Rescue 919

  The cavalry of Xuzhou Prefecture rushed over along the main road, one by one with high spirits and vigor. Just now, the south gate was breached from inside by the rebel army, dropping the drawbridge and opening the city gate. These cavalrymen charged into the city without a single hair harmed, only to find that there was not much left for them to do.

  Huang Zhen was overjoyed, his purchased official position had been approved, "Fifth-Rank Dragon Guard", an absolutely cool name. He was now a military officer, although he still didn't have a real post, but he could also wear armor and follow the guards to join in the fun, running to the iron factory to report a revenge. Thinking that he would soon be able to take back that arrogant young lady, he couldn't help but smile secretly.

  Gao Shoubi was also delighted, and without losing a single soldier or officer, they broke into the iron factory, truly a great achievement. Just now at the south gate, he saw a dead body of a man who had fought to the death defending the city, still standing upright despite being dead. His face looked just like that of Niu Canjiang, the imperial guard who had once whipped and humiliated him. So he ordered someone to cut off the corpse's head and hang it on his horse, feeling as excited as if he were hanging Niu Canjiang's real head.

  The war horses of the cavalry defending Xuzhou Prefecture were all Sichuan and Yunnan horses, with a small body shape. The weapons of the cavalrymen were also ordinary, with red-tasseled spears made of white wax rods and long-handled horse knives. However, after all, there were thousands of fresh soldiers, and the large cavalry troops came over in a mighty manner.

  The road cleared by the rebels was blocked by the cavalry, and Peng Jingrong's group was blocked from going further, surrounded on all sides. Seeing the once-arrogant Second Miss now desperately committing robbery, Huang Zhen couldn't help but laugh dryly, shouting in a loud voice: "Little girl, you still can't escape this general's Five Finger Mountain! Come, men, take them down!" He wouldn't care about any hostages or not.

  "Absolutely not!" Before the second young lady could explode, Yu Hualong, who was following behind, shouted: "High defense, bandits have taken our son hostage, absolutely do not take action!"

  Gao Shoubei slightly bowed his head on horseback and said proudly: "Lord Yu, I am wearing armor, so I can't give you a full salute. You are also a high-ranking official who has received an imperial edict to pacify the region. How can you abandon your public duty for personal reasons and let traitors who collude with the Qing state escape?"

  According to the secret agreement between Yu Hualong and Jiucheng Sui, he launched a coup on New Year's Day, seizing the position of factory owner. The imperial court sent troops to assist, and after the success, Jiucheng Sui promised him an official title as a Gongbu Shilang, with his mother and wife receiving noble titles, and his son immediately getting a nominal title as a Yuanwailang. Although they were all nominal titles, the crimson official robes embroidered with golden pheasants were genuine, and Yu Hualong, who had been a commoner for generations, became a second-rank official in charge of the iron factory, formally appointed by the imperial court.

  So Gao Shoubei now calls himself a humble servant, appearing very respectful. In fact, he has another secret order to take advantage of the situation and eliminate all forces in the iron factory. Later, it will be managed by officials dispatched by Jiu Qian Sui. This big piece of fat meat has long been coveted by the imperial court, but due to the location of the iron factory on the front line and its own strong military strength, it has not taken action for a long time.

  Yu Hualong has stirred up trouble, dragging many ignorant Iron Guard soldiers into it. The mid-to-low ranking officers loyal to the eldest miss have been secretly arrested from their homes during the New Year's holiday, so the rebellion is proceeding relatively smoothly. Now seeing the officials and soldiers insisting on capturing the second miss and putting her son in danger, Yu Hualong is getting angry, putting on the airs of a high-ranking official and ordering Gao Shoubao: "Gao Shoubao, first order your men to retreat, this official has his own arrangements."

  Gao Shoubei was anxious to find an excuse to attack, but upon hearing this, his face changed and he said: "I am the defender of Xuzhou Prefecture, not some minor official from the Ministry of Works. Take down these bandits at once!"

  Hua Long also turned his face: "I'll see who dares to make a move!"

