Chapter 434

The Prince of Badong had a growing sense of foreboding.

First, Li Jingxuan forged the Prince's order and stole the token to flee, then rumors spread in the army, gradually becoming unstoppable.

That dog Li Jingxuan was ungrateful, a beast in human form, abandoning his master to flee; he deserved to die! He had already sent many people to pursue him; once caught, he would let that dog Li understand what happens to those who betray him.

But the rumor issue was hard to solve. In the end, it was because the news from Jingzhou was cut off, and more and more people sensed something was wrong. The Prince of Badong used Guo Wenyuan's plan to disguise the grain sent by the mobile army as supplies from Jingzhou, hoping to stabilize the army's morale.

But facts proved this was a stinking move.

The soldiers were overjoyed to hear that Jingzhou grain had arrived and inquired about news, but this inquiry revealed the truth, instead confirming the rumors that something had happened in Jingzhou!

Coupled with the Prince of Badong having long secretly sent people to intercept Jingzhou news, whether oral or written, although the soldiers could not get confirmation, the fact that they were cut off from their families was true.

Especially with Li Jingxuan's escape, it made people's hearts even more restless!

Although the Prince of Badong announced to the outside world that Li Jingxuan was ordered by him to go to Sizhou to contact reinforcements, he even claimed to have received a letter of surrender from Sizhou Inspector Cui Huijing! Once Li Jingxuan arrived and finished discussing, he would lead troops south to attack the Tai army together!

But credibility is something that takes time to build, yet it only takes one or two lies to destroy.

Previously he forged Jingzhou grain delivery, and now he said Li Jingxuan did not defect. Anyone with a brain could see there was a problem here! Let alone the Sizhou troop deployment being completely groundless, even if it were true, in the background of such rumors, it could not act as a stimulant.

The rumors began to escalate, saying that with Military Commander Wang's talent and background, he knew the news of Jingzhou long ago, and the Prince of Badong's defeat was already set, so he led his troops away and was no longer under the Prince of Badong's jurisdiction. Li Jingxuan also knew the Prince of Badong's situation was over, so he ran away in a hurry.

Wang Yang and Li Jingxuan took turns holding the army for the Prince, and now both were gone; wasn't the outcome obvious?

The Prince of Badong could no longer care about beating Guo Wenyuan, because the thing he worried about most happened—

Soldiers began to flee, and the number was increasing.

The Prince of Badong implemented strict laws and sent troops to pursue, but it could not be stopped. The fleeing people said to the pursuers:

"I'll ask you, do you think you are as smart as Military Commander Wang? Are you as smart as Advisor Li? Both of them left in a hurry, fearing to stay here and wait for death, and you still can't see the situation. We are all ordinary people, it's normal not to see the situation, but you can always see what smart people do!"

The pursuers thought about it, put away their blades, and ran away with the fleeing people.

What was outrageous was that they didn't all run to Jingzhou; some ran along the Han River to join Wang Yang!

Rumors spread in the army that the Tai army had arrived and was right in front of them! Only by joining Military Commander Wang was there a way to live!

Each camp was noisy, with no will to fight; naval commander Zeng De'an, not knowing if he believed the rumors or had other news, actually abandoned the army and went alone to join Wang Yang!

The Prince of Badong was furious! Within a day, he killed two captains and four squad leaders, and sent three more messengers, holding his handwritten order, ordering Wang Yang to execute all the fleeing soldiers! Send back their heads to show the public!

And ordered Wang Yang to send a military messenger back to Xiakou to clarify the situation and stabilize the army's morale.

Guo Wenyuan felt something was wrong; it was one thing for soldiers to believe rumors and blindly follow to join Wang Yang, but Zeng De'an was a commander of an army; didn't he know Wang Yang was always under the Prince's control? How dared he go directly to join Wang Yang?

He abandoned the Prince and joined Wang Yang, which meant he believed Wang Yang had already turned his heart against the Prince and would not hand him over to the Prince!

But why did he think so?

Did someone send him a message? Or did Wang Yang give him some hint before leaving?

Guo Wenyuan suspected something was wrong with Wang Yang, but the Prince of Badong had said beforehand that whoever spoke of discord would be beheaded; he didn't want to be the second Tao Rui, so he could only endure and say nothing. But in fact, there was no need for Guo Wenyuan to say it; the Prince of Badong himself noticed something wrong, because not only did the three messengers he sent to transmit orders never return, but even Xue Shao's reports were cut off!

What happened to the army attacking Yong? Was there an enemy intercepting communications? Or was the battle raging, and there was no time to send news?

The Prince of Badong sent a small team along the Han River to find Wang Yang, but he just didn't dare to think of the worst possibility! Because this possibility was something he could not bear.

