Chapter 79 Defeat (895 words added) All that was left for them was...
Chaozhou.
Hundreds of thousands of troops clashed with tens of thousands of troops. The battle raged for months, leaving corpses strewn everywhere and rivers of blood.
Luo Boyuan led several thousand men to retreat to the city. He was covered in wounds and stood on the city wall, looking down at the enemy troops all around.
He laughed, "Hahahahahaha."
Chi Xi and Zhong Mingqi, who were standing behind him, exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with worry.
Chi Xi said slowly, "My lord..."
Luo Boyuan raised his left hand, making a shushing gesture, and Chi Xi had no choice but to shut up.
They heard Robert Yuan say in a deep voice, "I will never surrender!"
Zhong Mingqi clenched his fists and said, "If my lord would rather die in battle, then I will certainly risk my life to accompany him!"
Luo Boyuan turned to look at him, then at Chi Xi, and shook his head. "No."
The middle-aged man's gaze was deep. "You don't have to die with me. You two are both very capable and have done a lot of planning for me. I think both Sun Yannan and Lu Hong would be willing to accept you."
Chi Xi wanted to say something more, but seeing Luo Boyuan's expression, she didn't say anything more and just sighed.
A soldier rushed up and shouted, "Report! The enemy is attacking the city again!"
Luo Boyuan's face darkened, and he held out his hand. "Bring me the gun!"
Flags fluttered overhead.
Luo Boyuan took the long spear that his men carried up and strode downstairs.
Chi Xi and Zhong Mingqi followed closely behind him.
The city was completely besieged, and the rebels and civilians inside were unable to escape.
They followed Robert in a desperate resistance.
Then they waited in fear for the day of defeat.
Knowing full well that Luo Boyuan would inevitably lose to the enemy, and that when the enemy entered the city, they would face slaughter.
The sounds of battle cries outside the city were deafening.
The broadsword reflected the sunlight, and blood splattered on the people around it.
Countless people fell to the ground.
Luo Boyuan was blinded by rage.
Sun Yannan and Lu Hong's men were shouting for him to surrender, but Luo Boyuan pretended not to see it.
But during the battle, he suddenly thought of something.
After retreating to the city, he summoned Chi Xi and Zhong Mingqi.
Zhong Mingqi was surprised, "You mean..."
Looking at the map, Luo Boyuan drew a line on it with his right finger. "We'll lure the enemy to this location, giving the people in the city time to escape."
Chi Xi was stunned. "You mean..."
Robert said, "As long as they can escape to other counties or other states, they can continue to live."
Zhong Mingqi said, "Even if they manage to escape, they will be hunted down."
Robert said, "It's better than a massacre inside the city."
After a moment, he sighed, "Our soldiers, those who can escape, should escape quickly. They don't need to die with me."
A sense of helplessness enveloped everyone present.
Several generals looked at Luo Boyuan, their eyes reddening.
"Big brother..."
"My lord, do you really want to..."
"My lord, why don't we break out together? As long as we're alive, we can always fight another day!"
"Yes, we'll meet again another day..."
"Brother, I will definitely follow you!"
Luo Boyuan looked at them, his tone still firm, "No, if you can survive, you must continue to live, and see for me what this world can become!"
Zhong Mingqi paused, then said softly, "If someone were to unify the world, it would only be like the early days of the Great Wei Dynasty, a period of recuperation and tax reduction."
"Isn't it good to allow people to recuperate and reduce taxes?" Luo Boyuan smiled. The people would then be able to live a period of peace.
He turned to look at the night sky, recalling how, during the earlier floods, he had heard survivors say that a mysterious woman had rescued their dying relatives from the water. Afterwards, no one saw the woman again, nor the missing people.
Were they saved by the gods?
Luo Boyuan's vision blurred, and he couldn't help but think: If there really are gods in this world, could you come to see me?
Can you save the innocent people of this city?
The next day.
Following the plan set out the previous night, Luo Boyuan led two or three thousand men straight forward.
This caused the enemy's encirclement to shrink from the city gate to the front of the state city.
The people in the city who had already packed their belongings took the opportunity to escape, fleeing in all directions with their families.
Sun Yannan and others kept a close eye on the battle situation.
Yang Xian wondered, "Does Luo Boyuan intend to abandon the city and flee?" Otherwise, why would they leave the territory of the state capital?
Cui Xiu frowned. "The people in the city have fled. It would be best to send people to block the exits immediately."
“But Luo Boyuan… it’s still more important to take him down first,” Yang Xian said.
Xiao Yong was stunned upon hearing this. "Why would Luo Boyuan do this?"
Yes, given the current situation, defending the city is definitely better than abandoning it and fleeing.
Once they left Chaozhou city, Luo Boyuan and his men wouldn't be able to hold out for long.
Could it be that he wants to escape, find a new place to recuperate, and wait for a comeback?
But……
Sun Yannan's gaze was sharp as he said coldly, "No matter what he wants to do, he will definitely not escape this time."
The strategists and generals present all nodded in unison, "Yes!"
Lu Hong's side.
