Chapter 996
: Killing in the Mist
Chapter 996: Killing in the Mist
The breeze is coming,
The hazy moonlight enveloped the earth, and there was silence. At dawn the next day, the sky was white, and the fog between heaven and earth spread, making the already miserable battlefield even more sad.
As the sky brightened, the gauze-like mist became even more ethereal.
On the tower of the west city of the county town,
Zhang Jinyu has already changed his clothes and slept with Lan Yueer all night. He always feels uncomfortable all over. It is really out of touch with the earth. Sleeping in a high place makes it restless. Fortunately, he has a beauty in his arms. He can just make do for a day. After conquering the city today, he can have a good sleep.
Just as he put on his armor, he heard a flurry of footsteps coming from outside. Then, King Jin Zhou Ding came over with an anxious look on his face.
"My Lord, how are you injured?"
This question was asked suddenly, and it was heard suddenly. Zhang Jinyu immediately recalled everything that was arranged yesterday, and immediately covered her abdomen and frowned.
"Your Highness, it's just a minor injury. The thief cut his armor. I didn't expect that he actually hid a seven-star sword. I was really careless."
Seeing that the Marquis was walking unsteadily, but his body was intact, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm glad that the Marquis is fine. I was so worried that I didn't sleep all night yesterday. I don't know how serious the Marquis's injury is. After all, we agreed with the Marquis, so why didn't the Marquis wake me up when he left?"
Zhou Ding felt a little aggrieved. They had agreed to attack the city together in the morning, but he did not expect to wake up at noon and be trapped in the big tent. He could not even go out at night. It was not until this morning that he arrived at the west gate under the escort of the imperial guards.
Listening to King Jin's grievances, Zhang Jinyu couldn't help but laugh. Swords have no eyes, and not everyone can come. He deliberately put on a stern face and said,
"Your Highness is wrong. When the army is attacking a city, the most important thing is to stabilize the people's hearts. If Your Highness and I go to the front line together, swords and arrows are ruthless and we are often shot. If we are not careful, you and I will both be injured at the same time, which will be bad for the morale of the army. Now even if I am injured, Your Highness can still come forward, everything is normal."
Although the principle is simple, it is really related to the morale of the army. Zhang Jinyu did not dare to gamble. He was afraid of the unexpected. Who knows who can suddenly take out a sharp weapon and launch a sneak attack? What if it succeeds?
After hearing the explanation from the Marquis, King Zhou Ding of Jin hesitated and did not refute. In the end, he could only wave his hand.
"Come on, bring the food over so that the king and the marquis can celebrate."
"Yes, Your Highness,"
Following the arrangement of the King of Jin, a number of imperial guards actually came in from outside, carrying food boxes in their hands, and brought out dishes of steaming food. Zhang Jinyu was a little confused. What was this celebration so early in the morning?
"May I ask, Your Highness, what are you celebrating?"
"My Lord, of course we are celebrating your victory over the bandit army and your capture of the county town. This time the bandit army is trapped in a corner of the county governor's mansion. I think we can end the battle today and recapture the important town in the south of Beijing. This is worth celebrating. I specially asked Mr. Song to prepare some dishes. Although they are not as good as the banquet in Beijing, we can still have a drink."
King Zhou Ding of Jin had a ruddy face. He had fought many battles along the way, and each battle was extremely difficult. If it were not for Marquis Luo Yun leading the troops, the outcome might be unpredictable if it were someone else. King Zhou Ding, who was deep in the military camp, saw this clearly. A battle would decide the outcome, and that was not just talk.
"Haha, Your Highness, thank you for the compliment. It was earned by our brothers who sacrificed their lives. Since Your Highness has such good intentions, I will respectfully obey your command."
Zhang Jinyu laughed, pulled over a stool, sat down, took a pot of wine, and filled the two wine glasses on the table. However, this was the first time for him to drink wine so early in the morning. It is said that drinking wine in the morning can raise yang, but I don't know if it is true or not.
"Well, since the Marquis is happy, the little prince is also happy."
The King of Jin smiled as he picked up the wine cup and clinked glasses with the Marquis. They drank it all in one gulp. Then, they both started eating and couldn't stop. Perhaps it was because they had been hungry all night.
It looked like a table full of food, but in just a few moments, they were full of food. They only drank one glass of wine. Looking at the mess on the table, Zhang Jinyu and King Jin smiled at the same time.
