…
That night, the water of the Bian River moved without wind.
A group of more than 20 warships came out from Bianzhou, cutting through the water curtain and moving slowly. A small boat that had gone ahead turned back, and the soldiers who had returned from exploring the way looked a little panicked.
"General Hu, we have found dozens of warships thirty miles ahead!"
Hu Lin, the governor of Bianzhou, who was standing at the bow in armor, was shocked when he heard this.
The generals beside him were also extremely surprised.
"Xu Zhengye and his men attacked so quickly?!"
"No... How could it be so fast!"
"Can you see the flag on the ship clearly?!" Hu Lin remained calm and asked, "Are you sure it's the warship of Xu's rebel army?"
The soldier quickly replied: "They didn't light the lights on their boat, so we couldn't see the flag clearly!"
But it was a warship coming from the south. Who else could it be except Xu Zhengye? A general looked up at the night sky. There were no stars or moon tonight. It was pitch black. He couldn't help but frowned: "No lights were turned on... How can they sail at night?"
"They didn't sail, they just stopped at the shore!" The soldier said, "I only barely found their traces after I approached them. I roughly counted and saw dozens of warships... I didn't dare to get closer to take a closer look, in case I alarmed them and couldn't come back to report!"
Several generals looked at each other, shocked and confused. This matter was undoubtedly too weird and full of suspiciousness.
"Mr. Governor..." Several people subconsciously looked at Hu Lin.
Hu Lin looked at the night ahead: "Are you sure you didn't startle anyone?"
As he spoke, he raised his hand and pressed the sword at his waist, his eyes alert and vigilant.
Several people looked along with him, including the soldier who turned around.
Hu Lin suddenly drew his sword: "Stop the boat, be on guard!"
Everyone's face immediately changed, and they stood ready with swords in hand. The archers on the ship also immediately became alert.
A ball of fluorescent light appeared in front of us. As we got closer, we could see that it was a small boat with a light hanging on the bow approaching this place.
Although the boat was small, it had a command flag hanging on it. Everyone looked closely and saw a big character "Xiao" on the flag.
Xiao? There is only one commander named Xiao now, Xiao Min! But how could Xiao Min's soldiers pass through Xu Zhengye's army and appear on the Bian River?
This is even more bizarre and unbelievable than Xu Zhengye's rapid journey here.
But Hu Lin immediately raised his hand to signal everyone around not to act rashly.
"Sir Governor, be careful of trap!" A general held a knife in front of Hu Lin to protect him.
At this time, a loud shout came from the boat: "May I ask if the ones ahead are the Bianzhou defenders?"
It was actually a woman's voice!
Hu Lin frowned and replied, "Exactly! May I ask who you are?"
"I am a subordinate of General Ningyuan!" the woman answered loudly. As the boat approached, the woman's voice became clearer: "My general would like to invite you to come over for a chat!"
"... General Ningyuan?" A general's eyes widened: "That girl from the Chang family?!"
This Ningyuan general followed Xiao Min on the march, so he did match the "Xiao" flag, but the question still remained, how could they be here? Everyone was still half-believing and half-doubting, when they saw a tall figure squeeze onto the bow of the boat: "Our palace...our General A Li made delicious tea and baked sesame cakes with meat filling, so delicious!"
At this point, he couldn't help swallowing his saliva, and then he said: "I came here specially to invite you to be my guest!"
This innocent and special remark made Hu Lin raise his eyebrows suddenly and look at him with surprise on his face: "...General Dian?!"
Ah Dian stretched his head out curiously: "Do you recognize me?"
After confirming who was coming, Hu Lin showed respect and raised his hand to salute Ah Dian: "I am Hu Lin, the governor of Bianzhou!"
More than ten years ago, when he was just a small county official, he had the honor of meeting the late crown prince and his subordinates. This very special General Adian left a particularly deep impression on him.
As the small boat carrying Shepherd's Purse and Adian and others came to the front, Hu Lin discussed with his left and right and decided to go and see them.
The general was of pure character and it was impossible for anyone to coerce him into deceiving him.
