69novels Chapter 155: Cheating the City
Chapter 155: Cheating the City
The night was deep, and the sound of horses' hooves echoed along the official road.
Zhao Yu took the lead, followed by three thousand elite imperial guards, each with two horses, taking turns riding them, resting the horses but not the riders, all in the pursuit of reaching Zaoyang as quickly as possible.
All the torches were extinguished, and the entire army marched swiftly with gags in their mouths. Only the muffled thud of horses' hooves on the dirt road could be heard far into the darkness.
The timing was impeccable.
Tonight, the night raid on the Jin camp in Xiangyang is reaching its climax, with all of the Jin army's attention firmly drawn to the city of Xiangyang.
Even if scouts discovered this small team, they would only assume it was a light cavalry sent to harass the supply lines, and would never have imagined that the Song army would dare to take such a gamble and strike directly at the vital strategic town behind the Jin army's rear.
Victory or defeat on the battlefield often hinges on what the opponent least expects.
The riskier the move, the more likely it is to be unexpected.
"Speed up!"
A guard beside Zhao Yu whispered, "His Majesty has ordered that we arrive in Zaoyang before noon tomorrow! Failure to do so will be punished according to military law!"
The team's marching speed increased again.
Horse hooves flew, kicking up clouds of dust.
Zaoyang is 140 li northeast of Xiangyang Prefecture, which is neither too far nor too close.
With one person and two horses, disregarding horsepower loss, theoretically they could arrive just in time for noon.
However, the bumpy journey took a heavy toll on the soldiers' physical strength and was a great test of the mental strength of the commanding officers.
Xia Zhen rode alongside Zhao Yu, his brows furrowed in worry.
He only received Zhao Yu's personal orders after leaving the city, and learned that the real target was Zaoyang.
Throughout the journey, I never let go of my worries.
"Your Majesty," Xia Zhen said in a low voice, unable to hold back any longer, "the soldiers have been running for most of the night. If we keep pushing them like this, even if they reach the walls of Zaoyang, they'll be exhausted and won't have the strength to attack the city. Perhaps we should take a short rest..."
"It cannot be repaired."
Without turning his head, Zhao Yu's voice, carried by the wind, brooked no argument: "Speed is of the essence in war. If we arrive even a step late, Zaoyang will be on guard, and the price we pay to take it will be far more than just our physical strength."
"But Zaoyang is a crucial point on the Jin army's rear, and its defenses must be very tight." Xia Zhen gritted his teeth and finally spoke up. "We only have three thousand men. Even if we succeed in a surprise attack, we can't hold it. The Jin army has reinforcements to the north, and once Wanyan Kuang's main force returns to the south, we'll be surrounded and cut off from all sides. We'll have no reinforcements outside and no food supplies inside..."
The more he talked, the more dangerous it seemed; it was a sure-fire mistake.
"The tens of thousands of troops in Xiangyang are not just for show. If Wanyan Kuang dares to send his entire army back to Zaoyang, General Wang will dare to send troops to pursue and kill him. At that time, he will be defeated by being attacked from both sides. As long as we hold the city and hold out until his army's morale wavers, we will win this battle."
Xia Zhen wanted to persuade him further, but he swallowed the words back.
The life-and-death talisman within him was still in Zhao Yu's hands. The emperor's command was absolute, and he had no room to object.
In the end, he could only sigh, wave his hand, and urge his soldiers to continue speeding up.
After traveling for several more hours, the sky gradually began to lighten with the first hint of dawn.
At noon, the team finally arrived at a dense forest on the outskirts of Zaoyang City.
As soon as they stopped, many soldiers immediately dismounted, leaning against tree trunks, panting heavily, their faces pale.
After a continuous half-day and night of rapid travel, even the elite Imperial Guards were nearing their limit.
Their legs were trembling, and their hands holding the knives were unsteady.
"Your Majesty, look..."
