Chapter 168 Han Shizhong, follow me from now on (6k)

Yang Chang had the ability to see far into the distance, and he could observe while riding his horse.

The invaders were in tight formation, and the military officers and soldiers were filled with majesty and solemnity.

It can be seen from the outside that it is a powerful force, and its commander was able to withstand Lin Chong's attack, which shows that his ability is very strong.

Judging from the enemy's military formation, the total strength should be three thousand people, more than himself and Lin Chong combined. It might be a tough battle.

Cai Jing instigated Fang Shen and Bai Li to frame him. Although these two men were no different from fools, the generals and soldiers who came to support him looked very extraordinary.

After a while, Yang Chang rode his horse to the front of the formation. Cao Zheng saw him and excitedly went forward to greet him.

"Butler, ladies."

"Do you know where these soldiers are from? It seems that their martial arts are quite strong. How long did Master Lin fight with them?"

"He only said he was ordered to suppress the rebellion, but did not disclose his name. He fought with the master for fifteen or sixteen rounds."

"Suppress the rebellion?"

When Yang Chang heard this, his eyes shone and he said to himself coldly, "It's such a coincidence that they came. It seems that Cai Jing has put a lot of effort into this plan."

"General Cao, why don't you come forward to help? The master always says that it is better to strike first. Why should we talk about martial ethics with the bad guys?"

"My dear Second Lady, Master told me to focus on holding him back. I just fought him for ten rounds, but I couldn't hold him back, so I replaced him. So."

"We're already here, why are we still holding each other back?"

After Qiu Qiongying finished speaking, she looked at Yang Chang with an expression that showed she was eager to try.

Yang Chang smiled leisurely, waved his hand and said: "My lady, go if you want, but remember not to hurt him."

"What do you mean?"

"Look at the army and you will know its general. This army is quite impressive and this general must be a man of great talent. It would be a pity if he was injured."

"Oh, I'm going, go!"

Qiu Qiongying rode his horse forward, holding his spear in hand, and charged straight at Han Shizhong to kill him.

Jie Yuan, a lieutenant in front of Han Shizhong's army, saw a female general rushing out of the enemy camp. He rode away, brandished his sword, and intercepted her halfway, shouting loudly: "You evil woman, don't disturb my fifth brother's fun, your opponent is me!"

"Hmm? Can you do it?"

With a disdainful shout and a question, Qiu Qiongying turned her horse and took over the fight with Jie Yuan.

Although the champion was only in his early twenties, he had been in battles with Han Shizhong for a long time. Seeing Qiu Qiongying's youth, he mistakenly thought that she would be an easy target, but he found out that he was dealing with a tough opponent.

Qiu Qiongying raised her hand and swung her halberd forward, causing the back of Jie Yuan's sword to buzz.

This woman is so pretty, but a little too wild.

Jie Yuan was nearly knocked down, and immediately gathered his strength to fight back. However, even though he tried his best, he felt exhausted after seven or eight rounds.

Although his performance was not satisfactory, Yang Chang was quite surprised. He wondered who was leading this team? Anyone he picked out was quite capable.

After six months of special training by him, Qiu Qiongying has become proficient in swords, spears, swords and halberds, and continues to practice her physical strength every day. Although she is not as good as Wu Song, Lin Chong, Lu Zhishen and Sun An, she is far stronger than Zhu Tong and Hu Sanniang.

This young general has the strength of Zhu Jie level.

Yang Changru was like a mentor watching her student's graduation project, but her opponent blocked the painted halberd and led his horse back, shouting to Han Shizhong: "Fifth brother, this girl is tricky, if you can't do it, retreat."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Can't a man say that?"

Han Shizhong shouted without even turning his head, as if he was speaking to Lin Chong in front of him. He held the tiger-head spear and struggled with the snake spear, without any fear on his face.

Immediately afterwards, Qiu Qiongying swung her halberd to join the fight between the two men. Han Shizhong raised his spear and moved left and right, fighting one against two, and suddenly there was a sense of chaos.

"Master Lin, remember not to hurt him. The master must be alive."

"OK."

"Young lady, you may be young, but you are so arrogant. Don't think that you can be my opponent just because you beat Jie Yuan!"

