Daqin arrests alchemists, what does it matter to me as a qi refiner?

"My Lord, what should we do?"

Yang Ling hesitated for a moment and said, "Since this is a Hongmen Banquet, let them eat as much as they want. Don't worry. I want to see who eats whom!"

On the morning of the fourth day of March, Yang Ling left the garrison with his elite cavalry and hundreds of infantry and rushed to the east gate of Jeju.

Outside the East Gate of Jeju are rolling mountains, the vast Yellow River to the northwest, and the towering Songshan Mountain to the south. Because of the steep mountains and the clouds and mist all year round, they are called the Songshan Mountains. The East Gate of Jeju is located in the Songshan Mountains, which is the only way to Jinan and the throat pass leading to Jinan Prefecture.

When Yang Ling arrived near the east gate, he saw smoke and dust billowing in the distance and flags waving in the wind. It was obvious that the vanguard of the Han family army had arrived.

Yang Ling couldn't help but frown. According to the speed of the Han army, they should have arrived long ago, but why haven't they appeared yet?
Did they prepare an ambush in advance, or simply not show up for the appointment?

Thinking about this, Yang Ling felt that there was something fishy about today's dinner.

"General, are we really going to keep the appointment?" Deputy General Zhang Hai came over and asked in a low voice.

"Yes!" Yang Ling nodded slightly, and glanced at the soldiers: "The Han army took the initiative to host a banquet, how can I miss this opportunity?"

As he spoke, Yang Ling rode his horse to the front of the formation and shouted, "Brothers, follow me and kill me!"

After saying that, he raised the long sword in his hand and whipped the warhorse's butt. The precious horse under his crotch felt the pain and galloped wildly towards the east gate of Jeju.

"Kill, follow the general!"

All the generals urged their horses to follow Yang Ling and rushed towards the camp of the Han army with him.

The shouts of killing resounded throughout the world. Eight thousand elite soldiers in clanging iron armor rushed over with rumbling footsteps, pouring towards the Han army's camp like a tide.

"Enemy attack—enemy attack!"

"The enemy is coming from the west, prepare to fight!"

The defenders at Jeju's east gate reacted immediately. They turned their weapons in panic and prepared for battle.

"Rumble--"

The sound of horses' hooves was like thunder, the earth was shaking, and the iron hooves trampled on the muddy ground, leaving shallow gullies. Eight thousand armored cavalrymen broke through the camp of the Han family army like a torrent.

"Kill!" Yang Ling wielded a steel knife, chopped down a dozen Han family soldiers who tried to stop him, and rushed towards the central military tent of the Han family army commander with murderous intent.

Han Wende, the commander of the Han family army, was drinking and having fun. When he heard the shouting and killing, he stood up hurriedly.

"The enemy is attacking!"

"Defend quickly!"

Han Wende shouted the order.

Although the soldiers of the Han army were panicked, they still organized their defense in an orderly manner and formed a military formation.

Yang Ling led his men into the central army tent commanded by Han Wende, only to see that the surrounding area was filled with weapons, tables, chairs, benches and other miscellaneous items, but there were no enemies.

Yang Ling narrowed his eyes slightly and sneered, "So it's just a bluff!"

He looked around and found that the place was vast and empty, surrounded by low houses.

Yang Ling raised his voice and shouted, "Han Wende, didn't you say you wanted to duel with me? Why are you hiding in the house and not daring to come out?"

Inside the house, Han Wende’s face was pale.

He never expected that Yang Ling would break into the tent without hesitation and not give him a chance to escape.

"What to do? What to do?"

Han Wende's head was buzzing, and he knew that today would be a dangerous day.

Han Wende forced himself to calm down.

"Sir Yang, I know you are a skilled martial artist, but don't forget where you are here. I am the governor of Jeju, and I have full control over the military power here. I advise you to surrender, so as not to hurt your own people by mistake!"

Yang Ling sneered: "So what? Do you think such a small number of people can trap me?"

"Hahaha!" Han Wende laughed loudly, then said with a ferocious look, "Lord Yang, I admit that you are a martial arts expert, but don't forget that this is Jeju City. I have two thousand soldiers under my command. If you go deep into the enemy's territory alone, you will definitely be wiped out. You'd better surrender!"

Yang Ling said coldly: "You have misjudged the situation. I am following orders to suppress the rebellion. If you persist in your wrongdoing, then I will have no choice but to kill you!"

Han Wende sneered: "I don't believe that you can raze Jeju City to the ground!"

Yang Ling was too lazy to talk any more, he drew the sword from his waist and shouted loudly: "Kill, capture Han Wende alive!"

As Yang Ling's order was issued, eight thousand cavalrymen swarmed towards Han Wende's central military tent, and the shouts of killing shook the sky.

"Protect the lord!" The Han family army's personal soldiers nervously protected Han Wende.

Han Wende looked at Yang Ling who rushed into the central army tent and said with gritted teeth: "Yang Ling, you win today. I, Han Wende, admit defeat. But don't forget where this is!"

