gnovel Chapter 141 The Great Villain Who Killed the Commander and Subdued the Enemy
Chapter 141 The Great Villain Who Killed the Commander and Subdued the Enemy
The third year of Qingtai, the ninth day of the intercalary winter month, Jiazi year.
As dawn broke and the sun rose, Gao Xingzhou and Fu Yanqing led Long Min to the central military camp with light steps.
Dozens of guards surrounded the tent, armed with guns and halberds, on high alert. They were all unfamiliar faces, not the usual commander's attendants, which made the two men feel uneasy.
Li Weigong once summarized the military system of the Tang Dynasty:
When a general goes on an expedition, taking 20,000 men as an example, the central army consists of 4,000 men; the left and right wings each have one army of 2,800 men; the left and right flanks each have one army of 2,600 men; and the remaining 6,000 men are responsible for guarding the baggage train.
Over the past three hundred years, the military system has evolved, but its basic structure has remained unchanged.
Commander-in-Chief Zhang Jingda was in charge of all military affairs, responsible for making overall decisions, coordinating various departments, and personally commanding the central army of over 10,000 men.
Deputy Commander-in-Chief Yang Guangyuan served as a military advisor, commanding the Yuhou Army, which comprised more than a quarter of the entire army and numbered approximately 15,000 men. He was responsible for the security of the main camp and law enforcement within the army, making him the undisputed second-in-command.
Gao Xingzhou was appointed as the pacification and troop deployment commander, and together with Fu Yanqing, he led more than 10,000 cavalry.
The commanders of the cavalry and infantry, An Shenqi, Zhang Yanqi, and Xiang Lijin, were in charge of another 30,000 men, who could also be temporarily allocated.
The above-mentioned individuals were the highest-ranking generals of the 60,000-strong army.
The Battle of Hubeikou resulted in a defeat with over ten thousand casualties, mostly from the left flank infantry under Yang Guangyuan's command who fell into an ambush. Zhang Jingda's central army was responsible for covering the rear, fighting desperately to kill the enemy leader Yili Jin Di Lugu of the Northern Court, but also suffered heavy casualties.
Zhang Yanqi faced off against Liu Zhiyuan, but seeing the situation was unfavorable, he withdrew. His thousand men surrendered and were killed, but he was not trapped in Jin'an Village. At this time, he joined forces with Zhao Dejun and they camped together in Tuanbai Valley.
The balance of power within the military has quietly shifted.
Zhang Jingda had fewer than 10,000 soldiers under his command, and his personal guards were almost entirely wiped out.
With the cavalry losing more and more horses, only five thousand men remained capable of fighting. Half of Gao Xingzhou and Fu Yanqing's troops were converted into infantry, which significantly reduced their remaining fighting strength.
Previously, Yang Guangyuan and An Shenqi had tried to persuade Zhang Jingda to surrender. The combined forces of the two of them exceeded half of the total strength, enough to influence the situation. However, due to Zhang Jingda's unwavering resolve and refusal to comply, they dared not take any rash action.
Gao Xingzhou knew that Yang Guangyuan intended to harm the commander-in-chief. Now that he had important military intelligence to report to the commander-in-chief, he could not hesitate any longer and stepped inside.
The guards blocked the way with their halberds, and Gao Xingzhou and Fu Yanqing's personal guards drew their swords, creating a tense atmosphere on the verge of a fight.
Yang Guangyuan's voice came from inside the tent: "Let them in."
The guards lowered their weapons, and the two men exchanged a glance, both with a sense of foreboding. However, there was no turning back now; they had no choice but to find out what was going on.
Gao Xingzhou lifted the curtain and stepped into the command tent first, immediately smelling a strong stench of blood.
Looking up, Yang Guangyuan was not sitting at the foot of the commander's desk as usual, but rather sitting proudly in the center of the tent, on Zhang Jingda's tiger-skin chair.
On the desk in front of him lay a severed head, still dripping with blood.
With a thick, bristling beard, bulging hair and beard, glaring eyes, and an unseeing glare in death, it was Zhang Jingda's severed head!
It is obvious what happened before: Yang Guangyuan murdered the commander while the two were away!
Long Min was still in the dark and hadn't reacted yet when Fu Yanqing drew his sword with a clang and pointed it at Yang Guangyuan.
