Chapter 498 Zhao Duan Arrives
Chapter 498 Zhao Duan Arrives
In the central army tent, Yuan Feng, the commander of the Fifth Army Camp, who was about 40 years old and had a square face, sat in the tent with a gloomy and ugly expression, looking around at the generals.
At this moment, inside the military tent, all the generals gathered, and everyone's face was silent, solemn, or anxious.
Not long ago, they led their troops in the third battle with the Qingzhou rebels. The result was still tragic. The proud elite troops of the Beijing Camp were defeated by the Qingzhou rebels who were despised by everyone in the army. The degree of defeat was even greater than the previous two times.
"Are you all mute? Speak! What are the casualties?"
Yuan Feng stared at each face with sharp eyes and asked questions.
A military officer stepped forward and said, "Reporting to the commander, according to statistics, 87 people were killed in this battle, more than 300 were seriously injured, and more than 800 were slightly injured... and the horses were lost..."
"Snapped!"
Yuan Feng slammed the table with his big hand, interrupting the report. The commander's eyes turned red and his heart was bleeding!
This number does not include the two games yesterday.
He closed his eyes in pain: "Continue reporting!"
The second middle-aged military officer gritted his teeth and stepped forward. His face was still stained with blood. He was the fierce general who had just charged into battle:
"Commander, the most important thing now is not the casualties, but the morale! In just two days, we have lost three battles in a row, each one more tragic than the last! In addition, King Heng's attack on the hearts of the people has caused the morale of the camp to be low, and some soldiers have begun to fear fighting... If we can't turn defeat into victory in the next battle, I'm afraid..."
Yuan Feng clenched his fists, and thick veins bulged on the back of his hands:
"This place is not far from the capital. Send a message by flying eagle. The court must have received the letter for help yesterday. Announce to the whole camp that reinforcements are coming to stabilize people's hearts!"
In the past, the generals in the Beijing camp fought openly and secretly.
This time, the Fifth Army Camp was commissioned to resist the rebels because Yuan Feng volunteered.
He was so majestic when he went to the battle, but now he looks so awkward when asking for help.
They would never ask for help unless absolutely necessary.
Another slightly fat general in the tent had a bitter look on his face:
"Commander-in-chief, do you think that given the current situation in the court, you will give us support?"
This slightly plump general with bright eyes looked around at everyone:
"Let's be frank. Your Majesty has been away from the capital for a long time. The people in the city are in turmoil. Although the Grand Tutor is in charge of the court temporarily, he can't control the civil and military officials. He sent us here before, but he didn't dare to start a war lightly. This is obvious!
Now, when the news of our defeat reaches the court, imagine what the civil officials will do? I'm afraid they will argue endlessly, and it will take a day or two before they can issue an order to mobilize troops!"
After a pause, he continued:
“In fact, given the situation in the capital, rather than sending troops to support us, I’m afraid that group of civil servants would be more inclined to order us to retreat to protect the capital!
Even if the Grand Master makes the decision and dispatches troops to help, when will the reinforcements arrive? Tomorrow? Or the day after tomorrow? Will the Qingzhou Army give us that time? ! "
No one answered!
The atmosphere is heavy and depressing.
Yuan Feng stared at him with a sullen face: "So, what do you want to say? Shake the morale of the army?"
The slightly fat general did not retreat or avoid:
"Sir! I just want to say that we can no longer passively take the beating. We must make a decision before the next attack from the other side! Otherwise..."
At this time, the big tent suddenly opened, and an adjutant came in, holding a letter in his hand, and walked to Yuan Feng's side:
"Sir, the letter was shot in from the other side with an arrow."
Yuan Feng had a blank expression on his face. He tore open the envelope and read it. Then his heart sank and he sighed to the sky:
"Two hours. King Heng gave us the last two hours to make a choice. Either surrender or there will be a decisive battle in two hours."
Everyone's heart skipped a beat and they became anxious.
A young general said angrily:
"This is an open conspiracy. The enemy has launched three consecutive attacks. Their fundamental purpose is to destroy our morale! So that they can recruit us and eat us up!"
Yuan Feng remained silent. How could he not understand?
King Heng was unwilling to sacrifice too much and forcibly take over the five military camps, so he chose to intimidate and shake the morale of the army, and then used his status as a "feudal king" to coerce and lure them into joining him.
