The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 297: The country is broken and the mountains and rivers are here

"Crack!" With a shovel, blood splattered and a person flew up from Ma Zhi's head.

Wu Xiong's clothes were stained with blood, and he broke off his horse and returned.

The remaining 200 Dragon Riders were relieved, and rushed out of the enemy camp. After returning to the main camp, the civilians brought them food and drink, and exchanged them for horse feed, so that they could catch their breath earlier and attack again.

The leopards all performed their tasks seamlessly, pouring in through the worn-down fence.

In person, He Huihu and Shi Jianjian, who led the cavalry from the backyard of the Five Palaces, also took over from the Mazhi.

Shi Jiantang was the son of Shi Jingsi, the leader of the Anqing tribe of the three Shatuo tribes. After Shi Jingsi was killed by Zhu Wen at Shangyuanyi, Li Keyong took great care of Shi Jiantang and appointed him as an official in the backyard. He was also a fierce man, nicknamed Shi Xianfeng.

"Leopard Army? Leopard? Leopard?" He Huihu stared at the Leopard Army charging left and right, and actually recognized many familiar faces among them: "Yelü Chongde! Tuoba Weicai! Have you forgotten the king's kindness? We sent you to the court to guard, but now you turn your guns around and fight us to the death? Come here quickly, don't fight against each other, or you will be injured by stray arrows later!"

Shi Jianjian also said anxiously: "Yelü! We are your former comrades, come back quickly!"

Yelu Chongde, the leader, immediately responded: "King Li controls the government and insults the emperor and father. I have severed my friendship with him. Old He, Jianjian, if you still have some sense of good and evil, return to the Holy Tang Dynasty!"

Tuoba Weicai said in a clear voice: "How much does the saint value Sikong? He was unjust first, so don't blame others for betraying him later."

Looking coldly at Shi Jiantang and the others, he spat and shouted to the cavalry of the Fifth Palace: "Everyone, does the victory or defeat of the four seas' conquest depend on strong cities, powerful weapons, and strong soldiers and horses? Isn't the destruction of Anshi, Chao Cai, and Zhu San enough to make you understand?"

"Everything in this world cannot be separated from the word 'reason'!"

"The saint has been a noble for a thousand years, has been in power for ten years, has received thousands of gold but has not enjoyed them, has received three thousand beauties but has not touched them, has passed Chang'an ten times but has not entered, but in Li Keyong's mouth he has become a Jie or Zhou. Li Keyong is willing to follow in the footsteps of An and Zhu, the fate of the holy Tang Dynasty is indeed still uncertain, but the only fate that awaits him is the downfall of the superiors!"

"Besides, we are fighting for the Holy Tang Dynasty and for the great rejuvenation of China. What about you? Are you going to let a traitor cause chaos in the government?"

At this point, Tuoba Wei raised his arm and shouted: "You two, why don't you follow the example of Muye and strike back! Kill the unjust, kill Li Keyong to thank the world!"

Shi Jianjian didn't know what to say.

Then the Leopard Army could be heard shouting: "Kill the unjust, punish the traitors, and rise up for the Holy Tang!"

Not to mention surrender, that was naturally something that Tuoba Wei had considered.

Surrendering means a change of status, becoming an enemy, and surrendering means the loss of dignity, but it is different. Moreover, rebelling for justice is the tradition of the feudal lords and the basic practice of warriors.

"Justice!"

When the first man turned his horse and ran towards Tuoba Weicai, another rider followed him in an instant: "How can a sparrow understand the ambition of a swan?"

"A brave man lives forever, but when he dies, he leaves a great name behind!"

"The Three Jins have suffered for a long time!"

"Rebellion, rebellion!"

The counterattack that took place in Zhaoyi fifty years ago and in Muye two thousand years ago is happening again today.

In the blink of an eye, more than seven hundred riders came over.

"You brat!" He Huihu was furious and chased after him, stabbing him with his spear.

Yelu Chongde laughed loudly: "My friends, kill the thieves!"

Behind him, a large group of infantrymen who were pouring in from the gap shouted, "Kill the bandits!"

The army attacked from three sides.

More and more bonfires illuminate the morning light.

The densely packed soldiers just crowded behind the carriage, following it while making noises and knocking the body of the carriage with their weapons, making loud noises.

