Chapter 20 We Really Are

Chapter 20 We Really Are

Chapter 20 We Really Are

The route chosen by Yuan Lang was basically the same as Cheng Leixiang expected, also heading south along Shandong.

A few days after the group left the capital, they felt the tense atmosphere.

Pei Yuan didn't want to ask Yuan Lang, so when they were changing horses and staying overnight at an inn, he asked Chen Toutie to find out.

The news that came back was that the civil unrest in Bazhou had gotten out of hand.

The Hebei rebels were divided into two groups. One group, led by Yang Hu, attacked Henan, while the other group, led by Liu Liu and Liu Qi, attacked Shandong.

Once these two groups of troops appeared, they almost strangled the capital's throat.

The emperor of the time was panicked and immediately sent the governor of the Western Factory to lead troops to quell the rebellion.

But not every Western Factory commander was called Wang Zhi.

Eunuch Wang led his troops to sweep across the Jianzhou Jurchens and set foot on the Mongolian royal court when he was just a teenager. It is no exaggeration to call him a national hero.

But what about the current Western Factory Commander Gu Dayong?

The only military event he participated in in his life was presiding over this year's military examination and selecting Pei Yuan, the awesome first place winner.

When Pei Yuan heard that Gu Dayong was responsible for suppressing the rebellion, his sense of crisis immediately increased.

At this moment, he felt that it was a blessing to leave Beijing at this time.

Jiangnan is now a time of peace and prosperity.

If he stayed in the capital, he might be thrown out by Zhang Rong to be killed.

When we were resting and having a meal at the post station in the evening, we suddenly heard the hurried sound of horse hooves in the distance, and the sound like muffled thunder was approaching rapidly.

There was an immediate noise and screaming in the post station.

Many officials' families and scholars stranded in the post stations looked frightened, fearing that rebels might be coming.

A postman ran to see what had happened, and when he came back he shouted to the postmaster.

"The Ministry of War has issued an order that all the post horses in Shandong must be requisitioned, and no post station may keep any of them privately. If there are any sick or injured post horses, they will all be killed!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the inn became even more noisy.

Pei Yuan also had to find Yuan Lang to ask, "What should we do now?"

Yuan Lang's face was solemn.

"The rebels in Bazhou are mostly horse owners, and everyone is good at riding and chopping. Now that they have invaded Shandong, they will definitely rob horses and food everywhere."

"Now the imperial court also uses horses, and the rebels also use horses. The order of the Ministry of War is reasonable. What can we do?"

Pei Yuan had an idea in his mind, but he was unwilling to take the blame.

He whispered, "We are the Jinyiwei."

Yuan Lang looked at Pei Yuan unhappily, "The commander-in-chief of this rebellion is the Admiral of the Western Factory, and the orders of the Ministry of War are his. Who do you think you are to disobey the orders of the Admiral of the Western Factory?"

If you really say so, Pei Yuan is not at all weak.

Gu Dayong was reluctant to die.

Soon, the sound of horses neighing was heard from the horse farm of the post station.

Yuan Lang said in a deep voice, "Let's go and take a look first."

When I pushed open the door of the post station, I saw dozens of fully armed soldiers gathering the post horses at the horse farm.

Some of the replaced Yima were driven out just as they started eating.

A few of the hot-tempered horses raised their hooves and neighed loudly when they were pulled.

The leading captain waved his hand, and immediately two teams of soldiers rushed forward and killed the unruly post horses.

Many tired and sick post horses that were kept alone in small pens were stabbed to death by the soldiers who rushed in.

For a moment, the horse farm was covered with blood, and many post horses were wailing in their deathbed.

The officials' families and scholars in the post station witnessed all this and became increasingly alarmed about the situation in Shandong.

Just as the visitor from the Ministry of War was leading the post horse and was about to leave, suddenly, in the darkness in the distance, there was a dull and dense sound like heavy rain hitting the ground.

Yuan Lang turned around with an unpleasant expression and told everyone, "Be careful, something seems to be wrong."

The officers and soldiers of the Ministry of War began to hesitate, pacing their horses back and forth anxiously to watch.

Soon, a rider came out from among the soldiers of the Ministry of War on horseback, wanting to find out the situation.

Unexpectedly, before he ran far, he was shot in the chest by an arrow and fell off his horse.