Han Shizhong knew that he had no chance of winning against two alone, and the female general who followed him was not as good as Lin Chong in martial arts, so he suddenly thought of a good idea.

He controlled his horse to move around Qiu Qiongying continuously, thrusting his gold-engraved tiger-head spear into her, and deliberately used Qiu Qiongying to block Lin Chong's position, playing the Qin King circling the pillar game with Leopard Head.

"Second lady, be careful!"

"This person is so shameless!"

"Are you so angry? Don't forget that I am fighting one against two."

"Is this considered one against two? Haha"

Qiu Qiongying let out a delicate cry, pushed away the gun tip and took the initiative to withdraw from the fight.

She originally wanted to help Yang Chang capture this man, but she didn't expect Han Shizhong to be so cunning. He was very skilled in controlling his horse and moving around, which actually held Lin Chong back.

Furious, he returned to the battlefield and complained to Yang Chang: "Sir, please teach this man a lesson for me. He is so hateful."

"Haha, this guy is very smart."

While Yang Chang was comforting Qiu Qiongying, Han Shizhong fought with Lin Chong again.

He had already seen the general on the white horse and in golden armor, so he suggested to Lin Chong while they were fighting: "Master Lin, you and I have fought for dozens of rounds, and it is still difficult to determine the winner. Don't you want to capture Han alive? Why don't you let Yang fight instead?"

"You are no match for him."

"I do not believe."

"Haha, I've never seen anyone seeking his own death."

"Do you see it now?"

Han Shizhong's scoundrel-like answer left Lin Chong speechless for a moment. Just as he was hesitating whether to retreat back to the formation, he heard Yang Chang calling from behind.

"Master Lin, let me do it!"

"Congratulations."

When Lin Chong heard Yang Chang's order, he replied with something confusing, then fired a feint and led his horse back, only to see Yang Chang coming at him like an arrow.

Congratulations? What does he mean?
In a blink of an eye, Yang Chang was already right in front of him.

Without saying a word, he picked up the hammer and started hitting.

There was a sound.

Han Shizhong quickly raised his gun to block the attack, but in an instant it was as if a mountain was pressing down on him. His tall and strong body shrank slightly, thus relieving the force.

"Are you Chief Yang?"

"Since you know my name, why do you dare to invade? What benefit did Cai Jing give you?"

Yang Chang answered without stopping his hands. He usually started with a blocking attack using [Calming Qi and Imprisoning Force], and the second move would be a sweeping move, and then he would make another move depending on the opponent's reaction.

Han Shizhong blocked two attacks with force and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

It has great power and great speed. What kind of monster is this?

Wait, Cai Jing?
"What are you talking about? How can a small general like Han know the current Grand Master?"

"Don't know him? Then why are you here?"

"You are asking me this question even though you already know the answer. You surrendered bravely but then rebelled again. This is why I came here. Why don't you dismount and be tied up?"

"You are sold out and you still count the money for others. Do you have the ability to do that?"

Yang Changxi didn't kill Han Shizhong, but got a more arrogant response from Han Shizhong, so he opened fire with both hands.

Han Shizhong originally thought that the gap between the two was not big, and as long as he became familiar with the opponent's rhythm, he would be able to tangle with the opponent. Like Lin Chong, he also wanted to contain the opponent and wait for Wang Yuan's main force to arrive and encircle them.

Compared to the difficult siege warfare, field combat is purely a test of manpower and combat effectiveness. As long as Yang Chang can be trapped outside Tongdi City, it will be much easier to wipe out Qinzhou later.

The idea is beautiful, but the reality is cruel.

Yang Chang had not tried his best just now. Han Shizhong kept parrying himself and realized that he was no match for him and that he did not have the ability to hold him back.

"Come again?"

"Fight back?"

"Why don't you fight back?"

"Where's the arrogance just now?"

After only a few rounds, Han Shizhong showed signs of defeat, but he didn't dare to run.

Han Shizhong was born in a border area and learned how to judge and train horses in his early years. When he saw how majestic Yang Chang's mount was, he knew that running away would lead to disaster, so he had to hold on even though he was no match for the enemy.

At this moment, the young general Jie Yuan, who had just been defeated, saw that Han Shizhong was in danger, so he rode his horse forward and brandished his sword to help.

