Chapter 324 Huang Zu's Death
The sound of horse hooves shattered the dark night.
Sun Ce's military action did not intend to leave Huang Zu any room for resistance.
He stationed his troops in Damo County of Kuaiji County, which is now between Quzhou and Jinhua. It rushed westward into the Yushui River basin and headed straight towards Linru.
Although the nighttime military movement seemed loud, it actually avoided being noticed by the people, and thus allowed the spies Huang Zu left in Kuaiji County to know Sun Ce's movements.
He is indeed determined to win this battle!
Nanchang, the capital of Yuzhang County where Huang Zu was located, was surrounded by lakes such as Poyang Lake and Junshan Lake, and was the best barrier for Sun Ce's army coming from the east.
Sun Ce would never forget that his father died after crossing the Dongting Lake in Jingzhou, so he would never let himself follow in his footsteps.
He chose another way to kill Huang Zu——
First take Linru, then turn north and advance to Nanchang.
Huang Zu's garrison in Linru was not strong to begin with.
The distance from Damu to Linru is more than 700 miles, and it is not a flat land. It would take at least two days for cavalry to travel there, let alone infantry. There are almost no cities to obtain supplies from during the journey.
As long as Sun Ce was not mentally ill, he should not have chosen this route. Even if he bypassed the Poyang Lake basin and fought city by city, it would obviously consume less manpower than this route of advancing alone.
However, Qiao Yan's successful battle had provided Sun Ce with a very effective model. The belief of Sun Ce's subordinates, from generals to soldiers, to avenge Sun Jian was incomparably firm.
Such a team brazenly cutting into the heart of Yuzhang County should probably not be called a solitary force advancing deep into the enemy's territory, but should be likened to a sharp knife stabbing into the heart and lungs!
The lack of cities is their biggest advantage.
It is extremely difficult to be noticed when staying in this sparsely populated area.
Even if there were, they would have been noticed and spied on by the people on the other side before they discovered Sun Ce and his group.
During the entire journey, the army had only taken one long rest. Sun Ce held the polished gun in his hand, watching the remaining water flowing in front of him, and suddenly thought of the conversation he had with his father by the river when he intended to go north.
He followed the feasible method he had discussed with his father that day and gradually ascended to the position of Governor of Yangzhou, but his father's life remained forever in Jingzhou.
But it doesn’t matter! He will inherit his father's will and make this army a team that is always victorious in every battle and is feared by everyone, at least in the south!
"General Gongfu, I will not lose this battle." Sun Ce heard the footsteps coming from behind, turned around and saw Huang Gai walking behind him.
"You know what I want to say is not whether you will lose or not, but..." Huang Gai said this and suddenly stopped talking.
He could tell from Sun Ce's determined expression that there were some things he didn't need to say.
If he asked Sun Ce to let them take the lead and not to take the lead, Sun Ce probably would not listen.
If he really did this, how could he still be Sun Ce?
Huang Gai changed the subject and said, "General, you still need to save your energy to attack Nanchang City. The credit for Linru should be shared with us subordinates. Otherwise, we will not have much chance to participate in the battle when we travel with you. It's really unworthy of the salary we get, don't you think?"
Sun Ce said with a smile: "Gong Fu, if you say so, then I will have to take a good look at your performance. If the siege speed is slow, your salary this year will be deducted to pay for the victims whose production has been reduced."
This joke reduced a lot of their fatigue during the journey.
Huang Gai looked at Sun Ce's face in his prime and couldn't help but smile.
With such an heir, Wen Tai should be able to rest in peace in his grave.
He will also surely be able to secure his position as the governor of Yangzhou and gradually take back all the land of Yangzhou.
When such a team launched a surprise attack on Linru City, it was midnight.
Because the autumn harvest season is approaching, even the defenders in the city have been asked to return home to help with farm work.
The chief of Linru thought that at this time of year, there would most likely be no unusual movements in Kuaiji County, so he simply approved the holiday.
But it was this lax defense that became their fatal weakness.
Even for a city with adequate defenses, with such a weak construction, there is a high probability that it will be unable to withstand Sun Ce's troops, let alone Linru City in such a state.
Sun Ce didn't even give them a chance to pass on the message to the outside world, and he directly captured the city.
The defender in the city was Huang Zu's confidant Chen Jiu, who was beheaded by Huang Gai and used as a sacrifice when the city was broken.
After a half-day rest, Sun Ce ordered some of his troops to change into the clothes of the defenders in the city and pretend to be the defeated army of Linru and retreat towards Nanchang City.
