Chapter 26
As the second-in-command of the Taiping Dao, Zhang Bao was also responsible for defending the rear. If anything went wrong during this confrontation with the Han army, chaos would probably arise.
The way the people below the city were dressed and their apparent concern for Zhang Bao made the defenders on the city even less vigilant in the face of this shocking news.
Guangzong is not as good as Xiaquyang.
Because Lu Zhi's troops were not too far away, they would definitely not accept refugees or soldiers into the city, in order to prevent the infiltration of enemy figures who wanted to assassinate the Great Sage or seize the city.
But they would never leave the seriously ill General Digong outside the city.
In addition, Zhang Bao's subordinates were very prudent and asked more people to stay far away, which made the city defense troops breathe a sigh of relief.
"Please bring General Digong into the city as soon as possible!" Huangfu Song shouted again with great luck.
The people guarding the city were shocked when they heard this, and then they came to their senses immediately.
While he sent someone to inform Zhang Jue, he decided to pick up Zhang Bao first after some consideration.
Although the talisman water from the Great Sage Master could naturally cure all diseases, General Digong looked critically ill at the moment, so he did not dare to delay at all.
Seeing that the men carrying Zhang Bao had no weapons by their side, he felt relieved and ordered people to open the city gate and let the men in.
That’s Zhang Bao!
The younger brother of the great and virtuous teacher!
His background in the Yellow Turban Army made him think about the problem with the ordinary logic of his fellow villagers and relatives at this time. When it comes to the life and death of the commander's brother, he obviously has to give in to the principle of defending the city.
When the suspension bridge was lowered, Huangfu Song did not reveal any flaws because his plan went smoothly. Instead, he made an overjoyed expression and expressed gratitude towards the city, then ran towards the city.
Among all the defenders on the city wall, only one looked a little confused when facing these unexpected visitors.
"What are you standing there for?" the person next to him asked, "Why don't you come over and give me a hand?"
"When I was sent by the Great Sage to deliver a letter to Xiaquyang last month, it seemed that General Digong was not accompanied by these people..."
He muttered to himself, and then thought that the person sent here for treatment must be the one with the fastest foot, and Zhang Bao's confidants should stay in Xiaquyang to guard the city. Perhaps he was overthinking.
However, just as this group of people entered the city and were received by the chief of the city defense, he suddenly saw the men carrying Zhang Bao pull out several long swords from under the sedan chair and distribute them to their companions at a very fast speed.
When he subconsciously uttered the word "enemy attack", the worry about Zhang Bao's condition had disappeared from the face of the "General Digong's troops" who were leading the way. He looked like a brave and courageous general with great spirit.
He struck the leader of the city guards with a knife, kicked him aside and went straight to the top of the city.
Guangzong was controlled by Zhang Jue, and there were quite a few defenders on the city wall. Huangfu Song, Cao Cao and others came with weapons in hand, and what they wanted was to temporarily postpone the closure of the city gates, so they had to control two places in this short period of time.
One is the city gate, and the other is the winch of the suspension bridge on the top of the city.
With Zhang Bao as a living shield at the city gate, everyone has some room to maneuver as they are cautious, but the most important thing is the top of the city wall.
Before Cao Cao could finish the words "General Zhonglang, be careful", Huangfu Song had already climbed onto the city wall.
However, the defenders on the city wall turned their bows and crossbows and shot not Huangfu Song, but the Yellow Turban soldiers who were hacked to death as he was climbing the stairs.
The soldier's body was now held in his hand, acting as a shield.
With the intention of quickly ending the Yellow Turban Rebellion and pacifying the war in the Han Dynasty, Huangfu Song had no time to consider whether the other side's accomplices had any hidden secrets.
Faced with the situation where he would be dead if he failed to capture the city, it was impossible for him to think about so many things.
Having someone to protect him undoubtedly gave him a greater sense of security.
The defenders on the city wall did not dare to concentrate all their attacks on him and a few elite guards.
Who made Huangfu Song attack from the city walls?