This method was very effective, because the empress disappeared, her life or death was unknown, and only a group of ministers were left in the court, while Prince Heng was a legitimate "royal family"...
Yuan Feng was certain that many of the military officers in the tent were shaken in their hearts.
Since they couldn't win anyway, it would be better to join the royal family rather than fight to the death and be defeated by the new emperor in the future.
But Yuan Feng did not think that the empress would die just like that, especially since according to rumors, the one protecting her was the legendary "Zhao Duan".
As an eyewitness to the military exercise, Yuan Feng still remembers Zhao Duan vividly.
"Now is not the time to curse. We only have two hours left. Let's think about how to deal with this?" someone shouted.
"Sir, why don't you give me a group of elite soldiers so that we can launch a surprise attack from behind and catch the enemy off guard!" someone volunteered.
"Going to die? In my opinion, we should retreat! As long as we retreat to this position, we can use the terrain to restrict those vicious beasts, block them, and wait for reinforcements!" another person analyzed.
The former immediately refuted with a sneer:
"How can we retreat in just two hours? If we move backward, the enemy will chase us and our soldiers will immediately become defeated! We should take the initiative to attack!"
"No, we should proceed step by step..."
For a moment, opinions in the big tent were divided into two groups, and the military officers argued with each other with thick faces and thick necks, and saliva splashed everywhere.
Yuan Feng sat in the main seat, hesitating. It was not because he lacked decisiveness, but because of the current dilemma, and the chances of winning were extremely slim no matter what he did.
Just when he closed his eyes again in pain and thought he was in despair, suddenly, the tent was opened again.
The deputy general who delivered the letter returned with an excited look:
"Generals, please stop for a moment. The scouts are reporting that a large number of troops are approaching from behind us, in the direction of the capital. They are only a few miles away from the camp! It seems that the Shenji Battalion is coming to support us!"
What? Reinforcements are coming?! Yuan Feng stood up suddenly, feeling both happy and surprised. The speed at which the reinforcements arrived was far beyond everyone's expectations.
The arguing military officers were also stunned, with different expressions, unable to believe it.
"Come with me, and you will know for yourself!"
Yuan Feng took a step forward, rushed out of the tent first, and led a group of military officers on horseback to rush towards the rear of the camp.
……
There was a mountain behind the barracks. Everyone walked around the hill, looked up, and were shocked.
I saw that on the road covered by trees ahead, there were indeed military flags approaching, but the infantry stopped two or three miles away.
Immediately, a small group of people were separated from the team and quickly approached this side.
When two armies meet, they will not get too close to each other before greeting each other. This is the rule.
"Commander Shi?! He is indeed a comrade from the Shenji Camp!" said the young general who advocated the attack in surprise.
Yuan Feng, who had a square face, also showed joy on his face. He laughed and dismounted to greet him:
"Brother Shi, you guys are finally here, haha."
Dadada... Shi Meng, the commander of the Shenji Camp, who was burly but meticulous, reined in his horse, turned over, and walked over with a big laugh. He extended his fist and bumped it with Yuan Feng, who was a few years older than him, and grinned:
"Brother Yuan, my Shenji Battalion has been ordered to come here to help the brothers and wipe out the rebels. Haha, we have been marching all the way, it seems that it is not too late."
After the Shenji Camp broke camp, they were caught up by the Flying Eagles sent towards the capital halfway and learned about the defeat of the Wujun Camp.
Yuan Feng smiled bitterly. Time was pressing and he was in no mood for small talk. He also subconsciously ignored the word "by order", thinking it was a reference to an order to mobilize troops.
A general beside him said anxiously:
"Commander Shi, may I ask how many troops the Shenji Camp has dispatched this time?"
The others were also worried because the Shenji Camp came too quickly!
Judging from the time of the letter for help, the most likely reason why the Shenji Camp was able to arrive so quickly was that Shi Meng only brought a part of the elite troops, abandoned the baggage and marched quickly.
In fact, it is only possible if you bring some cavalry.
But if that were all, it would be just a drop in the bucket and would not be enough to resist the Qingzhou rebels.
Shi Meng smiled, seeing through their thoughts at a glance, with a mysterious smile on his face:
"Oh, don't worry, everyone. I have brought all the secrets of the Shenjiying to help you this time. If you don't believe me, just look."
