Chapter 147 Who gave you the courage? (6k)

Song Jiang was extremely upset, but in the end he held back his anger.

"Who else does Saburo want?"

"Ling Zhen."

"Ling Zhen? What do you want him for?"

"I don't have many soldiers with me. If I want to cause a big disturbance in a short period of time, I can only rely on the power of artillery."

Although Yang Chang's reason was valid, Song Jiang frowned and refused to agree.

He replied in a deep voice: "It is inconvenient to transport artillery. Our warships are relatively small and have to transport food and supplies. If you take Ling Zhen and the artillery with you, half of the navy's warships will be occupied, which will seriously affect our attack on Zezhou. So we cannot agree to this."

"That"

Yang Chang wanted to say something but was interrupted by Song Jiang again.

"I don't ask you to make a big noise, but if you can cooperate and help take down Pingyang, and bring back all eight thousand brothers, I will credit you with a contribution."

"The artillery is too heavy to carry. I plan to take a hundred shells with me. I don't need Ling Zhen to follow me to the western front to launch a feint attack."

"If there are no cannons, why did you bring the shells? Are you going to use them as firecrackers?"

"It has similar effects, as long as it can make some noise, please help me, brother."

"That's fine."

Seeing Yang Chang so insistent, Song Jiang had no choice but to nod in agreement.

"Cannons are troublesome to use and can easily cause damage to the enemy. It's a thankless task to create this thing. This thing is usually used as a signal cannon to intimidate the enemy. It may not be very effective if used alone to scare the enemy. But since Sanlang asked for it, you can find Ling Zhen to hand it over before you leave.

Remember to be careful when using it, and don't let the shells ignite and injure your own people. Soldiers in Ling Zhen's camp are often injured. Swords, spears, and arrows have a visible shape, but shells explode without a trace or form. This thing is really useless."

"Haha, I can do it."

Yang Chang had a smile on his face, but in his heart he was secretly cursing Hei Sanlang for his ignorance.

You may look down on artillery now, but you don’t know that it will change the way wars are fought all over the world many years later.

The conversation between the two pioneers ended with their emotions rising and falling and their inner contempt for each other, but fortunately both sides reached their psychological expectations.

Two hours later, Yang Chang led 6,000 infantry and cavalry to set off first. Song Jiang and Lu Junyi set up wine in front of the army to see them off and gave them some instructions.

The remaining 2,000 navy troops, as well as the distributed food, supplies, and artillery shells, were left behind by Wu Song, Cao Zheng, and Zhou Tong to cooperate with the two Ruan brothers to load the ships. They would later set out westward by water and meet up at Yangqiao Town in the middle section of the Bian River. Afterwards, they would travel westward into Henan by both land and water, arrive at Tongguan, cross the Yellow River to Hezhong Prefecture, and finally enter the Fen River to the north.

After bidding farewell to Yang Chang, Song Jiang also led his army north to Weizhou the next day. He also had the navy carry the baggage and food fodder, and followed the two Ruan fleets through the Bian River into the Yellow River, and then turned back east to Weizhou to collect the supplies.

At the same time as the two armies set out, Song Jiang asked Wen Huanzhang to write a military report on his behalf, and Dai Zong sent the battle plan to Tokyo to report to the Grand Marshal Su Yuanjing.

This guy is well versed in the ways of officialdom and knows clearly that he must report frequently and ask for instructions from his superiors.

Su Yuanjing was indeed pleased after reading it, and thought that there was a great chance of annihilating Tian Hu, so he went to the palace to report to the emperor the next day.

It was midsummer and the air was hot.

Huizong spent the morning cooling off in Yanfu Palace. Ordinary court officials were not qualified to report on state affairs here, but Su Yuanjing was a close minister and favorite of the emperor, so he was naturally allowed to go in and meet the emperor.

Su Yuanjing followed the eunuch and came to wait outside the Fuyun Pavilion. Cai You arrived here before him to say goodbye.

Tong Guan sent out his troops from Tokyo in mid-April, and the army had already reached Gaoyang Pass.

Seeing that Yan could be taken soon, Cai You was unwilling to miss out on this credit, so with the help of the forces behind him, Zhao Ji appointed him as Deputy Xuanfu Envoy. In name, he was to be Tong Guan's deputy, but in fact he was representing the forces behind him to grab the credit.

On the tenth day of May, Cai You went to the palace to bid farewell to Zhao Ji.

