Changshan (Xingling) is also known as Yanmen Mountain. The mountains near Yanmen Pass are gentle and the valleys are wide. For thousands of years, it has become an important pass connecting the north and the south. However, the mountains outside the Yanmen Pass section have deep valleys and dangerous peaks all year round, blocking the north and south.
, the sky is difficult for flying apes to cross.
On the night when the Defeating Yan Army broke through, the Red Husbands deployed the main force of their cavalry in the southwest toward Yingzhou and intercepted it in the direction of Yanmen Pass. After defeating the Defeating Yan Army, the main force of the Red Husband Cavalry was extended to both wings.
This gave some of the defeated troops a chance to escape south into the East Ridge of Changshan Mountain before the main force of the red cavalry extended to the two wings.
It had just been one day since the tragic defeat. Surrounded by more than a hundred soldiers, Cai Yuanyou broke out of the siege and fled into a canyon at the northern foot of the East Ridge of Changshan Mountain. He had not recovered yet and was sitting crouched like a bereaved dog.
When there was a slight movement inside the cliff cave, he was frightened and thought that the soldiers were chasing him, so he urged his soldiers to find a way to escort him to Hedong as soon as possible.
However, the deep gorge is surrounded by high cliffs on three sides and is covered with ice and snow. Even an extremely skilled climber can use nail hooks and ropes to climb up. If he is not careful, he will fall to pieces. How can more than a hundred soldiers escort Cai Yuanyou like a frightened bird?
Climb these steep mountains and escape into the hinterland of Hedong?
Cai Yuanyou was also afraid of attracting pursuers, so he prohibited everyone from picking up dry matter in the canyon to light a fire to keep warm, except inside the cliff cave.
After nightfall, it was freezing cold, and the cold wind blew like a knife. The soldiers who could not hide in the cliff caves could only huddle under the cliff to take shelter from the wind.
He picked up dead branches and rotten leaves in the cliff cave and lit two bonfires to illuminate the cave, which was only four or five feet deep. Cai Yuanyou, tightly wrapped in fur clothes, sat by the fire, but he couldn't help but tremble.
In addition to Tian Zhizhen and several other staff and civil servants, Cai Yuanyou was ordered to supervise the army this time, and he also brought two concubines with him. At this time, they were all sitting around the campfire, looking panicked and silent.
Even though the moisture in the cliff cave had gone away and the ground was dry, no one could sleep peacefully at this time.
Zhu Xiaotong clasped his fur clothes tightly with his hands, stood up and walked towards the entrance of the cave. Others only looked up at him numbly.
Zhu Xiaotong stood in front of the cave entrance. Although the stars and moon were clear in the sky, his field of vision was very limited. There were shadowy black shadows on the mountain ridges in the distance. But Zhu Xiaotong knew that those trees could only be trees with withered branches and leaves after winter. Yuehai Tower really wanted to
Seeing the marks he left along the way, he could only attack from the direction of the gorge.
Zhu Xiaotong looked towards the mouth of the gorge, struggling in his heart. However, he did not feel ashamed or regretful for betraying Cai Yuanyou's whereabouts, but he was worried that Yue Hailou did not lead his men to chase him in time, but Cai Yuanyou was among hundreds of remaining soldiers.
He managed to escape back to Hedong under escort. Didn't he dig a big hole for himself?
He was a weak scholar, and it was impossible for him to escape alone and join the Red Husbands.
"Did you see any movement over there?" Tian Zhizhen came over and looked toward the canyon uneasily, asking Zhu Xiao Pass.
Although Zhu Xiaotong behaved a little strangely along the way, especially after escaping into the canyon, Zhu Xiaotong stood up and looked outside at every turn, but Tian Zhizhen didn't think much about it. After all, how many people around him looked normal at this time?
Who doesn’t get frightened when they hear some turmoil?
If there are pursuers approaching, the mouth of the gorge is the only way to go. How many people will not subconsciously take a second look there?
"No, what didn't you see?" Zhu Xiaotong felt guilty and stuttered.
