The journey of twenty miles was not far away. When dusk was approaching, three thousand elite cavalry led by the guard general named Wang had surrounded the foot of the Jialan Temple Mountain.
Guan Xiao, who was hiding in the temple, had already detected the news of these ambushing troops, but at this moment he had no intention of retreating.
The news was sent back by his brother Guan Jie's scout team, along with the news of Guan Jie's death...
Guan Xiao walked out of the temple and looked around. Looking at his brothers and sisters outside the courtyard, he clenched his fists and punched his breastplate.
"Gentlemen, I'm afraid we can't get in here... But for those who want to go home, there is still some chance to break through to the northeast mountain road later..."
Before he finished speaking, there was a burst of yelling and curses from the crowd.
Soon, a man who looked like a mountain of meat walked out, pointed at Guan Xiao's nose and started scolding him.
He shouted: "Now traitors and thieves have deceived Your Majesty, causing His Highness King Wu to die tragically... You fucking let us go? Where else can we go!"
The various fiefdoms of the six kings have been almost suppressed.
Now only the Hebei area is left, and no counter-rebel troops have yet appeared, but it is only a matter of time.
If they evacuate now, they may return to their hometown with corpses scattered all over the place, and no friends from their hometown will be seen again.
Guan Xiao responded: "This time Guan invites everyone to go south to Qinwang. I'm afraid we can only stop here..."
Immediately, someone shouted: "I have nothing to do with you Guan Xiao! My father went to Beijing with His Highness King Wu, and there is no news so far. I went to find the old man!"
The person who spoke was a young man who looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old.
The armor he wore was extremely simple, resembling the standard battle armor of the Yanyang period.
This time King Qin went south and didn't have much time to gather people. He didn't have time to make everyone's armor.
So the young man dug out his old armor at home, and the size was just right...
Seeing that Guan Xiao was silent on the stage, he added another sentence.
"The old man in my family has a higher official position than you! He is not here today, and so is His Highness King Wu! You have to listen to me if you care about Xiao!"
As soon as these words came out, the shouts in the courtyard became louder and louder.
Someone took the initiative to ask for orders to take the lead in the charge and be the person who takes the lead...
There was also a man who made a bold statement, saying that he was going to sit at the top of the Eastern Capital City no matter what...
What's more, we should let the traitors who are hiding in Xijing and only use some conspiracy methods to see if their Hebei son's sword is strong...
The man who spoke first was not wearing armor at all because of his fat body.
He slapped his swollen belly, and the previous anger dissipated.
"Guan Xiao, please understand. Stop being so nagging and give me the order quickly!"
The young man standing next to him drew out the blade and raised it to the sky.
"General Guan! Anyone who has made it this far is not a timid person. Why are you worried about this!"
Suddenly, the soldiers in the courtyard shouted in unison, "Fight!" war! war!
The momentum dragged on for a long time. Guan Xiao in front of the hall looked at it for a long time, and finally sighed slowly.
He opened his mouth and said: "Guan Xiao has always been clear about your thoughts, so I would like to ask you all, if you can only bury your bones here, will you feel unwilling to do so?"
Everyone was silent. They were indeed not afraid of death, but if they couldn't vent all the evil in their hearts, they would still be a little unwilling.
Guan Xiao beat his breastplate again and continued to speak loudly: "So if we don't retreat, we will not die! The soldiers will stop us, the water will cover us, and we will overthrow all those Central Plains bumpkins! As long as we can enter the Eastern Capital, there is a glimmer of hope. !”
The man raised his arms and was the first to respond to Guan Xiao.
"No one can stop me. I'll take the lead in a moment! I'm the best at charging on the mountain roads in the forest and dealing with those cavalry!"
The young man was beating the man's fat body hard, looking at his senior with an unhappy look on his face.
"Damn Zhou Biao, can you let me take the lead!"
Zhou Biao grinned: "Before Mr. Zheng left, he asked me to take good care of your little baby. Why are you so anxious to see your old man?"
The young man raised his fist and hit it hard, yelling: "Shut up! Be honest and inherit your father's legacy. Now you all have to listen to me!"
Zhou Biao laughed loudly: "Then Little Governor Zheng, how come you can't even beat me, an old man? Isn't it because you haven't been weaned yet?"
Guan Xiao said: "Zhou Biao... don't make fun of Zheng Kuan..."
