Lord: Start with a book of Water Margin

Chapter 683: Chaocheng
The other four cities in the world of [Red Coat Army member Guo San] were lost in this way.

Fang Guosan didn't feel bad about this. Originally, Fang Guosan had planned to give up his position as lord and merge his world into the world of [Red Coat Army Yang Anguo]. Because being a lord would be more beneficial to the world of [Red Coat Army Yang Anguo], he had been staying away from it.

This time, Fang Guosan suddenly saw the newly emerged hostile force [Zhao Zhen of Liang State], so he launched an invasion and came to investigate.

[Fangcheng] In the city lord's mansion, Fang Guosan heard the report from the soldiers defending the city that a group of Liang soldiers rushed over and set up camp five miles away from the city.

Fang Guosan frowned and said, "The spies have found a military camp. Could it be that this group of people defeated the scouting troops and chased them all the way here?"

It is impossible that none of the three thousand soldiers escaped. Thinking of this, Fang Guosan felt relieved.

Fang Guosan summoned his trusted soldiers to climb the city wall together and look out over the Liang State camp from the tower. Seeing many enemy troops setting up camp in an orderly manner from afar, Fang Guosan knew that these troops were probably all elite troops.

At night, Fang Guosan quietly lowered the city gates and sent his trusted general Fang Hu to lead 3,000 elite troops to sneak out of the city and rob the camp.

Fang Hu was familiar with the area around Fangcheng. He led his troops at high speed in the dark night and rushed into Shi Wengong's camp. Seeing that there was no one around and they were robbing an empty camp, he cried out inwardly that something was wrong and turned around and left.

A fire broke out in the camp and the soldiers shouted loudly.

Fang Hu lowered his head and ran as fast as he could. After running three or five hundred steps, Fang Hu was secretly delighted that he had seen the opportunity early.

With the sound of a gong, crossbowmen on both sides of the road rushed out and rained arrows at the Red Coat Army. Behind them, another group of cavalrymen with torches rushed out from the Liang State camp.

Of the three thousand Red Jacket soldiers, only a thousand managed to escape.

They fled back to the city in one breath, and the soldiers collapsed on the street. Fang Guosan was shocked when he saw this, and hurriedly asked people to look for Fang Hu. A soldier said that Fang Hu was hit by seven or eight crossbow arrows outside the city and died on the spot.

After hearing this, Fang Guosan was stunned for a while, then sighed and told all the soldiers to return to the camp and rest.

Fang Guosan, who was used to seeing life and death, was still heartbroken by Fang Hu's death.

The next day, Shi Wengong’s Dazhai surrounded the city in three directions as agreed.

Fang Guosan was furious when he heard this: "This fellow is so arrogant. He dares to attack the city with only three to five thousand soldiers. I have seven to eight thousand soldiers here. Why should I be afraid of you? It's just the right time to avenge last night."

Hearing that an infantry general was challenging a battle at the South Gate, Fang Guosan asked his confidants to guard the East and West Gates and went to the South Gate himself to watch.

At the foot of the city, there was a big man nearly eight feet tall, with a pale yellow complexion and a few thin beards on his face. He was holding a knife in one hand, stepping on Fang Hu's head and shouting and cursing.

When Fang Guosan saw this, he couldn't help but get furious.

He took up his sword and mounted his horse, leading two thousand elite soldiers to charge out of the city.

After getting rid of the soldiers and horses, Fang and Guo shouted, "Damn thief, give me back my brother's life."

After hearing this, Yang Xiong also shouted, "You invaded my Liang State without any reason, so you are the thieves who deserve to be killed." As he said this, he kicked the tiger head under his feet away.

When Fang Guosan saw this, he rode his horse straight towards Yang Xiong.

Yang Xiong laughed without fear, holding the ghost-head target knife in his hand, and went forward with all his strength.

Fang Guosan took advantage of Yang Xiong because he was a foot general and charged at him. Yang Xiong dodged and turned back to strike with his sword, which hit the buttocks of Fang Guosan's horse. The horse neighed in pain and jumped up, throwing Fang Guosan off his horse.

Yang Xiong caught up and chopped him off on the head with a knife.

Fang Guosan quickly rolled to the ground to avoid the knife, struggled to get up, and fought with Yang Xiong.

After five or seven rounds, Yang Xiong saw that Fang Guosan seemed to have dodged his leg, but his leg was slower. He shouted loudly and chopped at his head with his ghost-headed knife. Fang Guosan saw it and raised his knife to resist, but Yang Xiong kicked him and knocked him to the ground. The Red Coats under the city saw it and shouted to grab people. Pang Wanchun saw it and ordered his archers to shoot arrows. Deng Fei also rode out on horseback.

