Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 376 Recapture of Yanyun, Leader of the Heavenly Gang

From the moment he decided to rebel, Yelü Nierugu was determined to advance without retreat and would never back down even a step.

After his previous defeat, Yelü Nierugu was in dire straits. He did not flee, for fleeing would be pointless and would only lead to being hunted down for the rest of his life.

Yelü Nierugu did not want to spend the rest of his life in constant fear and trembling, so he decided that rather than fleeing for his life in a sorry state, he would fight one last time!
A victorious army is bound to be arrogant; a surprise attack at dawn is inevitable.

This was Yelü Nelugu's last chance.

Di Qing and Yang Zongbao led their troops to pursue the defeated soldiers. Yang Yanzhao's troops were greatly reduced. Having just won a battle, everyone was overjoyed and celebrating their victory.

Even though Li Nanxing was cautious and divided the soldiers into three teams to celebrate in turn, by dawn, would the soldiers who had enjoyed the feast still be able to stand up?
To boost morale and increase the chances of victory, Yelü Nierugu took the lead and charged ahead. A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall, and a noble man does not sit under a dangerous roof. Now that they were in dire straits, he had to personally lead the troops into battle.

Those still following Yelü Nierugu at this moment are his personal guards, the elite of the best, just like the Imperial Guards who fought desperately to stop Wanyan Jue when he attacked Xiaoshan'ao. They are the core elite.

These soldiers were skilled in archery and horsemanship, adept at fighting, well-equipped, and courageous.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Arrows rained down on the Song army camp.

While shooting arrows, they charged on horseback, rushing towards the barricades, pitfalls, and deer antlers outside the camp, trampling the road with their lives, and then slashing fiercely with their swords.

"Boom!"

The sound of hooves was like thunder, devastating the heavens and the earth.

The camp was breached and the soldiers were killed. Just as Yelü Nielugu was showing off his power, Li Nanxing, holding a feather fan, directed his soldiers to quickly form an encirclement. The soldiers pushed out crossbow carts and set up a large crossbow formation.

"Yelü Nierugu, you cannot escape even if you grow wings! I knew you intended to carry out this plan, so I have been waiting for it for a long time."

Before Li Nanxing finished speaking, two black dragons appeared outside the camp, like thick arms, to firmly embrace the camp. They were Di Qing and Yang Zongbao.

Yelü Nierugu made a mistake.

Li Nanxing came to take advantage of the chaos; what's the point of chasing after the remnants of the army? Why waste energy?
Furthermore, even if a victory celebration were to be held, it should be done after thoroughly defeating Yelü Nierugu and cutting off his head, rather than celebrating immediately after winning a battle. That would be the most foolish choice.

Li Nanxing was certainly not a fool.

When he traveled the world to study, he met the love of his life when he arrived in Sichuan. He stayed in Sichuan for more than a year, studying the military strategies of Zhuge Liang with great dedication and becoming quite accomplished in strategy.

This was a plan targeting Yelü Nierugu.

Show the enemy weakness, lure them into a trap, and then catch them like turtles in a jar.

Yelü Nierugu's schemes were all seen through, and even with extraordinary abilities, he could only wait to die.

There were crossbowmen in front and pursuers behind.

Di Qing and Yang Zongbao did not pursue for too long, but instead found a secluded mountain hollow to rest. It was none other than the small mountain hollow where the fierce battle had taken place earlier, and the ground was filled with the smell of blood.

After a night's rest, the soldiers were full of energy and charged like wolves and tigers, quickly forming an impenetrable encirclement.

The Three Powers Formation of Heaven and Earth!
In a daze, Yelü Nierugu thought of the battlefield twenty years ago, in which Chu Xiangyu's army was completely wiped out by him. He made the greatest contribution and rose rapidly in rank. Yelü Hongji could no longer suppress him. His power grew and he was increasingly supported. Thinking of his father's experience, he gradually developed ambition.

Do not!
Yelü Nierugu had always been ambitious, but he had been suppressed and had no opportunity to realize his ambitions until he made great contributions, which gave him the space to carry out his schemes. Everything originated from that victory.