Jie Yuan deliberately attacked from behind, but was discovered by Yang Chang with his peripheral vision. He continued to suppress Han Shizhong with his fierce moves, as if he didn't notice anyone joining the battle and launching a sneak attack.

When Han Shizhong saw Jie Yuan going into battle and Yang Chang remained calm, he immediately mobilized all his strength to respond actively, hoping to cooperate with Jie Yuan to gain an advantage and escape.

Dang Dang Dang.
The weapons collided violently, making a sound of metal clashing.

In an instant, Jie Yuan spurred his horse and rushed forward with his sword in hand, raising his sword and slashing at Yang Chang's back fiercely.

Han Shizhong's heart rose to his throat, but he saw Yang Chang deflect the tiger-head spear and turn around to swing at Jie Yuan's knife.

There was a crisp clang sound.

The phoenix-wing gilded halberd carried amazing power and directly cut off Jie Yuan's sword head with one strike. The power was transmitted to the palm of his hand, causing his whole body to go numb.

Yang Changjin exerted his "strength of a tiger" like a mountain torrent crashing down on the shore. How could an ordinary person be able to withstand it?
Jie Yuan was unable to withstand this great force and was thrown off his horse as the blade broke.

Han Shizhong on the other side was stunned, thinking, this guy has eyes on his back? How can he respond so perfectly? He didn't know that Yang Chang had the skill of [Rampage], which would be triggered when he met two opponents.

Yang Chang reined in his horse and pulled the reins, preparing to take Li Yuan's life first.

Han Shizhong realized his intention and was horrified. He ignored his own safety and rushed forward with his gun in hand.

At that moment, he lost his balance as his body moved forward, and Yang Chang found the opportunity to clamp the gun barrel.

Taking advantage of the momentum, he pulled forward and pulled Han Shizhong off the horse.

When he got up covered in dust and dirt, the gilded phoenix-wing halberd was already at his throat.

Neither Jie Yuan nor Han Shizhong had expected this result, and the soldiers under his command were even more shocked.

"How is it? Do you accept it or not?"

"I am not as skilled as you, how can I not accept it?"

Han Shizhong looked up at Yang Chang on his horse, and felt like he was looking up at a god. He turned his head and saw Jie Yuan, who was injured and unable to move, not far away. He frowned and asked again, "What do you want?"

"Your Excellency is good at martial arts, so you can hang out with me from now on."

"Humph, my name is Shizhong, how can I submit to the enemy? Kill me!"

"Haha, you're still a tough nut to crack. Wait."

Yang Chang recalled the previous conversation, and immediately put the halberd aside, asking in surprise: "You called yourself Han just now? So your name is Han Shizhong?"

"has a problem?"

Han Shizhong raised his eyes and saw that Yang Chang's tone had changed. He didn't know what he meant.

Yang Chang immediately dismounted, dropped his weapon, helped Han Shizhong up with both hands, and said solemnly: "General Han, please stand up. I have heard of your name. There was a misunderstanding between us. Now that we have talked it out, we can be friends."

"Who are your friends?"

Han Shizhong stood up and broke free, saying sternly, "Don't think that just because you are good at martial arts and are polite and courteous, you can make me submit to the bandits. I don't buy into the tricks of the gangsters."

"General Han misunderstood. Yang Chang did not commit treason. The real traitor has been caught and is currently being interrogated in Tongdi." "What do you mean?"

"According to the preliminary interrogation results, Cai Jing instigated the prefect Fang Shen and Qinyuan County Lieutenant Bai Li to privately make dragon robes, jade seals and other items in order to establish a rebellion in Qinzhou. Unfortunately, their actions were not discreet enough and they were discovered. This general manager is in charge of the defense of Qinzhou and has arrested all the traitors."

As soon as Yang Chang finished speaking, Han Shizhong was stunned and murmured, "So, it wasn't you who rebelled?"

"Why would I rebel? How did General Han know?"

"Han is following military orders."

Han Shizhong was halfway through his words when he suddenly began to doubt his military order. Could it be Tong Guan's personal will? But Cai Jing instigating Fang Shen to rebel was even more incredible, so he frowned and asked, "Why did Master Cai do this? Why did Fang Shen rebel?"

