Chapter 519 War
One side was exhausted and completely unprepared, while the other side was conserving its energy and waiting for the enemy to tire out. The battle lasted until the city of Qiancheng before the troops were withdrawn.
This group of people were none other than the militia from Zhengyi Village.
More than 10,000 people, led by Haransheng and Mian Yixin, took advantage of the fact that Ma Yuan was pursuing Gao Lian and only left the wounded soldiers to guard the camp and clean up the battlefield, and they sneak attacked the remaining personnel and then ambushed them on the mountain.
After packing up, Harlansheng led his troops back to Zhengyi Village.
Although there were some unexpected events in this pursuit, the result was good.
Of the more than 4,000 government troops, only 500 to 700 escaped back to Zibo.
Of the eight thousand Qingzhou bandits, only about two thousand were left.
Only Zhengyi Village won a great victory.
Not only did they recover the lost money in Lirenzhuang and take revenge, but they also defeated the Qingzhou bandits, and Linzi City was no longer a threat.
It was a pity that Ha Yunsheng was killed in a surprise attack before he could even join the battle. Lirenzhuang, the outermost of the three villages, was also destroyed.
Fortunately, they seized many weapons and armors, and all the militiamen in the village were given one. Their military equipment was no less than that of the Qingzhou bandits.
After returning to the village, Harlansheng invited Sha Zhiren, who stayed behind, to discuss how to move away.
After listening to the two men's account of the battle, Sha Zhiren hesitated and said, "Brother, now that the Qingzhou bandits are no longer a threat and the government troops cannot come to disturb us, do we still have to leave our homeland?"
Harlan was stunned when he heard this, frowned and started to think about it.
After hearing this, Mian Yixin also became hesitant.
After a moment, Harlan asked, "What do the subordinates think?"
Sha Zhiren said, "I have been in the village these days, urging everyone to pack up their belongings, but few are willing to leave their houses and land. Especially the elders in the clan, they said they would rather die here than abandon their homes and property."
Mian Yixin said, "Brother, you must be cautious. After all, this is where we live. We don't obey the Qingzhou bandits, and we don't get along with the government troops, so we have to move to avoid disaster. Now the government troops have retreated, and the Qingzhou bandits are currently unable to suppress us. In my opinion, there is no need to move. Once we abandon the foundation of our ancestors, we will have to start all over again."
"Yes, it took our ancestors hundreds of years to move here and become successful. I wonder how much more hardships they would have to endure if they went to Liangshan." Sha Zhiren said.
Harlansheng said, "Of course I know all this. There is one thing, Liangshan and the Qingzhou bandits will eventually have to decide the winner. The Qingzhou bandits seem to have more soldiers, but that's because Liangshan hasn't used all their strength. In my opinion, the Qingzhou bandits are no match for Liangshan after all. By then, if we go and join them, we won't have much status."
Sha Zhiren said, "Brother, although Mr. Zhao of Liangshan is good, he has his own problems. I heard that there are petty officials in every village and town under his jurisdiction. Although they are not in charge of things, they have to take turns to investigate. I am afraid that we will not be exempted if we go there."
"It's just a matter of sooner or later." Harlan said.
Sha Zhiren was silent for a moment and said, "Brother, since you have made up your mind, I have no objection. However, it is not a good idea for the whole village to go. Although the master has sent people to invite us, we declined on the grounds of family and property. If we go now, it will be embarrassing. And without any merit, we will definitely not be employed. Since you want to surrender, just submit a letter of surrender, which can also ensure our wealth and honor."
"What do you mean, brother?" Harlan asked.
"Brother, there are not many bandits guarding Qiancheng and Boxing. Although Ma Yuan and Yao Shun have gone to Qiancheng, they only have 3,000 to 2,000 soldiers. Although there are soldiers in Linzi, they are no more than 10,000. In my opinion, it is better to send someone to contact the senior official to surrender, and at the same time send troops to take Qiancheng, Boxing, and even Linzi."