Xia Zhen looked at Zhao Yu, his tone tinged with helplessness: "The brothers really can't hold on any longer. If we attack the city now, I'm afraid we won't even be able to climb the walls. Perhaps we should set up camp and rest for half a day, and then attack at night..."
"No need to set up camp." Zhao Yu dismounted and stretched his wrists. "Tonight's feast to reward the troops will be held in Zaoyang City."
"Huh?" Xia Zhen was stunned.
Zhao Yu didn't explain, but simply gestured with his chin to the guards behind him.
Two guards immediately escorted a man forward; it was Peng Lianhu.
After traveling all night, Peng Lianhu was covered in dust and looked even worse than the Song soldiers.
Upon seeing Zhao Yu, he instinctively trembled, his eyes filled with fear.
"Chief Peng," Zhao Yu said calmly as he walked up to him, "I told you before that as long as you cooperate properly, I will cure your poison and restore your internal strength. If you try anything funny, you should know the consequences."
"I know! I know!" Peng Lianhu nodded hurriedly.
He was a ruthless bandit who roamed the greenwood, and morality and loyalty were worthless in his eyes. As long as he could live, he would do anything, let alone betray the Golden Man.
Zhao Yu nodded: "Very good. Later, you will lead us to the city gate and find a way to trick us into opening it. After it's done, I will give you the antidote you have."
"Yes, sir! I will do my best!" Peng Lianhu quickly replied.
Zhao Yu waved his hand, and his personal guards immediately brought up several boxes of Jin army armor, all of which had been captured from the battlefield in recent days and were in complete sizes.
He first picked up a set of armor and put it on, then styled his hair into the Jurchen hairstyle.
Before long, he had taken on the appearance of a Jin general.
The guards beside him also changed their clothes, and half an hour later, a "Jin army" stood neatly in the forest.
"Walk."
Zhao Yu mounted his horse and led his troops swaggering towards Zaoyang City.
Peng Lianhu rode at the very front, chest out and head held high, truly displaying the air of a martial arts master.
Before long, the group arrived at the city walls.
The garrison on the walls of Zaoyang had already noticed this group and immediately drew their bows and aimed their arrows at the troops below.
A Jin soldier peeked out and shouted a few questions in Jurchen.
"What are you shouting for! Speak Mandarin!" Peng Lianhu yelled, head held high. "Don't you even recognize your own Grandpa Peng? Are you blind?!"
Peng Lianhu was a master specially invited by Wanyan Kuang. Many of the garrison soldiers had seen him when he entered the city to procure provisions a few days ago.
The garrison commander had also heard of his reputation and knew that he was a favorite of the warlord, with a bad temper and not to be trifled with.
The voices on the city wall quickly switched to Mandarin: "Mr. Peng, please forgive me. This humble general was ordered to defend the city. Without the commander-in-chief's order, no one is allowed to enter the city without permission. May I ask what important matter brings you back from the front lines?"
"What's the big deal?" Peng Lianhu scoffed, feigning impatience. "I'm stuck in the camp every day at the front, it's so boring. Do I need to report to you if I want to go back to the city and have some fun? Hurry up and open the door, don't waste my time."
His arrogance and domineering attitude aroused no suspicion from the garrison commander.
Peng Lianhu has always been like this, and it's normal that most Jurchen generals are also tyrannical.
But the rules cannot be broken.
The garrison commander smiled obsequiously and said, "Mr. Peng, please forgive me. Military orders are absolute. Without a warrant, I dare not open the gate. Could you perhaps show me the commander-in-chief's warrant?"
Peng Lianhu had no warrant, and in a panic, he instinctively turned to look at Zhao Yu.
Zhao Yu sighed inwardly, thinking that he was hopeless, spurred his horse forward a couple of steps, and looked up at the city wall, saying loudly, "The warrant is with me. The city gate is too narrow to pass it on easily. Lower a basket down, and I will personally go up to the city wall and hand the warrant to your general for verification."