Huangming

Chapter 507 A desperate gamble to quell the Liang rebellion

Outside Fotu Pass, in the central command tent of She Chongming's camp, She Chongming's face was ashen.

He stood before the map with his hands behind his back, the whispers and reports of deserting soldiers coming from outside the tent making him uneasy.

In the past few days, the chieftain has been secretly sending people to contact the Ming army every day. Hundreds of soldiers have deserted every day. Even his most trusted distant nephew has led his personal guards to surrender to Xiong Tingbi.

"Your Majesty, Cai Jingui and He Ruohai have been summoned."

The voice of the guard broke the deathly silence in the tent.

She Chongming slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over the two men who were bowing in greeting.
"You all see the current situation. Morale is low, and many soldiers have deserted. Tell me, how do we break this deadlock?"

Cai Jingui and He Ruohai exchanged a glance, both seeing anxiety in each other's eyes.

Cai Jingui composed himself, stepped forward, and cupped his hands in greeting:
"Your Majesty, the current situation is critical and there is no time to lose!"

"The Ming army's psychological warfare strategy has been effective. The local chieftains are harboring ulterior motives, and the soldiers have no will to fight. If this drags on any longer, we will collapse without a fight, even before the Ming army attacks!"

In my humble opinion, we should attack Fotu Pass swiftly, not to capture the pass itself, but to draw away the main force of the Ming army, thus creating an opportunity for the young commander She Yan to break out of Chongqing!

He paused, then pointed to the mountain road between Jiangjin and Chongqing on the map:
"Once Sheyan breaks through the encirclement and joins us, we will immediately abandon Jiangjin and the entire army will flee into the mountains and forests of southern Sichuan."

The Ming army consisted mostly of elite troops from the nine border regions, skilled in plains warfare but unaccustomed to mountain raids.

"We, the chieftain's soldiers, grew up in the mountains and forests, are familiar with the terrain, and are skilled in using crossbows and traps. We can then use this advantage to outmaneuver and wear down the Ming army."

"Chongqing is no longer a possibility for us to occupy, and Chengdu is even more out of reach."

He Ruohai then added, his tone calm but tinged with helplessness.

"Although Xiong Tingbi's border troops are elite, they have to travel a long distance to raid the southwest, and it is not easy to replenish their food supplies. He will not be able to stay for long."

Moreover, the unrest in Jiangnan has not yet been quelled, and the imperial court will sooner or later recall him to his post.

As long as we can hold our ground in the mountains and weaken the Ming army, and wait for the situation in Jiangnan to deteriorate and the court to be preoccupied with its own problems, we will have a chance to make a comeback!

"A comeback?"

She Chongming suddenly raised his voice, his eyes filled with resentment.

"If we withdraw, how many people will follow us?"

"What did we rely on to establish our country and become emperors?"
It was a glorious achievement in capturing Chongqing!

It's to show the chieftains that following me, She Chongming, will bring them wealth and glory!
Now that we've retreated without a fight, losing Chongqing and Jiangjin, those chieftains will only feel that following me brings them no benefit and only invites their own demise.

"At that point, they'll be lucky if they don't turn against me, let alone follow me into the mountains."

His voice trembled slightly, carrying both anger and a deep sense of powerlessness.

"Your Majesty, that is true, but if this stalemate continues, the outcome will only be worse!"

Cai Jingui stepped forward, his tone firm.

"Now is the time to make a choice: hold onto the empty reputation and wait for the Ming army to surround and annihilate the entire army."

Or should we abandon the city, preserve our strength, and wait for a future comeback?

He looked directly into She Chongming's eyes, speaking earnestly.

"The Ming army's encirclement is tightening. Xiong Tingbi has already sent Ma Xianglin with the White-Spear Army to harass our rear. If we hesitate any longer, we may not even have a chance to retreat!"

He Ruohai nodded in agreement:

"Your Majesty, as long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood. As long as you are still alive, as long as the foundation of the She family remains, and as long as we still have troops, there is always a chance to turn the tide. If we insist on holding out to the death now, it will be too late once the city falls!"

The tent fell into dead silence.

She Chongming stared at the two of them, his eyes flickering uncertainly.

He was unwilling to accept that his grand plan, which he had been working on for many years, would fall apart at the last minute; he was unwilling to accept that he, who had just ascended the throne, would have to flee in such a sorry state.

"I'll never be satisfied if I don't try."

She Chongming's voice was not loud. The resentment in his eyes faded a bit, replaced by an almost insane determination. Even the hair at his temples trembled slightly due to his rapid breathing.

