Chapter 381 King of Qin (Part )

In the report that Shu army commander Wang Zongkan submitted to Shu emperor Wang Jian, he detailed how critical the situation was under Fengxiang city, and how powerful the nearly 10,000 cavalry led by Liang Dynasty King Song Xiao Yan were. He also openly expressed his concerns that Qiliang might have reached a cooperation agreement.

Wang Zongkan had of course only one goal, which was to no longer be greedy for Fengxiang and to recall the army in time.

But Wang Zongkan obviously did not understand one thing clearly. Not only him, but also the vast majority of people in Qi State and hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in and outside Fengxiang were confused about this matter.

That is Xiao Yan, who should have appeared in Fengxiang with Ding Badu. However, he is not in Fengxiang at the moment, but is still far away in the Wugong frontier in the middle section of the Wei River.

It was not surprising that everyone, including Wang Zongkan, believed this. Ding Ba had shown up at that time, and he was so aggressive. Although the central army did not set up ceremonial guards, dozens of officers and soldiers who were as fierce as wolves and tigers stood around a flag with the word “Xiao” on it, and they actually obeyed orders.

No matter how you look at it, it is clear that only Xiao Yan in person can restrain these arrogant and even overbearing officers.

This is why they lack intelligence.

What Xiao Yan said to the imperial guards at Yingtian Gate in Luoyang at that time was not false at all. As long as he was in charge of the army, although he received generous rewards, the military discipline and military law were always very strict. No matter whether the mistakes of the generals and soldiers were big or small, Xiao Yan would never tolerate them.

This was the rule Xiao Yan had set when he was fighting in Hebei and the grasslands in the past. At that time, there were still many troublemakers, but they were all subdued by Xiao Yan himself. In terms of personal strength, Xiao Yan was the best in the entire army. In terms of prestige and appeal, Xiao Yan could easily get tens of thousands of people in Hebei, Liaodong, and Mobei to prepare their own weapons and join the army.

The prestige in the army lies in Xiao Yan alone. Countless officers under him are eager to have a chance to show up in front of Xiao Yan, so they try to please him one by one, wishing they could train the soldiers under their command like cattle and horses. Although they cannot do the thing of not demolishing houses even if they freeze to death, or not looting even if they starve to death, they can still enforce orders and prohibitions, and that is no empty talk.

Dingbadu and Guide Army have always taken military law to heart. If someone commits a crime in the army, they will be whipped or beheaded. Officers are not immune. Before being beheaded, they will be told: “Just go on your journey with peace of mind. The King of Song will take care of your wife and children. Don’t worry.”

Therefore, even if Xiao Yan was not in the army, no matter how domineering Ding Ba was, he would only side with the enemy on the battlefield. Those who disobeyed military orders would be killed in Luoyang and Bian Jing with nearly 10,000 heads.

Therefore, when Xiao Yan sent out two groups from Luoyang this time, no news leaked out.

At that time, Yang Shihou in Chang’an refused to obey orders and even tried his best to shirk his responsibilities for the imperial decree. Xiao Yan took the opportunity to be furious with Yang Shihou and first sent Tian Daocheng to lead 8,000 Dingbadu to Baqiao to welcome the emperor. Later, he asked Li Sian to lead the cavalry of Shenwei, Gongchen and Zhuosheng to the Wugong line to suppress the Shu army.

But in actual operation, it was Li Sian who led the troops to station in Baqiao, while Tian Daocheng and Ding Badu rode non-stop through Xianyang and Qianxian and detoured north to rescue Fengxiang. The two created a time difference, which not only confused Yang Shihou, but also confused the Shu army. This resulted in Tang Daoxi, the Shu army’s western army commander, rushing to the front line of Wugong with his troops, only to find a few empty cities with no soldiers stationed.

After Ding Ba left Luoyang, some people in the court who were dissatisfied with Xiao Yan jumped out to collude with other towns. Xiao Yan quickly put down the unrest in Luoyang in just one night. After that, he moved on to capture Yang Shihou alive, and did not even stop for a moment. He led the Guide Army to rush for several days and encircled and annihilated Tang Daoxi’s troops who were withdrawing from the Wugong front line and returning to the Shu Army camp in Fengxiang.

