Under the curtain of night, it was unknown how many people and horses were quietly waiting in the valley. This was indeed a land of death. On both sides were steep cliffs, on one side was an extremely steep slope, and behind it was a deep gorge. Only the front could be entered, and that side was the road to the mountain.
If the soldiers were to attack here, as long as there were enough soldiers, the ten thousand men and horses blocking the valley would have no way out. Today, in order to deal with Yang Ling's army and preserve his strength, Zhao Sui could be said to have racked his brains and exhausted all his energy and energy.
He wanted to break out of the encirclement, but he chose to be on the defensive first, taking the risk of hiding his men in the dense forest of the valley. Then, he used Feng Lei to lead a small group of soldiers to break out of the encirclement and go to Jiangnan to complete his earlier plan. His men actually moved at the same time as Feng Lei. When Feng Lei broke out of the encirclement, his men did not continue forward after arriving at the front of the mountain. Instead, they went back through a secret path that had been cut out long ago and led his men into the forest.
After luring the soldiers to attack, the fires of war were ignited on various hills. This land of death had no value in defending or seizing it, so the soldiers who attacked the mountain only went into the forest to do a little reconnaissance before heading straight for the pass. The ten thousand men and horses hidden in the depths of the dense forest had been waiting quietly all along.
Xing Laohu led a group of elite soldiers to attack Feiling Ferry. The attack was fierce and aggressive. At the same time, Li Hua, who had been allocated fifteen thousand men by Zhao Sui, put up a desperate resistance in various mountain passes. With all these actions, no one would have thought that Zhao Sui had a third plan, not to mention that he had placed his men in this hidden but extremely dangerous land of death.
Zhao Sui's military strategy was extremely bold. The soldiers had been quietly waiting there with their weapons in their mouths. Zhao Sui had given a death order that anyone who dared to make a sound would be killed without mercy. Even though this was deep in the forest, and even if some sound was made, it might not be heard by the people in the mountains who were fighting for their lives. But he still dared not take the risk.
At this moment, he finally decided to take action. Hearing the news from the scouts, Zhao Sui jumped up from under the tree. Red Madame, who was dressed in black and had a black handkerchief wrapped around her head, quickly came up to him. Zhao Sui looked at her deeply and said, "Vice Marshal Cui, my family and the hope of the army's survival are all in your hands."
Cui Ying 'er raised her eyebrows and solemnly cupped her fists, "Don't worry Elementary Scholar. Unless I, Red Madam, die on the battlefield, I will definitely ensure your family's safety and seize the ferry."
Zhao Sui smiled and cupped his hands together, "I'll move out now and meet up with you as soon as possible. You'll depart in an hour. Take care!"
He turned around to look at the dozen or so generals and bodyguards who were anxiously waiting not far away. He took a deep breath and quickly walked over. Both of his brothers were brought along by Xing Laohu with the intention of being hostages. At the same time, the dozen or so generals who were sent to listen to his orders were all loyal to Xing Laohu. Although Xing Laohu listened to his risky plan, he still took some precautions against him, the general who once had the idea of accepting enlistment.
These people had been waiting here quietly, listening to the sounds of fighting and killing. Their hearts were filled with anxiety, but it was not time to attack yet, so they could only wait. When they saw Zhao Sui walking over, they immediately rushed forward. Zhao Sui gave a few orders in a low voice, and the dozen or so generals immediately split up.
Bushes of thorns were moved away, trees that were used to cover the path were pushed down, and a path was quickly cleared. Under the command of the generals, the soldiers and horses in the valley began to move out along the path in an orderly manner. In the dark of the night, other than the chirping of the startled birds and the rustling of footsteps on the tips of the grass, there was almost no other movement. Who would pay attention to the chirping of the birds at this time?
Madman Zhao walked out of the dense forest and looked back at the fire on the distant hilltop. He waved his hand and quickly walked down the hill.
There was a lake in Beiwu Village, with many lotus flowers growing in the shallow waters. In the deep night, the lotus leaves were like ink. The faint moonlight occasionally caused a layer of silvery ripples on the rippling surface of the water.