At that time, there were two beautiful concubines serving Zhao Ji in the Fuyun Pavilion, and Cai You drank a few cups with them as usual.

Perhaps thinking of his imminent success, he was intoxicated even without drinking. He pointed at the two women beside Zhao Ji and said jokingly, "When I return victorious from my expedition to the north, I hope Your Majesty will give them to me."

Meipin was stunned when she heard this, and thought to herself, isn't Cai You going too far?

Asking the emperor's woman in person, is this seeking death?

Unfortunately, Zhao Ji didn't take it seriously. He just smiled in surprise and waved his hand to signal Cai You that he could leave.

The two had known each other since the time of Prince Duan, and had gotten along very harmoniously for more than ten years. Cai You was a flatterer and very good at currying favor, and he had made Zhao Ji very satisfied over the years, so Zhao Ji had always been rather indulgent towards him.

Zhao Ji didn't react to the sudden request for the girl just now. Fortunately, when Cai You saw that the emperor didn't give in, he immediately said goodbye and left Fuyun Pavilion.

When Cai You went out, he met Su Yuanjing. In response to Su Taiwei's bow, this guy, relying on his deep favor from the emperor, just nodded slightly.

People are different. You are hanging around a group of bandits and your vision is as short-sighted as my father's.

And if I go to Yan this time, I will have great merits waiting to be shared. The Emperor Shenzong's legacy says: "He who can restore the entire territory of Yan will be rewarded with a title of king, and will be named the Prince of Guangyang."

Cai You did not have the extravagant hope of being crowned a king, but he had great hopes of being granted the title of Duke, which would allow him to surpass Cai Jing in all aspects and replace him as the leader of the Cai family.

The more ideals there are, the more cruel the reality is.

Just before and after Cai You left Beijing, Tong Guan followed Huizong's strategy and sent three envoys to Yanjing. Unfortunately, he failed to force Yelu Chun to surrender and was beheaded by the angry Liao emperor.

Su Yuanjing was aware of his position and was not angry at Cai You's arrogant attitude. He watched him leave with a smile on his face before going inside to report military intelligence to Zhao Ji.

Zhao Ji had already let go of what had just happened, but then Su Yuanjing mentioned that Yang Chang was leading the army alone, which reminded him of the fact that Cai Yu had planned to rape the princess. He thought to himself that both Cai You and Cai Yu were so bold, could it be because they inherited this from Cai Jing?
Su Yuanjing saw Zhao Ji frowning and mistakenly thought that the emperor was not optimistic about the division of troops, so he hurriedly added: "Your Majesty, Yang Xianfeng has just set out. If you think it is inappropriate to divide the troops, I will immediately send a fast horse to catch up with him and stop him, and order him to change his route to join Weizhou."

"Ok?"

Zhao Ji came back to his senses, shook his head and smiled, "There is no joking in the army. Now that the strategy has been decided, we must execute it well. By the way, you are familiar with Yang Chang. Do you know his military ability? Can he lead an army independently?"

"It's hard to say." Su Yuanjing hesitated, but after a few words he changed his tone and praised Zhao Ji, "But according to your majesty's vision, Yang Xianfeng will definitely make achievements."

Zhao Ji was flattered and smiled and sighed: "I have talked with the Jin people many times, but they are unwilling to give up Yunzhong. When Tong Guan and Cai You take back Yandi, and Yang Chang and his men eliminate Tian Hu, I can lead my troops north through Yanmen and take back the old land from the Liao people. I hope everything will go smoothly. I have waited for this day for too long."

"Your Majesty, with your heart full of ravines, will surely succeed in taking back Yanyun and achieve the greatest contribution to the founding of the country."

"Okay, okay, if I can surpass my ancestors, you will certainly have a share of the credit. Please pay more attention to the expedition against Tian Hu, and report as soon as there is any progress."

"Yes."

After Su Yuanjing flattered the emperor, he immediately asked Zhao Ji: "Your Majesty, Yang Xianfeng is taking a long detour to the west, and he will have to station troops in many counties along the way. Should we inform all places? They don't have much food and grass with them. It would be best to let the wealthy counties and cities provide support to the troops, so as to avoid disturbing the people along the way."

"That makes sense. The imperial court has not allocated any money or grain, which is a bit unfair. You should immediately go to Wang Fu to discuss it, and then instruct all prefectures and counties to cooperate. At least it should be acceptable on the surface."

"The minister obeys the order."

