Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 121: Attacking Lanzhou Prefecture and Quelling Cholera
Lanzhou Prefecture, outside the north city gate.

The Zhuanglang guards were ready to attack the city gate.

A soldier wearing armor and holding a goose-feather knife stood in front of the city gate and shouted loudly:
"Soldiers!"

"Here!"

"Follow me into Lanzhou City and rescue the Queen Mother and His Highness."

"Kill, kill, kill!"

Outside the city gate, shouts and cries of killing shook the sky.

Wang Gang, the commander of Lanzhou City, was not only confused by what he saw but also by what he heard. He grabbed his guards and asked, "Did you hear what those Zhuanglang guards were yelling just now?"

"General, they seem to be saying that they want to rescue...rescue the Concubine Dowager and...his Highness?"

The guard who replied also had a ridiculous expression on his face.

This is Lanzhou Prefecture, where Prince Su's Mansion is located. The security is even stricter than that of the Imperial Palace. How could anything happen to Her Majesty the Dowager and His Highness?

Moreover, their prince is the youngest land-based swordsman in the Ming Dynasty. If something really happened to his prince, not to mention Lanzhou Prefecture, wouldn't even Shaanxi have fallen long ago?

Did those Zhuanglang guards outside get kicked in the head by a donkey?
and many more……

Lieutenant General Wang Gang, defending the city, seemed to have grasped something, his eyes widening. "Damn it! Could it be that Commander Yan Kuang of the Zhuanglang Guards is using this excuse to deceive the Zhuanglang Guards? Are all his men idiots? They believe this?"

The other Lanzhou guards guarding the city were also speechless.

Although I know that there must be other reasons why Zhuanglangwei was abducted, but if I put myself in their shoes, if they suddenly heard that Lanzhou Prefecture had fallen, the Concubine Dowager was in danger, and His Highness was trapped for some reason or needed rescue for some reason, they would definitely rush to rescue him at all costs... right?

Many people shook their heads instantly. They were naturally willing to go through fire and water for their own prince, but they would definitely not be as stupid as Zhuang Langwei.

A soldier defending the city pointed at the Zhuanglang guards outside the city who were fanatically fighting to the death and said with a headache, "General, they obviously believed it."

Wang Gang felt even more headache after hearing this.

A captain smiled bitterly and said, "Back then, the Zhuanglang Guard was nearly destroyed when they were on the border with the Mongolian and Liao invaders. To resettle them, His Highness sent four thousand Cangyun soldiers to level the mountains and open roads for them, reclaim wasteland, and allow their families to support themselves and live a good life."

"Although these current members were selected and joined later, they are basically either their descendants or relatives. Every household has received kindness from His Highness. Now that they know His Highness is in trouble, it would be strange if they didn't fight to the death."

"Yeah, let alone them, if we knew that His Highness was in trouble, we would definitely fight to the death."

Several general flags also expressed their feelings.

"I understand all this, but what the hell should I do now?"

"To fight or not to fight?"

Wang Gang leaned his hands on the wall and felt like cursing.

If the Zhuanglang Guards rebelled, it would be easy to deal with.

The Lanzhou guards were defending the city and were not afraid of the Zhuanglang guards attacking the city.

But Zhuang Langwei shouted this slogan.

Are they going to fight or not?
Let's fight. We know that the Zhuanglang guards were probably either deceived or coerced, and most of them are innocent. When comrades turn their swords against each other, it is only to make their loved ones sad and their enemies happy.

There is no way not to fight.

We can't let their brothers die in vain just because Zhuanglangwei is innocent, right?

Just as Wang Gang was watching the Zhuanglang guards preparing to attack the city, hesitating whether to fight.

Changsun Wangqing came in mid-air, raised his hand, and a streak of sword light that was a hundred feet long fell from the sky and slashed fiercely outside the moat of the north city of Lanzhou Prefecture, leaving a huge sword mark that was several feet deep and a foot wide.

Blocked the way of Zhuanglangwei.

"Those who cross the line die!"

The Zhuanglang guards were thrown to the ground. In the rising dust, the archer with the best eyesight spotted Changsun Wangqing, walking in the air, wearing black armor and standing with his hands behind his back. "That's..."

"Commander Changsun of Cang Yun."

"Why is Commander Changsun blocking our way?"

Just when many of the smarter Zhuanglang guards reacted, a cold voice suddenly resounded in the sky outside the north city of Lanzhou Prefecture without any warning.

"Yan Kuang, what has happened to me that has you mobilized so many troops?"

"Are you going to attack Lanzhou Prefecture?"

The moment the voice fell, Zhu Jinzhen appeared outside Lanzhou City.

"Your Highness...Your Highness?"

Yan Kuang's spirit was about to die. He rolled off his horse in disbelief and rushed to the front, kowtowing repeatedly: "Your Highness, please spare my life, Your Highness, please spare my life."

"The last general, the last general..."

Yan Kuang had already prepared a lot of speeches, but when the words came to his lips, he couldn't continue.

His words were just enough to fool those illiterate soldiers.

Showing off in front of Zhu Jinzhen is tantamount to seeking death.

"Ah? This is..."

"It's His Highness's voice. Great! His Highness is fine."

"How could this happen? If His Highness is alright, then what are we doing?"

Zhuang Langwei also realized belatedly that they seemed to have been deceived?
Zhu Jinzhen looked at the restless Zhuanglang Guards and frowned: "Why don't you put down your weapons?"

In just a moment, more than half of the Zhuanglang guards decisively threw their weapons aside.

The rest of the people quickly threw away their weapons.

In the end, only a dozen Zhuanglang guards were left, hesitant and undecided.

"Heh, it seems my words are of no use!" Zhu Jinzhen's expression was unusually calm, as if he was talking about a trivial matter that had nothing to do with him, but the Zhuanglang Guards and Lanzhou Guards inside and outside the north city of Lanzhou Prefecture, as well as the secret guards in the city, could all hear the anger beneath those calm words.

"boom!"

Suddenly, a burly figure appeared among the Zhuanglang guards and kicked the Zhuanglang guard who was holding a hook-sickle spear beside him, causing him to fall forward. Then he picked up the knife on the ground and chopped him directly.

"Pfft!"

The long knife cut his gun-holding hand in two.

The Zhuanglang guard screamed in pain, holding his severed arm, and said in disbelief, "Brother, why... why?"

"Why? How dare you ask?" The burly Zhuang Langwei, holding a blood-drenched long sword, his eyes filled with pain and hatred: "Do you still remember who gave us a bite to eat when we were almost starving to death a few years ago? Who allowed my mother and the others to keep our Xiaoniu Village alive?"

"Do you remember the oath you and I swore to the elders on the day we joined the Zhuanglang Guard?"

"Your Highness ordered you to drop your weapons. Why didn't you obey?"

"what?"

Zhuang Langwei, with a broken arm, listened to the roar, and all the questions he asked were stuck in his throat. He could no longer utter a word. He lowered his head in shame and dared not look at the person in front of him.

Swish!
The burly Zhuanglangwei turned around, threw away the bloody long sword, and looked at the remaining people with a fierce look.

With his leadership, many Zhuanglang guards around him who were ready to atone for their sins began to stir.

Those people couldn't help but look at Commander Yan Kuang who was kneeling on the ground and trembling. Seeing that he ignored them, they could only helplessly drop their weapons to the ground.

(End of this chapter)