Under the agitation of the crowd, Xia Quan also had an idea. He had long been dissatisfied with Liu Gu and decided to take advantage of this opportunity to catch him unprepared.
As for why he didn't directly plunder Chuzhou, it was because Liu Gu had thirty thousand elite soldiers. If he realized where Xia Quan was going and led his troops to attack, it would be easy for them to be attacked from both sides. Although Xia Quan had more troops than Liu Gu, they were not as well-trained and might not be his match.
Rather than take the risk, it was better to take advantage of Liu Gu's unguarded weakness and defeat his troops in one fell swoop. Afterwards, Chuzhou would naturally be his.
At the mention of plundering, everyone's eyes lit up. They quickly assembled and, under Xia Quan's lead, charged towards Liu Gu's encampment.
Yang Miaozhen moved together with him. As Song Qingshu's imperial bodyguard, he naturally followed beside Yang Miaozhen.
When the group charged in, Liu Gu was still snoring away. He had brought his army here for a vacation and to coordinate with Xia Quan to distract Yangzhou's main force.
In Liu Gu's view, Yangzhou was Song Qingshu's territory. As the Prince of Qi, he definitely wouldn't dare to start a war with the imperial army. The other side wouldn't be able to bear the consequences. Of course, he also didn't want to actually fight with the Yangzhou army. He had only come to coordinate with Xia Quan.
Because of the previous surprise attack on Xia Quan in Yangzhou, Liu Gu had a certain degree of vigilance towards Yangzhou. He had set up a few lines of defense to prevent a surprise attack from the Yangzhou army. However, he was completely unprepared for Xia Quan behind him.
In addition, some of the generals recognized Xia Quan and thought that he had come to discuss matters with their commander. By the time they saw the murderous soldiers behind him, it was already too late.
Xia Quan's troops were like no man's land. In an instant, they broke through Liu Gu's already loose defensive line. Many of the soldiers were still sleeping. When they heard the sounds of fighting, everyone's first reaction was:
Run!
Run for your life!
In ancient times, the most frightening thing was to blow up a camp at night. With that kind of communication and outdated organizational skills, once a camp was blown up, it would be impossible to stop.
Liu Gu was not a famous general, and the troops under his command could not be compared to the Yue Clan Army or the Qi Clan Army, which followed orders strictly. When they were attacked in the middle of the night, they fell into chaos as expected. No one knew what had happened, but they instinctively followed everyone else and ran for their lives.
Of course, there were some of Liu Gu's trusted subordinates in the army. When they saw that something was wrong, they gathered a group of soldiers to ask Liu Gu for instructions. However, they found that he had just crawled out of bed and was about to escape without even putting on his armor. In a flurry, he failed to climb onto his horse several times.
He was half asleep when he suddenly heard the deafening battle cries and saw the sky was dyed red by the flames. In the chaos, he didn't know how many enemies there were. He didn't even know who the enemies were. He was scared out of his wits and ran for his life.
He didn't even try to resist, because he understood that when he returned to the imperial court, although he would inevitably be removed from his position and investigated, starting from the First Ancestor, he wouldn't kill any officials. He could at least keep his life. Moreover, he was Prime Minister Jia's man. If he could recuperate in peace for a few years, Prime Minister Jia would find an opportunity to promote him. Naturally, it was far better than losing his life here.
Seeing their commander in this state, the soldiers that had gathered with great difficulty immediately scattered. The entire camp finally collapsed beyond repair.
Xia Quan led a group of people to rob the army's warehouse. A camp of thirty thousand people had a lot of money, rations, and armor. Yang Miaozhen didn't go with him. She directly searched for Liu Gu's whereabouts.
She was prepared from the beginning and quickly intercepted the enemy who was fleeing to the south. The Pear Blossom Spear in her hand lit up the sky, and in a few moves, she killed the few guards around him.
"Female hero, spare my life, female hero, spare my life!" Although Liu Gu was the Commanding Officer, he had never personally gone into battle, nor did he know martial arts. He was a pure civil official. Seeing that his subordinate was defeated in a few moves, he was so scared that his legs turned to jelly.
Song Qingshu, who was at the side, secretly frowned. He thought that Liu Gu was really a spineless coward. In the history of the Song Dynasty, there were many loyal people, but there were even more spineless cowards like Liu Gu, which caused the entire dynasty to have a weak temperament.
"Bastard, do you know who I am?" Yang Miaozhen lifted him up and laughed coldly. She was tall and slender, so it didn't take her any effort to lift a man.
Looking at the beautiful face that was inches away from him, if it was any other day, Liu Gu would definitely think of ways to get such a beauty into his tent. However, at this critical moment, he didn't dare to have such thoughts.
Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat and he exclaimed, "You are the Fourth Lady, Yang Miaozhen!" Being sent by the imperial court to deal with the Red Coat Army, he naturally had the information and portraits of the main leaders of the Red Coat Army. Yang Miaozhen was even more important.
"It's good that you know me. Today, I will avenge my brother." As Yang Miaozhen spoke, she had already pressed her spear against his throat.