Gao Xingzhou pressed his hand down, glanced around at the generals in the tent, and slowly asked, "Do you all share the same opinion as Yang Guangyuan?"
The generals felt ashamed and remorseful, and they all lowered their heads, unwilling to meet his gaze.
"Minister Long and his men risked their lives to break into the camp to report that reinforcements were only a hundred miles away at Tuanbai Valley. General Kang was wounded by an arrow, Lord Lang sacrificed his life, and a thousand cavalrymen were almost all killed or wounded. Who would have thought that this would be the scene they witnessed!"
Upon hearing that reinforcements were nearby, several people looked up, their faces showing unusual expressions.
Yang Guangyuan snorted, dispelling any thoughts that might have crossed their minds.
"I have already sent a memorial to the Khitan ruler, and foreign troops are about to enter the camp. Even if we wanted to break out now, it would be too late, and besides..."
His words hit the nail on the head: "Everyone was involved in murdering the commander-in-chief. Even if they managed to break through, what good would it do them?"
As Yang Guangyuan spoke, the sound of horses' hooves could be faintly heard outside the village, growing louder and louder as they approached.
Since Gao and Fu did not order the cavalry to move, it must have been the Khitan troops.
"If this stubborn person had listened to Yang earlier, he wouldn't be in this situation today."
Yang Guangyuan spat on Zhang Jingda's head, his eyes reddening as he glared fiercely at Gao and Fu.
"Will you follow me to greet them, or choose to keep this dead man's head company?"
Gao Xingzhou suddenly took a step forward, and Yang Guangyuan subconsciously stepped back, thinking that he was about to attack. He almost called for his hidden guards to come out and kill him.
Gao Xingzhou bowed three times respectfully to Zhang Jingda's head, then turned and left the command tent. Fu Yanqing followed suit, bowing to show his determination not to surrender and his eagerness for news of reinforcements. Instead, he received news of his treacherous commander, and angrily followed Gao Xingzhou away.
The guards at the gate blocked his way with their halberds. Gao Xingzhou said in a deep voice, "Deputy Commander Yang, what do you intend to do? I am powerless to stop you, nor do I wish for our soldiers to kill each other."
He stared at Yang Guangyuan and said, word by word, "I'm going to visit General Kang now, so please don't stop me."
Yang Guangyuan assessed the situation. Gao and Fu's personal guards were not far outside the tent. Once a fight broke out, if they rushed out of the command tent and called for reinforcements, it would cause a great deal of trouble, which would not look good on the Khitan ruler.
"When the Khitan army arrives, let's see if you can still rebel."
Yang Guangyuan waved his hand, signaling to let the people leave.
Long Min finally came to his senses. He realized that his painstaking plan had vanished into thin air, and the lives of a thousand cavalrymen had been wasted. He had failed just when he was about to succeed, and he felt utterly humiliated.
The situation was beyond saving, and he was filled with inexplicable grief and indignation.
Long Min stomped her foot heavily, followed Gao and Fu, and left with a single sentence.
"You people, sigh!"
……
Inside the Khitan royal tent, Yelü Deguang's emotions went through a rollercoaster ride.
Just then, a subordinate reported that a thousand-strong cavalry force had broken into the camp from the outside. Although they had surrounded and killed most of them, several dozen men still managed to break through.
Yelü Deguang felt a chill in his heart: the government troops in Jin'an Village would surely fight to the death upon learning of the arrival of reinforcements.
He was preparing to adjust his deployment, gather his troops, and strengthen his forces to resist the tens of thousands of returning soldiers who were about to attack when he unexpectedly received a great gift.
Yang Guangyuan presented a letter of surrender, claiming that he had killed Zhang Jingda, the stubborn commander who resisted the heavenly army of the superior country, and was willing to lead his generals to surrender to the army.
Yelü Deguang was overjoyed, but then suspicion arose in his heart. The timing was so perfect; could it be a scheme to lull him into a false sense of security? He ordered the messenger to be seized and questioned thoroughly.
The messenger recounted in detail how Yang Guangyuan learned that Gao Xingzhou and Fu Yanqing had gone to war, and how the military judge Qiu Tao had plotted to falsely claim that there had been a change in the army. Under the pretext of a morning audience, his personal guards Du Yanshou, Yang Zhan, Bai Yanzuo, and others rushed forward and murdered the commander-in-chief Zhang Jingda.
