knife

Chapter 487: I also have a chance to win.
Yao Zhen left the city.

Moreover, they left the city openly and honestly.

Although he also belonged to the Imperial Guard, he was not a direct descendant of the Wei family. Naturally, he would not be among the troops that Wei Zhengdao was taking to Hanyang this time.

In Wei Zhengdao's plan, people like them were naturally meant to follow Wei Yi in making a final stand in Chang'an, in order to cover Wei Zhengdao and his men so that they could reach Hanyang more safely.

To put it bluntly, they were victims.

Zhang Qingyun took a liking to Yao Zhen for two reasons. First, Yao Zhen was considered capable within the Imperial Guard; among the less capable commanders, he was a taller, more reliable figure. Second, it was precisely because Yao Zhen was not valued by the Wei family.

If you are unkind, I will also be unjust.

Yao Zhen, who had been hesitant, turned around and threw himself into the arms of the Beiting Protectorate after learning about the Wei family's final arrangements.

Under Zhang Qingyun's arrangement, Yao Zhen used the excuse of going out of the city to fight the Linghu clan to lead his men out of the city. After traveling dozens of miles, he killed the people sent by the Wei clan with a few swift strokes, and then headed straight for Mount Li.

On the very night Yao Zhen's troops disappeared, Zhang Qingyun also left the city.

The night was still as bright as day, and several carriages, escorted by dozens of riders, ignored the curfew and headed straight for the south city.

The most ingenious part was that the patrol teams in the city would always turn onto another road just as this group was about to come into their sight, perfectly missing the chance to encounter them.

As they appeared at the south gate, the gate opened just in time. The people standing in the gate opening did not show their faces, but bowed to the approaching carriage. Luo Ying dismounted, said a few words to them, and then the group left the city.

The south gate, behind them, was once again tightly closed.

Zhang Qingyun had to leave.

Yao Zhen's disappearance will definitely exacerbate the conflict between the two sides.

At this moment, there are not many people who have the ability to make these thousands of people disappear directly, and Zhang Qingyun happens to be one of them.

According to news from the Wei family, Wei Zhengdao planned to take Zhang Qingyun with him when he left Chang'an.

This is an extremely useful hostage.

She is not only Zhang Ruo's only descendant, but according to many other rumors, Zhang Qingyun's relationship with Li Dachui, the Protector-General of Beiting, is also unclear. The reason she returned to Chang'an was because this relationship was unacceptable to Xiao Changche, and she had no choice but to avoid it.

If Wei Zhengdao could control Zhang Qingyun, he felt he would have another bargaining chip to negotiate with Li Dachui in the future.

If he had previously planned to use polite and gentle methods to take Zhang Qingyun away, then the Yao Zhen incident was enough to make Wei Zhengdao furious and directly tear off his mask to force himself on her.

And indeed, when the Wei army surrounded the Zhang family mansion, all that was left for them was an empty house.

Yao Zhen's departure signifies the complete collapse of morale within the Chang'an army. Apart from the direct descendants of the Wei clan, the other imperial guards are already considering leaving. If it weren't for the suppression by tens of thousands of direct descendants of the Wei clan, they would probably have already rebelled.

Amidst the chaos, Wei Zhengdao, accompanied by Emperor Li Ping, hastily left the city, escorted by 5,000 elite imperial guards, heading towards Hanyang. Wei Yi, meanwhile, led the remaining 20,000 elite imperial guards to remain in Chang'an, drawing the attention of the Linghu Group.

Of course, this is just to attract attention. Once the Linghu Group's army arrives at the city gates, Wei Yi will immediately abandon the city and leave.

Once they successfully reach Hanyang, with tens of thousands of elite troops stationed there and the emperor's legitimacy in their hands, they will have much more room to maneuver.

Hanyang controls the Shu region to the west and the Central Plains to the east, so it has a very solid financial foundation.

Chang Lei stood on one side of Baqiao Bridge, his feelings extremely complicated.

He was also the first to arrive in Chang'an.

In the past two years, he appeared to be Linghu Ye's most valued and trusted subordinate, fighting in numerous campaigns and making outstanding contributions for Linghu Ye. He served as the vanguard, and of course, the executioner, in clearing out the powerful clans in Gansu and Shaanxi who were loyal to the Li dynasty. Linghu Ye's ambition to usurp the Li family's throne was an open secret; those he couldn't bring himself to kill had to be dealt with by Linghu Ye himself.

There was no other way; Linghu Ye's confidants in the army were giving him frantic hints, practically making it explicit.

Chang Lei was in an awkward position, and had no choice but to comply.

Why did the Chang family stand Linghu Ye up when he entered the pass?

Apart from the more than 10,000 soldiers he led, all the members of the Chang family outside the Great Wall chose to submit to Li Dachui.

Linghu Shili couldn't take down Changfeng Warehouse, so Chang Lei took over the mess.

When attacking Luoyang and capturing Tongguan, the Chang family's army was always at the forefront.
In this attack on Chang'an, the highly decorated Chang Lei once again took the lead without hesitation.

Chang Sanlei's army has indeed grown larger with each battle, from just over 10,000 men when he first entered the pass to nearly 50,000 men now, but he is not happy at all.

Because those ten thousand men were his Chang family's soldiers, and now, only half of these old guard remain.

Whenever I think of these things, my heart aches.

If one day I return to my hometown and the elders of my hometown lead my horse and ask where their children are, how should I answer?
Does Linghu Ye trust himself?

Chang Lei really doesn't know how to answer this question.

You say you don't trust me, yet you've entrusted me with countless important military missions without hesitation.

You talk about trust, yet he makes no secret of squandering his trusted troops.

On the battlefield, whenever difficulties arose, it was always his own loyal followers who rushed forward without hesitation, and their numbers dwindled with each battle!
Moreover, aside from all that, Chang Lei couldn't help but feel jealous of his older brother and younger brother who stayed in their hometown.

Yes, it's jealousy.

Especially after the news of the complete annihilation of the Yuan Dynasty by the Beiting Protectorate two months ago.

The eldest brother, Chang Xin, was the deputy general in the Battle of Qingtongxia. In this battle, the Yuan emperor Tiele committed suicide by burning himself, and tens of thousands of Yuan troops surrendered.

The third brother, Chang Sen, is currently a military advisor in the Household Department of the Beiting Protectorate. Although he is called a military advisor, he is actually similar to a vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue in a country. He participated in the entire war to destroy the Yuan Dynasty.

These are the kinds of things that will be recorded in history and leave a lasting mark on the annals of time.

And what am I doing?
Who were the people who were killed?

Chang Lei often felt that his future was inevitably bleak.

In particular, the secret letter from beyond the Great Wall mentioned Li Dachui's identity.

Then, all the people with the surname Li that I killed in Gansu and Shaanxi over the past two years must have been relatives of Li Dachui.
Chang Lei sighed.

As far as the Chang family is concerned, they must be the ones who were abandoned.

Unless one's side wins, then of course it's a different story.

Taking a deep breath and roaring to the sky, Chang Lei spurred his horse and charged onto Baqiao Bridge!
Why can't I win?

(End of this chapter)