During the ensuing daytime assault on the city, they would keep the city gates open for him, allowing his cavalry attacking from behind to break into the city.
There was originally no difference in the characteristics of the southern soldiers. The Yangzhou soldiers under Sun Ce and the Jingzhou soldiers under Huang Zu were just two neighboring states. In addition, because Huang Zu recruited a lot of local soldiers in Yuzhang County, it seemed that there was no flaw at all.
When these soldiers arrived at the city, the defenders in Nanchang City took these embarrassed colleagues into the city and informed Huang Zu of the news.
Little did they know that at this moment, not far outside Nanchang City, Sun Ce's troops had arrived!
"Linru was defeated?" Huang Zu was startled and sat up straight.
The foreign parrot next to him, which was given to him for his appreciation, suddenly flapped its wings and flew to the high crossbar because of his sudden action.
"Yes, that's what the soldiers who escaped said. They said that if they hadn't been at the north gate when the city was breached and were responsible for guarding the stables, they wouldn't have been able to escape. They quickly sent the news to Nanchang, asking the general to take precautions as soon as possible."
Sun Ce, Sun Ce!
Huang Zu murmured.
It has been four years since the other party came to Yangzhou.
Even if those Shanyue and Wujun families who were hostile to him wanted to cause him some serious trouble, as his foundation in Yangzhou became more and more solid, such trouble-making behavior could only cause a few ripples on the surface.
This young man single-handedly became the backbone of his army.
The death of Sun Jian not only did not make them unable to recover, but instead made them a true army of revenge!
It's only a matter of time before they come to attack Yuzhang!
Even as early as the beginning of the year, many of the areas bordering Yuzhang County, Lujiang, Danyang and Kuaiji had already been swallowed up.
Huang Zu certainly also thought about giving up the position of Yuzhang prefect and returning directly to Jiangxia. At least he would have the support of the Jiangxia Huang family and would not have to face the threat brought by Sun Ce's growth.
But Huang Zu also couldn't bear to give up his current life.
He was in Yuzhang County, and although he still needed to be under the control of Liu Biao, he was actually relatively independent because he was in Yangzhou rather than Jingzhou.
This made him feel more comfortable than ever before.
But now this kind of freedom has undoubtedly been punished, and Sun Ce's attack is the best proof!
In the face of human life, things like freedom and wealth become useless to Huang Zu.
"Do you still want me to teach you? Quickly transfer the garrisons in Haihun and Yuhan to Nanchang, and send another troop south to intercept Sun Ce across the river!"
Huang Zu stood up immediately. Seeing that the soldier who brought the news was stunned for a moment because of his words, as if he had not reacted to his instructions, he kicked the other party.
The parrot in the high place had been a little frightened before, but now it jumped up and down and flapped its wings and shouted, "Move the troops! Move the troops!"
The soldier rushed out immediately, but just as he stepped out of the door, he heard Huang Zu shouting, "Stop! Send a message to the people in the city, telling them that everyone with strong laborers in their families should send someone to defend the city!"
But during this brief pause, a shrill alarm signal suddenly came from the direction of the southern city gate, resounding throughout half of the city.
It also reached Huang Zu's ears.
His expression suddenly turned extremely ugly.
This was because he clearly heard that the alarm signal was exactly the highest level of danger he had set for his subordinates!
At the same time, the faint sound of the earth shaking beneath his feet revealed a signal that couldn't be clearer -
Sun Ce is here!
He arrived in Nanchang almost at the same time as the soldiers who fled from Linru City!
Why it came so soon is no longer a question to think about at this moment.
Perhaps those deserters got lazy on the road, or perhaps Sun Ce, eager for revenge, chose to use all cavalry just to catch him off guard.
The biggest problem now is how to expel Sun Ce.
"Does this kid really think I'm easy to bully? Can he just attack a county seat at will?" Huang Zu cursed and rushed out of the house. "I lured his father into the trap. As a son, can he still have an extra brain?"
He was really cool in his attitude of showing off to Sun Ce, but before he could even leave the government office, he saw another person running towards him in a panic, and before he even reached him, he had already shouted out his words -
"General, it's bad, the South Gate has been captured!"
Huang Zu paused, feeling as if he had been hit on the head by a hammer from mid-air.
How long had it been since the alarm was sounded? Why had the South Gate, which should have been strictly guarded, been breached?
His intuition from years of fighting made him suddenly realize that this was most likely because the defeated soldiers who escaped from Linru were not his men at all, but internal accomplices arranged by Sun Ce to enter the city!