There was a team of soldiers stationed here. This was not the main point of defense. Other than the main force to attack the mountain and the reserve force left by Yang Ling in Pu Zhou, the main force of the imperial court was mainly blocking the crossings along the river in the south and the important passes connected to Taihang, Wangwu, and Ji Mountains. If the Ringing Horse Bandits did not break through from the south by water, they would definitely choose the mountain road to escape to other mountain ranges. There was no reason for them to go down the mountain and enter the hinterland.
Therefore, the soldiers stationed here were the defense force prepared to intercept the remnants of the Ringing Horse Bandits in the mountains. Their military strength and combat ability were very ordinary. Because of the heavy troops stationed here, there was not enough soldiers here. Even the patrol inspector of the nearby county and Ding Yong of the town were transferred here.
They also knew that their appearance was more useful. If they were lucky, they could catch a few small soldiers and shrimps who escaped from the mountain. If they were unlucky, they might still be a decoration until the end of the war.
Therefore, even though Yang Ling strictly ordered all the troops to be on high alert that night, and no one was allowed to sleep and no horses were allowed to untie their saddles, although the camp could do without sleep, the men and horses were scattered and had no formation. The guards who were sent out to patrol two to three miles away didn't have anyone to watch them, but they didn't care at all. After wandering around for half the night, they were also tired. The soldiers who were on guard carried their swords and spears and found a tree or a bush to go to sleep.
A rumbling sound woke up the scouts who were sent out to patrol. They poked their heads out from under the trees and the bushes. Before they could scream, they covered their mouths and choked back their cries.
Good heavens! Countless warhorses galloped past. The warriors on the horses raised their shiny steel sabers. They didn't make a sound, but the rumbling of the horses stirred up clouds of dust. There was a panic-stricken spy who was sleeping on the side of the road. He got up in a panic, but before he could find a direction to escape, a warhorse swept past him with a sharp saber. Using the momentum of the horse, the spy's head was easily cut off.
Another scout shouted and ran into the bushes. No one paid attention to him. The galloping horses swept forward like a gust of wind, destroying everything in their way.
This was not the army of the imperial court. The soldiers were attacking the mountain. How could there be so many Ringing Horse Bandits, and they were all cavalry?
The surviving scout ran for a while without thinking. Then he remembered that two legs could not outrun four legs. It was too late to go back and report. So he immediately turned around and ran towards Puzhou City.
The quiet and rhythmic lake waves became chaotic. In front of him, someone ran back frantically. As he ran, he shouted, "Quick, be on guard. The Ringing Horse Bandits are coming … Ah!"
He swayed and fell to the ground. A cluster of arrows shot through his back. He looked like a hedgehog. Then, countless horse hooves trampled over his back. His body was limp and did not respond. The Horse Carp Battalion finally paid the price of blood for this self-inflicted evil deed.
The commander of the troops, Shan Xiong, ran out of the tent and hurriedly tied the belt of his robe. Although he did not allow the soldiers to sleep, he thought that there was nothing to do. So, he lay down by himself.
"Quick, use the bow and arrow … Ugh!" There was a cluster of arrows nailed to his feet. He was shot like a porcupine. The sharp arrowhead scratched a rock beside him, creating a string of sparks. Shan Xiong fell face up to the ground, motionless.
These local soldiers were undisciplined and had low combat power. However, Yang Ling did not have so many soldiers at his disposal. He had no choice but to transfer them over. In order to enforce military discipline, he had repeatedly stated that he even brought the imperial sword. However, these soldiers were full of hope and threw military discipline to the back of their minds. In the end, they still lost their lives in vain. Shan Xiong's death saved Yang Ling a lot of trouble.
Madman Zhao put away his bow, lifted his saber, and spurred his horse. His movements were smooth. He led his personal troops to charge forward. He did not want to fight, nor did he care about this motley crew of more than two thousand people. The saber in his hand flashed with a misty brilliance under the moonlight. Anyone who stood in his way, whether they turned to run or stood up to fight, would be chopped into two pieces by him.
The soldiers under Madman Zhao's command also galloped forward with their horses, happily charging forward to kill. These valiant generals and martial men didn't come from the regular army, especially the newly recruited Tiger Generals. They all used strange weapons from the common people, like twenty to thirty jin iron truncheons, long-handled battle-axes, Guan Yu's machetes, brandishing them like windmills, basically using their strength to smash people. Not to mention this type of army, even the regular border army officers and soldiers might not be able to stop their ferocious charge.
