The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 356 Yishui
The moonlight was bright and clear, and torches flickered on both banks of the Yi River, creating a chaotic scene.

"The pursuers are here! The pursuers are here!"

"How many have come?"

"I don't know, but there are a lot!"

The dusty road was crowded with Bian soldiers in disheveled armor, loudly exchanging information with each other.

The mule soldiers plunged their daggers in fiercely, their expressions menacing.

The mule was covered in blood, staggering, getting up and falling down repeatedly.

Further out in the fields, soldiers sat on the ground, boiling water and cooking rice.

Pots were placed on the fire, the flames roared, and the water boiled.

Long queues had already formed at the temporary pontoon bridges.

Looking around at the soldiers still chatting and eating in twos and threes, he cursed them endlessly.

The water level in Yishui is low, and the route ahead has already been scouted—Li Cunxiao, the defense commissioner of Ruzhou, is on his way to intercept them.

The rear guard scouts also sent an urgent report—Emperor Li had arrived at Luqiao Post Station, accompanied by a vast army of servants, each with two or three horses, their entourage covering the mountains and fields, a spectacle comparable to that of a large barbarian bandit.

The Bian army, already on edge, could no longer remain leisurely. Without waiting for orders, they spontaneously prepared and set off.

"Bang..." A pot was overturned, scattering golden boiled beans all over the ground: "Eat, eat, eat! Still eating!"

"Fuck your mother, what kind of bird are you going to be?!" The officer ran into the crowd, kicking and punching, but was dragged away by spears pointed at his face.

"Let's go! Let's go, let's ignore them..." The military leader covered his face and hadn't finished speaking when he saw the sky on the opposite bank of the Yi River turning red.

"Who are these pursuing troops?" Countless Bian soldiers looked up at the same time.

What came into view was a large group carrying torches, slowly slowing down, seemingly about to build fortifications on the spot.

"It must be the Ruzhou army!" an officer exclaimed. "Cross quickly! Cross! We absolutely cannot allow them to gain a foothold on the other side!"

The chaotic Bian army erupted into chaos, forgetting to eat or even chat.

Those who had already lined up began to push and shove as they crawled forward.

The sky was dim and indistinct, and people were constantly being pushed off the bridge, struggling and thrashing in the water.

Some people simply left the group and went out into the wilderness to find their own way.

.........

Inside the enclosure, Yuan Zheng killed several more people, all of whom were generals who had returned after their failed attack on Luhun.

Luhun was a prosperous county under Henan Prefecture, located on the opposite bank of the river, and its size was almost comparable to that of the capital counties such as Lantian and Meiyuan.

Although the attempt to enter Chang'an failed and the army scattered like leaves in the wind, Minamoto no Masaru, a formidable warrior who had fought his way through the chaos of war, possessed a tenacity that was unmatched by ordinary soldiers.

After arriving at the Yi River, the army rested while waiting to cross the river. Minamoto no Masayuki selected three thousand men to prepare for the city's cleanup, replenishing supplies and manpower.

But by this time, Henan, whether ruled by Chang'an or by rebels, had already collapsed.

In weaker regions, destruction was commonplace, with entire prefectures and counties wiped out. In stronger regions like Luhun, powerful clans rose up, recruited soldiers, armed the people, formed alliances, and carved out their own territories, waiting for the victor to establish dominance over the Central Plains.

The Bian army tried several times, but couldn't find a solution for the time being.

"You can't even handle a bunch of ordinary people, what use are you!" Sheathing his sword, Yuan Zheng took several bites of the man's shoulder and continued to curse: "You traitors are truly traitors, Quan Zhong is disloyal, and Ke Yong is useless! You've allowed the Li family to rise from the ashes!"

"Dozens of warlords couldn't even overthrow the remnants of the Tang and Han dynasties!"

"Zhao, Wei, Qi, and Yan, you are all unworthy to be called rebellious vassals! That damned Yang Xingmi only seeks to maintain a precarious peace and refuses to help us in our time of need. Jiangnan is indeed home to nothing but rats! We will cross the Yangtze River and slaughter your entire family!"

"Where is Niu Cunjie? Have the men sent to contact Niu Cunjie and Wang Jingrao returned yet? If they fail to summon the allied forces, each of them will be punished with one hundred lashes!"

Minamoto was shouting and cursing angrily, and the local civil officials were too frightened to utter a sound.

