Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 129

So he instructed Xue Nanyang: "You may secretly send someone to disguise himself as a thief and enter the border between Shen and An, so that I may not travel east for the time being, and find another excuse to come out."

Finally, he instructed Li Zhao and Liang Chongyi: "Do not act rashly. Wait for Li Ji to arrive. When he does, Liang Jun will serve as my bodyguard. If Li Ji forcibly demands military power and behaves rudely, it will not be too late to capture him."

The men bowed and withdrew. After leaving, Li Zhao privately said to Liang Chongyi, "When the commander sent Li Ji here, you were his bodyguard because you were worried that Li Ji might take advantage of his strength to rob us... Since he is known as the 'Swordsman,' he must be quite agile and skilled in close combat. If he really offends the commander, the commander will be humiliated, and that would be a disgrace to us all!"

Liang Chongyi did not reply, but only stared at Li Zhao.

Li Zhao continued, "Furthermore, if he doesn't pay homage to the commander-in-chief first, but instead comes to our camps to seize troops, do you think we should give in or not?"

"Nature does not grant it."

"The responsibility for our disobedience to our superiors and the imperial edict rests entirely on our shoulders. What can we do?"

Liang Chongyi frowned: "What plan do you have?"

Li Zhao suggested, "Why don't we wait until they arrive in Xiangyang, then lead our troops to surround them, pretending that the soldiers are making a fuss and refusing to let the commander leave? If the imperial envoy is frightened, he will most likely flee. Li Ji will be left to fend for himself and will naturally have no choice but to flee as well."

"What if he doesn't run away?"

"Then please ask Lord Liang to step forward and capture him... no, killing him would be best. Afterwards, send out a few scapegoats and execute them to uphold military law, and we can clear ourselves of any wrongdoing."

He then said solemnly, “The commander should have executed Pei Ji that day to establish his authority, and then no one would dare to ask the commander to move his garrison. However, he was captured and sent to Chang’an, and the court thought that the commander was afraid. If Li Ji can be killed now, the court will certainly not dare to mention the matter of moving the garrison again.”

Liang Chongyi thought for a moment and nodded, "Alright." Then he looked at Li Zhao: "At that time, Li Jun must come with me." This matter is not as simple as you think; there will be some risks involved. Don't push me ahead while you hide behind, and then push the blame onto me afterwards...

Ultimately, although the two were both Lai Zhen's confidants, they were not truly close and even harbored secret rivalries. Only by standing together through thick and thin could Liang Chongyi feel at ease.

Li Zhao nodded and said, "Alright. I will send someone to secretly observe the movements of the angel and Li Ji. Liang Jun, please wait for my report."

Xiangyang City is located south of the Mian River, but Lai Zhen's military headquarters was not located in the city, but in Anyang, north of the river. He also ordered Xiangcheng Town to besiege the town and set up camp. Li Ji and his group came along the main road on the south bank of the Mian River, passing through Wudang and Gucheng before approaching Xiangyang. However, when they arrived at Shili Pavilion, ten miles west of the city, it was already dark, so they had to stay at the post station for the night. They planned to set off the next day, first entering Xiangyang City, and then going to Anyang to invite Lai Zhen.

Upon confirming the information, Li Zhao was overjoyed and hurriedly went to inform Liang Chongyi. The two generals then secretly raised a thousand soldiers—more than that, lest they alert Lai Zhen—and crossed the Mian River that very night. They first set up false banners to make it appear as if there were several thousand men, and then, with a shout, they surrounded the post station.

The soldiers raised their torches high and shouted in unison, "Please let the angels speak!"

He cried out again, "Jingxiang cannot be without Commander Lai for even a day! The court should not listen to the words of treacherous officials and strip Commander Lai of his military power!" "We soldiers and the people of Jingxiang regard Commander Lai as our father, and we will never let him leave!"

Li Zhao and Liang Chongyi, after leading their troops, carefully observed the situation inside the post station. Li Zhao had given orders beforehand to leave one side open while surrounding the post station, thus forcing the angels to go back to where they came from!

Then someone inside the post station asked loudly, "Did the commander order you to surround the angel?"

The soldiers all said, "The commander did not give any orders; we acted on our own initiative..."

Before the words were finished, a loud shout rang out: "So they are mutinous soldiers! They should be killed!"

Chapter 46, A Heart Full of Mountains and Rivers

A loud shout rang out from inside the post station: "So they are mutinous soldiers! They should be killed!"

The post station gate opened with a sound, and a rider galloped out, his spear piercing through the air, and blood spurted out.