Battle cries shook the sky. Half of the soldiers in the camp were killed in a moment. Then, Madman Zhao's troops did not stop for a moment. The "Zhao" flag fluttered in the wind as they charged into the boundless night …
* * *
"Where are we in front?" From afar, she saw a mounted scout returning with a signal. Red Lady pressed down the bow and arrow in her personal soldier's hand and waited for that person to run in front of her. She calmly asked.
"Reporting to Deputy Marshal, we have arrived at Changli Village. Shun Di Village is along the river."
"Good! Speed up the journey. Don't go to the river. There are soldiers stationed along the Yellow River. Go around the village and quickly advance! " After Red Lady finished speaking, she looked back at the dark and gloomy Zhongtiao Mountain standing in the night. She shook the reins and the warhorses moved forward quickly. Three thousand people suddenly sped up and quietly moved southwest.
Among her troops, there were less than two thousand soldiers. The rest of the people, besides the old, weak, women and children of the important generals, there were also more than eight hundred bandits who knew how to swim and use boats. These people were not combatants. They were the people that Red Lady focused on protecting.
She was sure that the soldiers would set up a defense along the river. Not only did they not approach the Yellow River, they didn't even enter the villages. Quietly, the three thousand men, with their banners and drums in repose, flitted through the gaps in the wilderness where the officers and soldiers were stationed. They passed through Zhouwu Village, Shangdoushi Village, Jiaobei Village, Guozhuo, Nanwu, all the way, passing through Jiamakkou, Wuwang Village, Nandun Temple, Miaqianpu, and several other small and large crossings without stopping. Only when they reached Guanghua Village upstream of the Yellow River did they halt their march. After a short rest, they rode light cavalry and went straight to Luochi Ferry.
This was a small ferry and it was more than a hundred li away from Feiling Ferry. This was the upper reaches of the Yellow River and the river was very wide. Red Lady wanted to go to this small ferry. Led by her, Fourth Uncle Zhen Yangge and Sixth Uncle Xie Zhongcai, two thousand Light Cavalry galloped to the ferry. When Madman Zhao swept away Shan Qianzong's camp with ten thousand Iron Horsemen, her men also started a fierce battle with the soldiers guarding the ferry.
By the time Yang Ling's troops arrived, the stubbornly resisting Rattlesnake Army, relying on their high morale, had just broken through the last line of defense. Jiang Bin's people also killed their way into their hinterland. The river guards guarding the ferry and Jiang Bin's border army were entangled with the Rattlesnake Army, fighting ceaselessly. Yang Ling's army closed in on the left and right, quickly closing in on the center. Immediately Xing Laohu's people were unable to withstand the pressure and began to move closer to the center.
As soon as Xing Laohu saw the situation was not good, he immediately turned southeast, avoiding Yang Ling's right army and broke through the encirclement on the left. Yang Ling commanded the army to attack from the front and back, firmly blocking the gap. Time and time again Xing Laohu's desperate charge was repelled, both sides suffered heavy casualties.
On the left side, Xu Tai's border army and the river guards each occupied half of their positions, forming a pincer, blocking Xing Laohu's path. But the river guards were normally like wolves and tigers when it came to arresting river robbers, digging sand, and smuggling salt. Now that victory was in sight, how could they be willing to exchange their lives with the Rattlesnake Bandits?
Yang Ling stood on high ground and saw that the attacks from the river guards had weakened and the formation was gradually shrinking. Clearly, seeing that their allies had arrived, they became lazy and purposely gave the heavy responsibility of gnawing at their bones to others. Yang Ling couldn't help but be furious and immediately called Wu Hanchao to take the Shang Fang sword and rush over to supervise the battle.
Even so, he was still a step too late. Xing Laohu organized his troops and forcibly tore a hole in the river guards' formation. Receiving Yang Ling's death order, he braced himself and led his troops back to kill his way back. Although he cut off the stream of Rattlesnake Bandits that were escaping, Xing Laohu still led more than four thousand men to break through the heavy encirclement and kill their way to Gourd Ridge.
The direction of Gourd Ridge was guarded by soldiers. Although they might not be as many as Xing Laohu's troops, they were defending in a dangerous position. Even if they couldn't win, he couldn't easily break through. Yang Ling weighed the pros and cons and decided to let him go for the time being. He would first destroy all the Rattlesnake Bandits that were surrounded.