At the height of his military power and influence, Yelü Nierugu thought the Song people were weak and incompetent, Chu Xiangyu was a boastful good-for-nothing, and Li Nanxing was a pedantic scholar.

After a series of crushing defeats, Yelü Nierugu witnessed the terrifying power of Li Nanxing. While not infallible, he at least had a complete grasp of the Song-Liao battlefield.

How could such an ability be...?

Yelü Nierugu raised his head in shock.

They met Li Nanxing's gaze head-on.

What kind of eyes were those?

Calm, serious, profound, ruthless, and resolute!
Regret, hatred, relief, joy, excitement!
A multitude of emotions converged in his eyes, but in the end, only five words remained. Li Nanxing waved his feather fan and coldly announced the decisive order: "Soldiers, fire the arrows!"

Thousands of arrows fired!

We have plenty of arrows, so please take as many as you can!
Warhorses neighed mournfully, soldiers screamed in agony, and blood splattered everywhere!

"Fight to the death, fight to the last man!"

Yelü Nierugu swung his sword and cut off a piece of scalp, blood gushing out, using the blood to ignite his fighting spirit.

One man fighting desperately can defeat a hundred.

The Liao Kingdom's most elite soldiers charged forward with their lives on the line. Even with their superior crossbow formations and numbers, they still felt a chill as they looked at the Liao soldiers, who were as fierce as wolves and tigers.

Li Nanxing waved his folding fan again.

Tang Zhuquan, Wang Shenglan, and other martial arts figures, along with generals carefully trained by the Yang family, each led a small team to charge under the cover of crossbow formations. They tore through the enemy's formation, preventing Yelü Nierugu's soldiers from forming an effective charge and forcing them to fight individually, thus preventing them from exerting their full strength.

What followed was... slaughter!
The battle ended quickly.

Yelü Nierugu's soldiers were not many, and their desperate charges often resulted in them being either shot by crossbow bolts or surrounded and killed by the Song army, making it difficult for them to achieve much success.

Occasionally, they could break through to the vicinity of the crossbow formation, only to be surrounded and killed by the well-organized soldiers. The endless Song soldiers formed a three-layered iron barrel formation, completely blocking their way.

"Clap!"

Yelü Nierugu's scimitar fell to the ground.

Looking around, there were corpses everywhere, and not a single personal guard was left; only endless desolation remained.

Yelü Nielugu shouted, "Yelü Hongji, come out and see me! Do you dare to come out and see me?!"

Yelü Hongji rode up on horseback: "I have arrived! You are a traitorous minister, I am the true Son of Heaven! I am the emperor who protects the Liao Dynasty, you are the eternal sinner of the Liao Dynasty! I wish I could cut you into a thousand pieces and tear you to pieces!"

Yelü Nierugu laughed wildly: "The victor is king, the loser is villain. I lost this battle, but you didn't win!"

Yelü Hongji's expression suddenly turned cold.

Yelü Nierugu spread his arms wide: "Come on! The Song people won't kill me; they'll leave me to you. Li Nanxing is meticulous in his work and will never give anyone a reason to criticize him."

"Any last words?"

"Haha! Yelü Hongji, I am you tomorrow! I'll be waiting for you in the underworld! You will become a king who has lost his country, hahahaha..."

Yelü Nierugu laughed unrestrainedly.

Yelü Hongji swung his sword and beheaded him.

As I said before, rebellion is a zero-sum game.

If you succeed, you become an emperor; if you fail, you become a traitor.

It's either victory or death; there is no other choice.

Let alone cousins, even if it were a blood brother leading troops to rebel against Yelü Hongji and causing such enormous destruction, he would still be killed without mercy. Yelü Hongji looked at the head falling to the ground with hatred and roared to the sky.

"Rebellious ministers and traitors should be punished by everyone!"

With Yelü Nierugu's downfall, the rebellion came to a complete end. From the time Yelü Nierugu launched his rebellion to this very moment, less than fifty days had passed.

