I became a saint by picking up corpses in Water Margin

Chapter 374: Big Defeat, Big Deal

Night is approaching.

The sky was gray and the earth was rumbling.

Song Jiang's soldiers were like a group of frightened beasts, being hit on the back by the club of fear, and running at the valley entrance outside Fengyue Pass.

The ten miles north of the pass are like the mouth of an upside-down bottle. The first section is extremely narrow and once you are caught, there is no way to survive. What's more deadly is that Yang Chang's troops are all cavalry, while 90% of Song Jiang's troops are infantry.

Although they were only two people, they lined up and charged at the narrow valley entrance like the front bucket of a bulldozer, and the deserters almost fell down at the touch of a button.

If the rear army had not been unable to hold on, Pei Xuan would not have joined in to cover the retreat. He raised his two swords and turned around with his followers, prepared to die.

Yang Chang was able to kill Qin Ming easily, his martial arts skills were beyond description.

Although they were enemies, Yang Chang's achievements cannot be denied. The invincible Jin people, who destroyed the Liao and bullied the Song, were repeatedly defeated by him. It is said that the emperor of the Jin Dynasty was even killed by him.

This kind of opponent deserves respect.

Pei Xuan was born as a minor official. If it were not for Song Jiang's recognition and support, he would not have achieved his current position. However, the ambiguity between Song Jiang and the Jin people has always been a shame in Pei Xuan's heart.

Pei Xuan felt it was a relief to die at Yang Chang's hands.

He was leading the way, mistakenly thinking that Yang Chang was also at the front of the team, but unexpectedly he ran into Ruan Xiaoqi head-on.

A pursuit war is different from an assault war. The soldiers just follow along like chopping melons and vegetables. They don't need Yang Chang's [Po Jun] halo at all. Moreover, after Jie Bao's instructions just now, there are no generals in Song Jiang's army anymore, so he can let his soldiers play freely.

According to Yang Chang's reminder, Ruan Xiaoqi started to run and shoot at the same time to "stack Q" when the attack began, for fear that he would run too slowly and miss his opponent.

Just when I had stacked it a little over a hundred times, I saw someone coming back in the opposite direction.

Is this still available?

Ruan Xiaoqi rode forward and was shocked to see that the person coming was the Iron-faced Pei Xuan, another big fish besides Song Jiang.

Pei Xuan was also surprised when he saw this. He was going to die at the hands of Yang Chang. Since he didn't want to be snatched away by Ruan Xiaoqi, he couldn't help but question it.

"why you?"

"Ok?"

"You step aside. Where is Jin Wang Yang Chang? I want to compete with him!"

"What? Master Qi is not worthy?"

Ruan Xiaoqi was filled with rage. He clamped his legs around the horse's belly and went straight for Pei Xuan with the gun in both hands.

Seeing that he could not avoid it in time, Pei Xuan also drew his sword and rode forward to fight.

when!
Clang!
Ruan Xiaoqi stabbed and swept, and Pei Xuan was so frightened that the two swords almost slipped out of his hands.

"Why do you"

"What's up? Is Master Qi qualified? Why aren't you talking?"

"That's fine!"

Pei Xuan drew his sword and tried to block the spear. He said to Ruan Xiaoqi solemnly, "What a great strength! The leader of the navy is so good at horse fighting. I really misjudged him before. Come on, let's have a good fight!"

"You still look down on the navy? Damn it!" Ruan Xiaoqi shouted and fired continuously.

Pei Xuan was unable to block the attack after just a few moves, and the speed of his two swords' attacks slowed down, exposing his flaws frequently.

How could Ruan Xiaoqi miss this opportunity? He quickly stabbed Pei Xuan in the thigh and shoulder.

Pei Xuan dropped his sword in pain, but continued to attack and cheered, "Good stab!"

Is this guy crazy?

Seeing that Pei Xuan wanted to die, Ruan Xiaoqi hesitated for a moment.

It is true that he hopes to kill the general, but Pei Xuan, who is taciturn, has not done anything disgusting. Besides, capturing him alive is more difficult than killing the general?
Pei Xuan noticed that Ruan Xiaoqi was not right, and raised his sword to chop him, not forgetting to remind him: "What's wrong? Is it not working anymore?"