In a flash, Yang Xiong raised his sword again and chopped off Fang Guosan's head.

A hail of arrows shot the Red Coat Army soldiers back. Deng Fei responded by sending Yang Xiong back to the battle formation. The Red Coat Army shouted and rushed to the city.

When Zhu Wu saw this, he ordered his soldiers to advance and seize the South Gate.

After hearing this, Xu Ning and Shi Wengong, who were besieging the east and west gates, each left behind 2,000 soldiers to form a battle array to guard against the Red Coat Army in the city, and led the rest of the troops to attack through the South Gate.

The army entered the city and captured the east and west gates with the help of internal and external forces.

When the Red Coat Army in the city saw this, they dropped their weapons and hid in people's houses.

After controlling the four gates, Zhu Wu issued notices to reassure the people and ordered people to clear out the stubborn and occupy important places in the city, such as granaries and warehouses. The generals led their troops to patrol the streets and search for Red Coat Army soldiers.

In Liangshan Prefecture, Li San announced his victory along the way, and the soldiers and civilians cheered when they heard it.

Upon hearing that the invading Red Coat Army actually had a city, Zhao Zhen quickly mobilized a group of soldiers from the Shenji Camp and siege equipment and led the army to Fangcheng.

As soon as the army reached Yanggu County, they met Dai Zong who came to report the victory.

Upon hearing that Yang Xiong had killed Fang and Guo San in battle and Fangcheng had been taken, Zhao Zhen could not help but burst out laughing.

Wu Yong and others nearby all came to congratulate him.

After making some arrangements, Zhao Zhen left the main army and rushed to Fangcheng with only his cavalry and personal guards.

In the Fangcheng City Lord's Mansion, Zhao Zhen was smiling as he chatted with the soldiers who were going to the battle, praising them. Hearing that Zhu Wu and others had detained all the Red Coats in the city, Zhao Zhen asked, "How many Red Coats are there?"

Shi Wengong said: "There are more than 1,300 people in Diaowuyu Village, including the wounded. According to the military records, a total of 7,300 people were found in Fangcheng. There is also a group of 3,000 red jackets heading south, and the commander Shi Bao is leading 3,000 cavalry to pursue them."

Zhao Zhen heard this and asked, "Are most of the people in the city family members of the Red Coats?"

Zhu Wu nodded and said, "That's right."

"Do you have any idea about how to place these Red Jacket Army soldiers?" Zhao Zhen asked again.

Zhu Wu said: "Lord, the Red Coats are called soldiers, but in fact most of them are ordinary people, and the elderly and weak make up the majority of the soldiers. These people can all be released and become good citizens again. The strong and healthy can be recruited into the army."

Wu Yong said: "Lord, even so, we cannot let these people gather in one place. The families of the soldiers captured in Diaowuyu should be sent there and scattered in the local villages. As for Fangcheng, the strong soldiers who joined the army and their families should be moved to the garrison. In this way, we can't do anything to the remaining ones."

"We can select some of those who were previously unsuccessful and promote them. Liang State does not have harsh policies. In three or two years at most, these people will recognize Liang State."

Liu Hui Niang said: "By annexing other cities, we can also allow people to live together. In this way, we will not be afraid of these people resisting."

For several days, Zhao Zhen was in Fangcheng handling government affairs. Seeing that the Liang soldiers did not disturb the people, the people in the city gradually let their families go back, the merchants started to open for business, and the people gradually got back to work.

As for the Red Coat Army heading south, they broke into Puzhou and were intercepted and defeated by the Dragon Slayer Sun An. The captured soldiers were sent to Puzhou as reinforcements, and their families were also sent there.

As for the families of Fang and Guo, Zhao Zhen hardened his heart and killed all the adult men in the palace, and gave the women to meritorious soldiers as maids. The children were sent to prison camps to work, and they were not allowed to study or practice martial arts for the rest of their lives, and they were also put under house arrest after they became adults.

Zhao Zhen promoted several good and wealthy families in the city he visited to become county officials, and transferred the newly crowned champion Shi Yan to serve as the county magistrate. The former chief clerk Ji Guodong, who had the best reputation, remained in office. Yang Xiong led 3,000 soldiers to garrison, renamed Fangcheng County, and Zhao Zhen led the army back.

(End of this chapter)