The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 398 Heaven Collapse
"Bang bang bang."

The three-barreled musket pulled the trigger, and the matchlock clamp, holding the match cord, struck the powder chamber, igniting the gunpowder. A dazzling spark shot out in the dim light, followed by a loud bang, three times in a row.

The arquebuses produced by Liu Er Bird Gun Factory, as well as the three-eyed arquebuses produced later through expanded production, were both of very reliable quality.

Not only did the soldiers in the army like them, but the herders outside the Great Wall also liked them. Many herders would specify the arquebuses and three-eyed muskets produced by Liu Er Bird Gun Factory when purchasing firearms.

The three hundred or so musket cavalrymen were divided into three groups, circling around the perimeter looking for an opportunity. If they found any place where soldiers were gathering, they would rush over and fire a volley from a distance.

They hadn't even survived a single round of intense lead bullet fire.

After firing, without time to reload, he turned his three-barreled musket upside down and used it as a mace to charge forward, driving the already scattered soldiers even further apart.

"Don't run."

A military officer shouted to his men to stop them, and when he saw cavalry charging at him, he bravely grabbed a long spear and risked his life to stab the enemy down, still managing to gather his men together.

"Whoosh!"

The cavalryman drew his bow and arrow, aiming for a fatal blow.

Clutching the arrow in his throat, the military officer fell to the ground in despair.

"Peng Shizhi".

Qi Shannian shouted, but in the dark he didn't know his location, nor did he care whether the other party heard him. The general in the distance seemed to be the commander of this place, and more and more soldiers were surrounding him. To capture the enemy, you must first capture the leader. He was confident that he could break through, but the casualties would be considerable.

"Swish swish."

The first-class cavalry was numerous, accounting for nearly half of the total cavalry force, making it outstanding among all the cavalry units in the entire Nine Garrisons.

Not only do they have superb mobility, but they also have various elite cavalry units.

Peng Shizhi had already quietly led his men to fire a volley at the general in the distance. They were all riders who used heavy bows, and those who used heavy bows were the elite of the elite, no matter where they were.

"Stand up the spears and gather them together."

Seeing that she had more and more soldiers at her disposal, Hu Ying personally pulled on the backs of the soldiers, trying to make them huddle together and stick out their spears like an impenetrable hedgehog.

"You lead your men and fight your way out later."

Hu Ying instructed a general that as long as the enemy dared to come, he was confident that he could withstand their charge. Once the enemy cavalry slowed down, they could take a detour and block their way back. Even if they didn't manage to capture them all, they could still teach them a painful lesson.

A smile had already appeared on his face.

The Datong Army was nothing special. Hu Ying saw the terrified look in the eyes of the generals under his command, and the soldiers around him were also dumbfounded. More and more people turned to look at him.

It felt like something was blocking her ears, so she couldn't hear what the soldiers were saying, but she could see that they were all shouting and yelling. Hu Ying was furious, but her eyelids felt heavy, and she finally collapsed to the ground.

"General."

"General!"

There was a moment of silence, then the soldiers scattered and rushed outside. Hu Ying was hit in the back of the head by an arrow, which went deep into the ground. He fell to the ground, twitching, and was no longer responsive to the commotion outside.

"it is good!"

Qi Shannian was overjoyed and quickly shouted, "Surrender and you will not be killed!"

"Surrender without killing!"

Soon, voices of surrender were heard everywhere, saying that they would not be killed. After all, they were allies. They had more infantry, and two legs could not outrun four legs, so many soldiers surrendered.

They took away all the weapons.

Qi Shan Nian ordered the captured soldiers to continue tidying up the camp and rebuild the fortifications they had just erected.

With an existing camp and valleys on both sides, the terrain was such that it was easy to attack or retreat. The Ningwu Pass supply line was right under their noses, and they could cut it off later. Qi Shannian had no intention of going back.

"Ouch."

The wounded soldiers wailed in pain, filled with both fear and hatred.

Prisoners who are not wounded dare not pretend to be wounded unless they are completely incapacitated. Otherwise, no one will admit to being a wounded soldier, fearing that they will be disposed of as a burden. Although they still have to work and harbor resentment, it is still better than death.

It's getting late.

The prisoners were gathered together from all directions.

"What does it smell like?"

Smelling the aroma of rice, the prisoners searched around.

"We're all soldiers, it's the same old rule. Anyone who doesn't follow the rules will be punished with a military rod." The general of the Datong Army came out and shouted. Although they were all wearing the same battle uniform, the Datong Army's uniform was a bit better looking.

There's actually food to eat!
The prisoners were incredulous; their resentment suddenly vanished.

One bowl per person.

There will be more tomorrow.

The prisoners wolfed down their food and quickly finished eating. They were even quieter than before. When they heard the Datong Army's orders, they obediently went back to their tents to sleep. At the same time, they were sternly warned that anyone who secretly possessed weapons would be beheaded.

"Ouch."

The wounded soldiers groaned weakly; if their injuries weren't serious, they wouldn't have stayed here to die.

"Have a meal."

Someone brought over some porridge, one person held his head while the other fed him.

