Chapter 935
: Misfortunes never come singly
Chapter 935: Misfortunes never come singly
The sky darkened,
The setting sun was as red as blood, hanging in the western sky, dyeing the surging army heading south into an orange-red color.
The setting sun, like a bleeding eye, overlooked the earth and reflected the lonely official road.
"Report, Your Highness, Lord, the scouts have reported that we are still fifty miles away from the middle camp."
"Okay, got it. Let's explore again."
"Yes, Lord Marquis."
Outside the carriage,
The capable scout captain took the order and left the huge army on the pipeline.
inside the car,
Zhang Jinyu and his companions sat there lazily, feeling exhausted. After walking for a whole day, the distance was finally shortened significantly. It was estimated that by noon the day after tomorrow, Daliang City would be in sight. However, they did not know what had happened to Wang Ziteng's troops.
"My Lord, if we walk for another day tomorrow, we will be able to see Daliang City from afar the day after tomorrow. Do we need to rest for another day? Perhaps those people from the Taiping Cult will retreat without a fight, what then?"
King Zhou Ding of Jin sat on one side, his eyes somewhat anxious. He looked a little tired from the long journey, but more of it was uneasiness. After all, it was his first time following the army, so it was understandable that he was a little fearful.
Zhang Jinyu smiled. When the two armies met, they would wait for the New Year without fighting.
"Your Highness, please do not disturb us. When two armies meet, the bravest will win. The Right Guard of the Imperial Army is the vanguard and must charge forward. If the enemy is defeated, the Central Army will follow the trend to encircle them. If the enemy flees, we will lead the army to attack them for half a day and then immediately withdraw to Daliang City to rest and fight again the next day."
After all, they have the support of Daliang City. They should kill for a while first to suppress the morale of the Taiping Sect bandits. There is a saying that goes, when the morale is gone, the battle formation will lose its bravery. It's just like the imperial defenders before, who were defeated by the bandits. They had the advantage of defending the city, but they surrendered at the sight of the enemy. Not only did they throw away their weapons and armor, they were not even as good as a dog guarding the house. This also allowed the Taiping Sect to win the battle with an advantage. Therefore, the first thing to do is to curb the momentum of the bandits.
"So, the Marquis wants to fight quickly?"
Jin Wang Zhou Ding frowned. Wang Ziteng's troops were defeated because they advanced too fast and fought in advance. The Marquis still wanted to fight quickly. Would it be the same as before?
"That's right. It's a matter of fighting fast with fast. Your Highness, you know that I have requisitioned all the carriages in the entire Beijing camp and the carriage shops in the city for the purpose of transporting weapons and armor, so that the soldiers can march lightly and save a lot of energy. When they arrive on the battlefield, even if they are wearing armor, it won't take long. Therefore, the bandits under the city are the first target. Not only must we be fast, but we have more than 30,000 cavalrymen to outflank the enemy and try to kill them all in one go."
With a sufficient number of elite soldiers and generals, Zhang Jinyu did not consider the loss and just fought. He used almost no tactics, such as ambush, espionage, left and right wing formations, etc.
Such a simple deployment of troops also made the King of Jin dumbfounded. Isn't it said that the Marquis is a master of military tactics and knows the art of war by heart? How can such a simple method work? He vaguely felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't tell what was wrong. He pondered for a moment and clasped his fists and said;
"I am ignorant, thank you for clearing up my confusion, sir."
suddenly,
Zhou Ding thought that since he thought so, the rebel generals might also think so. If so, this method might have miraculous effects.
No longer paying attention to the worries of King Jin, Zhang Jinyu lifted the curtain and looked out. Both sides of the official road, from near to far, were deserted. There were a few villages occasionally, but no one could be seen. It was clearly a prosperous era, but it had already declined, with the scenery of the end of the dynasty.
of course,
This is the case only in the south of Beijing in the Central Plains. It is still good for the rich and large counties like Wuhu County, but unfortunately, the princes within the Great Wall have already firmly controlled their fiefdoms. If they do not encroach on the resources of various counties, they would be unworthy of their titles. Therefore, if possible, the rebel army can retreat to one place and hold on by relying on natural barriers without making any trouble. That would not be a bad idea. The imperial court would be in trouble then.
As for the specific details, I still say that we will talk about it after the fight.
Front,
The imperial guards had already entered the middle tent and started to eat and rest. The central and rear armies were also in sight. The whole camp seemed to have come alive.