Liu Gu felt that his pants were about to get wet. He hurriedly said, "I didn't kill your brother. He was killed by the boatmen for the bounty from the Jin Kingdom."
Yang Miaozhen laughed coldly, "Do you think I'm a three-year-old child?"
Feeling the strength of her spear, Liu Gu was scared out of his wits. He hurriedly said, "No, no, no. It was actually Xia Quan. It was all Xia Quan's doing. He poisoned Yang Aner's wine. Then, the boatman was also an assassin. He took advantage of the time when Yang Aner was poisoned …" In order to survive, he revealed everything in detail.
Previously, it was only a guess. Now that she had confirmed that it was Xia Quan who did it, a hint of killing intent flashed in Yang Miaozhen's eyes. "Xia Quan has this dog egg. Isn't it all because of you?"
"It really wasn't me." Liu Gu hurriedly explained.
"If it wasn't you, then why do you know the whole thing so clearly?" Yang Miaozhen snorted coldly. She thrust the spear in her hand forward, ending the man's life.
Liu Gu's eyes were wide open. He didn't expect to die just like that. His heart was filled with regret. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have said so much.
"Brother, I have avenged you. The only one left is Xia Quan." Yang Miaozhen stared in the direction of Xia Quan, her entire body brimming with murderous intent.
Song Qingshu frowned slightly. "A little impatience will spoil great plans."
Yang Miaozhen nodded. "Don't worry. I won't make a move now."
Song Qingshu said, "Then you be careful here. I will go to Chu Zhou City first."
Both Yang Miaozhen and the yellow-shirted woman were on the side of the imperial court. They had already hesitated before attacking Liu Gu's camp. If Xia Quan's men really did pillage Chu Zhou City, they would never agree. Therefore, Song Qingshu first informed Chu Zhou City to be on guard, lest Xia Quan took them by surprise.
After a few steps, he stopped and turned back to Yang Miaozhen. "Xia Quan won a great victory tonight. As the saying goes, when one is warm and full, one thinks of lust. Now that he's satisfied, there's no guarantee that he won't make a move on you …"
Yang Miaozhen's serious expression immediately turned into a smile. "Don't worry. My Pear Blossom Spear is not to be trifled with."
Song Qingshu was still worried. "Then don't drink the tea he prepared for you."
Yang Miaozhen remembered that the reason they were together that night was because of Li Quan's medicinal tea. Her heart skipped a beat. "Don't worry. From now on, I won't drink anyone else's tea except yours."
Looking at her standing there, illuminated by the firelight, she looked even more beautiful. Thinking of her soft and alluring body that night in the cave, he couldn't help but feel a burning desire in his heart. If not for the fact that he had something else to do, he would have lost control long ago.
As if seeing the desire in his eyes, Yang Miaozhen's heart also began to beat wildly. Pursing her lips, she raised her chin and said in a provocative tone, "How about we fight another 300 rounds after this is over?"
Song Qingshu almost choked on his saliva. This woman is really tough. But at this moment, she had a different kind of wild beauty. "Then don't be like last time, crying and begging me to stop at the end."
Yang Miaozhen's face turned red. That night was really embarrassing. She couldn't help but snort. "Last time, I was inexperienced. This time, I don't know who will be the winner!"
Song QingShu laughed heartily. "Alright, let's see who's the real deal!" After saying this, he didn't delay any longer. With a heart full of anticipation, he started to hurry on his way. He wanted to finish this as soon as possible.
His speed was naturally faster than an army. As for the soldiers under Liu Gu's command who had scattered in all directions, he had already sent a letter to Yangzhou City in advance, asking them to take the opportunity to capture and absorb them. As for how many of them could be kept, it would depend on Zhiruo's ability.
…
Two days later, Xia Quan led his army to Chuzhou City. In fact, after robbing Liu Gu's barracks, he didn't want to move anymore.
However, even though he had robbed enough, he still didn't have enough soldiers. Liu Gu's military camp had money, food, and weapons, but he didn't have women. Now that the First Master had found the beautiful and outstanding Fourth Lady, everyone's lust was burning. They thought that there must be a lot of rich young ladies in Chu Zhou City, and these people were usually high and mighty. How could they be interested in a group of peasants? Now that there was an opportunity, they naturally didn't want to give it up.
Unable to resist the instigation of his subordinates, and not wanting to show his lack of ambition in front of his sweetheart, Xia Quan finally decided to lead the army to attack Chuzhou City.
Unfortunately, when they arrived at Chuzhou City, they found that the opponent had already set up a defense. They had even mobilized a lot of soldiers from other places. A group of people rushed over with red eyes, wanting to rob the money and women. Unfortunately, although the Song Dynasty was not good at offense, his defense was first-class. How could his motley crew defeat them in such a short time?
After attacking for a few days, there was still no progress. Xia Quan had no choice but to withdraw his troops. When they came, they were valiant and high-spirited, but when they returned, they were all dejected and dispirited.
"Where's Fourth Lady?" Xia Quan suddenly found that Yang Miaozhen was nowhere to be seen.
