The bright moon hangs between the branches of the trees, the evening breeze blows slowly, and the shadows of the trees on the official road sway gently.
It only took a few years for Nanchen to regain Huainan, and most of the management of Huainan was limited to the construction of military facilities. After all, it is not that easy for the war-torn Huainan to recover in a short time. Secondly, the current Nanchen is also
Not enough money and time.
Therefore, this may be an official road built during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. It is very bumpy and difficult to walk. There are many potholes on the road. More importantly, the grass on both sides of the road has begun to erode the rammed earth road after so many years of rain. There are even some
The tenacious weeds have appeared in the middle of the road.
The official road that could have allowed two horse carriages to pass in parallel was now only able to allow one carriage to pass, and it often got stuck in potholes. The grass on both sides of the road was desolate, and from time to time you could see abandoned villages and ruined walls.
The scene was not much different from what Li Xingchen had seen in Huaibei.
This war between the Northern and Southern Dynasties, which spread across the entire land of China and lasted for more than three hundred years, completely turned Huainan and Huaibei, battlegrounds for military strategists, into a wasteland.
The clatter of horse hoofs echoed on the deserted official road, and a cavalry team gradually appeared in the moonlight. The soldiers in front and behind the cavalry team were armed with swords and were fully armed. Their eyes were filled with murderous intent, and they were constantly walking around at waist height.
Sweeping them here and there among the weeds, you can tell at a glance that they are elite scouts who have been tempered in the blood and fire of the battlefield.
However, the official road was too narrow, so the large cavalry had to form a longer queue.
Li Xingchen and Xiao Shilian were both dressed in inconspicuous soldiers' clothes. They were sitting on horses with their hands holding swords. Because of Wu Mingche's physical condition, there was no way to ride a horse. In addition, Wu Mingche needed to bring some of his family members to Beijing, as well as
Li Xingchen's sister, so there are five carriages in this team.
Perhaps such a convoy size is nothing in Jiangnan, but in an uninhabited place like Huainan, it is definitely eye-catching, so Xiao Mohe and Wu Mingche have no intention of concealing their whereabouts from beginning to end. However, even so, when they arrived
Outside Yangzhou City, although the sun was setting, Xiao Mohe still planned to rush to Guazhou Ferry in advance while the night was bright.
If Chen Shuling was prepared, there would definitely be a higher possibility of manipulating Yangzhou city, so Xiao Mohe simply did not give him this opportunity. What's more, if he got out of this three-acre land in Yangzhou as soon as possible, he wouldn't have to worry about it.
After crossing the border of Yangzhou, even if Chen Shuling had the courage, he would not have the strength to take action openly in other places. Moreover, the distance from Yangzhou City to Guazhou Crossing across the river is not that long. If you go overnight, you might arrive in Jiangnan tomorrow morning.
.
It's just that Xiao Mohe didn't expect that the official road outside Yangzhou City would be so desolate and dilapidated. The surrounding weeds and the broken walls and ruins that kept appearing in the field of vision always gave him a gloomy feeling, even if he had always been there.
The bold Xiao Mohe was also breaking out in a cold sweat at this time.
"Dad, there should be more than ten miles away from Guazhou Ferry," Xiao Shilian urged him to take two steps forward. "When we reach Guazhou Ferry, there will be navy waiting to meet us, so we will be safe."
Chen Xu's edict arrived just after Xiao Mohe and the others set off. The edict was as concise and concise as ever. In order to facilitate the old governor's safe entry into Beijing, Chen Xu specially arranged naval warships to go to Guazhoudu to greet him. With Chen Xu's edict,
Naturally, no one dared to take action on the road from Guazhou to the capital, but what Chen Xu said actually made it clear that he could not guarantee this section of the road from Yangzhou.
Firstly, it is impossible for Chen Xu to take down Chen Shuling in name only or limit his power before he has done anything. Secondly, this is also a test for Xiao Mohe by Chen Xu. Even small Yangzhou cannot pass it.
, it is better not to come to the capital.
"Go and tell the Governor," Xiao Mohe nodded. The further away he was, the less he dared to take it lightly. "Tell the brothers, all of them are wide-eyed..."
A trumpet arrow soared into the sky on the side of the road, and the harsh whistle broke the tranquility on the official road and interrupted Xiao Mohe's words. Xiao Mohe's expression suddenly changed, and the surrounding guards also subconsciously
Draw out the weapon.
The arrows roared in, directly swamping the few people who were clearing the way. Under the moonlight, the figures appearing in the grass could be clearly seen. They crawled forward and disappeared in the luxuriant grass in the blink of an eye.
"Be careful!" Li Xingchen yanked the rope suddenly, and the Ziyun gun tied to his back had slipped into his hand along his arm, holding a gun flower.
Then another arrow shot up from behind, but the sound of this arrow was obviously different from before. It was obviously Pei Zilie who was behind and asking about the situation.
"There are quite a few people coming," Xiao Mohe suddenly mentioned Ma Shan, "Since they are here, let's teach them a lesson!"
Arrows continued to shoot from the darkness, but the Xiao family's personal guards, who had been prepared for a long time, would not suffer any more losses. The guns and flowers danced without leakage, and the soldiers holding shields rushed to the periphery skillfully. At the same time,
The carriages came to a halt, the curtains on both sides were opened, and the sound of crossbows being fired could be heard endlessly.
Figures that appeared and disappeared under the moonlight were shot one after another, screaming and falling down. The arrows released from the grass hit the carriage, but they only made a crisp sound before falling helplessly to the ground.
It turned out that before entering Yangzhou, Li Xingchen proposed to free up the two carriages at the front and back, and move some of the crossbowmen in the team to hide in the carriages. The arrows could not damage the carriages because when they left Zhongli,
There are iron plates or shields placed in the side walls of the carriage. It would be strange if they could be shot through.
Therefore, the carriages in tandem have actually become simple armored vehicles to a certain extent. Ordinary arrows can hardly hurt the people in the carriage, but the selected crossbowmen in the carriage can calmly and continuously pass through the windows.
Shoot the ambush soldiers who reveal their shadows.
"Be careful!" A shout suddenly came from the front of the team. Two cavalrymen were overturned by the tripping rope. The first carriage that followed had no time to stop and also hit the tripping rope head-on. The entire carriage was thrown into the air.
, it spun around half a circle before falling heavily to the ground. The carriage was torn apart, and the crossbowman in the carriage was dying to see it.
Although the carriage overturned, it still fell in the middle of the road. The official road was narrow and was suddenly blocked by the wreckage of the carriage.
"Kill!" Seeing the tragic death of their companions, the angry guards of the Xiao family and the Wu family mobilized their war horses and stabbed the chests of these killers with their long spears.
"There are about a hundred people. This Yangzhou governor really thinks highly of us." Xiao Mohe sneered, and the horse in his hand was dripping with blood. Xiao Shilian had already rolled up his sleeves and rushed with his bodyguards.