After a series of battles, of the fifteen thousand men that Xing Laohu had brought out, other than those that he had brought out of the heavy encirclement and those that had died and lost their fighting power, there were still six thousand left. Their numbers were weaker than Yang Ling's troops and they were surrounded and had lost their leader. According to Yang Ling's calculations, it would be easy to destroy them, but he had underestimated the will and fighting power of these bandits.
They were different from the soldiers. After losing a battle, the guards would either flee or surrender. For the Rattlesnake Bandits, when they lost a battle and had nowhere to run, their only choice was to fight to the death. Their slogan was: Killing one is worth it, killing two is worth it.
Faced with this group of desperadoes that did not lose their fighting spirit despite their defeat, shouting their war cries and fighting for their lives, the determination of the imperial court's soldiers to exchange one for the other was clearly too lacking. Although Yang Ling and Miao Kui were personally holding the line and fierce generals like Xu Tai and Jiang Bin led the charge, it still took a lot of effort to annihilate them.
The battle continued until the sky turned white. It was only then that this group of bandits who had earned enough were completely eliminated.
The battlefield was littered with corpses and screams of survivors. Some of them were entangled together, the fire beside them igniting their clothes and charring their skin and flesh. Some of them were clenching their spears tightly, their lifeless eyes still wide open. Corpses with severed arms and half a head missing could be seen everywhere.
Smoke filled the air, but the victors did not rejoice. An entire night of killing and the continuous loss of life caused their expressions to become numb.
Zhang Yin's army arrived halfway through the fierce battle. Although they were delayed for a long time and the soldiers were exhausted from the long journey, when they saw the situation of the battlefield, Zhang Yin immediately ordered all his troops to join in the battle. It was very effective in quickly destroying the bandit army that had been completely surrounded.
At this time, Zhang Yin came to see Yang Ling with a sword in hand. Zhang Yin's helmet was crooked and he was sweating profusely. It was obvious that he had personally participated in the battle. The moment he saw Yang Ling, he immediately cupped his hands and said, "Reporting to High Duke, I immediately redeployed the defense after receiving military orders and brought two guards to help. Unexpectedly, I was still too late. High Duke, please punish me."
Yang Ling waved his hand tiredly and said, "It was a last-minute mobilization of your army and most of them are infantry. It is already commendable that they could arrive so quickly. Go reorganize the troops and rest for a while. Xing Laohu has escaped with a few thousand men. We must catch up as soon as possible. We cannot bury the pot and rebel. Prepare some dry rations for the soldiers."
"What? Xing Laohu escaped? " When Zhang Yin arrived, Xing Laohu had already broken out of the encirclement. He thought that Xing Laohu's troops had been completely annihilated. Now that he heard Yang Ling's words, a glint flashed across his eyes.
He immediately lowered his head and concealed the strange expression on his face. He cupped his hands and said, "This General obeys!"
At this moment, Jiang Bin staggered over while dragging an officer with him. Behind him, a helpless Wu Hanchao followed. Jiang Bin's cheeks were smeared with blood. If it were not for his physique and his seemingly dazed but somewhat cunning eyes, Yang Ling would not have recognized him. He was shocked when he saw him.
Yang Ling was shocked. "Jiang Bin? You … How did you get injured like this? Where are you hurt? Quickly, bandage your wounds and rest. "
Jiang Bin grinned. He grimaced in pain and spoke with a lisp, "I'm fine. There are two holes on my face."
He pulled with all his might, causing the officer he was grabbing by the collar to stagger and almost fall. "Duke, this good-for-nothing should be punished according to military law. When I led the reinforcements, he didn't pull the reserve troops over to support us. Instead, he f * cking withdrew his troops to defend. If he defended, how could I fight? Isn't this ordering this stupid kid around?
