Tiger Guards

Chapter 599 The plot was not kept secret
On the sixth day of the seventh lunar month, the sweltering heat had not yet subsided.

Although the temperature has cooled down slightly, it is not as scorching hot during the day and as unbearably humid at night as before.

However, in northern Yingchuan and the outskirts of Yangdi, servants traveling at night generally loosened their collars or walked with their upper bodies bare.

Perhaps it was because they were in a hurry to head north that they were exhausted and felt even hotter.

Suddenly, the leader of the Fu clan's troops shouted sharply, "Halt!"

At the same time, he reined in his horse, and the dozen or so knights around him immediately changed formation, charging forward, with scouts positioned on both sides, and another knight turning his horse around to face back, as if listening and observing, ready to ride off to inform the rear at any time.

Seeing that their torches had stopped moving, the servants and retainers who had been walking behind the carts also stopped, some holding torches, others holding swords, spears, or halberds, and gathered together.

Suddenly, two riders came from the north, one in front and one behind. Before the riders and horses arrived, the sound of their hooves came first.

Upon noticing the commotion, the Fu clan's troops immediately shouted, "It's the General's messenger! Make way at once!"

Lu Bu's messenger and his cavalrymen rode up in a hurry, one after the other. They were somewhat intimidated by the open flames they encountered at night and gradually slowed down.

Neither of them both looked at each other, nor did they both intend to inquire about the other's situation in detail.

Fu Wan, dressed in a worn blue robe, mingled among the servants. He walked along the carriage, and only a few people knew of his presence.

He was also walking with his head down, his left hand gripping the rope binding the cart, and his right hand holding an iron halberd. He was no different from the other servants.

The procession moved slowly, and once Lü Bu's messenger had gone far away, the entire procession silently quickened its pace.

They had traveled less than four or five miles when suddenly the sound of hooves came from behind the column. A rider leaned over his horse and cracked his whip wildly.

As they passed by, the cavalryman exclaimed in alarm, "Hurry! Something has happened in Xuchang! The treacherous minister has set an ambush to kill the General's messenger!"

He kept shouting, and the entire group of more than two hundred people heading north scattered.

Before Fu Wan's troops and followers could shout for suppression, many torches suddenly lit up from the south and rushed toward them.

Fu Wan no longer concealed his intentions, and his trusted aides trotted over with their horses, shouting, "My lord, quickly mount your horse!"

Fu Wan, of course, did not hesitate to refuse. As he decisively mounted his horse, a small rearguard of knights rushed up behind him, shouting, "It's the Youzhou cavalry causing trouble! Run!"

Ignoring everyone else, the knights who were fleeing north from the rear accelerated northward.

As Fu Wan spurred his horse northward at breakneck speed, the fastest-charging squad of Youzhou knights arrived, drawing their bows and firing at any figure they saw.

Soon, more and more Youzhou knights arrived, almost along the imperial road, breaking through the Fu clan's troops and servants, followed by a brutal pursuit and silencing.

There was no room for negotiation; even the large wagons laden with treasures left on the road were ignored by the knights.

Approximately three hundred Youzhou knights participated in the pursuit, and about seven or eight miles to the south, the site where Lü Bu's messenger was shot and killed.

As Tian Yu perused the secret documents carried by the messenger, he became increasingly convinced of the righteousness of his actions... This sense of righteousness filled Tian Yu's chest and abdomen, making him feel bloated and full of energy.

The contents of the confidential document, however, seemed like a mountain peak about to descend, making Tian Yu's brow furrow deeply.

After much deliberation, Tian Yu folded the secret document and handed it to Liu Bei's messenger, Shi Ren: "Take this man's head and quickly inform Lord Xuande!"

Shi Ren turned to look at Shang Hong, the emperor's envoy. Shang Hong did not express his opinion, so Shi Ren could only cup his hands and say, "Yes."

The head of Lü Bu's envoy had been chopped off, wrapped in his cloak, and hung in front of Shi Ren's horse.

Shi Ren carefully kept the secret document forwarded by Tian Yu to himself. Although he was curious, he dared not delay and immediately turned his horse around to lead his entourage to gallop towards Xuchang.

