you doing with the knife?"
"What do we do? Of course, we want to see who dares to offend us. If we don't show them how powerful we are, it will ruin our reputation."
The King of Han had been feeling depressed all the way. This time, the momentum of entering the capital was all taken by the King of Zheng, and his prestige was unparalleled. In this way, the power of the King of Han's Mansion was put at a loss. Now that someone had given him a place to vent his anger, how could he not be furious?
"Brother Wang, you can't do this. The only ones who have these cavalry are the Imperial Guards and the Beijing Camp. They came from the south, so they might be the troops of Marquis Luo Yun."
Although the King of Wu was a little confused, the King of Song and his men were not. They could guess who the cavalry here belonged to. It was Marquis Luo Yun, that murderer, who turned against him.
"Look how scared you are. What's the matter with Marquis Luo Yun? He has won a few battles, but he is so unruly. The court can tolerate him, but I cannot."
With a look of aloofness on his face, he paid no attention to the dissuasion of the King of Song and his men. However, seeing his behavior, King Zheng showed a hint of disdain.
"You can't tolerate him. How can you not tolerate him? Otherwise, I will make way for you and you can go first, how about that?"
The deep voice came over and immediately shut up the quarreling people. Han Wang Zhou Lingguang said angrily with a gloomy face and a red face;
"You think I don't dare? Get out of the way. I'm going to meet that damn Marquis Luo Yun."
After he finished his scolding, the horse under him did not move. It was obvious that he was just speaking in anger. However, King Zheng did not give him any face. He pulled the reins and the horse under him moved to the side.
"Pass the order, clear the way, the King of Han wants to personally meet the general who is coming."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
As the deputy general responded, a gap suddenly appeared in the front formation, which made everyone very embarrassed. It was really unexpected. Seeing this, the King of Han became furious and ran out with a knife in hand, which made the King of Wu look in disbelief. What was going on?
In front of the two armies,
Zhang Jinyu saw that the distance was about right, so he stopped the whole team. Just when he was thinking about how to ask, he saw a hole in the center of the opposite shield formation, and a middle-aged man with an angry face, gorgeous clothes, and a python robe walked out.
cried angrily;
"Who are you? Tell me your name."
This scene,
Zhang Jinyu was a little stunned. It wasn't a battle between two armies, but it was like a duel between generals. Was this prince drunk or had listened to too many operas? He just ran out alone, not afraid of being shot from behind or something.
"Who are you? Tell me your name."
Seeing that there was no movement from the other side, the King of Han became even angrier and shouted again.
"Marquis Luo Yun, may I ask which prince is here?"
Zhang Jinyu did not really ignore it. He rode out from the center of the army on horseback, accompanied by a group of generals. His golden armor was extremely dazzling in the army formation. The King of Han was even more displeased with this situation. However, the three words "Marquis Luo Yun" also made him feel a little surprised. He returned to the capital so soon, and the time was so close to theirs. Was it intentional or just a coincidence?
"Marquis Luo Yun, you are so bold that you dare to lead your army to charge the king when you see him. Do you still have the court in your eyes?" No matter what, he had to strike first and put a accusation on him.
"Leading troops to the capital, this is the first time I have heard that a vassal king returned to the capital with elite soldiers. Could it be that the princes are plotting something and are taking this opportunity to bring troops back to the capital to commit treason?"
How could Zhang Jinyu be polite? No matter how a person opens his mouth, he always talks nonsense. Who is this prince?
At this moment, Tou Yue'er rode up from the back of the carriage and whispered,
"My dear, the King of Jin said that this man is the King of Han, Zhou Lingguang. He is extremely arrogant. Please be careful."
After hearing Yue'er's explanation, Zhang Jinyu knew that King Jin was hiding not far behind him, so he nodded and said softly;
"I see. It turns out that he is the King of Han. He is not as good as the best, but better than the worst. It is really embarrassing that he has to sit in the middle."
