Chapter 28: Conquering Yanshan Prefecture (7)
Guo the pharmacist is not good at fighting, but when it comes to internal strife, he is more skilled than anyone else. With a great enemy in front of him, Guo the pharmacist launched a military coup, and all administrative officials became hostages. At this moment, Guo the pharmacist was thinking about how to report his merits to Wanyan Zongwang.
"Report, General! Something's wrong! A group of imperial guards are killing their way over here!" a personal soldier rushed in and exclaimed anxiously.
"It's impossible!" Guo shouted in surprise.
Changshengjun believed that the Golden Army would take care of him and wouldn't attack from within the city, and the Imperial Guards in the city had been given strict orders: anyone who dared to step out of their barracks would be executed on the spot. The sudden appearance of the army caused Guo Yashi to become somewhat flustered, but at this point Guo Yashi was also desperate, drawing his sword and leading dozens of men in a charge.
The incoming person is Liang Fangxu leading the 500 Imperial Forest Army, who emerged from behind the Forbidden Army and clashed with Guo Yao's nearly thousand-strong personal soldiers. The suddenly arriving Imperial Forest Army killed the Forbidden Army off guard, but Guo Yao soon discovered that his own numbers were superior and he had nothing to worry about. Although the combat effectiveness of Guo Yao's personal soldiers was not as good as that of the Invincible Army, they were also one of the stronger branches in the Forbidden Army. The Imperial Forest Army who came here were mostly old soldiers of the Golden Scales Army, with strong combat effectiveness, but at a numerical disadvantage, and stuck together with Guo Yao's personal soldiers.
General Guo hastily dispatched someone with a military token to summon troops from the barracks. At this moment, a soldier rushed to General Guo's side and said: "General, a cavalry of 500 men has appeared under the city of Yanshan Prefecture. It's getting late and it's hard to see clearly, but they seem to be dressed in Jin army uniforms." General Guo was somewhat skeptical, and he nodded at a middle-aged man with a cold expression beside him. This middle-aged man was dressed as a personal soldier and had only appeared a few hours ago, closely following General Guo.
The stern middle-aged man nodded slightly and left with Guo Yao Shi. The 500 cavalrymen were neatly lined up at the gate of Yanshan Prefecture, and there were only a few dozen defenders on the city wall. Before the war, the military camp was like this, which was a rare sight to behold. The stern middle-aged man observed the 500 cavalrymen for a moment, then asked in the Jin language: "Whose subordinates are you? What brings you here?" Only one person rode forward and proudly said: "I am the vanguard general of Wanyan Zongwang's army, and I was sent by General Wanyan to scout ahead and see if Guo Yao Shi has taken Yanshan Prefecture. This time, the general's son Wanyan Lieyue is leading the troops here in person."
The man in the middle wearing a bamboo hat said coldly in Mandarin: "Open the door for me."
That cold and stern middle-aged man couldn't help but believe half of it, only a few people knew that Guo Yao was going to launch a coup. After asking the cold and stern middle-aged man, he immediately tidied up his clothes with excitement and ran to the city gate to open the door himself. Guo Yao also had a thread of worry in his heart, the outcome of surrendering had its pros and cons, hoping that the Jin people would not go back on their word.
Five hundred cavalrymen slowly entered the city, with the person in the middle leading the way on horseback. He jumped off his horse and came to Guo Yao's front, opening his arms as if ready for a hug. Guo Yao was suddenly honored and surprised, and he went forward to welcome him. A dagger with bright red blood pierced through Guo Yao's body. Guo Yao trembled, looking at the person in front of him who wore a bamboo hat, unable to believe it. Zhao Yan raised his head, lifting up his bamboo hat, saying calmly: "You don't deserve to live."
At this moment, the cavalry that had been advancing slowly suddenly accelerated, colliding with and scattering the small number of Imperial Guards on both sides. The cavalrymen swung their swords, killing and slashing, some Imperial Guards having their heads chopped off, spattering blood everywhere, falling to the ground dead. Others were directly pierced through the heart by short spears, meeting a swift death.