"It's better to have fun with the Marquis. It's not suitable to drink morning wine. Someone, come and change the tea."
immediately,
The imperial guards came again, took the table down, replaced it with a new one, put some refreshments on it, and left. Zhang Jinyu raised his eyebrows. This was really well prepared. I wonder what His Highness meant.
"Your Highness, please speak frankly. This is wine and tea, and I can't drink it peacefully."
"My Lord, please don't blame me. I have no other intention in coming here today. If there is another war in the future, please don't leave me alone."
Zhou Ding's face turned slightly red. Rather than being trapped in the camp and being frightened, it would be better to supervise the battle with the Marquis. It was difficult to explain the inner things, so he hesitated and did not tell the reason. Zhang Jinyu did not point it out, nodded, and said;
"Your Highness, rest assured. You are the military supervisor and can monitor everything. However, the battlefield is dangerous, so you still need to be careful and put the overall situation first."
"Yes, Your Majesty is right. I will keep it in mind. I wonder how Your Majesty plans to fight today. I heard that those bandits have been surrounded in the county governor's mansion. Do we need to persuade them to surrender to reduce casualties?"
The King of Jin sighed. Although he was unable to come and watch the battle yesterday, the corpses scattered all over the ground and the dried blood on the city walls were shocking. Although they had won three battles in a row, the casualties remained high. The court was now in such a huge deficit that the money for compensation was not a small amount.
Zhang Jinyu did not speak, but pondered the intention of King Jin's words. It was nonsense to persuade these people to surrender. They were all high-ranking members of the Taiping Sect. In other words, they were all stubborn elements. What was he thinking? Perhaps His Highness was worried that the court did not have enough money.
"Your Highness, if we could persuade them to surrender, we would have done so long ago. Why wait until now? To be honest with you, although the city has been plundered several times, a lot of food, valuables, and even silver were found. I have already ordered General Hu to personally supervise this matter and bring all the money back to the capital to be pawned. The gold and silver sold will all be distributed to the soldiers to relieve the pressure on the court. Your Highness, the world will be in turmoil if the rebel army is not destroyed."
The words were heavy, and at this moment, King Jin blushed with shame. He felt that he had done something unnecessary.
"Report, Lord, General Li and General Qi are asking for an audience, saying that the enemy troops are making unusual movements, and I wonder if they are trying to break out."
As soon as this word comes out,
Zhang Jinyu and Prince Jin were shocked at the same time and stood up quickly.
"Let's go to the tower and take a look."
After saying that, he stood up and went up to the attic.
And inside the city,
In the County Magistrate's Mansion, many high-ranking members of the Taiping Cult crowded into the main hall. At this moment, the left protector Zuo Ling had a brocade cloth wrapped around his head, tightly wrapping around his injured left ear. A trace of blood had stained a small area red, but fortunately the blood had dried outside, so the bleeding had stopped.
But his face was pale, his eyes were bloodshot, and he looked extremely ferocious. Many of the helmsmen and hall masters were silent. Many of them were in a miserable state, with knife wounds all over their bodies. They even groaned a few times while enduring the pain.
The atmosphere in the room was like a dead end. Qian Chuan, the leader of the Qian helm, clasped his fists and said;
"Left Protector, in yesterday's battle, most of our troops were defeated. In the battle of West City, the defenders were almost wiped out. The ones who can stay are still more soldiers from East City. Now there are still 30,000 brothers around the County Governor's Mansion, and most of them are injured and unable to fight again."
Qian Chuan sighed. He had never thought that Luo Yunhou was so good at fighting. He had taken down a strong city in two battles. Who could have thought that even the others had a look of death on their faces. They were almost beaten to death by the soldiers. Zuo Ling endured the pain and spoke.
"Everyone, it's foggy today. There are many houses in the city that block your vision. As long as you fight hard, you can still break out. There is no gate at the west gate. If you take advantage of the fog to attack, you will definitely be able to get out. So, the heads of the various departments should organize, bring enough dry food and drinking water, and break out immediately. The guards of the four gates, as well as Captain Qian, and this protector, will lead our troops to cover your rear. Be quick."
Zuo Ling had a cold face and gave orders quickly. Such a military order made not only the hall masters and incense masters in the room, but even several helmsmen looked at each other in bewilderment. However, since the Left Protector had given the order, how could they dare to refute it? Xiao Zheng and Zhao Ze blushed and wanted to say something, but were interrupted by the Left Protector.