At that time, Tang Daoxi’s troops were marching desperately without armor. From the time their scouts discovered the Guide Army to the time the two armies engaged in battle, only one-third of Tang Daoxi’s soldiers were able to wear armor. Therefore, there was almost no suspense in this battle. More than a thousand Shu soldiers were beheaded and more than five thousand were captured. At the same time, Tang Daoxi was also captured alive, and countless other generals were captured.

After fighting for 800 miles and leading the troops in a forced march for nearly ten days, Xiao Yan was almost glued to the horse’s back. In the end, he achieved the strategic goal of the first phase before Tang Daoxi escaped from the net.

Of course, Ye Bushou, who was constantly running around to gather intelligence and military intelligence during this period, played a huge role.

“Don’t worry about the defeated troops and prisoners.”

In the temporary camp, Xiao Yan stood with his hands on the hilt of his sword and legs crossed in front of a map spread out on the ground. His sharp eyes swept over the Guide Army generals on his left and right, who were also dirty and in a mess, but full of energy, and said, “Let the defeated Shu army escape, and leave the prisoners here. Jing Xiang will arrange people to receive them.”

Someone asked, “What if the defeated troops escape back to Fengxiang to report the news?”

Before Xiao Yan could answer, Yu Zhong on his left had already glared at the man with a look of disappointment: “What we want is for them to escape back. If they don’t escape back, how will Wang Zongkan know that we are in Wugong County? You have a stupid brain!”

Li Sian, who had already met up with Xiao Yan, was standing on the right side of the former. At this moment, his slightly fierce eyes also lit up.

Xiao Yan laughed loudly, then nodded to the generals: “Not bad.”

In the past two years, Yu Zhong’s growth has been extremely fast. He is now capable of standing on his own, or at least able to keep up with Xiao Yan’s thinking.

The generals were about to listen attentively when a few Ye Bu Shou came with the meal. However, seeing that they were discussing matters here, they stood far away and waited.

Under the current conditions, the food was naturally very rough. Although the Shu army’s baggage was captured, the Shu army only had dry food and other supplies. Tang Daoxi’s food was good, and it was said that he even brought two famous chefs from Shu to the army. Unfortunately, all the fruits, vegetables and meat were sold to Xiao Yan.

However, Xiao Yan had the few fruits, vegetables and meats distributed to the brave soldiers who had fought during the day. Their current food was the same as that of ordinary soldiers, which was just porridge mixed with dried vegetables, and easy-to-carry cakes baked with coarse grains of beans and wheat.

Xiao Yan was really thirsty and hungry, so he waved for someone to bring food. He immediately held the wooden bowl and drank and ate the porridge and bread in three or five mouthfuls. The bottom of the bowl was clean as if it had been washed. The generals followed suit and all sat on the ground. After drinking the porridge in big gulps, they all showed satisfied and comfortable smiles.

Xiao Yan was very satisfied, and then he said: “Wang Zongkan used his troops steadily, and he might be considering retreating at the moment, but whether he wants to retreat or when he wants to retreat has nothing to do with us. After the defeated soldiers fled back to Fengxiang and brought the news of Tang Daoxi’s defeat and capture to Wang Zongkan, our troops were in the east of Fengxiang and were slowly approaching Fengxiang in Wang Zongkan’s mind. He also mentioned our location in the report he submitted to Hanzhong.”

The generals listened attentively, but Xiao Yan suddenly smiled and made a semicircle on the map with his scabbard: “And we have already turned quickly from Luogu Pass to Hanzhong…”

“This is a good plan!” Li Sian slapped his thigh fiercely, and then paused after everyone’s gaze, and said with a straight face: “King Song’s plan is indeed very promising. That kid Wang Jian is in Hanzhong now, and he is probably still dreaming of destroying Qi in one battle. When our army leaves Luogu Pass and rushes down along Tangluo Road, when we are at the gates of the city, we will definitely scare the bile out of Wang Jian!”

Li Sian was a very arrogant guy, afraid that people would think he was too flattering to Xiao Yan, and his words were so dry that it was unbearable to watch.

