I became a saint by picking up corpses in Water Margin

Chapter 358 Trapped Beast
Wu Song's bravery goes without saying, but he is not a good commander.

Although Yang Chang gave him great power, he was only responsible for the security of the government office and stayed in the rear for a long time, without many opportunities to go out for training.

The situations of Yang Chang and Wu Song are similar to those of Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun during the Three Kingdoms period. The latter has high prestige but has to stay at home all year round, while the former, as a leader and commander, has been fighting externally to expand the territory.

Later generations jokingly called Xiahou Dun, saying that he had never won a battle and had never been promoted, while Wu Song had hardly participated in any foreign wars, but had always been the second-in-command of Yang Chang's forces.

This time we had no choice but to force the issue.

After hearing Sun Li's reminder, Wu Song suddenly felt a lot of pressure, but as he had been in charge of the Imperial Guard for several years, he was still able to remain calm.

After appeasing several commanders in public, he ordered Ruan Xiaowu and Ruan Xiaoqi to continue the challenge, and he called Hu Sanniang aside and said in a low voice: "Sister-in-law, although what Sun Li said just now was just his groundless speculation, I am worried that it will become true. Song Jiang and Wu Yong have always been insidious, and they may not be unable to think of this method."

"What should we do now? If we had known earlier, we should have left troops stationed at the entrance to the South Valley."

"We have so few soldiers that it is not appropriate to divide them. Besides, if too few are left, we will not be able to hold the place. The day before yesterday, in the battle outside the valley, we wondered why Song Jiang's troops were so few. Could it be that they were not disorganized internally, but that Song Jiang deliberately divided his troops and left first? If they had divided their troops in advance and ambushed in the small path, I'm afraid their retreat would have been cut off by now."

"Don't worry, second brother. This is absolutely impossible."

Hu Sanniang interrupted Wu Song and consoled him earnestly, "Mrs. Gu is a very careful person. We are at the end of the army. She sent people to investigate the nearby paths in the South Valley, but found no traces of the army moving along the paths. It should be impossible for them to divide their forces and ambush us in advance, but..."

"But what?"

"Five miles northwest of the valley, there is a road that leads to She County, but it is twice as long as the official road, so usually no one uses it."

"hiss"

Wu Song took a deep breath, swallowed his saliva and said, "If Song Jiang sends people to travel day and night, first return to Shexian from Nangu, and then go around from the north road, won't we be completely defenseless?"

"If we travel three times the distance of Nangu, and travel day and night with light equipment, this kind of detour is really feasible. Is Song Jiang trying to delay time by avoiding the battle today?"

"It's very likely. It's all my fault for advancing rashly and lightly."

"Don't blame yourself, second brother. Since there is a risk of being cut off, we must withdraw immediately, otherwise there will be consequences."

Hu Sanniang became excited, which attracted surprised looks from the soldiers nearby, so her voice gradually became quieter at the end.

Seeing this, Wu Song looked around with his tiger eyes, and then continued to explain: "If we retreat rashly now, Song Jiang will lead his troops to attack us, and our morale will be greatly damaged, so we can't leave yet."

"What the second brother meant."

"Nangu is three times the distance. Even if Song Jiang's men left first, they should not have arrived by now. You can lead the cavalry first and occupy the key point at the entrance of the valley. Two thousand cavalry won't make much noise. I will sneak back at night when Song Jiang isn't paying attention."

"That's a good idea."

Hu Sanniang nodded slightly, then suddenly raised her eyebrows and asked worriedly, "What if Song Jiang's men arrive first, or if there are too many soldiers?"

"My sister-in-law is returning with cavalry, so she shouldn't be blocked in the valley. If you encounter any entanglement and delay when leaving the valley, don't force it. You can go back to Licheng to ask Yan Qing for troops. Although he has a small number of defenders, he can call on young and strong men to guard the city. Then we can attack from both sides and the crisis will naturally be resolved."

