Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 578 The bloody battle in Fallen Leaf Valley

Valley,

The thick white fog seemed to be burning with blood, hot and tragic.

"The whole army obeys the order, and the whole army kills them. Anyone who retreats will die. Kill them!"

"Kill!"

"Brothers, fight them and kill them!"

"Kill!"

Roaring and screaming intertwined!
Two mountains later, there was a fierce fighting in the Taiping Sect camp. The first one who could not hold out was the ambush army ambushed in Zuoshan. Because Zuo Ling's camp was in Youshan, it was the main force of the ambush army. Although he was at a disadvantage, he still relied on his numbers. Stand firm.

However, the Zuoshan Taiping Sect ambushed the army and caused most of the casualties. However, none of the Taiping Sect members who were already furious with the killings retreated and fought to the end.
An hour later,
More than 10,000 people died here, and Qian Jiang's face turned ugly. This 10,000-strong rebel army, like new recruits, actually cost him 3,000 elite soldiers. How could he not be frightened? No one surrendered. He thought of the firewood on the mountain opposite. The lieutenant general's situation must be unfavorable;
He gritted his teeth and shouted,
"Assemble the entire army and aim at Youshan to support General Chai. We will deal with it when we come back."

"promise."

Regardless of exhaustion, Qian Jiang led the 3,000 soldiers and horses who had suffered a tragic victory and rushed towards Youshan from behind. Gu Ping, leading more than 10,000 troops, remained stationed at the foot of the mountain, watching Qianjiang lead the army back to Youshan, and kept Unmoved.

Hearing Song Liang's shout,
In battle,
Gu Ping, who seemed to be concentrating with his eyes closed, opened his eyes instantly when he heard this, with a flash of light in his eyes, and then suddenly looked into the thick fog in front of him. Sure enough, they were here, waiting for them, and he ordered to the left and right,
"Generals, follow the plan and let's get started."

His eyes were always fixed on the flat area of ​​the valley mouth ahead, waiting for the enemy to appear, thinking that reinforcements were not far away.

Hearing a whistling sound, his face changed, and a shrill cry sounded,

At this time, Wei Siyuan, the protector of the Taiping Sect, was feeling uneasy while walking, but when he thought that Gu Ping only had 30,000 troops, Zuo Ling's ambush army alone had more than 30,000 troops, plus his own 30,000 troops. , even if you can't beat them, you can still draw a tie and retreat calmly.

Several of his battalion generals took the order and left. Then, there was a change in the rear of the battle formation. The five thousand soldiers behind them formed a dense formation. The soldiers immediately put down their short blades, unloaded their crossbows and took out their arrows. , then raised the crossbow high and began to string it. When the sound of messy footsteps came from the thick fog,
A lieutenant looked alertly at the thick fog ahead, where shadows gradually appeared, and immediately shouted,
"The crossbowmen are ready, aim at the thick fog directly ahead, one hundred and fifty steps, release!"

suddenly,

Tang Zheng knew that the troops and horses of the imperial court were in front of him. It seemed that he had planned it in advance, and he felt something in his heart.
"Quick, form a formation,"

The voice has not fallen,

From the rear of the battle formation, the sound of "whooshing" could be heard from the crossbows, rising like a dark cloud and shooting toward the front overwhelmingly.

I just feel uneasy everywhere.

Therefore, taking advantage of the strong morale, after leaving the military camp, Tang Zheng was asked to lead an army of 10,000 to open the way, while he followed closely behind with 20,000 troops to support them one after another.

Song Liang led two thousand cavalry to follow him, making quick detours. When passing by the formation, he shouted:

As a confidant of Taiping Cult Wei Siyuan, he was not a vegetarian when leading an army. He immediately reacted, and then his subordinates quickly formed a round formation with shields, and the spearmen followed behind.
Seeing that the formation was completed, Tang Zheng did not hesitate and immediately ordered,

"Yes, General."

in the clouds and mist,
Suddenly there was a rapid sound of horse hooves, and then, from the thick fog, the figures of the vanguard cavalry gradually appeared, all of them galloping back,

"The enemy is attacking, raise your shield and be careful with crossbow arrows!"

