The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 315 Murong is ambushed
There are three mountain roads leading to Daying on the southern slope, two in the south of the mountain and one in the north of the mountain.

Among them, the northern part of the mountain was the most important, as it was the only way for the imperial imperial army to connect Qili Suburban and Kaifeng. The terrain was open and open, making it difficult to defend, so Murong Yanchao personally guarded it.

Murong Yanchao surveyed the terrain and built a military stronghold. He originally wanted his trusted generals to be responsible for guarding the area. Unexpectedly, before the fortifications were completed, his position as commander-in-chief changed hands, and he was transferred to garrison at the foot of the mountain by officials.

At night, inside the camp, Murong Yanchao's tent was filled with the strong smell of alcohol.

The charcoal fire made a "cracking" sound, the curtains were rolled up for ventilation, and the cold night wind poured into the big tent from time to time.

There was a roasted leg of lamb on the fire. Most of it had been eaten, and the rest was kept warm by the embers of the fire.

An empty wine jar was lying beside the bed. Murong Yanchao was lying on the bed wearing a thick fleece jacket and snoring loudly. His breath was filled with the smell of alcohol. His mouth and stubble were greasy, and he would talk in his sleep from time to time.

"Hou Yi! Old man! I will never give up with you!~"

Murong Yanchao did not forget to curse in his sleep.

In his opinion, Hou Yiming's proposal by the officials to let him go down the mountain to garrison must be a conspiracy. The purpose was to keep him away from the officials and the center of the court, reduce his military power, and lower his status in the eyes of the officials.

In this way, Hou Yi's position as commander-in-chief of the imperial army can be secured, and the officials will rely heavily on him.

Murong Yanchao was very angry and cursed Hou Yi, an old thief, for being treacherous and insidious.

It is a pity that he has lost the trust of the officials and will be difficult to regain their recognition in a short time.

Murong Yanchao was filled with resentment, but had no choice but to turn his grief and anger into appetite and drink and eat to drown his sorrow.

Late at night, the fire went out, the oil lamp burned out, the temperature dropped a little bit, and the half-eaten roast leg of lamb also became cold.

The piercing sound of gongs and drums suddenly cut through the night sky, and a night patrol sergeant roared shrilly: "Enemy attack!~~"

The tranquility of the military camp was instantly broken. The gongs and drums of each camp were beaten one after another. The soldiers who were sleeping soundly were awakened and hurriedly got up and put on their armor.

When they opened the warm leather mattress, everyone was shivering from the cold, and there was a lot of angry cursing.

Murong Yanchao's snoring sounded like someone had strangled his neck. He opened his bloodshot eyes, was in a daze for a moment, and suddenly woke up and sat up.

The soldiers rushed into the tent and shouted in panic: "General, the rebels on the northern slope are storming the places guarded by the two generals Wu Qianyu and Jiao Jixun in Shannan! There is also an army rushing towards the military stronghold. According to this, nothing more One mile!”

Murong Yanchao broke out in a cold sweat and cursed in his heart that Ye Jun really knew how to choose his time.

But he soon calmed down. The two passages in the south of the mountain are in dangerous terrain and are easy to defend and difficult to attack. With Wu Qianyu and Jiao Jixun in charge, there should be no problems in a short time.

"Send an order to the entire army to prepare and line up and stand ready! Send people up the mountain quickly to report to the officials! Request support from the camp!"

Murong Yanchao calmly ordered, and two soldiers came forward to put on his armor and robes.

His drunkenness and drowsiness disappeared instantly, and his mind was thinking about how to deal with Ye Jun's night battle.

"Report!~"

Another messenger rushed into the tent in panic: "Reporting to the general, the Shannan crossing was besieged by the rebels. General Wu Qianyu has led his troops to withdraw to the south slope camp. General Jiao Jixun has led his troops to break through and fall into the enemy's siege. Please ask for help." General, send troops to support quickly!"

