Chapter 45 Interception
Zhou She: "..." He was very concerned. When did his nickname become Zhou the Skinflint?
Ren Heng pondered carefully: "Zhongzong's intention should be to seize the initiative and dismantle the two reinforcements near Xuanyang to avoid being caught in a pincer movement and besieging the city."
Upon hearing about his son Zhuang Shi's military achievements, Zhuang Ziqian nodded reservedly: "It seems that although Yuan Chu is unlearned and incompetent, he still has some skills."
Cheng Zhuoran: "..." I really wanted to stuff Cheng Rong along with him.
Sometimes I really want to laugh. When King Jungjong was stationed at Myeongwon Pass, these people didn't talk like that. When they impeached King Jungjong, they clearly said, "We rely solely on our strong army; our generals have no merit in conquering an inch of land. Our dynasty is full of talented people; why do we need such arrogant and domineering individuals?"
In short, it means I could do it too.
But when they themselves became the ones getting beaten up, they chickened out again, finally admitting it was related to their individual skill level—their change of face was incredibly professional.
The civil and military officials were speechless. Fortunately, Tianmu hadn't revealed who was so keen on impeachment.
It's good now; this mess can be randomly pinned on anyone.
"Brother Wu, in the Censorate, you are the one who has made the most contributions and worked the hardest."
"Hehe, Brother Li, you flatter me. How could a mere official like me compare to your prestige?"
As they undermined each other, He Jingcheng and his eldest son, who were specifically mentioned, looked at each other in bewilderment.
Operation? What operation?
He Siqi ignored his father's warning. "What a joke! I'm a genius too, why would I be afraid of a mere shrew like Zhou Bapi?"
He calculated with his fingers and predicted Zhongzong's thoughts: "Isn't it just that you want to dismantle the two reinforcements first? I predicted your prediction. Since that's the case, I'll secretly send reinforcements to Pucheng and wait for you to arrive."
Cheng Zhuoran was slightly surprised: "Although He Siqi is arrogant, he is still quite intelligent."
Zhuang Ziqian disagreed: "Arrogance is already a big mistake. The He family has only been raising an army for a few months. Even if they have gathered tens of thousands of troops, do they think they can compete with the battle-hardened Xun'an Army? He Siqi will definitely lose."
As Zhuang Ziqian said, battle-hardened soldiers and generals cannot be trained in a day. The He family managed to gather refugees in such a short time, but ultimately they could not match the quality of the patrol army.
However, not all of the patrol troops could march south; some of Emperor Jungjong's forces were tied down at Mingyuan Pass. If He Siqi's personal abilities were high enough, it wasn't impossible for him to turn the tide.
Cheng Zhuoran asked quietly, "Are you so sure he'll lose?"
"..." Zhuang Ziqian returned a questioning look, "If Emperor Zhongzong loses this battle, what future will he have?"
Cheng Zhuoran: "..." That was too hasty.
Unfortunately, Emperor Zhongzong anticipated both my prediction and yours. He led several thousand cavalrymen to ambush near Pucheng, intending to intercept the reinforcements He Siqi had sent to Pucheng.
As the sound of the sky appeared, the scene shifted, revealing a long official road.
On the official road, a line of several thousand cavalrymen was marching.
"This time, we'll make that Zhou fellow suffer a loss in silence!" The one dressed the most differently, wearing light armor and being strong and robust, was clearly the general of this expedition.
He said smugly, "To let him know that the world isn't ruled by someone surnamed Zhou. In times without heroes, even a nobody can rise to fame. If he hadn't been lucky enough to hitch a ride on the emperor's carriage, what would he be?"
The other man burst into laughter, and the galloping horse's hooves swept across the puddle, splashing water everywhere.
It rained a few days ago, and the official road is still wet. Looking into the distance, the green mountains are faintly visible through the mist.
"It's a pity there are no remains by the roadside, otherwise I would have recognized him, Zhou She, by those skeletons!"
