Chapter 421: Captives
Xiao Yunshuo pondered for a moment before smiling and saying, "It's precisely because even you and I can't figure out how he got these things that he asked us to promise that we will never pursue this matter again, now or in the future, right?"
Yuan Xu thought about it and it seemed to be true.
This Mr. Gu said this because he was afraid of being punished later. It can be seen that there is indeed something fishy about his origins...
Moreover, how could Gu Hongzhi know that the Dark Pavilion purchased food and fodder in order to defend against the Northern Rong?
It can be seen that he is not an ordinary businessman as he said!
"Your Highness, what are you going to do?"
Xiao Yunshuo smiled and said, "No matter where he comes from, since he can get something that even the Dark Pavilion can't get, I will naturally accept it!"
If Yuan Xu could think of it, how could Xiao Yunshuo not think of it?
However, let alone saying that there was something fishy going on, or that Master Gu was some unforgivable person, even if he really had used some means to rob and steal the official supplies to enrich himself, he would not refuse.
These weapons and firearms are much better in his hands than in the hands of his father or his second and sixth brothers, whether they are used to resist the Northern Rong army or for other purposes.
With Xiao Yunshuo's instructions, Pavilion Master Song immediately replied to Gu Hongzhi and presented a list of required materials.
Gu Hongzhi looked at the list with words like 100,000 arrows, 3,000 firearms, 10,000 gunpowder, 500 thunder bombs, 5,000 bottles of wound medicine, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
He was just like Pavilion Master Song, he had no idea where these things came from...
The boss agreed so confidently, but can he really... deliver on his promise?
With such worries, Gu Hongzhi hurried back to Youzhou City. After handing the list to Chen Fenghe, he was still worried: "Boss, can we really get all these things together?"
Chen Fenghe remained calm and said with a smile, "Don't worry. I've already contacted the seller of these supplies. They will be delivered to Youzhou City early tomorrow morning. You can send someone to Datong Prefecture and have Pavilion Master Song receive them."
This is the third gift she gave to Xiao Yunshuo.
Gu Hongzhi: “…”
Gu Hongzhi couldn't let go of his worries no matter what, and he couldn't even sleep that night. But the next morning, when he arrived at the place, he did see the things on the list!
Gu Hongzhi was dumbfounded. He racked his brains but couldn't figure out how his boss managed to conjure these things up like magic.
However, the news that the Northern Rong army was approaching Yanmen Pass finally spread.
Military intelligence was important, and Gu Hongzhi had no time to investigate the origins of these things. He immediately arranged for the safest and most skilled escort to escort these supplies to Yanmen Pass.
Xiao Yunshuo was genuinely curious, so he and Pavilion Master Song personally inspected the goods. However, the makers' seals and inscriptions that should have appeared on the medicines and weapons were completely gone, as if they had never been there, or had been deliberately erased. Naturally, it was impossible to determine whether they came from a government-run factory or were concocted by ordinary people.
"Your Highness, do you want to... send someone to investigate where these things came from..."
Xiao Yunshuo pondered for a moment and said, "That's not necessary. Young Master Gu took the risk to provide us with these supplies, out of a deep concern for Dayu. Since we promised him that we wouldn't investigate, we should keep our word."
"Yes. I understand." Yuan Xu agreed.
Xiao Yunshuo only took out some of the insufficient supplies at Yanmen Pass, such as arrows, other weapons, and wound medicine, and transported them inside the pass. The rest of the supplies were handed over to Pavilion Master Song for safekeeping.
As for firearms, gunpowder and thunder bombs, they were not sent to Yanmen Pass.
Firstly, he couldn't explain the origins of these firearms, gunpowder, and thunder bombs. Now was a crisis, so naturally anything was fine. But once the crisis was over, he was afraid that someone would come to settle the score.
Mr. Gu was worried about the situation. If he provided these firearms and gunpowder to Yanmen Pass, Mu Xuan and the 5,000 defenders would fall into the same situation. At that time, it would be uncertain whether it would be a blessing or a disaster.
Secondly, there is no one among the troops guarding Yanmen Pass who is proficient in firearms, so it is better to supply them all to Luo Yan and the Shenhuo Camp.
Thirdly, he was also on guard against the palace.
The news that the Northern Rong army was approaching and Yanmen Pass was under siege quickly reached the palace along with the urgent military report sent over 800 miles.
The second prince volunteered to lead the troops to fight against the Northern Rong!
Therefore, the weapons he sent to Yanmen Pass would eventually become a wedding dress for others.
Xiao Yunshuo admitted that even with a powerful enemy at hand, he still had these selfish thoughts, which was somewhat not upright.