"what!?"

Murong Yanchao was shocked. Shannan Road Pass occupies a geographical advantage and set up a camp close to the mountain. Wu Qianyu and Jiao Jixun were veteran generals in many battles. How could they be defeated by Ye's army so easily?

Wu Qianyu led his army to retreat. Doesn't it mean that a crossing has been missed, and Ye's army can directly attack the southern slope and approach the imperial tent?

"Damn!"

Murong Yanchao was so shocked that he was sweating. He pushed away the soldier who was tying his robe, grabbed the sword and hung it on his waist. He hurried out of the tent, preparing to repel the invading rebels first, and then find a way to rescue Shannan. .

"Report to the general, the enemy did not continue to approach our camp, but turned around and headed south of the mountain!"

After a while, Murong Yanchao waited and waited on the left side of the camp watchtower. He saw darkness outside the camp, but no trace of the enemy. Just as he was confused, another sentry arrived to report.

Murong Yanchao gritted his teeth and thought for a moment. Could it be that the rebels were pretending to lure him out of the camp and go to Shannan for rescue?

Or do we really want to concentrate our forces to storm the two crossings in Shannan?
No matter what, if the two crossings in the south of the mountain are lost and Ye's army approaches the camp on the south slope, it will be meaningless for him to defend the north of the mountain.

Maybe the old man Hou Yi would complain to the officials behind his back, saying that it was his failure to rescue in time that led to the destruction of the two Shannan camps.

"Damn old man Hou!" Murong Yanchao slapped the railing angrily.

Not only Hou Yi, he also scolded Wu Qianyu and Jiao Jixun in his heart as incompetent people who guarded dangerous places but were easily breached by the enemy.

Along with this, he also scolded Liu Chengyou in his heart.

If the officials had not been confused and appointed Hou Yi, an old man, as the commander, his defensive arrangement would not have been disrupted.

After a while, it was dark outside the camp and it was so quiet that it was disturbing.

Murong Yanchao's spine broke out in cold sweat. He couldn't wait any longer and had to make a decision as soon as possible.

Immediately, he ordered half of the troops to be mobilized, and he personally led them out of the camp to Shannan for rescue, while the remaining troops stayed at the camp.

After the cavalry troops pressed forward and the infantry troops retreated, Murong Yanchao led his troops out of the camp with his horses and spears in full swing.

The team marched in the wilderness, shrouded in the black night, looking extremely small.

Suddenly, there was a chaotic noise from the mountain road ahead, and a broken army was vaguely seen fleeing in panic.

Murong Yanchao hurriedly ordered a formation to meet the enemy and sent people forward to find out the reason.

Soon, the sergeants helped several generals back with their clothes on.

Murong Yanchao held up the torch and stepped forward to see that they were all subordinates of Wu Qianyu and Jiao Jixun.

"What happened to the Shannan two camps?" Murong Yanchao asked hurriedly with his heart sinking.

Several generals endured the pain and said miserably: "Reporting to General Murong, the two Shannan battalions have been defeated. General Wu Qianyu was captured alive by Wang Yanchao. General Jiao Jixun was chased by Guo Chong and Cao Ying and his whereabouts are unknown. The rebel general Shi Yanchao led The first army went straight to the camp on the southern slope."

Murong Yanchao's eyes widened in shock, and he felt dizzy.

He couldn't figure it out, what happened in just one night, and the two battalions in Shannan were not just paper, so how could they be easily breached by the rebels?

Without thinking about anything else, Murong Yanchao gritted his teeth and shouted: "Send an order to the entire army to rush to the south slope to rescue the official's house!"

Suddenly, the soldiers around him pointed at their backs and shouted: "General, look, our army's stronghold is on fire!"

Murong Yanchao suddenly looked back and saw in the distance, towards the camp in the north of the mountain, a fire rising into the sky, burning half of the sky in just a moment.

Murong Yanchao took a deep breath and felt dizzy.