Yelü Deguang still couldn't fully believe it, but since the visitor's account was so detailed, he might as well go and investigate. If it was true, wouldn't it be a wonderful thing to subdue a powerful enemy without any effort?
A moment later, a scout reported that they had entered the enemy camp without encountering any resistance; the enemy soldiers had all abandoned their weapons and armor and surrendered without resistance.
Yelü Deguang finally felt relieved and laughed heartily.
"My lads, come with me, let's go and meet the famous generals of the Southern Army!"
Under heavy guard, Yelü Deguang arrived at the gate of the government army's camp. Yang Guangyuan and others unloaded their swords and weapons and lined up to greet him.
Yelü Deguang first inquired about the number of warhorses and learned that there were still five thousand. He immediately ordered his men to go to the location and drive them all out of the camp.
He then confiscated 50,000 sets of weapons and armor, and took all the surrendered soldiers away to be kept under the care of Shi Jingtang. Only then did Yelü Deguang feel at ease enough to enter the camp.
Upon entering the command tent, Yelü Deguang examined Zhang Jingda's head. Even in death, Zhang's expression remained unyielding. He said to those around him, "You, as subjects, should emulate Jingda!"
He was ordered to be buried and worshipped with proper rites.
The Khitan ruler had long admired the generals, but had not yet met Gao and Fu, so he ordered them to be summoned for an audience.
Gao Xingzhou, Fu Yanqing, and Long Min were taking care of Kang Sili. Fearing to upset the old general, they did not tell him about Yang Guangyuan's murder of Zhang Jingda and his surrender with the army. They only said that they had learned of the arrival of reinforcements and were already planning a breakout.
Suddenly, the tent curtain was lifted, and two soldiers dressed in Khitan attire entered.
Kang Sili was startled. Before he could even ask, two soldiers, speaking in broken Chinese, said in a loud and boisterous tone, "So you are Gao Xingzhou and Fu Yanqing? Our emperor has summoned you. Go and see him immediately."
Kang Sili, forcing himself to sit up, asked, "Who is your emperor? How did he get here?"
Before Gao and Fu could stop him, a Khitan soldier said smugly, "Your deputy commander killed the commander-in-chief, and the entire army was taken prisoner. This Jin'an Village is no problem for us; we can come and go as we please."
Kang Sili turned his head and saw Gao Xingzhou silent, Fu Yanqing indignant, and Long Min indignant. He knew that what the two barbarian soldiers said was true, and his emotions were immediately stirred.
He gave a bitter smile: "I am sixty-three years old, and my old life is of little value. It is a pity that Lang Wanjin and more than a thousand soldiers have lost their lives in vain..."
The wound on his back, which had just been treated with medicine, burst open, and a trickle of blood oozed from the corner of Kang Sili's mouth, staining his white beard red.
The old general, his eyes wide with rage, roared, "Yang Guangyuan, do you have any respect for the more than a thousand souls who perished?!"
Before he could finish speaking, his body went limp and collapsed. A check revealed no breath; he had died from a sudden outburst of anger. (Note 1)
Regardless of whether Kang Sili was alive or dead, the two Khitan soldiers urged Gao and Fu to hurry up and see the Khitan emperor.
Just as Fu Yanqing was about to retort, Long Min suppressed her grief and advised: "At this point, being stubborn and inflexible will not help. Let General Kang handle his affairs after his death. Let the two of you go and confirm the situation before deciding what to do."
Gao Xingzhou and Fu Yanqing followed the barbarian soldiers to the main tent. Yelü Deguang offered words of comfort and, seeing that the generals had removed their helmets and armor, especially Yang Guangyuan with his bald head covered in scabies, which was quite conspicuous, he ordered that a fur hat be brought to them as a gift.
The generals changed their clothes, and the tent was filled with foreign-style clothing and robes.
Yelü Deguang noticed that his generals still habitually covered their left front of their robes with their right, and he quipped, "The people of the Central Plains all say that our people are barbarians, eating raw meat and drinking blood, and are not yet civilized. Now you do not use salt and dairy products, but consume thousands of warhorses. You are also great villains!" (Note 2)