The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 334 The Battle Between Ruler and Minister (Part Two)

The fog in Lantian is cold, and the morning light is sharp.

"Ahead lies the southern foothills of Mount Hua, the source of the Luo River!" The Minister of War, leading the way, pointed with trembling fingers to the rugged forest beneath the towering mountains and icy clouds: "There is a small path here that can traverse Mount Hua and reach Guanzhong."

Ugly, bluish-white peaks pierce the sea of ​​clouds, while the ancient Northern Dynasties plank road winds along the precipice.

A dilapidated Taoist temple sits coldly amidst the mountain winds.

That is Mount Hua, the most precipitous mountain in the west, which isolates Yongliang from the east.

The Tang Dynasty had already fallen into ruin, and even this place, which had been a refuge from the Qin Dynasty since ancient times, was sparsely populated.

Along the way, even in ancient villages like Yongfeng, there were hardly any people to be seen, only scattered refugees occupying thatched huts and barely surviving. Upon seeing any soldiers, they would leave some "goods" at a distance, such as clothes, firewood, and herbs, as a reward.

At this moment, there are both ministers in red robes and cold-blooded soldiers in full armor.

In front of the Jinxian Temple by the roadside, dozens of men and women who hadn't managed to escape were already terrified, kneeling on the ground with their children, trembling and speaking in an incomprehensible dialect.

Prince Melema gazes at the perilous mountains.

The bandits of Bian are doomed; all that remains is to shatter their delusions of utter madness.

When will the reign of the Holy Tang Dynasty be secure?
Her gaze swept over the emaciated men and women on the ground, and the unpleasant Central Plains accents lingered in her ears. With a flick of her wrist, Wang Zimei was about to slaughter them.

Since the beginning of the Qianfu era, the world has been in turmoil; who is to blame?

Since these refugees have borne children for the notorious bandits, paid taxes, served labor, and aided Cao Cao in his tyranny... they all deserve to die!

But he slowly closed his eyes. His clenched hands then relaxed.

"Wang Zimei, Wang Zimei, is this your way of doing things? Taking your anger out on these two-legged sheep that nobody cares about?"

He waved his hand and turned, his gaze already fixed on the mountain path through the forest. Those prey that pounced like wild wolves were the real beasts that deserved to be slaughtered.

The refugees in the temple scattered in a panic.

Xiao Xiu caught up from behind, panting. These past few days had been spent scouting and gathering intelligence on waterways and terrain; he'd endured considerable hardship. His heels were blistered, and his appearance was weathered, but his spirits remained high. He wiped his sweat and looked towards the Golden Immortal Temple: "There's a Golden Immortal Temple in Ziwu Valley, a Golden Immortal Temple for Taoist nuns in the capital, and even a Golden Immortal Temple, Golden Immortal Pavilion, and Golden Immortal Courtyard in the imperial city. And this remote place also worships the Golden Immortal?"

Wang Zimei glanced at him, oblivious to his charm: "...With a knife to your throat, why are you still thinking about these things? Wuguan has only about ten thousand men, eight thousand of whom are my brothers and soldiers. The Emperor is watching the Western Regions, and the Bian dogs are watching Chang'an. We can't afford any mistakes, so let's focus on this."

Ten years ago, Zhao's troops, tasked with defending Tongguan during the autumn harvest, were cut off from supplies upon reaching the Wei River, where they rioted and disbanded. Now, by a twist of fate, he finds himself leading his men to defend Wuguan; will he too end up scattering like birds and beasts?
He glanced warily at the dense forest overhead, looking somewhat worried.

Xiao Xiu smiled and said, "I did my best."

"I wonder if the Sage will be able to come to our aid in time if the situation becomes dire." Prince Mei walked steadily, his mind focused.

“The sage will not leave us all here; he will surely arrive when the time comes.”

"How can you be so sure?"

"The Emperor will not give Zhu Dalang the chance to enter Chang'an, nor will he allow the situation to fluctuate further. The Emperor has come to save the nation from collapse! I know what I'm doing!"

"You're quite good at flattering people."

"Don't think about it too much!" On the narrow path, Xiao Xiu's blade flashed as he cleaved through the vines: "You fight for the country abroad, and I will defend the country at home. Any great man who can accomplish this task should not think too much! I will only fight, regardless of life or death, success or failure."

The pine trees rustled in the wind, and King Xiao fell silent, taking the lead and disappearing into the mountain path.

Behind them, more than a thousand young men moved nimbly and swiftly along the rugged path.

As its name suggests, Wuguan Road encompasses several cities and covers a vast and long area. This narrow path is located near the entrance, a passageway at the southern foot of Mount Hua, winding through the mountains. It is well known that such a path is impassable for caravans, cavalry, and large armies carrying supplies, but small groups of infantry can traverse it.

