Chapter 665

Behind them, down the mountain in the distance, the burning Dong'e City had long been left behind.

Among the many crowds fleeing to Jibei, one person faced west, looking down from a height at the great fire burning in Dong'e at the foot of the mountain, his brows locked.

This person was wearing a gray robe, was over eight feet three inches tall, had a beautiful beard under his forehead, a tall and thin figure, high cheekbones, and very thick finger joints.

Just standing there, this person gave people a feeling of being unapproachable.

When people passed by, they subconsciously avoided him.

"Head of the family, head of the family..."

A servant wearing short brown clothes ran to the man, panting, and pointed to the Dong'e County seat behind them: "Head of the family, those rebel soldiers did not enter the city, but set up camp outside the city."

The man raised his thick eyebrows and asked sternly: "Are you sure?"

The servant nodded hurriedly: "This small one is sure, they are indeed all camped outside the city."

"Not only the rebel soldiers, but the Assistant County Magistrate is also outside the city."

The man nodded and said: "Good, you go and rest first."

After speaking, the tall man turned and walked toward the distance with big strides.

In a short while, he came before a group of officials who were resting.

The officials seemed to be familiar with the person in front of them and did not stop him.

And the tall man came directly before the County Magistrate Xue Fang.

The Xue clan was a great clan in Dong'e, a local minor powerful family.

Xue Fang was also the local County Magistrate.

It was just that he looked a bit disheveled at this moment.

Two days ago, the Huang Jin rebel army attacked Dong'e.

At that time, Xue Fang still had the intention to resist, but there was no help for it; the officials in the city actually surrendered to the rebel soldiers, opened the city gates, and burned the treasury and grain in the city.

Now there was no other way, so Xue Fang had to take the commoners in the city and flee.

"My Lord."

The tall and strong man came before Xue Fang.

Xue Fang, who was leaning against a big tree with his eyes closed to rest, opened his eyes and looked at the man.

"It's Zhongde." Xue Fang sat up straight and looked at Cheng Li and asked: "What is the matter, Zhongde?"

Cheng Li's gaze swept over the county officials around Xue Fang, as well as some soldiers, and then said in a deep voice:

"My Lord, at this time the rebel soldiers are not in the city, but are stationed outside the city. They must not be able to hold out for long."

"As long as we take this opportunity to kill our way back and retake the city, we will definitely be able to hold it firmly."

Xue Fang shook his head repeatedly after hearing this and said: "Zhongde, at this time the rebels are on the west side, we should head east."

"Besides, we don't have enough soldiers and armor, it's hard to hold out for long, and there is no grain in the city, so we can't hold it at all."

"Even if the rebel soldiers are not in the city, if we go back now, wouldn't that be throwing ourselves into the net?"

Xue Fang said, while pointing at the commoners all over the mountains and plains and said: "I know Zhongde has the heart to turn the tide, but the commoners are frightened, and the soldiers have no strength. Only by fleeing can we avoid disaster."

Cheng Li frowned deeply.

Flee?

"Our home is occupied by rebel soldiers, yet we can only flee?"

Cheng Li said unwillingly: "Where can we flee to like this? If we leave these mountains, we might be treated as refugees, and if we encounter rebel soldiers on the road, wouldn't we be coerced by them?"

"I heard that Taishan Commandery and other places are also rampant with rebel soldiers. How far can we go while supporting the old and leading the young?"

"Furthermore..." Cheng Li continued: "Abandoning the city and fleeing, is the Lord not afraid of being held accountable by the imperial court in the future?"

Xue Fang was left speechless by the retort.

But he still didn't get angry.

No one in Dong'e County didn't know that the person in front of them was a ruthless person.

And although the Cheng Li family was now declining, it had once been extremely brilliant.

And the top scholar-gentry clan of Henei, the Sima clan, was also a close relative of Cheng Li, so he could not be offended.

"What Zhongde said, I know deeply, but the rebel soldiers are powerful, and the officials in various places have surrendered one after another. This official has no other way..."

Cheng Li still frowned and stood in place, unwilling to give up.

However, just as Cheng Li was about to speak again,

when his gaze swept toward the direction of Dong'e County at the foot of the mountain, his gaze changed suddenly.

Xue Fang, who was leaning against the tree, also noticed the change in Cheng Li's eyes.

He stood up hurriedly and looked down the mountain behind him.

Where the two looked, they saw a cavalry unit that didn't know where it came from not far outside Dong'e County.

There were many of them.

Although the two were on the mountain at this time, they could still see the large cavalry unit divided into two groups, kicking up dust that filled the sky.

"Is it the imperial court's army?" Xue Fang widened his eyes immediately.

Cheng Li's eyes were also full of excited light: "It must be the imperial court's army."

"It must be the imperial court's army coming to encircle and suppress the rebel soldiers."

"My Lord, this is a good opportunity. If the Lord can go down the mountain to coordinate, you can avoid the crime of abandoning the city and fleeing," Cheng Li said.

Xue Fang's eyes flashed with brilliance, and he knew in his heart that what Cheng Li said was a fact.

But the problem came.

How could he make the commoners believe that the ones below were the imperial court's army?

The commoners were already like birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring; how could they easily turn back?

"Zhongde, now the commoners are already like birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring, how can they be willing to believe this official's words?" Xue Fang looked at Cheng Li and asked for advice.

Cheng Li narrowed his eyes and said immediately: "It's that simple."

"The Lord immediately sends some officials, makes some banners, and goes to the east side to wave them, just shouting loudly that the rebel soldiers are coming from the east, and only by returning to the west side will it be safe."

"Ah?"

Xue Fang was stunned in place.

"Just... just that simple?"

Cheng Li nodded: "Otherwise?"

"Of course it's that simple. Since the commoners have already become birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring, just a little bit of fright will do."

"And with the Lord taking the lead to run down the mountain, the commoners will naturally follow."

Xue Fang took a deep breath and nodded: "Zhongde is indeed resourceful, good at planning."

"A great talent like Zhongde will definitely achieve something in the future."

"Come here, follow Zhongde's words..."

Xue Fang gave the order immediately.

And Cheng Li's gaze looked toward the direction of the foot of the mountain.

At this time, outside Dong'e City at the foot of Quqiu Mountain.

A Huang Jin army camp composed of two or three tens of thousands of people was located a few miles outside the city.

Calling it a camp, it was actually just some tents randomly pitched outside the city.

There were not even decent camp fences around.

It was not until the cavalry appeared on the plain and divided into two groups, about to surround the camp, that the Huang Jin soldiers in this Huang Jin army camp reacted.

On the vast plain.

Four thousand cavalry were divided into two groups.

The left group was led by Lu Bu with two thousand cavalry.

The right side was led by Zhang Xiu with two thousand cavalry.

They surrounded the camp from the left and right sides.

And Duan Yu led one thousand cavalry to charge straight into the center of the camp.

Heading straight for the middle of the Huang Jin rebel army camp. ===== CHAPTER 667 =====