After answering, he looked up and saw that Tian Zhizhen's face had no strange color, and asked, "Mr. Tian, do you think the Chihu people will directly attack Yanmen next, and then capture Daixin, Taiyuan and other places together? Let's
Is it still possible to defend Hedong?"
"What are you thinking? Although the Red Husband cavalry are powerful, they are not good at attacking cities and strongholds. Not to mention that Taiyuan has been a fortified city for thousands of years. The Red Husbands may not even be able to capture Yanmen Pass. We only need to..." Tian Zhizhen
When I was about to say a few words of comfort, I heard a sudden movement at the sentry post deployed in the direction of the gorge mouth. Dozens of soldiers guarding there picked up their swords and spears and were shouting at the gorge mouth. It seemed that the brigade was
The men and horses are approaching.
"..." Tian Zhizhen suddenly looked like a cat or dog whose tail was set on fire. He looked towards the mouth of the gorge in fear, urging the soldiers at the entrance of the cave, shouting: "Go and see, what's going on over there?"
"
Seeing movement at the mouth of the gorge, the soldiers outside the cliff cave immediately got up quickly.
Cai Yuanyou also walked to the entrance of the cave and saw some figures walking in from the outside. He thought it was the Red Hu people who were chasing after him. His face suddenly became paler and he screamed: "Everyone, cheer up, the Red Hu people."
Coming after me!"
"It should be some remnants of the Western Army who happened to escape here..." Tian Zhizhen saw that the men and horses on duty at the mouth of the gorge did not have a particularly big reaction, and directly sent a dozen people into the gorge to talk. He guessed that it should be a group of soldiers.
The remnants of the Western Army fled here, and the two sides negotiated at the mouth of the gorge. He said to Zhu Xiaotong, "Let's go take a look together, just in time to ask what's going on outside!"
"I just sprained my foot and it's a little inconvenient to move around!" Zhu Xiaotong declined.
He guessed that the remnant soldiers who appeared outside the gorge late at night were probably disguised by Duo Yue Hailou's leaders.
Although he especially hoped that the pair would fall into Yue Hailou's arms at this time, he was also worried that once someone saw the flaw, the two sides would fight directly. When the time comes, swords and guns would be blind. If he was accidentally injured and killed, who would he have to look for?
Go cry?
Zhu Xiaotong made up his mind not to come forward at this time.
Whoever wants to go will go.
"Since they are remnants, let's wait until they come over." Cai Yuanyou still wanted to maintain his demeanor as a young minister and said calmly.
On the other hand, there were more remnant soldiers escaping, and he just wanted to recruit them to protect himself, but he did not think of ordering to stop these people outside the canyon.
After hearing what Cai Yuanyou said, Tian Zhizhen did not move. He called two soldiers and ordered: "Where are the remnants of the escaped soldiers from and which military lord they belong to? Go over and ask them clearly. Bring the leader."
Come and talk!"
Tian Zhizhen did not doubt that these remnants were disguised by the Red Husbands, nor did he feel that it was necessary for the Red Husbands to play this trick after discovering their whereabouts. Wouldn't it be better to kill them directly?
As the saying goes, a defeated army is like a bandit, and the entire Yan army was defeated and routed. Tian Zhizhen was worried that if he didn't figure out the situation first, who would know if these remnant soldiers would obey their orders honestly after entering the canyon, or if they would turn against the guests?
In Kuipui, the court's laws are nothing more than a piece of shit.
Turning around, he saw that Zhu Xiaotong had retreated into the cave. Tian Zhizhen just felt that he was being naughty at this juncture and refused to do things. He shook his head in his heart, thinking that when he fled back to Hedong, he would have to give his grandson some shoes to wear.
The two soldiers rode towards the mouth of the gorge, but as soon as they arrived at the mouth of the gorge, they saw the remnant soldiers rudely pushing past the obstruction of more than ten soldiers and rushing straight into the canyon.