"Oh"

"What's more, this is just our worst-case scenario. Maybe Song Jiang's army is really defeated and he didn't send any troops to make a detour. We can retreat this time and maybe make him confused. Once we verify that there is no risk in the rear, it won't be too late to turn around and fight."

Wu Song was obviously comforting himself when he said this at this time.

He always felt something was wrong these days. The battles were obviously not very intense, but Song Jiang retreated inexplicably every time, and he just got carried away in the end.

"Alright, I'll leave now, brother, be careful."

"Don't worry, the soldiers have been fighting hard these past few days. Song Jiang will not be able to get any results if he counterattacks now. Besides, the terrain in the South Valley is narrow, so we can only fight on a small scale. I will bring people to catch up soon. By the way, Sister Gu knows the way and is very careful. If she goes with you, you will have someone to consult with if anything happens."

"Okay."

After Hu Sanniang finished discussing with Wu Song, she used the excuse of returning to Licheng to increase military rations and hurried west with two thousand cavalrymen.

They set out from the east of the valley at 7:00 a.m. and ran all the way until 7:00 p.m., thinking they could get out of the South Valley before dark. However, nine miles away from the west exit of the valley, they met scouts who had left earlier to collect food.

It turned out that when the scouts arrived at the valley entrance, they encountered Qin Ming's troops who had taken a detour, and the scout team was almost wiped out.

Hu Sanniang felt numb when she heard this. The more you fear something, the more it will come true.

While on the march, Mrs. Gu already knew why they were leading the cavalry ahead.

At this time, he heard that Qin Ming led his troops to go around, and immediately said to Hu Sanniang: "Princess, it seems that Qin Ming has just arrived. We should send someone to notify Wu Duwei. At the same time, we should take advantage of their unpreparedness and lead the cavalry to rush over. If we wait until they have set up their camp fortifications, it will probably be too late."

"What are you waiting for? Order the entire army to speed up!"

"Well, I'll pass the message right away, but the princess is of noble status, so try not to show your face. If you show your face, you will definitely be targeted. Wait until Qin Ming and I fight, and then you can rush over in the chaos."

"Stop!"

Hu Sanniang stopped him with a stern voice, "Sister-in-law, what are you talking about? Qin Ming is so brave that he can't be defeated by ten thousand men. Even my second brother couldn't take him down. How can you survive if you fight him? I might be able to fight him."

"That won't work."

"That's it, follow orders!"

"Yes!"

Mrs. Gu wanted to protect him at all costs, but Hu Sanniang would not let her die. How could a weak person protect a strong person?
Although she might be in danger, she believed that even if Yang Chang was around, he would respect her ideas. Moreover, since the troops were dispatched, she had been encouraging the soldiers in the rear and had never fought with a general.

Isn't it Qin Ming? Sir, you helped me break through the realm, so I can use him as a training ground.

Hu Sanniang made up her mind and took the lead. Soon she arrived at the entrance of the valley. As expected, she saw the army blocking the entrance of the valley and they were busy setting up a camp.

"I think it's too simple. Qin Ming brought a lot of people with him. It's a bit unrealistic to think that we can't defeat them with only 2,000 cavalrymen."

"Yes, they are so densely packed that you can't see the end of them. Their military strength is at least several times ours."

"Why don't we take any risks? We should retreat and reunite with the main force, and then discuss how to break out."

Before Mrs. Gu finished her words, she saw a group of people in front of her carrying a flag with the word "Qin" coming to meet them, so she quickly changed her words and reminded them: "Princess, hurry up, Qin Ming is coming!"

"Now that you are here, you have to fight for a while. Leaving before the battle is cowardice."

"Can"

"Don't be afraid. You will help me in the battle. I will take care of it."

Hu Sanniang shouted to suppress Gu Dasao, urged her green horse to move forward another step, and held the Sun and Moon swords in her hands, which just reflected the afterglow of the setting sun and flashed golden light in the valley.

