Tang Dynasty Mingyue Song Dynasty Pass

Chapter 876 Beheading Operation

At a gorge on the Bian River in Lingyang County, Zhao Kuangyin's ship was suddenly attacked.

The shells poured down like a rainstorm, hitting the hull and instantly exploding countless wood chips and broken wood. The hull shook violently, making a dull roar.

"Boom boom boom!"

The hull was severely damaged, and the soldiers on the deck fell into chaos. Some were blown away, spitting blood from their mouths, screaming and falling into the river; some were directly injured and fell in a pool of blood, their lives in danger.

Although Zhao Kuangyin was skilled in martial arts and was usually very agile, the space on the ship was small, the shells were bombarding one after another, and the ship was shaking violently, so he had nowhere to hide.

In a moment, he was scratched by fragments of the shell and blood flowed down his cheek.

He gritted his teeth and jumped into the river decisively. If he didn't jump into the river, the hull might be blown to pieces at any time. Jumping into the river might save his life.

"Quick, rescue the emperor!" Cui Yanjin, the commander of the imperial guards, shouted and ordered the imperial guards to go and protect the emperor. His voice sounded particularly urgent in the smoke.

Zhang Qiong, the chief military officer in front of the palace, wanted to protect the emperor, but the cannonball hit him mercilessly. He was blown away and fell directly into the river, his life or death unknown.

"There are ambushes on the mountain. Come on, shoot arrows!" Cui Yanjin shouted orders while directing the rescue of Zhao Kuangyin.

"Xing Kai, take a team of men ashore and go to clear out the ambush!" He quickly made arrangements, aiming to rescue Zhao Kuangyin while preventing the ambush troops on the mountain from continuing their attacks.

At the same time, he asked the warships to land on the right bank to avoid ambushes in the river ahead. Many imperial guards jumped into the river to salvage Zhao Kuangyin. On the smoke-filled river, they looked particularly embarrassed.

Finally, Zhao Kuangyin was pulled out of the water by the guards. He had multiple injuries and was bleeding profusely. He had fallen into a coma due to excessive blood loss and drowning.

The guards carefully carried him onto a small boat and quickly landed on the right bank. Under the protection of layers of imperial guards, Zhao Kuangyin was carried on a stretcher.

"Quick, find the military doctor to treat the official's injuries!"

Cui Yanjin yelled, his face was ashen, veins popped out on his forehead. If Zhao Kuangyin really got into trouble, he knew that he would be blamed, and he would be severely punished for not protecting the emperor.

At this moment, he had only one thought in his mind: no matter what, he must save Zhao Kuangyin's life.

..........

After completing their mission, the Wu army special forces on the mountain quickly went down the mountain, rode on their prepared mounts, and retreated along the route planned in advance.

They only had a thousand people, and facing tens of thousands of Song troops, there was no possibility of a head-on battle.

Their mission was to decapitate the enemy rather than annihilate them. When they saw the Song Emperor's dragon boat fall silent after being attacked, they knew their mission was accomplished.

"Mission accomplished, the target has been hit and fallen into the water, his life or death is unknown, we must retreat quickly!" Team leader Du Yuhou gave a decisive order, and the team members acted quickly and disappeared among the mountains and forests.

When the Song army soldiers climbed up the mountain panting, they found that the ambushers had disappeared without a trace.

The generals of the Song army were so angry that they shouted: "Damn Wu army thieves, why are they everywhere!"

This time, the royal army was ambushed and even the emperor was injured, which made the Song army soldiers even more angry and aggrieved, but they could do nothing about it.

They felt that since the battle with the Wu army, the Song army had been passive and suppressed. The Wu army was elusive, which completely subverted their understanding of war. What the Song army soldiers couldn't understand was that the concept of special forces was not created until later. Although there were scouts and death squads in ancient times, they had never seen a special force with such a large scale and large number of people, which was dedicated to carrying out special combat missions.

