Chapter 516: Ji Ge's Tribulation Crossing

Night was deep, and the north gate of Weinan County's city stood wide open.

It's not that the garrison didn't want to close the gate; the gate had been burned away by a fire, and there was literally no gate to shut.

Zhang Boyi, who was preparing to lead troops in the assault, wore a rather relaxed expression.

Everyone knew that Li Guangbi had left an opening at the west gate, and after exiting through it, the Weinan County garrison could flee straight to Chang'an via that route.

Their lives would at least be saved.

The Weinan County garrison would never stay on the north side, which lacked any gate protection.

"General Zhang, the situation feels off; it's too quiet,"

a personal guard whispered into Zhang Boyi's ear.

At this moment there were no torches on the walls, and the city was silent. The gaping north gate resembled a massive beast that devours lives, its blood‑filled maw wide open, awaiting brave challengers.

Enter or not?

Zhang Boyi needed to decide quickly. He thought for a few seconds, recalling the foul bird‑eggs he had sparred with earlier that day, and suddenly felt the advantage was on his side.

It's like a strong father fighting his under‑age son.

"What's there to hesitate about? We've campaigned north and south; can we really lose to a bunch of Chang'an street thugs?"

Zhang Boyi said indifferently.

"Charge!"

Zhang Boyi gave the decisive order; his square‑faced visage, illuminated by torchlight, brimmed with confidence.

Upon receiving the command, the marching drummers immediately began beating their drums.

The torch‑bearing troops surged forward into the gate.

"Kill!"

A distant shout rang out, and from the darkness countless armored fighters, the unidentified Qiu Ba, rushed out, slashing at anyone they saw!

"We've been tricked!"

Zhang Boyi felt a sudden thump in his chest, silently cursing the bad omen.

"Extinguish the torches quickly!"

He shouted, unafraid of the two armies clashing, but darkness against light was disadvantageous.

At that moment, an arrow from a nearby crossbow shot straight, sending Zhang Boyi's helmet flying!

Because of his shout, most of his subordinates heard it; those who hadn't, mimicked others and extinguished their own torches.

Soon the surroundings were pitch black, lit only by faint moonlight, making friend and foe indistinguishable.

In the darkness, the mysterious "ambush unit" did not engage them but fled toward the city walls. Only wavering, half‑visible silhouettes drifted in the gloom.

Given this, the veteran soldiers under Zhang Boyi, thinking they couldn't see those people, let their troops charge into the city.

Everyone was simply seeking self‑preservation.

Dark against dark, shadow against shadow, the two secretly scheming units quickly disengaged. Zhang Boyi led his troops, feeling their way through the city, carving a path.

The mysterious ambush unit headed outward.

Both sides seemed to tacitly avoid combat, each taking their own route.

Zhang Boyi knew a defeated foe should not be pursued; those people were surely heading to Chang'an, so why force his troops into a deadly clash? Besides, Gao Xianzhi's cavalry were waiting for these self‑righteous "elites".

Moreover, once Li Guangbi led Zhang Boyi and his men to Chang'an, the gold, silver, treasures, and graceful beauties would already be there.

Like an unlocked, unsupervised storeroom—take whatever you want, as much as you like!

A bright future lay ahead; how could they lose their lives on the eve of victory?

What Zhang Boyi didn't know was that the mysterious ambush unit was led by Zhang Guangsheng, the last elite of the garrison.

Since Zhang Boyi made no trouble, they were happy to leave the city.

After a long while, Zhang Boyi found the city eerily quiet, seemingly normal, and only then ordered torches lit to survey the surroundings, letting out a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, that band of rogue soldiers had fled!

"Tell the brothers: keep tonight's incident quiet, and watch out for Li Jiedushi's troops!"

Zhang Boyi whispered instructions to the guard beside him.

Having spoken, he led his infantry toward the county office, encountering no resistance along the way, as if the city's garrison had vanished.

Zhang Boyi thought to himself: Li Jiedushi truly commanded troops like a deity; after abandoning the western defenses, the weak fish‑like troops of Weinan County escaped through this breach to Chang'an.

They rushed unimpeded to the county office, only to find the place empty, darkness so thick that not even a ghostly silhouette could be seen.

Suddenly, for no apparent reason, a ridiculous thought sprang into Zhang Boyi's mind.

The band that had just broken out were all foot soldiers; why didn't they head west and instead went through the north gate?

Even if they detoured, their stamina wouldn't carry them far; Gao Xianzhi could dispatch cavalry to slaughter them at any moment.

Even if they broke out successfully, they'd still have to return to Chang'an; not returning means no breakout at all!

Might they have another purpose?

Thinking this, Zhang Boyi felt a bad premonition.

He ordered his nearby guard: "Take a hundred sword‑and‑shield troops to charge into the county office as a probe. Lower the shields, raise the torches, and advance slowly!"

"Understood!"