I heard the faint sound of quarreling, but it was this
The remaining soldiers of the team were dissatisfied with being blocked at the mouth of the gorge and wanted to go into the canyon to take shelter from the wind and find food. Tian Zhizhen saw Cai Yuanyou's livid face and said, "It's really outrageous! Young Minister, wait here while Tian takes people to clean up these defeated soldiers!"
"
Tian Zhizhen asked a school captain to lead a group of soldiers and follow him to stop these remaining soldiers.
"Whose subordinates are you? Do you know how decent it is for the young minister to rest here temporarily and make a lot of noise?" Tian Zhizhen thought that there was a large group of soldiers behind him to support him, so these remnants did not dare to do anything, so he came forward and shouted sharply.
The Cai Mansion has changed all the generals and guards in the past year. Yue Hailou and the others were not recognized by anyone at the mouth of the gorge, but they did not expect such a good moonlight. No one around Cai Yuanyou recognized them.
.
Yue Hailou directly took off the hood covering his face, revealing his true face, and stared at Tian Zhizhen ferociously: "Mr. Tian, don't come to Wuxian! I didn't expect to see Yue again at this time!"
"Yuehai Tower!" Tian Zhizhen shouted in fear.
Yue Hailou sat on the horse and did not move. He just stared at Tian Zhizhen with hatred, but he was surrounded by wolves and tigers on his left and right.
They rushed into the valley, holding swords and bows in their hands. At this moment, without Yue Hailou's order, dozens of sharp arrows shot directly into the faces of the unsuspecting soldiers behind Tian Zhizhen.
There were slashes of swords and stabbings with spears. In a short time, except for seven or eight people who fled towards the cliff cave in embarrassment, more than twenty others were chopped to the ground.
At this time, another group of cavalry rushed in from outside the mouth of the gorge. They fired their bows and arrows frequently, and in a short time they killed all the soldiers at the mouth of the gorge.
"Yue Hailou!" Cai Yuanyou managed not to escape into the cave. Standing behind only thirty or forty soldiers, he watched Yue Hailou dismount under the moonlight, his hand holding the shoulder knife on his waist.
As I walked over step by step, my calves were trembling.
"Gu Wenchang! How did I, Yue Hailou, treat Cai Gou and his son in the past, and what happened to him in the end? Didn't you see those bull-like eyes of yours?" Yue Hailou did not look at Cai Yuanyou and stared at the guard.
The middle-aged military general next to Cai Yuanyou said in a deep voice, "Don't worry that if you take the Cai family's puppy and surrender to me now, it will impede your wife and children's family. The Yan army will be defeated. There will be no soldiers or generals in Hedong."
Guard, the Red Guards cavalry will sweep across the Central Plains like a torrent, and within a month or two at the latest, you will be able to reunite with your wife and children in Luzhou, and enjoy the glory and wealth that Cai Gou and his son will never give you!"
The middle-aged military general held down the saber on his waist, stared at Yue Hailou, and said word by word: "Yue Hailou, the prime minister is ashamed of you, and you are here prepared this time. We only have this manpower."
Thinking about it, it is impossible to escape and ascend to heaven, but I have no interest in being a dog, wagging its tail to beg for mercy..."
The middle-aged military general shouted to the left and right: "You are thinking of your wife, children and family, and you want to lay down your weapons and surrender and beg for your life. I have no grudge against you, but you are born with no chance of escaping death. Anyone who doesn't want to be a dog to the barbarians will be killed."
Come in with me!"
The middle-aged military general grabbed Cai Yuanyou, and without asking him to speak, he drew his sword and deflected two sharp arrows that were shot towards the door, and retreated into the cliff cave.
Most of the soldiers stood in front of the cave and looked at each other, but seven or eight people knew that retreating into the cave would be a dead end, but they raised their shields to block the arrows and went into the cave without hesitation.
At this time, I heard Cai Yuanyou shouting in the cliff cave: "Gu Wenchang, please let me go. I am still a great minister of Yue. The Red Husbands will not dare to kill me. Please let me go..." Then I heard Cai Yuanyou shouting in the cave.
Yuan You growled lowly, presumably because his mouth was covered by the middle-aged general...