"I don't know about this. Qinzhou Procurator Lu Jie is investigating. If General Han still doesn't believe it, come with me to Tongdi and we'll know."

"Can I go to Tongdi?"

"Why not?"

Yang Chang spread his hands and added, "But you can only bring a small number of troops into the city. After the war in Qinzhou, the treasury is empty and there is no surplus food. We cannot afford to feed your troops. Besides, it is the wheat harvest season now, and we cannot affect the harvest of the people in Qinzhou."

"That's it"

Han Shizhong thought for a moment, clasped his fists and replied, "I will retreat to Xiangyuan to camp first, and report the new situation in Qinzhou to General Wang for his decision."

"It's also good to be stationed in Xiangyuan."

Seeing that Han Shizhong had no intention of going to Tongdi, Yang Chang suggested, "Qinzhou has never been in trouble, so there is no need to make the soldiers travel so far. Please take me to say hello to General Wang. I will send someone to report to him when I return to the city. We should not fight against our own people."

"Okay, then we'll take our leave now. I'm sorry for offending you today."

"Yang was disrespectful just now and didn't use enough force."

"General Manager Yang's martial arts are amazing. Han has been in the army for many years and has never seen such a person before. I admire him very much."

"The general is full of praise."

After some greetings and compliments, both sides withdrew their troops.

Looking at Han Shizhong's back, Qiu Qiongying showed a puzzled look on her face: "Just now, the official told me sincerely, but Han Shizhong refused to believe it. Such an ignorant guy should not be let go!"

"Fang Shen has no troops, so it's hard to believe that he is rebelling. It's right for Han Shizhong to be cautious."

"Haha, my sister is holding a grudge."

"He is just shameless. How dare he boast that he can fight two people alone? It was really satisfying to watch the official fight just now."

"Maybe the official is just helping his sister vent her anger."

Listening to the two men talking back and forth, Yang Chang looked at Lin Chong with a bitter smile and sighed, "Han Shizhong is good at martial arts and is also a good commander of the army. Judging from the situation of the retreat, we can get a glimpse of the whole picture."

"Yes." Lin Chong nodded in affirmation, stroking his beard and echoing, "If I had charged directly into the battle formation just now, my 1,000 newly trained soldiers would have suffered a great loss."

"Let's go back."

Just as Yang Changgang was about to wave his hand to signal for departure, he suddenly stopped Lin Chong and told him, "Brother, don't forget to leave scouts. In case Wang Yuan refuses to listen or is bribed by Cai Jing or Tong Guan, we must be ready to evacuate at any time."

"It's not that serious, right? Doesn't Wang Yuan only have 20,000 men? As long as we hold the city, we won't be afraid of another 20,000."

"How about two hundred thousand?"

Before Lin Chong could finish his words, he was stunned by the number Yang Chang gave.

As officials from Qinzhou took up their posts, they also brought news that the imperial court was actively fighting for Yanjing and was gathering hundreds of thousands of troops in the north.

If all the people from Liangshan were there, and there were more than 100,000 surrendered soldiers from Tian Hu, they might still be able to give it a try. But now there are only 5,000 people in Qinzhou. If Tong Guan insisted that Yang Changcai was a traitor, the situation would become very bad.

Fortunately, Yang Chang was not panicked at all and looked confident. He probably used his identity as a loyal minister as a cover to secretly accumulate strength and wait for an opportunity?

I like him to act after careful planning, and I will do my best to help him succeed.

Lin Chong was deceived by Yang Chang's appearance, but in fact, this guy was so confident because of Han Shizhong, because later generations had a very high opinion of this man.

Fang Shen's rebellion has been proven to be an ironclad case. If Tong Guan wants to protect and force himself to rebel, in addition to dealing with all the officials in Qinzhou, he also needs to ensure that Han Shizhong does not speak nonsense.

This difficulty is extremely great.

By involving Wang Yuan and Han Shizhong in this matter, he could ask them to help report to the court in the end, which would be more convincing than reporting it personally. Yang Chang was also willing to share the credit.

Although Han Shizhong led his troops ahead, they were not far away from the rear army.

Withdraw to Xiangyuan in the evening of the same day.

Han Shizhong was helping Jie Yuan apply medicine for sprains and bruises when scouts brought news that a large army had entered the city.