"What are you standing there for? Get ready quickly. Don't wait until the fog clears. If you rush out, don't look back. Go straight to the Anyang Mountains to hide. A few captains will stay behind, and the rest of you should be ready to charge out within half an hour."
"Yes, Left Guardian,"
Many brothers in the sect were excited and left with fists clasped. Then, the remaining soldiers of the Taiping Sect in the entire county governor's office were all ready to break out as soon as the time came.
The remaining captains had a determined look on their faces. Xiao Zhengming said;
"Left Guardian, how about I lead the troops and carve out a bloody path for the brothers?"
"Yes, the left protector, I and Captain Xiao will be the vanguard, He An and Zhao Ze will be the rear guard, the protector and Captain Qian will be the central army. With 30,000 people, we can catch them off guard. The west gate has been breached, and the gate is damaged, so they can't stop us."
A hint of ruthlessness flashed across Zhao Ze's face. Even if he risked his life, he could still fight his way out. However, the soldiers had cavalry, and they would be in danger in the wilderness. But if they stayed, they would die. So they had to fight.
Several captains volunteered, but Qian Chuan was unmoved. He looked at the left protector, who nodded despite the pain, and then said, "Captains, gather your troops and wait in the county governor's mansion. After the army moves, gather your troops immediately, seal off the county governor's mansion, and then gather in the back mountain. There is no need to say more about the rest."
The words were full of implications, leaving everyone confused. Zhao Ze wanted to ask more questions, but was pulled by the corner of his clothes by Captain Xiao beside him.
"Don't ask anything else, just bring enough dry food and water, go and prepare."
"Yes, Left Protector."
Seeing the few people leave, Zuo Ling endured the pain and asked,
"Has the secret passage been discovered?"
"Report to the guardian, the secret passage has been discovered, and we have left more than a thousand war horses with Master Chu in the mountains. Bring dry food and drinking water, which is enough for them."
Qian Chuan nodded. For now, this was the only way to go. If they really wanted to break out, there were still a large number of cavalrymen in the court who had not moved. Once they reached the wilderness, they would be dead. After all, those with two legs could not outrun those with four legs.
"That's good. Everything will proceed according to the plan. You guys just stay here and wait for the news."
Zuo Ling looked at the shocked expressions of the others and did not explain. Some things can be done but not said. The 30,000 troops outside were just bait to distract the attention of the imperial court officers and soldiers and buy time for the county governor's office.
The four people in the hall widened their eyes. They had heard what the Dharma Protector had just said. Their expressions changed, as if they were thinking about something. It seemed that the Left Dharma Protector had another way to leave the city. No one said a word. Not long after, a personal soldier came to report.
"Report, Protector, our people have moved, and the officers and soldiers did not notice."
"Okay, lock the gate of the county governor's mansion, gather our troops, and go to the back mountain."
"Yes, protector."
Then, Zuo Ling stood up and waved to a few people. The personal soldiers in the inner hall followed him and disappeared into the main hall of the county governor's mansion. From the backyard, he hid in a forest on the back mountain and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Outside, the various Taiping Sect troops had taken advantage of the fog to sneak past the street corners, but the movement of most troops, the sound of footsteps and the collision of weapons and armor, could not be concealed.
The imperial guards' whistles sounded all around. Although the ambushed archers could not see the figures clearly, they could vaguely grasp the direction and raised their crossbows to shoot. Then, screams were heard and the arrows were fired more rapidly and fiercely.
"Brothers, fight your way out, charge!"
"Go ahead,"
This movement resounded throughout the city.
coincidentally,
Zhang Jinyu and His Royal Highness Prince Jin have already gone up to the attic of the inner city. Standing high and looking far, everything in the city is in sight, but the fog is thick, and only a ray of light can be seen from the eastern sky, so the buildings in the city cannot be seen clearly.
"My Lord, the fog is too thick to see the situation in the city clearly. Will the thieves take advantage of the fog to escape?"
King Zhou Ding of Jin stood on the top of the city wall, opened his eyes wide and looked carefully. He looked left and right, but could not see where the county governor's mansion was. He could vaguely see the outline of the mountain behind.
Zhang Jinyu did not speak, but closed his eyes and listened attentively. He could vaguely hear shouting and killing coming from the County Magistrate's Mansion in front of him, or there was movement in the West City, but there was no sound outside the County Magistrate's Mansion. This was strange.