Zheng Kuan waved his hand and said: "Um...it's okay, and the brothers from the back, Commander Zheng, are all shouting too! Everyone are shouting too!"
This three-person show made everyone else in the hospital laugh.
When everyone's laughter ended, Guan Xiao pulled out the long knife from his waist and shouted.
"The man surnamed Wang can be regarded as someone I worked with in the past. His strategies are not unbreakable. I hope you will trust me when the war comes later!"
Everyone present shouted loudly, "This is your order!"
Guan Xiao then began to make arrangements. All preparations were aimed at defending Jialan Temple. As long as there was a chance to counterattack, he would let his friend see his determination to go south this time.
...
At the same time, at the foot of Jialan Mountain, the Yanyang defenders rushed out from Dongdu and blocked the mountain roads.
In addition, soldiers were stationed on some mountain and forest trails to be ready to meet the enemy at any time.
Guard General Wang spread out the map with both hands in the temporary camp and carefully observed the trends of the mountain roads.
Just when he saw a dangerous passage, he suddenly heard the chirping of birds in the mountains, and then hundreds of them rushed out and flew towards the sky.
In an instant, the entire sky was shrouded in pitch-black birds, and even the red sun on the horizon was obscured, making it difficult to see clearly.
When he looked at the dangerous path he had just marked on the map, his expression gradually turned ugly.
Brother Guan really chose the location well. Although this place seems to be a dangerous place that is easy to attack and difficult to defend, as long as you defend the mountain road in the southeast, or deliberately attack and attract a strong attack from the bottom of the mountain, the positions of the two sides can be interchanged...
A subordinate ran to his side, clasped his fists and said, "General, we need to send someone to investigate the scene just now!"
The guard general surnamed Wang said: "According to the previous arrangements, we can station as normal."
The subordinate looked at him with some worry and said again: "But general, if they want to break through by force, or are preparing to retreat..."
The guard general surnamed Wang put down the map in his hand and looked at his subordinate who had been following him for many years.
He said coldly: "The purpose of our coming here is to persuade us to surrender... Do you understand?"
"Understood..."
The guard surnamed Wang looked a little impatient and directly ordered the other party to be kicked out.
"After you've taken care of the things at hand, come and talk to me about this again!"
When no one was around, he held up the map again and examined the trends of the mountain roads.
Two hours later, just as he thought, Guan Xiao moved.
Under the moonlight, eighty men of Zheng Kuan'an rushed down from the southeast mountain road. As soon as they were discovered by the scouts of the Dongdu garrison, they rose up to kill the enemy.
Zheng Kuan, who was at the front, was a little thinner than the others, but he was the most powerful in his attacks.
Even if the person in front of him has fallen off his horse, he will chop the opponent into a human being with one knife after another, as if he is not willing to give up.
Zheng Kuan would also shout to everyone he met, "The governor of Liaocheng, Hebei is here, who dares to kill me!"
The young man's originally childish voice gradually became hoarse and dry, but it still could not quell the anger in his heart.
Eighty-year-old soldiers were walking in the mountains and forests, and the clear moon shone coldly on their iron robes.
Zheng Kuan extended his sword again, and the Yanyang soldier in front of him was cut off from his horse and fell to the ground. Just when he was about to step forward and cut off his arms and legs, someone pulled his collar off.
The people who took action were specially ordered by Zhou Biao and Guan Xiao to keep an eye on Zheng Kuan at all times.
"My little Governor Zheng, it's time to run!"
Following this, there was also the fire that gradually began to gather at the foot of the mountain. It was the Dongdu garrison from other places rushing to help.
Zheng Kuan didn't want to fight, and immediately shouted: "Everyone withdraw! You bumpkins, stay here while I wait!"
After saying these words, the young man immediately fled towards a mountain forest, with two people behind him responsible for covering the rear.
Their escape directions were extremely scattered, as if they had no rules.
No matter who the Dongdu garrison came for reinforcements, they wanted to take advantage of the victory and pursue them. After all, in their opinion, with the support of their horses, it would be easy to capture these people!
However, their General Wang gave a fatal order not to pursue without authorization, but to besiege them.
Some people, driven by greed in their hearts, stared at Zheng Kuan's escape direction and began to rub the handle of the knife at his waist.
The duck has reached its mouth, but it still has to be watched as it flies away?
"Come here, some brothers, and work with me to arrest the kid who claims to be the governor of Liaocheng! Later, go to General Wang to claim credit!"
