Call of the Heroes of Chaos in Another World

Chapter 2343 Pharmacist Li is at ease, while Lord Ma is already in a dead end.

Sima Zhong and Sima Da, the pillars of the older generation of the Sima family, originally thought that with the influence of their Sima family, they could escape from this war disaster.

After all, the former six great families of Da Cang—the Zhuge family of Hebei Province, the Song family of Guangyang Province, the Liu family of Henan Province, and the Xu family of Hexi Province—are all fine now, aren't they?
Especially the Zhuge family, the Yang family, and the Liu family, who had already been incorporated into the Han Dynasty before the start of the war against Yan, had all been integrated into the Han Dynasty.

During the second imperial examination of the Han Dynasty, these three great families sent a large number of their outstanding members to participate.

The Sima family was no less powerful than the remaining five families, so in their view, as long as they made their stance clear, the Han Dynasty had no reason to fight them to the death.

However, even in reality, some powerful families decline and fall into obscurity, let alone in times of chaos. Why wouldn't the Sima family be an exception?
Although there is a saying about a thousand-year-old family, how many families can truly exist for a thousand years?

The world's pie is only so big. If those below want to rise, they will inevitably have to take away the pie that has been taken over by others, especially given that the Sima family has occupied such a large piece.

Both of the two commanders in this battle, Xue Rengui and Li Jing, came from prominent families, especially Xue Rengui, who came from a top-tier family.

The problem is that they are from impoverished noble families, and they all come from the powerful families of the Great Wei.

If one wants to establish a separate business in the Han Dynasty, in addition to making military achievements, one must also get rid of the old beneficiaries who previously shared the spoils.

After all, if the old beneficiaries aren't dealt with, where will the extra pie come from for them to share?

Therefore, why did Xue Rengui just happen to issue such an order to plunder for three days in Wen County?

Moreover, although Xue Rengui had a fighting side to his personality, Li Jing did not, yet Li Jing did not object to this order in the slightest.

In essence, it's all about interests.

Xue Rengui and Li Jing were not saints!

Moreover, to put it bluntly, taking this opportunity to eliminate the Ximen and Sima families was the order from above. Although the higher-ups didn't say it explicitly, Xue Rengui's political acumen was undeniable, and he understood the implication.

During the Hexi Circuit period, Xue Rengui, in order to block Zhao Kuangyin who was in Yangxi Circuit at the time, did not personally take charge of the war in that area and did not handle the matter of the Ximen family well.

This is something you can't delegate to others!

However, if one fails to perform well once at the Sima family, it could easily lower one's standing with superiors.

After all, whether it's the Ximen family or the Sima family, their entanglements with the Song Dynasty, even if not as deep as those between the Nangong family and Zhongcang, still give them ample reason to take this opportunity to eliminate them.

Therefore, Sima Zhong and Sima Da, who had been hoping for the best, did not receive courteous treatment from the Han Dynasty's high-ranking officials, nor did they receive a visit from them.

Instead, they waited for a battering ram. As the ram broke through the gates of the Sima Mansion, the overwhelming Han army directly engulfed the mansion that had stood on the Great Cang Mountain for hundreds of years.

Meanwhile, Zhao She, leading several thousand remnants of his defeated army in a breakout attempt, was also making every effort to break through towards Kaifeng.

"Quickly! Speed ​​up! We must cross the Qin River before the Han army can encircle us!" Zhao She ordered hoarsely, his voice trembling slightly.

Even though he had been on the run for several hours and it was now completely dark, he still dared not relax in the slightest.

He knew that after Xue Rengui breached the city, his next objective would inevitably be to clear out the surrounding area and intercept the fleeing soldiers.

At this moment, every second is crucial, a matter of life and death.

However, just as they reached a narrow valley called Luoma Valley, a scout ahead suddenly sounded a piercing warning whistle, followed by chaos as men and horses fell to the ground!

Although Zhao She knew that Luoma Valley was a dangerous place for military strategists, and that if the Han Dynasty had set up an ambush there in advance, they would be completely trapped.

However, this direction is the only one with a certain chance of breaking through.

Therefore, he had no choice but to take the risk. If they took any other route, given their speed, they would not be able to escape the encirclement of the Han cavalry.

However, they ultimately could not escape this calamity.

"There's an ambush!"

A piercing warning rang out, but before the words had even finished, countless torches instantly lit up the hillsides on both sides of the canyon, illuminating the valley as bright as day.

Under the firelight, a huge banner bearing the character "Li" fluttered in the wind. Under the banner, the famous Han general Li Jing sat calmly on his warhorse, as if he had been waiting there for a long time.

Surrounding him were elite Han soldiers, neatly arranged, with bows and crossbows cocked and swords and spears drawn, densely packed together, completely sealing off the valley entrance and the slopes on both sides.

“Li…Li Jing!” A lieutenant general beside Zhao She exclaimed in disbelief, his voice filled with despair.

Zhao She's heart sank to the bottom in an instant.

“General Zhao She!” Li Jing said slowly.

"Wen County has fallen, and the situation is hopeless. General, you are a renowned general of our time. Why not abandon the darkness and embrace the light, thus saving your men from unnecessary deaths and injuries?"

Zhao She reined in his warhorse, looked around, and saw the hell he had just escaped behind him, a dead end in front of him, and enemy troops poised to attack on both sides.

His remaining troops, exhausted and demoralized after repeated bloody battles and desperate escapes, were now surrounded and looked ashen-faced, their hands trembling as they gripped their weapons.

He knew that any attempt to break out would be futile, and since Li Jing had laid an ambush here, he would not give him the slightest chance.

Continuing to resist would be pointless, except for sending the last few thousand defeated soldiers to their deaths.

After thinking about this, Zhao She suddenly smiled.

The laughter was soft, yet it stunned everyone. There was no madness in the laughter, only an indescribable desolation and relief.

"Li Jing," Zhao She said, his voice unusually calm, "you and Xue Rengui won this battle beautifully."

Li Jing frowned slightly in front of the army, but did not reply.

Zhao She stopped looking at him and instead looked up towards the west, in the direction of Kaifeng.

“Your Majesty,” he murmured to himself, as if bidding a final farewell, “I have done my best.”

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly drew the sword from his waist.

The sword that had accompanied him in battle for many years gleamed with a chilling light in the firelight.

No hesitation, no hesitation.

A line of blood spurted out, blooming like a withered plum blossom in the glow of the torch.

As far as Zhao She was concerned, he was a member of the Song imperial family. Others could betray Zhao Kuangyin, but he could not!

Now that he has been defeated, he should use his life to uphold the integrity of the Song Dynasty.

Li Jing gazed at Zhao She lying on the ground, remained silent for a long time, and finally sighed softly.

"Give General Zhao a proper burial," he ordered, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of respect.