My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 383 Counterattack
On the official road, a group of people were galloping towards Liyang Warehouse.

They were numerous, but only those in the lead were soldiers, while those following behind them were mostly private militias such as local guards and servants.

The person at the very front had a rather gloomy expression.

At this moment, the men around him looked uneasy. One of them asked, "Commander Huangfu! His Highness's orders haven't been issued yet. Are we really going to Liyang Granary?"

The man in the lead glared at him fiercely.

"What do you know?!"

The man cursed, "If we wait for His Highness's order to return, won't the Liyang granary fall into the hands of the thieves?! The other large granaries are closest to us, so we don't need to worry about them. Only this place is easy for the thieves to attack. If those traitors get their hands on the Liyang granary, how are we supposed to defend ourselves?!"

"His Highness ordered me to guard the river defense line to prevent bandits from seizing the granaries! I have already sent someone to inform His Highness! He will certainly not blame me!"

The two lieutenants nodded in agreement.

This Commandant Huangfu, named Huangfu Xu, and his family were very close to Yang Jian. His elder brother, Huangfu Chen, was one of Yang Jian's close followers, but he was killed by Li Xuanba. After Li Xuanba killed many of Yang Jian's confidants, Yang Jian promoted Huangfu Xu, transferring him from county magistrate to his own command, and put him in charge of external defense.

The Governor of Henan was different from ordinary local officials; he wielded immense power. This is why Yang Jian, a potential successor, was chosen to hold the position. It was precisely because Yang Jian held this position that so many people willingly followed and pledged allegiance to him.

By this time, news from the front lines had crossed the river, and Yang Jian's officials had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

Their reactions varied; some were frightened and secretly left.

Some people were overjoyed and prepared to make a big splash.

Huangfu Xu belonged to the second type of person.

He already had a deep-seated grudge against Li Xuanba, and when he heard the rumors that Li Xuanba had kidnapped the emperor, he was overjoyed. He felt that under these circumstances, His Highness had a very high probability of ascending the throne, and once His Highness ascended the throne, he would be a loyal subject who had helped the emperor, and revenge would be a piece of cake!

His first thought was Liyang Granary. The rebel army was very powerful, and they also consumed a lot of grain. As long as they could control the granary and prevent the rebels from obtaining it, even the strongest army would not be able to hold out for long.

The Liyang granary is crucial. This granary must not fall into enemy hands. Even if the grain cannot be taken out, it must not be given to the enemy. It is better to burn it than to let it fall into enemy hands!
Before setting off, he had already ordered all granaries to stop transporting supplies. Those military garrisons would soon run into problems and would not receive any provisions unless they bowed to the imperial court!

In order to build up Liyang Cang, in addition to leading his own soldiers, he also gathered many warriors and heroes willing to follow him in the name of Yang Jian, thus forming such a mighty army.

Huangfu Xu's eyes were full of confidence!

Without food, a million-strong army is useless. When those soldiers start to rebel and desert because of the lack of food, and when Li Xuanba's family is abandoned by everyone, they will be chopped up and fed to the dogs!

Huangfu Xu then looked to his left and right and said loudly, "Pass on my order!! That's the Liyang Granary ahead! The grain piled up inside is countless. You all know the current grain price! Once we enter the Liyang Granary, take as much grain as you can! Consider it a reward for following His Highness!!"

The lieutenant was taken aback. "Captain!! This!"

"What?! What do you think we were doing in the past? Leaving food for the enemy?!"

The lieutenant didn't know how to answer.

When the others learned of this, they cheered and their morale soared.

While Huangfu Xu was still dreaming of being ennobled in the future, his adjutant said worriedly, "Captain, we don't have His Highness's orders. Lu Da, who is stationed there, is a rather stubborn man. His Highness sent people several times to try to win him over, but they all politely declined. The defenses there are very tight. Although we have more men, it's difficult for us to force our way through."

"What's there to be afraid of? Fan Zigai has already been killed. What other way out does he have but to surrender?"

"If he refuses, we'll lure him out under false pretenses, then seize his power!"

The lieutenant finally fell silent.

