Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 497 Killing Many Generals
Qin County.

Lu Guangda led his army to repel another wave of enemies and then withdrew.

In Jiangbei, the number of troops still under the control of the imperial court is decreasing.

This time, Lu Guangda came to quell the rebellion with more than 7,000 elite troops.

The emperor's action against Huang Fachuo was very sudden. He did not even ask the other ministers for advice. He directly gave orders to several generals, asking Lu Guangda to lead his elite troops to the battlefield to deal with Huang Fachuo.

Even Xu Jingcheng and others were contacted through Lu Guangda.

Their idea was very simple. They had two plans. If the people around Huang Fachi were still willing to obey the court's orders, they would let them kill Huang Fachi, and then Lu Guangda would lead the army in to take control of the army.

If the people around Huang Fachi disagreed, or other unexpected events occurred, Lu Guangda would order troops from all over the country to fight the bandits, strengthen the river defense with all their strength, and wait for Huang Fachi to be defeated.

In the current court, the families of soldiers are generally left behind. It is not easy to lead the army to rebel against the court. It is easy to provoke a mutiny. Moreover, the supply of food and materials mostly depends on the court. It is not easy to rebel in the local area when the country is generally peaceful. The right way is to usurp the throne in the court.

Fortunately, the beginning of this "suppression of rebellion" was relatively smooth. If Huang Fachi was really guilty of treason, Xu Jingcheng and others would have had to take action against their beloved general for various reasons.

But what happened next was beyond Lu Guangda's expectations. He didn't expect Ren Zhong to react so quickly. In fact, the order Chen Xu gave him did require him to deal with Ren Zhong and others together.

Chen Xu believed that these people headed by Ren Zhong had changed their allegiance many times, and had been protected by Huang Fachuo before, so they had a very close relationship with Huang Fachuo. Once Huang Fachuo was dealt with, they must be dealt with immediately as well to prevent them from inciting the soldiers.

Chen Xu was right this time, Ren Zhong had indeed incited the soldiers.

After Ren Zhong ruined Lu Guangda's plan to take over the Han Dynasty, the situation of the imperial army became very difficult. All places in Jiangbei did not welcome them, and some places even killed the envoys sent by Lu Guangda and surrendered to the Han Dynasty.

Lu Guangda is the younger brother of the famous general Lu Xida. Lu Xida had fought with Wang Lin and others and was considered a famous warrior. Lu Guangda inherited his brother's position. He was generous and good at making friends with heroes. He also had a good reputation in the military.

Chen Xu not only killed Huang Fachi with this move, he also "killed" several generals in a row.

When Lu Guangda glanced around, he could sense that some generals were secretly looking at him, but when he looked up, they shifted their gaze.

Lu Guangda could even guess what they were talking about.

Over the years, he had relied on his brother's past fame and the good reputation he had worked so hard to build up, but after he became the real murderer of Huang Fate, it was completely gone.

Lu Guangda's trusted confidants Qu were fine, but the rest of the people who used to have a good relationship with him looked at him as if he had seen the plague god and did not dare to get close to him.

Some of the people who had a very good relationship with him even turned against him and stopped talking to him.

Because when they first followed Lu Guangda, their order was to help Huang Fachi defend the city. Only after they arrived did they realize that they were there to kill Huang Fachi, and Huang Fachi was actually killed. These unaware generals who followed him thought that Lu Guangda had betrayed them.

This guy wanted to get promoted and make money, so he led us to kill Huang Fachu and let us bear a bad reputation? Maybe we will be infamous for thousands of years in the future?
Faced with their accusations or dissatisfaction, Lu Guangda had no idea what to explain.

To be fair, Lu Guangda definitely didn't want to be involved in this matter, but he had no choice, just like Xu Jingcheng, they had no choice, they were not alone, they had elderly mothers, children to support, brothers and sisters, and loving wives.
In this matter, if there was any resistance, it wouldn't just be Huang Fachu who would die.