"How can a man say no? You've been talking too much today!"

"what?"

"Watch the fight!"

Ruan Xiaoqi poked the tip of his gun and hit Pei Xuan's wrist armor. He dropped the sword in pain and was waiting for death in his heart when suddenly he lost control of his body.

"you?"

"Come here!"

With a loud shout, Pei Xuan was pulled off the horse by Ruan Xiaoqi.

He originally wanted to lift the horse by the neck, but he was not skilled in catching it for the first time, so he lost his grip and dropped it to the ground.

"Tied to me!"

"No, why don't you just kill me?"

"Whether you live or die depends on King Jin's will. Take him away!"

"I"

Pei Xuan was injured and captured and could not die. Yang Chang chased him and he had no time to deal with him. He wanted to end the battle quickly and pick up the bodies.

As for Song Jiang who had already run far away, it would be difficult to catch up with him without the Jade Lion Zhaoye. Moreover, compared with the flash in the valley, Hei Sanlang seemed less important.

This time, Song Jiang suffered heavy casualties, and his main force was almost wiped out. The only territory he had left was Xiangzhou, and he could no longer make any big waves.

The most important thing is to capture Song Jiang. Yang Chang also plans to hand him over to Zhao Huan for punishment. If he lets him escape back to Xiangzhou, Zhao Gou might even punish him.

So after much thought, picking up the corpse is more important.

The reason why Yang Chang is so persistent is not because Song Jiang's soldiers drop high-quality items, but because they can provide experience in boxing and kicking skills, which can just make up for their shortcomings in boxing and kicking.

This guy's spear, stick, sword and saber have all reached maximum levels, and his awakened talents of [Tiger Roar and Dragon Roar] and [Lone Hero] are both great, so he is particularly looking forward to his talents in fists and feet.

Ruan Xiaoqi led the team in the fight and had just chased them out of the valley entrance when dusk had completely fallen.

Jie Zhen and Jie Bao surrendered ahead of time. Of the only eight or nine thousand infantry and cavalry of Song Jiang, except for two or three hundred cavalrymen who escaped, the rest were either dead, wounded, or surrendered.

Seeing the twinkling stars in the distance, Ruan Xiaoqi no longer wanted to chase, so he asked Yang Chang who came over, "Brother, I was tripped by Pei Xuan just now, and Song Jiang escaped. It may take some effort to catch up with him. Should we still chase him?"

"Forget it, let's withdraw our troops."

Yang Chang waved his hand and added, "You take the wounded and prisoners back first, I will clean up the battlefield in the back."

"it is good."

It has become a habit over a long period of time, so Ruan Xiaoqi just responds and applauds without asking any additional questions.

The Jin army retreated victoriously, and Yang Chang picked up the corpses without saying a word, and then Song Jiang fled in defeat.

Since there were no pursuers behind him, the frightened Hei Sanlang did not dare to stop and fled to Anyang, the capital of Xiangzhou, overnight.

The guy ran all night long, covering a distance of about 200 miles, and arrived at the northern suburbs of Anyang. Wu Yong also arrived at nightfall yesterday. Upon receiving the news, he hurriedly led people out of the city to meet him.

Wu Yong met Song Jiang at the foot of the city. Seeing Song Jiang's embarrassed look, he guessed that Yang Chang had taken action.

He was afraid of displeasing Song Jiang, so he didn't want to ask about the battle situation. However, before leaving Fengyue Pass yesterday, there were more than 10,000 infantry and cavalry there, but now there are less than 300 left.

"Captain, you left early, right? Pei Xuan and the others are leading the main force behind?"

"do not know"

Although Wu Yong spoke tactfully, Song Jiang was unwilling to answer. In the end, he remained silent all the way and followed everyone back to the city.

Song Jiang was exhausted from the journey, so he took a bath and changed his clothes when he arrived.

After two hours of hard work, he finally arrived at the government office at noon to meet his brother from Xiangzhou. Even though he hadn't slept all night, Hei Sanlang was not sleepy at this time because of the great mental pressure.

When he sat down in the main seat facing south, he saw a few people scattered around the hall, including Hua Rong who was wrapped in bandages. He frowned and asked, "Brothers, are you all here?"

"Reply to the commander."

