Chapter 495 Jiaojiao Takes Action (Second Update)
Why did the Chen army, after invading the Zhao state for many days, not massacre the inhabitants of the first three cities, but instead massacre the inhabitants of the small Yuegu City?
Was the resistance in Tsukiko Castle the most intense?
No.
The fiercest resistance came from Beiyang City, followed by Ye City and Lingguan City. At least half of the people in Yuegu City had fled, so what could they possibly use to resist?
However, Rong Yao's youngest son was shot and killed on the battlefield. Rong Yao wanted revenge and also wanted to intimidate the soldiers and people on the border, so he razed the entire Yuegu City to the ground.
"How do you know my elder brother will arrive in five days?" Gu Chengfeng didn't doubt that Gu Jiao was talking nonsense, because everything she said along the way had come true. "Are you in contact with my elder brother and the imperial court behind my back?"
"How can I contact them?" Gu Jiao asked in return.
Gu Chengfeng was stumped by the question.
That's true.
He lived and ate with this girl, and he knew everything she did. She couldn't possibly be doing anything behind his back, and there was no need for her to.
She's more like carrying Tang Yueshan on her back!
Thinking of Tang Yueshan, Gu Chengfeng temporarily forgot to ask Gu Jiao why she knew so much. He frowned and said, "Three days have passed, and I don't know how Tang Yueshan is doing. To be honest, I do hate Tang Yueshan, but at this time I don't want anything to happen to him."
In the dream, Tang Yueshan was not in Yuegu City when the Chen army came to massacre the city. So, either Tang Yueshan had an accident in Ye City, or Tang Yueshan had an accident on his way to Yuegu City after leaving Ye City.
Regardless of whether Tang Yueshan needs to find Gu Jiao for the antidote, he must return to Yuegu City and use it as a base to fight the enemy.
Gu Jiao had the answer to her questions about Tang Yueshan by the evening of the next day.
Early the next morning, Prefect Cheng rushed into Gu Jiao's courtyard: "It's terrible! It's terrible! My lords! General Rong Yao of Chen is leading a large army towards Yuegu City! You two should leave Yuegu City immediately and seek refuge in another city! I will immediately send men to escort you and the old Marquis out of the city!"
"And what about you?" Gu Chengfeng asked.
Prefect Cheng was taken aback at first, then said, "I...I will escort the three of you out of the city."
Gu Chengfeng was enraged. He grabbed Prefect Cheng's collar and said indignantly, "You are the prefect of Yuegu City, an official appointed by the imperial court! The Chen army has attacked, and instead of defending the city to the death, you have fled in the face of battle! Do you still deserve to be the people's magistrate? Are you even a man?!"
Prefect Cheng stammered, "I...I...I was escorting the old Marquis and the two gentlemen away..."
Gu Chengfeng coldly pushed the person to the ground: "We don't need your escort! We're not leaving!"
Prefect Cheng's hat was askew. He straightened it, stood up tremblingly, and said, "Since you two gentlemen are not leaving, then I will not leave either. I will defend the city and swear to live and die with the people of the city!"
Gu Chengfeng coldly threatened, "You'd better have that, or I'll be the first to kill you!"
Prefect Cheng shuddered.
The Chen army didn't need to use any tricks to occupy Yuegu City, a small city without any garrison. They could simply besiege the city. Their overwhelming force was what alerted Prefect Cheng to their movements.
But what's the use of detecting it?
Can we really win?
With only five thousand soldiers, half of whom were temporarily put together?
"How many of them came?" Gu Jiao asked.
“Five thousand cavalry…leading the charge,” Prefect Cheng said, trembling. “Five thousand infantry will follow behind.”
"So there are a total of 20,000 troops?" Gu Jiao asked.
"Hmm...Hmm?!" Prefect Cheng only realized after responding that the young man with a disfigured face had actually spoken, and it sounded like a woman's voice.
With the current strength of Yuegu City, the 20,000-strong Chen army could easily be defeated.
"Report—Report—"
As the group was talking, a guard's urgent voice came from outside the door.
"Let him in!" Gu Chengfeng said sternly.
Prefect Cheng hurriedly ordered his servants to bring in the guard. The guard was a scout from Yuegu City. He was the one who had discovered the news that the Chen army was marching towards Yuegu City. Prefect Cheng instructed him to continue to keep an eye on the movements of the Chen army.
Clearly, he had found out new information.
"Reporting to Lord Cheng, the Chen army and the imperial army have started fighting!"
Prefect Cheng exclaimed with delight, "The imperial army? The imperial reinforcements have arrived!"
The guard hurriedly replied, "No, it seems to be the same group of imperial troops from before."
Gu Jiao and Gu Chengfeng instantly understood: Tang Yueshan had returned with his army!
Gu Chengfeng opened his mouth in astonishment. He hadn't expected that the man surnamed Tang would actually be able to rescue his army from Ye City. He had heard of an army rescuing one person, but it was extremely rare for one person to rescue an entire army.
