Chapter 89

Night fell.

The Wucheng Military Commission's camp was brightly lit; despite being a force of seven thousand, they had built a camp large enough to accommodate ten thousand.

From a distance, the formation looked quite intimidating.

"The enemy army has stopped outside Yangzhou City; it seems our Grand Secretary Xu still has some ability.

He wasn't fooled by the rebels, which makes our forced march worthwhile!"

Marquis Marquis Wuyang said with a chuckle.

The forced march certainly wasn't to rescue Grand Secretary Xu.

Given their relationship, not stabbing him in the back was already considering the big picture.

From the standpoint of the Wucheng Military Commission, Yangzhou City could be taken by rebels, but it absolutely could not be taken because of Commander Rong and his men.

They rushed over specifically to clean house.

Now that they knew the rebels' attempt to trick the city had failed, everyone was in a good mood.

If it weren't for the forced march leaving the soldiers in a state of exhaustion, affecting their combat effectiveness,

he probably wouldn't even need to hold this meeting; he would have just slaughtered the few thousand rebels outside the city.

Having seen how useless the rebels were, he no longer cared about an enemy of equal strength.

"Commander, Grand Secretary Xu succeeded by accident.

The rebels' disguise was so obvious, yet he didn't even notice.

If we told him the truth, I wonder if he'd be able to sleep soundly tonight!"

As soon as Zhao Zhao Yawei spoke, everyone burst into laughter.

Mocking a Grand Secretary was no small matter.

If the news reached Grand Secretary Xu's ears, even if civil and military officials were different, it would still be easy for him to deal with a small battalion commander.

However, they were all their own people here; Battalion Commander Zhao was clearly showing loyalty to Marquis Marquis Wuyang, so the news naturally wouldn't leak.

"Battalion Commander Zhao, that's a good idea.

The safety of Yangzhou is of great importance; to ensure nothing goes wrong,

we must let Grand Secretary Xu know the truth immediately so he can reinforce the city defenses!"

Battalion Commander Tang chimed in from the side.

What was originally a joke, after his processing, instantly became an official duty that had to be completed.

Once the bad example was set, the generals present began to find reasons, leaving Li Mu dumbfounded.

From the eyes of the crowd, it was clear that everyone was full of desire for military merit.

To compete for the main attack mission, they didn't hesitate to abandon their dignity and flatter Marquis Marquis Wuyang.

Li Mu didn't join in the fun; he had already taken the top merit several times, and if he took it again, everyone would have opinions.

The main rebel force was still on the way; even if they slaughtered all the few thousand rebels outside the city, there wouldn't be much military merit.

"Fine, since everyone says so, send someone to notify Grand Secretary Xu.

For the sake of secrecy, don't tell Grand Secretary Xu that we are nearby for now!"

Although he was happy inside, Marquis Marquis Wuyang still tried to maintain his composure on the surface.

As long as Yangzhou City hadn't fallen yet, there wouldn't be any problems later.

Using his own troops to face the main rebel force might have some uncertainty.

But the situation was different now; the capital battalion's cavalry had already marched south, and counting the time, they would arrive tomorrow.

With the cooperation of the cavalry, the army's ten-point combat effectiveness could be boosted to twelve.

……

Rebel camp.

Upon hearing the bad news, Huang Huang Renliang wanted to take his troops and run.

After verifying the news, his desire to run became even stronger.

If it weren't for the late hour and the rebel army's lack of night-marching capability, he would have ordered a retreat immediately.

Regardless of how much they despised the imperial army in words, they had to admit: in a situation of equal strength, rebel elites couldn't beat imperial elites.

Morale and daily training weren't the biggest problems; the real disparity lay in equipment.

One side had complete armor, the other had linen clothes.

A single head-on clash would result in heavy losses.

The most effective way for the rebels to win was: human wave tactics.

As long as the numbers were large enough, they could bury the enemy.

"Are you sure the enemy has over ten thousand men?"

Huang Huang Renliang asked, unwilling to give up.

Even with equal strength, he wanted to run.

If they were at an absolute disadvantage in numbers, it would be even more impossible to fight.

"General, we observed the enemy camp; it can accommodate at least ten thousand people.

If they squeeze in, maybe twenty thousand could fit.

The enemy camp's guards are very tight; our men couldn't get close, so we couldn't verify the enemy's true strength."

The young general's words shattered Huang Huang Renliang's last glimmer of hope.

With the few troops he had, it wasn't worth the enemy's effort to bluff.

The imperial army building such a large camp meant either they really had that many troops, or reinforcements had arrived.

Regardless of the situation, the military pressure they would have to bear next would be very great.

"Pass the order: the entire army is to prepare for departure; we retreat first thing tomorrow morning!"

Huang Huang Renliang ordered decisively.

Years of smuggling salt had taught him one truth: if you can't win, run.

As long as you're alive, there's hope for everything.

