Walking on the black soil that had begun to harden, the sound of horse hooves and human footsteps was noisy and disturbing. More than 7,000 cavalry and more than 20,000 infantry meandered through the morning mist, each one dejected and listless.
There are no cities or villages within a radius of more than 20 miles. However, the minions still walk timidly as if they are afraid of disturbing the people. Occasionally, a few crows will crow, which will make everyone pale with fear. Occasionally, a wolf will howl.
From behind the mist, the expressions on their faces became even more panicked, as if they were in the underworld, and their whole bodies began to tremble.
"Brother Ge, we can't go on hiding like this. Otherwise, once we encounter the army, our brothers will not be able to fight!" Yang Gongqing held the horse's head and waited until Ge Qian was walking not far behind him.
He and several other village owners followed him and whispered to everyone.
"Hey, it's impossible not to hide. Once the old thief Yang turns around and attacks, how can we defeat him with our few troops!" Ge Qian, the nominal head coach of this team, sighed, and there was a hint of laughter in his answer.
Tired and helpless.
This northern advance was completely defeated, and they were defeated in a confused manner. Everyone traveled thousands of miles to attack the city of Lu, but they just saw the blue-grey city wall. Before they could even open the battle line, they heard the news that Tomoyo Prince Bo had been defeated.
. Immediately afterwards, Sun Xuanya was captured, Liu Chunsheng was killed, Liu Badao's life and death were uncertain, Wulu and Raoyang were lost one after another, bad news came one after another from the south. If everyone hadn't been quick to see the opportunity, I guess
The ending at this moment is just like that of Donghai Gong Gao Shida, who was blocked in a small valley next to Wulu County, with no way to go to heaven and no way to enter the earth.
From the moment when Zhishilang Wangbo sent people to risk their lives to deliver the news of the defeat, the heroes who attacked Lucheng decisively retreated. However, in order to avoid being blocked by the old thief Yang Yichen, everyone did not dare to walk as arrogantly as they did when heading north.
Official roads. However, these small roads in the countryside trampled by the feet of ordinary people have been abandoned for too long, and walking on them is both energy-consuming and labor-intensive.
Even so, everyone is still walking in fear. If there is any slight disturbance, they will become suspicious. And the thief God is also difficult to deal with everyone. Mist falls every morning. There are always tens of thousands of soldiers hidden behind the fog, which can kill everyone at any time.
one strike.
As if joking with everyone, a burst of fierce horse hoofbeats suddenly exploded from the hills in front, approaching from far away. "It's over! Li Zhongjian!" Ge Qian and others who were sighing at each other immediately pressed the handles of their knives with their hands, expressions on their faces.
From white to green, from green to gray, at the critical moment, no one could tell a complete general order.
The minions also immediately blew up the camp, lying on the ground and pretending to be dead. They ran for their lives, crying for their fathers and mothers, in a state of utter confusion.
Only Yang Gongqing remained calm. He listened carefully and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Don't panic, everyone. They are the scouts I sent last night. Don't panic, everyone. They are our own people. Don't shoot arrows randomly!"
"We, don't panic, don't fire arrows!" Several bandits on horseback put their hands to their mouths and shouted together at the top of their lungs.
Hearing the shouts, the minions who were so nervous that their hair stood on end stopped shooting randomly, but the arrows in their hands were still on the bowstrings, alert to every move behind the mist. Soon, the frightening sound of horse hooves began to sound.
Slowly and steadily, several light riders with "white smoke" all over their bodies broke through the mist and stood on the mound not far away to salute Yang Gongqing with clasped fists.
"Report! Yang Shuai, no officers and soldiers were found near Shipaidu, and no large ships passed through the Yongji Canal!" Although everyone was frightened to death, the scout's voice sounded like Buddha singing to his ears.
"Huh!" Several village leaders breathed a long sigh of relief in unison, removed their hands from the handle of the knife, raised their heads and chests, and looked around, as if the morning light on the horizon was beginning to become brighter.
"Is there any movement from the defenders of Qingchi City? Are there any officers and soldiers near Nanpi City?" Yang Gongqing frowned and asked loudly.
"The defenders of Qingchi City are still staying behind closed doors. Nanpi City?" the scout hesitated for a moment, then breathlessly replied, "My subordinates haven't come back from there yet, so the news cannot be confirmed!"
"Explore again, report any situation immediately!" Yang Gongqing waved his hand and ordered.