Moreover, if it was Xu's enemy army, they could just attack us relying on their superior military strength. Why would we go through all this trouble?
Some generals were still worried, and seeing that they could not persuade him, they insisted: "... Let your subordinates escort the governor!"
Hu Lin did not refuse again. He selected two generals and a group of personal guards and followed the small boat.
Just as the scouting soldier had said, after sailing for thirty miles, we saw dozens of warships docked on one side of the river.
But unlike what the soldier said, lights were on on all the boats at this moment.
"Great, we can finally light the lamp!" Adian cheered.
This is the first time they have lit the lights at night in the past half month.
Mrs. Shepherd's Purse smiled and said, "The girl said that once the Bianzhou garrison arrives, we can openly light the lamps!"
Hu Lin looked thoughtful when he heard this.
There were no command flags on those ships, but when Hu Lin got closer, he could tell that most of them were warships of the Shouzhou and Guangzhou governments.
He felt a little more at ease, but still remained alert.
Until his boat stopped, he saw a girl with her hands behind her back walking down from the second floor with soldiers on the tallest ship.
The two ships connected, and Hu Lin led his men onto the ship. With the help of lights, he saw that the girl who led the men was no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, the same age as his eldest daughter. She was not wearing any makeup, nor any skirt or pearls. She was only wearing a dark blue robe with tight sleeves, and had a beautiful face that could not be ignored.
Besides that, the momentum of the other party walking inexplicably reminded him of...
The girl came over and stopped, then raised her hand to greet them: "My name is Chang Suining, nice to meet Governor Hu and the generals."
She was holding something in her hand. Hu Lin came to her senses and asked someone to take it and check it. It turned out to be her general's token.
After confirming his identity, Hu Lin immediately returned the greeting: "So it is General Ning Yuan who is here... We are sorry for not welcoming you in person!"
Regardless of how he viewed this young female general who had received mixed reviews, the fact that she appeared here might be a turning point for Bianzhou, so he naturally had to treat her with respect and courtesy.
Chang Suining invited them to the cabin to talk, and told his subordinates: "Please ask Commander Xiao to come here."
"yes!"
Hu Lin and his companions were even more surprised when they heard this - General Xiao, the commander-in-chief, actually came in person? Upon hearing the news, Xiao Min quickly brought people over from another warship. After the two sides exchanged greetings, they sat down and talked one after another.
Hu Lin was still surprised and couldn't help asking, "When did Commander Xiao and General Ning Yuan bring their men here?"
When he asked the question, he looked at Xiao Min.
However, Xiao Min looked at the girl who was sitting cross-legged beside him.
"Half a month ago." Chang Suining replied.
"Half a month ago?!" A general beside Hu Lin was shocked and blurted out in local dialect: "Oh my goodness!"
Arrived half a month ago? How is that possible? "It was indeed half a month ago." Chang Suining said, "As early as the end of the first month, when Xu Zhengye led 30,000 troops to attack Huainan Road, we had already set out."
She explained: "The warships had been assembled long before the Lantern Festival. We then set out from Shouzhou Wharf and sailed along the Huai River until we reached the junction of the Huai River and the Bian River. We then changed course and sailed north to this place."
The Huai River area has always been under their control, but the part where it connects with the Bian River is still some distance away from Yangzhou.
At that time, Xu Zhengye ordered Ge Cha and Ge Zhiqing to lead troops to attack Shouzhou, and they sent Chu Xing to lead troops to fight. They took advantage of the march of Chu Xing and others to avoid the surveillance of Xu's army.
While Xu Zhengye was sending troops to make a feint to the east and attack in the west, she also took the opportunity to fight back and "sneak into Chencang".
After successfully crossing the Bian River, they were completely out of the sight of Xu's army.
Places along the way that might be disturbed, including Shouzhou and Guangzhou, were arranged in advance. As the march was confidential, ordinary people were afraid of getting into trouble and did not dare to say much. Of course, during the turmoil, true and false news were mixed, so even if some rumors got out, it would not be a big deal.
And then it suddenly rained heavily, making the surface of the water hazy and hiding their tracks even better.
