When everyone heard Kou Zhong exclaiming, they all focused their eyes on him and looked up to the sky like him.
I saw Shen Luoyan's spy bird constantly circling high in the sky and making strange flight paths.
Yang Gongqing, Linglongjiao, Xu Ziling, Zhai Jiao and other insiders all changed their expressions at the same time, as if this strange bird was using its special flight method to notify its owner that there was an ambush hidden in the dense forest.
In order to avoid the eyes and ears of enemy spies, they spent a lot of effort to set up this ambush.
First, another group of cavalry was used to attract the enemy's attention, pretending to prevent Shan Xiongxin's troops from making a sneak attack while the baggage was crossing the river. They also posted sentries at a high place, and then at night, the cavalry led the horses through the forest and sneaked to the place where the ambush was now. The horseshoes were of course Wrap it in cloth to avoid any abnormal noise.
But in all calculations, this strange psychic bird was missed.
Quack! Quack! Quack!
The strange bird looked to fly northeast, which was the direction from which Li Mi's cavalry was galloping. At this time, the neighing of horses and the sound of hoofbeats could be heard faintly.
Yang Gongqing shouted: The left and right wings go first!
The horn sounds.
The left and right vanguards of three thousand cavalry on each flank of the ambush rushed out of the dense forest and followed the winding route to look at the enemy's flanks.
Then the Chinese army swarmed out of the forest and galloped neatly onto the long grass plain toward the sparse forest area where the enemy was approaching.
The whip is swung and the horses are neighing, which is a scene full of rapidity and cruelty.
The warriors and cavalry covered the grassland like a tidal wave, and their armor and weapons shone brightly in the morning light.
The earth is retreating rapidly.
In just a few dozen breaths, the Chinese army's 8,000 cavalry had entered the sparse forest area and were heading towards the enemy with slightly reduced cavalry.
Since the enemy only numbered eight thousand, they had no scruples in overwhelming their opponents with their superior strength.
The only hope now is to fight quickly, preferably so that the enemy has no time to retreat, or to reorganize their formation so that they can catch up and kill Li Mi.
Kou Zhong, Linglongjiao, Zhai Jiao, Xu Ziling and others first rode up a hill, only to see the dust of the dense forest about half a mile away. The sound of hoofbeats was rapid but gradually weakened.
Zhai Jiao shouted: Chase!
Kou Zhong shouted: Don't chase!
Zhai Jiao said angrily: Why don't you chase Li Mi and leave?
At this time, Yang Gongqing came to Kou Zhong's side.
Kou Zhong asked Linglongjiao: "Does the dust rise in clumps or is it scattered like stars?"
Linglong Jiao reined in the snoring war horse and shouted: "The enemy troops in Wagang are still organized and dispersed without disorder." Kou Zhongtou said: "As I expected, Shen Luoyan had already guessed that there was an ambush, so he used strange birds to tell us to chase them." I'm sure there are ambushes in the dense forest. When we step into the trap, Li Mi will return to fight back.
Yang Gongqing shouted: That makes sense!
The trumpeter immediately gave the order to stop the advance and instructed the two flanking vanguard armies to stay where they were.
Zhai Jiao finally came to her senses after closing the door, but her emotions were still turbulent and her eyes were full of anger.
Xu Ziling noticed that Kou Zhong saw his calm eyes, which revealed intelligence and coldness.
This was the first time he saw such a look in Kou Zhong's eyes, and he couldn't help but tremble in his heart, remembering what he said when he faced Du Fuwei's thousands of siege troops at the head of Jingling City.
He just ignores life and death and regards the entire battlefield as a chessboard. The enemy and we are just competing chess pieces on the chessboard. After this experience on the battlefield, Kou Zhong has changed from a pawn who was not good at war to a man with outstanding strategies and predicting the enemy like a god. The commander-in-chief.
Yang Gongqing humbly asked him for advice: What should we do now?
Kou Zhong said categorically: We only need to leave thousands of people here to defend and teach Li Mi that it is difficult to advance. Meanwhile, the baggage crew continued to cross the river and detached the rapid troops to drive towards Luokou to attack him by surprise.
