Fu Shanhe

Chapter 89 A strange combination of circumstances
Night falls.

The lights in the Wucheng Bingmasi camp were bright. It was obvious that a team of 7,000 people had built a stockade that could accommodate more than 10,000 people.

From a distance outside, the scene looked quite intimidating.

"The enemy troops are staying outside Yangzhou City. It seems that our Lord Xu still has some ability.

We were not fooled by the rebels, and it was worth our hasty march all the way here!"

Marquis Wuyang said with a smile.

They definitely didn't come here in a hurry to rescue Lord Xu.

Given the relationship between the two parties, not stabbing someone in the back is for the sake of the overall situation.

From the perspective of the Five Cities Army, Yangzhou City could be breached by the rebels, but it must not be breached because of Commander Rong and his entourage.

I rushed here just to clean up the mess.

Now that they know that the rebels' deception plan has failed, everyone is in a good mood.

If it weren't for the rapid march, the soldiers would have been exhausted, which affected their combat effectiveness.

Considering the several thousand rebels outside the city, it was estimated that there was no need to even hold this meeting and they would just charge in directly.

After seeing the useless members of the rebel army, he no longer took enemies of equal strength seriously.

"Commander-in-chief, Lord Xu hit the jackpot by accident.

The rebels' disguise was so obvious that he didn't even notice it.

If we tell him the truth, I wonder if he can sleep peacefully tonight!"

As soon as Zhao Yawei said this, everyone burst into laughter.

Making fun of a cabinet minister is no small matter.

If the news reached Lord Xu, even though they were different in careers, it would still be easy for him to deal with a small captain.

But everyone here is our own people, and Captain Zhao is clearly showing his loyalty to Marquis Wuyang, so the news will naturally not leak out.

"Captain Zhao, this is a good idea.

The safety of Yangzhou is of great importance, to ensure that nothing goes wrong.

We must let Lord Xu know the truth as soon as possible so that the city defense can be strengthened in time!"

Captain Tang on the side echoed.

It was originally just a joke, but after he processed it, it instantly became an official business that had to be completed.

Once the bad idea was revealed, all the generals present started to find excuses, which left Li Mu dumbfounded.

From the looks in everyone's eyes, it can be seen that everyone is eager for military merit.

In order to compete for the main attack mission, he did not hesitate to put aside his moral principles and flatter Marquis Wuyang.

Li Mu did not join in the fun. He had already taken the credit several times, and everyone would be dissatisfied if he took it again.

The main force of the rebels is still on the way. Even if all the thousands of rebels outside the city were killed, there would not be much military merit.

"Okay, since everyone says so, let's send someone to inform Lord Xu.

For the sake of confidentiality, please do not tell Lord Xu about our presence nearby for the time being!"

Although he was overjoyed in his heart, Marquis Wuyang still tried to remain calm on the surface.

As long as Yangzhou City is not lost now, there will be no problems later.

There might be some uncertainty when using our troops to confront the main force of the rebels.

But the situation is different now. The cavalry of the Beijing camp has already moved south and will arrive tomorrow.

With the cooperation of the cavalry units, the army is very effective and can fight to the fullest.

……

Rebel camp.

As soon as he heard the bad news, Huang Renliang wanted to run away with his troops.

After verifying the news, he became even more determined to run away.

If it weren't for the fact that it was already late and the rebels were incapable of marching at night, he would have ordered a retreat immediately.

No matter how much they despise the government troops, they must admit that when the forces are equal, the elite rebel army cannot defeat the elite government troops.

Military morale and daily training are not the biggest problems; the real gap lies in equipment.

One was fully armored, the other was wearing only linen clothing.

If they engage in a head-on confrontation, they will suffer heavy losses.

The most effective way for the rebels to win is to use human wave tactics.

As long as there are enough of them, they can kill the enemy.

"Are you sure the enemy has more than 10,000 troops?"

Huang Renliang asked without giving up.

When the forces are equal, he wants to run away.

If the military strength is at an absolute disadvantage, it will be even more difficult to fight.

“General, we have observed the enemy camp, and it can accommodate at least tens of thousands of people.

If everyone squeezes in, maybe 20,000 people can be accommodated here.

The enemy camp was heavily guarded, and our people could not get close enough to verify the enemy's true strength."

The young general's words dispelled Huang Renliang's last bit of fantasy.

With just the few troops he has, it's not worth it for the enemy to bluff.

The government troops built such a large camp, either they really had that many soldiers, or they had reinforcements coming.

In either case, the military pressure that will follow will be enormous.

"Pass the order down, all troops are ready to move out and leave early tomorrow morning!"

Huang Renliang gave the order decisively.

His many years of career as a private salt dealer taught him a lesson: if you can't win, run away.

As long as people are alive, there is hope.

……

In the government office. "What, the government troops outside the city are disguised as rebels?"