"Hahahaha—" Xiong Hanhai gave him a thumbs up, "What Dexian said is exactly what I think!"
They laughed heartily, but before they knew it, a faint commotion arose ahead.
Xiong Hanhai frowned, spurred his horse forward, and raised his whip to hurl insults, but what greeted him was not the soldier's pleas for mercy, but a scream of agony.
Through the hazy mist, a dense mass of dark figures appeared. The soldier at the forefront was caught off guard; several arrows pierced his face, killing him instantly and causing him to fall from his horse.
"Enemy attack—!! Engage the enemy—!" Xiong Hanhai was terrified and immediately flew into a rage. He charged forward, gun in hand, ready to fight the enemy to the death.
As if in response to his roar, a dark figure leaped out of the mist. A steed galloped towards him, instantly reaching him.
The horse was as swift as lightning, and the rider charged straight into their cavalry without even turning his head.
Xiong Hanhai didn't even see who was on horseback; he only saw that the man was dressed in plain clothes, his features obscured by the fog. He was clad in light armor and charged straight at him with his spear!
In the thick fog, only a flash of cold light from the tip of a spear could be seen flying towards them. Xiong Hanhai was shocked and raised his spear to meet the attack, but the man flicked the spear away, causing his hand to go numb and his weapon to slip from his grasp. The spear spun away and flew out of his hand.
Changde followed closely behind, carefully circling around to the other side, just as he was about to launch a sneak attack—
It seemed as if the opponent had eyes in the back of his head. He retaliated with a backhand, sweeping his spear horizontally, and skillfully knocked Chang De off his horse with a single thrust!
Upon first meeting him, Xiong Hanhai knew that the newcomer was up to no good; he was a seasoned veteran of the battlefield.
All around him were soldiers who had been hacked down from their horses, their warm blood splattering on Xiong Hanhai's face, turning his vision completely red. Only the constant screams kept him slightly awake.
Of the thirty-six stratagems, running away is the best.
The blood actually warmed Xiong Hanhai's cold body a little. He didn't have time to gather his remaining troops, so he turned his horse around and tried to escape.
The newcomer, however, had no intention of letting him go. He chased after him and this time fired an even faster shot, sending him and his horse flying several feet away.
As he fell off his horse, Xiong Hanhai finally saw the other person's face.
A young, cold face.
Xiong Hanhai didn't recognize him. Trembling, he looked over the other man's shoulder and saw corpses and scattered weapons in the distance. His soldiers were still putting up a stubborn resistance.
He opened his eyes wide in resentment. The other person's figure, along with the spear, was reflected in his pupils and rapidly expanded in his field of vision.
A sharp pain shot through his chest, and he collapsed to the ground, his eyes still fixed on the man's face, as if trying to imprint it into his mind.
"General—!!"
Amidst shouts of alarm in the distance, the young man drew his long sword from his waist and swung it down. Blood splattered, staining half of his body red.
Emperor Zhongzong held up the head, its eyes blazing with fury: "Xiong Hanhai's head is here! Surrender and you will be spared!"
[The battle was a resounding victory. Emperor Zhongzong captured Chang Dexian alive, killed Xiong Hanhai, and also took over a thousand cavalrymen prisoner and several hundred warhorses. There are no places to raise horses in the west. How easy was it to gather such a small number of cavalry? He Jingcheng must be crying when he hears the news.]
Therefore, don't try to oppose King Jungjong, especially militarily. Your prediction was actually my prediction. Sigh, He Siqi should also go home and study; otherwise, if King Jungjong defeats him, he'll be crying in his father's arms.
The spear shot out like a dragon, its cold light flashing suddenly. From the perspective of the sky, it was as if everyone truly experienced the feeling of being stabbed to death.
He Jingcheng didn't even have time to pay attention to Tianmu's comment about his crying; a chill ran through him: "It's over!"
He was heartbroken: "How could this guy be so reckless!"