"In this case, we have also made many contributions. If we go there, the great official will definitely reward us. If we cannot be the military commander of a state, we can at least be the chief of militia of a county. The three of us brothers support each other, and we have some support. The clan doesn't have to migrate."
Mian Yixin heard this and said, "Yes, it is inevitable that casualties will occur during a siege. For future plans, I think this is the best plan."
Harlansheng heard this and did not hesitate any longer: "Okay, I will gather the leaders of the tribe right away, and you two will go back to Zhengyi Village to discuss this matter. Who of you two can go to Yidu City to see the great official?"
Sha Zhiren said, "I will go there and entrust Brother Mian Yixin to preside over Zhengyi Village."
"Tomorrow we will lead an army to attack Qiancheng. Brothers, go to the warehouse and pick out some treasures to take back to show our sincerity." Harlansheng said.
There is no mention of how Harlan Sheng attacked the Qingzhou bandits. It is only said that Sha Zhiren prepared gifts from the warehouse, took more than a hundred people, and rushed to Yidu on horseback and in a carriage.
Under the city of Yidu, Zhao Zhen and Song Jiang each had their own plans.
Zhao Zhen sent people to challenge Song Jiang every day, and Song Jiang also sent people out of the city to fight.
At dawn the next day, the two armies faced each other. Three drum beats were sounded, and Hu Yanzhuo came out to the front of the battle.
In Yidu City, Lai Yong'er saw Hu Yanzhuo challenging Song Jiang to a fight and said to him, "Brother, this fellow is a skilled fighter. We need Brother Di Lei to deal with him."
After hearing this, Di Lei did not refuse. He swung two copper hammers and walked forward, saying, "Brother, this guy is an old enemy. I will go and fight him."
After saying that, Di Lei gave a call and led two thousand soldiers out of the city.
Hu Yanzhuo saw this and shouted, "Traitor, the heavenly soldiers have arrived here, but you don't want to surrender early, but dare to resist. You are asking for death like your brothers."
Upon hearing this, Di Lei became furious and said, "You bastard, prepare to die." After that, he brandished his two hammers and rushed towards Hu Yanzhuo.
The two had fought countless times, and their martial arts had long been tested. One wanted to win merit, and the other wanted revenge. The two used all their life's skills, circling left and right in front of the formation, fighting for more than fifty rounds, and there was no clear winner. The soldiers on both sides had a great time, and they beat drums to cheer.
After fighting for more than a hundred rounds, Zhao Zhen finally called for the troops to retreat.
In the big tent, Zhao Zhen held Hu Yanzhuo's arm and said, "I didn't expect that Di Lei is so powerful that even Hu Yanzhuo's martial arts can't win."
Hu Yanzhuo heard this and said, "I am incompetent and cannot kill the enemy. I feel ashamed of you, sir..."
"What is the commander saying? The Qingzhou bandits are causing chaos in Shandong, and the prefecture government cannot control them. How can it be easy to deal with them? Brothers will exhaust his strength today, and see how he responds tomorrow. I wonder which brother will go to fight tomorrow?"
As soon as Zhao Zhen finished speaking, he heard someone shouting, "Sir, I have not yet put in any effort since I arrived at the battlefront. Watch me kill the enemy tomorrow." The speaker was Yao Gang, the military commander of Yunzhou [Sai Cunxiao].
Yao Gang has never been on the battlefield since he was sent to the front by Cheng Wanli.
This time, when he heard that Gao Lian was defeated, he wanted to step forward.
Yao Gang was Gao Qiu's confidant in Yunzhou to contain Zhao Zhen. Although he was sent to the front line, he always refused to go into battle.
He took the initiative to seek war today in order to please Gao Qiu and prepare for promotion after pacifying the Qingzhou bandits in the future.
After hearing this, Shan Tinggui and Wei Dingguo hurriedly said, "Sir, it is my brother's turn to go to battle tomorrow."
Yao Gang said quickly, "Sir, I am not trying to steal the credit. It is true that I have not made any contributions since I came to the battlefield. It will be difficult for me to explain to Lord Cheng when I return."
