Chapter 220: Dark clouds over the city, light shining towards the sun (6k)

At the western foot of Shaxiong Ridge, the Jin army’s temporary military camp.

Summer rainstorms come suddenly, with heavy rain pouring down in an instant.

Inside the general’s tent, on the general’s seat.

Lou Shi held his chin with his hand, watching the rain falling outside the tent, but his thoughts were wandering elsewhere.

In just one morning, the Jin army under his command easily defeated the 90,000 Song army. If Zhong Shizhong is also considered a famous general, then wouldn't the Great Jin Kingdom be full of famous generals?
But this guy is very tenacious and has not surrendered even after fighting till now.

If he still refuses to change his ways when the rain stops, this general will lose his patience.

If the elite troops of the Song Dynasty are only at this level, it seems that whether Zhong Shizhong surrenders or not does not seem to have much significance.

As long as you don't stay here like Wang Bing and Yang Chang, no one in Loushi should be a match for you in field combat.

Yang Chang, you captured my son, I will kill you sooner or later!

Thinking of this, Lou Shi suddenly sat up straight and said to his attendants, "Shi Jianu and Geng Shouzhong, do they have any new news?"

"Reporting to the General, there is none."

"nothing?"

Lou Shi stroked his beard, raised the corner of his mouth and muttered to himself: "If there is no danger, it means there is no danger. Yang Chang must have heard that Zhong Shizhong was surrounded, and he wanted to bluff me and make me send troops to rescue him. I was a little afraid of him before, but I didn't expect that he was not much different from Yao Gu, and he was easily tripped."

"General Lou Shi, don't underestimate the enemy."

"Yes, Commander Yang is not a mediocre person. Don't forget General Yin Shuke."

Yelu Yudu and Gao Qingyi gave reminders one after another.

Lou Shixu narrowed his eyes, nodded and said, "I have fought all my life and never underestimated any opponent, but I will not be intimidated by rumors. Yang Chang's personal martial arts are indeed extraordinary, but a common man's courage alone cannot win a war."

"Yang Chang has the courage of ten thousand men. Although the troops attacking Xu Gou are few, they are definitely not a match for Geng Shouzhong. The general should deal with this matter as soon as possible and move troops to support him as soon as possible."

"Yelü Dujian, what you said makes sense."

After Lou Shi finished speaking, he looked at Gao Qingyi and said sternly, "Li Siben's efforts are probably in vain. I respect Master Zhong as a good man and plan to give him another chance after the rain stops. I would like to trouble Gao Tongshi to persuade him again. If he still doesn't know how to deal with the current situation, there is no need to wait any longer."

"Yes, I'll go up the mountain now."

Gao Qingyi stood up, received the general's order, turned around and walked out of the tent into the heavy rain.

In less than a cup of tea, this guy came back all wet.

He was seen shaking his hands wildly and said excitedly: "General, something terrible has happened. An urgent report just came from the right army in Shannan. A young general on a white horse suddenly went against the flow and attacked the remaining troops of Zhong Shizhong from the crowd of fleeing soldiers. No one among the soldiers surrounding the mountain could stop him."

"This man is quite smart. He took advantage of the fleeing soldiers and went in the opposite direction through our weak defense. But he chose to go back alone to seek death. He must be a close confidant of Zong Shizhong. Tell Wanyan Xishi to tie his pockets tightly."

"General."

Gao Qingyi interrupted Lou Shi and reminded him, "This man is wearing golden armor, riding an extremely majestic white horse, and armed with a phoenix-wing gilded halberd. He looks very much like Yang Chang!"

"Chief Yang?"

Lou Shi was originally very calm, but when he heard this, he slammed the table and stood up.

"No wonder Geng Shouzhong never asked for help again. It turns out that Yang Chang led the cavalry to feint and head straight for Shaxiong Ridge. Is his intelligence so accurate?"

"Just in time. Order all the troops to surround the enemy in the rain. Transfer the Tiger Battalion of the Central Army to the Right Army for support. I want Commander Yang to come and never come back."

"Yes."

