Dai's mother had been in frequent contact with the Youyan soldiers in recent days and had long been moved by the morale of these elite soldiers. She felt that the imperial soldiers were nothing more than clay pots and clay dogs compared to them. Therefore, she admired Youyan King Zheng Rong's military command even more and wanted to help her son join Zheng Rong.
After hearing what she said, Qiu Yizi told her in detail how Zheng Yao had committed regicide.
Although these facts were not Qiu Yi's personal experience, they were closely related to him. In addition, he was very eloquent, so his words were well-reasoned and well-founded, which shocked Dai Luanxiang so much that he opened his mouth wide and could not utter a word.
Most of the other Youyan soldiers in the ruined temple hall were hearing such palace secrets for the first time, and they listened with bated breath. Not even one of them whispered to each other.
For a moment, there was no sound of coughing or gasping in the entire hall, and the air seemed to be frozen.
Dai Luanxiang pondered for a while, and finally sighed deeply and said: "I have already read the prince's letter, and I didn't expect that the current emperor would really commit regicide!"
Qiu Yizi nodded and said, "This matter has something to do with me, and I can guarantee with my life that this matter is absolutely true. Marshal Dai has experienced many ups and downs. Seeing all the perverse actions that Zheng Yao has taken since he ascended the throne, he knows that he did not get the throne legitimately and his heart is empty."
Dai Luanxiang pondered for a while and said, "Dai is wholeheartedly loyal to the emperor and the country, but the current emperor has done such an inhumane thing. How can a minister deal with it? How can I deal with it?" He had a heartbroken expression on his face and tears flowed from his eyes again.
"A cruel and treacherous person is called a tyrant. I have heard of killing the tyrant Zhou, but I have never heard of killing the king." Qiu Yizhi quoted from the classics, "This is what the saints said. Zheng Yao does not have the appearance, talent, or virtue of a king. Marshal Dai is a famous general and a pillar of the court. Why did he give up his life for him?"
Dai Luanxiang was already moved by Qiu Yizi to some extent, and after hearing him quote the quotations of saints, he was even more moved. However, he still could not make up his mind and just lowered his head in silence.
Qiu Yizhi knew that anyone with great abilities would be arrogant. If he pressed too hard with his words, it would have the opposite effect. So he said, "This is a big deal. No wonder Marshal Dai hesitated. It wouldn't hurt for Marshal to think about it for a few more days. I believe that soon, Marshal will be able to meet my adoptive father, and it won't be too late to make a decision then."
Dai Luanxiang was shocked again when he heard this: "Could it be possible that the prince would come so soon?"
Qiu Yizi did not answer, but smiled and urged people to drink and eat, and accompanied Dai Luanxiang's family to have a rare and peaceful meal.
The progress of the Youyan army was faster than Qiu Yizi had imagined.
After Zheng Rong learned through various channels that Dai Luanxiang had been rescued by his adopted son, he stopped playing tricks and instead mobilized his troops to attack the imperial army.
The commander of the imperial guards was General Qian Qing. Although he was not as skilled in military operations as Dai Luanxiang, he was also an outstanding general.
Seeing that the Youyan army was coming with great force and knowing how powerful Zheng Rong was, Qian Qing realized that he was no match for Zheng Rong in a head-on fight, so he ordered his troops to shrink and retreat to several strategic locations in Henan, intending to engage in a long-term confrontation with the Youyan army.
Upon seeing this, Zheng Rong adopted Zhongli Kuang's strategy and decided not to engage in a head-on confrontation with the imperial guards. Instead, he took advantage of the mobility of his elite cavalry and marched south in several groups, continuously invading the hinterland of Henan.
Qiu Yizhi had planned to lead his light troops southward to attack the county offices in Henan half a month ago, spreading the news that the enemy's imperial guards had given up resistance and surrendered to Zheng Rong. Therefore, when the county officials saw the Youyan army heading south, they opened their gates to surrender and handed over their county household registration lists. Even if there were some who resisted stubbornly, they were easily conquered by the Youyan elite troops.