After Su Yuanjing received Zhao Ji's order, he resigned and went to discuss the matter with Prime Minister Wang Fu. Soon after, he sent a post soldier to convey the message.

Yang Chang went westward along the Yellow River, about a thousand miles to the confluence of the Fen River.

He originally considered the shortage of food and fodder and planned to save time and rush to Pingyang, but he received a letter from Su Yuanjing on the way and instead took the initiative to slow down his march.

Song Jiang did not ask how useful the feint attack would be. As long as he could preserve the 8,000 soldiers, Yang Chang naturally did not have much enthusiasm.

Originally, there was a fleet carrying baggage, and the 6,000 lightly equipped infantry and cavalry could march quickly, covering at least 70 to 80 miles a day. However, the final journey of a thousand miles took more than 20 days, and it was early June when they arrived at Zhengping County, the seat of Jiang Prefecture.

Jiangzhou received the imperial court's order in advance, and the prefect personally went out of the city to welcome Yang Chang and his entourage. After entering the city, they were treated to good wine and meat.

The prefect was enthusiastic and humble, and Yang Chang had a good impression of him. He originally wanted to set up his headquarters in Zhengping County, then send people to Pingyang to gather intelligence, and then find a way to make some noise.

But the prefect suddenly asked him for help at the welcoming banquet, saying that the bandits had been harassing Taiping and Yicheng counties for a long time.

The number of soldiers in Jiangzhou was too small to cover all areas, so they could only defend Taiping County, which was flat and rich in resources, and ordered the officials and people of Yicheng to recruit local militia for defense. In the past six months, many villages and towns have been looted, and most of the farming this spring has been abandoned.

If Tian Biao's troops continue to harass, the military and civilians of Yicheng will have to move away, otherwise they will be annexed by Pingyang.

Yang Chang could not refuse, so he left 2,000 navy troops in Zhengping to rest, and led 6,000 infantry and cavalry to Yicheng the next day.

The soldiers and civilians of Yicheng had been tortured for half a year. When they heard that the reinforcements were coming, it was like a long-awaited rain. The poor people who could not even feed themselves stood by the roadside with food and drink to welcome them. Yang Chang felt uncomfortable seeing this.

Compared with the welcoming banquet in Zhengping Prefecture, the welcoming banquet in Yicheng was very shabby.

The wine was thick, and the staple foods were cooked cakes and soup cakes, plus three or four side dishes. Only a bowl of chicken was placed on Yang Chang's table. It was hard to believe that this was a county banquet, it was even more simple than Yang De's family dinner.

The magistrate invited Yang Chang to sit down and explained carefully, "Don't blame me, Yang Xianfeng. These are all we can offer. Yicheng hasn't had any harvest for half a year, and I still have to support archers and soldiers for defense, so supplies are extremely scarce right now."

"It doesn't matter."

When Yang Chang heard the county magistrate mention the archers, he thought of his days in Yanggu, and immediately waved his hand and said, "We are not here to enjoy ourselves, it is enough to fill our stomachs and make a living."

Wu Song took a sip of the wine and immediately frowned, thinking that it was not a good wine. So he asked curiously, "Yicheng has been repeatedly attacked by bandits, and Jiangzhou does not have enough troops to protect it. Why don't you take the people and move away? I see that the people on the roadside are all pale and emaciated. They must have not had a full meal for a long time, right?"

"This general is joking. Not to mention that the people miss their homeland and will not migrate unless it is absolutely necessary, even if they can migrate to other places, they will have no land, right? They need to start from scratch to reclaim wasteland and sow seeds, and most people will have a hard time making it. So it is better for them to defend the city and wait for help. We are equivalent to guarding the border of Jiangzhou, protecting other places from the scourge of bandits."

After listening to the county magistrate's explanation, Yang Chang also put down the pancake in his hand, frowned and asked: "You volunteered to guard the border for Jiangzhou. If the prefecture does not provide military assistance, it should at least provide material assistance, right? It shouldn't be so difficult for you."

"Ugh"

The magistrate shook his head and sighed, then added: "The state has its own difficulties. We tried to transport rice several times in the beginning, but for some reason the enemy army discovered us each time. The transport team was attacked before they even entered the city. Not only did Yicheng fail to replenish food, but several soldiers died. In order to defend Yicheng, I took the food from the people in the city and distributed one meal of food to each person every day. If there was a mission to defend the city, I would give them two meals."

"Only one meal a day? No wonder you're starving."