Li Zhao and Liang Chongyi were both startled. According to their original plan, the angel should have first sent someone out to talk to the troops and order them to disperse; but the troops not only did not obey, but instead confronted them with swords and spears. The messenger would have been frightened and would have gone back to report to the angel. Perhaps the angel would have fled back to Chang'an from the west of the post station in a panic.

Of course, this is the best possible outcome, but there could be some unforeseen circumstances. For example, the angel might flee back to Shangzhou, claiming that the Xiangyang troops are in rebellion, and then borrow Li Qijun's forces to return... If the Shangzhou troops number a thousand, then Li, Liang, and others could persuade Lai Zhen to raise an army to resist, replicating the battle against Pei Fen in the past.

It is also possible that if Li Ji, who is known as a capable fighter, speaks out, Li Zhao will incite Liang Chongyi to step forward and kill Li Ji. At that time, how could the eunuchs in the deep palace not be terrified and flee in panic?

But to his surprise, they had barely exchanged two words at the gate of the post station when someone on horseback galloped out. Li Zhao was taken aback, thinking that the envoy was frightened and trying to break out—but I've already cleared the west side for you, do you really have to escape to the east?

And once this rider came out, without another word, he thrust his spear and pierced through the heart of a soldier who was blocking his way.

By the firelight, they could see clearly that the man wore a phoenix-winged iron helmet and iron armor, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, a round face, and a bushy beard. He rode a fine steed and held a lance, exuding an aura of power and menace. Li Zhao thought to himself, this must be Li Ji without a doubt. He quickly pointed and reminded Liang Chongyi, "I trouble you, Lord Liang, to slay this scoundrel!"

Liang Chongyi nodded and took the spear off the saddle bridge.

Seeing that the general was charging straight towards them, the Xiangyang soldiers, although they had surrounded the post station, were mainly there to intimidate rather than launch a surprise attack. Therefore, they had not arranged any battle formations, and there was no close coordination between the different types of soldiers. When they were suddenly attacked, they were all in a panic, and the general killed several of them and rode over.

—It is obvious that although Li Zhao and Liang Chongyi are hiding behind the troops, they have not made any effort to conceal themselves. Even if they were to peek through a crack in the door, let alone rush out, it would be clear that these two are military commanders, or even the masterminds behind this turmoil.

Li Zhao also reached for his spear, thinking to himself that Li Erlang of Longyou was indeed worthy of his reputation. His horsemanship and spearmanship were quite proficient... But it didn't matter. Liang, who was beside him, was a fierce general who could not defeat ten thousand men. Even if he couldn't defeat Li Ji for the time being, I could still attack from the side. I didn't believe I couldn't kill Li Ji.

As he was secretly plotting, he caught a glimpse of Liang Chongyi pulling the reins with his left hand, raising his spear with his right, and then, with a swift, sweeping motion, striking Li Zhao's horse squarely in the rump. Startled, the horse let out a whimper, spread its hooves, and bolted forward.

Li Ji killed several men, but because the Xiangyang soldiers were densely packed and caught off guard, they didn't have time to scatter, making it difficult for him to extend his lance. So he lowered his lance and drew his "Green Lotus Four-Sided Mace" from his back. Where the mace struck, armor shattered and bones broke, and the soldiers scattered.

This is how Li Zhao came to light.

Li Zhao was shocked and hurriedly raised his spear to parry. Unexpectedly, Li Ji's mace was very heavy, and with a "crack," it directly broke the spear. Moreover, the mace struck Li Zhao's shoulder and neck without any hesitation.

With a muffled thud, Li Zhao lurched to the side and fell from his horse. His last thought before dying was: "So the rumors were wrong, it was 'Mace Hero' not 'Sword Hero'..."

Meanwhile, Li Ji killed Li Zhao with a single mace strike, and his mount, still charging forward, headed towards Liang Chongyi. Liang Chongyi reacted swiftly, immediately throwing down his lance, dismounting, and kneeling on one knee, pleading, "This humble general had no intention of causing trouble; I was dragged here by Li Zhao. I beg you, sir, to spare my life!"

With a "whoosh," the mace reached above his head, but finally stopped falling.

"Who are you?"

"Liang Chongyi, the Right Military Commander under Commander Lai."

"So you are Liang Chongyi?" Li Ji glanced sideways at the corpse behind the horse. "And that one is Li Zhao?"

To be honest, he was quite surprised.

