Red Mansion: Seizing Jiangdong, starting with pirates

Chapter 318, Liaodong Troops

Hide! Conceal! Escape!
Tuo Lei felt like a lowly rat, being toyed with and driven around by the Huaiyin army.

There's an old Chinese saying: "After the worst comes the best!"

Surely he can't be any worse now, right?
Will do.

His men rushed over in a great panic.

"It's bad, Your Majesty! A large number of Han Chinese troops have appeared in the east. They seem to be the Huaiyin Army. They have blocked all our escape routes!"

"what!"

Tuolei was struck as if by a bolt from the blue.

How is that possible? How could the Huaiyin Army possibly appear in the east?

It should be noted that the main reason he was able to fight and retreat continuously was because the grassland terrain was vast and there was a lot of room for retreat in the rear, which enabled him to maneuver against the Huaiyin army.

But the current situation makes it impossible for him to maintain his composure.

The Huaiyin army suddenly appeared behind him out of nowhere!
Wouldn't that leave him with no way out and ensure his certain death?

"I gonna go see!"

Faced with this situation, even Chen Zheng could not remain calm.

Tuolei did not stop him.

Currently, Chen Zhengdu is his most valiant general. Although he is a Han Chinese, he has already proven his loyalty through his actions.

Tuo Lei personally straightened Chen Zhengdu's clothes.

"General, you must return safely."

Chen Zhengdu said solemnly, "Don't worry, Great Khan!"

Chen Zhengdu led a team of his men and rushed over.

He found a high place on the mountainside and looked out at the army that had appeared out of nowhere.

The army was numerous and spread across several hilltops, completely blocking their retreat.

Because the Qianli Pass was damaged in the battle, Chen Zheng couldn't see it clearly, but he didn't see any red on that army, so it seemed they weren't the Huaiyin Army.

"Could it be government troops?"

Chen Zhengdu made his guesses.

He quietly led his men closer, captured a soldier on the outskirts, and interrogated him to extract information.

"It's Chu Yuqi's troops!"

This news instantly plunged Chen Zhengdu into despair.

Chu Yuqi has defected to the bandits of Huaiyin.

This signifies that the strength of the Huaiyin bandits has expanded once again.

Their chances of winning have become even slimmer.

In particular, Chu Yuqi also controlled the Liaodong region, where there were roads connecting to the grasslands.

This explains why this army was able to appear out of nowhere behind them.

Chen Zheng hurriedly brought the news back to Tuo Lei.

Upon hearing this, Tuolei's eyes turned bloodshot.

Deceiving too much!

In the past, Emperor Taizu of Daxi forcibly occupied the Changbai Mountains and Heilongjiang River in Liaodong with his army, driving the people who had lived in Liaodong for generations to the grasslands.

The Abuka tribe was a product of the fusion of nomadic tribes from the steppes and the Jurchen people of Liaodong. (Details have been mentioned earlier.)
Now, before they could even reclaim their homeland, the despicable and greedy Chinese have attacked again!

This time, we must wipe them out completely.

They hadn't done anything all along; they had simply lived quietly on the land of Liaodong, only occasionally having the thought of trying to break through the gates.

Because of this, from the founding emperor of the Great Xi Dynasty to Fang Yong today, everyone wants to exterminate them!
Why are the Chinese so evil and cruel!
And yet, their strength is so formidable.

Tuo Lei secretly resented the injustice of Heaven.

But now he is helpless.

"Thief Fang, from Zhongxia!"

Tuo Lei slammed his fist into the tree.

He secretly vowed that he would never give him the opportunity to rule the Central Plains, otherwise he would repay him a hundredfold, a thousandfold, for the embarrassment, humiliation, and resentment he suffered today!

He thought this to himself, but he couldn't say it to anyone else.

The reason, of course, is that Chen Zhengdu was still a Chinese.

Tuo Lei took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

He knew that this time, his chances of survival were truly slim.

He was surrounded from both sides, and the enemy forces far outnumbered him. The chances of him successfully breaking through with his forces were extremely slim.

If he were to be even slightly hindered by the enemy, he would surely meet his demise.

The only hope is...

Tuo Lei turned his gaze to Chen Zhengdu.

Chen Zheng remained silent, knowing that the other side needed him to break through.

He is currently the strongest general under Tuolei.

But to be honest, even Chen Zheng wasn't very confident in the face of such a huge disparity in troop strength.

The Liaodong Army was considered one of the stronger soldiers in the Da Xi army.

The enemy force numbered at least forty or fifty thousand, while they only had a few thousand, less than the number of people in one of the enemy's detached camps.

Behind them, an endless army of Huaiyin soldiers was watching them intently. If they were even slightly hindered during their breakout, the Huaiyin army would catch up and they would face certain death.

Everyone present was well aware of these circumstances.

The morale of the people is low.

Tuolei looked at the crowd, and the soldiers lowered their heads one by one.

Tuolei knew that if things continued like this, he wouldn't even have a sliver of a chance to survive.

Tuo Lei silently removed the eagle-topped crown from his head, a symbol of his power, which he now removed with his own hands.

"My fellow countrymen, brothers, relatives, and everyone here, you have followed me, fought bravely, never fearing swords, spears, or arrows, and never retreating in battle! I, Abuka Tuolei, thank you all. Having subordinates like you is my greatest honor!"

The soldiers' eyes lit up a little as they listened to Tuolei's words of gratitude, but not much.

Suddenly, Tuolei threw the crown in his hand to the ground.

"Sweat!"

Several of Tuolei's confidants couldn't help but speak up.

Tuolei showed no sign of distress and said to everyone:

“Each of you is a qualified warrior. My current predicament is not your fault, but the failure of me, the Great Khan. I am not worthy to bear this crown.”

These words moved everyone present.

Honestly, although Tuolei's reign as Khan was short, he treated his soldiers, his subordinates, and the herdsmen very well, and there was nothing he did wrong.

"Great Khan, please don't say that!"

"This is not your responsibility!"

"They're all Xia dogs..."

Tuo Lei remained silent, only reaching for the precious sword at his waist.

Chen Zhengdu noticed this scene immediately.

His pupils shrank.

He thought to himself, "Is it an act or...?"

Suddenly, Tuo Lei drew his precious sword and held it to his neck.

"Sweat!"

Everyone was shocked.

"do not come!"

Tuo Lei roared, his throat bobbing as he spoke, and blood instantly flowed down the blade as it touched the edge.