Yu Zhong coughed and said, “Your Majesty, the 400-li Tangluo Road is the most dangerous of the four plank roads in the Qinling Mountains. Although it has always been controlled by Daliang, according to intelligence, the Shu army has also set up garrisons in this mountain range. Should we send a general to open the way and repair the road first?”

As he said this, he immediately clasped his fists and asked, “If you need me to clear the way, I am willing to go.”

The performance of the Guide Army following Xiao Yan in the 800-mile battle actually made Yu Zhong very proud. When Xiao Yan went out of Hebei to raid the grassland and fought all the way to the Mobei royal court, Ding Badu and the Lulong Army followed him. The predecessors of the Guide Army, the Yichang Army and the Youzhou Army, were surrendered armies and were not qualified to participate in that war. Therefore, under Xiao Yan’s command, Ding Badu always had a slight advantage over the Guide Army.

This time, the Guide Army rushed to Luoyang to settle the situation. Although it made a great splash, the technical content was actually not high, and they didn’t even fight any tough battles. The Guide Army was full of energy, and that was to take this opportunity to suppress Ding Badu. How could they not seize this opportunity?
Yu Zhong knew that his men were all northern soldiers, and even though they had been in Bianjing for a year, they might not be able to stand the climate in Sichuan and Shu, especially since it was already midsummer, so he could not be careless. That was why he volunteered to be the vanguard as the commander of the army, just to ensure that the Guide Army could fight well in this battle. Unexpectedly, Xiao Yan just raised his hand to scratch the dense stubble on his chin, making a rustling sound, and then smiled without saying anything.

Yu Zhong and several officers of the Guide Army who were vying to be the vanguard were stunned. Li Sian snorted coldly: “The King of Song has always led the troops, how can he use you? This battle is a surprise attack. No matter how difficult the Tangluo Road is, we have to cross it. There is no need to talk about whether to open the way or not. Whoever dares to block the way will be slaughtered. But…”

Li Sian hesitated for a rare moment before he said vaguely, “Although the King of Song is the bravest of the three armies, he is too young and has no children. I think it is better for him to avoid such things as leading by example…”

The generals were stunned, and then they all became worried. Although they didn’t say anything, their meanings expressed more than any words.

Xiao Yan cursed with a smile, then stood up and gave an order: “Let the entire army rest for another quarter of an hour, and then immediately set off south. Bring everything you can eat and drink, and we will replenish our supplies when we reach Luogu Pass.”

Everyone said nothing. This kind of long-day march was a common occurrence for them. They all clasped their fists and dispersed instantly.

Xiao Yan was still sitting cross-legged in front of the map. His robe was already covered with stains and his face was dusty and sweaty. However, the whole army was like this and no one could expect any accidents. At this time, naturally no one would have the time to care about their own image.

The sound of someone reining in a horse and shouting was heard outside the camp. Several night guards ran over to hold the horse for the visitor, while the visitor strode straight towards Xiao Yan.

It was Jiang Chen who came over with Ba Ge. Jiang Chen actually looked a little unhappy, but when she saw the dusty Xiao Yan, she instantly became happy again. She walked around Xiao Yan, her shoulders shaking with laughter: “You look even more miserable than when you were possessed by the devil. I can hardly recognize you, sister.”

Xiao Yan glanced at her. It was rare that this young lady did not care about beauty. The long skirt she wore with different patterns turned out to be a round-necked military uniform. It was obvious that she had secretly modified his military uniform. However, it fit her body very well and made her look quite heroic.

Jiangchen, a woman, actually had a relatively high status in the army. It was not because the Guide Army had known about the existence of Jiangchen, a mistress, in Hebei a long time ago. If divided in this way, there would be more soldiers and officers who were familiar with and respected Ji Ruxue. However, at that time in Hebei and now in Guanzhong, Jiangchen had repeatedly saved many wounded soldiers who were only breathing their last breath. Everyone knew that King Song had a mistress who was the living Bian Que by his side. Therefore, in terms of the morale of the soldiers, Jiangchen was actually on par with Ji Ruxue.

Bago walked behind carrying two large bags, like a hardworking follower of the surrendered minister. However, judging from the coldness in her eyes, it was obvious that she did not like her identity.