Wu Yong replied: "Except Zhang Qing, Huang Xin and Guo Sheng who are seriously injured, the rest of the brothers from Xiangzhou are here."

“They are all here.”

Seeing that only a few brothers were left, Song Jiang suddenly burst into tears.

"What's wrong with you?"

"General?"

"I have 108 men in Liangshan, but now there are only these few brothers left. How can I not feel sad?"

"Don't be sad, Taiwei. Silang is in the court of Yingtian, Dai Tongzhi has gone to Hebei and has not returned yet. There are several brothers in Huaizhou, as well as Pei Xuan, Jie Zhen, and Jie Bao. Add up, there are quite a few."

"Jie Zhen, Jie Bao?"

Song Jiang smiled bitterly and shook his head without saying anything. Wu Yong seemed to understand what he wanted to say, so he asked, "Pei Xuan can't come back either, right?"

"Yesterday, Yang Chang led the cavalry to chase us out of Fengyue Pass. My brothers were eager to return home and couldn't resist. In order to cover my successful departure, Pei Xuan volunteered to turn back and help delay us. He hasn't caught up yet, so I'm afraid he's in danger."

"hiss"

After hearing this, everyone looked at each other in surprise.

Seeing everyone's low spirits, Wu Yong quickly tried to comfort them, saying, "When Liangshan was first established, there were only a few people. Now we have more than a dozen brothers, and there are still 10,000 or 20,000 soldiers in Xiangzhou. Most importantly, we have the support of the court. We have every hope of making a comeback, especially the Grand Marshal. You must cheer up."

"I won't lose heart, I will still defeat Yang Chang!"

Song Jiang clenched his fist and slammed it on the table, as if he was swearing an oath to everyone, and then he looked at Wu Yong and asked, "Military Advisor, what is the current situation in Weizhou? Have you sent troops to the border of Xiangzhou?"

"No."

Wu Yong shook his head and gave his conclusion, then explained: "Wen Huanzhang is a steady military commander, and he is expected to attack Huaizhou with Lin Chong. However, most of Xiangzhou's soldiers are new recruits, and they also have to face Yang Chang chasing from the north, so it is not easy to transfer troops to the south."

"Then send more people to investigate. You guys should do what you need to do. Especially Hua Rong, you are still injured. You should go home and rest well. I'm fine."

"Yes."

"Take care, Commander."

Song Jiang asked them to leave. Several brothers felt it was inconvenient to stay, so they said goodbye and left. In the end, only Wu Yong was left.

Seeing Song Jiang waving his hand, Wu Yong walked over to him and asked in a low voice, "What do you want, Grand Commandant?"

"Li Yun and Zhu Fu rebelled first, and Jie Zhen and Jie Bao abandoned me later. Now Yang Xiong is in the hands of Yang Chang. Is Shi Xiu still worthy of trust?"

"Brother, brother! Don't be suspicious now, there is really no one around."

Wu Yong was in a hurry and did not call for his official position, and Song Jiang no longer put on airs. He just shook his head and sighed, "It's not that I doubt it. The events in Weizhou are still fresh in my mind. This time we have been defeated and must go to Yingtian to apologize. It is risky to leave Shi Xiu here."

"Don't go back now. Wait until the news in Hebei is clear. Then you can go back and atone for your crime. After all, Shi Xiu is very capable. Don't push him away. I suggest you send someone to secretly watch him like Jie Zhen and Jie Bao did. He is already a rare warrior."

"Alas, how did the battle turn out like this? Now Weizhou has fallen into the hands of the enemy, and Huaizhou has become an enclave. I wonder if Hu Yanzhuo can hold on."

Seeing Song Jiang mention Hu Yanzhuo, Wu Yong made a suggestion on this topic, "Brother, what you said is very true. Hu Yanzhuo is at a loss at this time. Instead of staying in Huaizhou and being consumed, it is better to send someone to withdraw him to Xiangzhou. This way, he can preserve his strength."

"Weizhou has been lost, the roads have been cut off, how can we send a message?"

Wu Yong was stunned when he heard this. He thought to himself that his brother was not very smart because he had not slept. How could he say such a thing? Then he reminded him, "Go by water. Zhang Shun's warships are still there. We can go along the Yellow River!"