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Li Ji had gathered information from various sources beforehand and analyzed Lai Zhen's character. He estimated that with the powerful incentive of being appointed Minister of War and concurrently Chancellor, there was a good chance that "Lai the Iron Chewer" would repent and return to the capital by imperial decree.

He then left Chang'an and headed south, first arriving in Shangzhou, where Li Qiyun welcomed him and arranged for him to meet with Nan Jiyun, Lei Wanchun, and others. They recounted their parting feelings and enjoyed a banquet for several days.

However, these few days were not wasted. Li Ji had already ordered Yin Shen, Chang Heng and others to travel south to Xiangzhou to gather information.

Ran Mao'er brought a secret decree, ordering Li Qijun to hand over the main force of the Shangzhou army to Li Ji, so that he could lead it to Xiangyang. Li Qijun inspected the troops at the drill ground and selected three thousand elite soldiers, but Li Ji refused to accept them, saying, "I brought several dozen men. Uncle, you can add a few more to make it a round number of three hundred."

Li Qijun asked in surprise, "The court ordered me to assign troops to Changwei to prevent Lai Zhen from disobeying the imperial edict; if I only send three hundred men, I'm afraid we won't even be able to save our lives, let alone force him to return to the court?"

Li Ji smiled and said, "My elder brother advised me before we left that we should not rely on force when we go to Xiangyang, but rather on wisdom."

He then explained, “The angels have gone to Xiangyang several times to deliver imperial edicts. Although Lai Zhen disobeyed the orders, he did not kill any angels. So what do I have to fear?”

“This time is different from the past. Changwei is going to take away his military power. How could he possibly give it up so easily?”

Li Ji shook his head and said, "Even if they refuse to give me their troops, they won't harm me. On the contrary, if I send several thousand troops, Pei Bian will serve as a cautionary tale."

Li Qiyun reminded him, "The soldiers of Jingzhou and Xiangyang are known for their arrogance and ferocity. They have caused trouble twice before, so Changwei must be on guard. However, one should not rely on one's own bravery to recklessly enter dangerous areas."

Li Ji said, "Alright then—General Nan, please come with me, and General Lei, lead the main army to follow behind. We will stop at the border between Jun and Xiang prefectures."

Li Qijun was in charge of four prefectures: Shang, Jin, Jun, and Fang. Jun Prefecture was adjacent to Xiang Prefecture, so it was unlikely that his troop movements within his own territory would provoke Lai Zhen or his arrogant and fierce generals from Jingzhou and Xiangzhou.

Immediately afterward, Li Ji asked Li Qijun, "What generals and officers does Lai Zhen have under his command? Are you familiar with them, Uncle?"

Li Qijun had long since left the capital for Shannan East Circuit, but initially he was only the Prefect of Shangzhou, leading less than two thousand defeated troops from Luoyang under the command of generals such as Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun. At that time, Lai Zhen governed ten prefectures, so Li Qijun naturally had to deal with him. Later, he took charge of four prefectures himself. Because they were adjacent, it was impossible for him not to investigate the intelligence of Lai Zhen's generals and officials, and he was completely unaware of it.

Therefore, he gave Li Ji a detailed introduction, saying that among Lai Zhen's subordinates, there were only four who were most trusted and held great power: "Xue Nanyang is talented in both literature and martial arts, but unfortunately he is too cunning; Pang Chong is capable in governing, but unfortunately he is greedy; Li Zhao and Liang Chongyi are crude and domineering, especially Liang Chongyi, who has immense strength and can fight against ten thousand men..."

Thus, Li Ji's understanding of the officers and soldiers of Xiangyang deepened beyond what he had learned from books. He frowned, thinking to himself, "Those arrogant and fierce generals... even if I could drive away Lai Zhen and take command of the troops myself, I probably wouldn't be able to control them in a short time..."

Kindness must be shown over a long period of time, while authority can be established quickly. If we want to get the Xiangyang soldiers to the front line within a month or two and make them willing to obey our command, the only way is to establish authority. And the fastest way to establish authority is to kill people.

But Li Ji had no intention of repeating Li Guangbi's mistakes. When Li Guangbi went to Luoyang to replace Guo Ziyi, he had the intention of establishing his authority by killing generals. He first killed Zhang Yongji, which made the generals of Shuofang tremble with fear. However, from Pugu Huai'en down, they were not truly convinced—Li Ji had followed Pugu Huai'en and knew this all too well—on the contrary, they missed Guo Ziyi even more.

—Li Shuai, you dared to kill my Shuofang army general while Guo Shuai was away. What kind of skill is that?!