Yang Ling said coldly: "Jizhou City is under the rule of the imperial court. You violated the imperial edict and committed treason. I have reason to exterminate all nine clans. I tell you, if you kneel down and beg for mercy now, I can still keep your body intact. Otherwise, I will make you wish you were dead!"

"Hahaha, just come over here!"

Han Wende laughed out of anger, and suddenly the corners of his mouth curled up, and he said sinisterly: "Since you want to die, then I will grant your wish!"

Han Wende suddenly took out a fire starter from his arms, opened it and threw it at Yang Ling.

"General, hide quickly!" Zhang Hai shouted. He jumped up and smashed the fire starter hard with the mace in his hand.

With a muffled "bang", the fire starter was smashed by the mace, and turned into debris that flew all over the sky. Han Wende was frightened and his face turned pale. He did not expect Zhang Hai's martial arts to be so high that he could smash the fire starter with just the mace.

"Kill!" At this time, Yang Ling's troops had already rushed to Han Wende and surrounded him.

Han Wende yelled, "Go ahead! Kill the enemy and you'll get a promotion!"

"Kill--"

The soldiers of the Jeju Army cried out in anger and charged forward with their weapons in hand, engaging in a fierce battle with Yang Ling's troops. Blood and flesh flew everywhere, and broken limbs and arms flew everywhere.

Han Wende was filled with fear. He wanted to escape, but Zhang Hai held him tightly and he couldn't get away no matter what.

Zhang Hai stabbed Han Wende's chest with a mace. He pushed hard with both hands and pushed Han Wende off his horse along with his clothes.

Han Wende covered his chest which was bleeding, his eyes gradually dimmed. He felt his body getting colder and colder, and finally fell into a coma.

Half an hour later, Yang Ling's troops successfully occupied the northwest gate of Jizhou City.

The defending force of Jeju City was basically exhausted, and the central military tent of the Han family army had become a trapped turtle in Yang Ling's jar. It was easy for Yang Ling to control Jeju City.

"General, you are so awesome!"

Yang Ling sat in the county government office in Jeju City, listening to his generals flattering him. "I admire your courage and bravery. If you hadn't led the charge, I'm afraid we wouldn't know how much it would cost to take Jeju."

"I admire the general's courage and bravery."

"Haha, thank you for your praise, brothers. We are ordered to attack Han Wende, and we will do our best and will never back down!" Yang Ling said modestly.

At this time, a scout came to report: "General, there are soldiers coming to support us!"

Yang Ling raised his eyebrows and said, "Pass the order and divide the troops into three groups. Our target is Jizhou Governor Han Wende and the main backbone of Han's army. We must seize the opportunity to pursue the victory and try to capture Jizhou City as soon as possible."

Soon, Yang Ling led 400 cavalrymen to leave Jeju City from the east gate.

Zhang Hai led the remaining 250 troops to stay in Jeju City, responsible for assisting in city defense and maintaining order.

At the south gate of Jeju City, the soldiers of the Jeju Guards lined up, waiting for Yang Ling's arrival.

The total number of soldiers in the Jizhou Guard was nearly a thousand. Chen Shaoyuan, the commander of the Jizhou Guard, led five hundred soldiers to meet Yang Ling.

"I, Chen Shaoyuan, pay my respects to Governor-General Yang and wish you success in your battle and the quelling of the rebellion as soon as possible."

Chen Shaoyuan was a tall and strong man with thick eyebrows and big eyes. He was wearing heavy armor and had a long sword on his waist, showing his strong and courageous character.

Yang Ling clasped his fists towards Chen Shaoyuan and said, "Commander Chen, I have long heard of your great name! I am an imperial envoy from the court, and I have been ordered to suppress the rebellion. What is the current situation in Jeju City?"

Chen Shaoyuan sighed and said, "Governor Yang, the enemy troops in Jeju City are very powerful. We can't resist their fierce attack with only a few hundred soldiers."

Yang Ling asked: "How many soldiers are there in Jizhou City?"

"There are about 5,000 soldiers in Jeju City, more than 2,000 of whom are old, weak, sick and disabled. We only need to hold out for a few months and we can wait for rescue."

Yang Ling frowned slightly and asked, "Where are the troops of Han Wende, the governor of Jizhou?"

"Han Wende's troops had just left not long ago, and I killed his personal guards."

Yang Ling pondered for a moment and said, "Commander Chen, Jeju City is in danger. You should temporarily retreat to the east of the city."

"Okay!" Chen Shaoyuan hesitated for a moment and agreed. After all, Han Wende's troops had just left, and his own soldiers had suffered heavy casualties. It would be futile to continue to stay on the city wall. It would be better to temporarily withdraw to the east of the city.

As soon as the personal guards of Han Wende, the governor of Jeju, left, Yang Ling immediately sent out a reconnaissance team to investigate the specific situation in Jeju City and prepare for battle.

In the evening, the defenders in Jeju City gradually evacuated Jeju City, and Yang Ling's troops took over the entire Jeju City.