Meanwhile, Song Da, the logistics officer, stood in front of the central tent, directing his men to stew venison while shouting;
"Be quick, everyone. Make sure the meat and vegetables are cooked to the right temperature. Also, bake the naan until it's soft and crispy. Don't make any mistakes for me. If you do it well, you'll be rewarded. If you don't do it well, you'll be whipped when you go back. You know it in your heart, so hurry up."
Song Da brought a few people with him, with a bulging belly, gesticulating in front of the fire. His men were even busier. A manager urged them a few times and walked over with a smile.
"Sir, don't worry. Everything has been prepared in the capital according to your instructions. It is also shipped with ice buckets. There will be no mistakes."
"Ah That's good,"
Song Da nodded with satisfaction. The praise from Marquis Luo Yun and the advice from His Royal Highness Prince Jin yesterday made him so excited that he couldn't sleep all night. The two masters didn't eat much in the morning, and they had dry food at noon. They were exhausted all the way. How could the princess endure such hardships?
"You kid, work hard under me. As for the account entry, you need to serve your master well, and it will be yours when you return."
"Oh, thank you for your kindness, sir. I will never neglect it."
He knelt down in front of everyone to express his gratitude and kowtow.
This scene,
It happened that they were seen by the imperial guards. Because they came early, they were arranged in the central and southern parts according to the first-come-first-served order. He Xiaocheng got off his horse, called out, and asked the generals to take their troops to eat.
He, his deputy general Chen Shang, and a group of personal soldiers sat on the ground not far from the central tent and started eating.
Just as I picked up the bowl and chopsticks and took a few mouthfuls of rice, my eyes turned and I saw what was happening in front of the tent. It was not far away and I could hear the voices clearly, after all, they were heard with the wind.
"General, you are flattering such a villain and corrupt official, but Marquis Luo Yun is so close to you and praises you. In my opinion, Marquis Luo Yun is just like that."
Chen Shang had a look of disgust on his face. Song Da, the logistics director of the Beijing Camp, was a notorious person who flattered the powerful and looked down on the weak. Not only was he extremely stingy, but it was also known to everyone that he would take advantage of others. When hunting years ago, the Imperial Guards and the Beijing Camp were jointly responsible for vigilance, and they ate the food from the Beijing Camp. Who would have thought that it looked okay, but once they put it in their mouths, it was so tasteless that they realized that Song Da even left out a portion of salt. The food was no match for the Imperial Guards.
He muttered something and cursed again.
"You kid, you can't even remember what I told you to do. If you really think that Marquis Luo Yun doesn't know how to use people, your future vision and official position will stop here. In my opinion, you may not be as good as this man."
He Xiaocheng picked up the bowl, drank a mouthful of porridge, and then took a big bite of the dish. The taste was okay and the portion was quite large. This Song Da was not simple. Chen Shang was superficial.
In a light word,
Chen Shang was obviously not convinced. He thought that he was not as good as those generals because of his lack of ability. However, everyone knew Song Da, so how could he not be as good as him? He retorted;
"Commander, I am not as good as other generals because I don't have the ability. But Song Da is just a flatterer. How can I be better than him?"
Feeling depressed, I took a big bite of the naan in my hand.
"Hey, you still don't believe me when I tell you that you are incompetent. At first, I thought that Marquis Luo Yun was just so-so, but today I see that the Marquis is still the best. You said that this person can only flatter and fawn on others, which is understandable. Then tell me, who would not be like this when meeting Marquis Luo Yun and His Highness?"
Putting down the bowl and chopsticks, Youyou replied, let alone other officers, even if it were not for the involvement of the retired emperor, he would want to change his allegiance, but he couldn't.
"This, the general has never done this before."
Chen Shang was puzzled and replied blankly. He Xiaocheng did not explain and continued;
"The food here tastes good and is generous in portion. Although there is Luo Yunhou's exclusive military strategy, it still needs someone to cook it. Song Da is a little-known person, but he can manage the expenses of hundreds of thousands of troops in an orderly manner and even cook for his master. This is not something you can do by flattering. You should learn more in the future."
Seems to have realized something,
Luo Yunhou had known about this person's ability for a long time. When the army marched forward, he would predict defeat before victory. He really looked ahead three steps. Even if this person was greedy, Luo Yunhou would still give him an important task. If it were me, I would be easily defeated. I have to admire him.
The two seemed to understand something and fell silent, with only the sound of eating being heard.
"Drive, drive!"
