Chapter 985
Bai Shuiyue's plan for a way out
Chapter 985 Bai Shuiyue's plan for a way out
On the official road south of Huaizhou City,
Dust is flying, yellow dust is rolling in,
Under the command of Qin Yunsheng, the Left Protector of the White Lotus Sect, Captain Zhu was leading 50,000 soldiers of the sect, marching south on the orders of the leader. At this time, there was no one else on the official road except them. However, Captain Zhu could not understand why the leader was so anxious for him to send troops to support the Taiping Sect.
"Report, Captain Zhu, Captain Zhu, urgent news from Huaizhou,"
Zhu Yunsheng was riding on his horse thinking about something when he suddenly heard the messenger's shout. He was startled. It was an urgent news from Huaizhou City. He had only left more than a thousand people in Huaizhou City to guard the city and serve as scouts. It had been less than a day since he left, and something unexpected had happened.
"What's going on? Why is there an urgent report from Huaizhou?"
After loudly questioning, the messenger replied without taking a breath.
"Captain Zhu, not long after you left, a large number of imperial soldiers suddenly arrived from the west, about 50,000 men. When Lü Xiang saw them, he immediately organized his men to evacuate from the east city gate with their valuables, without even bothering to pack up their baggage. They are now chasing after you, Captain Zhu."
"What? Fifty thousand soldiers are coming."
Zhu Yunsheng was somewhat incredulous. The Taiping Sect's county town was under siege, so the main force of the imperial court must be there. In addition, he also heard that the former crown prince and the leader of the Taiping Sect, Chu, joined forces to march north, and encountered the main force of the imperial court marching south. After a day of bloody battle, the imperial court only won a miserable victory.
Where did these 50,000 soldiers come from?
"Can you see clearly that there are 50,000 troops, not 5,000?"
The words were suspicious, and Zhu Duzhu had no choice but to doubt them.
"Captain, I saw it with my own eyes. There were indeed 50,000 soldiers and horses. The flag leading them had the word Gu and the word Qin written on it."
The messenger thought for a moment, and suddenly remembered the words the leader had said, so he said them out loud.
However, this made Zhu Duzhu's face change drastically. Gu, Qin, isn't this General Gu Ping of Jingnan? As for the word Qin, I think it is Qin Yunjiang, the guard of Linyue Mansion. They are not easy to deal with. They disappeared for so long, how could they come to Huaizhou at this time? The more he thought about it, the more wrong it seemed. How many troops did the court send? In addition, what instructions did Qin the protector have from the Saint?
"stop!"
Immediately, the soldiers around him scattered.
The herald said;
"The helmsman has ordered us to stop."
"The helmsman has ordered us to stop."
In an instant, the White Lotus Sect's guards who were still marching stopped immediately, and only the wind in the wilderness made the flags rustle.
Behind him, the trusted incense master Qu Yunfeng rode his horse quickly forward and asked;
"Captain, why don't you leave?"
"Yunfeng, I feel something is wrong. As soon as we left Huaizhou City, it was occupied by the imperial soldiers, led by General Jingnan. If we follow the official road to Linshan County, the soldiers will attack us from both sides. I'm afraid our 50,000 troops will die without a burial place."
Zhu Yunsheng had a cold face, thinking of how the leader arranged him in Huaizhou and suddenly ordered him to go to Linshan County. All the letters were too coincidental. Besides, these 50,000 elite members of the sect were all old brothers under the command of Qin Hufa. Could it be that the leader wanted to kill someone with a borrowed knife?
This thought came to me, and I couldn't get rid of it.
"This, can't be, Captain, how can it be such a coincidence? There has been no news about General Gu Ping from Jingnan, and now he suddenly appears behind us. He must have a plan. The young marquis has surrounded the city of Linshan County. I heard that the leader Chu was like a dog that had lost its home and hurried to Weizhou. I don't know if the leader has lost his mind, and he asked us to take a walk. How can this be said?"
Perhaps the two factions in the sect had been at odds with each other for a long time. The subordinates of Protector Qin and Protector Ying were not only incompatible, but also had many conflicts. After hearing this, the other incense masters nodded.
"Yes, Captain, how can we brothers fight hard here while Ying Hufa and his men enjoy the good life?"
"That's right. Linshan County City is a deadly place. Everyone knows the methods of the young marquis. I heard that the former prince's 100,000 new soldiers were wiped out in one battle. Tsk tsk."
When it comes to making sarcastic remarks, one person is more than the other, but the people around them don't think it's strange.
"Okay, some things can be discussed in private. Don't speak casually. Send an order for the army to turn around and head to Qinzhou City. Also, send someone to tell Yang Ming to go directly to Qinzhou to meet up with us. Avoid this place first and discuss it after you get to Qinzhou."