But... he has been at the center of the vortex of power struggle since he was a child. If he didn't prepare for the future, he would have died countless times by now!
In the following five days, the Great Prince of Beirong launched several fierce attacks on Yanmen Pass, but they were all repelled by Xiao Yunshuo using various strategies.
At the same time, the 80,000 elite troops led by the Khan of Beirong finally arrived outside Yanmen Pass!
On the city wall, the soldiers guarding the city couldn't help but feel frightened when they saw the huge Northern Rong army stretching for more than ten miles below!
"Can we still defend Yanmen Pass?"
There were 5,000 soldiers guarding the pass. After the fierce fighting in the past few days, even with the help of the natural barrier, Dayu lost nearly 1,000 defenders. Now there are only more than 4,000 elite soldiers left, and including the logistics troops, there are no more than 5,000.
As for Beirong, although the casualties had reached 5,000, which was much more severe than Dayu, it was still a drop in the bucket compared to the total number of Beirong troops of 100,000!
It costs five thousand against ninety-five thousand.
Even the city wall behind will be razed to the ground!
"Don't say such depressing words! Hasn't the imperial court already sent a large army? The Second Prince... I heard that he brought a hundred thousand troops. As long as we hold on for a few more days, once the army arrives, we'll be saved. This Yanmen Pass... will definitely be able to withstand it!"
Another soldier said.
The disparity in strength was so great that the soldiers had no choice but to encourage each other.
In the meeting hall, Mu Xuan and Xiao Yunshuo both looked serious.
With the support of Master Gu, there is no need to worry about supplies. However, relying on only 5,000 defenders to fight against an army of 100,000 is indeed too much to ask.
Xiao Yunshuo no longer remembered how long he had not slept, how many times he had rushed out of the city, how many ladders he had destroyed, or how many attacks he had resisted.
Even though he was very skilled, he also suffered many injuries. Fortunately, he had excellent medicine, so he didn't have to worry about his wounds getting infected and his life was not in danger.
Compared with the Great Prince of Northern Rong, the Khan of Northern Rong is naturally much more proficient in marching and fighting, and is also more difficult to deal with.
The walls of Yanmen Pass had been charred black by the tung oil, and some of the bricks and stones had been dented by the impact of large rocks. The huge gate, which was covered with iron sheets several centimeters thick, was also dented...
Even if there was the Divine Fire Camp led by Luo Yan, which harassed the Beirong army from time to time, it was just a drop in the bucket.
On the sixth day, reinforcements from Taiyuan and Zhending arrived, and the situation improved slightly in the next few days.
"Ten days." Xiao Yunshuo counted the days.
If the army led by the Second Prince travels overnight, they should arrive on the eighth day!
However, the latest news brought by carrier pigeons from the rear was that the army would not arrive for another two days.
Two days is just two days. The soldiers defending the city were still excited.
After the defenders resisted for another two days, Xiao Yuncong finally arrived.
In order not to reveal his identity, Xiao Yunshuo temporarily left Yanmen Pass.
He didn't want to fall out with his brothers when the country of Dayu was in danger and foreign enemies were at the gates.
If we want to fight, it won’t be too late until we defeat the Northern Rong.
With an army of 100,000 and sufficient supplies, the situation has reversed and the Northern Rong are now struggling outside Yanmen Pass with no food or fodder.
In this battle, even if a fool comes to fight, he will not lose.
However, he still underestimated Xiao Yuncong's stupidity.
Dayu possessed the fortress of Yanmen Pass and had ample food and grass, but the army took turns to go up to the city walls to defend against the enemy, shooting arrows like rain, which was enough to defend the city and consume the morale and supplies of the Northern Rong.
However, Xiao Yuncong was eager to make a contribution, so on the second day after arriving at Yanmen Pass, he advocated opening the gate wide and letting the army out to fight the Northern Rong head-on.
Mu Xuan and the generals who came to support from Zhending and Taiyuan prefectures all voiced their opposition.
Xiao Yuncong was so angry that he imprisoned the two men and several others who obeyed military orders, Mu Xuandu, on the grounds that they had rushed to Yanmen Pass without receiving orders from him, the commander-in-chief of the army, leaving the city he was supposed to defend empty of troops!
The other generals guarding Yanmen Pass also opposed it and even petitioned collectively.
Even Princess Mu, who was sent back by Xiao Yunshuo, knelt in the yard and asked Xiao Yuncong to release her father.
Xiao Yuncong was furious when he saw that the defenders of Yanmen Pass were so disrespectful to him. But when he saw that Princess Mu had grown up to be beautiful and had a heroic demeanor that the ladies in the capital did not have, he began to think of taking the princess as his concubine. So he pretended to admit his mistake and had Mu Xuan released.