Xu Wenyue asked in horror.

There were no soldiers in Yangzhou City at that time, and it was difficult to maintain public order with just those temporary workers and yamen runners.

Once the rebels launch an attack on the city, the strengths and weaknesses of the city will be exposed in an instant.

"Yes, Sir!
The soldiers guarding the city discovered that there were many wanted criminals of the imperial court among the enemy soldiers. Even if Commander Rong was ignorant of the seriousness of the situation, there was no way he could recruit these people under his command.

In order to verify the truth, the students arranged for people to venture close to the enemy camp to investigate, and they also found something wrong.

Commander Rong, the commander-in-chief of the army, was actually reduced to a prisoner.

Several generals from the DPRK were also detained together."

Hou Huaichang answered affirmatively.

When it comes to matters involving his life and property, he dare not be careless.

If the rebels were to capture Yangzhou, his position as cabinet minister would be over.

"What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and gather the local gentry to discuss how to defend the city!"

Xu Wenyue said with a frown.

If he had known that Yangzhou was so difficult, he would not have rushed over.

From the time when we seized power to now, we have not seen the expected benefits, but have instead encountered a lot of troubles.

"Lord, you absolutely cannot do this!"

“Yangzhou has always been a gathering place for salt merchants. The Lianghuai rebellion was led by the seven major families. I don’t know how many of their insiders there are in the city.

It's fine when the war is going well, but once the war gets into trouble, these gentry are all unreliable.

At present, we can only block the news, strengthen vigilance, and do everything possible to prevent the enemy from colluding with internal and external forces.

At the same time, he asked for help from the Wucheng Bingmasi, Jingying, and Nanjing Military Department.

If things are impossible and Yangzhou cannot be defended, you can move to Zhenjiang to avoid the rebels!"

Hou Huaichang hurriedly persuaded.

He doesn't know how to command troops and fight wars, but he knows how to learn from experience.

In the last defense of Yangzhou, the Wucheng Bingmasi presided over the battle alone and excluded all local officials and gentry.

He doesn't use his help when he has it, which obviously shows that he thinks these people are unreliable.

Since there are risks, they must be avoided.

Otherwise, you might be sold out by collusion between insiders and outsiders, and you won’t even have a chance to escape.

“There is no need to mention the retreat to Zhenjiang.

I am not one of those in-laws who have no sense of shame.

They have not done anything, and the court has been supporting them for so many years, but they are still ungrateful.

He was even capable of doing something as shameful as joining a thief, which was truly a disgrace to his ancestors. He was truly a disgrace to them.

Pass the order down to block all the city gates. I will live and die with Yangzhou.

Issue an announcement to the public in the name of this imperial envoy.

All gentry, students, merchants, and officials who fled from Yangzhou were treated as accomplices of thieves.

Those who dare to work hard to overturn the verdict are all remnants of the traitors.

I sent this document and the request for help together. I want to tell everyone in the world that those who follow the thieves will not have a good end! "

Xu Wenyue's order frightened everyone.

Our elder is really cruel. Not only does he want to live and die with the city, but he also cuts off the chance of others to escape.

If he really died in battle in Yangzhou, he, as a minister who died for his country, would surely be praised by the court.

The final official document will also become a masterpiece in the world and will be highly praised by the government and the public.

As an unfortunate person bound by official documents, if he dared to run out of Yangzhou City, he would be a negative example that will be remembered forever.

If the entire clan is not exterminated, at least the entire family will be executed.

After a brief moment of confusion, everyone understood instantly.

Cutting off one's retreat may seem very dangerous, but it is actually the best way to survive.

A prominent status not only brings power, but also corresponding responsibilities.

Yangzhou City was lost. Others could escape, but Xu Wenyue could not.

Retreating to Zhenjiang means the end of his political life.

The good reputation accumulated for most of his life was destroyed in an instant.

Rather than waiting to die, it is better to force people into the water and risk your life for a last fight.

He succeeded, and his reputation as a clean leader became more and more famous.

If you fail and die for your country, a group of people will be buried with you, and you can also gain a good reputation after your death.

The ones who suffered the most were the Yangzhou gentry, who were forcibly tied to chariots and had no choice but to go to the gambling table with the lives of their entire families.

……

The next day, early morning.

As soon as the sky began to brighten, the sound of drums was heard from the camp of the Five Cities Army.

The soldiers, ready to go, marched at steady pace and continued to press towards the enemy camp.

Almost at the same time, the rebel camp also sounded the horn.

But it is not a horn of attack, but a horn of escape.

The two armies marched forward one after the other, and the distance between them was less than ten miles.

It was precisely these ten miles that became the final obstacle.

"Disband the army and give chase!"

Zhao Yawei ordered angrily.

Military merit was right at his fingertips, but he was able to run away. It was really infuriating.

(End of this chapter)