"This..." Zhao Zhen looked at Shan Tinggui and Wei Dingguo in embarrassment and said, "Brothers, why don't we let Yao Dujian go into battle tomorrow? Zeng Toushi has spent a lot of money to replace you two in the militia. I'm afraid there won't be any vacancies for you two when you return to Lingzhou. How about I find a place for you two in other counties?"
Shan Tinggui and Wei Dingguo were delighted when they heard this: "If that's the case, we'd rather let Yao Dujian go first. The two of us will just provide support from behind."
Zhao Zhen heard this and said to Yao Gang, "In that case, please ask the chief eunuch to go to the battle tomorrow."
Yao Gang clasped his hands and said, "Don't worry, sir. I will kill the enemy tomorrow."
The next day, after three drum beats, Yao Gang came out and shouted, "Qingzhou bandits, the Yunzhou military commander [Sai Cunxiao] Yao Gang is here, come and get killed."
Lai Yong'er and the others heard this and they all didn't recognize Yao Gang. Then the two brothers Yin Tai [The Sky-Breaking Master] and Yin Chun [The Earth-Drilling Ghost] came forward to ask for orders.
Lai Yonger said, "I don't know where this guy came from, but judging by his broad build and strong waist, and the fact that he is known as 'Sai Cunxiao', he must have some skills. You two should be careful."
Soon, brothers Yin Tai and Yin Chun led their troops out of the city and formed a battle formation. Yin Tai held two axes and Yin Chun held a five-pronged fork made of solid iron and steel. The two men went out without saying a word and went straight to Yao Gang.
Yao Gang relied on his martial arts skills, and seeing that the two men were fighting on foot, he didn't take it seriously at all, so he raised his gun and started fighting.
In less than twenty rounds, Yin Tai and Yin Chun ran out of strength and were both defeated.
Yao Gang laughed loudly and said, "How dare such a filthy and shameless person come here to show off his ugliness."
As soon as he finished speaking, [Optimus Prime] Ren Yuan was angered, and he strode to the front of the formation and shouted, "Do you recognize [Optimus Prime] Ren Yuan?"
After saying that, he stretched out his two arms and chopped down on the head with a solid iron rod.
Seeing that Ren Yuan was quite large, Yao Gang shouted as he fought, "You little brat, I'm going to kill you."
Yao Gang rushed forward, spurred his horse to fight, and thrust his spear at Ren Yuan's heart. Ren Yuan rushed out quickly, blocking with the stick in his hand and pushing away Yao Gang's spear.
Yao Gang immediately pointed the spear in his hand, and Ren Yuan also used an iron rod, and the two began to fight.
One on horseback, one on foot, four arms, six legs, a gun, and a stick, the killing caused dust to fly and smoke to fill the air. The cheers from both sides penetrated the sky.
The two fought for fifty or sixty rounds, but there was no clear winner.
Yao Gang first fought Yin Tai and Yin Chun, and then fought Ren Yuan. All of them had some strength left, but the horses under their crotch were running out of horsepower, and their front hooves suddenly stepped on a stone, causing Yao Gang to stumble and fall off the horse. Although Yao Gang was panicked, he did not panic, and quickly pointed his spear and stood still.
Ren Yuan saw such a good opportunity, how could he miss it? He shouted loudly, rushed forward and hit Yao Gang on the back with his stick. Ren Yuan was so strong that Yao Gang fell to the ground with just one blow.
Ren Yuan rushed forward and smashed Yao Gang's head with the stick again.
Before Zhao Zhen could react, Yao Gang died in front of the battle line.
In Yidu City, the Qingzhou bandits cheered loudly when they saw this. On Zhao Zhen's side, Shan Tinggui and Wei Dingguo rushed out of the battle formation and only brought back Yao Gang's body.
Ren Yuan held the iron rod high in his hand and led his troops back to the city in a show of force.
In the government army camp, Zhao Zhen sent people to collect Yao Gang's body and asked several captains who came with him from Yunzhou to send Yao Gang's body back to Yunzhou for burial. At the same time, he sent a letter to the court.
