Fu Shanhe

Chapter 194: The City Gate is Lost
"Commander-in-chief, the enemy troops stationed along the Yu River have moved!"

Li Mu, who was sleeping, immediately got up from the bed after hearing the news.

"Pass the order down, have the night watch troops seize the opportunity to harass the enemy and not let them retreat safely into the city.

Notify Captain Yun and gather troops to prepare for the attack on the city.

Tell Captain Shu to assemble the cavalry immediately.

If the deception fails, we can seize the city gate by force when the rebels enter the city."

Sending troops deep into enemy territory and disrupting the rebels' strategic deployment is only one part of the overall combat plan.

Li Mu will not give up if he has the chance to defeat Nanning in advance.

The White Lotus Rebellion consumed a large amount of Dayu's national strength. If they were not suppressed, there would be a big chaos.

……

"Shut up, everyone!

If I disturb the enemy's spies, I will..."

Before he could finish his words, "Bang, bang, bang..." the sound of musketry rang out, and the scarred lieutenant was shot dead.

"Enemy attack!"

The terrified shouts pierced the night sky, plunging the rebel troops marching in the darkness into endless panic.

It was a pitch-black night and visibility was less than thirty meters.

Some soldiers with night blindness were even worse off. They couldn't even distinguish their own family members, let alone spot the enemy.

“The enemy doesn’t have many men and can’t stop us.

Send orders to all the troops to calm down the troops!"

Boss Su gave the order hurriedly.

The judgment was correct, but it was hard for the soldiers who delivered the order.

Marching in the dark, the generals of each unit were all moving, and no one knew their exact location.

Soon after leaving the commander-in-chief, the personal soldier who was in charge of delivering the message was quickly caught up in the chaotic flow of people.

Tying knots during marching seems to be a good way to prevent soldiers from falling behind.

But once the team falls into chaos, soldiers often react differently.

As they pulled each other, the queue became completely out of control.

Some clever soldiers decisively drew their swords to cut the ropes and escaped alone.

Once someone started it, others soon followed suit.

The power of the Dayu Dynasty that lasted for more than two hundred years cannot be eliminated in a short period of time.

For most people, joining the White Lotus Rebellion meant being coerced into it.

Seeing that the government troops were coming back and the White Lotus Sect seemed to be on the verge of collapse, they naturally put saving their lives first.

Anyway, it was dark and the generals above couldn't see who was the deserter.

The supervisory team that was so arrogant in the past is now blind.

When the White Lotus won, they pretended to be defeated soldiers and rejoined the team.

If the government troops won, they would flee back home and continue to be obedient subjects of the court.

Everyone has heard the news. The court has issued an amnesty order, and all soldiers who voluntarily leave the rebel army will be exempted from punishment.

This is the survival wisdom of the little people.

They didn't care whether they were ruled by the imperial court or the White Lotus Sect; saving their lives was their top priority.

"Uncle, the situation is not good.

The enemy's gunfire became more and more frequent, and we were afraid that we had entered the encirclement of the puppet government troops.

If we continue to stay here, the enemy will close the encirclement and it will be difficult to leave.

Order an evacuation immediately!
Run as much as you can, as long as you have the green mountains, you will never worry about lack of firewood. "

The captain of the personal guards hurriedly persuaded.

In a feudal dynasty, when it comes to a major event like rebellion, it is natural to bring the clan along.

As long as there is one person who becomes the mastermind, the rest of the people have to follow suit regardless of whether they are willing or not.

The team assembled by Boss Su included more than a dozen men within the five generations of kinship, plus more than a hundred neighbors and relatives.

It doesn’t matter whether other people live or die, these family members must be taken out alive.

"Disperse and evacuate!"

Boss Su said in a deep voice.

I don’t know how many enemy troops are lying in ambush, and I don’t know in which direction the enemy’s main force is lying in ambush.

The only option now is to evacuate in a dispersed manner to avoid being caught in one fell swoop.

The night is not all bad.

Under the cover of night, Boss Su and his group left without causing any commotion.

……

Nanning City.

The shouting and screaming outside the city woke Huang Yuheng from his sleep.

“What’s going on out there?
Could it be that the evacuation plan was leaked and the government troops ambushed along the way in advance?

......"

No one could answer the soul-searching questions he asked himself.

The enemy surrounded Nanning on three sides. The defenders had long since recalled their spies and knew almost nothing about the situation outside the city.

It is still unknown whether the order to retreat he issued will be delivered to the front-line generals on time.

"My Lord, a group of our troops have evacuated to the west city gate.

Do you think we can open the city gates and let them in?"

