Fu Shanhe

Chapter 252 The End of the Hero
"Ahead is Loushan Pass. As long as we seize the pass, we can defend it.

By then, no matter how many troops the Pseudo-Dynasty has, they will have no choice but to..."

Shi Rongxian worked hard to boost morale.

After breaking through layers of blockades along the way, they were only twenty miles away from Loushan Pass.

They paid a heavy price to get here.

Of the 130,000 troops that set out from Yongzhou, only about 10,000 are left.

The others either died on the battlefield or deserted along the way.

Those who are willing to follow him until now are the cornerstones of the Holy White Lotus Kingdom.

Unfortunately, the morale of this team was also low at this time.

In order to boost morale, they constantly promoted the good life after entering Sichuan.

However, the reality is cruel. The combat effectiveness of the Guizhou army is not very good, but they are locals.

We constantly set traps along the way by taking advantage of the terrain. The lethality of these traps is not very high, but they are really disgusting.

Shi Rongxian wanted to deal with the Guizhou army, but unfortunately others were unwilling to cooperate and refused to engage in a decisive battle with him.

The enemy's troops that went into battle each time were as large as a guard or as small as a thousand households.

Many times, just as they formed their battle formation, the enemy would sneak into the mountains.

If there were no pursuers behind him, he would naturally have a way to deal with these enemies.

Unfortunately, the enemy did not give them any chance, and Li Mu's troops were chasing them closely.

Except for the three days of delay in collecting the spoils, the subsequent efforts were basically at full capacity.

The precious time that the rebels fought for at all costs was wasted by the Guizhou Army.

The pursuers are now less than thirty miles away from them. If they cannot quickly break into Loushan Pass, Guizhou will be their burial place.

……

“Saint Emperor, according to the intelligence we have gathered, the Pseudo-Dynasty has deployed a large number of troops in Loushan Pass.

Judging from the flags, most of the troops stationed at Loushan Pass are from Shu.

The exact combat strength is unknown, but the number is no less than 30,000."

Shi Qichuan reported in a low voice.

If this fatal news spreads, the army will be in chaos.

Everyone fantasized about breaking into Loushan Pass and then defending against the enemy from the dangerous pass.

Unexpectedly, the Pseudo-Dynasty had been well prepared and had deployed heavy troops at Loushan Pass in advance.

Loushan Pass was guarded by 30,000 troops. Not to mention that their 10,000 troops could not break through it, even if they gathered hundreds of thousands of troops, they could only sigh in despair.

When you reach the gate, you are suddenly told that the road ahead is blocked. No one would be able to bear this.

After all, Shi Rongxian is not an ordinary person. After a brief moment of distraction, he quickly reacted.

Administratively speaking, Loushanguan belongs to Guizhou.

Leaving the city to be garrisoned by the Shu army was beyond his expectations.

The plan to capture Loushanguan has now failed, but life must go on.

The government troops were chasing him too closely, and he didn't have much time to make a decision.

"Prime Minister, do you think we should go back to Huguang or change our route to Guiyang?"

Shi Rongxian asked with concern.

There is no doubt that these two options are the worst.

If there is any choice, I will not consider both places.

“Saint Emperor, if we return to Huguang, Li Mu’s troops will keep chasing us.

Given the current situation of the Holy Kingdom, the conditions are not met for a decisive battle with the enemy.

It is different if we seize Guiyang and then plot to take over the Yunnan-Guizhou region.

This remote area is not the strategic focus of the pseudo-dynasty, and Li Mu's troops cannot stay here for a long time.

The Southern King and the Western King fought well on the battlefield in the south of the Yangtze River. In order to protect the land of the south of the Yangtze River, the pseudo-dynasty will sooner or later let the villain Li Mu come back for help.

Without this troublesome guy, we can definitely establish a base in Yunnan and Guizhou."

Wu Zekai thought for a moment and said.

He only picks on the weak. After seeing how powerful Li Mu is, he really doesn't want to face this enemy again.

Can't afford to offend, can afford to hide.

If you become the king or overlord in a remote area, you are also a local lord.

"Seizing Yunnan and Guizhou and temporarily avoiding the limelight is indeed a good choice.

You can only hide for a while, but not forever!"

Shi Rongxian said with a frown.

He encountered such a powerful enemy before he had even started his business, and he began to have serious doubts about his destiny.

How can we make it to the end when facing such a strong enemy?

……

Chengdu Prefecture.

"Governor, what big thing has happened that made you call me here so urgently?

Could it be that an accident happened at Loushan Pass?"

Governor Li Yongliang asked with a concerned look on his face.

The Land of Abundance is rich in resources and has a nourishing climate. No matter how fierce the White Lotus Rebellion outside was, it did not affect Shu.

The only trouble is that the White Lotus rebels are trying to enter Sichuan.

Fortunately, they were well prepared and sent a reinforcement force in advance to garrison at Loushan Pass.

With the strong pass in hand, he is not afraid of the rebels at all.

What's more, behind the rebels, there is the imperial court's encirclement and suppression army following.