……

In the prefectural office.

"What, the imperial army outside the city is disguised rebels?"

Xu Xu Wenyue asked in horror.

There were no troops in Yangzhou City at this time; even maintaining order with just those temporary yamen runners was difficult.

Once the rebels launched a siege, the truth about the city's weakness would be exposed instantly.

"Yes, Grand Secretary!

The city guards discovered several imperial wanted criminals among the enemy soldiers; no matter how ignorant of the situation Commander Rong was, he wouldn't have recruited these people.

To verify the truth, the student arranged for men to risk approaching the enemy camp to investigate, and they also discovered something wrong.

Commander Rong, the commander of the army, had actually been reduced to a prisoner.

Also imprisoned were several other generals from the capital."

Hou Hou Huaichang replied affirmatively.

He didn't dare to be careless when it involved his own life.

If the rebels broke Yangzhou, his career as a Grand Secretary's secretary would be over.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry and summon the local gentry to discuss a strategy for defending the city!"

Xu Xu Wenyue said with a frown.

If he had known Yangzhou was so troublesome, he wouldn't have been in such a hurry to come.

From seizing power until now, he hadn't seen the expected benefits, but there were a pile of troubles.

"Grand Secretary, absolutely not!"

"Yangzhou has always been a gathering place for the salt merchant group; this Two Huai rebellion was led by the seven major families; who knows how many insiders they have in the city.

It's fine when things are going smoothly, but once the war hits a predicament, these gentry cannot be relied upon.

For now, we can only block the news while strengthening precautions, doing everything possible to prevent the enemy from colluding inside and out.

At the same time, we must request reinforcements from the Wucheng Military Commission, the capital battalion, and the Nanjing Ministry of War.

If things go wrong and Yangzhou cannot be held, Grand Secretary, you can move to Zhenjiang to temporarily avoid the rebels' edge!"

Hou Hou Huaichang hurriedly advised.

He didn't know how to fight, but he knew how to learn from experience.

During the last defense of Yangzhou, the Wucheng Military Commission acted alone, excluding all local officials and gentry.

Not using available help clearly meant they felt these people couldn't be trusted.

Since there was a risk, it had to be avoided.

Otherwise, if they were sold out by internal and external collusion, they wouldn't even have a chance to run.

"Don't mention moving to Zhenjiang.

This official is not one of those imperial relatives who lacks even a shred of shame.

They haven't achieved a single merit, yet the imperial court has supported them for so many years, and they don't even know how to be grateful.

To even commit the act of following rebels, shaming their ancestors—it's simply a disgrace to their predecessors.

Pass the order: block all city gates; this official will live or die with Yangzhou.

In the name of this imperial envoy, issue a public announcement.

Any gentry, scholars, merchants, or officials who flee Yangzhou will be treated as rebels.

Anyone who dares to run errands or overturn cases for them will be treated as the remnants of the rebels.

Send this official document along with the request for reinforcements; I want to tell the world that there is no good end for those who follow rebels!"

Xu Xu Wenyue's order made everyone shudder.

Their Grand Secretary was truly too ruthless; not only did he want to live or die with the city, but he also cut off everyone else's chance to run.

If he were to die in Yangzhou, this Grand Secretary who died for his country would surely be rewarded by the imperial court.

His final written document would also become a swan song, praised by the court and the public.

As for the unlucky ones bound by the document, if they dared to run out of Yangzhou City, they would become the negative examples of history.

If not executed to the ninth degree, at least the entire family would be wiped out.

After a brief moment of shock, everyone instantly understood.

Cutting off the retreat seemed very dangerous, but it was actually the best way to seek life in death.

High status and position brought not only power but also corresponding responsibilities.

If Yangzhou City fell, others could run, but Xu Xu Wenyue couldn't.

Retreating to Zhenjiang would mean the end of his political life.

The good reputation he had accumulated for most of his life would be destroyed in an instant.

Rather than waiting for death, it was better to forcibly drag others down with him and risk everything for one last fight.

If he succeeded, his reputation as the leader of the Pure Stream Faction would become even louder.

If he failed and died for his country, he would have a group of people to accompany him, and he could still earn a posthumous name.

The ones most harmed were the Yangzhou gentry, who were forcibly tied to the chariot and could only take the lives of their whole families to the gambling table.

……

The next day, early morning.

Just as the first light appeared, the sound of war drums echoed in the Wucheng Military Commission's camp.

The soldiers, fully equipped and ready, marched with steady steps, constantly pressing toward the enemy camp.

At almost the same time, the rebel camp also sounded its horns.

But it wasn't the horn of attack, but the horn of running away.

With one army following the other, the distance between the two was less than ten miles.

Yet it was precisely these ten miles that became the final obstacle.

"Break the formation and pursue them!"

Zhao Zhao Yawei ordered angrily.

With military merit right at their lips, to let them run away was truly infuriating.

(End of chapter)