The saint has spent all his wealth. Except for the thousands of guards around him, all the others, whether soldiers, horses, civilians or evil people, will go into battle! Although the roar of the army was high, their pace was not fast. Even so, the huge crowd of people, like a swarm of ants, still made the Jin army feel that they could not save themselves from the sight of the defense tower!

The camp can no longer be defended!
Li Keyong hastily set up a forward command post outside the trench corresponding to the direction of his central army.

The saint moved his headquarters and his dirty white flags forward again.

Since he joined the army, he never watched the drama in the rear during the battle. He would just set up a tent in the front line. When it rained heavily, he would put on a straw raincoat and a hat, and sit in the open air with a stool. When it was hot, he would just take off his shirt. When he was tired, he would rest his forehead on his knees and take a nap. When he was hungry, he would also have dry food and milk.

Countless soldiers in armor surrounded him. Every eye was on him. As long as they were ordered, they would obey. The saint was wearing a black cape and kept moving inside and outside the headquarters under the protection of Xiao Xiu and other guards.

"The Eastern Army's arrow formation moves fifteen steps to the left!"

"The Confederate stone cannons are reaching the trenches!"

From time to time, he issued some orders like these to correct some flaws in the attack. He scolded this general: "You are hitting your mother! I have learned a lot from your wisdom, get out!" He praised that general: "Okay, okay." The cold wind made his skirt armor darker, and the dust and mud made him look like a mud pig. Several fingers twitched from time to time, but his back was still straight and his steps were big.

The battle had lasted for two hours and the sun was already rising.

Troops from all directions have already broken through seven strongholds and killed thousands of enemies.

From where the saint was, he could clearly see the battle situation. The army adopted a multi-line tug-of-war, concentrating several elite troops and sinking deep into the battle array. It was like a bunch of black steel knives, rushing straight at the central army where Li Keyong was!

Arrows and stones were flying on the battlefield, and shouts of killing were deafening.

The piles of corpses rose rapidly, and the blood gathered into small streams, flowing stickily under the warm winter sun.

The sound of gold rang out, and the Western Army's offensive ended again.

"You bastard, you still have some strength! We fought for two hours and injured about 300 of my men... We took Taiyuan and slaughtered them all!"

"Mr. Liu, who are you calling a barbarian? Am I not a Tang person? Am I not a Tang person? Am I not a Tang person? Am I not a Tang person?"

"You Uighurs and Shatuo are actually the same kind of bastards. That old dog has a lot of Uighur bastards under his command! You call me a bitch, today I will deal with you first! Then I will deal with Shatuo!"

"Come on, come on!"

"Get into your aunt's hair! Do you want to try? We'll chop off your dog's paws! Go to hell with you! We've taught Han dogs a lesson many times!"

"A bastard is a bastard, even if he's naturalized he's still a bastard! Go back to where you came from, hold your assholes shut and go cry for me to Li Renmei!"

"That's enough! The noise is making my ears hurt. I'll attack again later. Anyone who's breathing will be killed! If you hesitate for even a second, I'll kill you with my sword! There's no point in a dog barking here. When the saint whips you, let's see what kind of person you are. Are you just being a clown here..."

"The old dog can't hold on any longer. This camp is going to be overturned... Huh, take a break, everyone take a break!"

The generals of the group bumped into each other, shouting and yelling, their fingers almost poking each other's faces, spitting all over your and my face. Bloody soldiers were snatched away by civilians, and many officers died under the mound where the saint stopped, waving at him and shouting, including his family members.

Looking at the regrouped army, a Wei Bo general whispered: "Great Sage, attacking the fortress by force will only bring more casualties, and we only have so much. It's time for lunch, should we take a break? Have lunch and take a nap, and then fight again, our fighting spirit will be wasted..."

The saint looked at him sideways and asked: "Is your sharpness doing harm?"

His expression was blank, and the Wei Bo general did not dare to respond.

The saint sat down on the grass and stared at the enemy camp. "The Jin army is thinking about returning home day and night, their food supply has been cut off, and their military supplies are all gone. Why don't we take advantage of the morale to crush them and wait to continue drinking tea and watching the snow with them? Now is the time to increase the pressure. This is the last straw that breaks the camel's back, and Li Keyong will be defeated! By then, we can take advantage of the great morale loss to kill a few more prisoners, and then the Holy Tang will have a chance to breathe, and temporarily not be interfered with by the powerful vassal states. Only then can I free up my hands to deal with all the rats and strive for a long-lasting future for the Holy Tang!"

