The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 350 A Hero's Road to Desperation

In the canyon forest outside the Fortified Fortress of Jingou, the commander's flag fluttered in the firelight.

The officers and soldiers of the Bian Army were together, just chattering away.

"That loyal old dog of Prisoner's wife, we've wiped out his elite troops! We originally had twenty or thirty thousand cavalry, but Pang Shigu and Xie Yanzhang still made us lose everything in the river! Killing their entire families would be enough to pay off our debts! If we had our original strength, we wouldn't have ended up like this... That scoundrel Emperor Li, after taking Chang'an, we'll open his brains!"

"I told you long ago, don't rebel! If Quan Zhong hadn't usurped the throne and become emperor, how could we be stuck in this predicament, ending up like this today? It's all the fault of the Zhu family and their ilk, Jing Xiang and Li Zhen!"

"When Wang Jingrao entered Bianliang, I should have chopped Quan Zhong's entire family into mincemeat, damn it!"

"But I should have gone to court with the Empress Dowager! What a pity! What a pity!"

"I heard that Emperor Li has returned to Xijing. The tide has turned, and he's defeated! I think Dalang, Shi Chaoyi, and An Qingxu are all cut from the same cloth! They'll let the royal family treat them like stray dogs on the street and kick them to death. How do I know who cut off Dalang's head? Rather than letting outsiders benefit from it, let's kill Dalang right here and now!"

Many people even pointed their knives at the commander's flag in a show of defiance. After two days and nights of relentless assault, the soldiers could only watch as their comrades were carried off the battlefield like an assembly line, many of them burned to a crisp, unrecognizable.

After nightfall, Zhu Dalang gathered the officers and soldiers who were fighting with bloodshot eyes, intending only to adjust his tactics. However, an urgent message suddenly came, and Zhu Dalang hurriedly ran to the mound and has not yet returned.

The crowd gathered in the woods, seemingly having nothing to say except to shout and curse.

*******
Flames soared into the sky beneath the mound of earth.

The open space was filled with pots and bonfires, where the retreating Bian army was resting.

"Get out of the way! I'll kill you!" A dozen mule riders, their bodies riddled with arrows, roared as they charged into the crowd, drawing curses from soldiers on the roadside.

The lead colonel had barely stopped the mule and hadn't even uttered a word when the hungry butchers dragged it off and shoved it into the pot. The horse was also thrown overboard, chopped into pieces, and roasted over a fire with salt.

The remaining dozen or so riders didn't even look around, and charged straight through the crowd toward Zhu Dalang.

Zhu Dalang, who had been waiting anxiously, immediately went to greet him and asked in a low voice.

These mule riders, with solemn expressions, quickly whispered a few words before pressing their rumps and fleeing eastward.

"Why are we heading east?" a soldier asked.

"Gao Jichang was ambushed by the Tibetan army behind Tongguan Pass, and his remaining troops were wiped out. The royal army has already reached Tongguan Pass!" the mule soldiers replied.

"Only two men from the other guerrilla force returned. We heard that another cavalry force from Huangxiangban is detouring through Shanzhou, planning to launch a frontal assault on the Niutouyuan camp. If we don't leave now, none of us will make it back!"

Rumors circulating within the army would be fine, but the information from the roving troops was never accurate. Chaos immediately erupted along the entire front, though it had already been chaotic for some time.

"What should we do? What should we do!"

"Go, go quickly! Go back to Bianliang to help defend it."

"We can't go back to Bianliang. Haven't you heard that the King of Wu has already attacked the city? Let's disperse, everyone disperse. Let's go and roam the Jiangnan region and seize the territory of the Southerners. Three hundred Xu soldiers were able to take Suzhou. We can easily gather a few thousand men and take down a regional warlord."

The lifeless army quickly came to life.

Before half an incense stick had burned, a force of two to three thousand Bian soldiers gathered near the mound, carrying torches, and set off eastward.

The people from all departments stared in disbelief as they gathered around.