Lu Zhishen's eyes widened when he heard this. He scratched his fat head and ears and asked innocently, "Sir, how much grain did you collect? There's no need to treat the people so harshly, right? Aren't there any rich families or landlords in Yicheng?"

The magistrate smiled bitterly, waved his hand and explained: "Master, please don't blame me. It's not that I treat my people harshly. In fact, everyone only has one meal a day. The county's food reserves can only last until winter. I rebelled against the court to send troops to help, otherwise the people would not be able to survive, and I am afraid they would be instigated by the thieves to rebel. As for the landlords you mentioned, they sold their property and left Yicheng long ago. Those who are left are the real poor."

"Yes, poor people who have nothing usually seem helpless in the face of natural disasters and wars."

When Hu Sanniang saw Yang Chang agreeing with the sigh, she whispered to ask why the court did not send troops to rescue, but the sharp-eared county magistrate heard it.

The magistrate bowed and said, "In reply to the female general, I have asked the prefect about this. It seems that in addition to Tian Hu in Hebei, there are many other places where bandits are causing chaos. Therefore, for ordinary bandit robberies, each state can only defend itself."

"Uh" Hu Sanniang looked at everyone awkwardly, thinking that those rebellious bandits he mentioned probably also include Liangshan, right?

Recalling that when Song Jiang attacked Dongping and Dongchang before, the imperial court did not send troops to rescue, and each state really had to mind its own business.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Yang Chang suddenly thought of Yang De from Shijie Village.

Thinking that he would rather rely on Liangshan to be self-sufficient, he took over the magistrate's question and asked, "How is the prefect of Jiangzhou doing as an official? Has he exploited you in Yicheng before?"

“It’s hard for me to say.”

The magistrate looked embarrassed, thought for a moment and then answered: "I think he is a good official. Jiangzhou has seven counties under its jurisdiction. Every year, they pay taxes to the court based on the number of households in the seven counties. Since Yicheng has suffered from banditry, our taxes have been exempted. The remaining six counties should share the burden, not counting temporary taxes."

Yang Chang was moved by what he heard, and nodded to encourage him, "Since we are here, we will solve the bandit problem in Pingyang and restore peace to Yicheng."

"Does Yang Xianfeng have any more troops? I see only a few thousand infantry and cavalry."

"Yes, a lot."

"That's great."

The magistrate couldn't stop laughing after hearing this, and then he introduced the situation he had learned.

It was a simple welcoming banquet. Knowing that food was very precious in Yicheng, everyone enjoyed the meal.

After returning to the camp in the city, Yang Chang called together the leaders of the army to discuss how to resolve the crisis in Yicheng.

As soon as everyone sat down, Hu Sanniang asked curiously, "Sir, you just said that there are follow-up troops. Does Song Gongming have other arrangements?"

"No."

Yang Chang spread his hands and asked with a smile: "Doesn't the navy we left in the state count?"

"Just two thousand"

"Two thousand is not a small amount."

Yang Chang patted Hu Sanniang's arm, and suddenly changed his smile. He said seriously, "Every time supplies are delivered from the state, Tian Biao's people will appear in time and rob them. There is no guarantee that there are no spies in Yicheng, so how can I tell you the truth?"

"What the vanguard said is very true." Zhu Wu nodded and agreed, "This will not only appease the officials and people of Yicheng, but also have the effect of deterring the enemy, and it can also be regarded as a distraction for the main force of Zezhou."

Yang Chang nodded to Zhu Wu in affirmation, and then asked: "The county magistrate said that the enemy in Yicheng mainly comes from Fushan in the north, and their force is at least 10,000. Brother Zhu, do you have any strategy to defeat the enemy?"

"We don't have siege equipment, so we can only think of ways to lure the enemy out of the city. However, there is no river access to Fushan, so we must leave immediately after victory, otherwise we will be trapped. It would be best to lure the enemy to Yicheng for a fight, so that we can set up an ambush and wait for them to tire themselves out."

Zhu Wu's analysis was easy to understand, and Yang Chang agreed with it. He immediately sent Zhu Tong, Chen Da, and Yang Chun to lead a hundred cavalrymen to Fushan to conduct military reconnaissance. He also ordered Cao Zheng and Zhou Tong to lead troops to patrol the area around Yicheng, and if they found anyone with suspicious behavior, they would arrest them in time.

At this time, Yang Chang had more generals than soldiers, so he was willing to use people when sending out generals.