The wounded soldier, who had been groaning just moments before, froze in shock.

"hurry up."

The other party urged.

The unsuspecting wounded soldier instinctively took a bite, only to find the porridge had gone cold. "There's meat?" The wounded soldier was completely stunned, staring wide-eyed at the porridge in the other's hand.

"Wounded soldiers heal faster when they drink meat porridge."

"The higher-ups said we're all comrades. There's no mercy on the battlefield, so there's nothing we can do. Once the war is over, we'll no longer be enemies, but comrades again," the young soldier supporting his back said with a smile.

The wounded soldier stopped groaning; he felt he could make it back alive.

Early the next morning.

"No one is allowed to enter private residences; we must uphold justice without bias."

The prisoners carried the military discipline of Datong on their backs.

After memorizing the military discipline, we ate breakfast, which was thin porridge. After finishing the porridge, we got to work, building camps and continuing the work that hadn't been finished the day before. All the materials were readily available, and we worked for an hour.

Then they sang military songs and recited military regulations.

For lunch, we had rice and a spoonful of pickled vegetables.

lunch break.

In the afternoon, we continued working for an hour, rested for 15 minutes, worked for another half hour, continued reciting military discipline, sang military songs, ate dinner (porridge), recited military discipline after eating porridge, and then went to sleep.

Qi Shannian had been fighting alongside Wang Xin since his time in the small camp in Hexi, and had extensive experience fighting from the south to the north.

He himself was promoted from the ranks of soldiers, so he knew what the soldiers needed, how to appease them, and how to manage them.

Next, we need to wait for news from the Jiedushi's office.

As for whether the commander would criticize him, Qi Shannian never doubted it.

night.

People came and went at the Jiedushi's residence.

Yan Zhongzheng and the others were all there, and even Zeng Zhi rushed back. Everyone was waiting for news. After receiving the message sent back by Qi Shannian and learning about Yang Wuyu's situation, everyone arrived quickly.

“Qi Shannian is fine,” Yan Zhongzheng said to everyone. “I believe he will not fail.”

Zeng kept his head down.

Zhang Yuncheng said with dissatisfaction: "We need to control the situation. Taking Daizhou is to challenge the court, not to really turn against it. Qi Shannian attacked Yangwuyu on his own initiative without informing the Jiedushi Prefecture. The court sees that we have already gone this far and are even threatening Taiyuan. Does the court still dare to hesitate?"

Yangwuyu itself is not important, but it is very important in the current situation.

If Qi Shannian wins, what will happen to the more than 10,000 troops at Ningwu Pass? The supply line is right under Qi Shannian's nose and can be cut off at any time, so Zhou Wen finds it unbearable and is determined to take back this place.

If the fighting continues like this, even if the imperial court doesn't really intend to turn against the military governor's office, it will have no choice but to do so.

As for not winning?
That makes the problem even more serious.

"Don't be too harsh on our generals," Yan Zhongzheng said, speaking up for the army.

Zhang Yuncheng looked at the military governor. Yan Zhongzheng was worried that the military governor would be dissatisfied, so he quickly explained: "Our Datong is in a situation where it is attacked from both sides, and our troop strength is limited. Yangwuyu is extremely important to Ningwu Pass, and it is just as important to Daizhou. If we allow the Taiyuan army to control Yangwuyu, Daizhou will not be able to have peace and will need a large army to guard it everywhere."

Wutai County has not been captured to this day because of the inconvenience of access to and from the mountainous area.

Instead, it became a barrier.

Behind it is Lingqiu County, and in front is Yangwuyu. As long as these two ends are blocked, Daizhou, the prefecture and its two counties will be safe and can be cultivated with peace of mind. This area was originally the largest plain in northeastern Taiyuan.

"Report!"

The gatekeeper returned, and the journey was unimpeded.

"Qishan Nian's troops have won a great victory!"

The order was given to the soldier to bring back the news of the victory and the subsequent handling of Qi Shannian's case.

After reading it, Wang Xin smiled.

Zeng Zhi, Zhang Yuncheng, and the others felt a little relieved. Although the result was not good, Qi Shannian had at least kept his distance and did not take advantage of the situation to cut off Ningwu Pass's supply lines. If he had done so, the Taiyuan army would have had no choice but to launch a large-scale attack.

"Tell Qi Shannian that once the fortifications are completed, the captured soldiers should be released properly, rations should be prepared for them, and the wounded should be treated as soon as possible."

Wang Xin approved of Qi Shannian's approach.

"What if Zhou Wen gets angry and sends out a large army?" Zeng Zhi asked with concern.

"there is always a solution to a problem."

“Daizhou cut off Datong’s grain supply, and all the evidence of their crimes was sent to the imperial court. I also sent the officials of the Prince of Xining’s mansion to Zhang Jifu. This is enough to show that I did not want to rebel, but only to save myself.”

Wang Xin was still unwilling to rebel.

Datong's strength is too weak, and I have only been in charge of Datong for two years.

Such a force, when rebelling to seize power, cannot achieve overwhelming dominance. Even if they ultimately win, the protracted struggle will result in numerous casualties and cause enormous losses to the people.