Watching the imperial officers and soldiers being killed, the people stranded in the post station became more and more panicked and shouted.

The captain who led the team didn't even think of resisting at all. He didn't even care about the post horses he had just gathered, and directly led his soldiers to evacuate eastward. The imperial army's retreat without a fight made the post station a mess.

"Damn it! These cowardly beasts!"

"Run! The rebels are coming!"

Many who saw this scene didn't even bother to take care of their luggage, and just cried and followed the direction of the people from the Ministry of War, fleeing into the night.

Yuan Lang turned around and shouted, "Grab the horses! Let's go south!"

Pei Yuan also hurriedly said to Chen Toutie and Cheng Leixiang, "Follow me closely!"

Although Pei Yuan had not received very good martial arts training, he had an excellent physique and plenty of strength.

They followed the crowd and rushed out to grab the horses, not falling behind at all.

Zhao Jiu Ming and his experienced captains swiftly led two horses each.

The abbot of Yuan'en Temple, Monk Yuantong, was in a good condition, but the monks under him were a little flustered.

Zhao Jiu Ming and several of his men jumped off their horses to help the monks get on their horses quickly. At this time, the rebels in the distance were getting closer and closer, and a rain of arrows fell on their heads.

Pei Yuan hurriedly rode his horse and swung his Xiuchun sword to block the arrows.

The Jinyiwei under Zhao Jiu Ming no longer cared about the monks and quickly mounted their horses and fled south with Yuan Lang.

Monk Yuantong sighed, left the two monks who had made mistakes in the rush and could not get on the horses, and took the other monks to catch up with the team.

They rode post horses from the post stations, which were mostly docile in nature and barely adequate as a means of transportation. Once they were rushed in front of those war horses that had been in battle many times, they would most likely be doomed.

At the moment, this buffer distance is not worth mentioning at all.

Their biggest hope now is that this group of rebel troops can plunder the post station first.

Although the post station itself did not have much supplies, only officials traveling from north to south and scholars with honors could stay at the official post station.

These people themselves are very valuable, and the valuables they carry are also very valuable.

Pei Yuan had little experience in battle, so he subconsciously looked back and found that the two monks had finally stabilized their horses and were chasing after him.

It's just too late.

The two monks had not run far when they were killed one after another.

Pei Yuan felt a chill in his heart. This was a master!

The horses galloped away gradually, and then another group of cavalrymen followed closely.

Zhao Jiu Ming and his Jinyiwei who were left behind randomly threw out caltrops from the thick saddle bags on their horses.

Yuan Lang, who was determined to escape, was also affected by the sound of being chased closer and began to look around on his horse.

The cavalry that was chasing closely behind seemed to have hundreds of people, and their formation was very tight. The dull rumbling sound of iron hooves and the dust raised by the ground made them seem like an overwhelming force.

As soon as the caltrops were scattered, they were discovered by the bandits in the front row, who whistled at them.

The group of cavalrymen immediately dispersed like a cast fishing net, and many of the faster horses actually got closer.

Yuan Lang gritted his teeth and shouted, "Split up, and those who are still alive will meet up in Linqing!"

The formation of the group of people fleeing in front immediately became loose.

Pei Yuan saw that the situation was not good, and quickly told his two younger brothers, "Follow me closely! Yuan Lang is unreliable, the three of us have to stick together!"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone started to disperse.

Zhao Jiu Ming followed Yuan Lang closely, and his Jinyiwei formed groups of two or three and each rushed into the night.

Abbot Yuantong was a little at a loss, and led the remaining monks to chase after Yuan Lang.

Pei Yuanze took Cheng Leixiang and Chen Toutie and ran towards the east.

The Bazhou rebels are coming from the direction of Hebei, and it is safer for them to run southeast.

Seeing that the rebels in front were dispersed, they also split into several groups and gave chase.

There were also more than a dozen people following Pei Yuan.

Pei Yuan felt that they had suffered an unprovoked disaster. Shouldn't these rebels go after those people from the Ministry of War?

The more I think about it, the more frustrated I feel.

Pei Yuan couldn't help cursing as he rode on his horse, "Damn it! They think we are the Ming army!"

Cheng Leixiang, who was riding a horse beside him, said nothing.

Chen Toutie, who was following closely behind, said hesitantly, "But we really are."

(End of this chapter)