Therefore, Li Ji felt that if he waited until Lai Zhen left before killing generals to establish his authority, the effect might not be good. It would be best if he could execute one or two of Lai Zhen's subordinates according to the law while Lai Zhen was still in Xiangyang. If Lai Zhen did not dare to interfere, he would naturally have exhausted his favor towards the Xiangyang army. Then, he could then take action to rectify military discipline and achieve twice the result with half the effort.

However, if he were to kill his close associates, how could Lai Zhen possibly ignore it? And killing low-ranking soldiers would be pointless.

Unable to devise a good plan in time, they could only proceed step by step. After staying in Shangzhou for several days, they escorted Ran Mao'er and set off again. Just as they entered Xiangzhou, Yin Shen and others sent a secret report that Li Zhao and Liang Chongyi intended to send troops to coerce the imperial envoy…

This wasn't exactly a top military secret. Since Li and Liang had already made their plan, they naturally needed to summon their officers and generals first. Otherwise, if they were to suddenly raise an army to besiege the angel, the troops would be filled with fear, and they might not dare to obey orders. Of course, everyone would tell their subordinates, "This is a secret; do not reveal it." But people like Yin Shen, with their own methods, how could they not find out?

Especially since Mr. Qingyuan Chang Heng had entered Xiangcheng Town early on, with his silver tongue and dazzling "magic," he had long been revered as a divine master by many ignorant military academy students. Given the momentous occasion of besieging the angels, it was impossible not to first consult a divine master for divination to determine good or bad fortune.

After this incident, if the commander raises a flag and rebels, that's fine. But if he doesn't rebel, a few heads will have to be cut off to give the court an explanation—won't that fall on my own head?

The Jingxiang region has been plagued by numerous wars, and the officers and soldiers have become adept at handling such situations, demonstrating a high level of sensitivity in this regard.

Upon hearing this, Yin Shen secretly reported to Li Ji, who was overjoyed: "It's like someone bringing you a pillow just when you're about to fall asleep!"

He estimated that Li Zhao, Liang Chongyi, and their ilk were planning a "military remonstrance" rather than a "military coup," otherwise they wouldn't have gotten past Lai Zhen—if Lai Zhen wanted to rebel, why would his subordinates have to act first? It would at least prove that his rebellious intentions were not firm, or that his preparations were not yet complete. Since it was a "military remonstrance," and he only had his own three hundred soldiers facing them, they would certainly not have the will to fight to the death. As long as he relied on his courage to go forward, he could hope to kill the enemy generals and quell the rebellion.

Unless Li Zhao and Liang Chongyi both remain silent. But if that happens, who can rival them? Besides, they have Nan Jiyun by their side, whose archery and horsemanship skills are no less than their own.

Li Ji was now convinced of his superiority and deliberately lodged at Shili Pavilion, ten miles west of Xiangyang City, giving the enemy a great opportunity to send troops to harass him.

The purpose of asking those two questions at the beginning was to determine the nature of the matter—it was not authorized by Lai Zhen, but was purely a rebellion by the military officers, and since there was chaos, they could be killed! So not only did he charge out, but Nan Jiyun also led three hundred soldiers who were prepared to follow. In the ensuing conflict, the Xiangyang troops were thrown into chaos instantly.

Li Ji did indeed see them through the crack in the door. Behind the chaotic soldiers were two men, fully armored and riding tall horses; they must be generals—perhaps Li Zhao and Liang Chongyi. As Du Fu's poem says, "To shoot a man, first shoot his horse; to capture a thief, first capture his king." After leaving the house, he immediately spurred his horse, brandishing his mace, and charged straight at the two generals.

However, he had heard that Liang Chongyi was the fiercest warrior in the Xiangyang army, possessing immense strength and unparalleled bravery. He figured that the only one who dared to oppose him was Liang Chongyi. If he could just capture this man, wouldn't the morale of the Xiangyang army be shaken?

Unexpectedly, the approaching general was no match for him; with just one mace strike, he fell from his horse and died. Li Ji then charged at another general, but the man promptly dropped his weapons and bowed, proclaiming, "I am Liang Chongyi."

Li Ji was surprised: Wasn't Liang Chongyi supposed to be the bravest? Why didn't he go up against me, but instead sent Li Zhao to fight me first... And as soon as Li Zhao died, Liang Chongyi surrendered on the spot?

The reason is actually quite simple: Liang Chongyi appears honest on the surface, but he is actually ruthless and vicious, possessing the cunning and ruthlessness of mountains and rivers and the deepest scheming.