"General Gu, the main enemy force at Taniguchi has moved. At least 30,000 troops have been brought in to attack, and the speed is very fast!"

Crossbow arrows rained down, and in an instant, countless people fell to the ground, and screams suddenly sounded everywhere.

Although the Fallen Leaf Valley is a valley, the valley is very spacious, so it does not feel narrow. However, the fog is too thick and it is difficult to see what is ahead.

Tang Zheng, who was leading the front, was even more anxious. There were many people around him, but that vague worry always lingered in his heart.

"Go forward, rush through,"

Then the army started to trot. Then Wei Siyuan saw something happened ahead and knew that the court troops were not far away, so he ordered,

"Speed ​​up the march, spread out to the left and right, and kill directly,"

"Yes, protector,"

The deputy general beside him responded and went down to deliver the order.

Don't wait a moment,

The five thousand crossbowmen behind Gu Ping loaded their crossbows again.
"Crossbow archers are ready, a hundred steps away, release!"

Then another rain of arrows was shot into the sky. Just because the people from the Taiping Sect had been prepared, the result was disastrous.
Gu Ping, who was leading the army, saw figures flickering in the clouds and mist, and knew that the army of thieves had arrived. He immediately drew his long sword and

"Listen to orders left and right, strictly guard your position, and do not go out to fight."

"Yes, General."

Just finished,
The Taiping Sect troops on the opposite side suddenly quickened their pace and rushed over. The two armies met on a narrow road on the official road under the hills in the valley.

"Kill, kill those who retreat."

Following the shouts of the supervising team, the Taiping Sect members seemed to be going crazy. Elites as strong as Gu Ping were also shocked by this scene.

Under the command of Tang Zheng, a mass killing was carried out indiscriminately, but it had a miraculous effect in the thick fog. It immediately opened a gap in the front army. Tang Zheng was overjoyed and immediately led his troops towards the gap.

Gu Ping was also a little surprised in his heart, and cursed secretly, they are all madmen, so many people have died in vain, and yet they still rush like this,
"The right back retreats and relies on the left back to re-establish the defense line."

"Yes, General."

I saw the right guards under Gu Ping's command moving slowly and detouring backwards, but Tang Zheng was unwilling to give in. More than half of his men had been killed or injured. He finally opened a hole. How could he get a chance to escape? He shouted,
"The balance will bring peace to the world, and the world will be at peace."

Then the Taiping Sect's followers turned red with eyes, roared angrily, raised their swords and charged forward. For a moment, the two armies were at war and could not retreat.

This scene made Gu Ping's face change slightly.

Immediately afterwards, the footsteps of a large number of people came from the front, and reinforcements from the Taiping Sect arrived.

Linyue Fucheng,

Under the north city gate, all the government troops in the city had already gathered. Nearly 30,000 people were silent. Magistrate Li and others stood on the gate tower at the head of the city, looking to the north with wide eyes. However, they were surrounded by clouds and mist, making it difficult to see the road. They were worried.

"General Qin, isn't it too risky? Let's march out with all our strength. Just in case, just in case, General Gu doesn't come. I'm afraid it won't be easy to retreat."

After speaking tremblingly, Li Cheng was still a little restrained in his words. He originally wanted to say that if he was blocked in front and back, not only would he not be able to come back, but he would probably lose everything and end up with his entire army wiped out and his body and head missing. Those thieves are really afraid of eating human flesh alive.

Tongzhi Lu Ren was so frightened that his face turned pale. Although he had prepared a carriage in the past few days, in order to catch up with the team on the way, he brought all the horses from the government office. One carriage was pulled by two horses. , with his wife, children, and children, although he felt uneasy, but with the government troops moving forward together, his life was relatively stable these days.

But now, if I really want to leave the city, I have to break through and fight out. I am in a panic. How to do it? I can't see clearly due to the thick fog. If there is an ambush, how to run away?
: "Yes, General Qin, do you want to wait a few more days? You see the fog outside the city is very heavy and you can't see the surroundings clearly. Although you are not afraid of getting lost, what should you do if the bandits are ambushed?"

