Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 818: The main forces of the bandit army march out
The southern gateway of Beijing,

Less than ten miles away from Daliang City,
The soldiers and horses roared with great momentum. After several days' march, Wang Ziteng's army of more than 100,000 soldiers had arrived outside Daliang City. Seeing the city right in front of them, Wang Ziteng, with a weather-beaten face, frowned. It seemed too quiet. Moreover, he did not understand why there were so many barricades and traps outside the city.

At this time, my nephew Wang Ren behind me was full of joy. He had finally arrived. The weather had cleared up and he was in a good mood.

"Uncle, we are finally here. Let's go to the city tonight and have a good rest. Change your clothes. I brought a few pieces of clothing with me. It has been raining heavily for several days, and everything is wet."

As Wang Ren was talking, he began to complain. He didn't realize he hadn't checked the almanac before going out. They had been walking for nearly ten days, and most of the time it rained. Not only did it slow down the march, but if his uncle hadn't arranged for them to prepare more dry food early on, eating would have been a problem for the army. They didn't feel how hard it was in the barracks, but now that they were out, their mouths were covered with blisters.

Wang Ziteng rode on his horse with a solemn expression, not paying any attention to him. He looked carefully at the Daliang City in the distance. The arrangement was obviously for defense. In this case, the Linshan County City in the south was in danger. Thinking of this, he quickly raised his hand and shouted;

"All troops, listen up! Set up camp outside the north gate of Daliang City."

Following Wang Ziteng's order, the central army
All the messengers have gone out in all directions. As the military orders were issued, the troops slowly stopped and began to set up camp ten miles away from Daliang City. The main camp was set up on both sides of the north side of the city to support each other.

Wang Ren didn't understand why, so he looked up. He saw people moving around on the city wall, and nothing unusual. He wanted to ask why his uncle had set up camp here, but he heard the camp officer behind him coming to ask for instructions. He had no choice but to ride back. As soon as he left, he heard his uncle say,
"Wang Ren, quickly send out the rangers to guard the area,"

"Yes, Commander-in-Chief."

At the command, Wang Ren rode back quickly.

Finally,

Kang Mengyu, the imperial guard in charge of the rear guard, and Jia Lian's troops, as soon as they saw the front army stop, a messenger came and delivered an order, immediately ordering their troops to go to the left camp and station.

"Brother Kang, are you going to camp with me or stay alone?"

Jia Lian looked around and thought that this place was flat, with a wide view and a river running through it. It was a good place, much better than going into the city. He didn't know when, but after he came out, he felt much better and felt that the Rongguo Mansion was a bit stuffy. However, without a woman accompanying him, he always felt uncomfortable everywhere.

Kang Mengyu, who was not far away, rode a horse holding the reins and looked around. There was a lot of space on both sides of the official road. Instead of camping together, it would be better to camp alone. It would be more comfortable, so he replied;
"Don't worry, Brother Jia. This place is so big, it's better not to gather together. Since you go to the left side, I will go to the right side, so that we can take care of each other."

"Okay, in that case, let's disperse. Come on, march left, go ahead."

"Haha, okay, go ahead."

The two men smiled heartily, each leading their troops to march on both sides. The rumbling sound of horse hooves echoed inside and outside and spread far away. They had no idea why they were setting up camp here. It seemed that the commander-in-chief must have thought about it.

And inside the city,
Four days ago, the vanguard army that had already arrived, Jiedushi Lu Daiyuan, received the news that Wang Jieshuai's army was coming, and hurried to the top of the city wall. Looking out, he saw a huge army advancing towards this side. He thought to himself that Jieshuai was not slow, and the wrinkles on his old face relaxed a lot.

"Quick, both of you, follow me into the camp."

"Yes, father."

Lu Congyun nodded and told his deputy to prepare the personal soldiers and mounts and wait at the foot of the city. Only his second brother Lu Shiwen was dawdling on the top of the city wall, as if thinking about something. He took two quick steps and stopped his father who was rushing down the city wall and asked;

"Father, why is Marshal Wang Jie camping outside the North City?"

Lu Daiyuan, who had already descended from the city wall, was moved when he heard the words and stopped walking. He wondered what the second son had seen.

"Of course we are cautious. In the capital, it is said that the commander never rushes into battles and sets up camp outside the north city. That's the reason."

You can't make it too obvious. Setting up camp in the north city is just to use Daliang City as a warning place. If the enemy attacks, Daliang City will be the first to bear the brunt. After all, the city is solid and intact. If there is an enemy, the rear camp will have time to react quickly.