(End of this chapter)
One side was exhausted and completely unprepared, while the other side was conserving its energy and waiting for the enemy to tire out. The battle lasted until the city of Qiancheng before the troops were withdrawn.
This group of people were none other than the militia from Zhengyi Village.
More than 10,000 people, led by Haransheng and Mian Yixin, took advantage of the fact that Ma Yuan was pursuing Gao Lian and only left the wounded soldiers to guard the camp and clean up the battlefield, and they sneak attacked the remaining personnel and then ambushed them on the mountain.
After packing up, Harlansheng led his troops back to Zhengyi Village.
Although there were some unexpected events in this pursuit, the result was good.
Of the more than 4,000 government troops, only 500 to 700 escaped back to Zibo.
Of the eight thousand Qingzhou bandits, only about two thousand were left.
Only Zhengyi Village won a great victory.
Not only did they recover the lost money in Lirenzhuang and take revenge, but they also defeated the Qingzhou bandits, and Linzi City was no longer a threat.
It was a pity that Ha Yunsheng was killed in a surprise attack before he could even join the battle. Lirenzhuang, the outermost of the three villages, was also destroyed.
Fortunately, they seized many weapons and armors, and all the militiamen in the village were given one. Their military equipment was no less than that of the Qingzhou bandits.
After returning to the village, Harlansheng invited Sha Zhiren, who stayed behind, to discuss how to move away.
After listening to the two men's account of the battle, Sha Zhiren hesitated and said, "Brother, now that the Qingzhou bandits are no longer a threat and the government troops cannot come to disturb us, do we still have to leave our homeland?"
Harlan was stunned when he heard this, frowned and started to think about it.
After hearing this, Mian Yixin also became hesitant.
After a moment, Harlan asked, "What do the subordinates think?"
Sha Zhiren said, "I have been in the village these days, urging everyone to pack up their belongings, but few are willing to leave their houses and land. Especially the elders in the clan, they said they would rather die here than abandon their homes and property."
Mian Yixin said, "Brother, you must be cautious. After all, this is where we live. We don't obey the Qingzhou bandits, and we don't get along with the government troops, so we have to move to avoid disaster. Now the government troops have retreated, and the Qingzhou bandits are currently unable to suppress us. In my opinion, there is no need to move. Once we abandon the foundation of our ancestors, we will have to start all over again."
"Yes, it took our ancestors hundreds of years to move here and become successful. I wonder how much more hardships they would have to endure if they went to Liangshan." Sha Zhiren said.
Harlansheng said, "Of course I know all this. There is one thing, Liangshan and the Qingzhou bandits will eventually have to decide the winner. The Qingzhou bandits seem to have more soldiers, but that's because Liangshan hasn't used all their strength. In my opinion, the Qingzhou bandits are no match for Liangshan after all. By then, if we go and join them, we won't have much status."
Sha Zhiren said, "Brother, although Mr. Zhao of Liangshan is good, he has his own problems. I heard that there are petty officials in every village and town under his jurisdiction. Although they are not in charge of things, they have to take turns to investigate. I am afraid that we will not be exempted if we go there."
"It's just a matter of sooner or later." Harlan said.
Sha Zhiren was silent for a moment and said, "Brother, since you have made up your mind, I have no objection. However, it is not a good idea for the whole village to go. Although the master has sent people to invite us, we declined on the grounds of family and property. If we go now, it will be embarrassing. And without any merit, we will definitely not be employed. Since you want to surrender, just submit a letter of surrender, which can also ensure our wealth and honor."
"What do you mean, brother?" Harlan asked.
"Brother, there are not many bandits guarding Qiancheng and Boxing. Although Ma Yuan and Yao Shun have gone to Qiancheng, they only have 3,000 to 2,000 soldiers. Although there are soldiers in Linzi, they are no more than 10,000. In my opinion, it is better to send someone to contact the senior official to surrender, and at the same time send troops to take Qiancheng, Boxing, and even Linzi."