After Shi Ren and his group left, Shang Hongcai asked, "Commander, what did the letter say?"

“It’s not a good thing,” Tian Yu replied, then added, “There’s no turning back now.”

Upon hearing this, Shang Hong remained silent, only rubbing his hips against the saddle. The old horse beneath him understood, and with a stride, it carried Shang Hong northward.

Tian Yu glanced at Shang Hong and his group's backs, lightly kicked his horse's flank, and spurred his horse to follow. However, he only trailed behind Shang Hong and the others, with no intention of participating in the subsequent pursuit, interrogation, or silencing.

However, they had already alerted the enemy. Fortunately, the Youzhou knights were prepared and wore light two-piece armor. Some of the cavalry even abandoned their protective gear and rode lightly equipped.

Their mounts and riding skills are superior, allowing them to pursue targets at long distances.

As long as we act quickly, block off the surrounding intersections and key points, and dispatch small teams to patrol and block off the roads.

After daybreak, a comprehensive patrol will be conducted to wipe out all of Fu's henchmen hiding within the sealed-off area!
Fu Wan abandoned his wives, concubines, and children, and fled north under the protection of more than thirty horsemen.

They didn't even dare to ask the inns near the road for help, and the inns, aware of the pursuit and ambush on the road, pretended not to know.

The guards at the post station merely peeked out from behind the wall to observe, and dared not even ask any questions.

As dawn broke, the knights around Fu Wan continuously split up to attract the pursuers, and some even abandoned their horses so that Fu Wan could escape successfully.

If Fu Wan can escape to the vicinity of Xingyang and join up with Lü Bu's outer patrol troops, then Fu Wan will become the Grand Secretary, a powerful figure in the court on par with the Grand Marshal and the Grand General!
Unfortunately, the clearer the sky became, the harder it was to conceal the movements of the last small group of knights.

The knights of Youzhou pursued him relentlessly, eventually killing him at the border between Henan Yin and Yingchuan County.

These Youzhou knights were also exhausted, and the eight guards here were in similar condition.

However, relying on his powerful crossbow, he dismounted and shot from foot, briefly killing the Youzhou cavalry who had signed their names to claim credit first.

The Youzhou knights then split into two groups, flanking from both sides with their bows drawn, intending to kill Fu Wan and his men with minimal casualties through a hunting-style approach.

As the two sides exchanged fire, Lu Bu's scout knights, numbering only a dozen or so, came from the north and headed south.

Before they could get involved in the battle, another group of Youzhou knights approached and forcibly rushed to their vicinity.

Regardless of anything else, spears and halberds will pierce and kill everyone they see.

"I am Fu Wan, the father-in-law of the current emperor!"

The situation was urgent, so Fu Wan shouted loudly, which resulted in several Youzhou cavalrymen charging straight at him, raising their spears and halberds to try and knock him off his horse.

The other Youzhou knights' arrows were even faster. Before Fu Wan could shout for help, he was hit by several arrows. He didn't even feel the pain and looked down in astonishment at the arrows in his chest.

Before he could even think or change his expression, another sharp arrow pierced his ear, and he fell off his horse, motionless.

Lu Bu's scouts, observing from a distance of one mile, saw more Youzhou knights approaching and stopped trying, turning their horses around and retreating towards Xingyang.

With their retreat, the Youzhou knights had no more scruples and devoted themselves to the encirclement and slaughter.

After Fu Wan's death, his guards were also greatly discouraged. In order to survive, they fought desperately, but under the barrage of arrows from all sides, these knights, who lacked heavy armor, fell one after another.

As the golden rays of the rising sun fell upon the ground, a knight from Youzhou dismounted, pulled a hand axe from his waist, and repeatedly chopped off Fu Wan's cervical vertebrae with several blows.

At the same time, he pulled on Fu Wan's hair bundle with one hand, abandoned the axe with his right hand, pulled out a short dagger, and easily slashed Fu Wan's head off.

"Ptooey!"

The knight spat and wiped the blood splattered on his cheek with his sleeve.

(End of this chapter)