After hearing his father's explanation, Lu Shiwen nodded. It was true that what he said was correct, but he was a little too cautious.
"Father, what you said is not wrong, but I think the commander is too cautious. In the south, we have sent a large number of scouts in the past few days. If there is any change in Linshan County, they will definitely find it. However, Linshan County has been basically fine in the past few days, so why would there be such worries?"

"Ahahaha, I am very relieved that you can think of this, but Shiwen, you overlooked one point. When Chenzhou City was lost, the county city acted like this. It seemed to be fine, but in fact it was full of evil intentions. I don't know what the old governor Yu Shiyuan is up to."

Lu Daiyuan laughed, then his face darkened. He had fought wars all his life, but now he couldn't understand what was going on. It seemed that there was something fishy going on.
"What my father said is absolutely true."

Lu Shiwen suddenly realized that the scouts he sent out to investigate these days found everything to be quiet and normal, with nothing unusual. Now that he thought about it, the quieter it was, the more abnormal it was. The older he was, the wiser it was.

After the two men finished talking, everyone didn't dare to delay any longer and hurried down the city wall. Lu Daiyuan took his two sons and went out of the north gate to the central military tent.

As Wang Ziteng's army arrived, the spies in the city received a tip-off and quickly sent a message through secret channels.
soon,

The governor of Linshan County, Lord Yu, and the former crown prince, Prince Yi Zhong, Zhou Yongxiao, received the news one after another.

In the backyard of Yu Shiyuan's mansion, in the pavilion on the green hill,

The master and his disciple spread soft mats in the pavilion and sat on the ground. In front of them was a table with some cakes and tea, nothing else. It was like they were leisurely drinking tea. Zhou Yongxiao took a sip of the tea, which left a lingering fragrance in his mouth, with a slightly bitter taste, and an endless aftertaste.
"Teacher, this tea still has the original flavor, Qingshan tea, I think only you have it here."

I felt a little emotional. The so-called Qingshan Tea is the wild tea from the green mountain in my teacher's ancestral home. Although it is unknown, after being carefully nurtured by my teacher, the taste of the tea brewed from it is no less than those tributes from the south of the Yangtze River. It is extremely rare.

Yu Shiyuan smiled and shook his head.

"Whether tea is good or not does not lie in the tea leaves themselves, but in the way they are stir-fried. If used properly, even coarse tea will have flavor. If not used properly, even if it is Jiangnan Cloud Mist Tea, it will be a waste of effort. I have been anxiously waiting these days."

The last sentence has a hidden meaning. Now everything in the city is ready except for the east wind. It’s just that this wind has not come for a long time, so it is normal to feel a little uneasy.

Zhou Yongxiao was not embarrassed to be seen as a riddle by the teacher, and nodded and replied;
"Teacher has seen it. Now Lü Jiedu's army has returned to the city. It has been three days. I wonder why Wang Ziteng's troops are so slow while walking on the official road?"

Logically speaking, if we take the official road, even if the march is slow, we will arrive within three days. Now four days have passed and there is still no news. Could it be that they took a detour? Thinking about it, it doesn't make sense. Even if they took a detour, they can only go to Xihe County. However, the official road in Xihe County has been in disrepair for a long time. If we really take that route, we don't know when we will reach the county town.

Yu Shiyuan smiled, stroked his beard, and poured tea for Prince Yizhong.

"Your Highness, it's not that Wang Ziteng is slow, it's that he was delayed by the rain in the past few days. With so many people, we have to think carefully. Another point is that he may have become suspicious."

After Yu Shiyuan filled the tea bowl with tea, he put down the teapot and said;

"I have not had much contact with Wang Ziteng. At that time, he was just an official in Beijing. He worked in the Ministry of War for a period of time. After that, he married into the Jia family and rose rapidly to the position of the governor of the Beijing camp. It was all thanks to the Jia family's favor. So, Wang Ziteng is very calculating and cautious, so it is impossible to expect him to be fast."

"Well, teacher."

Zhou Yongxiao wanted to ask again,
Suddenly, an urgent report came from outside the pavilion.

"Report! Master, urgent news from the secret line in Daliang City."

On the stone platform outside the pavilion,

A captain in a black robe ran over quickly, knelt on one knee on the steps, and handed over a note in his hand.

The two people who were chatting in the pavilion stopped talking, and thought to themselves, Wang Ziteng is here.

