Huangming

Chapter 438 Trapped in Li Liang's Encirclement, Wife Forces Him to Raise an Army (Bonus Chapter for 1800 Monthly Tickets!)
The night was like a coarse cloth soaked in ink, tightly wrapping Li Jialiang's battlefield, so that even the stars could not be seen.

Hei Yunlong reined in his horse and stood at the front of the formation, his brows furrowed as he gazed at the Ming army flags that were faintly swaying on the fortress wall.

Li Jialiang attacked for another half day. Bloodstains were splattered all over the earthen walls of the fortress. His soldiers fell below the city like cut wheat stalks, but the low earthen wall still stood like an insurmountable barrier in front of them.

What chilled him to the bone even more was that Ma Shilong's troops were like nails driven into the ground, arrayed three miles away, their torchlight forming a sea of ​​orange-red light. They neither attacked nor harassed, yet exuded a sense of oppressive "trapping a turtle in a jar".

"General, if we keep dragging this out, the government reinforcements will arrive soon!"

The captain beside him trembled, and the spear in his hand shook slightly.

"We only have enough food for three days. If we get surrounded and die here..."

Hei Yunlong abruptly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with despair.

At this moment.

He finally understood Ma Shilong's scheme.

Ma Shilong's reluctance to attack was not due to a lack of courage, but rather a wait for reinforcements to completely trap him.

"Retreat! Cease the siege!"

He gritted his teeth and gave the order, his voice hoarse.

"Issue my order: Captain Zhang Wu, lead 500 men to break out to the north, making sure to cause a commotion to attract the Ming army's attention; the rest of you follow me, break out to the east, and circle back to Xuanfu!"

Zhang Wu was stunned for a moment, then he understood.

Breaking through to the north would be suicide; they were used as bait.

His face was deathly pale, yet he still clasped his hands and bowed:
"The last general takes command!"

Zhang Wu turned around, wiped his face violently, and roared at the soldiers beside him:
"Brothers! Charge with me! We'll only survive if we fight our way out!"

Five hundred soldiers, brandishing swords and spears, charged toward the Ming army's formation to the north, their battle cries instantly tearing through the night sky.

In the torchlight, their partially armored figures could be seen, like a swarm of moths drawn to a flame, rushing towards the Ming army's musketeers.

Outside the array.

Zhou Tong rode his horse to Ma Shilong's side, his armor still stained with blood from the defense of the city.

"Commander, Hei Yunlong has broken through to the north!"

Ma Shilong stood on high ground, looking at the chaotic battle situation to the north, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"We've been waiting for him."

He raised his hand and patted Zhou Tong on the shoulder, his tone calm.

"You lead your troops to intercept them and drive them back to Lijialiang. Remember, you can let a few people go to Xuanfu City to report the news."

"promise!"

Zhou Tong clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, turned around, drew his sword, and shouted to the soldiers beside him:
"Brothers! Follow me and kill!!"

The sound of horses' hooves rang out as they galloped toward the battlefield to the north, soon colliding with Zhang Wu's troops. The crisp sounds of clashing swords and spears, and the screams of soldiers, were particularly jarring in the night.

Before Ma Shilong could look away, Zhao Chengye rode over on horseback again.

"Commander! There's movement to the east! Black Cloud Dragon's personal guard is moving eastward, as if they're trying to break through!"

"Founding in the east and attacking in the west?"

Ma Shilong raised an eyebrow and sneered.

But
Faced with overwhelming troop superiority, what use is such a clever way of breaking through?
"Take two thousand elite troops to pursue him. Cao Wenzhao's cavalry from the capital are lying in ambush in the woods to the east. Once you rendezvous, make sure to block Hei Yunlong's retreat!"

"I will finally understand!"

Zhao Chengye dismounted and quickly mounted another fast horse.

The sound of horses' hooves thundered as Zhao Chengye's troops galloped westward and soon disappeared into the night.

now.

Jiang Wu, the garrison commander of Baoan Prefecture, stood beside Ma Shilong, watching the battle unfold before him, yet still felt somewhat uneasy.

He rubbed his hands together and asked cautiously:
“Commander, Hei Yunlong still has more than 5,000 men under his command, especially his personal guard, who are all desperate men. If he really manages to break through and reunite with Wang Guoliang in Xuanfu, wouldn't all our previous efforts be wasted?”