Xiao Yan’s eyes fell on the two large bundles. With his elbows on his knees, he leaned over and rubbed his stubble with his fingers, his tone somewhat surprised: “You prepared everything so quickly?”

“Anti-malaria medicine made with mugwort and realgar. Here, there are two packets on the horse’s back. But you asked for it too hastily, and the herbs in Chang’an are running low. I only had time to make you about a thousand sets, but I think it will be enough to cross the Qinling Mountains.”

Jiang Chen had an expression that showed he was disgusted with Xiao Yan for being too dirty, but as he spoke, he squatted down beside Xiao Yan and said, “Tell me, sister, I have helped you so much. I came here from Chang’an and traveled hundreds of miles to chase you. My butt was broken. How do you repay me?”

“Rub it?” Xiao Yan said seriously.

“Dead.” Jiang Chen pushed Xiao Yan’s forehead with a finger in disgust, and then stared at him dimly.

Xiao Yan was originally smiling, but at this moment his smile faded away. He said seriously, “What do you want? If I can do it, I will definitely do it.”

Jiang Chen stared into his eyes carefully, and suddenly raised his chin proudly: “You owe me something. Anyway, you have to remember that you owe me something today.”

Xiao Yan was not polite to her, and said: “One is owed, and the other is also owed. Just treat it as a favor and do me another favor.”

Jiang Chenxu narrowed his peach blossom eyes and waved his beautiful fingernails: “My favor is not easy to repay. If small favors accumulate into big ones, don’t regret it.”

“I heard that my elder sister is in Shu.” Xiao Yan said, “Then can Hou Qing’s corpse be contacted through my elder sister? I need him to help me do something.”

——

It was late June, and the sky and earth were gradually filled with heat, and Hanzhong was no exception.

Hanzhong is the old name. The current Hanzhong is called Xingyuan Prefecture, with its seat in Nanzheng.

A slender handsome man, carrying a sword on his back, stood on the top of Nanzheng City Wall, looking around carefully as if no one was around, and then walked down the wall from the corridor with his hands behind his back. A burly, slightly dark blue-skinned, wild giant with a demon mask covering his mouth and nose came over from the corner of the city and asked in a deep voice, “What are you doing up there?”

“Of course, we should observe where the wall is the weakest.”

“Why do you need to observe?” The ferocious-looking giant said in a low voice, “Since they are coming from the north, just blast a corner in the north of the city. I guarantee it won’t be difficult to run away.”

The handsome man thought for a moment, then turned around again. Under the perplexed gaze of the vicious giant, he walked up to the top of the city wall. He helped up the nearly unconscious guards among the soldiers who had collapsed on the ground. However, the latter was shaky, so the handsome man had to lean him against the bricks of the city wall, clasped his hands together, and bowed apologetically: “Sorry, I called the wrong number. Please pretend I was never here.”

The guard had one of his panda eyes tightly closed, but the other was wide open. He made a loud sound from his mouth but shook his head desperately.

The handsome man thought about it seriously, took out a gold ingot from his sleeve and placed it in the guard’s palm: “It’s for the medicine. No thanks.”

The guard was stunned, then he stared at the back of the handsome man with his eyes widened even more, it turned out that the ferocious giant was walking up.

The ferocious giant asked the handsome man, “Why did you hit them?”

“I just came up, and this man asked me why I trespassed into the city wall. I said I came to enjoy the view, but he disagreed, so we fought twice.” The handsome man heard the shouting coming from the street in the city, and looked back. He saw a team of Shu soldiers in armor and holding spears rushing towards this place with great momentum. He raised his finger with a solemn expression, and the long sword behind him sheathed itself and flew forward. The handsome man stepped on it and extended his hand to the ferocious giant as an invitation.

The ferocious giant looked at the handsome man’s unstable and even slightly trembling sword and shook his head. The latter happily flew away on the sword without any concern.

So the ferocious giant looked back at the guard on the city wall who had clearly seen his face, hesitated for a moment, then reached out and grabbed the latter and jumped straight down from the city wall which was two or three feet high, and disappeared in the distance in an instant.

(End of this chapter)