At Huangzhuang, fifty miles west of Yiyang City in Ruzhou, Luo Zhixue looked at the more than a hundred official cavalry and at least two thousand infantry guarding the main road ahead.
His eyes showed suspicion!
If it were just the officers and soldiers in front, they wouldn't let Luo Zhixue do this, but four or five miles behind them, there are hundreds of officers and cavalry chasing after them.
This is interception in front and pursuit behind!
In front of Luo Zhixue, Sun Chengli, Li Tonglin and others also looked unhappy.
They did not expect that after their group abandoned the refugees and evacuated, they would still be blocked by officers and soldiers.
They quickly evacuated westward from the Yiyang area three days ago. After walking for a day, they heard that the officers and soldiers from Yongning in front also dispatched elite cavalry to surround them.
In order to avoid being attacked from both sides, Li Tonglin led them to decisively turn south toward Song County.
However, they did not plan to go to Song County. They planned to leave Henan Prefecture and enter the territory of Ruzhou, and then choose an opportunity to enter the Nanyang, Xiangyang, and Yunyang areas.
Nowadays, a large number of rebels are active in northern Chu and southern Henan. The situation there is more chaotic and more suitable for small-scale rebels like them to fish in troubled waters.
They walked over mountains and ridges and entered the border of Ruzhou Yiyang, but before they could take a breath, they found that there were officers and soldiers intercepting them in front!
"What should we do?" Someone immediately couldn't help but look at Li Tonglin and asked.
Li Tonglin did not speak, but was silent in thought.
On the other hand, other people nearby spoke one after another:
"If you ask me, let's just rush over. Although there are many of them, I don't believe they can stop more than a hundred of us."
"They are guarding the main road. If we rush over directly, we are seeking death."
"What are you afraid of? This isn't a city wall. It's not even a valley. If we just rush over in armor, can they still stop us?"
At this time, Li Tonglin looked around, and finally looked at Luo Zhixue: "Mr. Luo, what do you think we should do?"
On the way to escape in the past few days, Li Tonglin had asked Luo Zhixue many times about his military strategy. On the one hand, it was for comparison, and on the other hand, he really wanted to hear Luo Zhixue's opinion.
Luo Zhixue thought for a while and said: "The enemy in front of us is guarding the key road. Although our soldiers are very brave, it is not easy to break through. If you are not careful, you will lose your troops and generals."
"But there are hundreds of enemy cavalry chasing after us. We cannot delay this time. We cannot be entangled by them."
"The only solution now is to take a quick detour."
What's there to think about? There are more than two thousand officers and soldiers blocking the road in front, and at least three hundred officers and soldiers and cavalry are chasing behind them. Anyone who is not a fool will take a detour...
At this time, someone said: "The officers and soldiers in front have cavalry. If we go around to the side, what will happen if their cavalry rushes over?"
Luo Zhixue immediately said: "It's a life and death fight!"
No matter how life-and-death struggle is, it is better than forcing their way through a road guarded by more than a thousand officers and soldiers, and it is better than turning around and going back to face hundreds of Zuo Liangyu's elite cavalry.
While Li Tonglin and Luo Zhixue were discussing, a group of officers and soldiers were waiting on the official road ahead. Among the officers and soldiers, several civil servants and most of the military generals stood on horseback.
One of the leading civil servants in fourth-grade red robes seemed to be in a good mood: "It seems that General Zuo's message is correct. These rebels will indeed come to our Yiyang. It's okay now. They were blocked by us. Turn around." As long as General Zuo's pursuers arrive, we can completely annihilate this group of thieves."
A few officials on the side also nodded and bowed and said: "We were able to stop the rebel army here because of your wise opinion, Guard Tan. If you hadn't led us to send troops, where could we have stopped these rebel troops!" "
"Looking at the bandits in front of us, they are not many. There are only about a hundred people. It will be very easy to fight. If we destroy them when the time comes, it will be a military achievement."
"In the future, when the guards and thieves are promoted, don't forget us!"
But while they were talking, they discovered that the bandit army in front had moved. At first, they thought they were going to rush over and flee, but unexpectedly, these people turned around and walked away.