Seeing Zhu the Captain give the order, everyone's faces were filled with joy, and the messenger soldiers were even more galloping out.
"The captain has ordered us to turn to Qinzhou City,"
"The captain has ordered us to turn to Qinzhou City,"
After a burst of shouting,
The army changed direction and headed for the White Lotus Sect's Qinzhou City. The 50,000-strong army was actually moving faster than usual.
"Captain, if we go to Qinzhou like this, what if the leader and the guardian Ying find out and hold us accountable?"
Qu Yunfeng asked with some concern. After all, they were in southern Beijing, and Protector Qin was not there. The Saint was even further away in the capital. Their action this time was only under the order of Protector Qin. These 50,000 elite troops were Protector Qin's entire strength in southern Beijing and Jiangnan.
"What are you afraid of? They asked us to support the county city, but they didn't say that Gu Ping's troops were following us. A full 50,000 troops following us, wouldn't it be hard to sleep all night? Besides, going to Runan is nothing more than Huaizhou and Qinzhou. If Huaizhou is lost, if Qinzhou is lost too, there will be no way out."
Zhu Yunsheng had a gloomy face. If he had known what would happen in the south of Beijing, he would have lived in the south of the Yangtze River. Why did he come to this miserable place in the south of Beijing to fight for his life? If it didn't work, he could go south again. But it was just an idea in his mind. Going south, the miasma was everywhere. The Shanyue tribe refused to obey the king. There were only a few big cities that were nominally under the rule of the court. It was not a good place to go. Thinking of this, he felt irritated.
"Well, Captain, although that's what you said, you still need an excuse. As the saying goes, whether it's reasonable or not, you still need to find an explanation."
After all, Qinzhou is in the front, and the people left behind are the confidants of the Dharma Protector. If they don't match the names, it will be really troublesome.
"Well, in that case, send another person and tell them that we are in Huaizhou and have been held by Gu Ping's troops. If we are not prepared, we may lose the opportunity if we rush into battle. We should just retreat. Gu Ping is chasing us closely and we cannot rush to Linshan County City to help. We can only retreat to Qin temporarily. No, we should retreat to Linzhou to defend it in case the imperial army cuts off our retreat. I hope the leader will understand."
As Zhu Yunsheng was talking, an idea suddenly occurred to him. Since they were going to retreat, why not retreat a little further? Although Qinzhou was close, it was where the Dharma Protector's confidants were after all. Since it was troublesome, it would be better to retreat all at once and go directly to Linzhou to rest. If the situation was not favorable, they could retreat to Qiongshan County. Even if the imperial court wanted to chase them, it would be too late. Such a bold idea was unbelievable to Zhu Yunsheng himself, not to mention the hall masters and incense masters around him. However, no one around him spoke to dissuade him, as if they had acquiesced. Qu Yunfeng nodded, and several people agreed and shouted immediately;
"The captain has ordered that the entire army move to Linzhou City quickly."
Almost in the blink of an eye, the order changed again.
Zhu Yunsheng's 50,000 troops left the official road and followed a small slanting path, heading straight for Linzhou City.
In the east is the important town of Runan.
The city had already been looted, and many White Lotus sect members were only concerned with wiping the blood off their armor and putting on the armor and weapons they had taken off. In this way, together with the inventory in the treasury, the White Lotus sect members obtained more than 30,000 armored soldiers. Together with the armor and weapons sent by the former crown prince and the Taiping sect, there were a total of 150,000 people, which could be said to be a strong army.
Now, Runan City is just used as a rear base. Bai Shuiyue, the leader of the White Lotus Sect, stood on a hillside not far from Shizhou City, looking in the direction of Shizhou City, with a frown on his face. He had been attacking for nearly ten days. Although the defenders looked shaky, Shizhou City was still in the hands of the court soldiers. Even those sects that had already negotiated were now shirking their responsibilities and faced many difficulties.
“Where is the Dharma protector?”
"Reporting to the leader, the guardian Ying is organizing the slave army to launch another siege on the city, and then preparing to gather the elite of the sect to take it down in one fell swoop."
Qian Xihai, the leader of the White Lotus Sect's North Rudder behind him, replied respectfully. He naturally knew that the leader was getting a little impatient. Those sects in Xihe County seemed to be wealthy and powerful, but they were just fence-sitters. The imperial court was powerful and had not yet seen the real cholera, so people's minds were determined and it was naturally difficult to reach an agreement with the White Lotus Sect. Also, because the White Lotus Sect had been attacking Shizhou for ten days without success, they were tempted by other opportunities.