They only needed to hold out for a period of time, and then they would be able to unite with the troops in Guangxi, Guizhou and other places to wipe out the rebels who attempted to enter Shu.

"Loushan Pass is fine, but Chongqing Prefecture is in danger.

I have just received a message from Lord Xu that after the siege of Xiangyang is lifted, the rebel King Wei will lead his troops westward.

Counting the days, I'm afraid we have arrived in Chongqing Prefecture by now.

Most of the military forces in the province were concentrated on the Loushan Pass line, neglecting the defense of the eastern Sichuan gateway.

I have asked you to come here now to discuss countermeasures."

Governor Lu Junliang explained patiently.

Shu is attractive. First, the false emperor attacked Shu and attempted to enter Shu from Loushan Pass.

Now the rebel king Wei Ni is coming again, setting his sights on the eastern Sichuan gateway.

It seems like they are a soft persimmon that anyone can bully.

"Governor, I'm afraid this battle will be difficult to fight.

The eastern Sichuan region is short of troops, so the only thing we can do now is to order the Chongqing prefect to recruit young and strong men to defend Wanxian with all our strength.

Then quickly withdraw troops from the Loushan Pass line and rush to the battlefield in eastern Sichuan."

Li Yongliang thought for a while and said.

As it involves the safety of Shu and the credit for killing the false emperor, he is not going to take it.

However, he was not too worried about the safety of Shu.

Both Loushan Pass and Qutang Pass are among the most important passes in the world.

As long as there is no internal chaos, the probability of the door being opened from the outside is not very high.

“It’s not that simple. The prefect of Chongqing has a very bad reputation among the people. It’s too difficult to expect him to guard the gateway to eastern Sichuan.

Now General Zhong is leading troops at the front line of Loushan Pass and cannot get away.

Commander Zhou, I hope you can go to Qutang Pass in person to guard it in case of any accidents!"

Lu Junliang said with a serious face.

He didn't understand the rebels, but he knew his subordinates and what kind of people they were.

The prefect of Chongqing had a bad reputation among the people. He had been levying heavy taxes and levying heavy taxes for many years, and the people wanted to eat his flesh and blood alive.

There were countless people who filed complaints.

But these cases were suppressed.

In peacetime, this is not a big deal. As long as the higher-ups are appeased, it won't be a problem.

But now the rebels are coming, and no one can guarantee that the people will not join the rebels in anger.

"Governor, you think too highly of me.

The military in eastern Sichuan was lax. Not only was there a serious shortage of soldiers, but even military equipment was being resold in large quantities.

The last time I went on an inspection, I found that the gunpowder in the army was all impersonated by loess.

......"

Commander Zhou decisively started to complain.

On the surface, the slackness in military preparations seems to be the fault of the military generals, but in fact it is the responsibility of many parties.

A large amount of military land in the garrisons was occupied, and the local garrisons were no longer able to support their troops. The original garrison soldiers became employees of the gentry.

The local officials not only turned a blind eye to these acts of enclosing military land, but also protected the gentry in the court. Over time, several garrisons in eastern Sichuan became deserted.

In normal times, everyone keeps a lid on it.

If he is asked to defend eastern Sichuan now, there is no other way but to break the window paper.

The consequences can no longer be taken care of. It is better to offend people than to lose the battle and die.

“No matter how difficult it is, we must find a way to defend the gateway to eastern Sichuan.

Once the rebels are allowed to enter Shu, millions of ordinary people in Shu will suffer.

Those of us sitting here will not be able to escape the court's punishment!"

Lu Junliang said in a firm tone.

They were really forced into a corner. Once the rebels entered Shu, it would be difficult to encircle and suppress them.

As Dayu has been passed down to the present day, it is not only the southern provinces that are filled with public resentment, but the people in the southwest are also filled with anger.

Now all it takes is a spark to detonate this powder keg.

……

"preparation!"

"put!"

At dawn, rows of artillery fired at the rebel camp.

The rebel soldiers who were fleeing all the way were hit hard as soon as they woke up from their sleep.

"How did the enemy get so close? Why didn't the sentinels notice it in advance?"

Shi Rongxian asked almost roaring.

Setting up camp is just the beginning. If you want to sleep peacefully, you must also place secret sentries around the camp.

Generally speaking, it is normal for a small group of troops to launch a surprise attack and sneak up on the camp.

But now, when we woke up, we found the camp was surrounded on three sides, which was too extreme.

“Holy Emperor, the soldiers were too tired, and many of them died suddenly while on duty.

Failure to issue a warning in time gave the enemy an opportunity to take advantage! "

Shi Qichuan explained reluctantly.

In fact, today's tragedy was not the sudden death of the soldiers on duty, but that he did not arrange so many secret sentries.

It's not that he doesn't know the seriousness of the situation, it's just that the situation of the rebel army is too bad and the soldiers can't stand it.

It seemed that they took the same route as the government troops, but they were fighting and advancing at the same time.

If we count the number of steps they took during the march, they had walked at least one-third more distance than the government troops behind them.

At this point, many soldiers were on the verge of physical collapse.