"slow!"

As the messenger in the tent turned around, Lou Shi suddenly called him again, then looked at Gao Qingyi and asked curiously, "By the way, how many people did Yang Chang bring with him?"

"He's the only one."

"what?"

Seeing Gao Qingyi raising a finger, Yelu Yudu was so surprised that he also stood up.

Lou Shi raised his eyebrows, clenched his fists and snorted coldly: "This guy is really rampant. He is known as the bear and tiger general, and this is the Bear Killing Ridge, so this is naturally the place where he will be buried!"

"urgent report"

A soldier, soaking wet, rushed into the tent, tumbling and crawling.

Lou Shi's heart sank, "Don't panic, tell me what's going on!"

"Reporting to the general, the dozens of Song soldiers on the ridge suddenly broke out to the south of the mountain in the rain. General Li Siben led his troops to intercept them, but was killed by the enemy in one round."

"One?"

Yelu Yudu and Lou Shi were both stunned.

Gao Qingyi rushed forward, squatted down and asked, "Was the Song general who killed him the one riding a white horse with golden armor who just rushed up from the bottom of the mountain?"

"How does the interpreter know?"

"General, it must be Yang Chang."

Gao Qingyi swallowed his saliva and reminded, "Yang Chang is extremely brave and has a magnificent horse. It is raining heavily right now. If we don't send troops to block him, it is possible that he can break through and escape with Zhong Shizhong."

"It would be a great shame if we let him get away!"

Lou Shi gnashed his teeth, his eyes flashed with ferocity, and he shouted in a deep voice: "I will personally intercept them. Oh, by the way, immediately send a message to all units of the right army. Yang Chang is a brave warrior and an excellent archer. If they can't hold out, just shoot arrows at them and leave them behind in the Bear Killing Ridge!"

"Yes!"

Outside the tent, heavy rain poured down; the sound of the rain covered up the noise of footsteps. The Jin troops on the west slope moved upon hearing the order.

In just the time it takes to stick up an incense stick, more than 10,000 Jin troops gathered and set out, rushing towards the south of the mountain in the heavy rain.

Although the Jin army attacked quickly, there was only a thorny trail from the west foot of Shaxiongling to the south foot, making it very inconvenient for the large army to move.

In addition, heavy rain not only blurs the vision, but also greatly increases the weight of the body, directly slowing down the marching speed.

At 12:00 p.m., Lou Shi finally led the central army to the southern slope. By then, the intensity of the rainstorm had weakened by 80%. Unfortunately, Yang Chang had already broken out of the encirclement half an hour ago.

The commander of the right army, Wanyan Xishi, walked in front of Loushi like a defeated rooster, lowered his head and looked helpless.

"It was raining so hard that our vision was obscured. The routes chosen by the enemy to break out were all weak points in defense. Although the soldiers tried their best to resist, they still let two riders escape. The main reason was that the young general on the white horse who led them was like a tiger descending from the mountain. No one could stop him."

"Yang Chang's archery skills are amazing, his eyesight is unmatched, and he can lift a stone lion. His bravery is beyond doubt, but..."

Lou Shi wiped the rain off his face halfway through his words, frowned and continued to ask: "There was no one blocking him from the front, didn't your men know how to shoot? Didn't they receive the order from this general? And they still couldn't shoot him down?"

"Shoot."

Wanyan Xishi nodded bitterly and added: "That man was extremely agile and dodged or swept away all the arrows, but the white horse he was riding must have been hit by five or six arrows."

"Oh?"

Lou Shi's worry turned into joy.

He looked up and saw the sky was dark. He pointed to the south and said in a deep voice, "It rained today. It got dark much earlier than usual. Yang Chang's horse was shot by an arrow and can't go far. He must be hiding somewhere for the night. Order the left army and the front army to clean up the mess. The rest of the troops should march to Yuci and sweep the villages along the way one by one. I will never let this guy come back!"

"Yes!"

The Jin army continued their journey in the rain. By dusk the rain had stopped, but they had not yet left the mountain area.