Everyone looked in the direction of his finger and saw another small team hurriedly approaching from the shadows of the forest in the distance. The leader was a skinny man with his chest and head held high, full of the arrogance of a craftsman. It was Chen Gui, the chief officer of the Firearms Bureau.
"Is it Vulcan Chen?!"
"Did you bring a firearm?"
Yuan Feng and others were overjoyed. The appearance of Chen Gui meant that Shi Meng must have brought a large number of firearms, which was undoubtedly good news.
Chen Gui reined in his horse, smiled and bowed:
"Commander Yuan, long time no see. I heard that the Qingzhou rebels have some vicious beasts among them? They caught you all off guard? I'm curious, how many of my shots can those things withstand?"
Yuan Feng had great respect for this craftsman who had a low rank but a special status. He still remembered the shocking scene of the martial arts performance that day.
He said seriously: "With Chen Huoshen's help, this line of defense should be able to be held. At least, it can hold off the Qingzhou army for a while."
Shi Meng, Chen Gui, Tang Ping and other generals of the Shenji Camp looked at each other and said nothing.
Obviously, what Yuan Feng meant by this was that he recognized the power of firearms, but did not think that the addition of the Shenji Camp could reverse the situation and defeat the rebels.
You must know that Yuan Feng had witnessed the power of new firearms and was not an ignorant person... Well, although the firearms he had witnessed at the time had long been updated and were outdated products of the previous version...
However, the fact that Yuan Feng could make this judgment is enough to show that the rebels are stronger than imagined.
Chen Gui smiled and wanted to brag a bit, but he held back and put on a mysterious smile instead:
"Don't worry, everyone. There is another person coming to help us this time. He is far more important than me and Commander Shi combined. He will surely be able to wipe out the decline and enhance the prestige of the court!"
Huh? Who are you talking about? More important than Shi Meng?
Could it be that the Minister of War also came with the army?
Everyone in the five military camps looked at each other in bewilderment. Shi Meng was a third-rank military general. Apart from a few people in the Privy Council such as Xue Shence, no one else in the capital dared to say that they had a higher status than him.
But Xue Shence had already led his men south to Linfeng.
It can't be that civil officials who don't know how to fight a war come to join in the fun, wouldn't that just cause more trouble?
But given Chen Huoshen's temperament, he doesn't seem to be the kind of person who would openly flatter... Everyone's appetite was whetted and they looked towards the official road again with anticipation.
At this moment, the third team rode up on horseback, led by a man wearing bright armor but no helmet. He had a blood-red cloak draped behind him, which was extremely eye-catching.
Before anyone arrives, the sound comes first.
"Commander Yuan, I haven't seen you for a few months. Do you still recognize Zhao?"
A familiar yet unfamiliar voice penetrated everyone's ears. It was clearly not shouted loudly, but it was clear as if it was right next to them.
The man on horseback was extremely handsome, with a high nose bridge, lips of moderate thickness, and bright eyes under his thick, sword-like eyebrows like brushes.
There was a calm and confident smile on his lips.
One hand loosely held the reins, and the other hand gently supported the handle of the ancient sword at his waist.
soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Zhao Duan stopped his horse in front of the generals, facing everyone, and said with a smile: "Why, you really don't remember?"
boom!
At this moment, the pupils of all the generals of the five military camps trembled violently, as if thunder had exploded in their heads, making their brains go blank. Their expressions were stiff, and they couldn't help but reveal a look of disbelief.
Zhao...
Zhao Duan! ?
Dayu Shaobao, the imperial husband, nicknamed "Zhao Yanwang"?
The generals in the Beijing camp should be one of the people who have the deepest understanding of this empress's lover who rose to power in just one year but created countless legends.
This was because Zhao Du'an was originally an unknown infantryman of the Imperial Guards. Due to the Xuanmen coup, he was accidentally remembered by the empress. Later, he was recommended by Sun Lianying and entered the White Horse Prison. He kept a low profile for more than half a year and was mistaken by everyone as a dandy.
Afterwards, he tore off his disguise and made a sensation after letting Zhuang Xiaocheng go... His official position rose like a rocket until he was admitted to the Shenji Camp. Faced with countless soldiers' doubts, he forcefully slapped them in the face... and completely established his reputation in the army.
After that, whether it was to convince Mr. Zhengyang or to make the world-famous scholar willing to call him "Master".