"This guy surnamed Tang is quite impressive," he murmured.
Gu Jiao asked, "Where is the battle taking place?"
The guard replied, "Moon Valley Slope, twenty miles away!"
Gu Jiao then asked, "How many troops do each side have?"
“Five thousand cavalry from Chen, two thousand infantry from the imperial court, and five hundred archers.” The guard paused, scratched his head, and explained, “These are approximate numbers; casualties are not included.”
In battle between two armies, casualties occur every second.
Gu Jiao glanced at him and asked, "What's your name?"
The guard said, "My name is Hu Dongqiang. I'm the sixth child in my family, so they call me Xiao Liu."
Gu Jiao said, "From now on, you will be called Xiao Hu."
Hu Dongqiang was taken aback.
Gu Jiao turned around, picked up the spear from the shelf, and then, as if remembering something, asked, "Do you have a younger brother named Hu Xiqiang?"
Hu Dongqiang was taken aback again: "Ah, how did you know?"
Gu Jiao: "..."
Your parents were quite casual in choosing your name.
Gu Jiao tossed the small basket to Hu Dongqiang: "Put it on your back. From now on, you'll be with me."
Gu Chengfeng grabbed Gu Jiao's arm: "I'll go instead."
They can't both go; one of them has to stay here.
Gu Jiao tossed him the token from Renshou Palace: "You guard the city! Anyone who disobeys will be executed on the spot!"
...
On the snow-covered Yuegu Slope, two armies clashed.
Tang Yueshan's army was outnumbered, and archers were better suited for long-range combat than close-quarters fighting, so Tang Yueshan did not choose to engage the Chen army in a direct confrontation.
After making a few feints, he began a full retreat.
However, those on foot cannot outrun those on horseback, and no matter how much his army retreated, it was gradually overtaken by the Chen cavalry.
They were trapped in a canyon with only one road. Ten miles ahead were 15,000 infantrymen from the Chen Kingdom, and behind them were 5,000 cavalrymen in hot pursuit.
Unless they can choose to fight their way out from one end, they will be trapped in the canyon.
Tang Yueshan rode on his horse, looking around. In fact, with their current strength, whether they had 5,000 cavalry or 15,000 infantry, it wouldn't make much difference. It would just be a matter of whether they could struggle for a shorter time or a longer time, but in the end, the result would be total annihilation.
Who told his army to go three whole days without eating a single grain of rice!
This is not only a difference in numbers, but also a huge disparity in physical strength and combat power.
An archer said, "General, we'll clear the way for you, you fight your way out!"
They cannot escape, but it is not difficult for them to do their best to escort Tang Yueshan out of danger.
"General, fight your way out! When the imperial reinforcements arrive, remember to avenge our brothers!"
"Yes, General! We'll escort you out of here!"
No one raised any objection.
Tang Yueshan risked his life to rescue them from Yecheng, and they would surely risk their lives to escort him out of the enemy's clutches.
"Do I, Tang Yueshan, look like the kind of person who would so cowardlyly cling to life! Even if I die in battle today—"
Before he could finish speaking, a Chen cavalryman fired an arrow in their direction, hitting the archer who had first suggested Tang Yueshan leave.
Tang Yueshan turned around abruptly, glaring angrily at the approaching Chen cavalry: "Archers, prepare!"
Five hundred archers formed a battle formation and drew their bows in unison.
The cavalry were too fast, leaving them little time to attack.
Tang Yueshan swung his arm and shouted, "Release the arrows!"
The first volley of arrows was released, the archers crouched down to prepare their arrows, and the archers behind them stood up seamlessly to fire the second volley of arrows.
The archers of the Tang family were unerring archers, hitting the bullseye every time.
However, they didn't have enough arrows.
Before the Chen cavalry could reach their optimal firing range, the Tang archers had fired all 108 arrows, hitting their targets 108 times.
They did their best.
They lived up to the title of Tang family archers; they did not disgrace Marshal Tang.
The archer drew his short sword with a death-defying resolve!
The time has come to drag the Chen soldiers down to hell with us.
Kill one, it's even; kill two, it's a win!
However, just as everyone was waiting to perish together with the Chen cavalry, a loud noise suddenly came from above. When everyone looked up, they saw a huge rock rolling down from the mountainside on one side of the canyon.
The stones thundered and crashed into the ranks of the Chen cavalry with a deafening roar, as if they were exploding.
Then a series of thunderous explosions were heard, and the Chen cavalrymen around them were blown away!
Tang Yueshan also raised his head.
He saw, beneath the vast sky and atop the mountains, a young man in blue robes, wielding a red-tasseled spear, one foot planted imposingly on a rock, arrogantly looking down upon the Chen cavalry, whose ranks were now in chaos from the bombing.
Her figure was tiny atop the enormous mountains.
Yet her aura was extremely powerful, so powerful that for a moment, Tang Yueshan felt as if he had seen a killing god born for the battlefield!
Fangfangzai still wants monthly passes!
(End of this chapter)
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