Li Tonglin followed Luo Zhixue's suggestion and chose a detour.
Right Senator Tan Zhengling also saw this scene and immediately said loudly: "The bandit army is timid and goes around. I want to intercept it. What do you think?"
Someone immediately echoed: "Tan Zhenshou is wise and wise!"
"The bandit army is no more than a hundred, and it is a mob. If we intercept it, we can defeat the enemy easily."
Chen Zhibang, the commanding officer on the side, thought to himself: A rabble? Didn't you realize that they are all elite knights? If you rush out and try to intercept, you, Tan Zhengling, might be chopped into pieces.
These thieves seemed to be dressed in a mess, and they didn't look like they were on the right track, but if you open your eyes and take a look, at least half of them were wearing armor.
The most important thing is that these people seem to be in a scattered formation, but they move forward and backward in a systematic manner. Anyone who is not a fool can see that this group of thief cavalry is definitely not an ordinary refugee thief army.
Even if the ordinary refugee bandit army plunders the mules and horses, they will only be able to ride a horse until they die.
As for the thief cavalry in front of them, many of them were wearing armor and had strict orders. It was obvious at a glance that they were serious cavalry.
Chen Zhibang thought that these thief cavalrymen were most likely from the border rebels. Otherwise, without the military quality, it would be difficult to fight.
Chen Zhibang could guess the identities of Li Tonglin and his group with just one glance.
But Tan Zhengling on the side obviously couldn't tell. At this time, he looked at Chen Zhibang and said: "General Chen, what are you doing? Have you sent out elite cavalry to intercept?"
Hearing this, Chen Zhibang became even more unhappy.
This seemed to be an inquiry or discussion, but there was no doubt in his tone. This bastard was giving him an order directly in the name of discussion.
He, Chen Zhibanghe, was stationed in Ruzhou, but together with Zuo Liangyu who was stationed in Shengchi and Xin'an, and Chen Yongfu who was guarding Nanyang, he was the main military general in Henan's resistance to the rebels.
When the Henan officers and soldiers were suppressing bandits in Henan, his name was basically missing from the documents reported to the court.
And what about Tan Zhengling? He used to be just a remote prefect in Guizhou. I don't know whose connections he had, and how much money he had paid. He was transferred to Henan as a right councilor, and was sent to Ruzhou by Yuan Mo to guard it.
Moreover, although this person was guarding Ruzhou, he could only control the local troops in Ruzhou, and had no control over generals such as Chen Zhibang, the main force of the Henan official army.
Chen Zhibang's immediate boss is Yuan Mo, the governor of Henan.
According to this situation, Tan Zhengling has nothing to do with Chen Zhibang.
But!
Chen Zhibang was a military general, while Tan Zhengling was a civilian official.
Regardless of his rank or the number of troops, whether Chen Zhibang was under Tan Zhengling's control or not, as a military general, Chen Zhibang was naturally inferior to Tan Zhengling, a civilian official.
Judging from Tan Zhengling's tone, it was clear that he was giving a direct order rather than discussing it.
However, Chen Zhibang still lowered his head slightly and said: "Tan Zhenzhao said it is true. Since the bandit army has come to our Ruzhou, we cannot let them escape."
If he refuses Tan Zhengling's proposal and lets the thieves run away, maybe Tan Zhengling will get a copy for him when he comes back.
Moreover, it was Zuo Liangyu who sent a message to them to intercept this band of thieves.
If he just let this group of thieves run away, Zuo Liangyu might be unhappy behind him.
Even if Chen Zhibang doesn't care about Tan Zhengling's face, he still has to care about Zuo Liangyu's face.
Immediately Chen Zhibang ordered a guerrilla general under his command to lead the cavalry forward to prepare to intercept and pursue.
Chen Zhibang sent more than a hundred elite cavalry under his command to intercept them first, and then personally led more than a thousand infantry under his command to come forward, accompanied by more than a thousand soldiers from the local guard station in Ruzhou.
The officers and soldiers' intention to intercept did not surprise Luo Zhixue. The officers and soldiers on the opposite side were not easy to block them, and naturally they would not let them escape easily.