The generals in the military headquarters weren't always so capricious. Now, they're sometimes normal, sometimes like ghosts, as if they've gone completely mad.

After killing and eating the people, Minamoto no Masaru's mood did not improve at all, so he pinned down the three women and raped them on the spot.

Beside him, Zhu Dalang sat on the ground, examining a tattered map by the firelight.

"Is the news accurate?"

"General, my son is also at the rear. I just asked the man he sent back." Liu Chongxin nodded and said, "Emperor Li has indeed arrived at the Luo River. I estimate that the main force is crossing the river now. The vanguard is very close to us."

“Given our situation, if we get entangled with him, we’re probably doomed,” Zhu Dalang said slowly. “Tens of thousands of cavalrymen must have formidable fighting power.”

"What's there to be afraid of? In the past, when the Turks, Khitans, and Tibetans raided our borders, they would send tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of cavalry, and they were still slaughtered by our Holy Tang warriors. Infantry has its strengths, and cavalry has its weaknesses. As long as we deal with them properly, both sides have a chance to defeat the enemy. Commander, you have nothing to worry about," Liu Chongxin reassured him.

Zhu Dalang laughed and shook his head: "What a bold move, but we can't afford to waste time with him. Chasing without fighting will only exhaust us. Send the order to cross the river quickly. Once we enter Jing and E provinces, we'll be safe."

"Has Wang Jingrao and Niu Cunjie responded?" Zhu Dalang then asked.

Everyone fell silent.

Zhu Dalang chuckled coldly a few times.

"There are too many fickle people in our Great Liang, mostly loyal ministers who only want to add flowers to brocade. We don't need to talk about the interdependence of the two sides anymore. After I die, and the Li family deals with my stepmother Yanzhang, then those people will know how to cry!"

Before the words were finished, an officer pushed through the crowd, sweating profusely, and said, "General, a large force of troops is approaching from the other side of the river!"

Zhu Dalang was taken aback: "How many people?"

"I didn't count, but maybe three or four thousand?"

"Whose banner is it? What are their clothes?"

"We only saw the words 'Ruzhou' and 'Defense Commissioner'."

"Oh." Zhu Dalang's face showed a hint of disdain: "It's Li Cunxiao."

Over the years, he has always been the one who defeated the Jin army, and he has a very good understanding of the generals in Hedong.

"If Li Cunxiao doesn't cause me trouble, I can still be a good defense commissioner in Ruzhou. But if he has designs on me..."

Zhu Dalang stood up and waved his hand, saying, "Ignore Li Cunxiao. The army will cross the river as usual, head straight for Dengzhou, and then advance towards Ezhou!"

"promise!"

Just as he was about to go and urge them to cross the river, a commotion arose outside.

Soon, a report came: "The vanguard of pursuers has arrived. The Tibetan general Qu Buyang and several thousand cavalry are only three or four miles away from us."

Zhu Dalang's heart sank: "Did you see clearly?"

Several officers nodded in unison: "There's always more, never less."

A chill ran straight to everyone's heads.

Three or four li? When did we leave Tongguan, and when did Emperor Li return to Chang'an?
In just a few days, they traveled nearly a thousand miles to reach the Yi River.
Ma Duo, without any supplies, this is his maximum speed. And that's not even considered fast; Li Keyong was chasing Huang Chao.

They fought and pursued each other, chasing them all the way from Chenzhou to Yuanju, which is from Zhoukou in Henan to Heze in Shandong.

The speed was maintained at "three hundred li in a day and night".

The sage brought more horses but carried less; his entire army, besides armor and weapons, only had half a month's worth of dry rations.

There's only one faster way to get here from Shanzhou.

Gradually, the sound of horses' hooves could be heard.

Zhu Dalang looked up.

On the western earthen mound, first one rider, then two, then three... a torrent filled the hillside, looking down from above.

The soldiers, both Han and non-Han, sat on their horses, looking like small mountains.

His long beard flowed down the back of his head.

They were resting and recuperating while eating.

Yuan Zheng climbed up from between the three women and hurriedly put on his armor.

Zhu Dalang's face turned ashen.

They ignored Bianliang and chased me relentlessly.

It seems there's no escaping it.

Then let's fight, until we die.

"Order those who haven't crossed the river to form ranks here." Zhu Dalang put on his helmet.

The war drums then sounded.

The already chaotic Bian army was in even greater disarray, with some fleeing and others defending themselves.