After making all these arrangements, Yang Chang thought of the hungry faces of the people in Yicheng. He felt sorry for them and asked Wu Song, "Brother, how much food and grass do we have left? Can we give some to the people in Yicheng to feed them?"

"I'm afraid this won't work, right?"

Wu Song frowned and said awkwardly, "The two thousand naval forces are under the management of the prefecture government, and the remaining food and grass will only last for two months. If we fail to capture the enemy's city, our own supply will become a problem. Why don't we ask the prefecture government for another batch of food? We can help escort it."

"Yes, but"

Yang Chang was happy at first, then worried. He shook his head and murmured, "The taxes of Yicheng have to be shared by the other counties. I'm afraid the state is also stretched to the limit now."

"If Sanlang doesn't want to allow the state to transfer grain, then we can only take care of our own business." As Yang Chang's deputy, Wu Song has to stop him from being "overly loving" at this time.

After listening to the conversation between the two, Zhu Wu stroked his long beard and nodded in affirmation.

"Brother Yang is worthy of being called the Bright Heavenly Lord. He is considerate of the people and can win their hearts. This reminds me of the Chu-Han contention, when Liu Bang and Xiang Yu agreed to attack Xianyang. In the end, Liu Bang was able to arrive first after starting late, and it was also because of this that he was unstoppable. Therefore, it is completely feasible to transfer grain to support the people."

"If it's feasible, we have to have it ourselves. Sanlang is afraid of causing trouble for the state government."

"Haha." Wu Song, who was frowning, was interrupted by Zhu Wu's chuckle, "In fact, there is no trouble at all. For a prefecture like this with bandit troubles, not only do the other counties not have to share the taxes, but the court will directly reduce the taxes for the entire prefecture. Therefore, Jiangzhou has no financial pressure at all, otherwise it would have been annexed by Tian Biao long ago."

"is it possible?"

Before Wu Song finished speaking, Zhu Wu pointed at Xuan Zan and said, "Captain, why don't you ask Xuan Baoyi? He used to work in the Busi Yamen and has some knowledge about the anti-bandit movement."

Xuan Zan nodded in agreement after hearing this: "What Zhu Junshi said is true. The imperial court usually provides sufficient support to counties and cities on the border or in war."

Yang Chang thought that he was worrying too much, so he stopped Xuan Zan and told him, "Brother Xuan, please go to Zhengping and ask the prefect to prepare a batch of food. Tell him that we will use it to attack Fushan, and then ask Brother Xiaowu to transport it via the Huishui River. I will send people to the river to meet us."

"Yes."

Zhu Tong, Cao Zheng, Xuan Zan and others each took on a task. Yang Chang ordered Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen to train on the spot, while he himself went out with Hu Sanniang and Zhu Wu to survey the terrain around Yicheng to see if there was any place suitable for an ambush.

According to the intelligence from the magistrate of Yicheng, the defenders of Fushan would arrive precisely to rob grain, which meant that either there were spies in Yicheng or there were spies of Tian Biao in the state.

Yang Chang planned to use food and grass as bait to launch an ambush on the Fushan defenders.

Unfortunately, before he could make his plan, the confession of Fushan's "tongue" brought back by Zhu Tong disrupted his previous plan.

It turned out that during the time Yang Chang was on the road, Song Jiang and Lu Junyi captured two cities in succession and had now surrounded Jincheng, the capital of Zezhou.

Tian Biao of Pingyang received a request for help from Niu Wenzhong and sent his fierce general Wang Jin with 20,000 troops to rescue. Wang Jin then evacuated the Fushan garrison nearby.

Lin Chong was always cautious in deploying troops. After hearing the intelligence, he frowned and reminded: "Since you suspect there are spies in Jiangzhou, we must be more careful about Tian Biao's plot. He must know we are here. We only have 8,000 soldiers, 2,000 of whom are naval forces. If it is not absolutely safe, it is recommended not to approach rashly. Don't forget how Chao Tianwang fell into the trap in Zengtou City."

"What do you think?"

After hearing this, Yang Chang was hesitant, so he asked Wu Song, Zhu Tong and others for advice, but they all frowned and said nothing, only Zhu Wu stroked his beard and stood up.

"Whether it's a plan or not, it's not appropriate to stay in Yicheng. I think it's very likely that there should be some movement in Zezhou now. If Brother Yang wants to contain them, he should send troops to Fushan. If you are worried, you can select cavalry. If there is any situation, you can evacuate at any time."