Mrs. Gu stretched her neck to observe carefully. When she found that there was more than one general Qin Ming, she couldn't help but remind him again: "Suo Chao, Yang Xiong, and Shi Xiu are all here. Princess, you have to be careful."

"I saw that they don't seem to be proficient in archery. No one should be able to attack someone from behind. I will just test them and leave."

"That's good." Qin Ming and his companions walked with their backs to the light, while Hu Sanniang was facing the setting sun, so when Gu Dasao discovered them, she saw them first.

The fishing net hasn’t been set out yet, and a big fish has come?
"Brothers, if we can capture Hu Sanniang, it will be easy to force Wu Song to surrender."

"She brought only cavalry with her. I don't think she can stop them if she wants to leave."

"It doesn't matter. They are already trapped in a jar. It's only a matter of time before they are captured. I will say a few words to them first, try to anger them and lure them into a fight. Then you can go up and capture them."

"I?"

Suo Chao turned his head as he rode, looking flattered.

Qin Ming smiled and explained meaningfully, "Remember when we attacked Daming Mansion, Brother Suo was first pinned down by Yang Chang, and this woman came out halfway and captured you by a surprise attack. Now the chance to capture her is naturally given to you, no need to thank me."

"Uh okay."

Suo Chao felt sad but still had to thank him.

Although he had never fought with Hu Sanniang, he had sparred with Liu Tang and Xuan Zan in Yangqu, and witnessed the fights a few days ago. He thought to himself that this was Yang Chang's legal wife, and her martial arts skills had never been weak, and now she must be even stronger than before. I might not be able to capture her.

Qin Ming's good intentions put pressure on Suo Chao.

As soon as the two of them finished their conversation, everyone came to Hu Sanniang's front. Qin Ming sneered when he saw them, "Hey, where are you two going? Aren't you chasing after General Song? Why are you back suddenly?"

"Asshole, how dare you be so presumptuous in front of Princess Jin!"

Before Hu Sanniang could respond, Mrs. Gu started to curse after hearing her words.

Qin Ming originally wanted to use verbal provocation to lure Hu Sanniang into battle and be captured, but he didn't expect that he couldn't stand it first.

Especially remembering how he was scolded by Mrs. Gu in Licheng before, he immediately pointed at her and shouted angrily: "You evil woman, you are about to die, and you still dare to be arrogant in front of me. I will smash your head with a stick later!"

"Stop talking nonsense."

Hu Sanniang took it in a stern voice, "Are you sure you want to follow Song Jiang? Aren't you afraid of selling out your country for fame and fortune and leaving a bad name in the eyes of future generations? I'm giving you a chance now. Take your people back the way you came and persuade Song Gongming to go to war with the Jin people. Maybe there's still a way out. Otherwise, the King of Jin will not spare you!"

"Give me a chance? King Jin? Haha"

Qin Ming looked around and sneered, "What a joke! You still dare to threaten Yang Chang after such a bad situation? When will your short-lived dream of becoming a princess end? When will you be captured by us? Not to mention that Yang Chang can't come at all, even if he is in front of me, what do I have to fear?"

"You are really not afraid of death, don't you know how much you are worth? It seems that Zhujiazhuang didn't suffer enough back then."

"That's right, I was blind and shouldn't have saved him!"

Hu Sanniang and Gu Dasao sang the same tune. How could Qin Ming hold back at this time? He raised his mace and shouted: "Two stinky women, Grandpa is now blocking the valley entrance, not even a mouse can get through. It's easy for you to go back to Licheng. Ask me if the mace in my hand agrees."

"Isn't it just a fight? Come on!"

"Wait, your opponent is him."

Qin Ming waved his hand to stop Hu Sanniang, and at the same time signaled Suo Chao to urge his horse forward.

When Hu Sanniang was surprised, Gu Dasao quickly used the method of provoking, "If you are men, you must fight fairly and justly, and don't add people to help in the middle of the battle."