In just fifty days, the Khitan elite army suffered as many as 80,000 casualties, most of whom were killed or wounded, with very few suffering minor injuries. Tens of thousands of soldiers were scattered, some of whom were able to be reorganized, while others became border bandits.

The Liao Dynasty, which was already in decline, was almost crippled by Yelü Nierugu. The soldiers, martial arts masters, and meritorious generals suffered heavy losses. It was not just a matter of being injured, but that their internal organs were pierced and their hands and feet were cut off.

The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun must be returned.

The annual tributes are no longer available.

Not only did they lose the income from "annual tribute," they also had to provide warhorses for the Song Dynasty and help build horse farms for the Song Dynasty.

Everyone knows what the consequences will be.

so what?

Even if it's like drinking poison to quench thirst, you have to drink it first!

What followed involved extremely complex court intrigue, which Li Zhaoting did not participate in. Instead, he silently served as Li Nanxing's backdrop, supporting him.

Whoever dares to contradict my father, I'll spend the New Year at their house.

The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun had been occupied by the Hu people for many years, with Hu and Han people living together. There were countless issues, and the territory could not be handed over simply by signing a letter of state.

First, a large army needs to be stationed there.

Yang Yanzhao had no choice but to take responsibility.

As a member of the Yang family, Yang Yanzhao was willing to die on the frontier even if he could witness the Song Dynasty recover Yan and Yun during his lifetime, and he would carry out the mission without hesitation.

Secondly, it requires civil officials to govern.

On the one hand, he was erudite and knowledgeable about the local customs and traditions of the Liao Kingdom; on the other hand, he was impartial in enforcing the law and dealt with certain landmark cases swiftly and decisively; and on the other hand, he was clever and shrewd, and could not always follow the rules.

The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun are such a vast territory that they cannot be governed by just two or three capable officials. They require a large number of scholars and talents. In order to select talents, a special imperial examination was held.

There were several types of imperial examinations.

In addition to the regular imperial examinations, special examinations could be held if certain major events occurred or meritorious officials were commended. Furthermore, those who repeatedly failed the imperial examinations or whose rankings were slightly lower than average and barely made the list could be promoted at the discretion of the authorities, and these were also called special examinations.

Everyone knows that the success rate of the special imperial examination in February next year will be very high. Most of the successful candidates will be sent to the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. Some of them feel that Yan and Yun are cold and located on the frontier, making them vulnerable to attacks by the Hu people. They don't care about the special imperial examination at all. Others want to take advantage of the situation. No matter where they are sent, as long as they can pass the exam, it is a good thing.

There was also a group of loyal and upright students who took the initiative to express their desire to go to Yanyun and were determined to get into the special imperial examination.

The recapture of Yan and Yun was an unprecedented event for the Song Dynasty. Everyone and everything had to give way to it, and no one dared to utter a single word. Those who tried to be clever would inevitably have their names recorded. You could do poorly in your exams, but you couldn't cheat or slack off, especially students of the Imperial Academy. Once discovered, they could forget about ever becoming officials.

The imperial court was in turmoil, with everyone vying for power.

Emperor Zhao Zhen was so busy he barely had time to breathe, and Empress Liu was so busy her back ached. This is why they needed a shoulder and neck massager... But they didn't need that. They only needed capable ministers and officials to help them.

Zhuge Zhengwo worked overtime continuously, burning the midnight oil.

Li Nanxing, who was in the core position, could only sleep for two or three hours a day. Su Xinghe and Xue Muhua stayed by Li Nanxing's side at all times, holding a thousand-year-old ginseng.

Compared to the turmoil in the imperial court, the martial world is relatively peaceful.

Everyone knows that the imperial court will hold the grandest celebration at the end of the year. Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be killed without mercy. They should stay at home and wait for the celebration to end.

On the other hand, Li Zhaoting killed Wanyan Jue, and his ranking among the Heavenly Gang rose to second. Although he was ranked second, he was actually the leader of the Heavenly Gang, and what suppressed his ranking was power.