The guard hurried to relay the order; soon a hundred soldiers, right hand wielding a horizontal blade, left hand a torch, clad in heavy armor, poured in like fish. In no time, torches inside the county office were lit one by one.

Zhang Boyi frowned at the county office doorway, puzzling over what the small band of rogue soldiers were up to.

Even with that many, they couldn't reverse the battle's tide!

His mind kept fluttering, feeling he had overlooked something important.

In truth, Zhang Boyi's confusion was understandable; he had long fought in the Lǒngyòu Jiedushi's defensive zone, the front line against Tufan, where only killing or being killed existed.

Therefore the orders were relatively simple: just kill the Tufan when seen, and even defending against Tufan forces breaking into the city didn't require deep contemplation of why, whether to, or how to deal with such complex issues.

Just as he was lost in thought, a personal guard rushed out, clasped his fists in salute and said, "General Zhang, the county office is completely empty!"

Those words reminded Zhang Boyi!

"Is there not a single person?"

Zhang Boyi asked in a deep voice, his tone already somewhat severe.

"Yes, General, indeed there is no one, or rather the whole city is empty."

The guard replied with a hint of grievance.

"I see, sigh!"

Zhang Boyi let out a light sigh; he also knew his own martial strength could still be useful, but commanding battles was beyond him, so he could only obey orders and see the command carried out.

He and Li Guangbi were the same age, yet their fates differed.

That is the gap between people; one cannot dispute it.

"General Zhang, there's nothing to worry about. The Saint is like that now; he still dares to punish us, doesn't he!

He still thinks it was a few years ago!"

Once we reach Chang'an this time, everything will be decided by us; we can raid whichever house we want, and the Saint cannot refuse!

The guard said to Zhang Boyi with an arrogant expression.

"The Saint? Yes! The Saint! The old Saint!"

Zhang Boyi suddenly understood; he finally knew what those people intended.

They were heading straight for the Saint's imperial litter!

Because it was dark under the lamps, that side had the fewest people!

Li Guangbi's meticulous deployment aimed at annihilating the enemy without leaving any aftermath.

But it was not intended to protect the Saint!

The Western Army had no sense of escorting the carriage; they were not the Imperial Guard. When fighting the Tubo, they never cared how the emperor fared!

They lacked that mindset.

"Quick, quick, quick, return to defend the imperial litter! Those people intend to stab the carriage!"

Zhang Boyi's voice trembled as he spoke!

Something big has happened!

Now, all the mobile forces under Li Guangbi are either in pursuit or ambush; these three thousand men are the only organized field army near Ji Ge's imperial litter.

The remaining men are soldiers handpicked by Li Guangbi for their agility, tasked with running errands for Ji Ge. In terms of elite quality, they are actually inferior to Zhang Boyi's hardened, sword‑wielding troops.

"Send the order down, run, go protect the imperial litter, protect the carriage!"

Zhang Boyi's voice issuing the order had already changed in tone.

……

Outside the imperial litter by the Wei River, Ji Ge stared at the rushing Wei River, silent.

At night there was little scenery to see, only the torchlight could be seen from afar.

In the distance, the Wei River's surface reflected a bright moon; the scene evoked an undeniable sense of desolation.

"Lishi, why do you think Quanzhong betrayed me?"

Ji Ge, with his back to Gao Lishi, asked a question the other could not answer.

Seeing Gao Lishi remain silent, Ji Ge was unfazed and continued:

"That year was my birthday; Quanzhong personally trained six horses, and as the lead horse, rode on the saddle and danced.

Six fierce warriors dancing on horseback—how magnificent!

When the drums sounded, the warriors withdrew, and the horses danced alone on the high platform.

The horse Quanzhong had ridden earlier held a jade bowl in its mouth, filled with fine wine; it slowly approached me, placed the bowl before me, and offered a toast.

At that time, I was truly delighted; I have not forgotten that birthday gift to this day.

How wonderful, I had everything then."

Ji Ge's face showed a mix of envy and loss. He sighed deeply and continued, "Back then it was so hard, yet Quanzhong never betrayed me. Why does he betray me now? I cannot understand; what have I done wrong to him? I am unwilling to accept it!"

His words were tinged with bitterness, helplessness, and endless sorrow.

"Saint, do not be sad; he has let the Saint down,"

Gao Lishi softly echoed.

Fang Youde, at the crucial moment, supported Li Chang's ascent, effectively stabbing Ji Ge in the back!

It can be said that this very move created today's Tang configuration.

At least on the surface, it appears so.

What Ji Ge could not fathom was: Fang Quanzhong, that treacherous dog, had not even rebelled with his own son back then—how did he turn traitor now!

No one could give him an answer.

At that moment, a massive footfall faintly came from the west.

"Stop! Command!"

The sentries patrolling the outer perimeter of the imperial litter shouted loudly.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Answering him were poisonous arrows shot from the darkness, numbering at least a hundred.