The night watch captain came hurriedly and asked.

The longer it drags on, the more dangerous the team becomes.

If the enemy discovered and surrounded them, the team outside the city would be doomed.

"Have you verified your identity?"

Huang Yuheng asked with concern.

At this time, we can no longer rely on the Holy Kingdom.

To defend Nanning, they can only rely on themselves.

More manpower means more strength.

"My Lord, I have verified it.

There are many familiar faces in the team below, and I even know a few of them.

They are all troops sent to guard Yujiang, there will be no problem! "

The young captain immediately assured.

It was necessary for him not to know them. Some of them were introduced by him to join the Holy Kingdom of White Lotus.

Could not be more impressed.

These days, there are very few people who are willing to spend money to buy official positions in the Holy Kingdom of White Lotus.

Those who participated in the White Lotus Rebellion were basically poor people. The gentry and merchants avoided them, let alone actively joined them.

Just giving him money would definitely not make him feel at ease.

They were willing to pledge their allegiance, whether it meant copying anti-government poems or beheading court officials.

One can tell at a glance that they are all staunch rebel fighters.

“Let the people in!
Remember to move quickly and don't let the government troops take advantage of you.

Also, arrange for someone to keep an eye on them to see if there are any spies from the government army mixed in.”

Huang Yuheng thought for a moment and said.

Deep down in his heart, Huang Yuheng secretly cursed Emperor Yongning for being stupid for actually disbanding the Jinyiwei.

If the Jinyiwei were still there, the White Lotus Holy Country would definitely not be as stable as it is now.

If the spies from the Jinyiwei sneak in and stir up internal conflicts, they will suffer enough.

The greater possibility is that the rebellion will fail in the womb as soon as it begins.

This is a lesson learned by countless White Lotus ancestors with their blood.

No one can tell how many spies the Jinyiwei, who have dominated Dayu for more than 200 years, have buried among the people.

There have always been Jinyiwei spies, including within the White Lotus Sect.

These people will only be urgently activated when their superiors need them to make contributions, and they will remain dormant during normal times.

Some aristocratic families even have hidden players lurking for several generations.

However, with an imperial edict from Emperor Yongning, these threats no longer exist.

……

"If the enemy army delays opening the gate, will there be any changes?"

Captain Yun, who was disguised as a rebel soldier, asked in a low voice.

"Sir, there shouldn't be any problem. After we went undercover, we made many friends among the rebels, and many of the officers and soldiers guarding the city knew us.

I think they went to the city to report to the leader of the rebel army, Huang Yuheng."

The middle-aged man replied in a low voice.

This mission is the key to his turnaround.

Most of the Jinyiwei who came from Nanzhili have now died.

Only a few with identity backgrounds are still active in the front.

However, these people left the Jinyiwei and got new official positions in the court.

Those of them who have no background have only two options after death.

Or spend some money to buy a new identity and start a new life.

It seems that life is stable, but the safety factor is pitifully low.

Wealth without the protection of power is doomed to be unsustainable.

If you are not careful and expose your identity and get discovered, the whole family will be wiped out immediately.

Commander Li, who helped to forge the identity document, did not promise to provide after-sales service.

If any problem occurs, they are not responsible.

Even if they give the people up, it will be useless because they have little influence.

The local officials of Dayu, who do not like to meddle in other people's affairs, will not investigate further when it comes to matters involving the powerful.

Or he could surrender to Li Mu and seek an official position again as a military household.

This is equivalent to a deep binding relationship.

Even if one's identity is accidentally exposed, if local officials want to investigate, they have to see whether the garrison is willing to cooperate.

As for higher-level interventions, they don't have that much weight yet.

The emperor and the senior officials in the court all had their eyes on that, and no one cared about the life and death of the grassroots Jinyiwei soldiers.

Even if the civil officials wanted to retaliate, only those who were above the rank of a thousand-household member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard would be qualified to be targeted by them.

"Um!

No surprises, that's the best.

If we capture Nanning tonight, you will be credited with the first achievement.

The commander has ordered that after completing this mission, you will all be granted official positions."

Yun Yufeng promised immediately.

This time it is not just empty talk, but will definitely be fulfilled.

There are too many vacancies for officials in Guangxi, and it is not easy for the civil officials to intervene, but Li Mu still has a say in the appointment of military generals.

In addition to the Ten Guards of Guangxi managed by the Dusi Yamen, there are also local garrisons and inspection offices, all of which fall into the category of military generals.

Taking into account the special situation in Guangxi, some grassroots civil service positions, such as Dianshi, County Magistrate, and Chief Clerk, also have room for operation.