  The rebel's crossbow was quickly pushed over, aiming at the government soldiers. A row of sharp three-edged arrowheads on the cartridge stimulated the eyes of the government soldiers. This thing is launched and is the nemesis of cavalry, with great power and speed, piercing through both men and horses, not to mention that both sides are now so close, the cavalry has no buffer zone for charging.

  Both sides are at a stalemate, their weapons raised, and the atmosphere is gradually solidifying.

  Peng Jingrong was on the verge of tears, but her cold sweat still appeared on the tip of her nose. The situation was even more complicated and dangerous than before. All around were weapons clashing, and the hostage in her hand was only effective against one enemy. Even if Song Qingfeng was extremely powerful, he couldn't withstand a thousand soldiers and horses! She was finished, she absolutely could not be captured! With her left hand tightly gripping the gold-inlaid white jade-handled long dagger, and her right hand holding the revolver, she had made up her mind that if the enemy launched a charge, she would kill herself rather than be taken alive and humiliated.

  Liu Ziguang wore the Iron Guard's helmet and armor to blend in with the crowd, taking advantage of the chaos to slowly squeeze into a position closer to the rebel army.

  He had an ordinary narrow-bladed goose-quill pendant knife in his hand, less than a meter long. Just now he chopped off several armor-piercing guys and rolled up the blade. It was really not handy to use. Seeing one of Yu Hualong's personal bodyguards holding a long-handled thick-backed straight-bladed horse-killing knife standing nearby, he reached out and patted that person's shoulder and said: "Lend me your knife for a while."

  The bodyguard hadn't even reacted when he felt his hand empty, and a figure flashed by beside him. Then a pained cry reached his ears, his saber dancing in the hands of a rebel-clad person like a windmill, stirring up a bloody storm within their own ranks.

  Liu Ziguang now grasped the trick, he didn't chop at the enemy's armor, but used his swift speed and precise movements to specifically chop at people's necks. The rebel troops couldn't even see their opponent's moves clearly before their line of sight became very high, then fell back down to the ground, where they could only see the accumulated snow. Countless headless trunks sprayed hot blood into the sky, while countless helmeted heads rolled around on the ground with a clanging sound.

  Liu Ziguang killed a bloody path, shouting at Peng Jingrong and his men: "Go north, leave the city!" Peng Jingrong and his men saw an iron-faced warrior brutally helping them to kill a bloody path behind their backs, and in desperation they could only retreat north as he said.

  The crossbow was originally aimed at the government soldiers, but now there were enemies in their own ranks. In the chaos, they hastily turned the crossbow around, but they didn't dare to fire randomly for fear of accidentally injuring their own people. The government soldiers saw this shocking scene and were also frightened, their legs turning soft. Gao Shoubi was a military general after all, and he had some courage. Seeing that the enemy was brave but alone, he took advantage of his cavalry's numerical superiority and ordered them to pursue. The cavalrymen didn't dare disobey, so they spurred on their horses and chased after him along the bloody road.

  The rebels were afraid of hurting Yu Xiaolong, so they didn't dare to surround him. Liu Ziguo killed his way out and led Peng Jingru's group northward. The government soldiers followed closely behind, chasing after them, and then the rebels also pushed their carts with ballistae, following from behind. A large army marched along the main streets of the city, pursuing a small group of people.

  Liu Ziguang swung his saber and cut down several government soldiers who had ridden forward, scaring them so much that they only dared to follow from a distance and not launch a fierce attack. Some government soldiers with bows and arrows shot at him from horseback, but their marksmanship was too poor, and the few threatening arrows were blocked by the enemy. On the other hand, six people were shot down by Peng Jingrong's revolver behind the small team that had been cut off. It took a lot of strength to cock the hammer, so Peng Jingrong handed the gun to an inner guard to reload, then took the revolver thrown over by her sister and continued firing.

  Liu Ziguang used his body to shield Peng Jingrong, and the two fought side by side. Although she didn't know who this iron-faced warrior was, there was a strange sense of familiarity floating in her heart. The accurate and fierce knife skills, the steady pace, and the slightly melancholic eyes under the mask made the girl feel that if she could lean on him, no matter how big the storm was, she wouldn't be afraid.