"Get out of the way, quickly, get out of the way, urgent news from Daliang City."
The sudden sound of horse hooves made the whole camp seem a little anxious. At the southern gate, several messengers, covered in blood, rode in on horses, their figures looming. When they approached, the imperial guards who were having a meal gasped. The messengers were covered in blood, their faces could not be seen, their clothes were already tattered, and the pieces of cloth fluttered in the wind. They were wearing heavy armor that was already riddled with arrows, and it was horrible to look at. Under the torn armor on their arms were shocking wounds, and the blood had already scabbed over.
Before the horse could fully hold on, the messenger seemed to have used up his last bit of strength and suddenly pulled the reins. The warhorse raised its head slightly and neighed. When its front hooves fell, the bodies of the people who came fell straight off the horse's back like a kite with a broken string.
With a "bang", it hit the ground, splashing up a cloud of dust.
"Believe, believe."
Before he could finish his sentence, several people died. Song Da was shocked and shouted,
"What are you still standing there for? Go and see what's going on."
A shout of anger,
Several of Song Da's men hurried over, stretched out their hands to feel the man's breath, and saw that he was no longer breathing.
The steward wailed.
"Sir, the man who came is already dead,"
"What? He's dead. The Marquis and His Highness haven't arrived yet."
Song Da was sweating profusely, and the three people on the ground were stiff. Even if a miracle doctor were alive, he would be powerless to save them. Thinking of what the messenger had just said, he quickly shouted;
"Quick, search him and see where the letter he mentioned is."
"Damn it, what are you standing there for? Search."
Seeing that several people did not dare to reach out, Song cursed loudly, and kicked them aside. He held back his nausea and reached out to the person who spoke first. He felt around for a few times and found a box in his arms. He quickly reached out and took it out.
It was a messenger, but it was not a good idea to keep it in his hands. He was not a general. He glanced and saw the commander of the imperial guards. He hurried forward a few steps.
"Come here, give the general some more meat and vegetables, you are so blind,"
He narrowed his eyes and came closer. He and Xiaocheng frowned. How could they take on such a hot potato? Even the deputy general Chen Shang looked at Song in disbelief, not wanting to lose face at all.
"Master Song, the food is enough. If you want to give the secret letter to this commander, you don't have to. The Marquis and His Highness will be here soon. If this letter passes through more than one person, it will be even more difficult to explain. What do you think?"
It seemed like an inquiry, but also like an excuse. The letter came so quickly, it must be something bad. When had he and Xiaocheng ever cared about these things? He held the naan in his hand and continued to eat, with no intention of taking over at all.
Song Dagang's steps stopped, he smiled bitterly and spoke;
"What the commander said is very true. This humble servant is very anxious. In this case, no one is allowed to leave. Stay here as a witness. I will hold this secret gate in my hands and wait for the Marquis and His Highness."
After he finished speaking, he stepped back and stood there, holding the secret gate in his hands. He did not have the majestic look he had just shown. His subordinates also followed behind him, standing solemnly, waiting for His Highness and the Marquis.
Not long after,
The army entered the camp,
According to the regulations, the entire camp was still in the same appearance, so after Zhang Jinyu and King Jin's carriage entered the camp, they arrived here.
Open the curtain,
I saw many people waiting here.
"Why, Dalang has nothing to do today, so he doesn't need to be served here."
Seeing Song Da standing there obediently, Zhang Jinyu saw three corpses on the ground as soon as he got off the carriage. Judging from their armor, they were messengers. It was so tragic. Something happened ahead.
"My Lord, a messenger from Daliang City just arrived at the big tent and died. I dared not ignore it and searched him. I found a secret door here and he never left."
He came out holding the secret gate in both hands, explained the reason simply, and breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
"My Lord, is the war going on in the front line?"
At this moment, Prince Jin had already got off the carriage, his face full of worry. There was no good news in the daily reports, only the movements of the enemy army. He was even more worried about Wang Ziteng. When his father left Beijing, he secretly instructed him to save Wang Ziteng's life. Could it be that the city was lost?
"It's definitely tight, but we should be able to hold on. We left very quickly. The enemy army must have made some new moves, or noticed something was wrong."
It is not impossible that the Taiping Church will not be unable to hold back and march north, or that the people behind the scenes have already made a move, not only providing weapons and armor, but even personally sending troops to infiltrate the group and restore their combat effectiveness.