"Yes!" The scout jumped on the horse, and his figure slowly disappeared behind the faint yellow mist. Yang Gongqing watched him leave, looking back at his brothers who were swaying on the horse, and then at Ge Qian, who had a confused face.
, Wang Jinbao, Zhang Jinshu and other village leaders could not help but let out a long sigh, "Hey--!"
"Hey! You can't fight with your life!" Hearing Yang Gongqing sigh, Tianwei General Ge Qian sighed in agreement. He had not yet recovered from the shock of defeat, and always suspected that General Li was sent by God.
The martial arts star who takes care of everyone. This kind of mentality greatly affects morale, but in this army, he has the highest prestige and his words have the most weight.
"This is not fate. It's because everyone underestimated the person named Li!" Yang Gongqing was much younger than Ge Qian and was very dissatisfied with his decadence. "If it happens again, our ending may not be so miserable!"
"Are you coming?" Ge Qian swayed on the horse and bared his teeth. "Brother Yang, you are really a newborn calf who is not afraid of tigers. If Mr. Laobanzi and Liu Badao can't escape, who will dare to pick this guy in the future?
Boss, let me tell you, everyone should go back to Douzigang (original word: Lukang) as soon as possible to avoid the limelight, lest the man named Li goes crazy and chases him to the plains. Didn't you hear what Wang Bo's people said about that guy?
Are you already furious? Kill all the prisoners, old and young!"
"If you die, you will die. Who in this world can live forever?" Yang Gongqing curled his lips and shook his head. He looked down on Ge Qian's cowardly look as if he had been beaten by frost. If he missed it, he would miss it. From the moment he raised his troops to now,
, who has never made a mistake? If you suffer a slight setback and hide in the big salt pond at Douzigang, when will you be able to get ahead in this life?
"Hey!" Ge Qian could see the disdainful look on Yang Gongqing's face. He sighed briefly and tilted his head to one side. Yang Gongqing said it lightly. How could the vitality of various cottages be restored in a short period of time. Since last year
It has become difficult to recruit minions, and the man named Li now has a bad reputation. Who is willing to take risks when they know that if they lose, they will lose their head? Moreover, even if the bosses are willing to regain some ground,
The minions may not be willing to follow.
"In our line of work, we have to survive in the face of death! The officers and soldiers may not be able to fight back for a while. Even if they fight back, taking the official road will save more energy than walking on the mountain road. Moreover, if we really fight head-on, we may not be the opponents of the army.
!" Regardless of Ge Qian's feelings, Yang Gongqing continued to try to persuade the village leaders to take the high road. He was adventurous by nature. Back then, he became famous by taking risks to attack Yang Guang's chariots and seize the horses and baggage of the imperial camp. Now he is famous among the people in Hebei Province.
Haozhong, his power is not great, but he must not be underestimated. Especially the cavalry under his command, their movements can definitely be described as "coming and going like the wind". Usually, Yang Gongqing often relies on the speed of the cavalry.
He made an unexpected move. Except for the unsuccessful attack on Lucheng this time, he almost had no disadvantages at other times.
"But that man surnamed Li is too powerful. If you think about it, since he came to Hebei, many heads of family have been lost to this man. Now he has colluded with that old guy Yang Yichen. If we are unlucky enough to meet him head-on,
..." Ge Qian did not look at Yang Gongqing, but complained softly to the other village leaders.
"That's right, that's right, this kid has been very lucky recently. Let's not mess with him for the time being. Let's wait until his luck passes!" Xiaozhai, who came with him, advocated the golden tree, and Wang Jinbao and others agreed. Their strength was far from up to standard, and Yang
, Gao, Wang and other prestigious masters, so they can only choose one of them to rely on. At present, Ge Qian's behavior is much lower-key than Yang Gongqing, so everyone is getting closer to him.
"Tell everyone to walk faster and try to reach Yanshan before tomorrow night!" Seeing that everyone was giving him face, Ge Qian raised his voice and ordered like a demonstration.
Yanshan is in the northern part of Bohai County. It is a remote place with lush trees. When all the green forest heroes rush there, they are basically out of danger. If the army comes to intercept and kill, the big and small village owners only need to break up into pieces and bring their own attributes.
Go down the ravine when you need to, go into the forest when you need to, and make sure you won't be caught in one fell swoop.
"Yes, we have to hold on tight. It will be bright soon, and nothing can be hidden in the wilderness!" The village leaders responded in a flurry. In the blink of an eye, orders with southern accents and northern accents were heard in the crowd.