At this time, "Zhang Bao's subordinates" who had left also swarmed towards Guangzong City.
Those are all the best soldiers and generals under Huangfu Song!
They had not yet displayed their full strength in the Battle of Changsha and the Battle of Xiaquyang, but this time it was different.
In this head-on assault on the city wall, the arrows shot from the city had almost no effect on their advancing army formation.
Even if there were some loopholes in someone's defense and they were hit by stray arrows and lost their lives, it did not affect these people at all. They left their companions behind and continued to move forward with steady steps.
Although they were still wearing the clothes of the Yellow Turban soldiers, the whole team displayed the momentum of a tiger, making them like a fearless and sharp arrow, heading straight for Guangzong City.
The same was true for Huangfu Song and others on the city wall.
Inevitably, the arm of the brave general who had launched the attack first had been hit by an arrow, but there was no worry on his face that he was the commander-in-chief and had been injured at this moment. Instead, he still stood firmly in front of the capstan.
It was as if the soldiers pouring in like a tide from the city were also a force supporting him to stand there.
It was not until these people came closer that the people on the city wall noticed that in addition to the ordinary yellow scarves they were wearing, they also had a red cloth strip tied around their bodies to distinguish the two groups and avoid accidental injuries.
But perhaps, this piece of cloth is not necessary to prevent any misunderstanding between the two parties.
The soldiers who once fought and guarded the border finally showed a completely different appearance from the ordinary Yellow Turban soldiers when the tiger was finally released from the cage.
After dozens of people fell in the team that was rushing straight to the city, they had already stepped onto the suspension bridge and rushed directly into the city gate which had not yet been closed. They also quickly rushed up the city wall and blocked Huangfu Song.
Such terrifying attack efficiency undoubtedly shocked the Guangzong Yellow Turbans.
Since they seized the city and established themselves, they have seen many Han troops in the process of "pacifying" Jizhou, but it was not until today that they saw such a ferocious imperial army.
Aren’t they afraid of death?
If Qiao Yan were also here, perhaps he could give them an answer.
The relaxation of the conditions for being awarded a title for military merit at the end of the Han Dynasty made this battle a decisive one between the two armies, and everyone wanted to fight to the death for fame.
Just like when she persuaded Xue and Tian to die for her before the Battle of Changsha, the temptation of benefits in front of her made people excited.
What’s more crucial is that although Huangfu Song acted in a solemn and austere manner, he left behind records in history that “he was caring and compassionate to his soldiers, and was very popular with them. Whenever the army stopped, the camp curtains had to be set up before they could go to their tents. After the soldiers had eaten, he would taste the food himself.” Such records fully show Huangfu Song’s ability in commanding the army.
Showing concern and sympathy for the soldiers at this critical moment is the best way to show your loyalty to the commander.
What's more, Huangfu Song's team is not the only one here!
When they focused their attention on Huangfu Song's advance troops and the group that entered the city later, they inevitably neglected to observe their surroundings.
Seeing that Huangfu Song had successfully tricked the city gate into opening, Lu Zhi also set an example by controlling the gate himself, and immediately gave the signal for an attack.
He mounted his horse and raised his sword, shouting, "Yizhen has led the troops without fear of death, how can we fall behind! Guangzong is right before us, please follow me!"
This is also an elite army!
Relying solely on the number of men led by Huangfu Song, they might be able to occupy the city wall for a while, but the Yellow Turbans in Guangzong City were powerful, and they would be able to recapture the city wall by encircling it from both sides. However, the addition of this other force would make a big difference at this time.
Earlier, Huangfu Song had entrusted a part of the cavalry he brought with him to Lu Zhi for command. Now, they were incorporated into Lu Zhi's cavalry and quickly appeared within the sight of Guangzong City.
The infantrymen who were dispatched afterwards also moved in a hurry. After leaving some people to surround the three city walls, more of them rushed into the completely occupied city gate, and followed the victory on this side of the city wall and continued to advance into the city.