"You lot, why have you rebelled?"

"If we just run away like this, leaving the group, how will we survive? We'll probably have no way to make a living. Where will we collect our rewards?"

Are you not afraid of being suppressed by the government troops?

"I'm dying of laughter, the government troops are probably going to rebel first."

“Panzi, I’ve been a soldier for twenty years. Take my advice and don’t rush things. When things seem hopeless, our comrades will rise up in rebellion and lead us back to the right path.”

"Forget it, forget it, I'll go too, and find a place to farm."

"The sage has arrived! The sage has truly arrived! The sage has come to kill us!"

"Defeat! Completely defeated!" Exclamations and clamor seemed to ring in everyone's ears, and the size of the chaotic army grew at an astonishing speed.

Beneath the mound of earth, Zhu Dalang felt a sharp pain in his chest. He simply clutched his heart and lowered his head. He had been mentally prepared, but hearing it now still felt like a thunderbolt, making his vision blur.

The night sky grew increasingly chaotic, and a clear uproar rose from all directions, shattering the last embers of fire in Zhu Dalang's heart.

Several officers went to check on Zhu Dalang and found him pale and weak.

He seemed to have lost his soul, muttering to himself, "...Could you really be the chosen one? How could I lose to you like this! Is it true that no one can overthrow this Holy Tang Dynasty...? I'm not reconciled, I'm not reconciled!"

Looking out, the night sky was ablaze with firelight, illuminating half the heavens. Apart from the few remaining troops and horses in Jingou, the surrounding mounds of earth, Tongguan City, the mouth of the Wei River, and the main camp behind them... were all scenes of utter chaos, with civilians and refugees everywhere desperately following the army eastward.

Blood finally gushed from Zhu Dalang's chapped lips, which were covered in wounds: "Is this how it ends? The second year of Zhonghe and the first year of Guanghua, just sixteen years of Bianfu, and it's come to this?"

A trusted officer whispered reassuringly, "Brother, let's go back. Niu Cunjie, Ge Congzhou, Yuan Xiangxian, and Wang Jingrao have occupied vast territories and have strong armies. When the time comes..."

His attempt at comforting him abruptly ended, clearly showing that he didn't even believe himself. Zhu Dalang focused his pupils and strode towards the canyon: "Burn this place and the camp down, then I'll go to Jin Gou and immolate myself, dying alongside Tong Guan. The world is vast, yet I have nowhere to escape; it's better than being taken to Chang'an to be like Liu Pi... You should go and join Niu Cunjie, or go and find Yang Xingmi... Bianliang is gone, everyone find your own way out, take care of yourselves!"

The group of trusted guards and ministers remained silent.

In the canyon forest, a mountain of firewood was quickly piled up.

The sounds of wind, fire, cries, and curses filled the night sky above Tongguan, bearing witness to the demise of the Zhu family.

Yuan Zheng, Xu Huaiyu, and their group rushed into the crowd and saw everyone surrounding Zhu Dalang, watching him walk towards Chai Mountain.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Zheng cursed and ran up to Zhu Dalang, grabbing him by the collar and slapping him hard across the face twice: "Die later if you want to die! There are still more than 20,000 people who haven't panicked yet, and we still need Dalang to lead us to keep fighting!"

"Let's go back to Bianliang and see what happens. When it's time to kill the eldest son, we'll take care of it!"

As they were talking, Yuanzheng had already dragged Zhu Dalang out of Chai Mountain, with ministers, guards and generals following closely behind.

******
In the dilapidated village that looked as if it could be trampled underfoot, Wang Shaorong leaned against the battlements, quietly watching the lights of the Bian army spread across the mountains and fields.

Scattered figures lay in the darkness, like lonely ghosts.

Fu Cunshen sat to the side, picking at his plague sores in his collar.

The high fever made him delirious, and the pain kept him awake.