"Quick!~ Follow me back to the camp to put out the fire!"

Murong Yanchao roared in fright and got on his horse in panic.

"Woo~~" Waves of horn sounds came from all directions, as if countless enemy troops were ambushing on the surrounding dark hills.

Under the night, on the surrounding high hills, a group of Ye army flags suddenly appeared, densely packed and countless.

The cold light of swords and guns flashed through the dark night, and an unknown number of enemy troops appeared without warning.

"Murong Yanchao! You will die if you don't get off your horse!" A loud shout came from the high hill in the west.

Murong Yanchao looked around in shock and anger, and could vaguely see a general standing on the hill with a knife in his hand.

The word "Guo" is faintly written on the flag behind the general.

"Guo Chong is here! Murong Yan dismounts quickly and surrenders, maybe he can avoid death!" Guo Chong shouted angrily, his voice like thunder.

The rumble of war drums was also heard on the hillside to the east, and a large number of armored soldiers appeared like ghosts in the darkness. A general rushed down the hillside on horseback and shouted: "Cao Ying, on the order of Duke Guo, advises General Murong to surrender quickly! Otherwise, we will fight." Get together and kill without mercy!"

Murong Yanchao gritted his teeth, didn't Guo Chong and Cao Ying go after Jiao Jixun?And why does it appear here?
"Retreat!" Murong Yanchao did not dare to fight, so he turned his horse and retreated to the southeast.

The soldiers under his command did not know the number of enemy troops, and they heard the news that the two Shannan battalions had been attacked. It was a time of panic, and they retreated faster than the last.

What surprised Murong Yanchao was that Guo Chong and Cao Ying did not order a pursuit, but let him go from a distance.

Not caring about the reason, Murong Yanchao led his army to retreat to the southeast, and waited until dawn to find out the movements of the Nanpo camp before thinking about it.

Guo Chong and Cao Ying ran down the hill on horseback. There was another rider beside them, it was Jiao Jixun.

"People say that Murong Yanchao has a crazy temperament, but I think he is quite aware of current affairs and did not rashly order a fight with our army." Guo Chong laughed.

Cao Ying smiled and said: "Murong Yanchao is quite cautious. In fact, our army will not be able to take advantage in a night battle."

Jiao Jixun smiled bitterly and said: "It's just that Murong Yanchao is unruly and unruly, so I'm afraid he won't easily join Duke Guo."

Guo Chong said helplessly: "Gonggong Guo ordered us not to embarrass Murong Yanchao. As long as he retreats, we will give up the pursuit. Gonggong Guo has issued a strict order and we dare not disobey him!"

Cao Ying said: "Since it is Duke Guo's order, we must obey it."

Jiao Jixun sighed, that was all he could do.

Duke Guo let Murong Yanchao go, just to show his magnanimity to the world and to reassure those who were anxious.

Even Murong Yanchao, who held high the banner of rebellion and was able to let off the enemies who were against Ye Jun and Duke Guo, told the world that Duke Guo was broad-minded and tolerant, and there would be less needless resistance in the future.

Guo Chong looked at the direction of the Nanpo Camp and said with envy: "Shi Yanchao's black bear spirit led his army straight to the Nanpo Camp, and he stole the show. Guo Shuai was too partial to him, and all this kind of good thing was lost to that guy. Take it."

Cao Ying shook his head and said: "After all, this is where the emperor's royal tent is located. It will definitely attract criticism in the future. This kind of thing can only be left to Shi Yanchao, who is not stingy. Mr. Guo avoids us purely for the sake of our reputation."

When Guo Chong heard what he said, he felt suddenly and said with shame: "So it turns out that I was thinking too narrowly! I didn't understand Guo Gong's intention."

Cao Ying smiled, clasped his fists at Jiao Jixun and said, "Jiao Shuai, please come with us back to the Beipo Camp to meet Duke Guo!"