Guangzong City is quite large, and even has two city walls: inner city and outer city.
However, because Lu Zhi had been fighting a small-scale battle with Zhang Liang in Quzhou before, it seemed impossible for him to advance to the city of Guangzong in a short period of time. The strong barriers of the city walls and the traps under the city made people never think that the Han army would attack the city at such a fast speed.
So that at this time——
Although there were a few soldiers who had been guarding the walls of the inner city early on and the defensive arrows they fired took the lives of several attackers, it was an inadequate defense in front of Lu Zhi's siege team.
Behind the cavalry-led rapid attack team came the carts pushing battering rams, which brazenly blasted open the inner city gates that had not yet been reinforced.
This is exactly the result of intentional planning!
A hint of joy flashed in Lu Zhi's eyes. Now that a gap had been opened in the inner city wall, the next things would be much easier.
Of course, even though the two armies had successfully joined forces in the city at this time and had officially taken control of the defense of this side of the inner and outer cities, the battle to attack Guangzong could not be considered over yet.
After all, it's not night time.
In order to choose a time that would not give the impression that he was taking advantage of the situation, Huangfu Song did not mind launching the attack in daytime to trick the city gates open.
This also means that for the Yellow Turban soldiers in the city to prepare for battle as quickly as possible, it would not be as difficult as it would be at night.
It was even less likely that Zhang Jue would be in the same situation as Zhang Bao at that time. The time between when he noticed something unusual in the city and when he put on his armor and walked out of the door was enough for Huangfu Song to kill him.
In addition, since this great and virtuous teacher dared to launch an uprising to challenge the Han Dynasty, he would naturally not show any inappropriate behavior when he first heard that his brother was seriously ill outside the city gate and asked for help, and then heard the news that the Han army had entered the city.
He still looked like an immortal.
Zhang Jue looked around and stood up when he saw the fanatical looks given to him by the soldiers, or believers, around him.
His health had been worse in the past few days, and he became increasingly aware of the fatigue and sleepiness that came with the approaching call of destiny, but his will to overthrow the rule of the Han Dynasty still kept him from falling down.
He spoke in a calm tone, "You all heard from the news that the Han army left a gap in the city wall, giving us a chance to break out. We do have an option to escape from there. As long as we gather our Taiping Dao brothers and choose another city to defend, we will have another chance to resist. But you might as well think about it-"
"Since the Han army can take my brothers as hostages, they must have already captured Xiaquyang. It is unknown whether the gap they left is a way of life or death. For now, it is better to fight the enemy in the city!"
They have no other way out!
The time to gather the soldiers for counterattack was too short, so Zhang Jue's speech was inevitably a little hurried.
If it weren't for his strong psychological quality, he would have been worried about Zhang Bao's current situation and would have been panicked by the Han army's brilliant breakthrough in breaking the city.
His ability to keep his composure now undoubtedly made the Yellow Turbans in Guangzong City seem to have found their backbone.
As soon as Zhang Jue finished speaking, voices of response came from all around him, "We will fight to the death for our great and wise teacher without regrets!"
This declaration of determination to "fight to the death without regret" almost echoed in the city of Guangzong.
Even Lu Zhi, who was aware that he had experienced suppressing several rebellions, could not help but feel that if the rebellions in Jiujiang and other places were compared with the Yellow Turbans in Guangzong City, it would even be an insult to these people who refused to turn back.
Lu Zhi was not completely ignorant of religious affairs, but it was only at this time that he witnessed firsthand that a team that could fight to the death for its religious beliefs would not surrender easily, even if it had lost the protection of two city walls.
Could they be instigated to this extent simply because of Zhang Jue's preaching and that catchy slogan?
Most likely not.
Lu Zhi was not only a qualified general but also a scholar. Naturally, he would not be ignorant of the chaos in the context of the late Han Dynasty.
But in maintaining the dynasty's rule and respecting these people's resistance, he
The former must be chosen firmly.
Because the disorder and barbarity in the latter's resistance had already caused greater disasters, which was something he could not tolerate even more.