There is no need to go through the trouble of finding connections. As long as you forge the identities of a few deceased scholars or juren, you can get the position legally.

There are many people who want to be officials, but few are willing to come to Guangxi to serve as grassroots officials.

Based on past experience, not to mention the Dianshi, County Magistrate, and Chief Clerk, even the County Magistrate in Guangxi Province often has vacancies.

Many Jinshi were appointed as county magistrates in remote areas and then resigned immediately.

Under such circumstances, the imperial court could only appoint some local scholars as county magistrates to preside over county affairs.

This is not only the case in Guangxi, the situation is similar in other remote areas of the empire.

There are many vacant positions, so Li Mu can naturally appoint officials and make wishes.

All the thousand households, including Yun Yufeng, had reserved the position of guard commander in advance.

Regardless of whether the power contained in it is sufficient, the title of a third-rank official is real.

Taking this step is equivalent to avoiding more than ten years of detour.

First settle the level of treatment, and if you don’t want to stay in Guangxi later, you can find an opportunity to transfer out.

These sons of noble families can all be attracted, not to mention others.

"Sir, the city gate is open!"

Hearing the soldier's reminder, Yun Yufeng showed a happy smile on his face.

"Enter the city!"

At the command, the soldiers pretending to be defeated soldiers swarmed in.

The chaotic scene pushed all the soldiers inside the city gate to one side.

After seeing this scene, the rebel captain guarding the city was completely relieved.

Yes, that's what it feels like.

There is never any order when the defeated soldiers flee.

After a brief hesitation, he immediately opened his mouth and scolded:

"Don't squeeze!"

"Queue up and enter the city in an orderly manner!"

"Zhou Laoliu, I'll take good care of you...people..."

Just as he finished speaking, the young captain suddenly found a dagger stuck in his body. The person who attacked him was none other than the familiar Zhou Laoliu.

At the same time, the soldiers who entered the city also launched attacks on the nearby rebel soldiers.

"Enemy attack!"

By the time the surrounding rebel soldiers realized this, the city gate had already fallen.

A signal flare was fired, and the government troops, who had been ready for battle, quickly marched towards the west gate.

The battle to attack and defend Nanning has begun in full swing.

……

"My Lord, something terrible has happened!

The West Gate was lost...

The puppet regime... the government troops... have entered the city..."

Huang Yuheng was completely stunned when he received this news.

He had clearly given orders to strictly prevent spies from the government army from infiltrating, but he never expected that an accident would eventually happen.

Deep down in his heart, he cursed the ancestors of the general defending the city, completely unaware that he was also cursing himself.

"What are you doing standing still?
You guys go and notify all the tribes in the city, gather the troops immediately, and take back the west gate!"

Huang Yuheng gave the order in a panic.

He had no idea whether it would be possible to mend the fence after the sheep had been lost.

The title of Marquis of Loyalty only proves that he is the most trusted confidant of the White Lotus Saint Emperor, and it does not represent how high his military level is.

He had encountered a similar scene when attacking Dayu.

But he was the attacking party at that time.

After seizing the city gate and letting the army enter, they quickly captured the city.

Now that the offensive and defensive situation has changed, he is really troubled as to how to reverse the crisis.

After a slight hesitation, Huang Yuheng came to his senses and decisively put on his armor.

He doesn't have a brilliant plan, but he still has a stupid way.

If you want to keep the city, you just need to get rid of the government troops entering the city, and all the troubles can be solved.

……

The shouting and screaming continued to grow louder, and the battle around the west gate became increasingly bloody.

Countless rebel soldiers were forced to go to the battlefield by the supervision team.

Many soldiers lost their lives before they could even react.

"Asshole!
Aim at the enemy soldiers and shoot them!"

A bearded general shouted angrily.

He had seen people who betrayed their teammates, but he had never seen anyone who betrayed them so well.

The archers shot and killed their own people continuously, casting a shadow of failure on the White Lotus army that fought back vigorously.

If it weren't for the fact that now was the time to use people, he would have wanted to behead these archers immediately and expose their heads to public scrutiny.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

Looking at the arrow stuck in his body, the bearded general fell in a pool of blood with a feeling of unwillingness.

With the last bit of strength in his mouth, he spat out two words - "Traitor!"

It was too late to regret. The damage caused by one's own people turning against one's own side in the battle was far more terrible than the enemy's attack.

Seeing their general killed in battle, the White Lotus soldiers, who had finally mustered up their courage, instantly lost their will to fight.

"Run!"

Even if there was a supervision team following them, it could not stop their determination to escape.

……

(End of this chapter)