But Chang Suining, who arrived first, did not expect that the rain would last for nearly ten days, delaying the march of Xu Zhengye, who was advancing both by land and water in the rear.
This matter had both advantages and disadvantages. She had more than half a month of training time, and the soldiers' energy and physical strength were also well restored.
But at the same time, it becomes difficult to hide tracks for a long time, and one needs to keep a close eye on everywhere at all times to prevent the whereabouts from being leaked and the ambush plan from being exposed.
"We often send our navy out of Bianzhou for patrols...but we have never noticed any trace of Commander Xiao and General Ning Yuan!" A general next to Hu Lin still had a look of surprise on his face.
"Because General Ningyuan has set up sentries at every section of the river." Xiao Min said, "Whenever the Bianzhou navy patrols nearby, we will temporarily change our hiding place to avoid being exposed."
The general could not help but stare in amazement and subconsciously looked at Chang Suining. It was not an easy task to avoid the sight of the patrolling navy every time.
Hu Lin couldn't help but ask, "May I ask Commander Xiao, how many soldiers did you bring to hide here?"
Xiao Min: "70,000."
"Seventy thousand!" The general wanted to shout "Wow!" again. According to this, there were far more than the dozens of warships nearby!
This would be even more difficult to hide! Hu Lin was also shocked. As the governor of Bianzhou, he didn't know that there were 70,000 troops hiding on the Bian River for half a month! Of course, the main channel of the Bian River is more than a thousand miles long, so it is impossible to patrol without missing anything, but it is still incredible that the other party could lurk here quietly for half a month.
It is not difficult to hear from Xiao Min's words that all this seems to be commanded by General Ning Yuan.
Hu Lin couldn't help but ask, "General Ning Yuan is very familiar with the waters of the Bian River and the ways of naval warfare?"
These troops sent from the capital are not naval forces. If there are no people who are proficient in commanding water operations, they will not be able to hide their tracks on the wide water surface, and they may not even be able to tell the direction! "Before coming here, I saw a map of the Bian River." Chang Suining smiled: "Besides, I like reading military books very much."
Hu Lin's expression changed: "..."
No, to put it bluntly, isn't this just empty talk? Can today's young people talk about military affairs so well on paper? Is this really reasonable? When he was still in doubt, he heard Ah Dian curiously ask, "Our Ah Li is the reincarnation of a star general. Haven't you heard of him in Bianzhou?"
Hu Lin: “I’ve heard a little bit about it…”
But seeing is believing…
This time he really opened his eyes.
It turns out that experience and hard work are really nothing compared to talent, right? "I didn't dare to reveal our whereabouts to the Bianzhou navy before because I was afraid of alerting the enemy." Chang Suining continued to the main topic: "Today, I learned that Bianzhou sent troops to meet the enemy, so I explained this matter."
Hu Lin nodded.
Then, he heard the other party say: "We are here to stop Xu Zhengye's army, you can return to Bianzhou to defend the city without worry."
Hu Lin and the others were stunned when they heard this: "General Ning Yuan...you want us to go back to the city?"
"Yes." Chang Suining looked at them and said, "Xu Zhengye came here partly because of his ambition to take over Luoyang, and partly because I deliberately provoked him. This incident was an unprovoked disaster for Bianzhou, but it is our responsibility."
She finally said, "But I'd like to trouble Governor Hu to leave the Bianzhou military flag for us to use so as to confuse Xu Zhengye's sight."
Hu Lin and others fell silent in surprise.
Defending the city required manpower, so they left 20,000 soldiers to garrison Bianzhou and led 10,000 soldiers who were proficient in water warfare to meet the enemy.
Ten thousand against a hundred thousand is like an egg hitting a rock, but if Bianzhou has no response when facing Xu Zhengye's army, the imperial court will surely hold it accountable.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that they made this trip with the intention of dying.
But within just half an hour, the situation suddenly changed. They went from being "dying people" to being pulled behind someone to be protected and not let them take any danger.
This change caught them all off guard.