Upon hearing this, Ma Shilong turned to look at Jiang Wu and suddenly smiled.

He raised his hand and pointed eastward. In the darkness, the sound of horses' hooves could be faintly heard from afar, like muffled thunder, traveling from the ground to his feet.

"Commander Jiang, listen."

His tone was determined.

"Commander Qi's five thousand Jizhou cavalry and Cao Wenzhao's two thousand Beijing cavalry have already arrived here."

Even if Hei Yunlong could break through Zhou Tong and Zhao Chengye's blockade, he couldn't outrun the cavalry's hooves.

He can't break through; he'll be driven back sooner or later.

Jiang Wu looked in the direction Ma Shilong was pointing and indeed heard the approaching sound of horses' hooves. His unease immediately dissipated.

Looking at Ma Shilong's composed profile, he suddenly understood.

From the very beginning, Ma Shilong never intended to fight Hei Yunlong head-on. Instead, he gradually pushed him into a corner and then used his cavalry as a trump card to completely cut off all his escape routes.

Black Cloud Dragon was already doomed.

the other side.

In the dark night.

Black Cloud Dragon galloped wildly on his horse, his ears filled with the whistling wind and the horns of his pursuers.

The remaining five thousand elite troops behind him had mostly scattered, their horses' hooves trampling the muddy, blood-stained ground, the splattered dirt staining the leather armor of his guards.

"Go east! Go around that woods!"

He roared and pointed his knife to the east, but as soon as he finished speaking, a burst of fire suddenly erupted from the forest.

Cao Wenzhao's cavalry from the capital garrison charged out like ghosts, their sabers slashing down in the moonlight.

The rebel retainers at the forefront didn't even have time to scream before their heads rolled to the ground with the flash of the blade.

"West! Change to the west!"

Hei Yunlong suddenly reined in his horse and turned around, only to see that the black flag of Jizhou had already been raised on the western hillside.

Qi Jin's cavalry formed a wall, and the smoke from their volleys of firecrackers exploded in the night, while the muffled thuds of lead bullets piercing leather armor mingled with the mournful cries of warhorses, forcing the rebel army that was trying to break through to retreat.

"General! There are also ambushes to the south!"

A guard rushed forward, his face covered in blood, but before he could finish speaking, an arrow pierced his throat.

Hei Yunlong looked back and saw torches winding like a long dragon along the official road to the south. Zhao Chengye's infantry were pushing shield carts forward, and spears gleamed coldly from the gaps.

The rebels were like wild beasts trapped in an iron barrel, each attempt to break out only to be driven back more fiercely.

Qi Jin's cavalry were particularly fierce. They were divided into several teams and took turns charging, their sabers specifically targeting the horses' legs.

Black Cloud Dragon's personal guards fell from their horses one after another, and were trampled into a bloody pulp as soon as they hit the ground.

"General! Retreat!"

A captain grabbed his reins and cried out.

"If we charge again, all the brothers will die!"

Hei Yunlong looked around blankly. The thousands of servants who had been following him just moments before were now reduced to only a few hundred huddled under the horses to avoid arrows.

"Go back...back to Lijialiang!"

He finally managed to squeeze out those words through gritted teeth, and the remaining rebels, as if granted a pardon, fled back the way they came, dragging their broken spears and shields.

Qi Jin's cavalry followed behind at a leisurely pace, like wolves herding sheep, occasionally darting forward to cut down a few of the lagging men, forcing them to flee even more frantically.

As dawn broke, Hei Yunlong, covered in blood, staggered and knelt beside the pile of corpses outside Lijialiang.

The bodies of the soldiers sent to attack the fortress last night were still warm, while Ma Shilong's banner had already been planted on the high slope where they had lined up last night.

He became Ma Shilong's prey.

Hei Yunlong crouched down, staring at the flickering torches in the distant Ming army camp, his teeth grinding together.

"The bait... I've become the bait!"

Hei Yunlong clenched his fist tightly.

Ma Shilong wasn't afraid to attack; he deliberately chose not to!

They could have easily broken up his ranks with the reinforcements' cavalry, but instead they surrounded him tightly, determined to keep him alive and wait for Wang Guoliang to come to his rescue.