What he said was true. When he saw the soldiers who were truly influenced by Zhang Jue's Taiping Dao missionary work, and the ones behind them rushing up after the soldiers fell down with an attitude of being ready to die, even Lu Zhi couldn't help but feel admiration for these people in his heart.
"Zi Gan, don't be stunned!"
Huangfu Song shot an arrow from a distance, shooting down the Yellow Turban soldier who had climbed up to the top of the wall at some point.
The soldier originally planned to attack Lu Zhi from a high position, capturing the leader first, but unfortunately Huangfu Song was faster.
When Huangfu Song shot the arrow, he suddenly thought of Qiao Yan's instructions to him.
This is indeed a very necessary reminder.
In the experience about siege he had learned from his father and uncle, there had never been any mention of the defenders in the city who, when they were in such a desperate situation and had other routes of retreat, would still stubbornly stay here, as if they were using their mortal bodies to build a barrier in front of their great sage teacher.
The casualties at the front did not even make the people in the rear show fear of death, but they continued to fight in an explosive, or even suicidal, offensive manner.
But their opponents had more experience in daily combat than them, so this kind of resistance was as tragic as a moth flying into a flame.
Until Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi finally met Zhang Jue.
On the street in front of both sides, the cruel and fierce confrontation made the scene almost bloody. Only Zhang Jue stood there in cloth clothes and straw sandals, like an immortal standing in the world.
But neither the two generals nor the soldiers they commanded could ever regard him as a wandering country doctor.
The Yellow Turban Rebellion, which swept across the country and sparked wars in several states, was the result of this man's years of dormancy.
Even though the Yellow Turbans' losses were obviously much greater than those of the Han army, the duel had lasted from noon to dusk and had become a battle where only the last blow could end the war, and this did not change the fact at all.
Those Yellow Turbans who survived to this time still showed their full support for Zhang Jue.
Huangfu Song couldn't help but think of another statement made by Qiao Yan, which was indeed correct.
He had no doubt that even if he took up his sword and killed Zhang Jue cleanly and efficiently, this man would still be the spiritual belief of the remnants of the Yellow Turbans for a long time.
Huangfu Song couldn't help but secretly hate himself for not reading all the Yellow Turbans' books and classics. Otherwise, he might be able to remember at this moment whether there were any records about what happens after a person dies.
But after all, at this moment, perhaps capturing him alive is a more appropriate option than killing him.
Fortunately, Zhang Jue’s own fighting strength...was not enough to avoid being captured.
He doesn't have the ability to do anything magical.
As Zhang Jue was captured and the soldiers left outside the city by Lu Zhi were gradually occupied, they surrounded the city from three sides and entered. The battle in Guangzong City finally reached its final stage.
While listening to his subordinates reporting on the subsequent battle results, Huangfu Song couldn't help but worry about whether Qiao Yan's previous suggestion of defeating Zhang Jiao's faith was feasible.
It was at this moment that he saw Cao Cao, a guy wearing a weird helmet and with two bandages wrapped around his arms, walking in in a panic.
Lu Zhi on the side couldn't help but laugh because of his appearance at this time, which also relieved his depressed mood caused by the spirit of sacrifice shown by the Yellow Turbans.
"It's a bit unkind of of me to laugh at Lord Lu like that." Cao Cao said, wiping the blood off his face.
Although his fighting skills can be said to be decent, he cannot really be considered a fierce general.
Fortunately, he still has the ability to protect himself, so he won't become a drag in this battle.
Of course, he didn't think it was a problem for him to walk to the brink of life and death.
If Cao Mengde missed the battle with Guangzong, it would be a real pity for him.
This lack of regret was also reflected in his words. When he said that Lu Zhi was not kind, his tone was full of sarcasm.
He then continued, "Fortunately, my niece from that life didn't come here. Her other words made sense, but this time she said that she could use Zhang Bao as a shield, which was not reliable."