Being ambushed and killed is one thing, but at least they should have rallied their soldiers to fight back immediately!
Zhuang Ziqian smiled subtly: "Brother Cheng, just watch, I was right after all."
Cheng Zhuoran stared at the image frozen on the sky. Emperor Zhongzong sat upright on his horse, urging the horse forward with one hand and holding a spear in the other, his head held high.
However, what he cared about more were those eyes.
That was the sharpness left over from years of marching and fighting, tainted by bloodshed to this day; his pupils were pitch black, and what shone within them was clearly a sharp light.
It sends chills down one's spine just by looking at it.
He Siqi had just settled in Wuwei when he heard that someone had delivered a message outside the city. At first, he didn't realize what was happening and assumed it was a provocative letter from Emperor Zhongzong.
He prided himself on being different from his father, believing he wouldn't act impulsively. So, he confidently had the messenger brought in, even saying very elegantly that in wartime, messengers are not killed, and that they were people of high quality.
However, the messenger politely declined, simply stuffing the wooden box into the cradle hanging from the city wall and running away.
The Third Prince smiled and asked, "Ruochuan, what did you send? Even the messenger dared not enter the city."
Zhou She glanced at the emperor silently, about to answer, but was stopped by the emperor's wave.
"Can't you even see that?" the emperor said expressionlessly. "Want to use your pig brain?"
The Third Prince's smiling mask cracked.
The wooden box was delivered to the military camp, where all the high-ranking officers were present, waiting for He Siqi to open it. He Siqi then said elegantly, "Zhou Xingyuan's actions are nothing but a petty trick. I am not an impulsive or easily angered person; he has chosen the wrong person to provoke me."
Then he opened the wooden box...
The sound from the sky was noticeably more cheerful.
He Jingcheng looked at his bewildered son and felt a pang of heartache.
Although they didn't win last time, the public execution was still too heart-wrenching.
[I'm sure you've all guessed it. What kind of letter could be packed in such a big box? Nothing else could do it better than this – it's Xiong Hanhai's fresh, hot, and perfectly healthy head!]
"ah!!"
He Siqi's hand trembled, and the head in the wooden box opened its eyes wide, as if it were talking to him.
The blood covering it seemed to still be flowing, frozen at the moment it was cut off. Even though he hadn't touched it, it felt as if he were in lava, his fingers burning hot.
BOOM!
The wooden box was blown away, and Xiong Hanhai's head fell to the ground with a thud, rolling several times, his cheeks covered in dust, his eyes still open upwards.
"Put this thing..." Realizing he had misspoke, He Siqi immediately stopped and said tremblingly, "...and bury General Xiong."
He watched as the soldier stepped forward and picked up the severed head. Overwhelmed with rage, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his face was filled with the fury of being fooled.
"Alright, Zhou Xingyuan, I'll remember this grudge! I'd be a gentleman not to avenge this!"
[Ugh, he's talking nonsense. He's never been a gentleman to begin with.]
Tianmu's timely witty remark made everyone burst into laughter.
Anyone with even a slight understanding of the situation knows the He family. Even if they don't, they should recognize the name He Jingcheng.
This powerful figure, in the end, can hardly be considered a gentleman. He may appear respectable on the surface, but he has a lot of dirty deeds going on behind the scenes.
The third and fourth princes exchanged a glance, still unaware of why their father had summoned them to the palace.
They could see clearly that the fifth brother was being kept under house arrest.
The emperor paid no attention to his two sons. He beckoned Zhao Wen to him and said, "Send out the order to have the garrison commander of Zhuozhou take action."
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes: "Send the He family to the capital."
Moreover, he wasn't exactly a bright person. The next day, He Siqi tried to contact the garrison commander of Pucheng, but the problem was that after Emperor Zhongzong killed Xiong Hanhai, he conveniently cut off the communication route.