"Then send someone to tell Protector Ying that we must take Shizhou today. Even if Wei Xiangping escapes, it won't matter. How is the situation in Jiangnan?"
Bai Shuiyue frowned, feeling that something big had happened in the Taiping Sect. In addition, the Crown Prince actually asked him to support 50,000 elite members of the sect. Could it be that the leader Chu had lost his fighting spirit after being defeated once? You know, Linshan County City is a strong city.
The most important thing is that Bai Shuiyue knows that the Taiping Sect and the former crown prince have more than just this much strength. Even if the imperial court's reinforcements are powerful, it is impossible for the army to remain unscathed. As the saying goes, if you kill one thousand enemies, you will lose eight hundred of your own. Even if you win, your own casualties are inevitable.
"Reporting to the leader, Jiangnan has already begun martial law on both sides of the canal. I heard that the Eastern King Mu Shi has taken the King of Chu to Tang County and taken over the 50,000 soldiers of the Jiangnan camp. Now 30,000 have begun to cross the river and go to Yangping. The rest of the troops are stationed in Tang County to prevent our sect from crossing the river to the east."
Qian Xihai, the leader of the North Rudder, shook his head. These two princes were also outstanding people of the time. They moved very quickly after leaving the capital. The road to the east was blocked by the natural canal, and Tang County was guarding the landing point of the army. It seemed that they really couldn't get through to Jiangnan, so they could only take root in Xihe County and wait for the right time.
Suddenly, one thing came to his mind. The hill where Qingfeng Village was located was not only easy to defend but also difficult to attack. It was close to the canal and there were more than one mountain peak around it. If the incident failed, Qiongshan County might not have time to retreat. He could pretend to be bandits and occupy the mountains along the Xihe River. He could also retain the power of the White Lotus Sect in the south of the Yangtze River. However, he would need to capture Yangping and plunder the reserve materials. More people in the sect would need to die to confuse the court.
There was a gleam of fierceness in his eyes.
"As expected, they are the King of Beijing and the King of Dongping. One of them is known as the wise king, so I think he should be waiting for us in Xihe County. The other one has returned to his old nest in Jiangnan. I don't know what the one sitting on the dragon throne in the court thinks. Captain Qian, tell me, how do these things I have done compare to those of the Saint?"
I don't know if it was a sudden inspiration, but looking at the large number of White Lotus sect members at the foot of the mountain, they rushed madly towards the Shizhou city wall and fought hard. The blood had dyed the whole world red. This kind of pleasure of controlling all living beings made Bai Shuiyue's face slightly red. When Jingnan and Xihe County were connected, they could threaten Fuling County, the most important county of the court. At that time, who in the world could underestimate the White Lotus Sect?
But these words put Captain Qian in a dilemma. The Saint now controls the area outside the Great Wall, and the young marquis is leading the imperial army southwards. The two armies are about to face each other, but the leader is still thinking about these things.
"The leader is extremely blessed, so he is naturally famous in the martial arts world. However, the army outside the Great Wall is strong, and the Saint is firmly in the background. This may not be another way out. The Linshan County City in the south of the capital is surrounded by the army led by the young marquis. According to the famous generals of the time, there are only a few who can fight against them. The Taiping Sect's leader Yue and Zhang Shixian, and even the former Crown Prince, joined forces with hundreds of thousands of troops to fight against them, but they were defeated so miserably. I am very worried."
Good things need to be said, bad things also need to be said. If those three people conspire and suffer another disastrous defeat, the situation in the south of Beijing will be reversed. At that time, the main force of the White Lotus Sect will still be dragged in Xihe County. It is still unknown whether they will be blocked when retreating south. You must know that the young marquis is a god in using troops and moves too quickly.
Bitter medicine tastes good, honest advice is unpleasant to the ear. Although these words were clearly said, Bai Shuiyue's face suddenly turned ugly. She turned around and looked coldly at Captain Qian, but saw that the latter was not humble and was waiting there with his fists clasped. An inexplicable anger arose in her heart.
"Humph, judging from my junior sister's seed, the hair hasn't even grown yet. The Taiping Cult is just a mob. Even though that prince has invested a lot of money, it's just the new army of Linshan Prefecture City. They are naturally no match for the imperial court's soldiers. If the three families unite, it will be easy to gather more than 200,000 elite soldiers. If they fight the imperial court again, the outcome is still uncertain. If the imperial court loses and has no reinforcements, the entire Jingnan and even Xihe County will fall into our hands."