"General, shouldn't we run away?" Several officers surrounded them, looking anxious.

"This is still Emperor Li's vanguard, how can we possibly deal with him?"

Zhu Dalang waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet: "Why run? If we leave our soldiers here to be slaughtered, what good will it do if we cross the river and survive? Without soldiers, what are we?"

"But if we stay, we'll just be sending ourselves to our deaths..."

Zhu Dalang glared and shouted, "Just obey my orders! Why are you talking so much? Do you want to die?"

"Charge!" Zhu Dalang mounted his horse and shouted to the surroundings, "Don't panic, it's just some mixed barbarians coming."

The three naked wives and daughters lay side by side on the ground, breathing heavily in a daze.

Yuan Zheng flew up with both legs, kicking one after the other.

Following Zhu Dalang, who staggered out of the fence, they found the army camp already ablaze with activity.

The soldiers were like ants on a hot pan, running around in all directions.

Some people tried to guard the place, but they were beaten down and dragged away by their fellow villagers.

An officer was arranging his troops when he was knocked down from behind and bound tightly.

Torches and armor were scattered all over the ground.

"Don't run! If you run again, I'll kill someone!"

Even if people like Minamoto no Masaru shouted loudly, few people paid any attention to him.

The devastating news that the sage himself was leading his army in a nighttime raid was enough to shake the morale of his troops.

In addition, they were already a defeated army, so they scattered easily.

Zhu Dalang remained silent for a long time. He had experienced enough betrayals to numb him, but every time he felt it again, the taste was still unbearable!
"General, we have the enemy in our hearts, but the enemy doesn't have us in his heart. Let's go!" a civil official suggested.

Zhu Dalang hesitated. If he left, he'd be a commander without troops. Without soldiers, without the power to decide life and death, what was the point of living?
"I'm not leaving!" After hesitating for a long time, Zhu Dalang still refused.

Watching his army scatter like birds and beasts, he gritted his teeth and sucked blood: "Unless three or five thousand of my men have fled!"

"Anyone else want to leave? All of you, leave! I won't stop you!"

Dozens of mules galloped past, clasping their hands in farewell.

"General, General, please take care!"

"General, offer up your wife and daughters and appease the Emperor."

"The green hills remain unchanged, the clear waters flow forever. Commander, allow me to infiltrate the system, to get close to the sage, and to avenge you in the future!"

"Find the Queen of Heaven, find the Queen of Heaven, only she can save us."

Suddenly, many soldiers, like a pack of mad beasts, began hacking and slashing wildly at those around them, killing their comrades who couldn't dodge in time.

The mutineers wiped the blood and flesh from their faces, pointing their dripping red knives in this direction: "Men, take Wei Gouyuanzheng's life."

"General, come with us to the court!"

Just as Zhu Dalang was about to figure out who was leading the charge, another group of disheveled soldiers emerged from the darkness, shouting sternly, "Those who support the Li family, bare your left shoulders and remove your headbands!"

"Soldiers, calm down!" Yuan Zheng stepped forward. "We've come this far together, through thick and thin, life and death. Why do something so cruel to our own people and pleasing to our enemies? Once we get to Jiangnan, we'll all—"

"Enough with the nonsense! You plotted to usurp the throne, deceived the emperor, and committed treason! Who among you is family?! Kill!"

The civil and military officials scattered in all directions and fled in opposite directions.

.........

Shi Siming was overthrown at the ferry crossing outside Luqiao Post Station.

The densely packed soldiers of the Holy Tang Dynasty lined up in neat square formations on the riverbank, preparing to cross the Luo River overnight.

On this side of the river, on the main road leading to Ruzhou, the second batch of five thousand knights, having set off under the cover of night, were already galloping at full speed.

The sage was at the very front of the army, lying on his horse with his arms outstretched, staring intently at the green fields covered with grass, his head covered in a thin layer of dust.

A refreshing night breeze swept over me, making me feel like I was playing a live-action version of Ghost of Tsushima.

When a person is lucky, it's like luck is bestowed by heaven.

Intercepting Zhu Dalang on the Henan plain was a pipe dream.

Unexpectedly, it became a reality. Otherwise, if he had fled to the Jing and Cai regions, there would have been no way to deal with him for the time being.

Fortunately, Zhu Dalang was slow enough, and I was also quick enough!
Kill this traitor, and the restoration will be assured!
Zhu Dalang, wait for me, I've caught up with you!
(End of this chapter)