However, this situation was discovered at this time, which no longer has much significance for the city of Nanchang.
He shouted to his personal guards, "Come here! Immediately deploy more troops to the inner city wall. As long as the enemy doesn't attack here, we still have a chance to counterattack."
Huang Zu had never been so grateful as he was now. He was grateful that he had built an inner city wall between the original outer city wall and the county government office in order to create a difference in treatment between himself and ordinary people.
Even if there were defenders who really escaped from Linru, they would not have to enter the territory of this circle of city walls, so this time he was left with the last barrier.
He gritted his teeth and immediately issued a second order: "Order Captain Su to send my son away! Quickly!"
Huang Zu's anxiety had reached its peak at this moment.
Sun Ce's sudden attack disrupted all his preparations. Because the opponent showed a determination to win in this offensive, he could not help but feel that he might not be able to wait for someone to order Sun Ce to withdraw his troops, and the walls of the inner city would be directly breached.
In order to prevent Sun Ce from taking revenge after the city is broken, he must keep his son in a safe environment!
Taking advantage of the confrontation between him and Sun Ce around the inner city wall, he quickly escaped back to Jiangxia!
Huang Zu must have known that sending his son away at this time was a huge blow to morale.
After all, even he, the prefect, sent his son away. Doesn't that mean he feels it's difficult to defend the city?
But he had to prepare for this in advance.
Therefore, Captain Su, who was Su Fei under Huang Zu's command, who received his order, although he felt that this move was inappropriate, immediately led a few people to disguise themselves and took Huang Zu's son Huang She to blend in with the people in the city.
Su Fei still had some ideas on how to deal with disasters. Huang She was also different from his father in that he loved Cai Yong's literary talent and had read a lot of books. After some discussion, the two of them realized that if they left the city at this time, they would undoubtedly become a target in front of Sun Ce.
The best way to escape is to take advantage of the fact that the city gates are wide open and people are fleeing.
Huang She never thought that he would face such a situation.
He heard the siege coming from the inner city, and the panic in his eyes was hard to suppress for a moment. "Captain Su, do you think father can stop Sun Bofu's attack?"
Su Fei didn't know how to answer.
If the outer city of Nanchang had not been breached instantly, with the level of defense of the camp there, perhaps it could have held out until the arrival of reinforcements from nearby, and with the cooperation of Huang Zu who was in the city, at least force Sun Ce to retreat first.
But in the current situation, Huang Zu is extremely passive.
The number of people who could retreat into the inner city in time and launch a counterattack on the city walls was already very small, and half of them were elite troops. Those who were allowed to live in the inner city by Huang Zu were not as capable of providing strong labor as those in the outer city.
Maybe... I can't even last two days.
He could only reply: "Young General, let's see when is the best time to leave the city."
As for Huang Zu's safety, it was no longer their concern.
Huang She was silent for a long time, and finally uttered only one word, "Okay."
He looked towards the direction of the inner city wall, and veins on his solemn face jumped a few times when he heard the sounds of attack and killing coming from there, but he could do nothing.
He could only wait for the most suitable time to escape from the city to save his life, and then one day he would seek repayment from Sun Ce for this blood debt!
At the same time, on the inner city wall, Huang Zu carefully looked outside the wall under the cover of his subordinates, and saw Sun Ce, who was riding a horse, and did not seem to show any signs of fatigue due to the continuous journey and fighting. Instead, his face, which he could only see from afar, revealed a resolute murderous aura.
The next moment, he saw Sun Ce raised his hand.
Arrows shot into the city from a distance instantly covered the top of the city wall.
Huang Zu had just been helped down the city wall by his subordinates to avoid indiscriminate attacks when someone discovered some paper tied to the fallen arrows.
When someone handed one of the notes to Huang Zu, he was shocked to see a sentence written on it: "I came here to avenge my father, and I will not harm anyone in Yangzhou."
Huang Zu had just felt fortunate that the literacy rate of his soldiers was not high when he heard Sun Ce's troops gathered around him shouting this sentence out loud in unison.
Given Sun Ce's temperament, he had no intention of letting others take care of the revenge, so he had no intention of letting the soldiers in the inner city capture Huang Zu and send him directly to him.
After such shouting continued for half an hour, Sun Ce suddenly led his soldiers and launched a fierce attack on the inner city of Nanchang.
The soldiers defending the city were already dissatisfied with Huang Zu's behavior of sending his son away before the battle, and were persuaded to surrender in this way by Sun Ce. How could they have much will to attack?