It was a dark night and Yang Ling lay on his bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

Although they had already occupied Jeju City, Yang Ling was still worried. He knew that there were nearly 10,000 bandit troops in Jeju City. Although most of them were a mob, they were also very troublesome and he had to find a way to deal with them.

"General, it's time to go to bed." The soldier next to him gently reminded him.

Yang Ling opened his sleepy eyes and found that it was already daybreak.

He got out of bed, stretched his muscles, washed up, and then went to find Zhang Hai.

"Marshal, when are we going to send troops to attack Jeju County?" Zhang Hai asked impatiently.

"Wait a little longer. I always feel that things are not that simple." Yang Ling shook his head and said, "The whereabouts of Han Wende, the governor of Jizhou, are unknown, and there are tens of thousands of bandits in Jizhou City. I am worried that if we act rashly, we will be ambushed. As the saying goes, repairing the plank road in the open, but marching through Chencang in secret. Han Wende is extremely cunning. He must have arranged a large number of troops to ambush outside the city. We cannot take it lightly."

Zhang Hai nodded and looked at Yang Ling with flickering eyes.

"General, you don't seem to be here to inspect Jeju City today, but more like a tour."

"Haha, Deputy Commander Zhang, let's not beat around the bush. I do have other intentions and hope to borrow your bravery." Yang Ling admitted without hiding anything.

Zhang Hai's cheeks twitched a few times, and he smiled bitterly: "The Marshal is really insightful. He can actually guess what I am thinking."

Yang Ling smiled and said, "You are also my capable subordinate. We are close friends and trust each other. Deputy Commander Zhang, you may as well speak frankly."

Zhang Hai bit his lip and said, "Marshal, I surrender."

Yang Ling was surprised and asked, "You want to surrender to me?"

"Yes. The Marshal is the bravest among the three armies and a role model for our generation. I am unwilling to be inferior to Han Wende and am willing to submit to the Marshal and serve him at his will!"

“Didn’t you say that you have followed Han Wende for many years, why did you suddenly change your mind?”

"A real man has ambitions for the world, what's the use of being a mere assistant commander of the Jeju Guard?" Zhang Hai said arrogantly, "General, you are a hero of the beautiful mountains and rivers. I am a humble person, but I am willing to serve you."

"What about the troops of Jeju Guard?"

"Since these people are afraid of death and don't want to fight, there is no point in keeping them. It is better to kill them all!" Zhang Hai said coldly.

Yang Ling was silent.

Zhang Hai's reason was so strong that it was impossible to refute it. The bastards in the Jeju Guard were really useless. Keeping them was a waste of food, so killing them would save trouble. But Zhang Hai's surrender to the enemy made Yang Ling feel like he was betraying his compatriots.

After a long while, Yang Ling sighed, "Deputy Commander Zhang, I am also a vulgar person. If you join me, you will be cuckolded. It's not worth it. Why don't you join Wang Fuchen or Gao Chong? Then we can still be brothers. How about that?"

Zhang Hai was furious when he heard this, and shouted: "What are you talking about, Marshal? I would rather follow you, even if I die on the battlefield, than live in disgrace!"

Yang Ling said bitterly: "Deputy Commander Zhang, forgive me for being blunt, but you are no match for me. Even if I don't kill you, you will just become my defeated opponent in the future. Instead of that, it is better to preserve your strength and seek a way out."

Zhang Hai was silent for a long time, then he knelt on the ground and said loudly: "I know my own weight and dare not compete with you, Marshal, but I also have my bottom line. Please help me, Marshal."

"Well, since you insist, I won't force you!" Yang Ling sighed, "Take your men and escort the Jeju Guards to the east of the city. Remember, anyone who resists will be executed on the spot!"

"Thank you, Marshal! I'll take my leave!" Zhang Hai bowed respectfully, then turned and left.

"Brother, are we just going to give up Jeju like this?" Yang Hu said angrily.

Yang Ling shook his head and said, "Deputy Commander Zhang is a real man. If he wants to leave, we will never stop him, and we can't force him to stay."

Yang Ling was very pleased with Zhang Hai's choice. Although Zhang Hai was unwilling to follow him, he still regarded Zhang Hai as a friend of life and death.

Most of the bandit troops in Jeju City evacuated quickly, and Yang Ling's troops took over Jeju City smoothly. The city gates were closed tightly and guarded strictly to prevent the bandit troops from taking advantage of the opportunity to invade.

Yang Ling led his troops to the northwest wall of Jizhou City and looked towards Jizhou. Jizhou City is located to the west of Jinan Prefecture and is in a distant connection with Jizhou City.

The city of Jeju was brightly lit, with busy figures everywhere, flags waving on the city walls, and shouts of killing resounding through the sky.

Yang Ling was extremely anxious and wanted to rush into Jeju City and seize Jeju right now.

"Marshal, I'll lure the enemy troops to attack!" Zhang Hai volunteered.

"Be careful."

Zhang Hai rode his horse quietly to the outside of the city, and then shouted: "Enemy attack, shoot!" (End of this chapter)