"Bring it here,"

"Yes, sir." The lieutenant quickly stood up, walked over, and handed over the secret letter.
Yu Shiyuan took it in his hand, opened it, and saw that it was written that most of Wang Ziteng's central army was camped ten miles north of Daliang city.

Looking at the secret letter in his hand, it was indeed like this. It was Wang Ziteng's character, so he handed the secret letter to His Highness for a look. After Zhou Yongxiao reached out to take it, he saw that it was Wang Ziteng's army that had arrived, and his face showed joy.

"Teacher, the time has come for us to come. It has just rained heavily and the ground outside is muddy. The cavalry he brought with him is not mobile. I am afraid that the ones we have prepared will be useless."

As long as Wang Ziteng arrives, the follow-up actions will be initiated today. I believe that Sect Leader Chu has been waiting for a long time.

"Your Highness, you must not let your guard down. After all, Wang Ziteng is well-versed in the art of war. Although he has no experience in leading troops, he is very cautious and difficult to deal with. However, this time, it depends on whether he can hold back."

Then he looked at the captain who reported the news and ordered,
"Quickly inform Wu Shiming to gather the young and strong new soldiers prepared in advance to defend the city, and notify the leader of the Taiping Sect, Chu, who is hiding outside the city, to tell him that people are coming."

"Yes, sir."

The captain knelt on the ground with a serious expression, then took the order and left.

Seeing that the storm was about to happen, Zhou Yongxiao, who was a little worried, was calm at this time. Wang Ziteng came today, and the play was about to begin. He didn't know whether Jiedushi Lu would be the first to rush over. Thinking of the troops brought by the Taiping Sect Leader Chu, who was said to have nearly 300,000 people, he was still vaguely alert in his heart. With the Taiping Sect's strength expanding so much, what would happen to the White Lotus Sect, which has been passed down for a hundred years?

I remember a few days ago, the secret agents reported that there were unusual movements in some places in the east. It must be the work of the White Lotus Sect. But I don't know their strength. How does it compare to the Taiping Sect? As for Huaizhou, the imperial court must have been unable to protect it. Therefore, the White Lotus Sect is not far away from me. Could it be that they are also setting their sights on this place?

Thinking of this, there was a loophole in the original plan. As the saying goes, one must always be on guard against others!

"Teacher, I don't know how the Taiping Sect is preparing."

"Don't worry, the opportunity has come. The Taiping Cult is more anxious than us. Now the drama has begun. In the end, it depends on whether Wang Ziteng will be fooled."

Although he said it lightly, Yu Shiyuan's face was still solemn. But when he thought about it carefully, he would be a little worried if it was Luo Yunhou who led the troops. This man used troops without any restrictions and had no military tactics. However, Wang Ziteng's caution was a big loophole.

In the forest fifteen miles south of Linshan County, no birds were landing and there was faint smoke rising from the sky. In the big tent in the forest, the deputy leader of the Taiping Sect, Chu Yiyue, was sitting in the main seat, while the other guardians were sitting on both sides.

"Everyone, there is news from the county city. Yu Shiyuan, that old fox, is a man who won't release his eagle until he sees the rabbit. Now that he has received a letter, it means that Wang Ziteng's army has arrived."

After saying this, he opened the letter in his hand and read it carefully. As expected, Wang Ziteng's troops had already arrived outside Daliang City. It was too long and he could not wait any longer.
"Master Chu, if that's the case, when shall we set off?"

The left protector Zuo Ling had a gleam in his eyes. The army had been here for many days and had consumed a lot of resources. Although the officers and soldiers in the county city had secretly transported food and fodder many times at night, they could not stay for long. If they did not enter the city, the food and fodder would be cut off after a long time.

"Yes, Master Chu, we have been waiting anxiously these past few days. If you can kill the imperial army sooner, we can also have a good banquet to celebrate."

The next person to speak was the former protector Wei Siyuan. Not only was the battle in Luoye Valley a disgrace, but a lot of his troops were lost. Although they have been replenished and are better than before, he couldn't help but feel aggrieved.

The imperial court's troops were just like that. If they hadn't been ambushed in the valley, there was no way that General Jingnan would have been able to escape.

Although the others did not speak, their eager expressions were enough to show their attitudes. Master Chu smiled and nodded;

"Well, these few days of waiting have not been in vain. I have already found out what they are thinking. Now the officers and soldiers of Linshan County have all joined the army of our former crown prince. Most of them have begun to ambush outside the city, as if to cut off the retreat of the imperial army heading south. There are only tens of thousands of newly recruited young men left to defend the city. Remember this."