"correct."

Song Jiang slapped his forehead, as if he had suddenly realized something. "Why did I forget about Zhang Shun? Military Advisor, tell him to leave immediately and bring Hu Yanzhuo back!"

"You didn't get enough rest last night, now go back to your room and get some sleep, I will arrange everything."

"I'll be back in a moment, go find Zhang Shun and set off."

"Okay, take care."

Wu Yong bowed, turned around and strode away.

Song Jiang stared at his back, aimlessly tapping the table, muttering to himself, "Hua Rong is injured and cannot fight, and there is no general by his side. I really can't feel at ease. We must recall Hu Yanzhuo."

I closed my eyes and the remaining brothers flashed by like a revolving lantern.

Wu Yong, Dai Zong, Hu Yanzhuo, Hua Rong, Zhang Qing, Zhang Shun, Shi Xiu, Huang Xin, Shan Tinggui, Wei Dingguo, Guo Sheng, Mu Chun, Meng Kang, Du Qian, Bai Sheng, Duan Jingzhu, and Song Qing.

Including myself, there are eighteen people in total.

The military advisor is right. Although this person is not as good as he was during the Liangshan period, he has the support of the court after all, and I still have a chance to make a comeback.

Yang Chang, I will not admit defeat. We are not done yet!
By the way, Guan Sheng, the leader of the Five Tigers, is still in Shandong. Perhaps we can ask Your Majesty to get him back?

Thinking of this, Song Jiang finally smiled, then fell asleep on the desk in front of him, with his saliva flowing all over the corners of the table.

Boom boom boom!
The knocking sound woke him up. He looked up and saw Wu Yong coming back. It was already dark outside.

"The military advisor is back. Has Zhang Shun set out yet?"

"No."

"What did you say?"

Song Jiang, who was still sleepy, suddenly perked up. Wu Yong squatted down and explained, "Hu Yanzhuo has returned, and Zhang Shun is bringing people to help at the dock."

"So fast? No. Could it be..."

"Well, he withdrew on his own initiative, and only a few hundred soldiers were left."

"That's okay, just come back if you want. Are you all here?"

Song Jiang no longer expected the army to withdraw, thinking that it was enough for the generals to return safely, but Wu Yong still brought bad news, "Only Hu Yanzhuo and Meng Kang returned, Shan Tinggui was killed by Ling Zhen's cannon, and Wei Dingguo was captured by Lin Chong."

"Two less brothers."

"Brother, please accept my condolences. Let's think positively. Hu Yanzhuo is still alive."

"It can only be this way."

After hearing Wu Yong's consolation, Song Jiang nodded helplessly and instructed: "Let everyone settle down today, and arrange a banquet here tomorrow so that the brothers can get together."

"Just after a big defeat, is it appropriate to do a big thing?"

"Just go and do it. If we don't get together now, I'm afraid there will be fewer and fewer people."

Song Jiang stood up without saying a word, and went straight back to the house to rest, leaving Wu Yong standing there awkwardly.

Holding a banquet at this time may not be beneficial.

But since Song Jiang had given the order, Wu Yong had to obey.

At noon on June 7th, except for the seriously injured Huang Xin and Guo Sheng, all the other people at home arrived, including Hua Rong who was wrapped in bandages, and Zhang Qing who had a leg injury.

After a night's rest, Song Jiang was like a salesman who was energized by chicken blood. He kept cheering up the brothers present, and promised them that as long as they did not give up hope, their official positions would be promoted, and they could even become military governors.

But after experiencing a disastrous defeat, his promises were no longer of much use. Except for a few of his close confidants, everyone else responded with silence, which made Song Jiang very embarrassed.

Just when it was difficult for him to step down, another confidant, Dai Zong, came back.

Dai Zong met Song Jiang and saluted while excitedly reporting: "The Grand Commandant has made a brilliant prediction. The Jin Emperor Wuqimai has really passed away. The troops in Hebei are gradually withdrawing to the border. I heard that only a small number of troops will be left to defend."

"Everyone, did you hear that? The Jin army has withdrawn from Hebei. This is our chance!"

Everyone was puzzled after hearing this. Aren't you on good terms with the Jin people? What kind of opportunity is this?
(End of this chapter)