He Ruohai and Cai Jingui's hearts sank at the same time. They quickly exchanged a glance and saw anxiety in each other's eyes.

Cai Jingui frowned even more deeply, and was about to step forward to speak when He Ruohai had already cupped his hands half a step ahead of him:

"Does His Majesty mean that he is unwilling to withdraw his troops and still wants to fight the Ming army?"

His voice carried a barely perceptible hint of probing, his gaze fixed intently on She Chongming, as if afraid to hear the worst possible answer from the other party.

She Chongming slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over the two tense faces, and said:
"War! Why not fight?"

"I will use Fotu Pass as bait to launch a fierce attack on it, forcing Xiong Tingbi to send reinforcements! Then I will hide my elite troops in the mountains and forests, and ambush the Ming reinforcements when they pass through the mountain pass."

This is the 'encirclement and suppression of reinforcements' technique!
"If we can defeat this reinforcement, not only will morale be boosted, but we will also cripple the Ming army. At that point, the situation in Chongqing and Jiangjin might not be so irreversible!"

"But Your Majesty..."

Cai Jingui rushed forward, his voice full of worry.

“Our troops are now demoralized, with no fewer than a hundred deserting every day. If His Majesty wants to ambush reinforcements, he must do so secretly. However, half of our 50,000 troops are private soldiers of various chieftains, each with their own thoughts. How can we keep the news hidden?”

He became more and more anxious as he spoke.

"The mountain path is flanked by dense forests, a good place for an ambush, but it is also a place where the chieftain's soldiers often go to cut firewood and scout ahead. If a soldier leaks the news and the Ming army is on guard, wouldn't our people become lambs to the slaughter?"

Upon hearing this, She Chongming's expression darkened, but he did not back down.

"If you can't hide it, then use force!"

"Tomorrow I will personally lead the troops to attack Fotu Pass, and bring along all the chieftains."

Let them watch their own troops attack the city. Anyone who dares to send signals or messages privately, or cause their soldiers to cower and retreat, I will execute them on the spot!

When he said "behead him," he suddenly drew his curved knife from his waist. The blade flashed in the candlelight and slashed at the corner of the table, sending a piece of wood splintering to the ground.

The air inside the tent froze instantly. He Ruohai and Cai Jingui were both stunned by the fierce aura and subconsciously held their breath.

"Your Majesty, no!"

Cai Jingui regained his senses and hurriedly tried to dissuade him.

“Those chieftains already harbored ulterior motives. If their leader were beheaded in front of their soldiers, it would likely force them to turn against them on the spot!”

The Luo and Bai chieftains still have several thousand troops under their command. If they defect to the Ming army, we will be attacked from both sides, and our situation will only worsen!

"Turning against them?"

She Chongming gave a cold laugh and sheathed his curved sword.

"If we win this battle, they can keep their chieftainship and also share the territory of Chongqing and Chengdu with me."

Even if I don't kill them after we lose, the Ming army won't let us go.

They knew better than anyone else that they were now in the same boat, only some were still dreaming of hedging their bets!

"I just need to win this one game. If I win, they will naturally give up their ambitions and continue to work with me."

If I lose, even if I don't force them, they'll pack up and run away, or even sell me for a reward.

Rather than sit and wait to die, it's better to take a desperate gamble!

He Ruohai stood aside, his brows furrowed, but he did not try to dissuade him further.

He knew She Chongming's temperament; once he made up his mind, nothing could change it.

At this moment, he is more concerned with practical application.

"Your Majesty, who should lead the ambush mission? It must be a general who is both brave and able to keep the secret."

Upon hearing this, She Chongming lowered his head and fell into deep thought.

He didn't have many capable generals under his command.

Fan Long and Fan Hu are sons-in-law. They are brave but not meticulous enough. They are good at attacking cities, but they are likely to make mistakes in ambushes, which require concealing their strength.

Although Luo Qianxiang suffered a defeat in his attack on Fotuguan a few days ago, it was because the chieftain's troops were incompetent. This man comes from a hunter family, is familiar with the mountain and forest terrain, and is meticulous. He was able to gather the remnants of his troops after the last defeat, preventing the entire army from being wiped out. He is a suitable candidate.

"Let Luo Qianxiang go."

She Chongming finally spoke.

“He comes from the mountains and forests, knows how to ambush, knows the terrain, and is reliable. The last defeat was not his fault. This time, if we let him lead the elite troops, he will surely succeed.”