Soon after he met Wang Yuan, Han Shizhong reported everything that Yang Chang had said and the fighting on the battlefield.

Wang Yuan found it inconceivable. After thinking about it, he frowned and shook his head.

"I have always trusted you, but you actually believed Yang Chang's absurd words? How old is Grand Tutor Cai? He probably won't live for many years. What's the point of inciting others to rebel? Junior Tutor Cai (Cai You) will return to the capital to receive a great reward. Although Junior Tutor and Grand Tutor Cai are not on good terms, they are father and son after all. Even if they are broken bones, they are still connected by tendons."

"I didn't believe it completely, but Chief Yang's words were very convincing."

"Why did you retreat to Xiangyuan if you didn't fully trust me? You should have stationed troops in Futing to monitor the movement of Qinzhou troops, and then wait for me to join you."

"Can't beat it, really can't beat it."

Seeing Han Shizhong complaining with a bitter face, Wang Yuan pointed at him and jokingly sighed: "The fact that Han Wu could say this shows that Yang Chang is really capable, but it also indirectly shows that he is more suitable for rebellion than Fang Shen. Perhaps this man's evil intentions were discovered by Fang Shen, and then he was turned upside down?"

"Uh"

Han Shizhong secretly criticized the idea of ​​rebellion, but on the surface he still agreed with Wang Yuan and said, "General, what you said makes sense. What should we do now?"

"The situation in Qinzhou is unclear. Yang Chang and Lin Chong are both good fighters. If they occupy the advantageous position and defend, they may suffer heavy casualties if they rush in hastily. Shouldn't he send someone? Let's listen first and then make a decision."

After Wang Yuan finished speaking, he saw that Han Shizhong was hesitant to speak, so he asked: "Do you have any other suggestions?"

"Should we send someone to inform General Xin?"

"This is a serious matter. We can't just rely on Chief Yang's words. We can't be too rash. Let's observe the situation for two days. If he doesn't send someone to Xiangyuan, it must be a delaying tactic."

"Oh"

Han Shizhong wanted to suggest sending someone to infiltrate Qinzhou to investigate, but he took the words back when they were on the tip of his tongue.

Yang Chang and Lin Chong are both highly capable, and the soldiers they bring are also well-mannered. If they really have ulterior motives, we must be on guard against them strictly. Sending someone to infiltrate them is like sending a sheep into a tiger's mouth.

The country is in a turbulent time. The Jin people are arrogant and greedy. If they move south, it will be a disaster for the Song Dynasty.

Han Shizhong hoped in his heart that Yang Chang was not lying. A tough guy like him should go to Yanjing to deter foreign enemies.

With this thought in mind, Han Shizhong met the prosecutor Lu Jie in Xiangyuan at noon the next day.

In the case of Fang Shen's rebellion, thanks to Yang Changdi's division of labor in the detention and the use of the strategy of sowing discord and dog-eat-dog, the investigation and evidence collection were completed in one day.

Lu Jie took the transcribed confession and went to the Xiangyuan camp with Cao Zheng to report.

Wang Yuan and Han Shizhong were stunned after hearing this. Since Fang Shen and the other two had their own thoughts, they asked Lu Jie to come up with three different conclusions.

First, the instigator was Cai Jing, who instigated Fang Shen and Bai Li to frame Yang Chang;
Second, the mastermind was Fang La in Jiangnan, who secretly supported his brothers to take control of Qinzhou, and then gathered Tian Hu's remaining followers in Hebei, waiting for them to have enough strength to start an uprising in response;
Third, Cai Jing was unwilling to resign from his position as prime minister, so he colluded with Fang La and attempted to overthrow the Song Dynasty.

After Lu Jie finished his report, he was taken to the inn to rest.

The two men left the tent. Wang Yuan stood up and pointed at the confession on the table, his hands shaking uncontrollably.

"Lu Jie's reasoning is meticulous and his confession is so detailed. Reporting any result will cause a stir in the capital."

"You forgot that he left a last word, thinking that Fang Shen was the most likely to frame Yang Chang, but this also involves..."

"Yes."

Wang Yuan nodded and continued the conversation, muttering, "For the remaining two results, I think he and Yang Chang did it on purpose. They knew that I would be reported to the newsboy privy council, and they wanted to guide everyone to choose Fang La as the mastermind."