Lu Guangda ordered the troops to evacuate quickly, and he himself got into a car nearby.

Xu Jingcheng was shot in the face and is now lying in a car, unable to ride a horse.

His face was wrapped in silk cloth, and he looked extremely decadent.

Chen Xu not only killed Huang Fachu, but also forced the generals who were responsible for the execution to be killed.

Xu Jingcheng had completely lost his former fighting spirit, and his eyes were filled with only sadness and resentment.

Lu Guangda sat opposite him.

The two had little interaction in the past, but now their interactions are becoming more and more frequent.

"General Xu, the armies on both sides are deliberately trying to entangle us and hold us back. They must be colluding with the enemy and have surrendered to the bandits. They want to capture us and offer us merit. What can you teach me?"

"I have given you all the documents General Huang left behind. You will understand after you read them yourself."

"I have seen it, but General Huang never thought that such a situation would happen, so he never told me."

Xu Jingcheng raised his head and stared at Lu Guangda.

"According to you, this is all General Huang's fault?"

Lu Guangda avoided his gaze and said, "General Xu, let's not talk about this anymore. We have to take the people back. You are the one who is most familiar with this place. I need your help."

"What if I take it back?"

Xu Jingcheng lay down again and said in a depressed tone: "I will die if I go back anyway."

"Now that General Huang is dead, the State of Chen can no longer be defended. We will destroy the State of Chen."

"We still have the natural barrier of the river. General Xu may not know that our navy defeated the enemy's navy not long ago and almost captured the enemy's general. We still have a chance."

Xu Jingcheng raised his head and asked, "What does that have to do with you?"

"You killed General Huang."

"General Huang is innocent, and His Majesty is wise and will not make mistakes. It's you and me who listened to slander, deceived the king, took action on our own, and forced the general to die. After we go back, His Majesty may even use our heads to sacrifice to General Huang!"

Lu Guangda finally got a little angry.

He frowned and said seriously: "General Xu, this is all for the country."

"joke."

"Your father has been a loyal soldier all his life and has made countless contributions. How can General Xu be so decadent and fail to live up to his high expectations?!"

Speaking of Xu Du, Xu Jingcheng became even angrier. Xu Du had a very good relationship with Huang Fachi, so Huang Fachi had always treated him as his nephew. Lu Guangda had never expected that his words would have a counterproductive effect. Xu Jingcheng was furious and impatient, and his wound suddenly burst.

Seeing this, Lu Guangda didn't dare to provoke the other party anymore and walked out helplessly.

Chen Jun had no morale.

With so many things happening, resentment and injustice can be clearly seen on everyone's faces.

But Lu Guangda couldn't care less about these, he needed to evacuate quickly.

There are not many troops left in the State of Chen. If these elite troops cannot be taken out, then they will be completely doomed.

In order to ensure a safe return, Lu Guangda found a rare brave general in the army who could fight against the northerners, and asked him to be responsible for the rear guard work to ensure the safe return of the army.

The fierce general he found had almost the same expression and eyes as Xu Jingcheng at this moment.

This person is Xiao Mohe.

After losing Jiangling, Xiao Mohe was demoted by Huang Fachi and transferred back to Jiankang. He was then pulled up by the court to garrison around Jiankang. This was the beginning of his official reign and his progress from a fierce general to a great general.

But this trend of progress has now been ruthlessly interrupted again.

Before arriving, Xiao Mohe thought he was here to help Huang Fachi resist the enemy.

He originally wanted to show Huang Fachi the army he had trained, and show him his progress and gains.

However, he never expected that he would become one of the murderers of Huang Fachi.

Xiao Mohe's face was gloomy and he looked straight at Lu Guangda.

But Lu Guangda didn't care, because Xiao Mohe was not the only one looking at him with such expression and eyes.

Most people still did not dare to rebel, for no other reason than that their families and relatives were all in Jiankang.