Xuan Yong said: If Li Mi returns to defend Luokou, should we still attack by force?
Kou Zhongdao: Li Mi will not be willing to retreat. He still has Shan Xiongxin's hope. When Shan Xiongxin took us to march to Luokou and evacuate, he regretted it and had no choice but to escape to Hulao.
The sight of Jun Zhichen in the distance of the dense forest showed that Li Mi had stopped and understood that the trick would not work.
This action can increase Kou Zhong's persuasion and prestige more than any long speech.
Kou Zhong continued: The role of the rapid troops is to rush to Luokou first to prevent Li Mi from crossing the river back to the city. Then Bing Yuanzhen in Luokou had only two choices: abandon the city or surrender.
Yang Gongqing smiled and said: That's the decision!
※※※
The next seven days will determine the fate of Li Mi's generation of heroes.
Bing Yuanzhen, who was guarding Luokou, surrendered to Yang Gongqing who was approaching the city. Another general of Li Mi, Shan Xiongxin, defended himself at this critical moment and was surrendered by Tu Shufang.
Knowing that the situation was over, Li Mi had no choice but to lead his men to flee to Hulao, while Wang Bodang retreated to Heyang.
Kou Zhong and Yang Gongqing reorganized their troops and prepared to pursue the victory and capture Hulao.
Little did they know that Li Mi heard the news and fled to Heyang to meet Wang Bodang.
He originally wanted to use the Yellow River as a barrier to defend Taihang in the north and connect Liyang in the east in order to reverse the defeat.
However, after the defeat, the army's morale was dispirited.
In addition, the Wagang army had already been divided due to the death of Zhai Rang. The old generals refused to order, leaving Li Mi unable to use force and unable to land.
Wang Shichong's army also had to rest and reorganize because it had just acquired many cities and large tracts of land. It was difficult to cross the river to attack Heyang, so it first used its strength to pacify the Henan area, and for a while it became a confrontation across the river.
That night, in the side hall in the backyard of Hulao Xingfu, Tu Shufang invited Zhai Jiao to tell Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling: I have told my sister everything about the situation in the south and Susu, so I think it is better to be honest.
Zhai glared at the two of them with an evil look and said: "How dare you hide such an important matter from me? I will kill you and Xiangyushan together."
The two of them did not dare to argue.
Zhai Jiao said: "Am I an unreasonable person? Li Mi has suffered a lot this time and has no hope of recovery. Although he failed to kill the traitor, he finally breathed a sigh of relief for his father. I don't want to continue to work for people like Wang Shichong."
What do you plan to do?
Kou Zhong said: We want to go back to Luoyang first and then go south immediately to help the Pegasus Ranch to get out of danger and then see how we can take Sister Su and her son away and then join her again.
Zhai Jiao said decisively: I will go with you!
Kou Zhong was shocked and said hurriedly: Sister, please don’t go.
Zhai Jiao said angrily: Why?
Tu Shufang extended his righteous hand and said: "Zhong means that he hopes that sister can stay in the north and help him connect with useful talents in the Wagang Army so that we can create great achievements together in the future."
Xu Ziling also said: If I stay in the north and keep an eye on Li Mi, I can kill him at any time.
This sentence moved Zhai Jiao more than anything else.
She pondered for a while and then said: Okay! I will stay in the north, but I don't want to hang out with Wang Shichong's people anymore. When do you want to leave?
Kou Zhongdao: We will leave together tomorrow morning without further ado.
After Kou Zhong told Yang Gongqing that he wanted to return to Luoyang, he still didn't explain the reason. Yang Gongqing said in a deep voice: Brother Zhong, do you want to just leave?
Kou Zhong said awkwardly: The general is really smart.
Yang Gongqing put his hand on Kou Zhong's shoulder and said with gleaming eyes: "You are the most talented commander that Yang has ever encountered in his life. With time and experience, it will be difficult for him to have an opponent in the world. Do you have any plans in mind?"