"Did the general report it truthfully?"

Han Shizhong asked a meaningful question. Wang Yuan was stunned for a moment, then he relaxed his brows and said calmly, "You should wear a hat that matches your head. I will report this matter truthfully. I am small-minded and will not embarrass myself. But there is one thing I cannot figure out."

"What's the matter?"

"What is the grudge between Grand Tutor Cai and Commander Yang? Why would they be so deliberate in their plot to attack him? You were previously under the command of General Liu, who has a strong foundation in the court. Have you heard any rumors about this?"

"I am a lowly general, and even if General Liu knew, he would not tell us."

"That's right."

After hearing this, Wang Yuan nodded in agreement. He had more than a dozen generals under his command, but the reason why he was close to Han Shizhong was, firstly, because Han Shizhong was brave in battle, and secondly, he was a subordinate of Liu Yanqing.

Liu Yanqing's command mistakes led to the defeat of 500,000 Song troops by the Liao army in Yanjing. He was later demoted to Yunzhou for the crime of losing his army, and most of his troops and generals joined Xin Xingzong's camp.

After Wang Yuan came to his senses, he went out of the tent and called in his trusted military officers, ordering them to take the confession to Xin Xingzong for decision.

As soon as he sat down in the tent, he slapped his thigh and stood up, urging Han Shizhong, "Liang Chen, you are the best rider in the army, go and catch him!"

"what happened?"

Seeing Han Shizhong's puzzled expression, Wang Yuan replied with a bitter face: "If no one is sent to Qinzhou to verify, if there is a new incident afterwards, General Xin will definitely be blamed for acting rashly!"

"General, don't worry. Sending people to Qinzhou to verify will delay things. It's a good thing to let the higher-ups know as soon as possible. It won't be too late to report any new developments."

After hearing Han Shizhong's consolation, Wang Yuan finally felt relieved. He immediately summoned all his generals and prepared to select people to go to Qinzhou for verification.

As soon as Wang Yuan briefly explained the situation, Lieutenant General Lei Long immediately volunteered to take on the task.

"The general will go where he wishes!"

"He is courageous, worthy of his background as a palace guard. However, he must be careful when he goes to Tongdi. Regardless of whether it was Grand Tutor Cai who framed him, he should not have fought back head-on. How could a small butler like him have the confidence? This is simply a desperate move. I am worried that this is all a trap set by Chief Yang."

"actually."

After a brief thought, Lei Long walked forward and whispered a few words into Wang Yuan's ear.

Wang Yuan's eyes were like copper bells, and he asked in surprise, "Really?"

"Absolutely true!"

Lei Long had a firm expression on his face, and he walked out of the tent right after he finished speaking, leaving everyone bewildered.

Wang Yuan then dismissed all the generals. Han Shizhong deliberately stayed until the end and came forward to ask in a low voice: "General, what did Lei Long just say?"

"It's best if you don't know. Anyway, Yang Chang is indeed confident. He and Master Cai really have a grudge against each other."

It would have been better if Wang Yuan didn't say a word, but Han Shizhong felt uncomfortable when he heard half of his words. He felt that he should have a drink with Lei Long after he came back from Tongdi.

When Lei Long appeared in front of Yang Chang, he once again showed an expression of great surprise.

It's true that people meet everywhere in life. Who would have thought that Zhao Fujin's four personal guards would meet two of them in Hebei? This man seemed to be the leader of the four imperial guards.

When 'old friends' meet, it goes without saying that they will be entertained with wine.

After they had had a few drinks, the topic naturally turned to old events in the capital and to Zhao Fujin.

Qiu Qiongying had just returned from training outside. She was passing by the corridor and heard two people talking in the house. Then she ran away like a frightened rabbit.

When she met Hu Sanniang later, Qiu Qiongying complained mysteriously: "Sister, I just heard a secret. The master seems to have a lover in the capital. Do you know?"

"Impossible? Although the master has been there a few times alone, he has always been chaste and doesn't even want to go to a brothel."

Hu Sanniang stopped talking abruptly. She suddenly remembered the ridiculous thing that happened before, then she slapped her thigh, stood up and walked out.

"let's go."

"What are you going for?"

"Eavesdropping!"

(End of this chapter)