When one is vying with the imperial court, ambitious individuals from all over the country will emerge.

Given the current situation, both the Eastern King and the Western King are becoming restless. If things really come to that, there will be no safe haven in the world, which is not what Wang Xin wants.

It is not a good time to rebel, either emotionally or rationally.

Unless it's for their own personal gain, they don't want to rule the world.

The situation is very good now.

He will take the lead in developing Datong, promote his own ideas, attract more people, and at the same time begin to cultivate his own people to create the Datong he desires.

“My meaning is very clear to Zhang Jifu: my Datong Army is indeed a tough nut to crack; we can obey his orders, but we can also rebel against him. Zhang Jifu should see clearly whether he wants to perish with me and ignore the truly ambitious people elsewhere.”

Zeng Zhi nodded.

I approve of everything else, but there's one thing that still worries me.

"Sending the Prince of Xining's men to Zhang Jifu, the military commander's attitude was indeed very respectful. If I were Zhang Jifu, how could I have regarded the Datong Army as the most important enemy?"

"No matter how you try to get a spot in Datong, you won't get one."

“However, the General’s actions have thoroughly offended the Prince of Xining.” Zeng interjected, “The Prince of Xining is no ordinary person.”

Yan Zhongzheng has been busy inquiring about the Northwest these days. However, some things are common knowledge. He sighed and said, "Why did the Emperor Taizu enfeoff the Prince of Xining the farthest place, and why in the Northwest? Because the ancestors of the Prince of Xining were the most powerful. They almost made it to establish the dynasty."

Everyone fell silent.

After a long while, Zeng Zhi glanced at Wang Xin and then sighed, "It is often said that the four great families share the same fate, and the same applies to the four founding kings. Even though the Prince of Beijing lost Da Ning, he still has considerable influence in the capital despite such a serious crime, which is because he has the support of the other three kings."

The military commander initially relied on the four major families, and he made his fortune by relying on Lin Ruhai.

This is a fact.

Seeing that everyone was somewhat worried, Wang Xin smiled and said, "The more this is the case, the more we need to suppress him and not give him a chance."

Yan Zhongzheng strongly agreed, "Golden corner, silver edge, grass belly, does the Western King's side have a check like the Liaodong Military Command? If we agree to his alliance, wouldn't we be taking the fall for him? He certainly knows how to scheme."

The group stayed in a side hall of the festival hall.

The side room is smaller.

Everyone sat in a circle.

"With both witnesses and physical evidence, Zhang Jifu will inevitably be wary of the Western King. Our Datong can protect the imperial court and also protect the Western King. This is our bargaining chip. However, after all the calculations, in the end, one must be strong enough to forge iron."

"What are the commander's plans?"

"I'll go out of the pass and take a look."

Wang Xin did not make a direct judgment. If the situation was indeed bad, then troops would inevitably have to be recalled from outside the pass.

They lacked the protection of the military.

Can the herders outside the Great Wall eliminate the threat from the barbarians?
With trading posts, herdsmen, and firearms all in place, there's no reason why they couldn't handle the modern-day nomadic peoples.

That night.

A rope was lowered from the city wall of the capital, and a person was dropped from the rope and then ran quickly outwards.

Another place.

The city gate opened a crack, and several riders spurred their horses on, galloping without stopping, showing no concern for their horses.

"try to find"

"try to find"

"Wow."

At the gate of Tiancheng City, a rider was hoisted down from his horse, weakly saying, "Take me to see Commander Wang! Quickly!"

The gatekeepers at the entrance were at a loss.

This quickly alerted Zhang Zhen.

"I am Zhang Zhen, a military officer in Datong. You can talk to me about anything."

The man was injured and remained silent.

"You're from the capital?"

Zhang Zhen guessed.

The man remained silent, seemingly unwilling to speak until he saw Wang Xin.

"Prepare the carriage."

Without further hesitation, Zhang Zhen ordered his men to prepare carriages and horses.

"The retired emperor is dead."

After seeing Wang Xin, the man waited for Wang Xin to dismiss his attendants before speaking, saying that he had been sent by Master Lin Ruhai.

"The retired emperor is dead?"

Wang Xin felt a bit confused.

So, this is how Zhang Jifu lost?

Everyone is waiting for the retired emperor to die, but no one wants him to die now. I'm afraid the emperor doesn't want that either. At least the retired emperor no longer has the energy to cause trouble. If it were Zhang Jifu instead, the emperor would probably be even more worried.

So, what did the emperor do?
"The news came from people in the palace." The man relayed the information in detail.

It's definitely not Consort Yuan.

Yuan Chun probably doesn't have that kind of power.

"Who told Master Lin?"

Wang Xin asked with a keen sense.

The man replied, "Master Lin asked me to tell Master Xin that it was Grand Eunuch Dai Quan of the Directorate of Ceremonial who sent someone to tell Master Lin."

Lin Ruhai guessed that he would ask, which was not surprising. What was surprising was why Dai Quan would spread this news.

Wang Xin became increasingly confused.

These things are no longer important; what matters is what I do.

Lin Ruhai wondered what he should do.

(End of this chapter)