Lou Shi guessed that Yang Chang was not far away, and ordered the army to advance twenty miles overnight, intending to conduct a dragnet search of the surrounding area tomorrow morning like fishing.

The Jin army traveled for half the night, but Yang Chang did not stop all night.

It was a cloudy night, with no moon or stars, and the fields looked like splashed ink.

Yang Chang had the ability of night vision, and his mount was tamed enough to travel at night. He walked in the dark as if walking on flat ground, but Li Yanxian who was following closely did not have this ability.

When darkness swallowed up the last ray of light, Li Yanxian felt like he was falling into an abyss, and his body couldn't help but feel tense.

"General Yang, it's getting dark now. There seems to be no stars to guide the way tonight. It's easy to get lost if we move forward rashly. If we run into the arms of the Jin army, wouldn't it be a waste of time? It's better to find a place to rest first and continue the journey tomorrow morning."

"Follow me and you won't get lost."

"no."

Yang Chang had been like a tiger descending from the mountain before, but now his answer was unquestionable. Even though Li Yanxian had a rebellious personality, he did not dare to question loudly at this moment.

Li Yanxian paused and reminded softly, "Mr. Xiaozhong is injured and has been riding on the horse for a long time. He needs timely treatment and rest."

"Treatment? Rest? Just bear with it!"

"You."

"Who can I find to treat you in the wilderness? My mount was also hit by several arrows. I can only return to Weisheng for treatment. If you want to stay alive, follow me."

Yang Chang continued to urge his horse forward, and suddenly saw Zhong Shizhong lying in front of him, his head shaking from side to side.

Is this guy awake?

Could it be that the posture he is in is due to brain congestion and discomfort?
"Hey, General, are you awake?"

"This is where?"

"Where? It should be in Yuci."

"Did they really escape? Where are those dozens of brothers?"

Zhong Shizhong grabbed the saddle, craned his neck and looked around, but he could not see his hand in front of him and could only hear the chirping of insects in his ears.

Yang Chang held his shoulder with one hand, looked at Li Yanxian in the dark night, and said slowly: "Except for one person who followed here, the rest should have died on the ridge."

"Ah? Then who are you?"

"I am Li Yanxian, a villain."

"It's you?"

Zong Shizhong smiled bitterly, grabbed the back of Yang Changfu's hand with his left hand, and said solemnly: "The Zong family army was completely wiped out, how can I have the face to live? Li Yanxian is a newly recruited soldier, he is righteous and smart. If General Yang can rescue him, it will be worth your risk. I have no face to live, but I must die on the battlefield. I will kill two more golden dogs tomorrow to bury him."

"Mr. Xiaozhong, we are all out now, why are you doing this?"

"I have made up my mind, Li Yanxian."

"The little one is here."

Li Yanxian responded and waited for the next words, but Zhong Shizhong was still silent, so he curiously asked, "General? What are your instructions?"

"Don't ask. He can't answer you. He was knocked unconscious again."

"What? General Yang, you."

"then!"

Yang Chang threw out a rope and said seriously, "If you don't want to get lost or fall into a pit, tie the rope to the reins and I will lead you forward."

"Oh"

"Even ants try to survive. General Xiaozhong is the commander of an army. It's nothing for him to drag two small soldiers with him to die with him. You are not allowed to die after I save you! Follow me closely!"

"Yes." Li Yanxian swallowed his saliva in the dark, thinking to himself, I think my actions are very bold, but compared with you, I am nothing.

Young General Zhong is the deputy envoy of Hedong, and his prestige in the army is second only to Zhong Shidao and Yao Gu. As the governor of Weisheng and Pingbei, you should be under the control of General Zhong, but you knocked him out several times.

If you attack your superior in the army, you will most likely be beheaded.

You are such a man, aren't you afraid of being punished later?
With admiration, curiosity, and doubt in his heart, Li Yanxian followed the 'traction rope' and ran forward all night without stopping. He never fell into a pit or climbed up a slope until he appeared at dawn the next day.

Could it be that General Yang can see at night?
Li Yanxian thought for a long time. He mustered up the courage to ask when suddenly dust flew up in front of him.