Upon hearing this, Cai Jingui nodded: "General Luo is indeed a suitable candidate. This humble general will go and convey His Majesty's decree, instructing him to come to the tent immediately to receive his orders."

"No need."

She Chongming raised his hand to stop him.

"Go and tell him that at midnight tonight, he will lead three thousand elite troops to set off quietly and hide in the Eagle Cliff Mountain Forest northeast of Fotu Pass."

That was the only way for the Ming army to reinforce Fotuguan. The cliffs on both sides were steep, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Tell him to set up more traps, prepare rolling stones and crossbow bolts, and wait until the Ming reinforcements reach the middle of the mountain path before making his move.

He paused, then added, "The attack is scheduled for dawn two days from now. I will have the chieftains lead their troops to attack the city in shifts, making sure to create a great commotion so that Xiong Tingbi thinks we are going to fight to the death to take Fotu Pass, forcing him to send reinforcements as soon as possible."

"My subordinate understands!"

Cai Jingui bowed and accepted the order, then turned and quickly left the tent.

Only She Chongming and He Ruohai remained in the tent.

Looking at She Chongming's tense profile, He Ruohai finally couldn't help but speak:
"Your Majesty, if... if the ambush fails, we may not even have a chance to escape into the mountains."

She Chongming did not turn around, but stared at Eagle Cliff on the map, his voice low and deep:

"There are no 'what ifs.' This battle must be won."

. . .

Two days later.

dawn.

Outside Fotu Pass.

She Chongming's army had already arrayed itself before the pass, with 40,000 soldiers divided into four square formations. The black "Liang" banners were faintly visible in the fog, but they could not conceal the commotion within the ranks.

The chieftain's soldiers carried siege chariots, ladders, and rattan shields, their fingers gripping their weapons tightly.

The soldiers glanced furtively at the dark cannon muzzles on the fortress, swallowing hard as their Adam's apples bobbed.

Although they had undergone a few days of hasty training and their formation was more orderly than before, the fear in their eyes did not lie.

The roar of cannons at Fotu Pass a few days ago had long been a shadow in their hearts.

On a high slope a mile away, She Chongming, clad in gilded beast-head armor and with a scimitar stained with countless bloodstains hanging at his waist, swept his gaze like a knife over the chieftains beside him.

Luo Yun, the chieftain of the Luo clan, stood with his hands tucked in his pockets, his eyes darting around.

The envoy of the Shuixi chieftain hunched his shoulders and glanced into the fog every now and then.

Bai Long, the chieftain of the Bai clan, stroked his beard, appearing calm but inwardly somewhat panicked.

"Everyone has seen it clearly."

"We must take Fotu Pass today! Who dares to desert in the face of battle, who dares to secretly collude with the Ming army?"

"Don't blame me for showing no mercy, She Chongming. Under military law, there is only death!"

Before he could finish speaking, Luo Yun coughed twice, stepped forward, and said, "Your Majesty, I have some urgent matters to attend to at my camp. The matter of attacking the city..."

"Urgent?"

She Chongming sneered, his eyes suddenly turning cold.

"The most urgent matter at this moment is to capture Fotu Pass! No one is leaving today; everyone must stay on this high ground and watch our Great Liang army break through the city!"

Seeing this, the other chieftains also wanted to make excuses, but they were forced back by She Chongming's gaze.

The murderous intent in their eyes reminded them of the soldiers who had deserted and been cut in half at the waist a few days ago. No one dared to speak again, and they could only stand there sullenly, their eyes fixed on the formation in front of the pass.

"Siege!"

At She Chongming's command, the roars of the Fan brothers, Fan Long and Fan Hu, echoed from the foot of the hill.

Clad in heavy black iron armor, the two rode black horses at the forefront of the battle. Fan Long brandished his long whip, lashing it at the hesitant chieftain soldiers.

"Charge! The first person to scale the fortress will be rewarded with fifty taels of silver!"

The chieftain's soldiers, driven by the supervising team, charged forward with howling shouts.

But just as they reached within fifty paces of the pass, a sudden whistling sound of arrows rang out from the Fotu Pass. Dense arrows rained down like locusts, and the soldiers in the front ranks fell instantly, their blood splattering onto the frozen ground, quickly freezing into dark red ice.

Immediately afterwards, the deafening roar of cannons filled the air as several shells crashed into the chieftain's ranks, billowing smoke and dust, sending rubble and limbs flying, and screams echoing through the fog.

In less than half an incense stick's time, the chieftain's troops in the first siege formation collapsed.

The entire formation was in complete chaos.