As the officers and soldiers dispatched cavalry to intercept, Li Tonglin looked suspicious and said: "Their distance is too close. There are mountains and forests on both sides of Zhuangzi, so don't go there. If you want to go around, I'm afraid there will be a fight!"
Sun Chengcheng said: "Fight if you fight. Since they insist on intercepting us, then fight their way out. No matter what, it is better than turning around!"
There are hundreds of Zuo Liangyu's cavalry behind them!
Li Tonglin looked at Luo Zhixue at this time: "Mr. Luo, what do you think?"
Luo Zhixue also had a doubtful look on his face. Without any unnecessary nonsense, he just said: "When we meet on a narrow road, the brave wins."
It was impossible to break through forcefully, and it was impossible to turn around and run away. There were mountains on both sides of Huangzhuang, so there was no way to go.
The only solution now is to bypass Huangzhuang and rush directly through the wilderness on the edge.
If the officers and soldiers come out to intercept, there is no other way but to force their way in!
Li Tonglin nodded slightly at this time, then pulled out his sword and raised it high, while riding his horse back past the queue, shouting at the same time: "Brothers, those officers and soldiers who have been stabbed a thousand times want to stop us and want our lives. Do you think we can agree?"
"My life belongs to me. Even if God wants to take it away, I have to ask the knife in my hand first if I agree!"
"Brothers, follow me soon. As long as we don't leave, they can't stop us."
"It's just a group of guard shrimps. When we were fighting with the Tatars on the grassland, they hadn't laid eggs yet."
"We put our heads in our waistbands and rush up to fight with them, and they have to be frightened to the point of peeing."
Li Tonglin rode his horse and ran through the queue repeatedly, shouting all kinds of nonsense.
Although the words were very rough, a group of rebel cavalry were all excited and howled after hearing this!
"Charge forward and kill those eggless ones!"
"Kill!"
…
After boosting morale before the formation, Li Tonglin returned to the front of the queue, together with Sun Chengli, Luo Zhixue and others.
At this time, Li Tonglin no longer looked as excited and indignant as when he was boosting morale before, but looked calm!
The queue continued to trot forward, and the official cavalry also rushed out.
At this time, the angle between the two sides was about a hundred degrees, and because of the close distance between the two sides, Luo Zhixue and his cavalry could hardly get around this officer and cavalry if they wanted to rush over.
The distance between the two sides was only a few hundred meters.
Luo Zhixue was riding in the middle of the queue, holding the reins in one hand and a knife in the other, holding Lin Yu'er in his arms.
Luo Zhixue whispered: "Yu'er, hold me tight and close your eyes!"
Lin Yuer let out a low hum!
At this moment, Luo Zhixue raised his head and saw that Li Tonglin in front had already raised his waist knife high. About a few seconds later, he saw him swinging the waist knife forward fiercely and shouting: "Charge over!"
At the same time, the soldiers around him also blew the horn in a hurry!
This is the call to charge!
The next moment, more than a hundred thief cavalry pounced on the official cavalry in front like a tide!
After the official cavalry saw the rebel cavalry speeding up, they quickly reacted and also accelerated and rushed over to try to intercept them. The target was very clear, which was the most conspicuous Li Tonglin and other rebel leaders.
Soon, the cavalry from both sides collided.
Luo Zhixue ignored it and ran like the others.
Their purpose is not really to fight with the officers and soldiers, but to rush over. As long as they rush over, they can survive!
As his horse was galloping, Luo Zhixue looked up to the left to observe the battle situation, only to see a group of officers and cavalry rushing near Li Tonglin, and Li Tonglin's condition seemed not to be good.
The official cavalry had already killed off several of Li Tonglin's personal guards. Li Tonglin seemed to turn his horse and retreat, but one of the official cavalry caught up in time.
And he swung his sword at Li Tonglin's horse!
Li Tonglin's horse was injured and ran wildly for several steps before collapsing. Li Tonglin, who was wearing heavy armor, fell from the speeding horse and was trampled by multiple army horses just seconds later!
Li Tonglin is dead!