Thus, in just ten days, the entire territory of Henan Province was almost under the control of Zheng Rong, leaving only a few strategic places that were guarded by heavy troops of the imperial guards and could not be easily captured.
This was not because Qian Qing, the commander of the front army, was afraid of the enemy and avoided fighting. It was the only foolproof plan he could come up with. It was nothing more than leaving a stumbling block in front of the Youyan army, so that they could neither move it away nor bypass it, and thus could not attack Tongguan with all their strength. As long as the situation was stabilized and the court mobilized the army to encircle and suppress it in several directions, they would be invincible.
However, Emperor Zheng Yao could not accept such a plan.
He had been on the throne for only a few months, and even the reign title had not been changed, but Youyan had rebelled, Henan had been lost, and two of the ten regions in the world had been lost. In the two hundred years since the establishment of the Han Dynasty, no emperor had behaved more cowardly than he did.
Therefore, after he had read Qian Qing's memorial carefully, he immediately wrote on it: "I have only heard that the bandits fled at the sight of the government troops, but I have never heard that the government troops retreated. You must immediately cheer up and attack bravely. With my great power, you will surely succeed and wipe out the treacherous villains!" He immediately sent someone to deliver it to Qian Qing at an express speed of 600 miles.
When Qian Qing saw the red words written by Emperor Zheng Yao, it was like countless bloody daggers stabbing into his chest.
Qian Qing thought: Whether in terms of merit or trust, he was far inferior to Dai Luanxiang. If he ignored the emperor's edict, Dai Luanxiang would be a lesson for him. There might not be people in the martial arts world who would risk their lives to rescue him, and the ending might be even worse than that of his predecessor.
At this point, Qian Qing has actually been forced into a dilemma by this imperial edict - if he reluctantly fights the Youyan army, it would be fine if he wins, but if he loses he will inevitably be subject to military law; if he continues to hold his ground, it won't be long before the edict that Dai Luanxiang sent back to him before he joined the army will be sent to him without even changing a few words.
Thinking of this, Qian Qing could only sigh to himself, then he gathered his soldiers and officers and headed out to find the main force of the Youyan army in order to engage in a decisive battle.
Zheng Rong also attached great importance to this battle, knowing that it was a key battle to determine the fate of the Central Plains. Therefore, he specially transferred his eldest son Zheng Xin, who was guarding the base camp from Guangyang, to take his place at the front line of Bozhou to ensure the supply of food and fodder and the replenishment of troops, while he personally led 3,000 elite troops to personally command the decisive battle.
As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat." Qian Qing was not an incompetent person. He was naturally well aware of this simple principle of military strategy. He knew that with his own abilities, he might not be able to defeat the elite soldiers of Youyan in a head-on confrontation like Dai Luanxiang did.
Therefore, when he knew that Youyan King Zheng Rong was leading a small army deep into Henan, he knew that if he could capture Zheng Rong in one fell swoop or kill him on the battlefield, the war that had shaken the Han Dynasty would be immediately quelled. Therefore, Qian Qing mobilized all the elite cavalry in the imperial army to find the whereabouts of Youyan King Zheng Rong and try to eliminate him in one fell swoop.
This strategy was quite successful at the beginning.
Zheng Rong thought that except for a few key points still occupied by the government troops, all other places in Henan had surrendered to him, so he acted very boldly. He put on a show of "Nine Gifts" that he had awarded himself, crossed the Hutuo River with gongs and drums, and headed towards the Henan camp.
Qian Qing was fully aware of his actions, so he led more than 15,000 cavalrymen to attack Zheng Rong's 3,000 soldiers who seemed unprepared. Unexpectedly, Zheng Rong discovered Qian Qing's actions at the last moment, and quickly abandoned all the ceremonial guards and fled to the east.
Qian Qing saw that the opportunity was not to be missed. If Zheng Rong escaped now, there would be no chance to snipe him again, so he quickly urged his men to follow and chase him.