Standing on the steep slope, a breeze suddenly rose, blowing up the leader's black clothes and veil. Leader Qian quickly bowed his head, bowed again, and said;
"Master, what if we lose again? The entire southern part of Beijing will be in a state of disarray. The imperial army will march south to recover the counties in the southern part of Beijing, and our retreat, Qinzhou and Linzhou, will also fall into the hands of the imperial court. What should the brothers in Xihe County do? Of course, Master left half of the elite troops in Qiongzhou as a retreat, but where are they going now?"
After saying the last sentence, Captain Qian raised his head and looked directly into the eyes of the leader. It can be said that he did not believe that the people of the Taiping Cult could hold on to the battle of Linshan County City.
"You are so bold. If we really lose, we will retreat. If we lose too quickly and lose our retreat, I will go to see Junior Sister's son in person. Why can't I, as Junior Sister's uncle, go and mediate? Haha."
An inexplicable laugh sounded, causing Captain Qian to shudder all over.
"Master, the two armies each serve their own masters. How can there be any personal relationship when they meet on the battlefield? I think you should take the retreat route now to prevent any unexpected events."
His tone was firm and even a little unbelievable. The leader must be so angry that he was confused.
"what do you want?"
As if to vent the anger in his heart, Bai Shuiyue stopped laughing and looked at the captain Qian in front of him. Although his words were unpleasant to hear, they made sense. The son of his junior sister was indeed a famous general. In such a short time, he destroyed a large number of elite soldiers of the Taiping Sect leader Chu. It seemed that Linshan County City could only hold out for a period of time, but it was hard to guess how long it could hold out.
"Master, Qinzhou and Linzhou are the retreat routes to Qiongshan County, so we need to mobilize 10,000 religious troops to defend Qinzhou and join the 10,000 defenders in Qinzhou as a retreat route. Leave 20,000 religious troops in Runan City, and the remaining slave troops are 100,000. Go north immediately, take Yangping, and fight a decisive battle with King Beijing at the foot of Xihe County. It would be best if all the slave troops were killed."
The cold and gloomy words made the surrounding soldiers shudder. There were at least 200,000 captured slave soldiers. If they were all killed, the corpses would be scattered all over the ground.
"You mean, attack instead of defend!"
Bai Shuiyue thought about it, leaving 20,000 in Qinzhou, 20,000 in Runan, and 10,000 in Linzhou, so 50,000 elite soldiers were gone, and the remaining soldiers were more than 80,000. Those slave soldiers were just for cover, and they were useless in a battle.
"Yes, Master. We will attack instead of defend, so that the imperial court will not have time to make arrangements. This way, we will have time to make arrangements calmly. Leaving elite troops to guard the city will only give us a way out. But there is another possibility. The defenders in Xihe County, Qinzhou, and Linzhou will not have to stay if they see the imperial army. They can all retreat south to Qiongshan County. In this way, the journey is long and the miasma is everywhere, so the imperial army will definitely not pursue us."
Captain Qian's eyes were bright. Thinking about the discussion with the Right Protector last night, he really came up with a plan that would satisfy both sides. This way, he could both intimidate the court and conceal the truth from the public, achieving three goals at once.
"Oh, there is a plan. I would like to hear more about it."
Bai Shuiyue also became interested. Even if they left 50,000 troops in Qinzhou and Linzhou, they could not stop the imperial army. If they retreated southward, they could retain a large number of elite troops. However, if they left in this way, there would be no place for them to stand in the entire southern part of Beijing. The more than 100,000 followers left in Xihe County were caught in a dilemma.
"Don't worry, Master. Yesterday, I discussed with the Right Protector that if the time really comes, all the White Lotus Sects in the south of Beijing will withdraw to Lingnan. As for the current troops, Master, do you still remember Qingfeng Village? There are continuous mountains on the west bank of the canal. Qingfeng Village only occupies one hilltop and dominates here. If we occupy a few more hilltops, let alone 100,000 people, even 200,000 people can be hidden. There is only one thing that is indispensable, and that is food. There is enough food in Yangping."
Captain Qian came to see the leader in person today, and he also wanted to persuade him. Thinking back then, it was because they did not leave a way out that the high-ranking members of the White Lotus Sect were caught in one fell swoop and had to hide for ten years. How could they not do it? In this way, even if Luo Yunhou surrounded from the south and occupied Runan City, with the canal and the land of Jiangnan, 100,000 followers were just 100,000 civilians. Who could find them if they were dispersed?
"You are worthy of being the military advisor of the sect, the leader of the North, your reputation is well-deserved. In this case, let's do as you say. Qingfeng Village, if they cooperate, we will keep them. If they don't cooperate, we will wipe them out first."
"Yes, Master, the white lotus will bloom and the Ming Sect will be restored!"
(End of this chapter)