Very soon, the Imperial Forest Army led by Zhao Kun annihilated dozens of people brought by Guo Yao Shi. Suddenly, a corpse flew up and it was that middle-aged man with a cold face. He lightly jumped onto his horse, broke the knight's neck with his hand, threw down the corpse, patted the horse and left. Zhao Kun drew out his crossbow and pulled the trigger. The sharp arrow instantly pierced through the back armor of the middle-aged man, the arrowhead pierced through his body and exposed a section on his chest. The middle-aged man widened his eyes looking at the arrowhead on his chest. A "clashing" sound was heard, and the corpse fell beside the war horse. Zhao Kun coldly looked at the corpse and said, "Hou Yi, take fifty men to guard the gate, the rest follow me."
Li Fangxu was now in a desperate situation, and Guo Yushi had brought up 10,000 imperial guards to surround the remaining less than 300 men in an alley. The hastily arriving imperial guards did not bring bows and arrows, and the entrance of the alley was very narrow, only allowing three people to pass through at the same time. Adding to this, the Golden Scales Army had always been good at small-scale coordination, and for a while, they actually blocked the 10,000-strong army. The commander-in-chief of the imperial guards knew that the Imperial Forest Army had a deep background, but he had received orders to eliminate them, so he could only follow orders and suspend the attack. A fierce attack would only result in exchanging lives, which made no sense, so he ordered his men to go back and fetch bows, arrows, and crossbows.
Li Fangxu was anxious at this time, not because he was afraid of death, but because he was worried that he had not completed the task arranged by Zhao Yan, and the Yanshan government was still completely controlled by Guo Yao Shi. Hundreds of soldiers died in vain here, he was not afraid of being wrapped in horse leather after death, what he feared was that his death would be meaningless.
Soon after, the archers of the Forbidden Army arrived and stood in a row, placing their bows on the bowstring and aiming at the Imperial Forest Army. Liang Fangxu's expression was solemn, and he didn't care about the several wounds on his body that were constantly bleeding. The soldiers of the Imperial Forest Army faced death with raised arms and loud shouts:
"The Imperial Forest Iron Army, wielding long spears, tearing through the heavens. Blood can flow, lives can pass, but what remains is the spirit of the army?"
Destroying enemies first, recovering rivers and mountains, if you ask about this moment. Now, the rivers and mountains are broken, a million forbidden troops recover the mountains and rivers.
The commander of the Imperial Guard was just about to give the order to shoot arrows when Zhao Jie and others rode up on horseback. Zhao Jie shouted loudly: "Halt, do not shoot! The Emperor has issued an edict, all soldiers of the Imperial Guard are to return to their barracks and await orders. I have the Tiger Tally here, anyone who disobeys will be beheaded."
At the moment when the Imperial Guard was in a difficult situation, one of Guo Yao's personal soldiers shouted loudly: "This person is a spy from the Jin State, everyone..." An arrow suddenly pierced the man's brow, and several of Guo Yao's personal soldiers who wanted to step forward were all frightened into not daring to move. Zhao Jiong's powerful presence intimidated all the Imperial Guards present. The imperial guards who came later rushed up on horseback, rounded up all the archers among the Imperial Guard, and confiscated their bows and arrows.
Zhao Kuo took out the tiger tally and said: "Guo Yao Shi secretly colluded with the Jin people, harmed his colleagues, and committed a heinous crime. He has already been executed. You all return to my command, swear to defend the city to the death. From now on, those who capture his relatives' soldiers will be promoted three ranks and rewarded with 100 gold."
Under the heavy reward, there must be brave men. The forbidden army rushed up on horseback and captured all of Guo Yao's personal soldiers. Those who dared to resist were killed with a single knife.
Zhao Yun finally took over the Forbidden Army of Yanshan Prefecture and ordered them to slowly return to their camp. Zhao Yun summoned all the generals leading the Forbidden Army to his military tent, saying that they were only temporarily in charge, as it was rare for a general in the Northern Song dynasty to lead an army for a long time. The situation in Yanshan Prefecture was complicated, and the generals could only lead troops temporarily. Zhao Yun didn't waste words with these people, only requiring them to assemble all troops on the drill ground the next day, warning that anyone who made another move would be killed without pardon. He also ordered the deployment of able-bodied soldiers to guard the city walls of Yanshan Prefecture. The military meeting ended quickly, and Zhao Yun summoned Hou Yi, ordering him to recall the Invincible Army from their external garrison back to Yanshan Prefecture.