At this moment, many Song Dynasty soldiers felt powerless and frustrated in fighting against the Wu army, and their confidence was severely hit.

"This Wu army is elusive and hard to guard against!" a Song army general said gritting his teeth, his eyes full of anger and helplessness.

"Yes, they always attack us unexpectedly and leave us unable to fight back." Another general also sighed.

They stood on the top of the hill, looking at the direction of the Wu army's retreat, feeling unwilling. However, they also knew that facing such an opponent of the Wu army, the situation of the Song army was becoming increasingly difficult.

.........

Zhao Kuangyin opened his eyes slightly, his vision was blurry, and he gradually saw the figures around him. He was bandaged tightly in many places, and the wounds on his abdomen and legs were aching. The imperial physician was standing by the bed, with a trace of worry on his face.

"The emperor has finally woken up. Fortunately, he was protected by iron armor and no vital parts of his body were injured. However, he has injuries in four places on his body. In addition, he fell into the river and drowned. His wounds were infected and he has a fever. He should be escorted back to Bianjing City for recuperation as soon as possible!" The imperial physician said hurriedly, with a hint of urgency in his voice.

Upon hearing this, Dang Jin, Wang Zhengzhong, Gao Huaide, Cui Yanjin and others all showed worry on their faces.

Zhao Kuangyin frowned slightly, feeling sore and weak all over, and a little hot. He asked softly, "How long have I been unconscious?"

"Two days." The imperial physician replied in a low voice, with a hint of apology in his tone.

Zhao Kuangyin asked again: "Where is the army marching to now?"

Cui Yanjin clasped his fists and replied: "Go back to your Majesty, we have already arrived in Yingtian Prefecture."

"Yingtianfu!" Zhao Kuangyin sighed, knowing that since Su Chen had occupied Pengcheng, Yingtianfu would be his next target. He gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, I will be in Yingtianfu, waiting for Su Chen to lead the Wu army to fight!"

"Your Majesty, you must not do that!" Wang Zhengzhong hurriedly advised. He was older and more thoughtful. "You are worth a lot of money. Now that you are injured, you should return to Bianjing to recuperate. You can send a general to guard here. After all, if you don't return to the capital, I'm afraid the ministers in the court will be uneasy."

Zhao Kuangyin was silent for a moment. He knew that what Wang Zhengzhong said made sense.

But in the current situation, with few soldiers and generals, the chances of winning against Su Chen's army of hundreds of thousands in Yingtian Prefecture are slim. However, he has an obsession in his heart - if he returns injured, the ministers in the court will be more worried and lose confidence in resisting Wu.

"I cannot go back. I must stay here and give an explanation to the ministers in the court and to the people of the world." Zhao Kuangyin said in a firm tone, his eyes as sharp as torches. "Su Chen is just a clown. I must be here in person and wait for him to come!"

Dang Jin was the first to step forward, his voice steady and powerful: "Your Majesty, why don't we stay here and prepare for war to stop the Wu army!" He knew very well that at this moment, Zhao Kuangyin's safety was of vital importance, but the war situation could not be ignored either, and he was willing to take on this responsibility.

Gao Huaide also clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty, I am also willing to stay in Yingtian Prefecture to prepare for war and stop the Wu army!" His eyes were firm and his tone revealed determination.

Mi Xin followed closely behind and clasped his fists, saying, "I am willing to do the same. I beg the emperor to return to Bian Jing to recuperate." He knew very well that Zhao Kuangyin's injuries should not be underestimated, and returning to Bian Jing to recuperate was a top priority, but he was also willing to stay and do his part in this battle.

Zhao Kuangyin felt mixed emotions as he watched these generals repeatedly offer their consolation. He knew their intentions and that they were all pillars of the Song Dynasty.

He finally sighed, nodded, and said, "Okay, then it's up to you. Send someone to send orders to Li Chugeng, Zhang Yongde, and Fu Yanqing's troops, asking them to come to Yingtianfu to join forces and start a decisive battle with the Wu army!"