He Siqi was starting to panic: "We agreed on a three-pronged attack, and now you're telling me I'm the only one left?" Fortunately, he hadn't come alone; he was accompanied by an elderly gentleman, the veteran Bi Songde.
Bi Songde advised He Siqi that although Zhou She was on the other side, war was not a matter of a moment; in a stalemate, the key was supply. Suzhou was already under their control, but Bingzhou, under Zhou She's control, had only just been captured. If they waited a little longer, there would always be an opportunity, and then they could win in one battle.
That made a lot of sense, and everyone began to nod in agreement.
The aristocratic families have deep-rooted resources; if it really comes down to a protracted war, they probably can afford it.
However, Emperor Zhongzong also had several prefectures to rely on, and Qingzhou was a major supplier of grain. As long as there was no unrest in the rear and the supply lines were not cut off, there should not be too much of a problem.
Emperor Hong'an had the same thought: "Ruochuan, what do you think?"
Zhou She noticed the change in the emperor's address. He thought for a moment and said, "With the He family's strength, it shouldn't be a problem for them to hold out for a year or two. However... I'm afraid Zhao Shuming won't give them the opportunity to stay for a long time."
“He Jingcheng has deployed troops to the Wuwei area, so the troop strength in other places has naturally been reduced. Zhao Shuming also has border areas with them, so this wait…” Zhou She smiled, “maybe what I will get first will be my opportunity.”
"What if they don't get involved?"
“Then I’ll intervene. He Siqi is impulsive and arrogant; I’ll always find a way to provoke him out of the city to fight.”
He Siqi chose to heed this advice, and the two armies faced off. Emperor Zhongzong was also busy consolidating his power in the region. While reviewing the list of mid- to high-ranking generals, one name caught his attention.
The generals of Bingzhou were all on tenterhooks, unsure whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.
As the garrison commander of Bingzhou, Shao Junzheng held the city for more than ten days during Emperor Zhongzong's southward journey. Considering the number of troops he led at the time, this was a remarkable achievement.
After the city fell, he attempted suicide. After being bound and brought before Emperor Jungjong, he insulted the emperor, saying that as a subject of the Ning Dynasty and a relative of the imperial family, he appeared to be helping the country but actually coveted the throne.
You know what, he's actually quite accurate... After all, everyone uses the same tactic of purging the court, so why are you only criticizing him?
yes!
Everyone says it, but that's what they're all thinking.
It sounds like Zhao Shuming and He Jingcheng don't have this idea. They just want to get along on the surface. Do you really want to support a wise ruler and be someone's slave?
At that moment, Shao Jun, who was only ten years old, heard his name and immediately froze.
They must be... people with the same name, right?
If he only criticized Emperor Zhongzong, then he would be a hypocrite. But the problem is, he really isn't.
Not only does Shao Junzheng curse people, he offends everyone in the process. This morning, he cursed Zhao Shuming first, then cursed He Jingcheng at lunch, then cursed Zhang Ping during his patrol in the afternoon, then cursed Chu Shan in the evening, and then cursed Emperor Zhongzong before going to bed.
The main tactic is to treat everyone equally, and to be unhappy with everyone.
Everyone glanced at Zhou She discreetly.
Very good, seems to be in a good mood and unaffected by the sky.
Zhou She didn't see any need to be angry.
The names Tianmu read out must be quite impressive; otherwise, they wouldn't deserve to be criticized. This shows that he is well-known and plays a major role.
He was, of course, the main attraction, Tianmu continued:
But this is too arrogant, especially cursing someone in front of the person in question. Brother, aren't you just asking for trouble?
So Zhuang Shi and the others tied him up and asked King Jungjong how to deal with him. King Jungjong appeared somewhat angry, but not much, because he was more concerned about the man's military skills: "He seems quite capable; he's captured another live ox or horse."
The angry crowd fell silent.
Okay... then.
It is normal and reasonable for capable people to be treated well.
But hasn't this habit of grabbing people to do chores been going on for a while?
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