It is impossible for Liu E to "break through the Heavenly Gang".

There is no other place to rank Liu E.

Of the eight top scholars, what kind of top scholar is Liu E?

Of the Five Evils, is the Empress Dowager a heretic or evil spirit?

Four unique skills, the Empress Dowager will show you her amazing skills?
The Three Demon Lords: Liu E came from the Demon Sect, but to include the Empress Dowager of the current dynasty as a Demon Lord? How many heads do you have?

One immortal and two Buddhas? That's even more impossible!
Liu E could only be the leader of the Heavenly Stars.

The leader of the Heavenly Gang, who will never make a move.

Li Zhaoting's ranking is second, but he is the undisputed number one, and there is absolutely no exaggeration in that.

When people in the martial arts world mention the leader of the Heavenly Gang, they definitely think of Li Zhaoting, who rose to power by stepping on the Eight Heroes, not Liu E.

Because Li Zhaoting really does draw his sword and kill people.

What happened to the second-ranked member of the Heavenly Gang?

He failed to rise to power by stepping on Ba Kui.

This is the essential difference between him and Li Zhaoting.

In the world of martial arts, actual battle results determine everything!
The veterans of the martial arts world know that the struggle for the next generation of prodigies has begun, and the competition is becoming increasingly fierce.

The older generation of Eight Outstanding Figures, Five Evils, and Four Masters will gradually give way, and young people will gradually replace them.

This is the normal way things work in the martial arts world.

An old guy occupying a certain position for decades indicates that the martial arts world is stagnant and lacks any peerless geniuses.

Except for Zhang Sanfeng!
This terrestrial deity is a bug!

Appearing on any list is bullying!

The king of a herd of pigs is also a pig.

The last one in a group of dragons is still a dragon.

In the world of martial arts, who would want to compete for the title of "King of Pigs"?
The martial arts world is in turmoil, with many talented individuals gathering and a hundred schools of thought contending.

No one wants to fall behind.

Talented disciples from various schools and sects emerged from the mountains.

Even if they can't fight or draw their swords, going to the capital to watch the excitement is still a good thing. In any case, Li Zhaoting is seriously injured and shouldn't be able to cause any trouble.

As the situation in the north gradually stabilized, Li Zhaoting returned to the capital to recuperate, leaving behind the Eight Friends of Hangu Pass to protect Li Nanxing. No sooner had he returned to the capital than guests gathered there.

The credit for recapturing Yanyun cannot be given to just one person; it must be shared among everyone. Li Nanxing's previous exceptional promotion and advance credit, as well as his outstanding performance on the battlefield, should all be attributed to Li Zhaoting. In addition, Li Zhaoting's heroic act of killing Wanyan Jue deserves a huge reward.

Those who participated in this battle were all rewarded.

The lone hero is rewarded with martial arts manuals, gold and silver treasures, and miraculous medicines, and given a "Great Hero Gold Medal," similar to Lu Xiucai's "Great Hero of Guanzhong," which is used for boasting.

Award plaques with official titles and honors, plaques inscribed by the emperor himself for prestigious families and chivalrous heroes—some people don't need these, while others are green with envy.

This refers to Zuo Lengchan.

Participating in the battlefield was a huge gamble for Zuo Lengchan.

Fortunately, Zuo Lengchan won his gamble this time.

The reputation of the Songshan Sect in the martial arts world has greatly increased. The imperial court has bestowed upon them several volumes of martial arts manuals to enhance their martial arts foundation. After three to five years of arduous training, they will be able to compete with the seven major sword sects.

"Life is so comfortable!"

Li Zhaoting stretched and twisted his waist and hips, his bones and joints cracking and his spine twisting.

Having recovered from the injuries sustained in the battle with Wanyan Jue, and with his swordsmanship having improved even further, Li Zhaoting, having nothing to do at home, went out for a stroll and enjoyed the prosperity of the capital.

