The horse's hooves stopped, and two or three dusty Shu soldiers dismounted hurriedly and clasped their fists.
"My lord, a large army has been spotted ahead, coming from the official road to Muyun Prefecture!"
"Several people?"
"Based on the camp flags, there are at least 20,000 to 30,000 people."
Listening, Xu Mu was silent for a moment. This time, Su Yaonv seems to have taken things a bit too far. She actually dared to send such a large army despite losing consecutive battles.
You know, not only Shuzhou, but also Cangzhou, Zuo Shiren is watching.
"My lord, do you want to eat or not?"
"Of course I want to eat." Xu Mu lowered his voice, "Give me the order to attack the city and bring reinforcements according to the previous plan."
No matter what kind of cattle or horses come, Xu Mu will never refuse delivery to his door.
"ambush."
As the army got closer and closer, Xu Mu was a little stunned. This is not the Cangzhou Army, but soldiers from aristocratic families wearing robes and armor.
There are many aristocratic families in Cangzhou, and they continue their family interests in the name of protecting the emperor. Therefore, no matter whether it is a large or small family, there will be a private army. It can range from thousands to hundreds.
Xu Mu couldn't figure out why these aristocratic families who always cherished their lives and treasured their money would be so grand this time.
Could it be that it's Demon Empress Su's method again?
…
The army of nearly 20,000 people marched on the official road somewhat tiredly. Surrounded by military formations, there were many members of Cangzhou's aristocratic families, wearing brand-new battle armor and riding fine armored horses.
The court gave the order. As long as the siege of Yuncheng is solved, it will be regarded as a great achievement. Most of these leading aristocratic families are somewhat high-spirited. Riding on a horse, holding a sword with your hands, you can recite a few lines of poems like "A young man in bright clothes and an angry horse" in a eloquent voice.
No one told them that this time, they were here to die.
The imperial edict stated that the commoner thieves in Shuzhou had exhausted their troops and were deployed in front of Yuncheng. They only needed to assist in guarding. If they defended Yuncheng, they would be rewarded greatly for their merits.
Zhang Qi died in battle, and the title of the No. 1 family in Cangzhou should fall to another family.
"A three-foot green front with an armored horse can kill the Shu thieves like dogs!"
Some people read poems, some cheered, and some clamored for a few sips of honey water.
Xu Mu, who was lying in ambush on the roadside, silently raised his head and fell into deep thought.
Queen Su sending these people here is no different than sending them to death. Among them, there must be a piece of false information. Otherwise, according to the temperament of these Cangzhou aristocratic families, they would not be so courageous.
"I borrowed Zuo Shiren's hand to land in Muyun State. And Demon Queen Su... wants to borrow my hand to get rid of the Cangzhou family? What is she going to do?"
Without the Cangzhou family, how could she protect the emperor?
Xu Mu thought of some possibility.
"Lord, here we come!"
Xu Mu lowered his eyes without much hesitation. A long time ago, he vaguely felt at odds with those so-called aristocratic families.
"kill."
Speak out one word and wait for the order to be handed down layer by layer. The Shu troops who were ambushing on both sides of the official road suddenly raised their shields and swords, and roared out to kill them.
"Trap the horse!"
The traps that were arranged in advance made some of the young master soldiers of this gang cry and howl miserably after falling into the trap.
"Fu Gong!"
The Shuzhou foot bows ambushing on both sides fired densely packed arrows into the enemy formation in a two-row formation.
Countless people were hit by arrows, and their horses fell down. They shouted in haste and panic, and for a while, they spread throughout the entire reinforcements.
"How, how could there be an ambush!"
"I am familiar with the art of war. At this time, I should use a round shield formation to block the Shu army's flying arrows!"
"I'm also familiar with the art of war...it's best to go!"
Many soldiers from aristocratic families only wanted to protect the masters of their own family. They were noisy and the military formation became even more chaotic.
"My lord, are these Cangzhou reinforcements just a bunch of fools?"
"They are fools who fell into the trap, but the people who used the trap are very smart. This time I lend my sword to kill people, and I, Xu Mu, will be criticized verbally and writtenly by the world's noble family again."
The general next to him didn't understand, "Should we kill him or not?"
"Kill." Xu Mu's eyes were firm. In later generations, most of the emperors from ancient times to the present relied on aristocratic families to gain power. Even in this troubled time, Uncle Chang was the same, and he became a big fish early.
But there is no way. He is a small person with no background and no background. Except for the eclectic Marquis Yuan and a few others, he did not win the favor of any aristocratic family.
Everyone in the world calls him a commoner thief, just because he started from a humble background and should not fight for his share of the world. I even felt that he should look like a poor man, working as a tenant farmer or a small liquor seller, a small shrimp in troubled times.
"Princes, generals and prime ministers would rather have the seed!" Xu Mu straightened his body and shouted angrily.
"Who dares to say that we Shu people can't compete for this eternal kingdom! Wei Xiaowu, wave the flag for me!"
Not long after. On the high ground, Wei Xiaowu with a light beard, his face flushed, led the flag camp, waving the Xu-character flag high in the wind.
As they got closer, Shuzhou's ambush archers also began to put on their swords and shields, encircling and suppressing them from all directions, trapping and killing the 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers of the aristocratic family on the official road.
"Block, block the Shu people!" Countless young generals from aristocratic families retreated tremblingly, and hurriedly gave orders to form a defensive circular formation.
"Gun array!"
A battalion of the Shu army rushed out, took off the iron guns on their backs, quickly formed a gun formation, and under the command of a general, pushed the guns forward.
If it were a strong army, it would probably take some time to break through the gap in the circular formation. But these people in front of them...are at most only a little bit better than the mob.
The spear array broke through the gap, and after advancing another hundred steps, the gap became wider and wider.
There are scattered flying arrows that are occasionally thrown out from the enemy formation. But it was very disappointing and did not cause too much battle damage to the Shu soldiers who were encircling and suppressing them.
Holding the long sword, Xu Mu frowned and walked up to the high ground coldly. He lowered his head and looked down at the Cangzhou Family Army who was beaten to the point of losing their armor.
With the military strength of the family, some people began to kneel down and beg for mercy. Many of the hired soldiers from aristocratic families abandoned their masters and fled in panic.
If there is a general who can fight, he might be able to put up a fight. But no, the sensual and wealthy young men have played themselves to death for a long time.
…
Cangzhou Imperial Palace, the imperial passage outside the imperial study room.
A graceful figure, wearing a phoenix robe with sleeves and a phoenix pearl crown on his head, looked up to the north in silence. Beside her, a young man with a sword on his back stood silently two steps away.
"Ah Qi, my hands are stained with more and more blood, and I can't wash them off anymore."
"Ah Qi, I feel a little homesick."
"Ah Qi, it would be great if you could talk to me."
"It's a pity that you are a mute slave."
The mute slave cannot speak, but he can kill. As soon as the quick sword came out, the head of a little palace lady who happened to walk over fell to the ground.
The homesick woman did not blame. She turned around, dragging the colorful tassels on her pleated phoenix skirt in the dusk, bending her slender waist and walking into the royal study with slight steps.
In the blink of an eye, dusk came one after another, shrouding the entire small palace in Cangzhou in darkness.