In an instant, arrows fell like rain!

Swift, sudden, concealed, aiming to strike without warning and kill on the spot!

The few sentries on duty were instantly riddled, turned into sieves!

"Protect the carriage! Protect the carriage!"

Someone inside the camp shouted, and immediately a figure in the darkness shot a crossbow bolt toward the voice, silencing the area at once.

"Holy One! There's an assassin!"

Gao Lishi's face changed drastically, and he whispered in alarm, while Ji Ge, like an elderly fool, didn't even register what had happened!

"Holy One, put on my clothes! Run! Run toward the south!"

Gao Lishi shouted while stripping off his Tang army uniform and, without hesitation, thrust it into Ji Ge's arms.

Then he took off Ji Ge's dragon robe and slipped it onto himself.

Seeing Ji Ge dress slowly, Gao Lishi hurried to help him. Afterwards he cut his palm, and the fresh blood dripped onto the garment on Ji Ge's back.

At this moment, a few hundred guards in the camp had begun to react, gathering at the gate to form a small blade‑shield wall against the enemy spearmen.

But more bandit troops leapt over the camp fence, flanking to the rear of the blade‑shield wall for a surprise attack!

Outnumbered, the remaining guards were swiftly cut down, and the mysterious raiding force surged in like a tide, charging toward the imperial tent where Ji Ge was.

"Look, the old emperor ran that way!"

Gao Lishi ran into the darkness and shouted loudly.

Ji Ge simply crouched behind a large boulder, motionless.

A streak of fresh blood stained his back, the result of Gao Lishi cutting his palm and letting it drip onto him.

Seeing the bandits hadn't charged yet, Gao Lishi, still in the dragon robe, ran back and appeared beneath the firelight.

This time someone saw him!

"There! Give chase! Kill that dog thief, and His Majesty will reward handsomely!"

Zhang Guangsheng, the leader, shouted, his face twisted with excitement and frenzy!

Today's plan to snatch life from death truly deceived the opponent.

If a person believes they are facing a certain‑death blow, the enemy will naturally think the same and become lax in defense.

In warfare, strengthening the left wing weakens the right, bolstering the vanguard weakens the rear guard; everywhere you reinforce, you weaken elsewhere. After assessing the enemy, you must reinforce where needed and weaken where appropriate—that is the proper way to command.

Exploiting this, they used twenty‑to‑thirty thousand fodder troops to draw the opponent's attention and send them to their deaths, giving Zhang Guangsheng a chance to strike Ji Ge!

"Kill! The thieves will die today! Glory and riches are within sight!"

Zhang Guangsheng shouted again.

Perhaps Gao Lishi acted too convincingly, or the night was too dark, or Zhang Guangsheng and his subordinate Qiu Ba were over‑excited; they failed to notice the motionless "corpse" lying beside a large stone near the imperial tent!

Ji Ge tilted his head, his heart pounding like a drum—thump, thump, thump.

He once again felt a mortal threat; this time death was truly close.

Close enough that a single enemy soldier sweeping the battlefield could spot the clue.

In an instant, life or death could be decided.

Ji Ge dared not move; he only squinted to observe his surroundings.

That bandit force pursued Gao Lishi as if fleeing for their lives.

Unfortunately for them they wore armor, while Gao Lishi was in excellent shape, a regular messenger, and his footwork was superb; after a short while the bandits simply couldn't keep up!

Their purpose seemed clear: they were heading straight for Ji Ge.

At that moment, a bandit soldier from the rear slipped silently into the imperial tent like a phantom, his intent unknown.

Soon the man emerged, holding a silver basin that Ji Ge used for foot washing and a bronze night pot.

Suddenly, from the corner of his eye he saw a corpse lying near the large stone beside the tent, and he raised his torch to approach.

Ji Ge's heart leapt to his throat, but fortunately Qiu Ba saw the blood on Ji Ge's back, assumed he was a guard killed while fleeing, gave him no close look, and turned away.

Had Ji Ge not been wearing a helmet, or had Qiu Ba stepped closer to "taste" him, the discrepancy would have been obvious!

At that point Ji Ge couldn't run at all; how could he defeat the young, strong, armor‑clad Qiu Ba?

At the crucial moment, the bandit Qiu Ba turned and headed for the main force, snatching the emperor's silver foot‑washing basin and his night pot; the unexpected loot made him giddy with joy!

Hoo!

Watching Qiu Ba walk away, silver basin in his left hand and night pot in his right, Ji Ge let out a sigh.

That was truly lucky!

He couldn't help but worry for Gao Lishi in his heart.

With so many pursuers behind, could Gao Lishi escape?

What method could he use to get away?

Ji Ge had a premonition that this time Gao Lishi would find it hard to get out of danger.

At this moment Ji Ge resembled a falling immortal; each calamity stripped away a priceless treasure until, in the end, he was left with nothing, dying and his Dao extinguished.