Jiao Jixun said hurriedly: "That's it, it's time to thank you two generals!"

Immediately, Guo Chong and Cao Ying withdrew their troops and took Jiao Jixun with them and rushed back to the north slope to return their orders to Guo Wei.

~~~
At dawn, Zhao Village, five miles away from the south slope, was still peaceful and quiet.

The quiet village was as usual. At dawn when the rooster crows, three or five villagers went to the nearby mountains to chop firewood with their burdens.

In winter, a large amount of firewood is used, and a load of firewood has to be picked up every few days.

From time to time, on the dirt road beside the village, there would be soldiers with unfamiliar faces running by on horseback. The villagers were not surprised by this.

It is adjacent to the official road leading to Kaifeng, and pedestrians often come to the village to stay.

There are also military troops passing through the border who come to the village to purchase food. In addition, Zhao Village has children enlisted in the army every year, so they are no strangers to the people in the army.

Several dilapidated tile-roofed houses near the village entrance were rented by Zhu Xiu a few days ago and used as a resting place.

Zhu Xiu, Pan Mei, Li Chongjin and their party have been staying here for three days.

The entire Zhao Village was secretly and tightly controlled, and no stranger's entry or exit could escape Zhu Xiusa's eyes and ears.

The Tiger Wing Army led by Li Chongjin was stationed at a valley crossing two miles away. With an order, three thousand cavalry troops could kill them in a matter of seconds.

In the simple tile-roofed house, Zhu Xiu, Pan Mei, and Li Chongjin sat around the table and played Landlords all night.

Li Chongjin's face was covered with streaks of black ink, Pan Mei's entire forehead was painted black, and Zhu Xiu had three black lines on both sides of her cheeks, like a funny tabby cat.

"Three belts and one, call it a day!" Zhu Xiu threw out the last three cards and one old card he held in his hand, glanced at Li Chongjin and Pan Mei with a hint of embarrassment, stretched himself and yawned.

Li Chongjin and Pan Mei held a handful of cards in their hands and stared at them, then threw the cards away and lay down on the square table in frustration.

"You two draw a line with each other, don't even think about defaulting on your debt!" Zhu Xiu reminded them not to forget the bet.

Li Chongjin grabbed the brush, put it on his tongue, licked it, and was about to draw on Pan Mei's forehead, but Pan Mei jumped away in fright.

Li Chongjin grabbed him, and Pan Mei, not to be outdone, also grabbed another pen, stirred it in her mouth, and drew on Li Chongjin's face.

The two were entangled and fighting with each other, and Zhu Xiu laughed while watching.

"Boss Zhu asked you and me to paint each other just to divert the conflict and make us kill each other. Why can't you figure it out?" Pan Mei tried her best to stop him while poking Li Chongjin in the face with all her strength.

Li Chongjin did the same thing, and the two of them were tightly entangled like two vines.

"Who asked you to paint my face with saliva first?" Li Chongjin yelled angrily.

"Fart! When did I dip my saliva in my mouth? You were the one who dipped it in my saliva first!" Pan Mei retorted with a blushing face.

"Zhu Xiu secretly told me that you painted my face with your spit!" Li Chongjin pointed at Zhu Xiu and shouted.

Both of them turned their heads to look at Zhu Xiu. Zhu Xiu blinked and spread her hands to show her innocence.

The two looked at each other, as if they understood something, let go of each other and rushed toward Zhu Xiu.

"It turns out that it was you who was the one who caused the dispute and started the dispute!" Pan Mei roared sadly.

"This made me spit on my face! Stop, don't run! Let me spit on your face too!" Li Chongjin roared.

Seeing that the situation was not going well, Zhu Xiu opened the wooden door with a clang and escaped from the house, with Li Chongjin and Pan Mei chasing after him.

Just then, a fast horse arrived along the dirt road.

Immediately, the sergeant dismounted and prostrated himself: "Two generals, there is news from Nanpo!"

(End of this chapter)