Ying Yanzhou, watching the encirclement shrink, said to Lu Hong, "My lord, Zhong Mingqi, one of Luo Boyuan's subordinates, is my junior brother. After Luo Boyuan is defeated, could you spare his life?"
Lu Hong thought for a moment, "Oh, you said before that Zhong Mingqi and you were both students of Jiang Jin." They were both disciples of the School of Diplomacy.
He waved his hand and said, "If he is your junior brother, and you can persuade him to surrender to this governor, this governor will grant him an official position."
Ying Yanzhou immediately cupped his hands in thanks, "Thank you, my lord!"
Tao Wang gazed at the chaotic battle between the armies not far away and said, "If Sun Yannan's men capture Luo Boyuan first..."
Liang Shanguang said, "Luo Boyuan won't survive."
Lu Hongyi tugged at the reins, "What does it matter whether he lives or dies? What Sun Yannan and I want is Chaozhou!"
Luo Boyuan's army was dwindling.
Some fled, some were killed, and the rest followed him and gradually moved away from the city.
The enemy forces were in hot pursuit, and the encirclement was getting smaller and smaller.
Luo Boyuan planted his spear in the ground.
He saw the gods.
He Qinglan came from Sifang County.
At Yan Hui Pass, Cheng Hui directed people to send provisions, medicine, and clothing, relieving the crisis of the army's women's corps.
Song Li led the caravan deeper into the desert.
In Sifang County, everything was just getting on track, and the people were working enthusiastically.
Jiang Zhou led the people from the distillery to inspect the place and was very satisfied. He decided to relocate the distillery and build a wine county. For this purpose, he specially invited the goddess to come and seek her opinion.
He Qinglan had no objections, but emphasized the importance of dredging the river.
Jiang Zhou was very happy.
After leaving Sifang County, He Qinglan did some calculations and discovered that Luo Boyuan's death would be in the next day or two.
She immediately went to Chaozhou to see Luo Boyuan one last time.
Robert gazed at the young woman who seemed so out of place on the battlefield.
He asked hesitantly, "Did you save those people who died in the flood?"
He Qinglan said, "It's me."
Luo Boyuan's expression changed, both surprised and delighted, "You..."
He Qinglan looked Luo Boyuan up and down, and suddenly said, "I can take the people in the city who are fleeing with me."
Luo Boyuan was stunned.
His mouth dropped open. "You...you mean..."
He Qinglan nodded, "Our Sifang County is currently facing a severe labor shortage."
Sifang County? Where is that? But it doesn't matter. Luo Boyuan knelt on one knee, filled with gratitude, "Thank you, fairy!"
He Qinglan said, "No need to thank me. I'm not doing this for you, nor am I planning to support them for nothing."
Hearing this, Luo Boyuan smiled with relief.
As he laughed, his eyes turned red.
He said, "The people are blessed to have been saved by a fairy."
There really are fairies in this world, and they are even willing to lend a helping hand to innocent people.
Robert knelt on the ground, saying, "I regret that I have no way to repay your great kindness."
He Qinglan asked, "Don't you want to live?"
Luo Boyuan laughed loudly, "It would be best if I died here!"
"Please, fairy..."
He looked around at everyone who was frozen in place by the fairy's divine power. Their postures and expressions looked incredibly comical, but he couldn't laugh.
Luo Boyuan said in a deep voice, "Please, fairy, save my brothers too!"
He Qinglan sighed and said, "Those who want to live, I can take them with me. Those who want to die with you, I won't stop them."
Luo Boyuan's eyes widened, "You..."
He Qinglan said calmly, "I won't stop you, and naturally I won't stop them either."
She only saved people who didn't want to die; she didn't care about those who genuinely wanted to die.
Luo Boyuan paused for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "Fine."
He looked at He Qinglan and said, "Fairy, you are a fairy, surely you can answer my questions."
He Qinglan met his gaze, and she understood what he wanted to ask, so she said, "Top-notch internal skills need to be paired with top-notch mental techniques."
Luo Boyuan: "..."
His expression turned blank.
The fairy said, "Throughout history, peasant uprisings have failed because of the limitations of the peasants themselves."
"Whether it was the leaders who called for the uprising or the many people who participated in it, they all had their own shortcomings and deficiencies. But during the uprising, they did not restrain themselves or correct their shortcomings. They were satisfied with temporary victories and could not lead their comrades to go further."
The fairy gazed at Luo Boyuan and said, "Without correct ideological guidance, it is impossible to build a true revolutionary force. A good force must have clear ideology and strict discipline in order to eliminate limitations, maintain its advanced nature and purity, and achieve the final victory of the revolution." [Note 1]
Luo Boyuan's expression became increasingly bewildered.
What does this mean? It means that the reason why the people who rebelled in the late stages of dynasties failed, and why I have ended up in this situation today, is because we did not have the right ideological guidance.
He gazed at the fairy, his pupils dilating in shock: But what kind of thinking is correct?
He Qinglan did not continue to explain.
She couldn't explain this in a few words. If she wanted Luo Boyuan to understand, she would probably have to invite Zhu Youchuan over to brew tea and sit down to talk for days and nights.
The goddess looked up at the sky.
