weaving

When Gao Yigong broke through Chen Zheng's White Tiger Camp encirclement, he had less than a thousand soldiers left with him.

His side originally had more than 10,000 bandit soldiers, who were also very brave, but they just happened to run into the more elite White Tiger Battalion of the Brave and Resolute Army - that was an army that had been tested in many battles, and every soldier was like a rock, harder than iron, and could crush anything in front of them!

Gou Shiwu mistakenly sent out a cavalry unit to pursue the government cavalry that had charged in. Although there were still eight or nine thousand remaining infantrymen, two thousand of them were stationed at the north gate, and another one thousand five hundred were stationed at the west gate.

So, in addition to the original 1,500 troops stationed at the eastern breach, there were also more than 2,000 troops led by Gou Shiwu, and 500 bandits sent there before, totaling only about 4,000 troops.

Facing the well-equipped and highly trained White Tiger Camp's three thousand-strong headquarters, the outcome was already decided; the rebel army's defeat was only a matter of time.

As expected, the enemy was defeated by Tian Mingyu in less than half an hour. The three or four thousand bandits scattered in all directions, and only about 1,500 of them managed to retreat back to the north gate. Apart from the more than 1,000 casualties, the rest fled into the town.

Thus, Gao Yigong used his remaining two thousand men to block several passages along the wall. After all, these were narrow streets and alleys, unlike the wide battlefield outside, and he could only hold out for less than half an hour.

Chen Zheng stood on the north gate tower, directing the soldiers to clear the earth and stones inside the gate while ordering the troops to reorganize. Except for Zhou Sanping's central force which remained stationed at the north gate, the remaining troops continued to fight until the entire Zhuxian Town was captured.

Tian Mingyu led the vanguard of Song Shanquan and the rearguard of Duan Qingzhong, who had just climbed the long ladder, straight south towards the South Gate; while Lei Kejun's left flank went east to attack the East Gate; and Pan Chengji's right flank went west to attack the West Gate.

After the generals led their troops out, Xu Yousi, the leader of the Mangshan militia, came to Chen Zheng's side and said with a smile, "General, you are mighty! You have destroyed the rebel stronghold of Zhuxian Town in one battle. You are truly a divine general!"

Chen Zheng smiled slightly and said, "Chief Xu, you flatter me. We are all under the command of our commander. In this world, the only one who can be called a divine general is our commander!"

Xu Yousi smiled awkwardly, but before he could explain, Chen Zheng said gently, "Chief Xu has contributed a great deal today, and I have noted it all down. After this battle, I will certainly ask my commander-in-chief for credit for the chief and the militia."

Xu Yousi quickly clasped his hands and said, "We, the remnants of Mangshan, are deeply grateful for the Governor's kindness in gathering us together, bestowing upon us weapons and armor, and sending people to help us train our militia. We have not yet repaid such a great favor, how dare I, Yousi, claim credit?"

“Alas.” Chen Zheng grabbed him and said, “Chief, you are mistaken. Those who have done wrong must be punished, and those who have done good must be rewarded. This is the rule of our Yongyi Army. Chief, you have done a good job in attacking Zhuxian Town today, and you also did a good job in helping me defend Xiangong Temple before. How can you not reward us?”

He then said with a smile, "If that were the case, wouldn't it dampen the patriotic spirit of the militia warriors and damage the prestige of my commander-in-chief?"

Seeing that he had already spoken like this, Xu Yousi no longer refused, and clasped his hands in a fist and said with a smile, "Yousi, on behalf of the militia, I thank General Chen."

His expression changed slightly, and Chen Zheng could tell that he seemed to have something to say: "Chief, please speak freely."

"I would like to ask General Chen to put in a good word for me with the commander-in-chief."

"How?"

"Yousi, I wish to serve under the Commander-in-Chief and offer my humble services!"

"Oh..." Chen Zheng hesitated slightly before saying, "Chief Xu is already under the command of my commander, so why is he making this request?"

He took Xu Yousi's hand and walked down the gate tower together, saying as they went, "My commander once said that the world is in ruins and the people are suffering. Everywhere needs someone to be in charge and to appease them. It doesn't necessarily have to be under the commander's command to be considered a confidant." The two slowly arrived at the gate, and Chen Zheng continued, "Take Chen Zhong for example. He has been stationed in Yanhe Town on the north side of the Great River for nearly two years. Although he is not under the commander's command, he is still someone my commander trusts."

He did not allow Xu Yousi to make a statement, and continued: "The banditry in Henan is about to be quelled, and Henan Prefecture also needs someone to govern it. The chieftain is a prominent family in Henan Prefecture, and my family's commander will surely be of great use in the future."

Chen Zheng saw through Xu Yousi's desire for an official position. Xu Yousi blushed slightly and quickly clasped his hands in a fist and said, "General Chen is right. Yousi will go back and guard the breach immediately. We will not allow the thieves to escape from here."

"Alright. Thank you for your help, Chieftain."

…………

At the beginning of Shenshi (3-5 PM), Zhang Guodong's Qinglong Battalion, with the help of Lei Kejun, was the first to break through the eastern defense line of the bandits in Zhuxian Town and entered the town.

At 3:45 PM, Wei Zhice broke through the enemy's defenses on the south side and joined forces with Tian Mingyu, who had come to assist in the battle. They gradually wiped out the enemy soldiers in Zhuxian Town and slowly advanced towards the center of the town.

Only the western defense line of Zhuxian Town was not breached for the time being due to the well-arranged and fierce defense of Li Mou's bandit troops.

The commander in charge of the main attack on this side was Wang Pu, the general of Datong. He also wanted to break through the enemy's defenses as soon as possible and enter the town so that he could ask for credit and rewards from the Marquis of Yongning.

In this battle, whether it was the soldiers from Datong, the soldiers from Shanxi, or the local militia led by Yang Shijie, they all fought very bravely, but still failed to break through the enemy's defense line on the west side.

Pan Chengji's troops were blocked more than a hundred paces away, unable to even touch the western wall of the stockade. As Gu Ying's bandit troops withdrew from the east, Pan Chengji's troops were unable to advance even half a step and were firmly blocked in place.

A chaotic battle raged in Zhuxian Town, filled with shouts of battle, the constant blasting of muskets, and the incessant thud of military boots on the ground.

Every household kept their doors tightly shut. Those wealthy families with cellars had already retreated into their cellars to take refuge, for war and turmoil were sometimes even more terrifying than natural disasters.

Without exception, all the houses, shops, and warehouses with their gates wide open had either been requisitioned by bandits or had their owners fled, becoming the bandits' encampment.

The remaining bandits in the town were mostly lone individuals, with no more than ten men at most, while the government troops never numbered less than thirty. They mostly operated in squads, or even in bureaus, to wipe out the remaining bandits in Zhuxian Town.

Finally, the rebel army, including generals such as Gao Yigong, Gu Ying, and Zhang Nai, all gathered at the west gate. They fought desperately while organizing people to dig open the gate.

Just as they were about to rush out of Zhuxian Town, Li Mou suddenly asked, "Uncle, have all the military supplies and provisions been burned?"

Gao Yigong seemed to be momentarily stunned. He shook his head somewhat blankly and said, "It's too late, let's retreat!"

Li Mou sighed inwardly and could only follow behind Gao Yigong, spurring his horse out of the west gate of Zhuxian Town and charging into the ranks of the government troops outside... (End of this chapter)