Upon seeing this, Fan Hu immediately led his supervisory team forward, brandishing his long sword and cutting down the fastest-running soldiers.

"Anyone who dares to retreat will face the consequences!"

Fan Hu, carrying a blood-dripping longsword, roared at the fleeing soldiers.

But one soldier remained slumped on the ground, crying and refusing to charge any further. Fan Long dismounted, grabbed him by the collar, and demanded sharply:

"Which chieftain are you from?"

"I...I am a member of the Bai family! I am a soldier of Chief Bai!"

The soldier was so terrified that he couldn't even speak properly.

Fan Long immediately sent someone by fast horse to report to She Chongming on the high slope.

Upon hearing this, She Chongming slowly turned to look at Bai Long beside him, his tone eerily calm:
"Boss Bai, your men certainly know when to slack off."

Bai Long panicked for a moment, but forced himself to remain calm as he stood up and forced a dry laugh:

"Your Majesty has misunderstood. Perhaps this soldier is cowardly. I will send someone to reprimand him immediately..."

"admonition?"

She Chongming suddenly raised his hand, interrupting him, and the murderous intent in his eyes could no longer be concealed.

"Disobeying military orders and retreating in the face of battle cannot be resolved with mere admonition; it is punishable by execution!"

Before he could finish speaking, two bodyguards dressed in black stepped forward and their iron-like hands instantly gripped Bai Long's arms.

Caught off guard, the white dragon struggled and roared:

"She Chongming! You dare to kill me? My Bai family is a respected chieftain in the southwest. If you kill me, the other chieftains will never agree to it!"

Whether you agree or not is not up to you.

She Chongming turned around, no longer looking at him, and simply waved his hand.

"Take him away and execute him immediately, displaying his head in public!"

The guards dragged the white dragon down the slope, and the white dragon's angry curses gradually turned into pleas for mercy:
"Your Majesty, spare my life! I dare not do it again! I am willing to lead all my troops to attack the city, please have mercy on me!"

But She Chongming never turned back until a shrill scream was heard, and his guards carried Bai Long's head up the high slope.

Upon seeing this, the chieftains on the high slope turned pale and trembled all over.

Luo Yun gripped the hem of his clothes tightly; the envoy of the Shuixi chieftain even took a half step back and almost fell to the ground.

They finally realized that She Chongming was truly ruthless this time.

So-called past relationships and in-laws are utterly insignificant in the face of victory and defeat.

"Who else is unwilling to cooperate?"

She Chongming's gaze swept over the crowd, his voice devoid of any warmth.

No one dared to answer; even breathing became a cautious affair.

at the same time.

The chieftain's soldiers in front of the pass also saw the white dragon's head hanging on the high slope, and were terrified.

Taking advantage of the moment, Fan Long and Fan Hu roared, "You've all seen it! This is what happens to those who don't fight to the death! Charge! Only by taking Fotu Pass can we survive!"

This time, the chieftain's soldiers dared not hesitate any longer.

Carrying siege equipment, they charged forward like madmen, and even though arrows and cannonballs were still deadly, no one dared to retreat.

Retreat means death, charging forward might offer a glimmer of hope.

The corpses piled higher and higher in front of the pass, but the waves of attack grew more and more intense. The defenders of Fotu Pass finally felt the pressure, and the rhythm of arrows and cannons gradually became chaotic.

On the high slope, She Chongming looked down at the chieftain's soldiers charging wildly, a cold smile curving his lips.

He knew that this method of making an example of someone had worked, but he also knew in his heart that it was only a temporary deterrent.

If we fail to capture Fotu Pass today, and if we fail to seize the ambushing Luo Qianxiang, these chieftains will rebel sooner or later.

The day-and-night siege passed in the blink of an eye.

On the high slope, She Chongming stared intently at the official road leading to Chongqing, his brows furrowed in a deep frown.

"Why haven't you come yet?"

"Did Luo Qianxiang's ambush go wrong?"

Cai Jingui, standing beside him, also grew anxious and couldn't help but step forward:
"Your Majesty, the Ming reinforcements are delayed. Could it be... that something happened to General Luo? Or that Xiong Tingbi has seen through our plan?"

"see through?"

She Chongming turned his head sharply, his eyes filled with disbelief, but he quickly suppressed his panic.

"Impossible! Luo Qianxiang led the elite troops of Yongning. The mountain path where they were ambushed was narrow. If the Ming army dared to come, they would surely fall into the ambush!"
Besides, although we have spies in our army, only a few of us knew about the ambush. How could Xiong Tingbi have seen through it?

Even so, he still looked somewhat flustered.