As soon as my brother-in-law leads the Xuanfu army out of the city, he will fall into the trap that Ma Shilong has laid!
Regret surged up like a tidal wave, overwhelming his chest.

If he had known when to quit while he was ahead during the siege two days ago, he could have retreated back to Xuanfu with his remaining troops, even if he had to abandon the supplies in Lijialiang.

But he insisted on seizing the newly captured city and waiting for Xue Yuan's inside help, which resulted in him becoming a caged bird.

He raised his hand and pounded his thigh, his teeth itching with hatred.

"Damn it! If I had listened to my men's advice yesterday, I wouldn't be in this mess!"

But it's too late to say anything now.

The Ming cavalry had already circled around to the west, and new chevaux-de-frise had been added to the trenches on the east. The only way out was to wait for Wang Guoliang to come to their rescue.

He forced himself to calm down.

"My brother-in-law has over 30,000 men, plus the elite troops of the Xuanfu Three Guards. As long as he mobilizes them all, he will definitely break through the Ming army's encirclement... He definitely will!"

He muttered to himself, as if trying to encourage himself, but the tremor in his voice could not hide the unease in his heart.

Wang Guoliang's rescue is now his only way out.

at the same time.

Xuanfu City.

In the main hall of the General's Mansion, Wang Guoliang was staring intently at the map of Xuanfu.

"Reporting to the General, there are several defeated soldiers outside the city who claim to be the Black General's retainers. They insist on seeing you and have already been lowered in by basket!"

A report came from outside the door, the tone of which was somewhat urgent.

Wang Guoliang's heart skipped a beat; an ominous premonition instantly gripped him.

He stood up suddenly.

"Bring it in!"

His voice was a few decibels deeper than usual.

soon.

Three servants, covered in dirt and wearing tattered armor, were brought in.

The three men knelt down with a thud as soon as they entered the room.

"General! Help!"

The head servant looked up, his face covered in blood and tears.

"The government troops' reinforcements have arrived!!"
My general is besieged at Lijialiang, and his supply lines have been cut off. If we had been any later, I fear... I fear we would never have seen you again!

"Snapped!"

Wang Guoliang slammed his hand on the table, his face contorted with rage, as if he wanted to devour someone.

"Trash! They're all trash!"

His face instantly turned ashen, and the anger in his eyes almost burst forth. Hei Yunlong had patted his chest and boasted that he could take Bao'an Prefecture and turn Xue Yuan against his cause, but what happened?

Not only was Xue Yuan captured, but he himself was also surrounded in Lijialiang and became a sitting duck for Ma Shilong!

"Commander-in-Chief, send the troops now! It will be too late if we delay any longer!"

The servants kept kowtowing, their foreheads hitting the ground, and blood quickly seeped out.

Wang Guoliang ignored their pleas, his mind racing as he calculated:

The government reinforcements have arrived, numbering at least 20,000 to 30,000 elite troops. If he leads his troops out of the city to provide relief, he will be intercepted by Ma Shilong's cavalry before he even gets close to Lijialiang.

Although there were more than 40,000 people in Xuanfu City, most of them were newly recruited rabble and would be no match for the government troops in a real fight.

Not only will they fail to rescue Hei Yunlong, but they'll also lose their entire fortune!

He took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, and his eyes gradually turned cold.

"Somebody come!"

He called out towards the door, and several guards immediately came in.

"Take these people away and lock them in the woodshed in the backyard. Keep a close watch on them and don't let them talk to anyone!"
Furthermore, issue the order that if any remnants of General Hei's troops return from outside the city, they should all be detained immediately and forbidden from entering the city, and even more so from spreading the news!

"Yes!"

The guards stepped forward, grabbed the still-crying servant, and dragged him out.

The hall fell silent instantly, with only the sound of the flickering candlelight remaining.

Wang Guoliang walked to the window, pushed it open a crack, and looked towards the inner courtyard in the distance.

His wife, Hei Lian'er, Hei Yunlong's older sister, lived there.

He knew his wife's temperament well. If she knew that his brother was besieged, she would cry and beg him to send troops. If he didn't agree, the manor would not have any peace.

But if you agree, you're pushing yourself into a fire pit.

"I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you, brother-in-law."

He murmured softly, his eyes showing no remorse, but rather a hint of ruthlessness.