If Lai Zhen had given the order directly that day, saying that Li Ji was known as a brave general and that Liang Chongyi could go and fight him, Liang Chongyi would have had no other thoughts; but since it was Li Zhao who first brought up the matter, Liang Chongyi had to be careful—could that guy Li Zhao have set some kind of trap for me?

Therefore, Li Zhao conspired with him to intimidate the angel. Liang Chongyi usually didn't speak, but when he did, his words were always accurate—"You have to come with me!"

When Li Ji spurred his horse out of the post station, Li Zhao was surprised but didn't think it through enough. Liang Chongyi, however, immediately realized something was wrong—we had only surrounded them for a short while, and this general was already fully armored and equipped with saddle and bridle. He was clearly prepared in advance!

Suspicion gripped him, so he dared not charge forward suddenly. Instead, he feigned striking Li Zhao's horse's rump with his spear, forcing his companion forward first. Seeing Li Ji's skillful martial arts and valiant killing technique, and how he had killed Li Zhao in a single move, Liang Chongyi knew that his plans for today were unlikely to succeed…

Firstly, Li Ji had hundreds of soldiers behind him, in neat formation, wielding swords and spears, which his own thousand soldiers simply could not stop—especially since Li Zhao's death had demoralized the army—and he himself was unlikely to defeat Li Ji in a short time; secondly, with two generals on the front lines, if he escaped alone, the commander would not let him off easily, and might even cut off his own head to apologize to the angel!

After weighing the pros and cons in his mind, he made a decision in an instant, and before Li Ji could kill him, Liang Chongyi surrendered.

He had a very shrewd plan. Because the soldiers were making a fuss, surrounding the post station, and threatening the envoy, Li Ji dared to rush out and kill Li Zhao—he had the greater good on his side. If he claimed that he had been coerced into coming and had no intention of causing trouble, then he would not be sentenced to death, and Li Ji would be very likely to spare his life.

Ultimately, Li Ji came here to lead the Xiangyang army. If he were to kill all the soldiers around him, would he still be able to control his troops?

Fighting doesn't guarantee victory, and retreating means certain death, so it's better to just surrender and cling to Li Ji's coattails; perhaps a smoother path awaits.

As expected, Li Ji spared Liang Chongyi's life—though he harbored suspicions, given the circumstances, this man was still useful—and ordered him to rise, gather the mutinous soldiers, and disarm them. He then escorted the envoy Ran Mao'er away from the post station, traveling swiftly through the night until they entered Xiangyang City…

Author's note: Sorry, something came up and it's getting late.

Chapter 47, Then We Became Comrades

Wei Zhongxi, the governor of Xiangzhou, had just fallen asleep when he was awakened by his servants, who reported: "An imperial envoy has sent men to knock on the city gates at night."

Upon hearing the report, Wei Zhongxi frowned. He naturally knew that the imperial court had sent an envoy to Xiangzhou to see Lai Zhen; and if the envoy were traveling by main road, it was possible that he would first enter Xiangyang City, then cross the Mian River to Xiangcheng Town, or even summon Lai Zhen directly to Xiangyang—all of which were plausible. The problem was that he had just heard that the envoy had missed his lodging and was staying at Shili Pavilion, ten miles west of the city. Wei Zhongxi had already made all the necessary arrangements for his reception, waiting for the next day. Why would someone send someone to knock on the gates of Xiangyang in the dead of night?

If the angel was worried that his journey would not be known to the local officials and sent someone to inform them, then once he decided to stay overnight at Shili Pavilion, he should have sent someone out. Even if he had to crawl, he should have arrived by now.

Besides, it's just a message; is it really necessary to knock on the city gates in the middle of the night and ask to enter?

Sensing something was amiss, he hurriedly dressed and stood up, asking, "Where is the person?"

"They have already been brought into the city in a basket and are heading towards the government office... It is said that they have urgent business to discuss with the magistrate."

Wei Zhongxi hurriedly rushed out of the inner chambers and arrived at the main hall, just in time to meet the visitor, who handed him an official letter proving his identity. Wei Zhongxi glanced at it quickly; it didn't seem forged. He then asked, "What brings the angel who sent you here last night?"

The man clasped his hands in a gesture of respect: "The garrison troops are in rebellion and besieging Shili Pavilion. We humbly request Your Excellency to immediately send troops to rescue the envoy!"

Wei Zhongxi was truly shocked.