Huo Yi and the others shook their heads. "I didn't see her. Could she have gone somewhere else?"
Xia Quan was already angry at the recent losses. Hearing this, he immediately gritted his teeth. "Did that b * tch betray me after seeing that I lost the battle?"
"I don't think so." Huo Yi was also a little uncertain.
Suddenly, there was an earth-shattering battle cry in the surroundings. Countless soldiers surged out from all over the mountains. Countless arrows and rolling stones poured down from the nearby mountains. In an instant, Xia Quan suffered heavy losses, and the entire army fell into chaos.
Xia Quan cried out in alarm. For the past few days, all of his attention had been focused on Chuzhou. Now, everyone was immersed in the depressed state of mind of losing soldiers and generals. Coupled with the fact that there were no enemies nearby, they forgot to send scouts to investigate the surrounding terrain. Unknowingly, they walked into this dangerous place.
Now that things had come to this, he could not care so much. He hurriedly ordered, "Retreat, retreat quickly!"
"The entrance to the valley has been blocked by falling stones." A soldier reported from behind.
Xia Quan felt a chill in his heart. Knowing that there was an ambush ahead, he had no choice but to lead the army forward. As they charged and killed along the way, he also figured out the origin of the other party. The person at the top of the mountain, dressed in white, was incomparably beautiful. She looked down at him with an indifferent expression. It was Zhou Zhiruo who had caught him off guard!
"This time, Yang Miaozhen, that b * tch, caused me so much trouble. She even said that she was on the same side as the Golden Snake Camp. Now, the other party wants to wipe out my entire army!" Xia Quan cursed Yang Miaozhen countless times in his heart. At the same time, his heart sank to the bottom of the valley. Now that they were surrounded in this valley, the other party only needed to set a fire and none of them would be able to escape.
However, what surprised him was that the other party did not have any intention of setting a fire. Moreover, the falling stones were not too frequent. It was as if they were deliberately driving them towards the entrance of the valley.
Xia Quan knew that something was wrong, but he could only break out of the valley. He thought to himself, I have so many men under me. Even if you ambush someone later, I can still make you suffer the consequences.
With great difficulty, he rushed to the entrance of the valley. From afar, he could see a group of people waiting there. The woman in the lead had a graceful figure. Her bright red cloak made her even more beautiful. Who else could it be but Yang Miaozhen?
Xia Quan's first reaction was to think that the other party was here to receive him. His face was just filled with joy when he suddenly noticed the murderous intent in the other party's eyes. He could not help but be furious, "B * tch, you dare to betray me!"
Yang Miaozhen coldly snorted, "You plotted to murder the Great Master. Even a disloyal and unjust person dares to mention betrayal. Today, I will avenge Big Brother!"
Upon hearing this, Xia Quan laughed, "You think you can stop me with just these few men?"
Yang Miaozhen ignored him and said in a loud voice, "Your old nest has already been destroyed by me. Look at this." After saying this, she gestured to the person beside her to wave the commander's flag of his camp. Looking at the tattered appearance of the commander's flag, it was obvious that the camp had experienced a great battle.
Previously, when she and Song Qingshu went to Xia Quan's tent, the yellow-robed woman and the main force launched a sneak attack on his old nest.
Yang Miaozhen circulated her power and her voice resounded throughout the valley, "Today, only the leader of the evil will be executed. Those who surrender will not be killed!"
"Those who surrender will not be killed!"
"Those who surrender will not be killed!"
Regardless of whether it was Yang Miaozhen's men or those from Yangzhou City, they all roared in unison. Xia Quan's soldiers were already scared out of their wits. When they heard that their headquarters had been raided, they all fell into chaos. Now that they heard that they could surrender, they no longer hesitated and threw their weapons to the ground.
"Bastards!" Xia Quan drew his saber and chopped at the men who surrendered nearby, "Whoever dares to surrender, I will kill them!"
At this moment, a delicate shout rang out. Yang Miaozhen had already charged over with her spear. The soldiers blocking in front of Xia Quan saw Xia Quan continuously chopping at his subordinates. After looking at each other in dismay, they tacitly stepped aside, allowing Yang Miaozhen to charge in.
"You dare!" Xia Quan finally realized that something was wrong. He picked up his saber and brandished it in front of him, trying to block the other party's shocking spear.
Unfortunately, his saber only managed to cut through a few pear blossoms. By the time he reacted, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He stared at the spear in disbelief. He knew that his martial arts were inferior to his opponent's, but he never imagined that he would not be able to withstand even a single blow.
On the hilltop, Zhou Zhiruo raised her eyebrows and couldn't help but say, "The Pear Blossom Spear truly lives up to its name. Congratulations on adding another martial arts expert to your harem."
Beside her, Song Qingshu held his breath and smiled sheepishly, "Zhiruo, what are you talking about? She and I …"
Zhou Zhiruo snorted, "Your own wife is surrounded and attacked, yet you passed by your own home and did not enter. Instead, you went to save her first. Who would believe that there was no adultery between the two of you?"
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