There was a sound, "Come on, run!" "Hurry up, don't feel like there are weights on your legs!" "Be more agile, be more agile, you haven't eaten..."
Listening to the orders of the village leaders, Yang Gongqing felt bored in his heart. No wonder Wang Bo and Gao Shida were defeated in one battle. It is strange to be undefeated when teaming up with bumpkins like this. "Brothers, cheer up.
Cheer up and explore the way for everyone!" He proudly raised his voice and greeted loudly, then shook the horse's reins, leaving Ge Qian and others behind in an instant.
The originally sleepy horse thieves shivered when they heard Yang Gongqing's call, and immediately mobilized their mounts to follow. There was a chaos under the mound, and the minions without horses were choked by the smoke and dust stirred up by the horses' hooves.
While coughing and cursing, the horse thieves turned a deaf ear and in the blink of an eye, they left behind a large number of their allies.
If it were not for the speed of taking care of everyone, Yang Gongqing and the seven thousand horse thieves under his command would have disappeared long ago. Two legs cannot outrun four legs. This is a hard truth that has never been easy. But Yang Gongqing knows that he cannot do this.
, what he needs now is connections. Only by bringing everyone, no matter what he looks up to or despises, back to his hometown safely, can he set up his Yang banner. At present, Prince Chishiro has fallen, and the life and death of Donghai Gong Gao Shida is uncertain.
In the entire Hebei Green Forest Road, apart from Ge Qian, who is afraid of death, there is no one else whose reputation and strength can be compared with Yang Gongqing's.
This is a God-given opportunity! Hebei Green Forest cannot be as prestigious as the Wagang Army because there are too many famous leaders, so they have been unable to be integrated into one place. The murderer Li Xu and the old man Yang Yichen joined forces
After doing this, Yang Gongqing saw that the sky above his head was clear.
The light breeze chased the fast horse and sent me over the high hills. The autumn sunshine emerged from the mountains, and the mist immediately dissipated like smoke. It was the end of autumn, and after the fog cleared, the surrounding fields were extremely empty. Looking around, you could see the horizon.
The golden flowing clouds float comfortably in their curls. This is a world that belongs to heroes, and only those who adapt can show off their skills. Those who have no ability, no courage, and no knowledge are only given to heroes as stepping stones to their rise.
"Master, do we have to carry these burdens with us?" Military Advisor Cui Chengxiu came from behind and reminded Yang Gongqing in his ear. Like Yang Gongqing, from the day they retreated, the horse thieves began to look at the minions of other companies.
It's not pleasing to the eye. If they weren't afraid of being stabbed in the back, they would have abandoned it long ago.
"Well, these people are still useful!" Yang Gongqing suddenly took the horse's head and stood on the top of a mound. Thousands of light cavalry immediately stopped and lined up in multiple arc-shaped formations behind him. Their movements were clean and uniform.
In terms of morale alone, it is absolutely incomparable with other soldiers and horses.
Yang Gongqing nodded with satisfaction and glanced over the young faces illuminated by the morning sun one by one. They were all the same age as him, and all of them had good skills. If he could not establish a career in troubled times with such a group of brothers, he
How can Yang Gongqing claim to be a hero?
"Please give me a lesson from the master!" Cui Chengxiu shouted loudly as if he had guessed what Yang Gongqing was thinking.
"Your Majesty!" The horse thieves folded their hands and were rude, and the response echoed like thunder and retreated from all directions. The other village owners who were following far behind heard it, and their eyes were filled with envy. The things in the hands of these people were different.
Compared with the soldiers and horses, everyone is just a group of farmers who have just put down their hoes, while Yang Gongqing's army is a regular army. Even the soldiers of the Sui Dynasty may not be so elite.
"Scoff!" Tianwei General Ge Qian had white smoke coming out of his nostrils and shook his head dissatisfied. "Brother Yang likes to show off. Don't pay attention to him. Take your time and go under the slope. If he has the ability, he will pick Li Zhongjian. If he has the ability, he will pick Li Zhongjian."
Choose Luo Yi’s tiger cavalry!”
"Brothers, do you think we are out of luck this time?" As if hearing Ge Qian's slander, Yang Gongqing bathed in the autumn morning light and asked everyone loudly.
He couldn't bear it anymore. No matter whether he took the big road or the small road, the troops and horses would be out of danger within two days. This was his last chance. If he didn't seize it, he would regret it in the future.