"Your Highness guessed correctly. The enemy army must have taken advantage of the fog to attack us, and they are heading for the west gate. There is something strange about the location of the county governor's mansion. It is unusually quiet."
It is impossible that the enemy in front will kill us and there will be no one left to guard the county governor's mansion. You know, food and water are stored in the county governor's mansion, so there is no need to worry about being attacked from behind. What is the left protector thinking?
The King of Jin was different. He was full of excitement. When he heard that the enemy army was charging towards the west gate, he asked hurriedly:
"In the past few days, the West Gate has been the main attack direction of the soldiers. Why did the enemy army still attack this place? Shouldn't they escape from the East Gate?"
King Jin was a little confused. He had a chance to break out yesterday, so why didn't he take the opportunity to attack? Zhang Jinyu smiled and replied;
"Your Highness, this shows that the enemy's commander is very experienced. If they had broken through yesterday, the enemy army would have been annihilated long ago. You know, our cavalry has not moved. These people have been guarding the city for a day and are exhausted. If they leave the city and go to the wilderness, they will be destroyed.
I am just wondering how they calculated the heavy fog today. It seems there must be an expert among them."
Nowadays, fighting a war still depends on the right time, right place, and right people. However, there are only a few generals who can do it. I don't know what the left protector will do today. It's impossible to just break through.
While Zhang Jinyu was muttering, Li Zongbao had already climbed up the city wall to report;
"Report, Lord, Your Highness, thirty thousand elite heavy armored troops have assembled. Shall we charge them?"
The two men on the tower turned their eyes back and looked at Li Zongbao on the city wall, wearing armor and ready to go. The 30,000 elite soldiers under the city had already assembled and were waiting for orders. In addition, General Qi and General Yue were also organizing their troops. It seemed that this General Li was a good leader.
"No hurry, for safety's sake, let's wait until General Qi and General Yue have finished organizing their troops."
Zhang Jinyu waved his hands. Even a lion would use all its strength to fight a rabbit. Since it was already coming to kill him, why bother to rush over?
In this way, after waiting for an incense stick of time, Qi Ping and Yue Songlin hurried to the city wall and bowed;
"I, the humble general Qi Ping, (Yue Songlin) pay my respects to the Marquis and His Highness,"
"Okay, no need to be polite. Look ahead. It's three main streets west of the County Governor's Mansion."
Zhang Jinyu didn't say anything more and pointed to the street corner in front of him. The shouting and killing sounds were getting closer and closer. He didn't know how many people were there, but he could still simply surround and kill them.
"My Lord, from the sound, we can guess that the enemy army should have reached the center of the West Market, but the fog is too thick to see the details."
Li Zongbao stretched his head and looked carefully in the direction of the county governor's mansion. Except for the mountain that was faintly visible in the mist, the rest was all a sea of clouds. It was impossible to see clearly.
"That's right, since the enemy army is coming, why bother going far away? Li Zongbao, you lead the troops to the street ahead and set up a trap. Qi Ping will go to the left wing, and Yue Songlin will go to the right wing. Prepare to encircle and annihilate them in one fell swoop."
"Yes, Lord Marquis,"
Zhang Jinyu has not figured out what the guardian meant yet. If he charges into the formation like this without sufficient backup forces, he will not be able to break through. Of course, if he can break through the west gate, he may be able to escape with the help of the fog.
"My Lord, the young prince may have some ideas,"
While he was thinking, the King of Jin beside him tilted his head and spoke. Zhang Jinyu turned his head and looked at the King of Jin, and asked curiously;
"Oh? I wonder what your Highness thinks?"
"My Lord, maybe the guardian is trying to make a feint to the east and attack in the west. It seems that the main attack is the west gate, but maybe he is escaping from the east gate. Linshan County is so big. If there is a ladder to secretly climb the city, even if there are patrolling soldiers of the imperial court, they will not be able to find it for a while."
The King of Jin pointed to the sparsely scattered guards on the city wall, and only occasionally a patrol of soldiers passed by. It seemed that what he said was correct. After changing his mind, he immediately called his personal soldiers and ordered,
"Come here, tell General Yin, General Hu, General Song, and General Duan to reinforce the city walls and not let the thieves escape."
"Yes, Lord Marquis,"
The messenger left in a hurry, but he sighed in his heart. Even if the messenger went there, it was too late. He could only wait and see how many thieves escaped.
(End of this chapter)