Everything inside the city pass was too dramatic.
All the local officials and soldiers inside the pass believed that the Ming army would definitely not be able to take Loushan Pass. Even if they attacked with all the strength of a country, it would probably take several years before there was even a sliver of a chance. It had to be known that the terrain of Bozhou was so dangerous that even the Dayuan iron cavalry had flinched at the sight of it.
Yet, there were so many local soldiers lying weakly on the ground, drenched in sweat. Fires broke out everywhere inside the pass. It was chaos. In the darkness, people cried out that the soldiers had entered the pass. Could this be fake? The soldiers had only just arrived at the gates! It hadn't even been a day.
All of this quickly destroyed the fighting spirit of the defending army. No one had the strong will to calmly face all of this. The morale of the army was in chaos and could not be controlled. The darkness of the night and the chaos made it much more difficult for the high-ranking local officials to command and pacify. As a result … this natural stronghold that seemed the most unconquerable fell at the fastest speed possible.
When Liu Dadao was still bluffing in front of the pass, Ye Xiaotian's mountain soldiers swung their ropes and descended from the sky to step onto the pass, the fake became real. The defending army on the wall could have quickly killed and exterminated them, but at this time, there was no one on the wall who could carry out an effective command. The local soldiers either fought on their own or slipped away in the darkness. Ye Xiaotian's troops quickly gained a foothold.
What happened next was nothing to write home about. To put it simply, Loushan Pass had changed hands!
This battle seemed easy, but in reality, in order to take Loushan Pass in one fell swoop, many unknown plots and schemes had been used behind the scenes. A great deal of manpower and material resources had been used, and a great deal of effort had been spent to lay out the preparations several months ago.
Even though Liu Dadao had feigned an attack outside the pass, he had actually thrown himself into battle. Arrows rained down like rain and the soldiers surrounded him like ants. Who knew how many soldiers had been lost to keep the attention of the local soldiers inside the pass focused on them.
Li Hualong, who was watching over the Chongqing government, quickly received a report of victory. On the 29th, Liu Ting had broken through the Nine Plates and taken Loushan Pass. The commander of Tongren's Crouching Bull Ridge, Ye Xiaotian, had the greatest merit!
Li Hualong was overjoyed, but he did not forget himself. Loushan Pass was the ultimate gateway to Bozhou. He knew that once it was lost, Yang Yinglong would certainly risk his life to take it. Loushan Pass was easy to defend and difficult to attack on the outside, but it was not such a natural stronghold on the inside. Loushan Pass was easy to defend and difficult to attack on the outside, but it was not such a natural stronghold on the inside.
Yang Yinglong had concentrated his forces to counterattack Loushan Pass. Originally, it was possible to recapture Loushan Pass, but at this time, Zongbing Ma led his troops and met up with Liu Dadao at Loushan Pass!
In fact, Yang Yinglong also knew that Ma Liying's troops were advancing rapidly. Once they joined forces with Liu Dadao, they would no longer be shaken. Therefore, he personally led the troops to counterattack Loushan Pass while his son, Yang Chaodong, led the troops to stop Commander Ma's advance.
Unfortunately, the young couple, Ma Qiancheng and Qin Liangyu, had already been completely designated by Commander Ma as the vanguard. The White Pole Army was like a fish in water in mountain warfare. They also received the full support of Ma's supplies and supplies. They even cooperated with the regular army of the court and were given to Qin Liangyu to deploy.
In this battle, facing an enemy several times their size, the White Pole Army displayed their might and defeated the Bozhou army. Yang Chaodong's three armies had failed in their surprise attack on Liu Dadao and he had fled back to Bozhou. This time, he had suffered another great defeat. He knew that even though he was the eldest son, he had no face to face his father after repeated defeats and losses. He was determined to die rather than retreat. In the end, he had been captured alive by Qin Liangyu.
After Liu Dadao had taken Loushan Pass, he was not in a hurry to advance. The Ming army had failed several times in suppressing the rebels. Admittedly, it was because they had fallen into the ambush of the Bozhou army. But wasn't it also because they had taken risks and advanced without coordination, so they had been defeated one by one?
Liu Dadao had always been brave and skilled in battle. His temperament was like a raging fire. At this time, his temperament had changed greatly. He advanced step by step and fought steadily to deal with the enemy. He did a good job in Loushan Pass, waiting at ease for the exhausted to fight against the Bozhou troops personally led by Yang Yinglong. These two good brothers of the past were now locked in a fierce battle on the battlefield.
At this time, the news of Yang Chaodong's defeat and capture came. Yang Yinglong's last hope was dashed. He was in a stalemate with Liu Dadao. Ma Liying had defeated his son, Yang Chaodong, and was aggressively charging over. If he didn't retreat now, he would probably die here.