Although the Jin army was already in a state of decline, once the battle started today, the Jin army knew that if they could not hold on, they would be defeated. Once the camp was broken and Li Keyong's flag was cut down, not only would they be in disarray, but the entire army would also be immediately discouraged.

On the way back to the rear, the punitive army was gathered at Chenji, and it was unknown how many people could be carried by boats and pontoon bridges in a day.

Once defeated, it is hard to say how many of these tens of thousands of elite troops will be able to return home.

His fighting spirit also seems to be very strong.

If this assault is held, can the war be ended in a short time?

Every general and minister had no answer and felt heavy in their hearts.

The saint looked around and said calmly, "Li Keyong has already lost his temper. Didn't he see the large group of Jin troops coming from Puzhen? Are they reinforcements? They are here to support us. The will to fight is firm... No matter how firm it is, if you don't have enough food and arrows, you won't be able to hold out for long. The Jin army is holding on now, just hoping to wait until dark so that they can escape. As long as we keep adding weight, we will surely defeat them! Everyone, stop looking miserable! The soldiers are fighting bloody battles, how can we be the first to sigh? Whoever looks miserable will be sent to the front!"

"Yes!" all the generals responded in unison.

Then the saint suddenly raised his hand and said, "Orders, prepare fire, charcoal, and food. Do not withdraw the troops tonight. Fight all night until the flag of the one-eyed dragon falls! The winner will be decided tonight!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the iron torrent retreated again.

The general leading the troops was Zhao En, the cousin of the Privy Councilor Lady Zhao Rushin of Liang, who was always loved and respected by the emperor.

He limped to the mound with messy hair and knelt down in the mud: "Sir! We can't attack anymore. I have more than a thousand men along the way, and 30% of them have died or been injured! When we rushed into the camp, the cavalry ignored us and fought on their own. A small group of Jin cavalry circled around us and shot us with the arrows we shot! The warriors have done their best, let them go back and catch their breath for two hours!"

Before he could say anything, another rider came riding up and shouted, "Great Saint, Great Saint! Wu Erlang can't stand it anymore! We've been fighting recklessly since the beginning, and only a hundred of our 300 Dragon Army soldiers are left. Wu Erlang was stabbed seven times, and his intestines are flying out! Send me to get help!" The saint was just looking for the sound when Zhao En came up on his knees, grabbed his feet and screamed even louder, "Great Saint, please! Let the warriors catch their breath. Otherwise, even if we capture Li Keyong, we won't be able to defeat him--"

Before Zhao En could speak again, he and the people around him saw a flash of a knife.

With a dull thud, Zhao En was hit on the face by the back of the knife. He fell on his back with blood flowing from his nose.

The saint sheathed his sword, took off his white coat and threw it to the Dragon Knight who asked for help: "Give it to Wu Xiong to wrap his intestines. There is no reinforcement! Let him find the troops nearby to join forces and fight while resting. I'm here. If he dares to hide in the trench and not come out, let him be a deserter."

Knight Long Jie took the white robe and looked at the saint standing there with his hands behind his back. He no longer paid any attention to him, but his ring finger twitched nervously and his gaze returned to the battlefield.

"Yes! We will either die in battle or during our rest period. We will never stop fighting." Knight Long Jie thrust his lance forward and saluted with both hands on his horse: "Please bear witness for us!"

After saying that, he whipped his lance and flew out with the whip: "Hall of Valor, let's go!"

The saint stood there, his expression suddenly became a little crazy and a little ferocious, he stared at Li Keyong on the defense tower: "I have tried my best and strived for perfection. This is what happens when Taizong comes to fight! We can't lose heart now, Li Keyong must give up first. He can't hold it anymore! Otherwise, he will get angry and go crazy, I'm afraid he will call for help and fight me for a long time, which will seriously damage his vitality! I saved Sheng Tang's last breath, but I can't be buried with him!"

Everyone looked at him talking to himself, and he just sighed softly under the warm winter sun.

Just like a hundred years ago.

But a hundred years ago, when more than 100,000 tigers and wolves occupied the capital and dominated the four directions, the Holy Tang Dynasty at that time still had Guo Ziyi, Pugu Huai'en, Ma Lin... these outstanding people of the generation. Emperor Xuan of He used the patchwork mob to toss and turn several times, and finally drove An Shouzhong away.