Enemy attack?

"General Yang, there is a large group of cavalry ahead, let's go!"

"Are they Jin soldiers? Help me up, old man..."

"Don't panic, you are mine."

"what?"

Without waiting for the two men to be shocked, Yang Chang dismounted and lifted Zhong Shizhong off his horse. Only then did he remember to clasp his fists and apologize.

"Mr. Xiaozhong, I had no choice but to do what I did yesterday. Please forgive me for the offense."

"Huhu."

Master Zhong supported his legs with one hand, held his forehead with the other hand and gasped for breath. He must have been lying on the horse's back for too long and felt a little uncomfortable getting off the ground suddenly.

Li Yanxian also dismounted and came to greet him, but he saw the light of morning shining on the golden armor, and Yang Chang stood there like a god, giving people a feeling of majesty without even being angry.

My thoughts had just been pulled away when I heard the sound of hooves.

When I came to my senses, the cavalry was already in front of me.

The leading general was tall and straight. He jumped off his horse early and clasped his fists respectfully towards Yang Chang.

The general next to him stared at Zhong Shizhong, and excitedly ran forward and called out, "General Zhong!"

"you are?"

"I am Hu Cheng. When Yanjing was defeated at Baigou, old General Zhong was dismissed from office. I followed the 3,000 soldiers of the Zhong family army and joined your guard camp. Later, my brother-in-law sent someone..."

"I remember now."

Zhong Shizhong looked at Hu Cheng, then looked at Yang Chang and sighed: "You were still the governor of Qinzhou at that time, so it was right for Hu Cheng to leave the Zhong family army."

"Little Master."

"All right."

Seeing the two men were feeling sad, Yang Chang suddenly shouted to stop them and said in a deep voice: "We should not stay here for long. The Jin army may catch up with us at any time. Find a horse for General Zhong and let's go back to Weisheng first."

"Yes!"

Sun An responded and waved to the side, and immediately someone came over with a horse.

Although Zhong Shizhong holds the highest position, he is now only one soldier left and cannot go against any decision.

Yang Chang also asked Hu Cheng to watch the whole process, so Zhong Shizhong had no chance to escape and fight.

Seeing the murderous aura of the Weisheng cavalry, which felt no less than the elite of the Zhong family, Zhong Shizhong couldn't help but glance at Yang Chang, thinking that he had been sitting in a well and looking at the world in the past few years. He didn't expect that there would be such a person in Hedong.

After listening to the conversation between Yang Chang and Sun An, Zhong Shizhong became even more certain that he was no simple man.

"General, I have just carefully checked and found that your horse was hit by six arrows. It must have been in great danger yesterday."

"I don't feel anything. Zhaoye Jade Lion is not seriously injured. Just go back to Weisheng and ask Huangfu to bring some medicine. What's the situation on your side?"

"I will follow your instructions and force Geng Shouzhong's 10,000 men out of Xugou Town, and then, through repeated roaming and harassment, behead 3,000 people in one day."

"What about the battle damage? I'm more concerned about that."

"Of our three thousand cavalrymen, only seven were slightly injured."

Three thousand fought against ten thousand, beheaded three thousand, and only seven were slightly injured.

What kind of miraculous achievement is this?
But looking at Yang Chang's expression, he seemed unsatisfied? Am I dreaming?
Zhong Shizhong found it unbelievable because the army he was fighting against was the Jin army.

The combat effectiveness of Geng Shouzhong's Yisheng Army was extremely poor. Yang Changben thought that he could capture more than half of the troops yesterday, but in order to reduce casualties and seek stability, Sun An finally came to this result.

The Yisheng Army was stunned by Sun An yesterday and could only form a battle array on the spot and dared not move.

It was not until the Weisheng cavalry voluntarily withdrew that Geng Shouzhong led his troops to retreat to Qingyuan County. On the day when Yang Chang evacuated to Weisheng, Lou Shi sent people to "drag the net and investigate" in Yuci while sending people to contact Geng Shouzhong.

