After leaving Yanchuan City, Zhao Huan and his group headed south.

Zhao Huan didn't tell Li Dai where he was going, but judging from the path he took, Zhao Cheng had already guessed that Zhao Huan wanted to go to Lingshan.

Lingshan has a thousand Dragon Spear Guards and a large amount of ironware. It is estimated that defensive equipment has also been prepared. As long as Zhao Huan and his party first ascend Lingshan, they can take advantage of its natural advantages to build defensive fortifications from a high vantage point. In addition, with the three hundred soldiers trained by Zhou Nuo in archery, Lingshan can indeed be transformed into a fortress that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Zhao Cheng felt that Zhao Huan's arrangement was correct, and he admired Zhao Huan even more. This must have been a backup plan that Zhao Huan had prepared for him long ago.

As long as the battle at Lingshan is prolonged, given the current situation in the court, the Zhao family will have a chance to survive should any changes occur.

The summit of Lingshan Mountain has come into view, shrouded in clouds and mist. Although it is visible, it will still take some time to climb it.

Zhao Huan was in the middle of the group. Zhao Cheng slowed down and stepped back to Zhao Huan's side, saying, "It's almost dusk. Shall we rest here tonight or ask for lodging in the nearest village or town?"

Zhao Huan said, "Let's go around the villages and towns, and rest where we can when it's completely dark."

"Understood." Zhao Cheng glanced at Zhao Huan's side, then swept his gaze across the back of the group, and asked, "Where's Mr. Lian?"

Zhao Huan said, "Mr. Lian is old and not as healthy as me. He can't stand the bumps and walks slowly."

Zhao Cheng thought for a moment and said softly, "I think he's not walking slowly, he's walking fast, isn't he?"

"You don't need to know about what's going on with him." Zhao Huan's answer was an admission of Zhao Cheng's guess.

Lian Zhongyi was also a man who had spent his life in the military, and he was not much older than Zhao Huan. How could he have fallen behind because he couldn't stand the bumpy ride?

He must have followed Zhao Huan's orders and gone to Lingshan ahead of time.

"Master, something's happened!"

Yuan Fei ran out of the woods on the side of the group and bowed to Zhao Huan as soon as he saw him.

Zhao Huan said, "In extraordinary times, let's skip the formalities and get straight to the point."

Yuan Fei straightened up and said, "A force is rushing towards us from the south!"

Zhao Cheng asked, "South? Is it Deng Fugui or Cai Qiong?"

Yuan Fei shook his head and said, "They are not cavalry, they are all infantry."

"All infantry... Oh no, it's the Zhenhai Camp!" Zhao Cheng immediately guessed, and exclaimed in surprise, "Du Yucheng, that guy, is ignoring the pirates and actually retreating to block me! Is he crazy for killing me?"

Zhao Huan calmly said, "Du Yucheng is a Wen Hu person, this should be Mr. Yu's idea."

Zhao Cheng asked, "How far away are they from us?"

Yuan Fei said, "They have already bypassed Lingshan and are less than ten miles away from us."

Zhao Cheng immediately looked at Zhao Huan and said, "Father, we can't go any further south."

After a moment's thought, Zhao Huan decisively ordered, "Change direction, head east into Jingdong County, and head towards Jinghai."

Zhao Cheng asked, "Father, do you intend to take a roundabout route from the seaside to Lingshan?"

"Given the current situation, this is the only road that can get to Lingshan."

Zhao Huan spoke calmly, but his eyes revealed that he was thinking seriously. He said, "If Du Yu hadn't gone north to intercept us, we could have easily reached the top of Ling Mountain before Wang Yuluan. Now, if we go west, Wang Yuluan will block our way. The only way is to go east. We have no choice."

Upon hearing the news, Zhao Yan came over and asked, "Father, you go first, give me two hundred soldiers to cover the rear."

Zhao Huan said, "The Zhenhai Camp has 10,000 men. Can you cover the rear with only 200? Third brother, don't be impulsive. It's not time for anyone to sacrifice themselves yet."

"Go and make the arrangements quickly. No rest tonight. Change direction and head east."

night.

The deserted terrain was dark, and the group had to rely on moonlight and starlight to move forward. Zhao Huan and his family had horses and carriages, and the three hundred soldiers were also equipped with warhorses, but many maids and servants had to walk, and there was also a lot of luggage to carry, so they could not move very fast.

Zhenhai Camp was entirely composed of infantry, but their speed of advance was truly terrifying. Or perhaps Du Yucheng really wanted to seize this opportunity to avenge himself against Zhao Cheng, and was willing to almost frantically squeeze the potential of his soldiers.

Each time Yuan Fei came to report, the distance to Zhenhai Camp would decrease by one.

Six miles away.

Five miles away.

Three miles.

As Zhenhai Camp drew ever closer, the sound of footsteps could be heard even in the quiet night, and a sense of tension before battle enveloped the Zhao family.

Zhou Nuo approached Zhao Huan and asked for instructions, "Father, I'll stay behind and hold them off!"

Zhao Huan asked, "You also want to cover the rear?"

Zhou Nuo said, "In the past few months, the archery skills of the soldiers have improved by leaps and bounds. When they are close, they are Dragon Spear Guards, and when they are far away, they are first-class archers. I led them to stay behind the main force and used bows and arrows to disrupt the Zhenhai Camp's pursuit rhythm. So this can't be considered as covering the rear, it's just a strategy."

Zhao Yan said, "Sister Zhou Nuo, I'll go with you."

Zhou Nuo said, "You protect Dad and Acheng. Don't worry about me. We're all on horseback, they can't catch up with us."

Zhao Yan insisted, "Father said that there is no reason for a Zhao family man to let a woman stand in his way. Besides, I am proficient in all eighteen martial arts, and my archery skills are no worse than those of the soldiers in the garrison."

Zhao Huan said, "Third brother, you should stay by Xiao Nuo's side. Du Yucheng is a top expert. If he breaks through and gets close, you should hold him off so that Xiao Nuo and the others can retreat."

Zhao Huan's arrangement was an acceptance of Zhou Nuo's suggestion. Zhou Nuo and Zhao Yan exchanged a glance, and the two immediately began to act.

Zhao Huan and his son continued their journey eastward at a rapid pace.

Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.

Just as Zhao Cheng had guessed, Du Yucheng's mental state was indeed very crazy. When he received the order, he withdrew his troops northward almost without thinking, abandoning the pirates who had already gathered their strength, completely forgetting why the Zhenhai Camp was formed in the first place.

What is our mission?

It doesn't matter.

Revenge is the most important thing!

Du Yucheng had long wanted to give up on the fierce battle with the pirates in Yunjing County. He had investigated thoroughly and found that the pirates were suffering repeated defeats in Jingdong County and Jiangyang County, but they were gaining momentum in Yunjing County, which thwarted his plan to achieve great merit. All of this was because of the interference of the Southern Zhou.

If the pirates of Yunjing County are also driven out, and the deterrent power of Zhenhai Camp is established, then the pirates will only run to Nanzhou in the future, which will put enormous pressure on the eastern part of Nanzhou.

To avoid this situation, the Southern Zhou Dynasty decided to first offer benefits to the pirates and provide them with support, allowing them to block the advance of the Zhenhai Camp in Yunjing County.

Du Yucheng even discovered that among the many pirates were soldiers from the Southern Zhou Dynasty, which greatly angered him!

The opportunity to make a contribution is gone.

Fortunately, this presented an excellent opportunity for revenge!