The words are not finished yet.
There was another commotion in the opposing army. Then, not one person but four princes came out. They were all dressed in gorgeous clothes and looked extremely noble. But their faces were different. It is said that when a dragon gives birth to nine sons, each has his own strengths. This is absolutely true.
Seeing that the real owner had come out, Zhang Jinyu also put away his smile and looked ahead coldly.
"Haha, everyone says that Marquis Luo Yun is a clever talker and can change his words. Today, I see that it is indeed true. The troops here have been stationed at the post station. If it weren't for the Marquis's pressing, how could they come to protect the emperor? But what is the purpose of the Marquis bringing the troops back to the capital?"
The words were a little stiff. Although there was laughter in the voice, it was very uncomfortable to hear. Moreover, his appearance was particularly gloomy and he was not a good person to be with. Only in my ear, I heard another voice,
"It's Zheng Wang Zhou Changde."
Zhang Jinyu nodded, knowing what was going on.
"What do you want to do? Don't you know that the court has its own laws? When I lead my army back to the capital, I will naturally meet the emperor to report my position. However, several princes have different fiefs and different routes, but they can gather troops here. I can't help but think about it. I think these elite soldiers can make up for the previous loss of the palace army and do their part for the court, the emperor, and the emperor."
Looking at the more than 10,000 elite soldiers in front, especially those in elite armor, when the army heading south fights the Taipingjiao Sect, with them charging into the battle formation, many fewer people will surely die.
However, he didn't know that these words angered several princes. These were the things that the palace had spent a lot of money to collect. On the gloomy face of Prince Zheng, a slight sneer appeared.
"Marquis Luo Yun is really loyal. He cares about the few thousand soldiers of the palace. I wonder why the marquis does not offer the cavalry outside the pass to the court. Or maybe the marquis has other purposes."
Almost tit for tat, refusing to give in, just as King Zheng finished speaking, King Han shouted again,
"Lord Luo Yun, according to the court's order, why don't you dismount and salute me when you see me?"
Seeing the increasingly arrogant tone of the few people, Zhang Jinyu narrowed his eyes. It seemed that the princes were used to being arrogant.
"Humph, whether you are the real prince or not is still uncertain. Now you are gathering troops to block the official road, which is a great rebellion. I will give you three sticks of incense to surrender immediately. Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude."
At this point, it was impossible to ease the situation, especially in the capital. He raised his right hand and shouted loudly in the central army formation.
"Crossbowmen, get ready."
At the command, all 10,000 elite cavalrymen from outside the Great Wall loaded their crossbows with strings, and 5,000 cavalrymen on each wing immediately retreated, keeping their distance, removed their short spears and javelins from their backs, held them in their hands, and rode their horses in circles to trot.
This action, not to mention the princes on the opposite side, even many of the deputy generals behind him were terrified, especially Han Ling, the guard of the South Gate, who was sweating profusely at this moment and shouted;
"Where are Lord Fu and Lord He?"
"Report, General, Lord He and Lord Fu are on their way and will be here in a moment. General, Marquis Luo Yun is about to charge into the battle."
The captain of the city gate opened his mouth in surprise. How come the two armies were about to start fighting in the blink of an eye? Was it a misunderstanding?
"Nonsense, send more people to urge them, and also let the heavy armored troops move forward and press on."
Han Ling was sweating profusely. He was afraid that something terrible was going to happen.
"This is the general."
The captain was a little puzzled. If they went there at this time, there would be a big disaster. But he didn't dare to say much. He went to pass the order. Then, three thousand heavily armored soldiers slowly moved forward.
In front,
Several princes finally showed a solemn look, and King Song smacked his lips and sighed;
"It is said that Marquis Luo Yun is unruly and unruly, and no one in the capital can compare to him. Seeing him today, it is indeed true."
"Yes, this boy is relying on the power of victory, how can he restrain himself?"