That night, Lou Shi led light cavalry to Qingyuan.

Geng Shouzhong knelt on the ground and kowtowed to apologize, saying that the enemy was all cavalry and he only had 300 war horses, which led to this great defeat.

After trying his best, this guy even made up a lie and insisted that it was Yang Chang who personally directed the command.

Lou Shi was stunned when he heard this, frowned and asked: "Who did you say was the leader? Commander Yang?"

"Yes." Geng Shouzhong nodded his head vigorously. "This beast is extremely ferocious. Yesterday, it rushed out of the battle array frequently, as if it was in an empty space."

"What does Yang look like?"

Seeing that Lou Shi was frowning and silent, Gao Qingyi asked on his behalf.

Geng Shouzhong's eyes rolled, and he described Sun An's body shape, appearance, golden armor, white horse and other features.

As one of the leaders of the Yisheng Army, this guy was qualified to frequently appear in the Jin Army camp. He had heard people discussing Yang Chang many times, so he kept a close eye on his characteristics and used them to give a perfunctory answer.

Of the 10,000-strong righteous army, 30% were killed in one day's battle.

When Yelu Yudu thought of the battle in the canyon, his fear for Yang Chang arose in his heart again.

Seeing that Lou Shi didn't say anything, Yelu Yudu took the initiative to remind him.

"Since Commander Yang didn't go to kill Xiong Ling, and the Weisheng Army is so capable of fighting, we should be on guard against him and be more cautious when dealing with Yao Gu."

"I won't bother to wait until the troops arrive."

Lou Shi nodded slightly, looked at Geng Shouzhong and instructed: "General Geng, please stay in Xugou and monitor the movements of Weisheng's troops. If they have retreated to Weisheng, you should advance directly to Pantuo."

"what?"

"I will dispatch troops to support you."

"Yes."

Geng Shouzhong was reassured and led his troops to Xu Gou the next day.

Lou Shi hosted a banquet for all the generals that day, and during the banquet he sent people to the Yisheng Army to verify. He not only confirmed that Geng Shouzhong was lying, but also guessed that Yang Chang had retreated to Weisheng.

Although it was a pity that Zhong Shizhong left, the Zhong family army had been completely wiped out, the threat in the east of Taiyuan had been resolved, and the only one left was Yao Gu who had kept his troops in place.

As for Weisheng Yang Chang, Loushi still focused on surveillance, but sent Pucha Shijianu from Yangqu to assist in defense.

As soon as the main force that was besieging the Zhong division arrived, Lou Shi went to Fenzhou without rest, and sent people to notify Wanyan Tuhesu in the front to spread the news that the Zhong army was completely wiped out, so as to put pressure on Yao Gu in advance.

Fenzhou, where Yao Gu was located, was also within the Taiyuan Basin and had no strategic terrain to utilize. However, Lou Shi used his troops in a large-scale offensive and defensive manner, and the main force of the Jin army was very brave, so the Jin army won many battles.

In the end, the Song army in the west withdrew, and less than a month after Fenzhou was recovered, it was occupied again by Lou Shi's troops. This is a story for later.

Speaking of Weisheng, Zhong Shizhong was rescued by Yang Chang and treated by An Daoquan. His external injuries healed in a few days.

He originally wanted to die in battle for his country, but Yang Chang risked his own life to save him. He thought it would be a waste of effort if he continued to disregard his life, so he changed his mindset and chose to survive.

In mid-July, news of Yao Gu's defeat reached Weisheng.

Although Zhong Shizhong had not fully recovered from his injuries, he felt so ashamed that he could not continue to stay, so he asked Hu Cheng to take him to ask for his resignation from Yang Chang.

The rescue of Taiyuan failed, and there was no way to evade responsibility. The only option was to return to Beijing to confess and accept punishment.

Although Yang Chang wanted to replace the Song Dynasty, it was extremely difficult to recapture Zhong Shizhong. Saving him was also to repay Hu Cheng's favor.