He was the one who succeeded Wang Zheng, who had been driven out by the rebels Kang Chuyuan and Zhang Jiayan, when Cui Guangyuan was the military governor of Shannan East Circuit. However, Cui Guangyuan soon resigned, and subsequently, the Xiangzhou generals Zhang Weijin and Cao Jie killed the newly appointed military governor of Shannan East Circuit, Shi Hui, and besieged Xiangyang. Wei Zhongxi recruited able-bodied men to hold out for several months, finally holding out until Lai Zhen arrived from Shanzhou to provide reinforcements, and the rebellion was quelled in one battle.

Therefore, Wei Zhongxi was quite grateful to Lai Zhen. Lai Zhen, seeing that Wei Zhongxi came from an official family, was willing to try to win him over, and they got along quite well. It is said that there were many military disturbances in Jingzhou and the security situation was quite bad. It was only thanks to Lai Zhen's troops that the situation in Xiangzhou was stabilized.

Although the military governors were in charge of both military and political affairs, they ultimately focused on military matters, relying on the prefectural governors for civil administration. Wei Zhongxi never disobeyed Lai Zhen's orders and did his best to provide for the army's needs. It can be said that the two supported each other and cooperated very well.

However, Wei Zhongxi was ultimately not a general or official in Lai Zhen's staff, nor was he one of his followers. Therefore, he couldn't help but harbor some resentment towards Lai Zhen for repeatedly refusing imperial orders and refusing to return to the capital. Emotionally, he didn't want Lai Zhen to leave—such an easy-going military governor was hard to find again—but rationally, he feared that Lai Zhen was gradually developing a separatist regime, which might implicate him in the future.

Therefore, the court issued a secret decree to inquire with Wei Zhongxi about the reason why Lai Zhen refused to return to the capital. Although Wei Zhongxi tried his best to clear Lai Zhen's name in his memorial, he also left himself an out in his words - I am not a supporter of Lai Zhen. I am loyal to the court and I am just stating the facts.

Therefore, Li Ji had ordered Yin Shen to hide outside the post station early on. As soon as the mutinous troops approached the post station, he was to immediately ride to Xiangyang to report the emergency. Based on his analysis and judgment, he believed that Wei Zhongxi would not dare to ignore the envoy's death. The reason he urgently reported to Xiangyang was to add another layer of insurance to his plan of "luring the snake out of its hole"—what if the enemy was too numerous, or Liang Chongyi was brave enough for him to defeat?

As expected, Wei Zhongxi received Yin Shen's urgent report and was so shocked that he turned pale. He thought to himself: "Commander, Commander, is this really the last resort?"

With the imperial envoy's arrival imminent, Wei Zhongxi had already sounded out Lai Zhen's intentions, estimating that Lai Zhen still refused to return to court. So how could Lai Zhen refuse the imperial decree? Last time, he had already used the excuse of insufficient grain in Huaixi and waiting until autumn; now, the autumn grain had already been stored in various places, so what reason could he possibly come up with?

Having served as an official in Jingzhou, a place rife with war and chaos, Wei Zhongxi instinctively considered that Lai Zhen might incite his soldiers to not only jointly petition for his retention but also surround the imperial envoy and incite a clamor for support. If such a thing were to happen, he hoped it would occur in the barracks of Xiangcheng Town, and certainly not in his jurisdiction, otherwise he would also be implicated.

Unfortunately, what they feared most came to pass. The Shiliting Post Station was separated from Xiangcheng Town by the Mian River, so the angel's plea for help would inevitably lead him to Xiangyang—and finding a boat to cross the river late at night wouldn't be convenient, would it? More importantly, the angel probably didn't know the situation either, whether the rebellion was instigated by Lai Zhen, or whether Lai Zhen even knew about it. Therefore, he naturally wouldn't dare to go to Xiangcheng Town for help…

Now that they've come to our aid, how can we not try to save them? Otherwise, if the angel returns unharmed, all will be well, but if he is injured, I'll be in deep trouble! If the court blames us afterward, Lai Zhen's army is powerful and might hesitate to act against us, and they'll most likely make me the scapegoat—who told you to turn the tables and not come to our aid?

So he hurriedly gathered the garrison soldiers in the city, which numbered five or six hundred, and led them out of the city to Shili Pavilion. At the same time, he secretly sent someone out of the city to quickly cross the Mianbei River and inform the arriving commander...

However, before Wei Zhongxi could leave the city, Li Ji brought Liang Chongyi and the mutinous soldiers to the walls of Xiangyang. Ran Mao'er appeared in front of the city, raised her voice, and opened the city gate.