Nothing can boost the morale of the people more than expanding territory. In the past, when the Liao Kingdom suppressed and beat them, even though the capital was prosperous, it was still inevitably filled with a sense of decline.

This time, the army marched north and defeated the Liao army in a head-on battle, successfully recovering Yan and Yun. The people were overjoyed, and with tourists from all over the country coming to the capital to see the excitement, everywhere you looked there were people.

This is no tourism!

This is clearly counting heads!
Let's just count heads then!

Li Zhaoting definitely couldn't sit still.

I'm so bored staying at home.

As soon as I stepped out of my house, I saw Tianxiang dressed as the Stink Hero, swaggering down the street, holding a sugarcane in his hand and riding a spotted donkey.

Where has the Stink Hero gone?

"I invited you for drinks and a chat, but I don't know if the top-ranked hero Li knows a nobody like me, or if he recognizes an old brother."

"Even if I don't know anything about poetry, literature, rites, or the Book of Changes, I still want to know the Stink Hero. Let's go to Fanlou, it's my treat!"

"Have you struck it rich lately?"

"A reward from the emperor!"

Li Zhaoting rubbed his chin. In the past two years, the court had been accustomed to attributing Li Zhaoting's achievements to Li Nanxing. Now, the tables had turned, and the dog father had become the tiger father.

Do not!
wrong!

The way Li Nanxing waved the feather fan was just like Dragon Father.

Wolong is also a "dragon"!
In just one year, Li Nanxing rose from a fugitive in Lingnan to the position of Vice Minister of War. A promotion was impossible; he could only be granted a title. The recovery of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun was an achievement worthy of being enfeoffed as a king, but Li Nanxing was a strategist, and the commander-in-chief of the army was Yang Yanzhao. Li Nanxing could only get a marquis title by chance.

In the Northern Song Dynasty, the titles of nobility were largely "nominal," with many titles existing in name only, possessing neither actual power nor corresponding fiefdoms.

Li Nanxing earned his military merits, so his title was definitely real. Li Zhaoting, on the other hand, was a member of the martial arts world and had always been involved in it. The imperial court would also grant titles to martial arts masters, especially those willing to work for the court, but these titles were purely nominal.

Li Zhaoting managed to get the title of "Loyal and Brave Earl".

The title of nobility is conferred at the end-of-year celebration.

Other rewards, such as gold and silver, elixirs, secret manuals, and divine weapons, filled more than a dozen carts.

Perhaps it was a little joke by Zhao Zhen, who specially sent a large box of calligraphy and paintings, all of which were painted by Zhao Zhen.

If the seals were removed and these paintings were sold in the market, they could fetch about two taels of silver.

So many years have passed, and you haven't made any progress at all!

Being an emperor must be exhausting!

There's not even time to draw.

Li Zhaoting shook his head, trying to clear his mind of all the nonsense, and followed Tianxiang shopping.

Mei Zhu followed behind, responsible for paying the bill.

Tianxiang's flower donkey is a porter.

Tianxiang, who loved to play around, went straight to the brothel.

Normally, the Eighth Prince would stop him from going.

Now, the Eighth Prince has completely surrendered.

With Li Zhaoting around, who can harm Tianxiang?

The intimidation of the "Head of the Heavenly Gang" is no joke!

Tianxiang's eyes darted around as she asked, "Immortal, I heard that when you go to brothels, not only do you not have to spend money, but the most beautiful courtesan also invites you out. Is that really true?"

"If you want me to sleep in the living room, just say so. There's no need to beat around the bush. What's so interesting about a brothel?"

“A brothel recently opened in the capital, I think it’s called Little Flower Creek. The top courtesan is named Lian Xiuxiu, whose zither playing skills are unparalleled in the world, and she is known as the ‘Zither Fairy.’ Your wife’s Demon-Subduing Zither is unmatched in the world, but in terms of zither playing skills, she may not be able to compare with Lian Xiuxiu. Would you like to go and take a look?”

"Lian Xiuxiu? Interesting! Let's go see her!"

"Pshaw! Hypocrite! Fake moralist!"

(End of this chapter)