After a long while, Hu Lin suddenly clenched his fists and looked at Chang Suining: "General Ningyuan is wrong. Everyone can punish traitors. If the traitors are not eliminated, the world will be in turmoil. Bianzhou and Yangzhou are both Dasheng territory. How can we talk about an unprovoked disaster? In the face of a powerful enemy, General Ningyuan and I are both generals and ministers of Dasheng. How can I stay behind General Ningyuan and seek my own safety?"
As he spoke, he also looked at Xiao Min: "The two generals are leading 70,000 troops here, Xu Zhengye has more than 100,000 troops under his command, and we have 10,000 soldiers. If we stay and fight together, we will have a better chance of winning!"
As he spoke, he suddenly stood up and clasped his fists together: "Hu is willing to stay and fight the enemy together with the two generals!"
To be honest, on his way here, he still felt sad and resentful. He felt unfair for himself and for Bianzhou.
But at this moment, facing such a young general who was only good at talking on paper, he suddenly changed from "resentment" to "wish".
If the other party treats him with sincerity and righteousness first, he will naturally be willing to return the favor.
The passion and righteousness in people's hearts will also be ignited by inspiration.
The generals beside him also stood up, their eyes subconsciously falling on the girl sitting cross-legged.
"We are willing to fight the enemy together with the two generals!"
"We have long wanted to fight these thieves who burn, kill and loot!"
"Please help me, Generals!"
“…”
Faced with their insistence, Xiao Min looked at Chang Suining who was sitting upright.
After a moment, Chang Suining raised his hand and said with a smile: "Then please sit down and discuss the strategy to deal with the enemy together."
…
Behind a screen, Yao Ran, who was writing, quietly looked at the people who were discussing the matter.
She could see that although everyone was sitting around, the Chang family's wife was the real center of the crowd.
But she also felt that Madam Chang deserved to be surrounded by people like this. This heartfelt respect and support was not without reason, but was earned by Madam Chang with her ability and sincerity.
People like Madam Ruchang are rare in the world.
At this moment, Yao Ran felt from the bottom of his heart that the saying of him being a rising star was not an exaggeration.
Maybe she is really a savior? Ordinary people can't become a figure like Chang Niangzi, but being able to follow such a figure is a great fortune.
She is very lucky.
Yao Ran continued writing, taking careful note of everyone's conversation. She had a lot to learn.
…
The news that the governor of Bianzhou led his army to fight against Xu Zhengye soon reached Li Xian outside the city of Luoyang.
"Ten thousand soldiers will meet the enemy?" Li Xian sighed, "But it's like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. I don't think it will last more than two days."
The military advisor pondered and said, "There are 20,000 defenders left in Bianzhou City. They should be able to hold out for some time..."
"Although I have been ordered to defend Luoyang, I cannot watch Bianzhou fall." Li Xian said with sympathy: "When they really can't hold on, I will go to help them even if I have to risk leaving Luoyang."
When others are fighting to exhaustion, they appear as saviors and turn the tide... just like Cui Jing and Chang Kuo who rushed to the southern border that year.
Li Xian took the cup of fragrant tea brought by the woman in blue and concealed the sarcasm in his eyes.
Soon, a personal soldier quickly walked into the tent.
"General, the deputy general surnamed Yu has led a team of 1,000 men out of the camp for patrol."
Li Xian raised his eyebrows: "Let them do as they please."
These Xuan Ce troops were very dissatisfied with his unwillingness to send troops to aid Bianzhou, and because of his deliberate concealment, they did not know the details of Cui Jing's accident. Every day they inquired about Cui Jing's whereabouts openly and secretly, and were very anxious.
He is really loyal.
Because of the above two reasons, these people were not very respectful to him as the temporary commander, and often arranged matters such as patrols without his permission, which was also a disguised way of expressing their dissatisfaction.
He was not angry about this. As long as it did not touch his bottom line, he would let them do whatever they wanted. After all, Cui Jing was dead, and the sage wanted him to take over the Xuan Ce Army in the future...
There is still a lot of time and he is very patient. He will write down what needs to be remembered and will just take things slowly in the future.