Following Lu Guangda's orders, Xiao Mohe took the elite troops of his own unit and stayed behind the army.

Even after Lu Guangda and his army had gone far away, Xiao Mohe still looked in their direction, with malice in his eyes almost bursting out.

"General."

Several confidants spoke immediately, but Xiao Mohe looked at them and shook his head slightly.

"Don't say more."

Xiao Mohe stayed here with everyone, but he did not organize anyone to dig any fortifications. He made almost no preparations. They just stayed there lazily and did nothing.

At this point, even the most ordinary soldiers understood that something was not right.

After a long time, Xiao Mohe summoned his officers and they all sat in a circle.

The wind here is still cold, and the sunset glow in the sky is blood-red.

Xiao Mohe finally spoke.

"I don't want to work for Chen Ting anymore." Xiao Mohe said this, and his words were profound. Everyone was shocked and looked at him.

Xiao Mohe said seriously: "I am not an unfaithful person."

"It's just that I can't let go of General Huang's matter."

"A man who served his country so well ended up like this."

"I don't want to die in vain."

"Most of you have families in the south, so I won't force you. If you have no ties and are willing to follow me, then stay here. The rest of you, run over and catch up with Lu Guangda this morning."

“Just tell him that you are fleeing because you don’t want to follow me in rebellion.”

"Although I am dissatisfied with the court, I am unwilling to take action against my former comrades."

"Just run away quickly."

Everyone frowned and said nothing.

Xiao Mohe looked at them, "Why, you don't want to leave, do you want to capture me and give me to Lu Guangda?"

"Don't dare."

"General."

Xiao Mohe waved his hand, "Don't worry, just run."

"Not worth it, not worth it."

Xiao Mohe stood up and didn't want to say anything more. Finally, an officer stood up, bowed to Xiao Mohe with tears in his eyes, and then left.

In the end, the majority of people chose to leave, and only a few confidants were willing to continue to stay with Xiao Mohe.

After these people had left, Xiao Mohe finally spoke of his thoughts.

"Chen Xu was cruel and killed General Huang, but we cannot use this as an excuse to attack our former comrades."

"We will pretend to be a garrison here, so that the enemy will not dare to approach, and those people can escape back across the river. When the Han army really arrives, we will surrender to them. What do you think?"

Several confidants were somewhat confused by Xiao Mohe's actions.

Since you have decided to surrender to Han, why do you still want to help Lu Guangda and his gang to create deception?

It would have been better to find an opportunity to capture him and hand him over to the Han people.

But Xiao Mohe was a more righteous person. He had his own set of principles. He wanted to rebel against the State of Chen, but he could not attack his former people in exchange for wealth and honor.

After these people left, Xiao Mohe and others began to truly defend. They used their war horses to create dust and stood guard in different positions to create the atmosphere of a large army stationed. Xiao Mohe was no longer the young man he used to be, and was quite skilled in arranging troops and battle formations.

This move really shocked the troops that still wanted to fight back.

While testing the waters, Xiao Mohe ordered his men to raise their own flags. Xiao Mohe's bravery was well-known among the Chen people, so no one dared to pursue him easily.

This situation continued until the Han cavalry arrived.

After meeting Ren Zhong, Yao Xiong used Ren Zhong's influence in Jiangbei to speed up and kill his way to the location of Lu Guangda and others.

The situation changed after this line of cavalry arrived at the battlefield.

Ren Zhong just took a look and sneered, "Just a few hundred people, how could they scare so many people so much that they dare not move forward!"

He looked at Yao Xiong standing beside him, "General, I am willing to break it for you!!"

Yao Xiong laughed, "Okay! Let the general be the vanguard!"

At this moment, the faces of the generals who were waiting for Ren Zhong's arrival changed drastically. They looked at Ren Zhong with complicated eyes, and seemed to be hesitant to speak.