Qin Yunjiang had a cold face and stood at the top of the city looking at the fog like a sea of ​​clouds. His mind was heavy. Life and death were in his hands. The words of the prefect and tongzhi were not unreasonable, but they couldn't wait any longer.

"My lords, it's because of the fog that we can hide our figures so that we can sneak out of the city and avoid the Taiping thieves' eyes. If you can't seize this opportunity, when do you want to leave?"

"Then what if there's an ambush outside?"

Although Tong Juan was sensible, he would never dare to fight with real swords and spears. Seeing that General Qin was about to lead his army out of the city, as for the young men left behind in Lin Yue Mansion, they were all abandoned. All the people who died in the night were sealed. Although there was no more attack outside the city, the number of Taiping Sect people on the east slope remained undiminished. It seemed that they were waiting for the siege equipment to be built. Will there be another attack? There is an ambush on the road, I can't tell.

"Then fight a bloody road. Today, I will let Lan Xiao lead the brothers from the old camp to the front. The remaining government troops will follow on the left and right wings. When you encounter the rebel army, don't stop, kill them, and go straight to Luoye. Gu, although I don’t have a perfect plan, my lords, if you wait any longer, if General Gu doesn’t come, Lin Yue Mansion will be dead, and there will be no reinforcements from the court. At that time, the sky will not work and the earth will not work. Yes, so what?"

Qin Yunjiang thought about it for two days, but there was no news from General Gu. Something must have happened on the way, and he didn't have much time left. He turned his head and looked at the three prefects.
Li Cheng looked at General Qin's heavy expression, and his heart skipped a beat. Logically speaking, Qin Yunjiang was a rare general. Although he was not familiar with him, he had heard a lot about what General Qin had done back then, and even he was a little confused. Not confident, the prefect Li Cheng and others smiled bitterly. They would eventually abandon the city and flee. The food and grass in the city would not be able to hold it for that long.

"Everything is subject to General Qin's orders. We will definitely cooperate. However, I don't know when I will be able to come back after leaving. Although I am dull and have only been here for a short time, I have already developed feelings for every plant and tree here. If I really want the court to punish me, as the magistrate, I will never make it difficult for General Qin to do it."

Li Cheng also thought about it, life and death are only today, the court will punish you while you are alive, and your whole family will be here after you die. Unfortunately, what you have learned in your heart is that your life is wasted, and you will end without any disease as soon as you get better.

When the magistrate Yang Luo and fellow magistrate Lu Ren saw that the magistrate had made a decisive decision, their hearts trembled and they worshiped together.

"Sir, I will follow you and General Qin to advance and retreat together,"

After saying that, the two bowed and bowed again.

For a moment, the atmosphere was extremely solemn.

"Report, general, the brothers in the old camp are ready. The guide, his wife and children are also leaving the city with us."

Lieutenant General Lan Xiao,

He went up to the city wall to report with a firm look on his face, and on the streets below the city, a large number of government troops had already been assembled and were on standby.

Looking at the people who were ready to go, Qin Yunjiang no longer hesitated.
"Open the city gate, target, Fallen Leaf Valley, and get the whole army out of the city."

"squeak"

A sound.

The city gate, which had not been opened for more than a month, was now wide open. The men and horses from the leading camp had already walked out. Lan Xiao put on his helmet and gave a military salute to everyone.
"General, gentlemen, the general has left."

After saying that, he turned around and ran down the tower. Before leaving, Qin Yunjiang shouted,
"Lan Xiao, be careful."

Lan Xiao looked back at Qin Yunjiang, nodded seriously, then galloped down, got on his horse, and led his soldiers to catch up with the former army.

Seeing the army slowly leaving the city, Qin Yunjiang said to the prefect,

"My lords, your chariots are following behind, and there are five thousand army troops behind. You are following my general's central army. You must not get separated. Whether you live or die depends on God's will."