Soldiers fell down while marching, sleeping, and even eating.

Under such circumstances, it is basically impossible to arrange people to go out for night duty and have them catch up with the team the next day.

The night before, he arranged fifty people to stand guard outside the camp, but only two were left when they returned the next day.

The rest either deserted or died of exhaustion on the job.

Those who can serve as scouts and stand guard at night are the elite in the army.

The war has continued until now, and they only have the last 3,000 troops left. They simply cannot afford such a heavy loss now.

Against this backdrop, he could only reduce the number of sentries.

"waste!"

"Pass the order down, break out immediately with the entire army!"

After cursing angrily, Shi Rongxian gave the order decisively.

It is impossible to fight, as the troops under his command are all exhausted.

If we really fight against the government troops, our entire army will be wiped out in less than two hours.

"Chase!"

Seeing the rebels fleeing again, the government army generals immediately issued an order to pursue them.

As the war progresses, the number of rebel soldiers around the false emperor is getting smaller and smaller, and a great achievement that transcends class is beckoning them.

The soldiers' desire to fight also became stronger and stronger.

Even if we cannot capture the false emperor, killing the White Lotus leaders around him is also a great achievement.

On a distant hilltop, Li Mu, who was watching the battle through a telescope, sighed slightly.

After torturing for so long, it is finally time to reap the rewards.

In terms of combat effectiveness alone, the rebels are actually not weak.

Especially the Holy Emperor White Lotus's guards, whose strength in close combat can even rival that of his elite troops.

Even while fleeing, they could easily massacre the larger Guizhou local troops.

Unfortunately, these people were unlucky and met an emperor who was full of fear and dared not stay and fight.

After all the trouble they have gone through, this elite infantry has now become exhausted.

With great fighting power, he couldn't even make a three-pointer.

For soldiers, it is undoubtedly a tragedy that such a strong soldier did not shine and fell on the battlefield in obscurity.

However, as the commander-in-chief of the army, he had to do so.

Watching the enemy soldiers falling one after another, Li Mu put away his last bit of mercy.

Different road non-phase plan.

The world is cruel. Since you have stood on the side of the court, the rebels must die.

Showing your strongest strength and making the enemy fall on the battlefield is the greatest respect for the enemy.

As for whether he could capture the false emperor alive, Li Mu didn't care.

Even if the person is alive and escorted to Beijing, it will only be a way for those masters in the court to vent their anger.

For the country, what really needs to be considered is how to avoid the emergence of a second or third Shi Rongxian.

The brutal battle continues.

Shi Rongxian, who was running all the way, looked back and a look of despair appeared on his face.

The government troops killed so fiercely that in just one hour, all of his 3,000-strong army was wiped out.

At this time, only the last dozen or so guards were with him.

Not to mention making a comeback, I'm afraid a group of yamen runners would be able to catch him.

"Holy Emperor, exchange clothes with me and escape separately!"

Shi Qichuan gritted his teeth and said.

No one wants to die if they can survive, but someone has to die in the current situation.

The government troops can let anyone go, except Shi Rongxian.

From the moment he proclaimed himself emperor, it was decided that only one of him and the Dayu Dynasty could survive.

"Don't waste your energy. At this moment, even if I manage to escape capture, where can I escape to?
The government troops are targeting me. While there is still time, you should take your brothers and run away.

No matter what, the incense of the historian cannot be cut off!"

Shi Rongxuan said with a tired look on his face.

The situation has developed to this point. Not only does the imperial court want his life, but there are also many people within the Holy White Lotus Kingdom who want him dead.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

The rain of arrows accurately took away the last guard around him, leaving only Shi Rongxian and Shi Qichuan.

"why you?"

After seeing who was coming, Shi Rongxian asked in disbelief.

He had thought of many ways to die, but he never expected to die at the hands of his own people today.

“Since the Holy Emperor doesn’t want to leave, then there is no need to leave.

We brothers have followed the Holy Emperor for many years, but have gained nothing. Now that we have reached the end of our road, we would like to trouble the Holy Emperor to help us achieve wealth and honor!"

Mi Yingbo said calmly.

There have been many traitors in the Holy White Lotus Kingdom, and no one expected that Mi Yingbo would be among the final rebels.

As the Minister of Finance of the Holy Kingdom, he is in a high position of power and is well-known in the imperial court.

"You bastard!
A traitor like you is doomed to have no good end!

Even if you surrender to the Pseudo-Dynasty, you will be liquidated sooner or later..."

Before Shi Qichuan could finish his curse, the soldiers who surrounded him started fighting, and two heads flew out on the spot.

Looking at the two headless bodies on the ground, Mi Yingbo sighed secretly.

If possible, he didn't want to do that.

But there was no way, Shi Rongxian was still alive and blocking many people's way.

"After all, we are the king and his subjects. We cannot let them not rest in peace even after death.

It was too late to dig a pit to bury the bodies, so they took off their clothes and changed them into ordinary soldiers' clothes.

Whether they can get through it depends on their luck."

Mi Yingbo instructed the people behind him.

(End of this chapter)