However, compared to that group of spineless people, Yang Chang admired Zhong Shizhong's backbone very much. When he learned that Zhong Shizhong insisted on returning to Beijing to apologize, he held a farewell banquet at home for him.

Coincidentally, the sky over Weisheng that day was also covered with dark clouds, indicating that a rainstorm was coming.

Yang Chang held a banquet in the front hall. In order not to affect the sight in the hall and to provide cool air while dining, the front and back doors and windows were all opened wide.

Just as Zhong Shizhong raised his wine glass, a strong wind suddenly blew in from outside the house, blowing up his mottled beard.

"Black clouds are pressing down on the city, and it is about to collapse. The armor shines towards the sun, and its scales are shining like gold. We are old and useless. The burden of this country must be shouldered by you young people."

"Victory and defeat are common in the military. Don't be discouraged, Mr. Xiaozhong. There will definitely be opportunities in the future. The Jin army is not that scary."

"Haha, I have heard a lot of stories about the general during my stay in Weisheng these few days, and I know you can win battles, but..."

Zhong Shizhong suddenly changed the subject, looked at Yang Chang meaningfully and said: "Things like beheading Salumu may make you feel relieved, but they lack political wisdom. If you offend the court officials, they will resort to tricking you. In short, it is better to be careful."

"I heard that the cause of Xiaozhong Xianggong's defeat was that the Privy Council urged you to advance. Your Majesty should be lenient with him, right?"

"Haha, if you lose, you lose. How lenient can the punishment be?"

"Can the Privy Council still shirk its responsibility?"

Seeing Yang Changyi's indignation, Zhong Shizhong shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Someone will naturally take the responsibility of the Privy Council. I have to take my own responsibility. I led 90,000 soldiers out, and in the end only one person was left. What excuses are you still looking for?"

"This"

"By the way, come here!"

Zhong Shizhong summoned Li Yanxian and asked him solemnly in front of Yang Chang: "You seem to get along well with Hu Cheng. If you stay in Weisheng, he should be able to take care of you. But if you accompany me back to the capital, I may be able to get you a military position. It would be a waste of your talent to be an ordinary soldier."

"I wish to stay in Weisheng."

Li Yanxian answered firmly, which made Yang Chang, who was sitting at the head table, frown. He thought that this man was so disloyal and had no attachment to his old master. Wouldn't it be a disaster if he was kept here?
"Mr. Xiaozhong's injuries have not yet healed. He needs someone to take care of him on his way back to the capital. As his only soldier, shouldn't you accompany him as a guard?"

"He is not my direct descendant, but he fought till the end at Shaxiongling. This friendship is rare. If he stays under General Yang, he will surely help to kill the Jin people."

"Even if you are Mr. Xiaozhong's soldier, if you stay, you will still have to start as a small soldier. If you go back to the capital with Mr. Xiaozhong, you will most likely get a small official position. Are you sure you don't regret it?"

"No regrets!"

Hearing his answer, Yang Chang frowned even more tightly, then smiled faintly and asked, "Can you give me a reason?"

"Um"

Li Yanxian thought for a moment, clasped his fists and replied, "General, my original name was Li Xiaozhong. I once recruited 3,000 local warriors to go to Beijing to defend the king. I was granted the title of Chengjielang by the court. However, I wrote a letter to accuse Li Gang of not knowing how to fight, and was ordered to be hunted down by the officials. I changed my name to my current one when I was on the run, so it is really inconvenient for me to return to Beijing."

"Report to Li Gang?"

Yang Chang swallowed his saliva after hearing this and thought to himself, I guessed that you had some story, but I didn't expect the story to be so exciting.

You kid, it turns out you are a troublemaker?
"Li Xiaozhong? It's you?"

Zhong Shizhong stood up excitedly, pointing at Li Yanxian and introducing him to Yang Chang: "I heard from my brother that at that time, there were many soldiers in Bianliang who came to support the king. It was because of his report to Li Gang that His Majesty appointed my brother as the envoy to unify the command. Li Gang was in his prime at that time, so it was better for him not to go back."

"Haha, his temper is quite typical of the world."

(End of this chapter)