One day, he will tame the ferocious beast of Xuan Ce's army completely - you know, in this world, Cui Jing is not the only one who is good at "taming beasts".
…
The deputy general named Yu led a thousand cavalrymen out of the military camp and headed east.
"General Yu...are we going to Bianzhou?" an accompanying captain couldn't help but ask.
"It's in the direction of Bianzhou, but not to Bianzhou." Deputy General Yu said: "We have to bypass Bianzhou!"
Where are they going? "Are you going to look for General Yuanxiang?"
During these days, they kept in touch with Yuanxiang, but Yuanxiang never told them about Chang Suining's plan.
"No." Deputy General Yu suddenly turned around and smiled at him: "Just follow me!"
This extremely happy and exciting smile made the captain startled, and he raised his eyebrows suddenly, could it be...
"drive!"
Deputy General Yu shouted loudly and urged his horse to go faster.
Thousands of Xuan Ce cavalrymen galloped forward, their horses' hooves kicking up spots of half-dried mud.
…
On the other side, Chang Suining and Xiao Min have ordered the assembly of warships and 80,000 troops.
The warships were arranged in an orderly manner and moved slowly, with their huge sails hoisted high. The twenty warships in the front were all flying flags with the word "Bian" flying in the wind.
Chang Suining stood on top of the ship, looking at the misty water in front of him.
The "distinguished guest" that she had invited with great difficulty was about to arrive, and it was time to go and greet him.
According to the estimated time, they will "welcome" Xu Zhengye's army in the second half of tonight.
It is all right to wait for the opportunity to come while you are still where you are, but if you just wait there, you will have to wait until tomorrow morning.
A surprise attack can only maximize its advantages if it is carried out at night.
Therefore, Chang Suining chose to run in both directions.
The warships cut through the water curtain, and the tall sails fluttered in the wind, seeming to cover the sky and the sun, causing the sky to darken quickly.
As they moved forward, the arrangement of the warships began to change.
Slowly, the twenty warships flying the "Bian" military flag gradually opened up a perfect distance from the rear, and lights were lit inside and outside the cabins.
The remaining warships seemed to disappear silently into the night.
…
"Report!"
"Twenty miles ahead, we have found traces of the Bianzhou navy!"
On the Xu army's warship, the general beside Xu Zhengye heard the latest news from the front and immediately asked, "How many people are coming?"
"Twenty warships, perhaps more than ten thousand men!"
This sentence made the generals around Xu Zhengye burst into laughter.
"More than 10,000 people dare to rush forward to die. Could it be that every member of the Bianzhou navy is an elite navy that can defeat a hundred with one?"
"That's wrong. The total number of Bianzhou defenders is only 30,000. How many people do you expect them to send to intercept us?"
"That's right. Li Xian refused to send troops to rescue them, so they had to leave some people behind to defend the city!"
"It seems that they are determined to die. If that's the case, then let's grant their wish!"
"If we kill these mantises blocking our way tonight, and march quickly for two days, we can capture Bianzhou City!"
"Although Bianzhou is not as prosperous as Luoyang, it is also a prosperous place... When we enter the city, we brothers don't have to worry about other things. Let's go to the largest brothel first to open our eyes!"
"good!"
Listening to his subordinates' laughter, Xu Zhengye said seriously: "Don't underestimate the enemy."
But he did not hesitate and gave the order: "Keep going, put all ships on alert, and prepare to meet the enemy!"
The generals immediately stopped joking and responded solemnly, "Yes!"
As the night fell, a growing murderous intent began to fill the surging Bian River.
Thanks to Chunhuaqiuyue85 for the 10,000-yuan reward! (The speed of paying back debts cannot keep up with the speed of owing debts...) Thanks to Congcongbaobao, Midnight Cotton Candy, Miweidiandian, Yu Ni 1314, Qibu Pu Pu Tea, Yanzhihu 1, and Yanqiu Jiaqi for the rewards! This chapter has nearly 6,000 words, and my keyboard is really on fire. I am too lazy to divide the chapters. I would like to thank Taosu and Sixi for the previous rewards and extra chapters. Thank you all for your monthly tickets. I am very grateful!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