"That makes sense." Yang Chang nodded happily. "Then I and Zhu Jieji will lead 500 cavalrymen to go first, while Coach Lin and Military Advisor Zhu will lead the main army and follow behind to provide support."

"No."

"Sir, you can't do that."

"No!"

Lin Chong, Hu Sanniang and Wu Song spoke out to stop him at the same time. After looking around, the three of them looked at Lin Chong, meaning that they should let Lin Chong make the summary speech.

Just as Yang Chang was looking surprised, he heard the same words from Chao Gai.

"Brother Yang is the commander of an army, so we can't move lightly. Let me go."

"Master Lin is right."

"I agree too."

The three men had surprisingly consistent opinions, which was obviously different from Song Jiang's situation at the time. They were really worried about Yang Chang's safety.

Yang Chang smiled bitterly, thinking that this was the sweet trouble and also the helplessness of being a commander, shouldering the lives and deaths of eight thousand men and no longer being able to do what he wanted.

Then he appointed Lin Chong as the vanguard, Chen Da and Yang Chun as deputy generals, leading 500 cavalry to clear the way in front, while Yang Chang led 4,000 infantry and cavalry in the rear, leaving Cao Zheng and Zhou Tong in Yicheng to prevent Tian Biao from making a trick and retreating.

Before Lin Chong set off, Zhu Wu whispered something in his ear.

During the march, Yang Chang asked curiously and found out that it was Zhu Wu's strategy to lure the enemy.

At noon on the tenth day of June, the rear army was five miles south of Fushan City.

Seeing that there were hills and forests all around, Zhu Wu was planning to set up an ambush on both sides when suddenly a scout from the front army came on horseback to report that Lin Chong had already captured the city.

So fast?
Yang Chang was stunned. He thought, isn't Lin Chong known for his prudence? How did he capture the city with only 500 cavalrymen?

He couldn't believe it.

It was not until the army arrived outside Fushan County and saw the flashing corpses on the ground that they realized what the scouts had said was true. At this time, Chen Da, the Leaping Tiger, rode out of the city on his horse, excitedly recounting the process of capturing the city.

It turned out that Lin Chong, on Zhu Wu's instructions, deliberately had the 500 cavalrymen mess up their clothes and hats, and made them appear lazy and messy when lining up, giving the impression of low combat effectiveness, in order to lure the Fushan defenders out of the city to fight.

If the number of the defending troops is almost the same as ours, we will deliberately lose the battle and lure the rear army into an ambush. If the number of the defending troops far exceeds 6,000, we will decisively withdraw to Yicheng and look for another opportunity.

As a result, three thousand people were successfully lured out, but Lin Chong had no way to feign defeat because the fighting effectiveness of the Fushan defenders was terribly low.

The 3,000 defenders wanted to use their numbers to bully the smaller force, but they were immediately dispersed by the 500 cavalrymen from Liangshan, and quickly retreated into the city in panic like birds and beasts.

Lin Chong had never been dealt with so easily, so he took advantage of the situation to chase and kill the enemies and seize the city gate. After entering the city, he did not find any reinforcements. When he asked the prisoners of war, he learned that the 3,000 people were all the defenders of Fushan County.

"Who gave them the courage with such low combat effectiveness?"

"Liang Jinru."

"Who are you talking about?"

"According to the prisoners, it was Liang Jinru, the magistrate of Fushan, who issued the order, but he escaped from the north gate before the city was breached."

After hearing this, Yang Chang looked embarrassed and thought to himself, how could such a coincidence happen in the world?
Seeing that he was lost in thought, Zhu Wu stepped forward and reminded him quietly, "Vanguard, let's hurry into the city. Instructor Lin's army is short of manpower. We must appease the people as soon as possible and be careful of the sudden return of the reinforcements from Zezhou."

"okay."

Yang Changshen agreed with this and ordered his army into the city to pacify the people. He himself stayed behind to secretly pick up corpses, using the excuse of checking if there were any survivors.

[Gain gun and stick experience. Use it to improve your gun and stick skill proficiency. Please choose to use or discard.]

[Gain sword experience. Use it to improve your sword skill proficiency. Please choose to use or discard. ]

[Gain experience in boxing and kicking. Use it to improve your proficiency in boxing and kicking skills. Please choose to use or discard.]

As Yang Chang expected, none of the hundreds of corpses fell easily. Perhaps it was because the defenders' combat effectiveness was too low and none of their weapon skills had been improved.

(End of this chapter)