Yang Yinglong could only look up to the sky and sigh. "The heavens are not protecting me!"
Helpless, Yang Yinglong could only hastily withdraw his troops. Although he still controlled most of Bozhou, he knew that once Loushan Pass was broken, not only would the Ming army be able to march straight in, but there would also be an endless stream of reinforcements. This would also inspire the other seven armies. Now, it was as difficult as ascending to heaven to protect a corner of Bozhou, much less the world.
On Loushan Pass, Tian Xiufeng wore a windbreaker as though she could not stand the bitter cold of the morning. What was cold was not her body but her heart. She hadn't expected that Loushan Pass, which she had believed to be unconquerable, would fall in one day. And Yang Yinglong's counterattack had ultimately ended in failure.
The person who was even more passionate about rebellion than Yang Yinglong was her. Was it in her blood that she liked to take risks, or was it because her unyielding beliefs encouraged her? At this time, she had no way to analyze it. What she knew very well was that Loushan Pass had fallen, and Liu Dadao had held it. Unless a miracle occurred, Yang Yinglong's defeat and death would only be a matter of time.
This conclusion was a serious blow to Tian Xiufeng. At this moment, she stood on the pass, still a peerless beauty, and her slender and elegant appearance gave people a feeling of being delicate and pitiful. But for her, she was only an empty shell. Her ideals, her beliefs, had all disappeared with the fall of Loushan Pass.
Looking at her pitiful appearance, even Zhan Ning 'er, who had always been hostile to her, couldn't bear to attack her again. Zhan Ning 'er sighed softly and said to Ye Xiaotian, "I'm leaving!"
The outcome of the battle of Bozhou had been decided from the change of hands at Loushan Pass. It was time for Yu Junting, who had been eagerly waiting at Geshangdu, to make a move. Otherwise, it would be too late to wait until the overall situation was settled. At that time, she would have made a wedding dress for someone else. Zhan Ning 'er needed to immediately rush to Geshangdu and inform Yu Junting to begin nibbling away at the southeastern corner of Bozhou.
Ye Xiaotian nodded and slowly walked up the pass. The morning mist curled up in spirals, and the mountains and valleys were all hazy in the white mist. Ye Xiaotian sat down on a box of arrows. Tian Xiufeng had already noticed his arrival, but after a long time, she walked over and also sat down in a corner of the box.
"Lord Ye, it looks like you've won!"
Tian Xiufeng had lost some of her seductive charm, and instead had a kind of dignified beauty. Although she was depressed in her heart, her expression and tone were very indifferent. As proud as she was, she wouldn't show her depression in front of Ye Xiaotian.
Ye Xiaotian smiled and said, "Actually, before we took down Loushan pass, I had always been worried. Although I'm so composed and in the mood to watch Ning 'er fight with you, I'm just finding joy in my misery. "
Tian Xiufeng looked at Ye Xiaotian in some surprise. Ye Xiaotian said, "I've even once thought that if the imperial court loses, they can leave, but the Crouching Ox Ridge won't be able to move. What should I do then? Will you persuade Yang Yinglong to spare my Crouching Ox Ridge for the sake of me showing mercy? "
Tian Xiufeng squinted her crescent-moon-shaped eyes slightly. Ye Xiaotian said, "I've even thought about whether I should beat you at your own game and really 'eat' you. Although we won't be husband and wife in name, we'll be husband and wife in reality. Perhaps … I'll have an additional layer of protection!"
Although Tian Xiufeng had tried to seduce him more than once before, a blush still appeared on her white jade-like cheeks like rouge.
Ye Xiaotian said, "Fortunately, I won!"
Tian Xiufeng's eyes dimmed. Suddenly, she asked, "Then what about you? After you win, can you spare us?"
Ye Xiaotian asked, "Who are you referring to by 'we'?"
Tian Xiufeng remained silent. She obviously understood that the 'we' she was referring to was far too broad. It would be wishful thinking if she wanted Ye Xiaotian to protect her. It was impossible for him to have that ability.
Ye Xiaotian said, "You're currently in my army. You've never had the opportunity to take part in the rebellion. I can protect your life. You know the Yang clan of Bozhou. Even the emperor can't spare them. However, I can think of something for the White Mud Tian Clan. "
"Thank you!"
Tian Xiufeng thanked Ye Xiaotian sincerely. Their identities and relationship had always been complicated, so it was very difficult for her to treat Ye Xiaotian as a hostile enemy. She believed that it was the same for Ye Xiaotian.
Tian Xiufeng thanked him and looked at the mountains that resembled a fairyland in the curling white mist. She thought gloomily, My husband, my children, my elder brother, my family. They've all been pushed to a dead end by my ambition and desire. Can I abandon them and drag out an ignoble existence?