"In this case, we have also made many contributions. If we go there, the great official will definitely reward us. If we cannot be the military commander of a state, we can at least be the chief of militia of a county. The three of us brothers support each other, and we have some support. The clan doesn't have to migrate."
Mian Yixin heard this and said, "Yes, it is inevitable that casualties will occur during a siege. For future plans, I think this is the best plan."
Harlansheng heard this and did not hesitate any longer: "Okay, I will gather the leaders of the tribe right away, and you two will go back to Zhengyi Village to discuss this matter. Who of you two can go to Yidu City to see the great official?"
Sha Zhiren said, "I will go there and entrust Brother Mian Yixin to preside over Zhengyi Village."
"Tomorrow we will lead an army to attack Qiancheng. Brothers, go to the warehouse and pick out some treasures to take back to show our sincerity." Harlansheng said.
There is no mention of how Harlan Sheng attacked the Qingzhou bandits. It is only said that Sha Zhiren prepared gifts from the warehouse, took more than a hundred people, and rushed to Yidu on horseback and in a carriage.
Under the city of Yidu, Zhao Zhen and Song Jiang each had their own plans.
Zhao Zhen sent people to challenge Song Jiang every day, and Song Jiang also sent people out of the city to fight.
At dawn the next day, the two armies faced each other. Three drum beats were sounded, and Hu Yanzhuo came out to the front of the battle.
In Yidu City, Lai Yong'er saw Hu Yanzhuo challenging Song Jiang to a fight and said to him, "Brother, this fellow is a skilled fighter. We need Brother Di Lei to deal with him."
After hearing this, Di Lei did not refuse. He swung two copper hammers and walked forward, saying, "Brother, this guy is an old enemy. I will go and fight him."
After saying that, Di Lei gave a call and led two thousand soldiers out of the city.
Hu Yanzhuo saw this and shouted, "Traitor, the heavenly soldiers have arrived here, but you don't want to surrender early, but dare to resist. You are asking for death like your brothers."
Upon hearing this, Di Lei became furious and said, "You bastard, prepare to die." After that, he brandished his two hammers and rushed towards Hu Yanzhuo.
The two had fought countless times, and their martial arts had long been tested. One wanted to win merit, and the other wanted revenge. The two used all their life's skills, circling left and right in front of the formation, fighting for more than fifty rounds, and there was no clear winner. The soldiers on both sides had a great time, and they beat drums to cheer.
After fighting for more than a hundred rounds, Zhao Zhen finally called for the troops to retreat.
In the big tent, Zhao Zhen held Hu Yanzhuo's arm and said, "I didn't expect that Di Lei is so powerful that even Hu Yanzhuo's martial arts can't win."
Hu Yanzhuo heard this and said, "I am incompetent and cannot kill the enemy. I feel ashamed of you, sir..."
"What is the commander saying? The Qingzhou bandits are causing chaos in Shandong, and the prefecture government cannot control them. How can it be easy to deal with them? Brothers will exhaust his strength today, and see how he responds tomorrow. I wonder which brother will go to fight tomorrow?"
As soon as Zhao Zhen finished speaking, he heard someone shouting, "Sir, I have not yet put in any effort since I arrived at the battlefront. Watch me kill the enemy tomorrow." The speaker was Yao Gang, the military commander of Yunzhou [Sai Cunxiao].
Yao Gang has never been on the battlefield since he was sent to the front by Cheng Wanli.
This time, when he heard that Gao Lian was defeated, he wanted to step forward.
Yao Gang was Gao Qiu's confidant in Yunzhou to contain Zhao Zhen. Although he was sent to the front line, he always refused to go into battle.
He took the initiative to seek war today in order to please Gao Qiu and prepare for promotion after pacifying the Qingzhou bandits in the future.
After hearing this, Shan Tinggui and Wei Dingguo hurriedly said, "Sir, it is my brother's turn to go to battle tomorrow."
Yao Gang said quickly, "Sir, I am not trying to steal the credit. It is true that I have not made any contributions since I came to the battlefield. It will be difficult for me to explain to Lord Cheng when I return."