But the two generals in Zhending and Taiyuan were still imprisoned.
Mu Xuan had no choice but to wait until the next day to persuade Xiao Yuncong.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Yuncong secretly ordered people to open Yanmen Pass in the middle of the night, and led 10,000 cavalry out of the pass to "raid" the Beirong army!
The terrain outside the Great Wall is open, which is suitable for the tactics of the Northern Rong cavalry.
Xiao Yuncong chose to use cavalry to fight against Beirong, and it was a hell-level battle with 10,000 soldiers fighting against 100,000 soldiers, using the few to defeat the many!
The 10,000 troops led by Xiao Yuncong were soon surrounded by the Beirong. After a night of fierce fighting, they suffered heavy losses. Only 2,000 people broke through and escaped.
However, Xiao Yuncong was not among these two thousand people.
He was captured by the Northern Rong.
Xiao Yunshuo had just had a good sleep when he was woken up at dawn. When he heard the news, his face became extremely gloomy.
How foolish could one be to lead a small group on a surprise attack when they had the upper hand? And even use the tactic of outnumbering the enemy?
Isn't this just seeking death!
He was too embarrassed to admit that he had such a clueless brother!
The Northern Rong Khan was very excited that he had captured Dayu's second prince, His Royal Highness Prince Rui, and had appointed him as the Grand Marshal of the Northern Expedition.
This prisoner is an excellent hostage.
Although it is said that Emperor Dayu does not care much about the father-son relationship, it is possible to use him as an auxiliary in the siege and threaten the defenders of Yanmen Pass so that they cannot defend the city with all their strength during the period before the imperial edict of Emperor Dayu is passed on.
Therefore, on the second day after Xiao Yuncong was captured, he was ordered by the Khan of Beirong to be tied to a cross wooden frame and carried high up by Beirong soldiers.
When Xiao Yunshuo saw this scene on the city wall, he was speechless.
This is so embarrassing!
Xiao Yuncong was also a coward, and he even shouted hysterically: "Don't shoot! I am Prince Rui Xiao Yuncong, the Grand Marshal of the Army! Don't shoot! If you accidentally hurt me, my father will definitely behead you! Hurry and find a way to save me!"
Xiao Yunshuo really wanted to shoot him to death with one arrow.
However, in the end, I gave up the idea.
His father might disregard the father-son relationship for the sake of imperial power, but he was unwilling to be such a person.
If he really shot Xiao Yuncong to death, he would become the same person as his father.
Because of the hostage Xiao Yuncong, the arrow attack at Yanmen Pass was somewhat reduced, but fortunately his body area was only that large, and the soldiers defending the city only needed to avoid the part of him where they shot the arrows.
The Northern Rong still failed to break through the city gate.
On the second day, an arrow hit Xiao Yuncong's shoulder, nailing him to the wooden frame.
He was obviously in great pain and his face was extremely pale.
The Beirong soldiers pushed him out again to prevent Dayu from shooting arrows. This time he was fixed to the log that hit the city gate.
A messenger from the Northern Rong shouted in Dayu language, "I advise you to open the gate immediately. Otherwise, your marshal will have another arrow in his right shoulder tomorrow, his right leg the day after tomorrow, and perhaps his chest the day after tomorrow..."
When Xiao Yuncong heard the terrifying words from the Northern Rong soldiers, he looked up and saw the Yanmen Pass walls towering like clouds. He immediately shouted with all his might, "Save...save me! They're going to kill me! Quickly...quickly open the gate and save me! Surrender quickly..."
Because he was tied to the log, the soldiers defending the city could only watch the Beirong soldiers ramming the door with the logs, but they could not shoot arrows or throw stones to stop their attack.
On the city wall, a man in armor shouted, "What are you doing? Didn't you hear what the marshal said? The marshal told you to open the gate and save him!"
Xiao Yunshuo glanced over indifferently. He actually knew this man. He was the son of Prime Minister Zhao, and Xiao Yuncong's cousin, who currently worked in the Ministry of War.
It is understandable why he is so worried about Xiao Yuncong's safety.
After all, Prime Minister Zhao and all the civil and military officials who followed him all hoped that Xiao Yuncong would be named the crown prince, so that he could become the new emperor's loyal minister and enjoy glory in the future.
Now that Xiao Yuncong was captured and humiliated by the Northern Rong, it didn't matter at all. As long as he could return to the palace safely, relying on the officials who had formed a huge community of interests, no matter how cowardly Xiao Yuncong was, they could still elect him as emperor.
But if Xiao Yuncong was killed by Beirong out of anger, then all the efforts would be in vain!
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