On the other hand, Sun Ce's side was ready to attack, and because he was only one step away from killing one of Sun Jian's enemies, the public was already in a state of excitement.
How could Huang Zu's subordinates possibly stop such an enemy!
Even the inner wall he built to show off his wealth and power couldn't stop him!
At the moment when the inner city wall was climbed and breached, Huang Zu attempted to escape, but was intercepted by Sun Ce, and then he was pressed in front of the young general.
The opponent's spear was directly against his throat.
"I have thought countless times about how I would behave when I capture you. I even thought about taking you to the place where my father died and then killing you."
Sun Ce looked at Huang Zu's trembling face with cold eyes. For some reason, he suddenly felt a little bored. "But you don't even deserve the name of a hero. How can you be qualified to let me go to so much trouble for you!"
"Go to the underground and wait for Liu Biao first!"
He will always go to Liu Biao to settle the score.
As soon as Sun Ce finished speaking, he shot Huang Zu through the throat.
When Huang Zu was losing consciousness, he heard Sun Ce's order: "Come here, capture all of Huang Zu's family members and descendants, and make sure to wipe out the roots."
The consequence of not removing the roots of the problem will be that he will come here for revenge like he did today!
Regardless of whether Huang Zu's son has the same ability as Sun Ce, and whether it is possible for him to gather a team that can pose a sufficient threat to him in the current situation, in short -
Just kill him first!
But Sun Ce soon received news that Huang Zu's eldest son Huang She had been taken away by his subordinates as early as when he just started to attack the city.
"They are running very fast." Sun Ce's eyes darkened, "Take the soldiers who surrendered from Huang Zu and search in the direction of Jiangxia from Yuzhang County! Make sure to bring these people back to me!"
However, Huang She had already escaped from the city when Sun Ce launched the final round of attack.
Guessing that Sun Ce would most likely choose to hunt down and silence the witnesses, he resolutely decided not to return to Jiangxia first, but to head north instead.
The existence of Poyang Lake gave him a great chance of escaping Sun Ce's pursuit. Also, because Poyang Lake is connected to the Yangtze River Basin, if he could find a ferry to the west, he could return to Jingzhou in a safer way. 1
Even if Liu Biao did not intend to seek justice for his father, he could contact the clan power of the Jiangxia Huang family himself and launch a counterattack against Sun Ce before he could gain a firm foothold in Yuzhang County.
But Huang She thought of this escape plan, and how could Sun Ce, who had made countless assumptions about the siege of Nanchang, ignore this possibility?
Even though Huang She, Su Fei and the others fled to the lake very quickly, they were still slow because they did not dare to ride horses and expose their tracks.
There were already soldiers patrolling and comparing portraits by the lake, some of whom were Huang Zu's former subordinates.
This is simply leaving no way for people to survive!
Going back will expose you, and going forward will also expose you, so you might as well give it a try!
Huang She's gaze scanned the surroundings and finally stopped on a merchant ship docked by the lake in the distance.
"Walk!"
He pulled Su Fei over, and while the boatman was moving the cargo, he hurriedly jumped onto one of the cargo ships and hid in one of the cargo boxes.
When he sat firmly in the box, he breathed a sigh of relief.
If he was not mistaken, these merchant ships had just experienced an inspection by Sun Ce's men, and they probably would not face a second inspection in the short term.
If only these ships could set sail quickly, he would be safe for the time being.
No matter where these ships were planning to go, as long as they could leave the Poyang Lake and avoid Sun Ce's eyes and ears, he would have a chance to survive.
He had no idea that his and Su Fei's escape was clearly seen by two people in another boat parked on the lake.
Qiao Ting retracted the telescope that was sticking out of the window and looked at Qiao Lan who was also there.
In the seven or eight days since Sun Ce sent out his troops, the two sisters have not been idle.
Since they were only in charge of the intelligence department, they certainly did not have the ability to rescue Huang Zu. Anyway, considering Sun Ce's current situation with so many internal troubles, swallowing up Yuzhang County in one gulp might not be a good thing.
But their observation and patrol were not completely fruitless.
"Sister, it looks like we caught a big fish."
Qiao Lan adjusted his business suit and smiled calmly, "You should call me brother now."
Yes, they were just a pair of businessmen who happened to meet Huang She and Su Fei, and had dealt with Su Fei before because of trade in Yuzhang County.
What bad intentions could they have?
It's just a trick to use someone's force to muddy the water in Yangzhou.
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