Zhang Jinyu pondered for a while, still unclear about the specific movements of the Taiping Sect, so he opened the secret door and carefully took out the letter inside. When he spread it out, his face changed. Sure enough, the rebel army had reinforcements, not only in weapons and armor, but also in numbers. It seemed that there was not much reduction.
"Your Highness, you must be careful after tomorrow. The Taiping Rebellion has about 250,000 troops heading north, and their main force has recovered."
"What? How dare they? Where are the reinforcements coming from?"
When the King of Jin heard the news, he shouted in shock, and even He Xiaocheng's face turned much uglier. Could it be that the battle that Wang Ziteng led his troops to the south was fought in vain? Who were the people who were killed in the desperate battle of hundreds of thousands of troops?
Maybe it's destined by heaven,
After a while,
At the South Camp, the cavalry team that had gone ahead actually turned back, and the baggage camp behind them barely followed. General Hu Shoucheng of Dingbei had an anxious look on his face. He rode back in a hurry, broke into the camp, and ran to the central tent. He dismounted and saluted.
"Your Highness, Lord, the Taiping Sect's troops came from nowhere and have already divided their forces to the north. I led the troops south first to prepare to set up camp. After more than half a day's journey, I sent out scouts to travel another 40 miles south. I unexpectedly discovered the Taiping Sect's army heading north. So I got the news and turned back halfway to report to Your Highness and Lord. I have brought back all the baggage and tents."
"Good, General Hu has arrived just in time. Since the enemy army has already headed north, we should slow down our preparations. This place will be their burial place tomorrow. Someone, notify the commanders of each camp to set up camp first, and then have dinner. After dinner, come to the central army tent to discuss matters."
Zhang Jinyu had never expected that the Taiping Sect bandits would actually go upstream and march north before they even took Daliang City. So their target should be Tongzhou City. Those people who ambushed them before should have been prepared ambushes by the government. They were too bold.
"Yes, Lord Marquis."
South of Daliang City, on a gentle slope!
"Report, Left Protector, the leader of the Chu sect has issued an order to order the Left Protector to lead his troops to the north with the central army. Protector Du will lead the troops here to continue the siege."
"What? Daliang City hasn't been taken yet, and they're dividing their forces?"
The sounds of bloodshed were still raging outside the city, and here, Zuo Ling, the left guardian of the Taiping Sect, raised his eyebrows and stared at the city ahead.
now,
The camps on both sides of the city have been taken. Even if it is a fortified city, so many brothers have died and only a few days will pass. Why are they rushing north? Tongzhou has already sent its confidant Zhou Xiu to lead the troops to ambush, which should tie up part of the Beijing camp's forces. As long as Daliang City is captured, the Central Plains reinforcements can be locked out. Isn't Master Chu too impatient?
"Reporting to the Dharma Protector, the former Crown Prince's 100,000 new troops have been incorporated into the command of Master Chu. I heard that the Master came to Jingnan to renew the alliance with the former Crown Prince. In addition, Xiling County has been taken by the former Crown Prince, and the Master also returned Guangping in Xiling County in exchange for the 100,000 troops. Master Chu said that if we go north to raid Tongzhou, our foundation will flourish. If we fail, we will retreat to Daliang City and Linshan County City and wait for the right time."
The visitor explained it in detail. These were all specially instructed by Sect Leader Chu. If the Left Protector asks, the cause of the matter must be explained clearly.
Zuo Ling held the reins tightly, watching the sunset, dyeing the city red, and sighed helplessly.
"Immediately order the army to return to the camp to rest and pack up their baggage. Du Hufa will take over this place. We will march north tomorrow morning without delay."
"Yes, protector."
The confidants looked at Daliang City with resentment. If they continued to fight for a few more days, the defenders in the city would surely not be able to hold out. If they gave up now, the duck in hand would fly away.
immediately,
When the horn sounded outside the city, the Taiping sect members immediately turned back and retreated to the camp, leaving behind only corpses scattered all over the ground.
on the city wall,
The defending soldiers almost collapsed to the ground, lying crookedly on the city wall. Many captains and lieutenants stood there with blood all over their faces, shouting and yelling as if they had suddenly gone crazy.
"The enemy troops are retreating, the enemy troops are retreating, look!"
As the hoarse voice rang out, the enemy army camp outside the city had already begun to prepare their troops. Seeing this, many people were so excited that they shed tears.
But don't know,
Du Shaoqing, the Right Protector of the Taiping Sect, has led 50,000 troops along the official road to take over the main camp!
(End of this chapter)