"If you could die in Lijialiang, it would save you a lot of trouble."

At least, I don't have to risk the entire Xuanfu region to save you.

His only hope now is that Ma Shilong can act quickly so that news of Hei Yunlong's death can be brought back sooner.

Only in this way can he completely get rid of this trouble, continue to defend Xuanfu, and bargain with the court.

however.

He wanted to suppress the news, but someone was trying to spread it.

In the backyard of the Xuanfu General's Mansion, which should have been the most leisurely scene of early summer,

Rose trellises climbed all over the vermilion pillars, and petals fell on the blue brick ground, covering it with a layer of light pink. Hei Lian'er was sitting under the corridor, embroidering a handkerchief with twin lotus blossoms, her silver thread moving skillfully in her hands.

But Zhang Mama, who had served her for many years, suddenly stumbled in, her silver hair at her temples disheveled, clearly in a state of extreme panic.

"Madam! Something bad has happened!"

Granny Zhang rushed to the corridor, her knees buckled and she knelt down, her voice trembling.

"My nephew..."

The one who followed the Black-Clad General escaped back from Lijialiang this morning!

He said... that the Black Ginseng General was surrounded by government troops for two days and two nights, and Ma Shilong's musket array blocked him three miles away, preventing even water from being sent in!

Most of his guards were lost, their food supplies were gone, and at night they could only eat tree bark… Black ginseng… he was on the verge of death!

"What did you say?"

The embroidery frame in Hei Lian'er's hand fell to the ground with a "thud," the silver threads tangled into a mess.

She stood up abruptly, her gentle expression instantly tightening. She strode to Zhang Mama, bent down, and asked:

"Say it again? Yunlong... he's trapped?"

"Yes! It's true!"

Granny Zhang nodded repeatedly, tears welling up in her eyes.

"My nephew's clothes are covered in knife wounds. He said the government cavalry are like madmen, chasing the deserters back. The Black-Haired General has no way to break out now and is just hoping the General will send troops!"

"And so far, the commander-in-chief still hasn't sent troops!"

Hei Lian'er felt a buzzing in her head and her vision went black.

Hei Yunlong is her younger brother, born of the same mother. Their parents passed away early, and she raised her brother single-handedly. She would feel sorry for him even if he was injured or bumped.

Now, his younger brother's fate is unknown in Lijialiang, but Wang Guoliang is still sitting in the front hall!

She took a deep breath and raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"Wang Guoliang, if he dares not send troops, I will make the blood of the wife of the Xuanfu General splatter on the hallway of the General's mansion!"

As he spoke, he ran towards the main hall in the front yard.

In the front hall at this time.

Wang Guoliang sat on a tiger-skin chair, with several crumpled military reports spread out in front of him.

"General, a dozen or so remnants of the army have returned from outside the city. They all say... they all say that General Hei's side is about to collapse."

The guards reported in hushed tones, not daring to raise their heads.

Wang Guoliang closed his eyes, suppressing the urge to curse.

Hei Yunlong, that scoundrel, was bolder than anyone else when he killed the imperial envoy, but when it came to the battlefield, he turned out to be a good-for-nothing with high aspirations but low abilities!
Tens of thousands of elite troops!
He's been beaten like this in just a few days, and they still want to drag him into this mess!

He was about to order the city gates to be reinforced, and he was determined not to let the news get out, especially not to let Hei Lian'er in the backyard know, when suddenly a sharp cry of a woman came from outside the door, mixed with the sound of porcelain shattering.

"Wang Guoliang! Are you going to stand by and watch me die?!"

That voice belongs to Hei Lian'er!

Wang Guoliang suddenly opened his eyes, slammed his hand on the table, and stood up abruptly, his voice filled with shock and anger:
"Who let her in?! Stop her!"

But no sooner had he finished speaking than the vermilion doors of the front hall were smashed open with a loud bang.

Hei Lian'er ran in barefoot, her once neatly combed flying bun now disheveled.

Her phoenix eyes were red from crying, with tears still clinging to the corners, yet they held a desperate ferocity. She rushed straight to Wang Guoliang, pointing her finger at his nose and roaring:

"Wang Guoliang! My brother is surrounded in Lijialiang and is dying!"

And you're sitting here drinking tea?