Kou Zhong said in a low voice: What plan can we make for the time being? I just feel that the prince is not a person who can work with the people he works with, so he will succeed and retire for the time being, so that everyone can still leave a friendship.
Yang Gongqing sighed: I understand how you feel. How can you not be rewarded for your merits? Tomorrow I will send a warship to take you back to Luoyang. The reason is so that you can report the military situation to your Excellency in person to decide whether to cross immediately.
Dahe attacks Heyang.
But since you are so cute and want to go to Zhiluoyang, it is not a place where you should stay for a long time. Do you understand what I am saying?
Kou Zhong was moved and said: I will never forget the wonderful time fighting side by side with the general.
Yang Gongqing let go of his hand on his shoulder and laughed: "Both each other! I hope to have the opportunity to ride together on the battlefield to kill the enemy and win."
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When Kou Zhong returned to the backyard, someone called from behind the pillars: Master Kou!
Kou Zhong looked around and saw that it was the charming maid Chu Chu.
The beauty took his sleeve and came to the depths of the bamboo forest in the garden and said quietly: Sister Ting is going to break up with you tomorrow! Is that right?
Kou Zhong felt a pain in his heart and couldn't help but stretched out his hand to caress her bruised face and said softly: If something happens in the south, I will definitely come back to you. You can also see Sister Su and her fat white baby!
Chu Chu said happily: That’s great!
Xuan lowered his head and said sadly: "But my servant will not be able to serve Master Kou for a long time."
Kou Zhong couldn't help but take out the pendant hanging around his neck and said with a smile: Look! Aren't you always waiting for me?
Chu Chu's delicate body trembled with an expression of unexpected surprise, and then she threw herself into his arms, desperately holding him tight and crying with joy.
Kou Zhong held soft jade in his warm arms and smelled her body fragrance that seemed strange yet extremely familiar. He recalled the intoxicating scene of the lingering love to death in Dalongtou Mansion. He hugged her tightly with both hands and said: Don't cry, as long as we can live well in this troubled world.
There will be a day when we can be happy and live a life without separation.
At this moment, both Song Yuzhi and Li Xiuning were far away from him.
Chu Chu suddenly left his arms again and gasped: Chu Chu lost her composure!
Kou Zhong couldn't help but hold her in his arms again, feeling her unreserved affection for him. He said: Remember!
I, Kou Zhong, have never considered you a servant, nor will I in the future.
Chu Chu trembled all over and said: Master Kou, take care of yourself.
After saying this, he shed tears.
Kou Zhong sighed.
Do we have to make so many sacrifices for our career?
If I were a young woman with no ambitions, I could spend a good night with her by swearing to each other and spending the night together as mandarin ducks.
But he has reached the point where he can't extricate himself. The people of the Shuanglong Gang are waiting for his arrival in Guanzhong.
Pegasus Ranch is in danger.
Su Su was eager for him to rescue her.
And he and Xu Ziling were also in danger every step of the way.
This is the price that must be paid.
※※※
The warship sailed westward against the current.
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling stood side by side on the bow of the boat, facing the blowing river wind and the unpredictable fate.
Kou Zhong said: As long as we find Xu Xingzhi, we will leave immediately. Even if we want to rebel and fight him out, I will leave.
Xu Ziling said lightly: Wang Shichong would never dare to openly do anything to you, otherwise he would not be able to convince the public. Besides, Li Mi is still dead and not dead. He will not be stupid enough to shake the morale of the army.
Kou Zhong said: That makes sense! I think so too.
Xu Ziling fell silent.
Kou Zhong sighed and said: It's like a dream. Even now, I still don't believe that Li Mi, who was once so powerful in the world, will be defeated by us.
Xu Ziling sighed and said: One day you will realize that life is just a big dream and an emperor's hegemony is not real at all.
When I come here, I can't help but think of the elegant and immortal Shi Fei Xuan.
Kou Zhong thought of Chu Chu crying in his arms.
A long gust of wind blew and the clothes of the two men rustled. Luoyang, the capital of the East, stood tall and majestic in front of them.