  Song Qingfeng took the lead, Beimen, great! I was just thinking of taking everyone to Beimen. That Tiemianren's kung fu route is very strange, no fancy moves, just fast. It seems that Tiechang hides many powerful masters.

  The road to the North Gate was smooth, and a large group of people followed a small team of wounded soldiers at a steady pace, gradually approaching the city wall. The gate was still wide open, and the entire defense of the North Gate was in vain.

  Liu Ziguang suddenly jumped up, cutting down several cavalrymen and scaring the officers and soldiers into hastily pulling on the reins, not daring to get close. By the time Liu Ziguang landed, he had already grabbed the reins in his hand. Peng Jingrong cooperated very well, taking the reins and leading the horse away. Liu Ziguang said to him: "Big sister, take your younger sister and escape north, I'll hold down the city gate here."

  "This voice is so familiar, is it him? Impossible! His martial arts skills are good, but they can't be this good. But the feeling, figure, eyes, and voice are all so similar. Peng Jingrong asked tremulously: "Who are you? Why did you help me?"

  Liu Ziguang thought there was nothing to hide, and just as he was about to lift his mask to answer, the opposing Gao Shoubao had already become anxious, letting them seize the horses and leave the city. What's the point of chasing after that? Hiding behind him, he issued a strict order, and immediately surrounded and blocked them at the city gate. Whoever dares to be cowardly will be dealt with by military law. The officers and soldiers saw that they could no longer delay, so they split into two wings, shouting as they charged over.

  In a state of urgency, Liu Ziguang didn't have time to lift his mask and reveal his identity. He grabbed Peng Jingrong's slender waist with one hand, lifted her onto the horse, and slapped the horse's buttocks with all his might. The warhorse neighed in pain and galloped towards the north gate with Peng Jingrong on its back. Some of the palace guards who had good eyesight rushed over to take control of the other horses, helping the Second Miss escape in a flurry. As they fled, the Second Miss cast a deep glance at the mysterious iron-masked warrior, before disappearing into the distance surrounded by her entourage.

  The officers and soldiers rushed up, Liu Ziguo fought back while retreating, but he stopped retreating when he reached the city gate. The city gate was narrower than the street, and with his agility, he could single-handedly hold off thousands of men. After beheading several cavalrymen, Liu Ziguo drew a line on the bluestone ground with his sword and shouted loudly: "Whoever crosses this line will die!"

  The officers and soldiers retreated in panic, but were pushed forward by the crowd of people behind them. Liu Ziguang swung his sword wildly, chopping down anyone who came near. The blade of his sword quickly became soft from the heat of the blood, and its edge curled up. On the stone slab with lines carved on it, a pile of corpses rapidly grew, with blood flowing all over the ground. The smooth stone floor caused the cavalry rushing forward to fall over, horses and men tumbling together. At this moment, the north gate was filled with the sound of people shouting, horses neighing, the wailing of the wounded, the angry shouts of officers, and the dull thud of weapons cutting into flesh. The pile of corpses grew higher and higher, until even the warhorses could not climb over it.

  Gao Shoubei's cavalry was about to charge out, but a thousand horsemen were blocked by one person and couldn't get out. If the news got out, the face of Xuzhou Prefecture's officials would be lost. "Send someone up the city wall to climb out and chase." Fortunately, he thought of it.

  Yu Hualong also led his troops over, and the two were still allies for the time being, so they couldn't turn against each other yet. He urged his horse forward and came to High Shoubei's side, suggesting: "High Shoubei, have your men fall back and let my crossbowmen take their place." High Shoubei was worried about losing so many precious cavalrymen, but when he heard Yu Hualong's words, he was overjoyed: "Sir Yu, thank you for your trouble. Flag officer, sound the retreat!"

  The cavalrymen heard the sound of the golden drum, retreated like a tide, and replaced all ten car crossbows with killing arrows with three-edged arrowheads, forming a semicircle, aiming at Liu Ziguang inside the city gate.