The army advanced at an extremely fast pace, and before long, they had already approached Liyang Warehouse.

Liyangcang was unusually quiet, as if it hadn't noticed their arrival at all.

Huangfu Xu finally slowed down and swaggered toward the camp. Just as he approached the fortress, the soldiers there seemed to react and saw many people appear on the city wall. Some of them began to raise the alarm.

Huangfu Xu hesitated for a moment, then remained where he was and did not approach any further. He looked at the deputy general beside him.

"Take your men over there, tell them who we are, and have Lu Da and Shi Cun open the gate, clear the roadblocks, and come out to greet us!" The lieutenant had no choice but to bite the bullet and go.

When he arrived at the foot of the city wall, Lu Da was already up there.

"Lu Cangjian!! It's me!!"

The lieutenant shouted, "My commander has come on the orders of the King of Qi! Please go and greet him immediately, along with Lord Shi!"

Lu Da was very surprised, "What is the Commandant doing here? This is not his jurisdiction!!"

"Lord Lu! Something terrible has happened at the front! The Commandant has come to help you defend against the enemy! The enemy army will likely arrive very soon! Do not hesitate!! Follow me immediately!!"

Silence fell on the city wall. After a moment, Lu Da poked his head out again. "Alright! I'll go right now!"

A moment later, the city gate was slowly opened.

Lu Da hurriedly came out.

The deputy general finally breathed a sigh of relief. He led Lu Da back. Huangfu Xu, who was waiting in the distance, smiled when he saw the gate open, and then ordered everyone to move forward.

There were too many obstacles here, with ravines everywhere, making it virtually impossible for cavalry to charge. When Huangfu Xu passed by, he had to carefully detour, for fear of falling in.

The two sides finally met, and Lu Da hurriedly bowed in greeting.

"Where is Shicun?"

"Shi Junzheng is preparing a banquet!"

"it is good!"

"Send men immediately to clear these roadblocks outside and let the army in."

"Here!"

Lu Da didn't ask any further questions and simply nodded in agreement.

Huangfu Xu rode his warhorse and swaggered toward the city gate. He said, "You have done some good work in guarding the granary these past few days. I will write to His Highness to commend you and make you a general!"

"The rebels are too close to here. If they rush here at full speed, they could reach you in a month or two. Maybe even sooner, I can't say for sure. Anyway, we can't let those rebels take our food."

"Everything that can be transported should be transported away; what cannot be transported should be destroyed rather than left behind."

Lu Da followed Huangfu Xu on foot, nodding no matter what Huangfu Xu said. They were getting closer and closer to the city wall, with the soldiers following behind, also advancing slowly.

"Lord Huangfu, in truth, I do not desire any other rewards; I only wish to ask Your Highness to bestow upon me one thing."

What do you want?

"I want your head!!!"

As Lu Da spoke, he suddenly pulled Huangfu Xu off his horse. Huangfu Xu screamed as he landed, and Lu Da had already drawn his sharp blade, piercing his chest directly. The deputy general was so frightened by this sudden turn of events that he could not speak.

"Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh~"

Arrows rained down from the city walls.

Caught off guard, the soldiers at the rear screamed and fell to the ground, throwing their formation into chaos.

At that very moment, Li Shimin roared as he charged out of the gate. He wasn't on horseback; he charged out on foot, followed by a large group of fierce warriors. They crashed headlong into the enemy ranks. These men were all armed with long swords, and they fought the cavalry on foot, slashing at the horses' legs and the soldiers' bodies!
There are numerous fortifications here, making it impossible for cavalry to move flexibly. When the front is attacked, the rear guard tries to retreat, and people frequently fall into the ditches. Those horse traps are also extremely deadly.

Li Shimin slashed through the enemy ranks like cutting melons and vegetables. This hastily assembled motley crew had never seen anything like it before. They screamed and fled, their formation becoming increasingly chaotic, and their cries of agony filled the air.

At this moment, Li Shimin raised Huangfu Xu's head and ordered the soldiers to shout:
Those who surrender will not be killed!

(End of this chapter)