However, after some struggle, he decided he could not deceive himself. The current offensive and defensive layout was based on the strategy Wang Yang left before leaving. If Wang Yang really had changed, would these strategies hide murderous intent?

Even if Wang Yang hadn't changed, the army's morale had changed, and he could not be rigid.

The Prince of Badong ordered the abandonment of all outer garrisons and the full contraction of the army, even ordering the mobile army looting grain to be recalled. The intention was to concentrate power, strengthen control, and reduce desertion. But the order exploded the rumors, and the front army collapsed!

The Wuling soldiers, who had been ambushed in advance in Yingzhou according to Wang Yang's arrangement, also killed their way out of Wukou, and the garrisons west of Yuhu City and Baiyang Rampart collapsed at the sight of them!

(Chapter 407 "Han Xin Points Troops": "By the way, it's fine to let me guard Lushan, but I have one request: transfer the Wuling soldiers to me."

"Impossible.")

Wukou was east of Yuhu City, where the Wu River entered the Yangtze River from the south. Initially, Li Jingxuan was worried about Yingzhou setting ambushes, so for the sake of caution, he set the garrison limit at Yuhu City and Baiyang Rampart, thinking of them as the eastern defense fortress (see Chapter 413 "Getting Ambition"), the two supporting each other, so the ambush at Wukou could not succeed.

Now that the Prince of Badong withdrew the garrisons, the Wuling soldiers took the opportunity to strike, and no one could stop them!

However, there were few Wuling soldiers; once their true strength was seen, they would surely be counter-killed. So Wang Yang set three principles that must be strictly guarded: first, the troop deployment must be at night. Second, the pursuit speed cannot be too fast. Third, the whole army cannot go deep.

At night, one cannot distinguish faces; speed too fast leads to accidents; going deep makes it easy to be detected that the rear is empty, without a large army to suppress.

The so-called wind blowing and cranes calling, every tree and bush is an enemy. As the last straw that broke the camel's back, the Wuling soldiers didn't need to fight fiercely at all; they only needed to make the sound of wind and cranes, and all the grass and trees in the mountains could be used as soldiers!

Therefore, the Wuling soldiers lit torches everywhere, gathered many drums, shouted and jumped, and the sound shook the rivers and mountains!

The three cities of Xiakou saw the fire and all raised fires in response, drumming and shouting loudly!

At this time, there was no distinction between Jing and Ying, enemy or us; everyone thought the Tai army had arrived!

The Jingzhou armies all collapsed at once!

The people and horses of each camp trampled on each other, competing to flee east!

Little Ba didn't even have time to put on his armor; he grabbed his long sword, got on his horse, and ran!

The fire reflected the river red, the drums shook, and the connected camps all split.

Who would have expected that a thousand miles of ships would collapse in a single morning.

The sound of the wind is the best at killing generals,

Why need ten thousand armors to face the autumn moon.

Ask at this time, where is the way home?

Smoke flickers.

The night fog is like smoke.

The Yongning barbarian army ran fast with bits in their mouths, walking through the dense forest.

This was the route the three barbarian armies took when they left the barbarian land to attack Kong Zhangyu.

The Yongning barbarian army had walked it once, and walking it again this time was even more familiar. The whole army did not raise torches, only borrowing the waning moon and the starlight between the forest gaps to identify the road.

Just as they were about to leave the mountain pass, firelight suddenly shone brightly!

Torches were lit one after another, illuminating half of the mountain rock red!

A large group of archers stood on the mountain rock; in the flickering firelight, the arrow tips were as cold as frost, all pointing at the Yongning unit.

A dark mass of barbarian soldiers also flashed out in front of the mountain road, blocking the way!

Although the Yongning barbarian army was surprised, they were not chaotic; the shield bearers immediately raised their shields to press up, the rear gathered, the vanguard spears extended outward, and soon they formed a battle formation.

On the mountain rock, Le Luo Luo looked down at the forest and shouted loudly:

"Where is Hou Zeng of the Yongning unit? Come out and speak!"

Ang Ta rushed to the front of the formation, looked up, and asked angrily:

"Le Luo Luo, what do you want to do?"

"It's not what I want to do, it's what Hou Zeng wants to do?"

Ang Ta said fiercely:

"What I do, is it your turn to manage? Hurry up and let your people get out of the way! If you don't get out of the way, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Le Luo Luo looked calm:

"I cannot comply."

A flash of impatience crossed Ang Ta's face; he stared at Le Luo Luo for a moment, and his tone suddenly became gentle:

"Le Luo Luo, our two units have been killing each other for these years, haven't we killed enough? The blood of barbarians flows in the mountains of barbarians, and in the end, let the Han people laugh at us; it's not worth it.

