Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 353 Leaving
It rained heavily all night.

Bohai County was almost completely submerged by this rare torrential rain. The rainwater couldn't flow away quickly enough, and the water on the streets was ankle-deep.

Prime Minister Pang first went to the Pei residence and bowed to the more than twenty coffins.

Then, carrying the imperial edict and the emperor's letter, along with a dozen or so carriages of "apologies," they set off out of the city gate.

The preoccupied Prime Minister Pang didn't even notice that there were only a dozen or so guards at the city gate.

"The Sixth Young Master led his troops away an hour ago." The city guard quietly asked Xiao Mo, "When are we leaving?"

Xiao Mo whispered, "Wait a minute, let's leave after today. Let's just get through this day first."

Bohai County has three city gates, each normally manned by over a hundred guards. Before dawn today, Meng Liulang quietly led the Beiping army away. The camp was empty, with only a dozen or so men left at each gate to act as lookouts. Once the main force had traveled several dozen miles, Xiao Mo would lead the remaining men in pursuit.

A terrible calamity has befallen the Zhang family. General Zhang and his son are both injured and remain secluded at home. Panic grips the palace and beyond, and the common people are too frightened to leave their homes. Very few people venture out of the city.

A dozen or so city guards walked back and forth, and somehow the day passed without incident.

After dark, the city gates were slowly pushed shut.

Dozens of horses emerged from the city through the least populated north gate. Their hooves were wrapped in cotton cloth, and their mouths were covered. They galloped through the night and, remarkably, caught up with the main army at dawn.

“General,” Xiao Mo said, his eyes red from not sleeping all night, but unusually excited, “It’s dawn now, and Bohai County must know that we’ve all left.”

Meng Liulang smirked and said coldly, "Let's speed up our march to avoid the Bohai Navy catching up."

"If they dare to chase us, we'll fight them to the death."

Xiao Mo and the others were eager to try.

Meng Liulang said, "We need to get to Yan County as soon as possible and reunite with our elder brother. The Bohai Navy's fighting strength is mediocre, but they have the advantage of numbers; their forces outnumber ours by six or seven times. If we get bogged down in a prolonged battle, we'll be the ones in trouble. Let's go!"

Everyone was invigorated and agreed.

The cavalry of the Beiping army had been taken away by Meng Bing, and now it was all infantry. They had to carry enough rations for the journey, as well as weapons, which was a heavy burden. No one complained of being tired; they marched with their heads held high and high spirits, heading straight for Yan Youzhou.

……

Daylight broke, but the city gates remained closed.

The people waiting in line inside the city began to sense something was wrong, and after shouting for a long time, no one paid any attention. No city guards also came out.

Someone exclaimed in alarm, "Quickly report to the authorities! The city gate guards have all fled!"

An hour later.

"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened! The Beiping army has escaped!" Eunuch Shen's face was ashen, and his voice trembled.

Emperor Jian'an, who had just risen from the imperial bed, was completely blank. He stared intently at Eunuch Shen: "What did you say?"

Eunuch Shen dared not meet the emperor's gaze, his voice trembling as he said, "Your Majesty, General Meng left with his men yesterday. Overnight, the city gate guards have all left, and the military camp is empty."

Emperor Jian'an's chest heaved violently, his breathing became rapid, and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets: "Impossible! The Meng family has been loyal to me all these years, fighting on the battlefield and risking their lives for me. They could not possibly betray me!"

You also know that the Meng brothers were loyal and righteous.

But what kind of things have you been doing?

He listened to only one side, made repeated foolish decisions, and was self-righteous. Even loyal ministers and generals don't grow cold overnight. It's the accumulation of repeated disappointments and countless moments of despondency that ultimately led to this outcome.

Eunuch Shen lowered his head, his mind flashing back to the bowls of medicinal soup he had been drinking these past few days. He could deeply understand the Meng brothers' choice.

Unfortunately, he was a eunuch and had nowhere to go. If General Pei were willing to take him in… well, what's the point of thinking about such things? It's better to think about how to escape and survive when Pei's army besieges the city.

Emperor Jian'an was like a fish being thrown into a frying pan, struggling to breathe his last, his breathing becoming increasingly labored. His face turned white, then red, then white again.

Emperor Jian'an suddenly roared, "What are you all standing there for? Go to the Zhang residence immediately and report this matter to the Grand General. Have the Grand General send men to bring back the Beiping army!"

Eunuch Shen shuddered, repeatedly agreed, and quickly withdrew.

Emperor Jian'an's mind was in complete disarray, and he sat helplessly on the dragon throne.

The Beiping army has left... Where are they going?
What if we go to Youzhou...

No! We must bring the Beiping army back!
……

Zhang Yun developed a high fever and was delirious in his sleep on his bed.

General Zhang and his son were recuperating together. His injury to his waist and abdomen was also quite serious; he had been lying in bed for a day and two nights, and even the slightest movement caused him unbearable pain.

Zhang Yun's incoherent babbling could be heard from time to time.

General Zhang was usually very critical of his son, often scolding him with a stern face. As the saying goes, the deeper the love, the harsher the criticism. Now, with Zhang Yun seriously injured and suffering from a high fever, General Zhang was worried and somewhat agitated.

"General, something terrible has happened."

A bodyguard entered with a solemn expression and whispered a few words. General Zhang was not surprised at all, and even sneered: "The Meng brothers have long harbored ulterior motives. Last year, Meng Da married into the Pei family, and this year Meng Liu led his troops to flee. Obviously, he is going to find Meng Da, and the brothers will join forces and surrender to the Pei family's army."

Normally, the unusual movements of the Beiping army would not have escaped his notice. But the Zhang family was in deep trouble; both father and son were injured and had to pretend to reflect on their actions behind closed doors. This gave Meng Liulang the opportunity to escape with his troops.

The guard asked urgently, "What do we do now? Should we send men to chase after them immediately?"

"What's the rush?" General Zhang continued with a cold laugh. "Let's wait for news from the palace."

He wasn't the one who was anxiously waiting for the sudden departure of the Beiping army.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before Eunuch Shen, with a grim expression, arrived, bringing with him an imperial edict from the Emperor.

General Zhang also looked troubled and sighed, saying, "The Zhang family has caused such a big mess that my son and I have been reflecting on our actions behind closed doors. How can we send troops again? Please ask Eunuch Shen to go back and report to the Emperor that the Bohai Navy is not in a position to be mobilized. Please ask the Emperor to send the Imperial Guard to bring back General Meng."

General Zhang was more than happy for the Beiping army to leave and never return. Afterwards, without a military general to balance the court, the emperor would have to rely solely on the Bohai Army. They would be completely under General Zhang's control.

Eunuch Shen cursed inwardly, but there was nothing he could do about General Zhang. He had no choice but to return to the palace to report.

Emperor Jian'an gritted his teeth in anger: "I only have three thousand personal guards. Even if I send them all out, they won't be able to do anything to the Beiping army. Go again and tell the General that I have pardoned the Zhang family's transgressions. Please send troops immediately."

Eunuch Shen accepted the order and went to the Zhang residence again.

After much back and forth, Eunuch Shen ran back and forth several times until his legs were almost cramping. Only then did General Zhang reluctantly agree to send troops.

Another day passed, and five thousand soldiers of the Bohai Navy leisurely left the military camp to chase after the Beiping Army, which had already run nearly two hundred miles away.

……

(End of this chapter)