"It'll be over soon, just two more days..." Wang Shaorong rolled over and patted Fu Cunshen: "When the time comes, you can take Zheng Xiang's body and leave ahead of time! Go back to Hedong. I fought alongside the Emperor for years, yet I have betrayed him. I only remember to give Zheng Yanchang a proper burial."

Fu Cunshen could only manage a wry smile.

The two were staring at each other when suddenly a huge commotion came from outside the canyon.

Wang Shaorong's expression changed. Was the Bian army about to launch another attack? Before the drumbeats had subsided, the sound of war drums resounded, and the troop movements echoed through the forest. It seemed they were about to capture Jin Gou in the dead of night.

Wang Shaorong stood up, leaned over the edge of the battlements, and strained to see into the distance. He could see the silhouettes of Bian troops, carrying torches, advancing out of the canyon through the ancient, towering forest. Judging by the scale of the fire, the entire Bian army of Jin Gou was mobilized!

Where are they going?
Has the sage really returned?
Before Wang Shaorong could even feel the elation, countless shouts erupted simultaneously from outside the canyon: "Kill! Kill! Kill!"

This is a test of morale.

The Bian army didn't leave; they were grinding their teeth and sucking blood, preparing for a new round of attacks!
"What a disappointment!" Wang Shaorong slapped the edge of the wall and slumped to the ground. "There's no miracle!"

He then closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

I don't know how much time has passed, but half asleep and half awake, I heard several guards running towards the stockade, pounding their alarm drums loudly: "There are troops behind the stockade too! It seems the main road to the city has been breached, and the Bian army is coming over. Run!"

Amidst the chaos, a long, drawn-out horn drifted from the fields behind the village. Faint, strange, and unlike anything else of Chinese origin.

Wang Shaorong jumped up. He was so confused that he couldn't tell whether the approaching force was reinforcements or the Bian army. However, he could clearly see the Bian army's behavior in the forest!

The Bian army outside was instantly engulfed in flames.

Even from this distance, Wang Shaorong could almost see many arms trembling in fright, and many panicked Bian soldiers.

Wang Shaorong ran up to the last village, peered inside briefly, and his throat tightened a few times.

A commotion broke out in the village, and thousands of warriors craned their necks to head west.

In the vast darkness, large contingents of Gui warriors, carrying swords and clad in chainmail, marched swiftly with torches. Cavalrymen, bearing aloft the banners of the Eight Armies Headquarters, the Eight Ministers, and the Holy Tang Dynasty, galloped across the plains. The numerous ranks were divided into two groups, continuously advancing towards the main roads and forbidden ditches.

Bathed in moonlight, the soldiers' usually expressionless faces brightened. Moved by their presence, and filled with boundless joy, we exclaimed, "Heaven blesses our holy dynasty..."

"With strong troops and well-trained soldiers, and with orderly commands, this is an elite force."

"Who is the general commanding the troops?"

"What is the Eighth Minister of the Army? I've never heard of it."
The snow-capped mountain warriors, who should not have appeared in the Central Plains, carried heavy loads as they marched forward, their iron armor gleaming silver in the moonlight.

"The sage has arrived!" Cheers erupted, instantly calming the already disorganized soldiers at Jin Gou.

Upon receiving the news, Wang Congxun rode his horse out of the forbidden valley. Standing by the roadside, watching the approaching army, Wang finally showed a relieved smile since entering Tongguan: "Excellent, I have fulfilled my mission and can have no regrets."

Having said that, Xiao Wang, who had long been plagued by the plague and had been fighting for days with injuries, was like a deflated pig bladder. In a daze, he fell off his horse.

On February 28th of the first year of Guanghua, the Battle of Tongguan, a half-year-long conflict in World War II, came to an end.

The Western Tibetans were subdued, the Guiyi Army was pacified, the Hexi Corridor was opened up, and Zhu Da was resisted in the east. The sage achieved a complete victory.

The next battle will be at the gates of Bianliang.

No, before that, we still need to pursue and wipe out the tens of thousands of defeated Bian army troops.

(End of this chapter)