"This..." Zhao Zhen looked at Shan Tinggui and Wei Dingguo in embarrassment and said, "Brothers, why don't we let Yao Dujian go into battle tomorrow? Zeng Toushi has spent a lot of money to replace you two in the militia. I'm afraid there won't be any vacancies for you two when you return to Lingzhou. How about I find a place for you two in other counties?"
Shan Tinggui and Wei Dingguo were delighted when they heard this: "If that's the case, we'd rather let Yao Dujian go first. The two of us will just provide support from behind."
Zhao Zhen heard this and said to Yao Gang, "In that case, please ask the chief eunuch to go to the battle tomorrow."
Yao Gang clasped his hands and said, "Don't worry, sir. I will kill the enemy tomorrow."
The next day, after three drum beats, Yao Gang came out and shouted, "Qingzhou bandits, the Yunzhou military commander [Sai Cunxiao] Yao Gang is here, come and get killed."
Lai Yong'er and the others heard this and they all didn't recognize Yao Gang. Then the two brothers Yin Tai [The Sky-Breaking Master] and Yin Chun [The Earth-Drilling Ghost] came forward to ask for orders.
Lai Yonger said, "I don't know where this guy came from, but judging by his broad build and strong waist, and the fact that he is known as 'Sai Cunxiao', he must have some skills. You two should be careful."
Soon, brothers Yin Tai and Yin Chun led their troops out of the city and formed a battle formation. Yin Tai held two axes and Yin Chun held a five-pronged fork made of solid iron and steel. The two men went out without saying a word and went straight to Yao Gang.
Yao Gang relied on his martial arts skills, and seeing that the two men were fighting on foot, he didn't take it seriously at all, so he raised his gun and started fighting.
In less than twenty rounds, Yin Tai and Yin Chun ran out of strength and were both defeated.
Yao Gang laughed loudly and said, "How dare such a filthy and shameless person come here to show off his ugliness."
As soon as he finished speaking, [Optimus Prime] Ren Yuan was angered, and he strode to the front of the formation and shouted, "Do you recognize [Optimus Prime] Ren Yuan?"
After saying that, he stretched out his two arms and chopped down on the head with a solid iron rod.
Seeing that Ren Yuan was quite large, Yao Gang shouted as he fought, "You little brat, I'm going to kill you."
Yao Gang rushed forward, spurred his horse to fight, and thrust his spear at Ren Yuan's heart. Ren Yuan rushed out quickly, blocking with the stick in his hand and pushing away Yao Gang's spear.
Yao Gang immediately pointed the spear in his hand, and Ren Yuan also used an iron rod, and the two began to fight.
One on horseback, one on foot, four arms, six legs, a gun, and a stick, the killing caused dust to fly and smoke to fill the air. The cheers from both sides penetrated the sky.
The two fought for fifty or sixty rounds, but there was no clear winner.
Yao Gang first fought Yin Tai and Yin Chun, and then fought Ren Yuan. All of them had some strength left, but the horses under their crotch were running out of horsepower, and their front hooves suddenly stepped on a stone, causing Yao Gang to stumble and fall off the horse. Although Yao Gang was panicked, he did not panic, and quickly pointed his spear and stood still.
Ren Yuan saw such a good opportunity, how could he miss it? He shouted loudly, rushed forward and hit Yao Gang on the back with his stick. Ren Yuan was so strong that Yao Gang fell to the ground with just one blow.
Ren Yuan rushed forward and smashed Yao Gang's head with the stick again.
Before Zhao Zhen could react, Yao Gang died in front of the battle line.
In Yidu City, the Qingzhou bandits cheered loudly when they saw this. On Zhao Zhen's side, Shan Tinggui and Wei Dingguo rushed out of the battle formation and only brought back Yao Gang's body.
Ren Yuan held the iron rod high in his hand and led his troops back to the city in a show of force.
In the government army camp, Zhao Zhen sent people to collect Yao Gang's body and asked several captains who came with him from Yunzhou to send Yao Gang's body back to Yunzhou for burial. At the same time, he sent a letter to the court.
(End of this chapter)