"Bah, who is the one who added people in the middle of the journey? Don't you know? Grandpa disdains this. Suo Chao, go ahead!"

"Yes!"

Suo Chao responded by spurring his horse and picking up his axe, and Hu Sanniang also stared at him as he walked straight ahead. She had a slender figure, dressed in a dashing military uniform, and held the shining sun and moon swords in her hands.

Seeing her mighty and heroic figure, Mrs. Gu thought that Suo Chao's martial arts were not as good as Qin Ming's, so she thought that it would be safe to fight with this man, and it would not be a loss of face if she withdrew later.

As expected, Hu Sanniang wielded her two swords like a dragon playing with a pearl, and controlled Suo Chao's rhythm from the beginning. Not to mention being able to capture the enemy and take revenge in the fight, it was good enough that he didn't get hurt.

"Brother Suo, be alert and don't hold back!"

"Please try harder!"

"The sweep is weak, so use the heavy chop to suppress her."

Qin Ming was so anxious when he saw that Suo Chao was unable to gain an advantage that he kept giving instructions from the side. However, Suo Chao had no time to respond. Instead, Hu Sanniang fought with ease.

The two fought for about eight or nine rounds. Hu Sanniang couldn't stand Qin Ming's nagging any more, so she held up her two swords to block Suo Chao's axe, turned her head and said provocatively: "Come on, if you can do it, he is no match for me!"

"Okay, Suo Chao, step back, I'll take your place!"

"Yes."

Seeing Qin Ming being enraged and leaving the field, Suo Chao withdrew his weapon and returned to the formation. He thought to himself, it's not that I'm not paying attention. Although this woman's attack is not as strong as Wu Song's, she has used both swords in a variety of ways. Not only did she not reveal any flaws, but he could easily get hurt if he wasn't careful.

"Damn woman, eat my mace!"

"Don't be so loud. A barking dog doesn't bite!"

"Don't be so arrogant!"

As Qin Ming roared angrily, maces fell like a tidal wave, and Hu Sanniang dodged them easily.

This blow made Sister Gu tremble with fear, thinking, Princess, why did you provoke Qin Ming? You left early after beating Suo Chao. Did you really think you could stop him?

Don't say it. Don't say it.
While Hu Sanniang was dodging, she thrust both swords up and down at the same time, and her counterattack was terrifyingly fast. Although Qin Ming withdrew his stick in time to block it, there was disbelief in his eyes, as if to say, "Are you kidding?"

The two of them fought back and forth, and the fight was hard to resolve.

Although Qin Ming was attacking most of the time, Hu Sanniang blocked it very easily, which made Qin Ming begin to doubt himself, thinking, what's wrong with this woman? Why can't I take her down?
Mrs. Gu, who was standing behind, was stunned for a moment, thinking that the princess was indeed very powerful, and her martial arts seemed to be not much different from that of Captain Wu. It was a waste of my worry just now.

After all, she is the King of Jin's woman, how could she be weak?
The fight lasted about twenty rounds. Hu Sanniang saw that it was getting dark and thought it would be safer to evacuate now. So she took advantage of a gap between two moves and left the battlefield shouting.

Qin Ming originally planned to give chase, but his companions were worried that there was an ambush in the valley, so they dissuaded him from doing so citing Song Jiang's orders.

"Brother, don't chase after him. It's getting dark now and the visibility is unclear. Be careful that Wu Song uses Hu Sanniang as bait and sets an ambush in the valley!"

"According to the plan of the general and the military advisor, we only need to guard the valley entrance and prevent them from breaking out from both ends, and then trap them for a few days until they run out of food. Wu Song's army will surely be in chaos, and then we can easily control them. Why take the risk now?"

"Brother Shi Xiu is right. Let's set up camp tonight. If that bitch escapes and reports today, she might lure Wu Song here tomorrow. We have to be on guard against a trapped beast's fight."

"exactly."

They thought they had victory in their grasp, but they didn't know that Yang Changzheng was coming quickly.

(End of this chapter)