Chu Yiyue paused. This battle was not to capture the city, but to ambush the imperial army heading south. Therefore, he had to explain it clearly.

"In this battle, our main force is fighting against the imperial reinforcements, not to capture the city. We need to cooperate with our good prince to kill him. Do you understand?"

As soon as these words came out, all the Dharma protectors in the tent immediately stood up and bowed.
"I dare not disobey the orders of Master Chu."

"Okay, in that case, send troops immediately to surround the county city. Then, Zuo Ling will lead 50,000 troops to camp on the left, Wei Siyuan will lead 50,000 troops to camp on the right, and I will personally lead 150,000 troops to camp in the front. He Qiang, you will lead 30,000 troops to ambush in the valley on the left. As for the county city, Du Shaoqing, you will lead 50,000 troops. As for the disaster victims, you can deal with them as you wish."

Chu Yiyue's eyes were filled with murderous intent. He had already sent troops to set up an ambush in the defensive area north of the county city, just waiting for his army to arrive. After the siege today, within three days,

Wang Ziteng must have made some moves. Although Daliang City is only a day's journey away from Linshan County City, Wang Ziteng cannot go back once he enters the territory of Jingnan.
"Yes, Master Chu, I will obey your orders,"

Several guardians looked solemn. Although they said it lightly, they were still a little nervous when they really had to face the elite troops of the imperial court. They lost so many people when fighting against Gu Ping's 30,000 troops, not to mention that this was an army of nearly 150,000. It would not be too much to send out all the troops.

Perhaps he saw what these people were thinking, so Master Chu stood up, lifted up his skirt, and said something to comfort them.
"We must fight this battle no matter what. First, we are running out of food and fodder. Second, our people are blindly following us and are nothing more than bandits. Third, this is a rare opportunity and the former crown prince is willing to help us. We don't care about fame. As long as we can successfully annihilate the imperial army, our Taiping Sect will surely become famous throughout the world and attract ambitious people from all over the world in southern Beijing. Great things can be accomplished. This is also what the leader meant."

When the Dharma protectors heard that it was the leader Zhang Shixian's intention, they immediately became excited and shouted at the same time;

"The leader has great fortune and a long life. The Taiping Sect is destined by heaven, and the world will be blessed with good fortune."

After a round of cheers, the crowd dispersed.

Fu Wenshu, the confidant of Master Chu, came out from the back tent and asked in a low voice;

"Master Chu, do you really want to risk the blood of hundreds of thousands of brothers to fight?"

"Opportunities are rare, so we have to fight for it."

Chu Yiyue sighed, "Kindness is not the way to command an army.
"What about the leader?"

Fu Wenshu moved his mouth but didn't dare to say anything. Sect Leader Chu knew what his confidant wanted to say, and then he shook his head.

"After my elder brother and I started the rebellion, we didn't think about fighting for power. Now that the imperial court is powerful, we need to go all out. If we really seize the world, the worst that can happen is that we have to give up our positions. What's the big deal?"

Seeing that Master Chu was open-minded, Fu Wenshu was embarrassed.
"I am ashamed and willing to lead the way."

After an hour,
On the official road in the south, dust suddenly flew up, blocking out the sky. The army stretched for dozens of miles, with flags fluttering and swords and spears like a forest. In the sunlight, the metallic light was dazzling.

The soldiers on the watchtower of Linshan County City saw the changes in the south of the city and blew the horn.

The sad sound of the horn resounded through the sky above the county town.

"Ohh Ohh ohh!"

In just a moment, the prepared army began to slowly climb the city wall.
Although they were fully equipped with weapons and armor, many of the soldiers looked pale, sweating profusely, and their hands trembled slightly while holding their weapons. They were obviously new recruits.

Following the order given by the new army general Wu Shiming,
"All troops, go to the top of the city, and prepare to fight."

The commanders of each camp led their troops to the city wall.

The elite troops of the government army were still resting in the camp in the city.
General Kou had already arrived at his mentor's residence with his personal soldiers, and went to the Qingshan Courtyard in the backyard. He found his teacher and His Highness drinking tea, and hurried over to pay his respects;

"Master, Your Highness, on the official road on the south side of the city, the main force of the Taiping Sect is already heading towards the county city. It looks like the main force is out, and it is estimated that there are about 300,000 people."

Kou Zijing's face was solemn. He had never expected that the strength of the Taiping Sect was so unexpected!

(End of this chapter)