Zhao Kan made arrangements and then, accompanied by several imperial guards, hastily arrived at Liang Fangxu's military tent. At this time, Liang Fangxu was lying on the bed, bare-chested, allowing two medical officers to wrap his entire body in bandages. The gauze seemed to be used without restraint, wrapping Liang Fangxu up like a mummy.
Liang Fangxu was smiling wryly, he had complained many times before, but the more he complained, the more his body was wrapped up, and finally he wisely shut his mouth. Zhao Kan looked at Liang Fangxu and almost burst out laughing, Liang Fangxu's whole body was covered in white cloth, only his face was exposed. When Liang Fangxu saw Zhao Kan come in, he wanted to struggle down from the bed to pay respects, but his body couldn't even get up, let alone sit up, and finally had to give up helplessly.
Zhao Song stood by the bed and let the two medical officers retreat. He walked to the bedside and said, "General Liang, rest well, leave the rest to me."
Liang Fangxu's mouth was blocked and he couldn't say anything, so he just nodded slightly.
Zhao Song gave Liang Fangxu a firm look and left the room. The two medical officers at the door were chatting idly, but as soon as they saw Zhao Song come out, they immediately knelt down on the ground. Zhao Song helped them up and said, "Take good care of General Liang." They nodded hastily in agreement. Zhao Song then arrived at the residence of the Prefectural Magistrate, where Cai Jing hurriedly came to greet him. Seeing that Zhao Song was young but wore black armor and carried a precious sword at his waist, with an air of determination about him, he didn't dare be slow to react, and stepped forward to clasp his fists in respect, saying: "Thank you, General, for saving my life."
The personal soldier behind him said, "This is the Crown Prince Zhao Yan, don't you hurry to pay your respects." Although Zhao Yan saved Cai Jing's life, first because Guo Yao Shi rebelled earlier and secondly because he looked down on military generals in his bones, his heart was still extremely repelled by military generals. But when he heard that Zhao Yan was a noble crown prince, his attitude suddenly changed 360 degrees, with a fawning heart overflowing from his words.
Zhao Yan is now very famous in the capital, and his nickname "Jia Rong Gongzi" has spread far and wide. People say that he is extraordinary in both appearance and talent, and that he helps the emperor compose auspicious melodies in the palace while also leading troops to sweep away bandits in the mountains. He can be said to excel in both literature and martial arts. When Cai Jing saw him, she suddenly felt a sense of closeness, because she had already categorized Zhao Yan as a literary person. "I didn't know Your Excellency was arriving, I've committed many offenses, please forgive me," Cai Jing apologized, kneeling on the ground.
Zhao Song helped Cai Jing up and said in a warm voice: "The defense of the city still needs to rely on Master Zhifu."
"I am willing to die and offer my liver and brains as sacrifice, to cooperate with Your Highness in all matters."
Zhao Song let out a sigh of relief, fortunately Cai Jing was still somewhat obedient. After comforting Cai Jing and the others, Zhao Song walked on the roads within the city walls of Yan Mountain Prefecture, his personal guards following far behind without approaching him. As he strolled forward, he gazed at the Imperial Guards busily transporting equipment for defending the city, listening to the neighing of warhorses, and feeling the wind blowing against the fluttering flags around him. Zhao Song's expression was somewhat dazed, having come from Bianjing to Yan Mountain Prefecture in just a short year, constantly struggling against fate for survival, encountering many people - enemies and friends alike. He had seen many things: being poisoned, composing poetry, commanding troops, and now deciding the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers in Yan Mountain Prefecture.
Here is the translation:
The nerves are always tense here, and any slackness will cost the lives of his trusted generals. If they can't stop the Jin army's advance this time, the wheels of history will continue to move forward slowly. To survive, one must fight against fate. Zhao looked at the bright moon in the sky with infinite emotion, clenched his fists tightly.
About 20,000 of the Changsheng Army slowly entered the military camp, no longer as fragile as before, but still with low morale. However, Zhao Yun believed they were absolutely the backbone of defending the city.