But he had no idea that this was all a plan discussed by Zheng Rong and Zhongli Kuang. The goal was to mobilize the only mobile force of the Imperial Guards and annihilate them in one fell swoop, thereby cutting off the legs of the Imperial Guards.
The horses ridden by Zheng Rong's 3,000 soldiers were all descendants of the fine horses obtained from Dali Khan, the loyal and obedient king of Bohai State. They also had the blood of the Ferghana horses, and were far superior to the Central Plains horses in terms of load-bearing capacity, speed, and endurance. With this advantage, Zheng Rong led this group of cavalrymen at an unhurried pace, stopping and starting, as if he was leading the cavalrymen by the nose, and led the cavalrymen to run around in a hurry.
This game of chase lasted for three days, and Zheng Rong finally led Qian Qing's cavalry into a canyon in the Funiu Mountains.
Qian Qing saw that the canyon was very dangerous, with cliffs on both sides and only two passages for passage, which was a real dead end. He felt bad at the time and quickly ordered his cavalry to retreat along the original route.
But he was still too late.
Only two cannon shots were heard, and countless Youyan soldiers suddenly stood up from the mountains on both sides, including both infantry and powerful crossbowmen.
Seeing this, Qian Qing knew that he had fallen into a trap and was also aware of the powerful firepower of the Youyan crossbows. He quickly ordered all the cavalry to dismount and form a defense line on the spot. He also ordered the messengers to notify nearby troops to come and provide support.
The Youyan army still used the traditional tactics and routines. The crossbows fired fiercely from top to bottom, and in a blink of an eye, nearly 300 imperial soldiers were shot down, including men and horses. The infantry on the mountain did not go down the mountain, but formed a defensive formation halfway up the mountain, allowing the strong soldiers to continue shooting behind them.
Seeing that his 15,000 elite cavalry were decreasing in number and suffering increasing casualties, Qian Qing reluctantly organized a team, dismounted and broke out to the canyon mouth on foot. However, the Youyan army was in a commanding position, and they were observing the official army's every move, and they had already seen their intentions. As soon as the imperial army dismounted, they were attacked by a storm, forcing them to hide behind the horse corpses again and dare not move.
This battle, which was more of a massacre than a battle, lasted from morning to noon. The imperial guards finally ran out of energy and lay down behind their dead horses, no one daring to look out. Qian Qing was in the army and knew that if the Youyan army rushed down from the mountain, his entire army would be wiped out immediately.
Unexpectedly, the Youyan army stopped the attack at this moment, and saw the dignified Youyan King Zheng Rong appeared on the hillside surrounded by a crowd, with a bright yellow sword behind him that only the emperor could use.
Zheng Rong said to the imperial guards in a loud voice, "Your master Zheng Yao is a tyrant who murdered his father and his king. I personally drafted the anti-rebellion manifesto, and I believe you have all read it. However, you are still stubborn and fighting like a trapped beast. Your crime is equivalent to treason! However, I have a kind heart. If you lay down your weapons and turn from darkness to light, I will naturally forgive you and spare your lives!"
Qian Qing was different from Dai Luanxiang. He had no connection with Zheng Rong. Seeing that Zheng Rong used all the ceremonial weapons like an emperor and spoke in a very arrogant manner, he felt indignant and shouted loudly, "My lord, you are a relative of the Han Dynasty and a vassal king. You naturally understand the principle of rulership and subjectivity much better than a mere warrior like me. In this case, don't waste your words trying to persuade him to surrender!"
After saying that, Qian Qing ordered a soldier beside him with a loud voice to curse Zheng Rong with foul language.
Zheng Rong was well-mannered and didn't talk too much. He raised his eyebrows and one of his smart soldiers raised his crossbow and shot an arrow at the cursing soldier. The arrow shot out with the sound of wind and hit the man's mouth exactly, killing him instantly. (To be continued)