In this situation, there is no room for the slightest mistake. Luo Qianxiang's ambush is his only hope of breaking the deadlock.

Looking at the lifeless chieftain soldiers before the pass, He Ruohai couldn't help but sigh:

"Your Majesty, our brothers have been attacking for a day and a night, and the casualties are too great. If we continue, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold out any longer..."

Before the words were finished, a commotion suddenly arose in the distance, and a soldier stumbled up, his face pale.

"Your Majesty! General Luo... General Luo is missing!"

"what?"

She Chongming's pupils contracted sharply, and he grabbed his personal guard by the collar.

"Explain yourself! How could he have disappeared?"

"General Luo said he was going to patrol the mountains and check on the brothers who were lying in ambush, but he hasn't returned after two hours. The men sent to look for him said... that they haven't seen a single soldier lying in ambush in the mountains!"

She Chongming felt a buzzing in his head, and his vision went black. He staggered back a step and leaned against the earthen slope behind him to steady himself.

"He...he dares to do that!"

He gritted his teeth, his voice filled with anger and disbelief.

"I treated him well, yet he dared to betray me!"

Meanwhile, in the Ming army camp, Luo Qianxiang was kneeling on one knee in front of Xiong Tingbi, holding a roll of yellowed cloth in his hands, his head bowed low, and his back trembling slightly.

He hadn't had time to change out of his Yongning soldier armor, and the seams of the armor were still covered in mud from the mountains and forests, clearly indicating that he had just arrived from the ambush site.

"You said that She Chongming ordered you to take three thousand elite Yongning troops and ambush them in the mountains and forests that the reinforcements would inevitably pass through?"

Xiong Tingbi sat upright in the commander's chair, his gaze sweeping calmly over Luo Qianxiang, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

Luo Qianxiang nodded hurriedly, raising the cloth even higher with both hands:
"Yes, my lord! This is the ambush deployment map. I have marked a few gaps on the map."

Those seemingly concealed positions actually offered wide-open views. If the Ming army simply followed the openings, they could wipe out all the Yongning soldiers!

His voice carried a hint of urgency, as if afraid that Xiong Tingbi wouldn't believe him.

"I am willing to remain in the camp as a hostage. If there is even the slightest falsehood in the map, then you may execute me as you see fit!"

Xiong Tingbi took the defense map, unfolded it, glanced at it, and a faint smile suddenly appeared on his lips.

He looked up at Luo Qianxiang, his eyes showing a hint of understanding.

"You're quite clever; you know to leave yourself a way out at this time."

Luo Qianxiang stiffened, then smiled wryly:
"Gonglue Gongming was wise to see that She Chongming's rebellion was something the court had long been prepared for. The successive defeats in Chongqing and Ganshui Town had alienated the people, and this rebellion was destined to fail..."

Although I have been promoted by She Chongming, I cherish my life and do not wish to be buried with him.

"Besides, my surrender can also rid the court of this ambushing elite force, which can be considered as redeeming my sins."

"Do you think that just because you didn't tell us, the whole town wouldn't know there was an ambush in those mountains?"

Xiong Tingbi put down the defense map, his tone somewhat amused.

"She Chongming's army has more spies than you think."

The news that he ordered you to set up an ambush reached my ears yesterday.

Upon hearing this, Luo Qianxiang's face turned deathly pale, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and he hurriedly kowtowed, saying:

"Get up."

Xiong Tingbi waved his hand, his tone regaining its composure.

"You have surrendered, offered up a defense map, and even kept people as hostages. You have shown sincerity."

This strategist keeps his word. As long as you sincerely submit, you will surely reap the rewards in the future.

He turned and shouted towards the outside of the tent:

"Issue the order of this garrison commander! Cao Wenyao shall lead five thousand soldiers to flank and encircle the Yongning soldiers who are lying in ambush in the mountains and forests, according to the gaps in the defense map. We must wipe them out in one fell swoop, leaving no survivors!"

Zhou Tong, Zhao Chengye, and other generals will lead their troops in a frontal attack, directly assaulting the chaotic army below Fotu Pass and killing She Chongming!

"As ordered!"

Loud responses came from outside the tent, followed by the rapid sound of horses' hooves and the shouts of soldiers gathering. The entire Ming army camp instantly erupted in a frenzy, with banners waving, swords and spears standing tall, and a chilling atmosphere rising to the sky.

The trouble caused by She Chongming is already huge enough.

It's time to take them down completely and quell the rebellion of the Yongning bandits in the southwest.

(End of this chapter)