The main passes along the main roads might not be something the Bian army would be willing to besiege, as they would be difficult to break through and capture, and they would be unwilling to suffer the casualties. The most cunning approach would probably be to find a shortcut, sending small groups of men to infiltrate the passes and cause trouble behind Tongguan, thus creating an opportunity for the main attacking army.

It rained a couple of days ago, and fog rolled in the mountains, making visibility extremely poor. It was the perfect time for military strategists to exploit the situation.

Prince Xiao Xiu was filled with unease. After discussing the matter with the other generals, he led a group of men to patrol and guard the area.

They traversed mountains and valleys, their path shrouded in deep clouds. The mule tossed its head, and though it had a piece of wood in its mouth, it still occasionally neighed.

The soldiers chatted quietly, one after another.

"...We are good at defense but not at open field battles. Are we going to be so foolish as to send out a hunting expedition to the mountains? There are only about ten thousand soldiers in the several cities along the pass, and the rest are conscripted civilians. If the Bian dogs break through, we'll just circle around in the forest and return to Hebei in three to five years."

"Eating vinegar cakes, sleeping deep in the mountains, treating me like a villainous soldier?"

"Wuguan is a remote place, at least we don't get wet in the rain, and we have hot soup with every meal. We haven't received any enemy intelligence, so we're sending troops out!"

"I think I'm sick. My head hurts, so I might as well lie down on the roadside."

These buzzing sounds, neither too loud nor too soft, were all heard by Wang Zimei, but her mind remained focused on the misty mountains.

In this era, soldiers are born with the privilege of having superiors who can talk big and pontificate. To silence these ruthless individuals and make them obey, it's not enough to simply enforce military law; the laws of ordinary soldiers are not ineffective either. The key lies in the skill of the commander.

Wang Rong and the military government have already granted him military power, but whether Prince Zimei can command the army and fulfill his ambition to serve the emperor depends solely on himself. Prince Zimei can lead his troops out of Chengde and to Wuguan, but he is still far from being able to stop the soldiers from speaking ill of him.

Seeing that King Xiao still persisted, he simply cut through the thorns step by step, moving forward.

The soldiers could only mutter to themselves as they followed, carrying their guns.

Suddenly, through the mountain mist, a faint rustling sound could be heard ahead.

There seemed to be many things moving, but the soldiers listened carefully, their ears pressed together, yet they couldn't quite make it out: "Is it a rabbit?"

"Get your donkey ears fixed."

A sergeant stood on the roadside grass, surveyed the area, and stroked his chin: "Is it possible that they are refugees?"

"Shut up, everyone!" Xiao Xiu raised his hand. The mountain mist dampened his handsome face, and droplets of water condensed and slid down his helmet.

Xiao Xiu lay there, listening intently.

After listening for a while, he stood up again, repeatedly adjusting his posture and tilting his head in various directions.

The soldiers around him were just like him, all government soldiers, some of whom had even served as chief guards to Wang Rong and the ministers of the military government. Seeing Xiao Xiu's actions, they all drew their swords, dispersed their ranks, and hid in the grass and behind the trees, while glaring at the other soldiers and gesturing to them.

The group immediately quieted down, showing great respect and following suit.

Soon, these people seemed to have vanished from the spot, only hiding in their respective positions, staring at Xiao Xiu with suspicion and observing everything around them.

"How is it?" Wang Zimei leaned closer and lowered her voice.

"This is bad." Xiao Xiu's body tensed up.

Through the slowly drifting mist over the mountain grass, it seemed as if one could hear and see a vanguard of several hundred men, their faces indistinct, approaching with the same trepidation. Each man was laden with armor. Crouching low, they moved with precarious steps, steel blades held to their throats, water droplets dripping from the gleaming blades of their spears. The mist cleansed each blade of their armor, making them gleam and absorb the chill of the morning light…

The Bian people have arrived! They really have come this way!
Xiao Xiu's eyes went unfocused, and he mechanically grabbed the scabbard, slowly drawing the sword out in front of him.

Without warning, the wind picked up!
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..." A large swarm of arrows appeared out of thin air, covering everything like lightning!
The sounds of leaves falling into the water, birds chirping, and the wind in the forest were instantly drowned out.

In the hazy distance, a sudden shout rang out, and a tall, burly warrior swung himself over ten feet across a vine with one hand, landing on the grass. With a quick somersault, he sprang to his feet, grabbed his sword, and darted out of the fog like a leopard.

"You son of a bitch, you killed Emperor Li!"

Immediately afterwards, soldiers with ferocious faces appeared, their figures densely packed together.

The same unshaven, unkempt appearance.

"I recognize you! I recognize you!" The forest erupted in a few bursts of noise. One of the Zhao family soldiers, who had fought in Hengshui, rolled out a foot or so, knelt on one knee, his left eye slightly glazed, and drew his bow, firing three arrows in quick succession: "Zhu Youlun! Shoot him dead! Engage in battle!"

The bugle call echoed on Huangxiang Slope, announcing the start of another offensive against Tongguan.

(End of this chapter)