But today, a hundred years later, only the saints are left, struggling to hold on.

Is it that the sky is destined to fall, the world is destined to continue to be in chaos, three or four out of ten people in the world are destined to die, and no one is going to be able to save them?
Hearing him mutter, more than ten generals rushed forward and said, "Sir, we are willing to go! Instead of standing here and watching, why not go and lend a helping hand to Wu Xiong and his ilk?"

The saint's chest rose and fell violently, like a galloping horse, but his mood calmed down.

I just felt my head was extremely heavy.

Things that cannot be predicted or foreseen are really stressful. It is really annoying to deal with this half-crazy Li Keyong. Perhaps, not playing by the rules is the reason why he can win again and again.

After collecting his spirit, the saint named several generals who petitioned: "Zhong Daoist, Zhang Chengfa, Zhang Chengyan, Liu Zhijun, Song Tong, Cui Bao, He——" He glanced at the expressionless He Zongyi. Concubine Shu only had two brothers, Chuyu and Zongyi. If they died on the battlefield, she would not be able to accept it. "Each of you should lead 200 guards and find a military commander to join."

Those who were called stepped forward and knelt on one knee: "I will not fail you!"

The saint turned around and sat down, looking across.

On a defensive tower behind the opposite wall stood a tall man in a red cape. Everyone present knew that he was the One-Eyed Dragon.

He stood on top with his hands on his hips, and just shouted: "Good son-in-law, do you dare to come up? Your uncle is here! If you are a real man, don't hurt the lives of soldiers in vain. Let's fight under the wall! Watch your uncle subdue you and make you kneel on this side of the trench!"

It was so noisy, I don’t know if the saint heard it.

Seeing this, Li Keyong personally drew his bow and aimed at a white flag outside Emperor Li's headquarters.

The command post was right next to the trench, very close to his camp, but in terms of bow range, it was only a little over two hundred steps, which was considered far.

He took a few soft breaths, and then with a whoosh, the arrow shot out.

The arrow was extremely accurate. Although its force weakened a lot when it got closer, it still went through the center of the white flag steadily.

A hole was shot in the white flag, and the wind blew through it, distorting the sound.

The saint's old face immediately turned red and he looked towards the defense tower angrily.

One-eyed dragon! This giant thief! Damn it!
"Somebody come!"

"I'm here!" Wang Yanzhang stood up without losing any time.

"When you shoot back and forth, just aim at the shadow of the one-eyed dragon!" The saint said sternly, his lips trembling with anger.

"This" Wang Yanzhang felt embarrassed.

I thought he was ordering people to charge, but I didn't expect he was ordering them to shoot back.

"Why, you can't shoot?" The saint glanced at him suddenly.

Wang Yanzhang said hurriedly: "Of course not. Your Majesty has given an order, and I will obey it."

I said this, but I felt so miserable in my heart.

This dog emperor is really shameless. Is shooting people the same as shooting flags? There are several big flags stuck there, so close together. With Li Keyong's archery skills, one arrow can penetrate a flag. But shooting people from here...

Also, is it equally difficult to shoot from above or shoot upwards?

But I still have to shoot.

If she offended Li Dasheng, her future would be ruined. The Queen would be all alone, with no one to rely on...

For the Queen of Heaven and the three holy sons of Guanyin, Wang Yanzhang closed his eyes and stomped his feet and decided to go all out.

Drawing the bow and loading the arrow, Wang Yanzhang aimed at Li Keyong on the defense tower.

He can draw a bow like a full moon.

Li Keyong, Li Keyong!
Let this arrow become the cornerstone of my progress.

"Swoosh!" The cold arrow flew straight towards the defense tower.

Li Keyong, who was shooting arrows to "call the roll" and boost morale, didn't notice at all and was shot in the thigh.

Li Keyong groaned and fell to the ground.

"My lord!" The officers noticed and surrounded him. They were relieved when they saw that the arrow had hit his leg and that it was weak, only penetrating the flesh without injuring the bones.

Li Keyong puffed his cheeks and broke the arrow shaft with a chop. With a slap, the arrow hook came out from the flesh, and he pulled it out and threw it away.