Even if you came, Duke, he didn't put in any effort and wanted to f * cking defend. Xing Laohu is a real tiger. I, Jiang Bin, am not afraid of him, but I am afraid of a pig-like colleague like him. If not for Duke's timely arrival, I, Jiang Bin, would have fought my way into the encirclement alone. We would all have died there. I wouldn't even close my eyes if I died … "
As he spoke, his cheeks twitched and his muscles turned outwards. Blood flowed out of his wounds. Seeing this, Yang Ling was alarmed. He quickly said, "Someone, quickly bandage Lord Jiang's wounds. Jiang Bin, you don't have to say anything. This Duke has seen this man cowering from battle. "
He glanced at the trembling Guard Xia and sneered, "Are you afraid? I see that you fear Xing Laohu far more than you fear military law. Now that Xing Laohu has left, why are you still so afraid? "
Guard Xia's knees softened and he knelt on the ground. He argued, "Duke, please forgive me. Duke ordered me to defend Feiling Ferry to my death. I did my best and never slacked off. I …"
"Bastard!" Yang Ling was annoyed and said coldly, "Guard Xia, you are a general, not a small soldier who only obeys orders. As the general of Feiling Ferry, it is your responsibility to judge the situation and decide to attack and defend. When Jiang You Ji came to reinforce Feiling Ferry, you could use the excuse that the Ringing Horse Gang was strong and retreat to defend. When the Duke arrived with his troops, he surrounded the Ringing Horse Bandits and wanted to annihilate them. All the officers and soldiers risked their lives. Only your men cowered and avoided danger, allowing Tiger Xing to escape without a trace. Do you know your crime? "
Guard Xia's teeth trembled and he said in a trembling voice, "I know my crime. I will make up for my crime. I beg Duke to give me a chance."
Yang Ling sternly said, "You want me to use the Shang Fang sword before you are willing to fight the enemy with all your strength. You lost the opportunity yourself. Do you want me to forgive you? Yes! Unless time goes back, Xing Laohu did not escape! Otherwise, with your crime, you will only die! Han Chao, kill him for me! "
Guard Xia was so frightened that he repeatedly kowtowed and begged. When Zhang Yin saw it, his eyes turned and he immediately went to Yang Ling, intending to plead with him. He whispered, "Duke, please calm down. Guard Xia fought hard. Besides … his sister is His Royal Highness Prince Jin's beloved concubine. Even if I don't look at the monk's face, I still look at the Buddha's face. Why don't you give him a chance …"
He was muttering to himself. Jiang Bin looked big and burly, but he was not lacking in the slightest. He was annoyed to death by this cowardly riverkeeper. When he saw the white-faced bearded official running to the Duke and muttering to himself, he knew that he was pleading for Garrison Xia.
He was afraid that Yang Ling would change his mind, so he stretched out his arm and pulled out the Shang Fang sword from Wu Hanchao's hand. He held it high in the air and shouted, "How can time go back? How can a tiger return to the cage? General Wu, don't dirty your hands, this official will do it for you! "
"Hey, Jiang Daren …" Wu Hanchao hurriedly shouted, but it was too late. Although Jiang Bin's skill was not as good as his, he was not weak. In addition, he was not prepared at all. The sword was pulled out by Jiang Bin. With a swish, a cold light passed through Guard Xia's neck, and his head fell to the ground. He only heard Jiang Bin loudly praise, "What a sharp sword!"
Yang Ling couldn't help but be stunned. Zhang Yin opened his mouth and was dumbfounded for a moment before he closed it. His head had already fallen to the ground, what else could he say?
Guard Xia did not run away from the battle. When his position was attacked, he resisted desperately. It was just that he was too selfish and repeatedly delayed the military. Otherwise, how could Xing Laohu bring more than 4,000 people out of the encirclement. But now that he knew that Guard Xia had a relationship with Prince Jin, he couldn't let Prince Jin annoy his subordinate.
When Yang Ling saw that things were irreversible, he reprimanded him, "Reckless! Who allowed you to carry out the execution? But … this person deserved to die and should be executed in front of the army. Come, take his head and warn the river defense officers. Order the Deputy Guard to temporarily take his position. "
Wu Hanchao smiled bitterly, "High Duke, the Deputy Guard has died in battle. There is still a Chief Qian at the river defense ferry."
Yang Ling waved his hand and said, "Then order him to temporarily take his position. The army needs to rest for a while, we still have to encircle Xing Laohu."