Or, at the Eastern and Western Buddhist debate meetings, he made impassioned speeches and even seduced the gods to descend.
All of this undoubtedly casts a mysterious veil on the name again.
As for going out to Taicang, Huting, Binhai to capture Zhuang Xiaocheng, and even going deep into Jiancheng Road... in comparison, it all seemed normal.
How could the generals of the five military camps not be familiar with such a person? How could they not be impressed by him?
And now, Zhao Duan, who had already been blessed with countless buffs, suddenly appeared in front of everyone.
"Zhao...Zhao Shaobao?!"
Yuan Feng, who had a square face, almost lost his voice, suspecting that he had seen it wrong. Then, a bigger doubt came to his mind, and he couldn't help but say: "Aren't you protecting the emperor outside..."
ga-
Yuan Feng suddenly stopped talking, his pupils dilated, and he realized something.
If it is said that Zhao Duan, who was protecting the emperor, has returned... then Your Majesty... and considering the early arrival of the Shenji Camp, and Shi Meng's words "by order"...
"Haha, Brother Yuan's guess is correct. His Majesty returned to the capital the day before yesterday," Shi Meng said with a smile:
"Your Majesty has drafted an edict and announced it to the world, declaring the vassal king a traitor and ordering us to come under the leadership of Zhao Shaobao to suppress the rebellion. Otherwise, why do you think we came so quickly?"
boom--
Two bombs exploded in everyone's mind.
Chen Gui smiled and chimed in:
"Not only that, Your Majesty and Zhao Shaobao have turned a disaster into a blessing. Your Majesty has entered the realm of heaven, and Zhao Shaobao has also entered the realm of the world."
boom--
Another thunder went off in everyone's mind.
The young master Tang Ping in silver helmet and silver armor was unwilling to be a transparent person, and said with a curled mouth:
"Not only that, Li Yanfu was so bold that he even tried to stage a coup to seize power. The two commanders of the imperial guards were also treasonous and colluded with him. However, this group of people did not even make a wave before they were killed by Your Majesty and Zhao Shaobao. Ha, this is the fate of traitors."
boom--
There was another thunder roaring in everyone's head.
The explosive news that came one after another shocked the people in the Fifth Army Camp so much that they were unable to recover for a while.
Try your best to digest these changes and news.
The young master's last words made some of the generals present break out in cold sweat and feel a strong fear in their hearts.
I can't help but think:
If they really can't stand the pressure and choose to join King Heng, what will greet them?
Fortunately...fortunately...
At this moment, many generals felt grateful for having survived the disaster, and then they were filled with great joy.
"Your Majesty...you are blessed with great fortune. You are back on the throne today. Good times will come after bad times!" Yuan Feng smiled as his lips trembled.
The presence of a genuine celestial being in charge of the capital city almost ensures that the capital city will not fall due to violence.
"Prince Heng doesn't know about this yet?" he reacted.
Zhao Duan looked at the group of people and smiled, "It takes time to pass on information."
Yes, if Prince Heng knew this information, he would understand that it was no longer possible to seize the capital by force, and the most likely scenario would be to withdraw his troops quickly and thus establish his own regime in Qingzhou in order to plan for the future... Everyone was not stupid and understood it immediately.
Zhao Duan raised his hand, suppressed the commotion, and said calmly:
"Today, I came here to completely crush this group of rebels at the border before King Heng could react and escape. Enough of the small talk, Commander Yuan, I need to know the current situation."
Yuan Feng was shocked and did not dare to delay. He immediately recounted the situation and said at the end:
"The enemy attacked our camp three times, each time with more force than the last. Our Fifth Army Battalion is good at battle formations. Once the soldiers form a battle formation, the two armies will fight and dominate. But the rebels got a bunch of chariots pulled by 'fang beasts' from nowhere, and they rushed around, making it difficult for us to form a battle formation..."
Fang beast... Zhao Duan pondered for a moment, and did not comment on this question, but suddenly said:
"You said the other party gave you a deadline of two hours?"
"Yes. But all of us in the five military camps are loyal to Your Majesty and will never..." Yuan Feng hurriedly expressed his loyalty.
"Hey," Zhao Duan suddenly raised his hand to interrupt him, with the corners of his mouth raised and a smile appeared:
"I think surrendering to the other side may not be a bad idea."
(End of this chapter)