"Why couldn't Zhang Bao protect you from the disaster?" Huangfu Song raised his eyelids and asked.
Cao Cao replied: "That's not the case. The Yellow Turbans in Guangzong City do recognize Zhang Bao. It's just that I am... a little more tolerant than Zhang Bao."
"..."Lu Zhi and Huangfu Song looked at each other and saw the smile in each other's eyes.
With this interruption, and the fact that although Guangzong was settled, there was still Quzhou, they simply put the thought of how to deal with Zhang Jue aside for the time being.
After resting for a night, they left the wounded in Guangzong for the time being and left Cao Cao to guard the defeated prisoners here before setting off for Quzhou.
With Lu Zhi leading the way, they successfully arrived at the camp not far outside Quzhou City at night.
The stars and the moon are high in the sky.
Although the camp seemed quiet, the patrols in the surrounding area were obviously not relaxed.
Before they got close, the patrolling sentries discovered their tracks and tried to stop them.
However, after discovering that the person coming was Lu Zhi, this subordinate who was originally under Lu Zhi was overjoyed. He quickly asked his men to inform Qiao Yan, and he led Lu Zhi, Huangfu Song and others towards the camp.
By the time they arrived at the camp gate, Qiao Yan had already rushed over after receiving the news.
Seeing these two exhausted commanders, who were also the ones who had helped her, Qiao Yan bowed to them and said, "Thanks to Lord Lu and General Huangfu for their appreciation, I am fortunate to have fulfilled my mission this time."
The sincerity of this sentence is fully revealed.
When Huangfu Song heard this, he thought of the previous battle of Xiaquyang.
At that time, she participated in the Battle of Quyang, but the credit was not hers. She just said "Congratulations, General". But this time, she said "I have fulfilled my mission" in an extremely frank manner, which shows that she did not shy away from her own contribution.
Huangfu Song had a very high strategic vision. After discussing the battle situation of Quzhou with Lu Zhi on the way, he realized that leaving Qiao Yan in that position was not just a project of closing the camp and guarding it for her.
At this moment, he saw that the camp was still in good order in the night, and there was no sign of a major battle with Quzhou on the opposite side; what was particularly eye-catching in the camp was the large flag with the word Qiao standing next to the flag of General Lu Zhi; and among the people who came to greet him was a captain who had just had his beard shaved.
Although Huangfu Song couldn't figure out all of Qiao Yan's arrangements, he could always guess about 70% of them.
He had a somewhat risky idea in recommending Qiao Yan to Lu Zhi, but now he couldn't help but feel fortunate that he did not suppress that idea because of any constraints.
If we don't put her in a high position, how can we know that she can do better!
She indeed lived up to his and Lu Zigan's expectations of her.
As long as she could pin Zhang Liang down here, she would have exceeded her mission. She didn't need to actually defeat the human general in the city to prove her ability.
Huangfu Song would not think that Qiao Yan's talent in grasping psychological tactics and his precocious calculations that far exceeded his age were something that people should be wary of.
On the contrary, he only felt that the evaluation of "talent to assist the king" that he gave in the letter was truly appropriate.
This just proves that he has the ability to judge people.
Seeing that after Qiao Yan welcomed him and Lu Zhi into the camp, he asked Dian Wei to take down the forged general flag with the word Qiao on it, he immediately raised his hand to signal Dian Wei that he didn't need to do it.
"Just leave it standing. You have the power of one man who can defeat thousands of soldiers. How can you not be considered as one of the troops?" Huangfu Song glanced at the commander's flag and found it interesting. "When we capture Quzhou City later, I will give you another great achievement!"
So on the next morning, Zhang Liang in Nagqu Zhoucheng thought he would see a more
In fact, what he saw was——
It was the troops under the three general flags that surrounded Quzhou City tightly.
It would have been fine if there was just an extra large flag with the words "Huangfu" inscribed on it, but when he stepped onto the top of the city wall to supervise the battle, he saw a prisoner cart being pushed out in front of the other side's camp.
The person in the car was Zhang Jue.
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