With the first bird in the spotlight, more and more people responded.
Soon, dozens of horsemen and horses rushed out from the crowd, and they all rushed towards Zheng Kuan without the man shouting.
Someone wanted to stop them and shouted: "General Wang said before, don't pursue without authorization! Come back!"
But those who responded to him almost always gave "reasonable and well-founded" reasons.
"I'll be back as soon as I go! Don't worry, just go back and rest! If you are interested, you can collect the corpses of your colleagues!"
"That little thief was ruthless, I will definitely avenge my dead brother!"
"Above the battle formation, the situation is changing rapidly. Don't take General Wang's orders as a dead end. Just return to defense first!"
Those who were greedy for merit made their excuses louder and louder than the last, and their horses rushed forward so fast that they could no longer be seen clearly.
On the top of the mountain, inside the high tower of Jialan Temple.
Guan Xiao looked at the flames of smoke rushing up the mountain, with a sneer on his face.
An old monk stood nearby with his hands clasped together and silently reciting sutras over and over again.
Guan Xiao said: "Master has already dismissed the monks in the temple, why do you still stay here alone?"
After the old monk finished reciting the sutra in his mouth, he slowly spoke.
"The donor wants to fight here, so we will give it up. It doesn't matter where they go, and it doesn't matter where I go. As long as there is a Buddha in your heart, you can build a temple anywhere."
Guan Xiao exhaled and looked at the foot of the mountain again.
"Master, there is no need to persuade me any further! If the mountain gate is breached, you will stay in the tower. The man named Wang should listen to me and will not embarrass the master, nor will he take pleasure in destroying the temple."
The old monk did not respond, but took a few steps back, and finally sat down on the futon in front of the Buddha statue.
He began to recite scriptures again, which seemed to be used to redeem the dead in the past...
From beginning to end, the old monk never glanced at the Buddha statue behind him.
The offensive and defensive patterns on the mountainside began to change just as Guan Xiao and the guard named Wang thought.
Zheng Kuan and others, who originally fled, began to fight back in the dense forest. The Dongdu defenders who pursued them became living targets.
Because the former was walking in the dark and had been prepared in advance, three or two soldiers acted together and could kill one person and one horse on the spot in an instant.
The latter was greedy for success. Now when he was walking in the forest, even if he threw away the torch in his hand and tried to use it to cover his whereabouts, he was still defeated one by one.
In the temporary camp at the foot of the mountain, the guard surnamed Wang watched the chaotic firelight on the mountainside. From the initial flashing, it became slow, and finally began to extinguish and disappear in a series.
The subordinate next to him said: "General Wang... we need to send someone to rescue..."
The guard surnamed Wang said expressionlessly: "What's the point of rescuing those who act without authorization?"
The subordinate responded: "But if we lose the first battle tonight, the morale of the rebels will be greatly boosted, and then the encirclement will be even harder..."
The guard general named Wang tightened his grip on the sword at his waist and walked out of the camp alone.
"If Guan Xiao only cares about these petty profits, he will not be worthy of the title of Youlin in this world..."
Hearing General Wang's words, the subordinates accompanying him were a little confused, but they soon heard an explanation.
"The mountainside invasion and counterattack are just feints. If we attack rashly at this time, it is very likely that a group of people will appear due north on our left..."
As the guard surnamed Wang said, he looked towards the left side of the camp.
The subordinate quickly recalled the terrain distribution of the mountain roads here, which made him even more confused.
"General Wang, there is no road to our north... Even if they forcefully travel through the mountains and forests, we will definitely find them early..."
But just as the subordinate spoke out, a deafening laughter suddenly resounded in the forest.
"Wang Zhong, son, come out and die for your grandfather Zhou Biao!"
Wang Zhong drew his sword out of its sheath and said calmly: "It's faster than I thought... hurry up and return the manpower to the defense camp!"
Whether it was the previous laughter or General Wang's arrangement, the subordinates were stunned for a while.
How did the rebels approach them silently? Even if they led a sneak attack on the camp, there were still 800 cavalry in their temporary military camp. This place was even at the foot of the mountain. Just chop vegetables.
But past combat experience told him that General Wang's arrangements must be implemented immediately at this moment, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.
He immediately rushed to the nearest military tent, arranged for men to use torches as a signal, and summoned the besieging soldiers to return to defend the place.