Even King Chen found the situation a little tricky.
"Humph, what are you afraid of? Could it be that Marquis Luo Yun really dares to do it? Give him three guts."
The King of Han shook his head. This was just a show and should not be taken seriously. After hearing what the King of Wu said, several people nodded. Only the King of Zheng kept a gloomy face and said nothing. He always had a bad premonition in his heart.
"Don't worry, everyone has a point. We can't lose face again."
As for intrigues and schemes in the court, Prince Zheng would never be afraid of them. Even though he was a vassal prince and could not return to the capital without an imperial edict, he had a lot of hidden tricks in his backyard. But he was helpless in military matters. He had ways to keep the masters and even the desperate criminals in the martial arts world and make them his death warriors. But when he met someone as unreasonable as Marquis Luo Yun, he really had no idea where to start. It was a pity that his daughter was not good-looking.
"My brother, you are afraid of that. A mere Guannei Marquis can only lead troops to fight. Now that the rebellion in the south has been quelled, he has made too many contributions. It is difficult for the court to reward him. Why don't we save the emperor some worries?"
I don't know if it was jealousy, arrogance, or resentment that got to me, but I could actually say these words, scaring the people behind me so much that their faces changed drastically.
Before they could finish speaking, the King of Han suddenly shouted,
"The front guard army, the crossbows are broken, three volleys."
"Well,"
Then, the 3,000 iron guards of the left wing Wu Wangfu actually pulled out their short crossbows, strung them, and in full view of everyone, they fired a projectile, hitting the cavalry on the left wing that were still running at a low speed. This was so sudden that not only was Zhang Jinyu dumbfounded, but even several princes were stunned.
What was even more dumbfounded were the soldiers on the left wing of the imperial guards. Many of them thought they were just pretending and were not on guard enough. Hundreds of them were shot and many fell off their horses. Fortunately, they were wearing armor, but those who fell off their horses were either seriously injured or trampled to death by the horses.
Even several deputy generals of the central army were a little confused when they saw it. Zhang Jinyu cursed in his heart at this moment. He didn't see clearly who gave the order, but he could still see clearly who took action. There were about three thousand soldiers on the left wing, and no flags were raised. It was unclear which royal palace they belonged to.
"My Lord, what should I do?"
Ning was a little anxious, but did not dare to say much. He just reminded him that the man on the other side was a vassal king after all. However, it would be embarrassing for the marquis, and he was afraid that he could not settle it on his own.
Zhang Jinyu also knew this, but since the other side had already shot arrows, if he didn't fight back, he was afraid that his entire reputation would be ruined. His face turned cold.
"Tell Kang Mengyu to throw spears from the left wing a hundred steps away and kill all three thousand soldiers."
"Yes, Lord Marquis,"
Ning Bian's eyes turned cold, and he quickly responded. Then, Zhang Jinyu raised the commander's flag and shouted;
"Enemy attack, the enemy army attacked the carriage of King Jin, one hundred steps to the left, crossbows and arrows are thrown, release."
Almost instantly, the bowstrings of the Ten Thousand Arm Crossbows were released, and a black cloud floated out. The faces of several princes changed instantly, especially Prince Zheng. He did not expect that Marquis Luo Yun would dare to take action. It was not until he was dragged back to the shield formation by the palace guards behind him that he heard the sound of arrows hitting the shields, "ding-dong".
then,
There were screams everywhere. Although there were many crossbows, they were all armored warriors, so there were not many casualties. However, the group of people on the left wing were directly accelerated by the imperial guards led by Kang Mengyu. Then the five thousand cavalrymen, relying on the speed of their horses, threw their spears and nailed them to death.
Especially Kang Mengyu was a little angry. The men he brought back to Beijing were all elite soldiers. Who would have thought that those who survived on the battlefield were ambushed by the enemy, with hundreds of casualties. He was already angry.
"Go on, second round of shots!"
(End of this chapter)