Wiping the blood on his sleeve, Li Keyong turned back suddenly and glanced down: "I don't think it will work! Pass the order, abandon the west, retreat to the central army and the eastern camps, grit your teeth and hold out until dark! As soon as it gets dark, we will retreat! Don't take away the luggage and property that can't be taken away, just leave the people and horses. Wait -" He called Li Junqing and reminded: "Don't forget to dig trenches before retreating! Fighting based on fortifications can delay for a long time!"

“Can we get away?” Diwu Kefan, Qiu Chengtan and other inner circle leaders cried.

"Humph! Unless Li Ye can fight until dark without stopping, and until the army is in chaos!" After saying that, Li Keyong glared at him with an extremely ferocious look: "You bunch of bastards, do you think I will bear another infamy for you? I am not so shameless!"

Diwu Kefan and his group immediately kowtowed and begged desperately: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"

Before he finished speaking, Li Keyong had already picked up the broken arrow and stabbed it into his throat. Upstairs and downstairs, I watched Diwu Kefan retreat and fall from the defense tower with his hands and feet dancing!
The Jin army nearby cursed loudly and chopped them into pieces with their swords.

"My Lord, my Lord, spare my life!" Li Keyong picked up Qiu Chengtan, who was crying and kicking, with one hand, cut his throat and threw him downstairs: "Give the order! Kill all the slaves!"

"Who will cover the retreat?" someone asked urgently.

Li Junqing grabbed Li Keyong's hand and said, "I will come. Xiao Han will meet you on the other side of the bridge. Your Majesty, just cross the river and try to bring back all the men."

Li Keyong struggled to get up and waved his hands fiercely: "How can you do that! Miaowei can't live without you as her brother!"

He looked around and said, "I lead the Iron Forest Army, the rear yard of the Five Palaces, and the cavalry to cover the rear. With me here, the soldiers will fight to the death. They may make noise, but they dare not really rebel."

"No, no!" Someone said anxiously, "What if they are captured alive? Hedong cannot live without the king, and cannot stand such humiliation!"

Li Keyong looked through the cracks in his shield at the dark army and horses outside, and his son-in-law who was eating on the earthen mound, and said calmly: "If Zhu Wen comes to fight, I might flee in a hurry, or even surrender. But I don't care about people like Li Ye. This time I have weighed his weight. If I use all my main forces and lead 100,000 troops into the pass, he will probably only be able to flee to Liangzhou and Xiangyang. With these three armies in hand, it should be no problem to cover you all to cross the river, and he can't catch me. What if? In this world today, whether it is the people, or me and the various princes, there is no life that is guaranteed to make a profit and die peacefully. God knows when and where we will be killed by whom and how. We are born in this era, and we are all preparing for this day. I have today, good or bad, aren't they all gained by taking risks? What if, I die. It's good for me not to die as an old man who needs help to walk. Okay, let's arrange it like this, don't make a fuss! Believe me!"

"Go away and get ready!" He waved his hand impatiently.

The generals, adopted sons, and aides looked at him, many of them peed like a cat, and bowed down in unison: "There is nothing to say. If something bad really happens, we will have to support the young master to the throne and protect this foundation at all costs. We are not afraid that the king will be cold and hungry down there during the holidays. We will be master and servant in the next life..."

"I'm not dead yet!" Li Keyong cursed, then stood up staggeringly and waved his hand: "Wait for my order and retreat to the east. Then I will lead the team myself and have a show of filial piety with that little beast Li Ye!"

Before he finished speaking, Zhu Jin exploded from the pile of corpses not far from the defense tower, screaming a few times, and shook off the new reinforcements who were pulling him. He rushed out with a leap of blood and corpses, each holding a spear: "You bastard, charge the tower! Kill Li Keyong!"

Behind him, the soldiers were stunned for a moment, and then they roared at the same time, pouring out from both sides of the oar cart, following behind him, and rushing towards the defense tower!
“Hahaha.” Li Keyong laughed and pointed at Zhu Jin who was leading the way: “You are worthy of it!”

A group of staff rushed up and pulled Li Keyong downstairs.

Seeing Li Keyong heading east to assemble his army for battle, the remaining Jin troops on the western front rose up from the trenches, piles of corpses, pools of blood, and tents, and faced the tide of Zhu Jin rushing towards them: "Kill!"

Thousands of the king's army, dressed in red, white, blue, black, and colorful clothes, also took off their helmets in a swarm, leaving only the dazzling red sanitary napkins on their foreheads, and raised their steel knives under the blazing sun: "Cut you to death!"

(End of this chapter)