Ren Zhong was very smart. Seeing their strange expressions, he suddenly frowned and asked, "Who is stationed here?"

The generals in charge of the entanglement were all acquaintances of Ren Zhong. Someone immediately said, "It's not that we don't dare to move forward. We also sent elite troops to test it out. But the people stationed here are very fierce and we can't defeat them. It's Xiao Mohe!!"

Hearing this name, Ren Zhong's eyebrows jumped.

Only now did he realize that his request to fight was somewhat reckless.

Before Yao Xiong could open his mouth, Ren Zhong's expression changed to one of joy.

"Great!"

"General Yao, you may not know that General Xiao is extremely brave and can be called the best general in the Southern Kingdom. He is also loyal and righteous, and is very close to General Huang. He once joined Your Majesty in fighting against the Zhou people. If we can convince him to surrender, wouldn't it be like finding a great talent for the country?"

Yao Xiong nodded, "I know him!"

"If we can convince him to come and surrender, it will be a great achievement!"

"I want to go!"

Ren Zhong immediately led his men forward. After charging out on horseback, Ren Zhong deliberately slowed down his speed so that the knights could always protect him. Ren Zhong was quite good at fighting, had great strength, and was good at riding and shooting.

But Ren Zhong had met many people and experienced many things in his life. According to the rumors and deeds of Xiao Mohe, Ren Zhong felt that he was most likely no match for him. He also knew that Xiao Mohe was extremely good at shooting, and could shoot far and accurately.

After cautiously approaching, Ren Zhongling shouted to his left and right: "Please ask General Xiao to come out and see us!!"

After they shouted several times in succession, a group of people finally came galloping towards them from a distance.

There were only more than thirty of them, but they were so imposing. They charged forward like the Han cavalry, and Ren Zhong immediately retreated a little.

Xiao Mohe appeared in front of him, and then he looked into the distance and saw the flag of the Han army.

Ren Zhong pursed his lips and said,

"Snapped."

Xiao Mohe dropped the lance in his hand.

"I wish to surrender."

When Yao Xiong took Xiao Mohe's hand and happily welcomed his surrender, Ren Zhong was still a little confused.

Before he could even open his mouth, Xiao Mohe surrendered on his own initiative.

This was something he had never expected.

Just vote?

Yao Xiong was extremely excited, holding Xiao Mohe's hand, "Before I left, Gao Yanzong mentioned your name, saying that if I meet you, I must be careful and not engage in battle without authorization. The fact that Gao Yanzong attaches so much importance to you shows how talented you are as a general."

Xiao Mohe had a stern face, his expression still as cold as ever.

Yao Xiong didn't care. He asked, "Where are Lu Guangda and the others now?"

"I'm afraid they have already boarded the boat and left the river bank."

Yao Xiong had already thought of some things in his mind, but he did not point them out.

Just when everyone was settling in, Yao Xiong called Ren Zhong over.

"General Ren, you continue to pursue Lu Guangda. I think he hasn't completely returned to his original intention. I will go to break into the city first. If you encounter the enemy, entangle them. Our reinforcements are coming soon."

Ren Zhong explained in a low voice: "General Yao, this man is quite upright, it's not that he has never been unwilling to return home."

"I understand. Just go ahead and do it."

"only!"

Although Ren Zhong wanted to capture Lu Guangda very much, Lu Guangda got on the boat first. Once the Chen army got on the boat, the Han army would be helpless against them.

Although the Han State beat the Chen State on land, the Han State fought quite badly on the water. Wang Lin never showed up, and Chunyu Liang led several generals under his command, who were beaten by the Chen State navy and dared not go to the river. They could only follow the army to reap the benefits.

Jiangbei fell completely, and the warships of the Chen State evacuated one after another, defending the river.

At this moment, undercurrents had already surged in Jiankang City, and the impact of the chaos in Jiangbei was still spreading.

(End of this chapter)