I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 784: Changing the Flag and Welcoming the Heavenly Soldiers

The imperial army is coming?
Upon hearing the news, Guo Tai suddenly opened his eyes, and the Seven Star Magic Sword in his hand trembled slightly:
"What did you say? The enemy arrived so soon?!"

The scout who came to report the news knelt on the ground, trembling all over, with a hint of fear in his voice:
"General Qu, it's absolutely true! The imperial army is rapidly approaching, and judging by their posture, they seem to be preparing to launch an attack immediately!"

"Are the defenders in front just there to eat for free?!"

After the ceremony, Mrs. Guo returned to the lobby and was furious. She smashed all the bottles and jars in the room.

Baibo Valley is located in Yonggu Township, Xiangfen City, Shanxi Province, on the border of the ancient Linfen County, and is quite a distance away from Anyi City under the control of the imperial court.

Although it was true that Guo Tai ordered Hu Cai to defend the Sushui defense line to the death, there were also many county towns such as Wenxi, Changxiu, and Jiangxian ahead as barriers. How could the officers and soldiers be allowed to reach their lair so quickly?

The angry roar of Guo Tai echoed in the hall, shocking those trusted generals who were just excited about the ritual to lower their heads one after another, not daring to breathe.

The soldier who brought the news knelt on the ground, trembling. He knew very well that the news he brought was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for the Baibo Army, but he did not dare to speak nonsense, so he could only say bitterly:
"Report to Commander Qu, after Su Yao defeated General Hu Cai, he pursued him all the way, and all the counties on the front line surrendered!"

hiss--

There was a sound of people inhaling in the Juyi Hall.

Mr. Guo clenched his fists, closed his eyes, and had to accept this reality helplessly.

Although Baibo Valley is strategically located and easy to defend but difficult to attack, once all the outer defense lines fall into the hands of the enemy, they will be trapped in a jar with no way to retreat.

He was of course aware of what the loss of these counties meant to the Baibo Army, but a crushing defeat often refers to things like this.

Although he still had more than 20,000 soldiers gathered in his lair in Baibo Valley.

But in terms of momentum, the disastrous defeat in the Battle of Sushui River almost destroyed their confidence.

Since his own troops back home had no way to escape, he could boost their morale through religious ceremonies and generous rewards.

But the other garrison forces stationed outside were mostly opportunists who came here to curry favor with him because of his great power.

Now that Su Yao is powerful, they will immediately fall in love with him.

Those who could hold out until Su Yao's troops were at the gates before opening the city walls and surrendering were rare loyal and brave people, and many of the defenders were defeated by orders.

What's worse, there were many people who changed their flags on their own before the imperial edict arrived.

This was the case with Cheng Zhong, the fake county magistrate of Jiangxi County.

He was originally a local tyrant in Hedong. When the Baibo Rebellion broke out, he led his people to surrender. He was highly regarded by Guo Tai and was granted the qualification to rule Jiangxian.

That day, when he heard that Su Yao had defeated Hu Cai, the Sushui defense line was broken in one day, and the imperial army was marching north, he was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

County Lieutenant Zhao, who was sent by the local Lord Guo, asked him to cooperate, blockade the county town and defend it to the death.

But how could Cheng Zhong be willing to die for Mrs. Guo?

There's nothing wrong with going to die.

If his previous knowledge of Su Yao was only based on the fact that he had heard that he was a very formidable and powerful general.

Now, after two battles on the banks of the Sushui River, Cheng Zhong has become a firm believer in the legends that were circulated on the streets in the past.

With only a few thousand men under his command, how could he resist the ferocious and wolf-like imperial army?
So, in anxiety and fear, Cheng Zhong made a decision - to surrender.

He knew very well that only by surrendering could he save his life and family.

However, surrender is not an easy thing.

He must find a suitable time to express his sincerity to Su Yao, otherwise if he angers the general, the consequences will be disastrous.

At the same time, the county lieutenant Zhao in the city is a direct descendant of Guo Tai and a fanatic of the Taiping Dao. He will definitely not sit idly by and watch his surrender.

Therefore, Cheng Zhong and his confidants quickly came up with a safe surrender plan. He first invited Zhao County Lieutenant to the county government in the name of discussing defense strategies.

Then, when County Captain Zhao went to the county government office for a meeting, they secretly hid more than a hundred members of the tribe in the government office, launched a surprise attack when the county captain was unprepared, and captured County Captain Zhao and his cronies in one fell swoop.

"Cheng Zhong!"

"You are a disloyal, treacherous villain!"

"How dare you betray General Guo Qu and my Taiping Dao? You will not have a good ending!"

County Captain Zhao was tied up and glared at Cheng Zhong angrily, his eyes full of hatred and unwillingness.

"County Lieutenant Zhao, he who knows the current situation is a hero!"

Cheng Zhong just looked at him coldly, with a sneer on his face:
"General Su Yao is feared by the whole world, and his power is unstoppable. You traitors are trying to kill yourself by throwing an egg against a rock. Don't try to drag me down with you."

After saying this, Cheng Zhong waved his hand and signaled his men to drag County Captain Zhao out and behead him.

Then, before Su Yao's army arrived, he sent his confidant with the head of County Lieutenant Zhao and a letter of surrender to go out of the city to welcome the imperial army.

"Congratulations, General!"

Outside the city, after seeing the envoys offering surrender, Hou Cheng said to Su Yao happily:

"The general is so powerful that the enemy surrendered immediately. The recovery of Hedong is just around the corner!"

Su Yao nodded slightly, looking into the distance with deep eyes, suppressing the joy in his heart.

The enemy will surrender the city, which is undoubtedly good news.

Su Yao knew very well that the key to pacifying Hedong County was to disintegrate the power of the Baibo Army, and the power of the Baibo Army was inseparable from the county garrisons and local tyrants who were dependent on them.

Now, his consecutive victories on both sides of the Sushui River are like a domino that has triggered a series of chain reactions.

If Cheng Zhong surrendered, it would mean that he could take Jiangxian County without bloodshed, further weaken the power of the Baibo Army, clip its wings, and completely destroy the Baibo Army camp at the lowest cost.

There are many people like him nowadays.

On the map of Su Yao's system, on the west bank of the Sushui River, as his army advanced and as time went by, one red hostile area after another, symbolizing the rule of the White Wave Army, was dyed green and brought under his rule.

However, Su Yao would not easily accept the surrender of these people unconditionally.

He knew very well that these people were speculators.

Yesterday they betrayed the court, today they betrayed Bai Bo, and tomorrow, as long as the time and price are right, they may betray me again.

After a little thought, Su Yao did not show any favor to Cheng Zhong when he took over Jiang County:
"Cheng Zhong, do you admit your guilt?"

Outside the city of Jiang County, Cheng Zhong, who led the people to kneel to welcome the heavenly soldiers, felt a chill down his spine when he heard Su Yao's words.

Cheng Zhong trembled all over and kowtowed quickly:
"General, spare my life!"

"I was just confused for a moment, and had no choice but to join the rebel Bai Bo. Now I have come to my senses and am willing to serve the court. Please give me a chance!"

"You said you were forced to do so?"

Su Yao sneered:
"But from what I know, you seemed to have killed officials and rebelled that day, and took the initiative to lead the people to surrender to the enemy, right?"

"Such a vicious crime deserves death. Do you think you can wash away your sins by surrendering the city now?"

"I'll make it clear. With just your small number of people, I can easily capture the city whether it's open or not. Do you understand?"

(End of this chapter)