The ethereal Heavenly Dao cast a warning glance at us.
She scoffed softly and said to Robert, "I'm leaving."
In the void, the hands of the clock, which had been frozen in time, began to move forward.
Tick-tock.
Tick-tock.
Tick-tock.
The goddess vanished before their eyes.
The soldiers, whose time had been forcibly paused, suddenly began to move again.
They were completely unaware.
I didn't know I was unable to move, and I didn't know a fairy had come by.
Luo Boyuan suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter.
Chi Xi and the others stared at their lord in shock: Didn't you know all along that we might die today? How could you suddenly...?
Luo Boyuan stopped, looked at his brothers, and said, "The fairy just came. She promised to save you. You can live."
Everyone: "..."
Lu Hong's army and Sun Yannan's army continued to besiege Luo Boyuan and his men.
But they didn't realize that the people who had just escaped Chaozhou City, the people who were still trapped inside the city, and the rebel army they were besieging were all disappearing one after another.
As the encirclement tightened, Robert Yuan, with a fresh scar on his face, looked at the enemy who was very close to him.
He laughed loudly, "What a pity, I won't live to see what becomes of you people!"
The man raised his spear, and amidst the wary gazes of the surrounding soldiers, the spear pierced his own body.
Luo Boyuan coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.
Meanwhile, his remaining subordinates all committed suicide with sharp blades.
Lu Hong, mounted on his horse, looked down at Luo Boyuan's corpse. After a long while, he said, "He was indeed a good man."
Then he looked at Sun Yannan, "Luo Boyuan is dead, this Chaozhou..."
Sun Yannan, also on horseback, gestured for them to enter the city to talk.
They didn't know that there were no people or money left in the city.
All that was left for them was an empty city.
"What? I don't see my junior brother?" Ying Yanzhou asked in disbelief, "Could it be... he's with Luo Boyuan..."
The soldier who was ordered to find someone for him immediately replied, "No, I haven't seen Zhong either... I haven't seen your junior brother's body. He should still be alive."
Ying Yanzhou was puzzled. He had seen his junior brother with Luo Boyuan in the morning. How could he have disappeared in the middle of the day?
Lu Hong asked, "Have they already escaped?"
Ying Yanzhou frowned. "But how did he escape?"
His junior brother Zhong wasn't the type to abandon his lord and run away, because even if he wanted to, he probably wouldn't have gone very far. But the search party had already looked everywhere and hadn't found him.
"Could it have fallen into Sun Yannan's hands?" Jiang Bo suddenly said from the side. "Chi Xi and Chi Zhongming are also missing."
Ying Yanzhou was shocked, "Chi Xi is gone too?"
Lu Hong's eyes widened. "How could this be..."
The two strategists who served Luo Boyuan have vanished without a trace, neither alive nor dead.
It is highly likely that they all ended up in Sun Yannan's hands.
But Sun Yannan denied it.
He looked at Lu Hong with a surprised expression, "I didn't think they had fallen into your hands."
Lu Hong exclaimed anxiously, "How could they be in my hands? I didn't even see them!"
The two governors looked at each other in bewilderment.
The strategists and generals behind them exchanged glances, their eyes filled with suspicion.
They sent men to search the battlefield thoroughly again, but to no avail.
They then sent people to search the surrounding area.
Before long, someone came running in panic to report, "Governor! Governor! Something terrible has happened! Everyone in the city has disappeared!"
Lu Hong: "???"
Sun Yannan: "!!!"
The city of Chaozhou is deserted.
I didn't see a single living person, not even half a living animal!
They then selected a household and went inside. They could see signs that the place had just been ransacked: clothes had been taken, and some tattered items were left on the ground; money, food, bowls, chopsticks, pots, and ironware had all been looted, leaving only large pieces of wooden furniture; the cows in the cowshed, the chickens in the chicken coop, the pigs in the pigsty, and the sheep in the sheep pen had all been taken away.
Fortunately, they entered the city together.
Otherwise, they would definitely suspect that the other party had looted everything before they even arrived!
Sun Yannan was so angry he laughed.
Although they attacked Chaozhou for territory, who would have thought that they would find it to be an empty city?
How did that guy Luo Boyuan manage to do it?
No wonder he looked so smug before he died!
Lu Hong couldn't understand, "Even if they wanted to run, with hundreds of thousands of troops surrounding the city, how did so many of them manage to escape?"
That's right, logically speaking, they shouldn't be able to escape.
How could they possibly break through the besieging army and escape with their families and belongings?
Ying Yanzhou said, "I have already sent people to check the surrounding area."
Zhu Yunze also said, "I have sent people in all directions to chase after them. We will know soon."
Did these people escape the city through their own abilities, or did they really vanish into thin air?
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Author's Note: 1. Note 1: This passage is from Chapter 128 of "When the Dynasties Began to Watch My Chinese Class" by Chunshan Youxin on Jinjiang Literature City.
2. Originally, Luo Boyuan's ending was suicide, but I later thought that the female lead could take the people away, since she's short-handed.
3. The next chapter is nearly 900 words long, but I felt it would be more appropriate to put it in this chapter, so I copied it over.
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