I am sending troops tonight, it has nothing to do with you. I won't hide it from you, the Han land is empty now, I want to drive straight in and grab a good time!

If you want to get rich, then come with me! Our two units go down the mountain side by side, who can stop us? At that time, population and wealth, we will take half each!

If you don't dare to do it, that's fine! Take your people and go, don't block the way! In the future when we meet, we can still sit on the same skin!"

(It is dangerous to underestimate Ang Ta; interested students can look closely from the first time Ang Ta appears, from beginning to end, at the performance of Ang Ta's character, whether strong or soft, especially his initial concealment, but his plan was pointed out by Wang Yang in the negotiation. Also Bao Yue's analysis of Ang Ta's ambition. See Chapter 312 "The So-called Envoy, Should Be Like This")

Le Luo Luo said:

"Our Wenyang unit has an old saying—only looking at the three inches of land in front of you, you will definitely not be able to walk out of the hundred-mile mountain. Hou Zeng grabbing for a while is certainly happy, but the previously negotiated trade rewards, and the shares of the Yunni Pavilion, don't you want them anymore?"

Ang Ta pointed to the sky:

"Our Yongning unit also has a saying—ten big eagles in the sky are not as good as one pheasant in the hand! It's not certain whether Wang Yang can come back! Who knows if the trade can succeed? Now the Han people are in civil strife, you and I join forces to send troops, what can't we get? I'll ask you one last time, will you let me pass? If you don't, we will fight, I will defeat you and then go to fight the Han people! If you think your Wenyang unit can touch my Yongning unit, then try it!"

Ang Ta drew his sword directly, full of murderous intent!

Le Luo Luo sighed:

"Since Young Master Wang said he could come back, he must be able to come back, just like he said you would take this road to sneak attack Wenyang County, so you came."

Ang Ta was shocked:

"He said it?!"

But he immediately calmed down and smiled:

"You are bluffing me!"

Le Luo Luo was expressionless:

"Why do you think I'm waiting for you here?"

(Chapter 355 "Moon Falls in Rouge": "Xiao Bao Yue was annoyed, drove Wang Yang away, and told him to hurry to see Le Luo Luo to explain what needed to be explained.")

Wang Yang knew that after Ang Ta won the battle of Wenyang, seeing the Han land was empty and the Han soldiers were easy to deal with, he would surely develop arrogance and greed.

Coupled with Wang Yi and Liu Tan leading troops to attack Jing, the Wenyang defense was thin, and he had no news here, success or failure, life or death, were all unknown, Ang Ta's greed could no longer be suppressed, so he specifically left instructions before leaving.

Ang Ta still didn't believe it, but he didn't dare to lose respect in his address:

"What about the Holy General? Since it was arranged by the Young Master, where is the Holy General? And the Yidu barbarians are—"

His voice suddenly stopped when he said this, and his face changed suddenly!

Le Luo Luo slowly raised the horn:

"Once I blow the horn, the Yidu barbarians will cut off your rear. You know that group of barbarians; knowing you betrayed the divine envoy, they won't care about any old, weak, women, or children. Of course, the Holy General is benevolent and righteous, and should have some constraints. Let me try—"

"Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't!"

Ang Ta was so scared that his pupils shrank! He immediately sheathed his sword! The ferocity on his face was gone, and he instantly piled up a face full of smiles:

"Look at you! Why are you not joking? I'm just making a joke! You are so serious, it's boring! Your father was never like this!

You don't think about it, I can't betray the divine envoy no matter who I betray!

I didn't think the Young Master would care about this little thing, so I thought I would grab it by the way. You too, you didn't make it clear! You should have said it was the Young Master's meaning earlier! If you had said it earlier, wouldn't I have withdrawn earlier?!

Hey, by the way, I'm preparing to set up a statue for the divine envoy in our unit, and then we will worship together! Okay, then I'll withdraw first, you rest early!"

Ang Ta hurriedly ordered his subordinates to run away.

Le Luo Luo stopped Ang Ta:

"Wait!"

Ang Ta wanted to cry:

"I'm withdrawing, isn't that enough!"

Le Luo Luo put down the horn and smiled:

"No need to withdraw. The Young Master has an order—take your subordinates and follow me."

Ang Ta widened his eyes:

"Follow you? Follow you to do what?"

At this time, on the Han River, all the ships were launched.

Wang Yang stood on the bow of the boat, his clothes like white snow, his bow like a half-moon, his eyes without waves, and no arrow on the string. Where the night wind rose, the empty string vibrated, and the sound was sent with the wind—

"One arrow, three carvings."

————

Note: A bit busy, stop for a day, update on the 11th, which is Thursday.