At this time, a horse flew over from the distance with a small triangular red flag on his shoulder. It was obviously an urgent military report. Yang Ling looked up and saw the man galloping over. The man jumped off the horse and hurriedly ran forward. He knelt on the ground and cupped his fists when he was about 30 feet away. He said loudly, "Report! High Duke, this is an urgent military report. Madman Zhao has suddenly led a group of men to break through the defense line around Beiwu Village and is heading towards Lin Yi and Wenxi. "
Yang Ling's heart sank. After a series of fierce battles, he still couldn't find Zhao Sui. He really couldn't figure out where he went. He even suspected that if Madman Zhao wasn't staying in the mountains to attract the main force of the army, it was because of internal strife. Xing Laohu killed Madman Zhao, which was why he acted abnormally and personally led the army. Unexpectedly, Madman Zhao appeared at this time.
He asked anxiously, "How many men does Madman Zhao have?"
The horse scout answered, "The number is uncertain, but it is estimated that there are at least 10,000 men and they are all cavalry. They broke through the pass and took over the camp. They didn't stop at all and went straight to the north."
Zhang Yin asked curiously, "What is Madman Zhao trying to do? Is he courting death by going inland? He can't break through Niangzi Pass. Is he going north to Juyong Pass? That place is also heavily garrisoned … "
At this time, another horse scout galloped over from afar. He dismounted and shouted from afar, "Report! Madman Zhao led the light cavalry straight to Houma. He didn't fight with the soldiers along the way. It is still unclear where he is now. "
Yang Ling took a deep breath, "More than 10,000 cavalry. This should be all the cavalry that the bandits kept after entering the mountains. This is the real strength of the bandits, the real main force. What is unexpected is that they used their commander-in-chief Xing Laohu as bait and took such a big risk. What is their intention?"
Jiang Bin was sitting on the ground next to them. The doctor had just applied a thick layer of medicine on his face and wrapped him up like a mummy. He listened to the urgent military report and laughed foolishly, "Wenxi, Houma, and further ahead is Linfen and Hongdong. That madman can't be so ridiculous to go to Taiyuan, right?"
"Taiyuan!" Yang Ling and Zhang Yin exclaimed at the same time.
Only a madman could come up with this idea. Under a heavy siege, they did not cross the river but went north instead. Plunging into the hinterland of Shanxi to take Taiyuan?
Zhang Yin suddenly said, "If they launch a surprise attack and take advantage of the delay in the transmission of the news to capture Taiyuan … Taiyuan City has abundant provisions, strong walls, and Jin Wangye as a hostage, then …"
At that time, the transmission of news was really very slow compared to the movement. Now, the news said that they had already reached Houma. By the time the soldiers caught up to Houma, they might have already reached Hongdong. The power of cavalry was not only in charging on the battlefield, but also in being able to completely grasp the initiative on the battlefield. Battle is up to me, retreat is up to me; when to fight is up to me, where to fight is up to me. This is the cavalry's ever-victorious magical weapon.
This news was still a bit late. If it was a bit earlier, perhaps when they were besieging Tiger Xing, this thunderbolt would have struck their heads. Taiyuan Prefecture now had a guard. Although it was more than enough to defend the city, they were afraid that Madman Zhao would be caught unprepared. They ran to Shanxi to suppress the bandits, but the bandits raided Taiyuan Prefecture. Wouldn't that be a big joke?
If Madman Zhao succeeded and held Taiyuan Prefecture as a hostage, this matter would certainly cause a sensation in the world. Thinking of the serious consequences of this matter, Yang Ling immediately ordered, "Commander Zhang, you lead the troops to the south and pursue Tiger Xing's troops. If you can't eliminate him, try to entangle him and don't let him escape. Xu Tai, gather the troops, gather all the cavalry, and gallop to Taiyuan Prefecture. "
One was an official, the other was a bandit. The bandit wanted to change from defense to offense and find the weakness of the soldiers. This was the most convenient method, but it was too bold. If he failed, it would be difficult for him to escape. Yang Ling couldn't believe that Madman Zhao would stake everything on one throw. But now, regardless of whether Madman Zhao's target was Taiyuan or not, it was too late. If he wanted to confirm, it would be too late. Madman Zhao attacked a place that must be saved.
Jiang Bin didn't expect that his joke would hit the mark. He couldn't help but smile from ear to ear, but then grimaced in pain. The wound on his face was so heavy that he looked like a pig's head wrapped tightly with bandages. But he didn't care. He immediately stood up and ordered people to prepare horses and weapons. He wanted to follow Yang Ling back to Taiyuan.