After saying that, without waiting for the magistrate and others to speak, they went down to the city with a long sword and led the troops out of the city. Li Cheng and the other two wanted to say something else, so they opened their mouths, and in the end they just sighed,
"Quick, quick, get out the frame that has been prepared a long time ago. Let's be together so we can take care of each other."

"Yep."

The three of them did not dare to stay here, and hurriedly helped each other down the city wall. There were already servants and guards waiting here with carriages, and there were many gentry and wealthy people behind them who had got the news. Didn't Li Cheng ask them?
Give orders quickly,

"Quick, quick, follow the Chinese army in front. Your eyes are widened by this prefect. Wherever General Qin goes, we will go."

"Yes, sir."

The accompanying guards nodded in response, and then the carriage followed the team out of the city. After the people left, the last five thousand soldiers followed. However, the uninformed young defenders still followed the people after they left. Close the city gate and wait for the triumphant return of the army. After all, they ate meat and vegetables last night and were paid three months of salary. They also promised that as long as the army returns victorious, they will be paid for another three months. Although some people have doubts, but in the vain money Under the temptation, he followed the crowd and kept silent.

Captain Qingzhuang immediately shouted after seeing the army leaving,
"Quickly, close the city gate,"

Then after the city gate was closed, he went down to the top of the city, thinking about going to the city to find a kiln sister to have a good time. General Qin gave them a thousand taels of silver as an official last night. As long as they keep an eye on the city gate, it's a big deal. What a beautiful thing,

In the fog outside the city, everyone is confused!

After leaving the North City Gate,
Lan Xiao, who was walking at the front, took his brothers from the old camp and the local guide to rely on the land signs, avoiding the official road and detouring to the northwest. However, the fog was thick and the visibility was extremely low.

"Sun Yu, if you go around like this, you are sure to find the Fallen Leaf Valley. If you get lost, we will be in trouble."

The guide Sun Yu walked in the front. He picked up a handful of soil on the ground with his hands and blew it up. The east wind was blowing. Then he pointed forward with his hand and said,

"General Lan, Sun has lived here for more than ten years and has already figured out this place. If we go along the official road, those thieves from the Taiping Sect will definitely notice it. If we go around a little bit, avoid the official road, from the west The mountains run parallel to the east and directly penetrate into the valley mouth. Even if we encounter the bandit army, we will still have a chance of survival if we fight hard. If we encounter them on the official road, it will slow down the marching speed, which will be more troublesome."

Lan Xiao glanced at the guide Sun Yu in surprise. This was no ordinary hunter.

"Sun Yu, have you ever served in the army?"

"General Hui Lan, he used to serve under the Marquis of Jingnan. Later, the Marquis of Jingnan died in the capital and all the brothers dispersed."

Sun Yu shook her head and walked over first. Only Lan Xiao silently muttered, Jingnan Hou Su Yuankui, the eldest princess's consort, was shocked.

He suddenly came back to his senses and saw Sun Yu had already walked away, so he shouted hurriedly,

"Quick, keep up, everyone be on alert."

Not long after the army left, outside Lin Yue Mansion, where the Taiping Sect's camp was located, Du Shaoqing, the right protector, stood high on the camp, looking at Lin Yue Mansion's city that was disappearing and appearing in the mist, frowning, Qin Yunjiang was too difficult After being entangled, Leader Chu led a large army to surround the reinforcements and didn't know what to do. He thought of how many old, weak, sick and disabled people were wasting food in the camp, and the haze flashed,
"Come here, inform the leader of Han Banner and send troops to supervise the battle. Let the refugees carry the ladders to attack the city again and consume some."

"Yes, protector."

The soldiers around him took the order and left. After a while, the camp gate opened. The leader of the Five Elements Flag led the soldiers to escort a large number of refugees. They carried the ladder and headed towards Lin Yue Mansion. After a while, there was a cry of killing from the front. Listen to When the sound came, Du Shaoqing's eyebrows relaxed a little, and he could only wait for the situation on the leader Chu's side.

(End of this chapter)