The great affairs of my husband's country depend on the army, and the galloping of the soldiers depends on the horses. ——"New Performance Book"
The twilight, like ink spilled on the desk, gradually penetrated half of the sky. Under the setting sun, the horses with bits on them kicked their front hooves wildly and swept their tails wildly, looking particularly anxious.
The horse soldiers moved forward slowly, entering the world of light and shadow on the outskirts of Linqing.
Half of them escaped into the night, and the other half was in the light.
When they were only two miles away from the enemy camp, it was completely dark and they could disappear into the darkness. The horses and riders finally regained their composure.
Liu Zhaosun reined in his horse and walked slowly, holding a wild goose feather knife in his hand. The surroundings became quiet, leaving only the noise of the camp in the distance and the insects in the nearby grass.
"Disperse!"
The horse soldiers scattered in all directions. The target of the three hundred horsemen was too obvious. Unless the sentry horses on the opposite side were all blind, it would be easy to spot them.
The horsemen were dormant quietly under the night, waiting for Emperor Wuding's orders.
After this battle is over, these Liaoxi soldiers can return to their hometown in western Liaoning, to Jinzhou or Guangning where Zu Dashou once occupied, and reunite with their relatives.
Emperor Wu Ding also promised to give each person three hundred acres of land, which was enough for them to maintain their previous lives as servants. If he escaped now, he would probably die of hunger or plague like the bandits. Of course, the most likely death would be from the emperor's Yan Ling sword. The Liaoxi soldiers had no doubts about the last point.
Liu Zhaosun slowly put the Yanling knife back into its sheath to prevent the fine light from reflecting the sharp edge of the knife. Past lessons told the time traveler that from now on, he must be extra careful with every step he takes.
"Zhang Dong, grab your tongue first and bring it back."
Zhang Mazi stepped forward to mount his horse, took a riding bow from the emperor, and quickly disappeared from Liu Zhaosun's sight.
Although he had learned about the general situation on the other side from the captured servants two days ago, the battlefield was changing rapidly, and Liu Zhaosun was unwilling to make the same mistakes he had made before.
Liu Zhaosun leaned against the horse's back, listened carefully to the horse's breathing, and put himself into a fighting state as soon as possible.
From the bloody battle of Hunhe River in the 47th year of Wanli's reign to tonight's night attack, he had not charged into battle for seven years, and had not experienced the thrill of cavalry hedging and close combat.
The injuries caused by the bloody battle at Hunhe River once made him miserable. Fortunately, all the injuries have been healed now, and he is stronger than before...
"Your Majesty, I caught my tongue. I was just raping a woman."
Zhang Dong soon came back from the night. He rode up to Liu Zhaosun, carrying a half-dead Ming army auxiliary on his horse.
"Trial first, hurry up."
Liu Zhaosun waved his hand, and Zhang Mazi immediately began to interrogate.
He first pulled the auxiliary soldiers down, raised his fists and beat the man violently without any reason, and then began to interrogate him.
"Just ask once, and the second time will kill you. Listen carefully, how many of you are there? Where is the secret sentry? Where is Zuo Liangyu's tent? What is the night watch tonight? You are not allowed to scream, others can't hear you, dare to scream Cut your tongue first."
Just as the prisoner was about to answer, Zhang Dong used a dagger to cut off a piece of his calf, then took out a piece of salt from his sleeve and applied it to the wound like a plaster. The prisoner was so painful that he stuffed a piece of horse dung into his mouth. .
"Have you thought clearly? Nod if you think clearly."
The prisoner endured the severe pain and nodded repeatedly.
Zhang Dong then took the horse dung away. Before he could open his mouth, the auxiliary soldier said everything he knew like peeling beans:
"There are 30,000 to 40,000 people, all auxiliary troops. There are only 10,000 combat troops. The Zuo General Soldier is to the west of the camp, with a secret sentry behind the trench. The password is "Attack Linqing with Fire"... That's what the villain said. To be honest, I have never done anything unconscionable. It was not me who caused that woman just now. Please spare my life, Master!"
The information provided by this person was exactly the same as the confessions of the captured servants two days ago. Liu Zhaosun nodded slightly towards Zhang Mazi.
Realizing that he was going to die, the prisoner quickly kowtowed and begged for mercy: "Master, I can't survive in Fengyang anymore, so I followed them to the north to beg for food. If you kill me, you will kill my family. I have eighty relatives." Year old mother...”
"That's not a reason."
Zhang Dong directly broke the auxiliary's neck.
"Prepare for a night attack."
Liu Zhaosun blew the bamboo whistle, and the cavalry lined up in formation, waiting to attack the camp in the dark night.
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