Zhang Yin did not expect Madman Zhao to have such a fighting style. This was truly a case of killing an old master with a random punch. It was truly unexpected. Yang Ling ordered him to chase after Tiger Xing. Zhang Yin hurriedly accepted the order and returned to the headquarters.
Yang Ling hurriedly gathered his troops. There were more than eight thousand cavalrymen. He left Miao Kui behind to reorganize the infantry that had been left behind and to monitor the situation on Mount Donghua. He immediately led the army toward Yuncheng without stopping, heading north along the official road.
* * *
Luochi Ferry was lost. This was a small ferry and there were not many boats. There were only about a dozen small and medium-sized boats. Red Lady led the army to launch a surprise attack. The officers and soldiers were alarmed and reacted immediately. But they only released two rounds of arrows before the fast horses rushed to the front. A mere few hundred people guarding the ferry were wiped out in an instant.
Red Lady arranged people to guard all around to prevent the news from leaking or from the escaping officers and soldiers. She also personally selected more than a hundred trusted subordinates who were highly skilled in martial arts. Then she brought along those who were good at sailing and knew how to operate a boat. Some of them changed into officers and soldiers' clothes and the rest hid in the cabin. After everything was arranged, the boat left the ferry and headed downstream. Their destination: Sima Qian Temple more than ten miles away on the opposite bank.
Sima Qian Temple was more than two miles away from the river bank. The ferry by the river was called Sima Qian Ferry. This was the main ferry between Longmen and Zhichuan. It was also one of the main docks for Shaanxi's grain transportation to the north. This was the big dock on the opposite bank. After the ships loaded the grain and goods, they would generally go downstream to Feiling Ferry or Pujin Ferry to unload the goods. There were mainly commercial and cargo ships there. However, although it was a civil transport dock, due to the urgent war situation in Shanxi, the dock was also controlled by officers and soldiers. Ships were not allowed to enter the water in the near future and the dock had been sealed.
Red Lady's goal was to sail to this dock and seize the ships to sail back to the north bank.
Madman Zhao's army stopped at Nanjia Town, which was twenty miles away from Xiangfen City. They began to rest calmly. Early in the morning, the commoners in the town suddenly saw so many horses swarming into the town. Although they did not kill or rob the poor commoners and did not rape the women, they were still afraid. They hurriedly went back home, closed their doors and peeked through the crack of the door.
Other than Madman Zhao's troops, not a single commoner could be seen on the streets. Madman Zhao's close to ten thousand men and horses did not care at all. They occupied the teahouses, inns and some rich gentry's houses, demanding rice and food for the people and horses. After resting for more than an hour, the army left the town and continued to head north.
Before they reached Lian Village, Madman Zhao gave an order. The army left the main road and turned southwest. They traveled along West Jia, North Jia and Jia Gang and began to rapidly advance southwest. Jin merchants were all over the world. These small towns named after Jia were very rich. However, Zhao Sui's army did not stop.
Although the warhorses were a little tired, they did not show any mercy to them. They galloped at a speed no slower than when they came. Their direction was Hejin. Fifty miles south was Luochi. The White Uniform Army's guerrilla warfare had always been aimless. They would attack wherever they wanted. However, this time, Madman Zhao had a card up his sleeve. He built the plank road, lured the enemy deep in, besieged Wei to rescue Zhao, and created a diversion.
At Sima Qian's ferry, the fake soldiers attacked the real ones and successfully seized more than a hundred merchant ships. The battle almost ended without any bloodshed. Red Lady stood at the dock. She watched as the merchant ships continuously transported the troops and horses to the south bank. Suddenly, a mischievous look flashed in her eyes. She was like Monkey Sun who jumped out of Buddha's palm. She was immensely proud of herself.
"Yang Ling, you have always been invincible. But this time, you suffered a great loss because of us peasants, right?"
Just when her smiling eyes curved, she couldn't help but frown. "That fellow, he has never lost a battle before. This time, he was deceived by Madman Zhao. I wonder if he will fly into a rage out of humiliation?"
"Sigh!" A faint sigh was filled with concern. If Madman Zhao, who was rushing all the way here and worrying about her success, knew about her thoughts, he might really go mad with anger.
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