Is your heart made of stone?!

Wang Guoliang was both shocked and angry when he saw her like this.

He clearly ordered a news blackout, and even the surviving remnants were put under guard, so how did she still find out?
He suppressed his anger, reaching out to steady her arm, his tone as gentle as possible:
"Madam, please calm down. How could Yunlong, who led tens of thousands of elite soldiers, be trapped so easily?"
"Those remnants of the army must have panicked and spread rumors..."

"You lied to me again!"

Hei Lian'er abruptly shook off his hand, turned around, grabbed the silver knife used for cutting paper from the corner of the table, and swiftly pressed it against her throat.

The silver knife was thin and sharp; the blade instantly sliced ​​through the delicate skin, and a bead of bright red blood rolled down the blade.

"Today you either send troops to rescue Yunlong, or... collect my corpse!"

Her voice was incredibly hoarse, each word trembling with tears, yet strangely resolute.

"I, Hei Lian'er, only have this one younger brother in my life. If he dies, I won't live either!"

Wang Guoliang was so frightened his heart almost jumped out of his chest. He reached out to grab the knife, but Hei Lian'er glared at him fiercely.

"Don't come any closer! Take one more step and I'll die right here in front of you!"

Just then, a series of crisp clanging sounds of armor clashing came from outside the door.

Wang Guoliang turned his head and saw that the officers of the Third Battalion were standing under the corridor. The leader, Battalion Commander Zhao, had red eyes and was clutching a letter from home.

His younger brother was a junior officer under Hei Yunlong, and he was also trapped in Lijialiang at the moment.

The other officers also looked at him with complicated expressions, their eyes filled with urging and worry.

Wang Guoliang's temples throbbed, and he only belatedly realized what was happening.

Hei Lian'er came prepared this time.

She's deliberately making this known to everyone!
She knew he cared about the general's authority and the morale of the troops, so he deliberately threatened suicide in front of his subordinates.

If he doesn't give in today, the rumors that "the general refused to help and forced his wife to her death" will spread throughout the Xuanfu army tomorrow. At that time, not only will the son-in-law of Geyubao and the cousin of Chaigoubao waver, but even the generals he promoted will be shaken!

"What do you know!"

He grabbed Hei Lian'er's wrist, lowered his voice, and spoke with a tone full of helplessness.

"Ma Shilong has laid an inescapable trap in Lijialiang!"

Qi Jin's five thousand cavalry and Cao Wenzhao's Beijing garrison cavalry were waiting there!

If we send troops, we'll be pushing the main force of Xuanfu into a fire pit!

If we can't rescue Yunlong, we'll all die!

"I do not care!"

Hei Lian'er struggled fiercely, and her tears fell even more profusely.

All I know is that my brother is dying!
You are the commander-in-chief of Xuanfu, with 30,000 soldiers. How could you not save him?
"Have you been hoping for his death all along, so you could get rid of the Black family?!"

Looking into her red eyes and listening to her hurtful words, Wang Guoliang felt a surge of powerlessness rising from his feet to the top of his head.

He sighed deeply, his voice filled with exhaustion.

What sins did he commit in his past life?

In a moment of impulse, the brother-in-law killed the imperial envoy, dragging him into the quagmire of treason.

Now, the "Brother-Supporting Demoness" is so incapable of distinguishing right from wrong, she's risking her own life to drive him to a dead end.

His position as the Commander-in-Chief of Xuanfu was truly more bitter than bitter herbs.

"Ugh……"

He released his grip, took a half-step back, and looked at the silver knife pressed against Hei Lian'er's throat, as well as the menacing officers lurking in the corridor. Finally, he gave in.

"Alright, alright... Put down your knife first, I... I'll send troops."

Upon hearing this, Hei Lian'er's eyes lit up instantly, and she loosened her grip, causing the silver knife to clatter to the ground.

She threw herself into Wang Guoliang's arms and cried like a child:

“I knew you wouldn’t abandon Yunlong… Thank you, my husband…”

Wang Guoliang gave a wry smile and said:

"Don't thank me, I'll be killed by you and your brother sooner or later."

PS:

I got up early to write, but then some relatives came to visit.

I have to attend a banquet tomorrow.

It looks like a holiday, but it's not actually a holiday.
(End of this chapter)