"Missing the wind?" someone asked incomprehensively. After running for hundreds of miles and finding nothing, and being forced to flee in embarrassment by the situation, it was indeed that he lost the wind. But Master Yang obviously did not want this answer. This point, in the hills
The village masters who were looking up at them knew it clearly, and the horse thieves under Yang Gongqing knew it even better.
"No!" Cui Chengxiu, with dozens of soldiers, responded loudly.
"I can't hear what you are saying!" Yang Gongqing put his hands to his ears, deliberately pretending to be old and deaf.
"No, no, no!" The seven thousand horse thieves raised their arms and shouted, which made people excited.
The other listless minions heard the call and involuntarily quickened their pace. Yes, they gained nothing from this trip, but it really can't be regarded as a loss. At least everyone withdrew alive, but the lives and deaths of the other two groups of troops are still uncertain.
"In the past, it was the dog officers who took the initiative to attack, and we were tired of parrying, but this time it was us who took the initiative to attack, and we have conquered several cities. Although the other two groups of brothers suffered setbacks, we are still there, and we have traveled more than 800 miles.
, let the dog officials see our strength, and they dare not rest in peace from now on! Do you think, did the dog officials lose, or did we lose?" Yang Gongqing waved his fist and expressed his strength in a way that everyone can understand.
"Dog officer! Dog officer! Dog officer!" The horse thieves' spirits were completely aroused, and they shouted together with arms raised.
"If the dog officer blocks our way home, do you dare to fight?" Yang Gongqing saw that his morale was ready and quickly changed the subject.
"Fight, fight, fight!" Not only the horse thieves on the mountain were excited by Yang Gongqing's excitement, but also the other tired minions below the hill were infected by his passion, waving all kinds of weapons and responding loudly.
"Okay, today I will lead you to fight a bloody path. No matter who stands in front of you, kill them all and never back down!" Yang Gongqing drew out his horizontal sword and made a virtual slash in the sunlight. The blade drew a bright line in the autumn wind.
of arc.
"Never back down, never back down!" Four thousand horse thieves and more than ten thousand others shouted with red faces. They were very happy that at this moment, there was still a brave hero who stood up and pointed the way forward for everyone.
.
"Okay, everyone will set up camp under this mound this morning to eat. After an hour, we will get up and go on the road. I, Yang Gongqing, are in front, and you are following. Let's cut a road home, and God will kill God if he blocks it.
Block the ghost and kill the ghost!"
"If God blocks the God, kill the God; if the ghost blocks the ghost, kill the ghost! If the God blocks the God, kill the God; if the ghost blocks the ghost, kill the ghost!" The minions, big and small, responded like crazy, regardless of the fact that their respective village masters were by their side. In the past few days, all activities have ceased, like gutter rats.
They are tired of life. If the officers and soldiers block the road, just kill them. With Yang Gongqing in front, what are you afraid of the officers and soldiers doing?
No one asked Ge Qian, Wang Jinbao and other village leaders for their opinions. Many small leaders took it upon themselves to allocate the already very limited military rations to their subordinates. The tired and frustrated sighs disappeared, replaced by smiles and cheers. The team again
Having regained their vitality, whether Geqian and others are happy or unhappy, the development of the situation is no longer affected by them.
"Ge, Ge is the head of the family, and even Yang doesn't take you seriously!" Zhang Jinshu was furious, stamping his feet and complaining.
"Brother Yang has the ability, just let him use it to his fullest. At this time, it is already very difficult for him to stay and advance and retreat with us!" Ge Qian suddenly became very tolerant and responded with a smile.
"He is simply taking advantage of the situation!" Zhang Jinshu scolded Ge Qian bitterly when he saw the provocation.
"At present, we must focus on the overall situation. After all, Brother Yang has many cavalry, and we can't do without him to explore the road and inquire about the movements of the officers and soldiers." Ge Qian shook his head, his eyes seemed to see everything in the world. "Donghai Gong is probably gone!
"He sighed again, then jumped off the horse and led the mount slowly towards a stream at the foot of the hill.
The stream in early winter had not yet frozen, but it was bone-chilling. Ge Qian first let his mount drink to its full, then he took a few handfuls of cold water and splashed it on his face. Then, he pulled out a broken nail from his palm and endured the pain in his heart.
to feel the pain, gently put it into the stream. (To be continued)
