Chapter 474 Cloud Riding
Shen Mu said confidently: "No, I will meet them in the inner hall."

Xu Xing hesitated to speak, and finally took orders.

Shen Mu said to Yang and Ma, "I'll go and see what's going on with them first, and then I'll discuss the details with you two when I come back."

Stepping out of the door of the conference room, Shen Mu recalled Xu Xingzhi's expression just now, obviously opposed to him going to see Gui and Xing, for fear of revealing his military secrets that he was still in Liangdu.

Will Gui Xiliang and Xingrong betray themselves?

Shen Mu couldn't help laughing, shook his head and dismissed this ridiculous idea, regardless of everyone's friendship, just because Li Zitong praised Shao Lingzhou's interest, the two should stand on his side.

"Crack! Crack! Crack!"

Shen Mu woke up from the nightmare, sat up from the bed in a cold sweat, and asked, "Who?"

Luo Qifei's voice said outside the door: "It's Qifei, I have something urgent to report to the young commander."

Shen Mu picked up his coat and put it on, thinking of the nightmare just now, he still had lingering fears. He dreamed that he was besieged by the enemy, and his generals died one by one. In the end, he was holding Song Yuzhi's cold body and fell into the swamp.well!Fortunately it was just a dream.

He and Luo Qifei sat down in the small hall of the dormitory and talked, Luo Qifei said: "I just received the news that the Zhongli navy will go out after dark, and finally go north to the canal. If you don't stop on the way, you can do it tomorrow after dark." Arriving at any moment. The ships are fully loaded with troops, and several of them have extremely deep drafts."

Shen Mu's mind was still not clear, and he asked, "What time is it?"

Luo Qifei said: "Just after the third watch, there are still two hours before dawn."

Shen Mu pondered: "What do you mean by 'last' in 'finally go north to the canal'?"

Luo Qifei replied: "Since dusk, about [-] warships moored outside Zhongli City have set out one after another, traveling westward against the Huai River, and at the time of Xu, the warships sailed back from the Huai River again. At the confluence of the Huai River and the canal, turning into the canal and heading towards us, I received three letters from flying pigeons, knowing that the matter was urgent, so I immediately reported it to the young commander."

Shen Mu said, "Is there any movement from Jiangdu?"

Luo Qifei shook his head and said: "We are still gathering troops, the number of warships has increased to nearly a hundred, but the troops are still standing still."

Shen Mu regained his senses, and said, "You did a good job in intelligence, damn it, Li Zitong was fooled!"

Luo Qifei said: "The navy that Zhongli came to attack, with an average of 300 people per ship, has a force of 3. The ships should be equipped with siege equipment. If they attack suddenly, they will catch us by surprise."

Now Liangdu's Young Commander's Army has a total strength of 5000 people, and the enemy's strength is six times that of theirs, and they have come prepared.If there are enough troops, some of them can still be deployed in the four forts on both sides of the canal, so that the enemy cannot concentrate their forces to attack Liangdu, but now the whole army must stay in the city.

Shen Mu thought hard: "Why did Zuo Xiaoyou's boat go west first? Then turn east and come back, and then go north to the canal?"

Luo Qifei said: "According to my guess, it is to load the siege equipment. There may be a lumber mill next to the Huai River in the east of Zhongli, where craftsmen build siege ladders, door-ramming vehicles and other things."

Shen Mu nodded and said: "That makes sense! So we still have two days to deploy. If we only want to win a battle, it will be a piece of cake; but if we want to take the opportunity to capture Zhongli, we must deploy carefully. Please immediately ask Wen Yuan, Come Hongjin and Uncle Zhi, we must immediately decide on all actions."

Shen Mu led five hundred flying cloud riders and arrived at Yang Gongqing's camp hidden in a dense forest on the west bank of the canal at dawn.

He issued an order, and Wuming flew into the sky from his shoulder, circled for reconnaissance, and then discussed with the coming Yang Gongqing and Ma Chang.

Yang Gongqing and Ma Chang were overjoyed when they heard this. The former said: "We have two choices. The first is to dispatch all of us and set up an ambush at a dangerous point in the canal, severely injuring Zuo Xiaoyou's navy who came from the north, and then take advantage of the momentum to attack Zhongli; the other choice is It is divided into two routes, one for ambushes and the other for avoiding the enemy's navy and attacking Zhongli by land. Since the enemy is unprepared, even though our forces are superior to ours, we still have a great chance of success."

Ma Changdao: "Li Zitong is from Donghai County. He has been familiar with boats since he was young. His sailors have fought against Shen Faxing's well-known Jiangnan navy for many years. Therefore, no matter river battles or sea battles, they are all experienced. We are like in the canal. Ambush them on both sides of the strait, I'm afraid it won't be very effective."

Shen Mu agreed: "They came here in such a large number, obviously to deceive us that Liangdu has few soldiers and is not afraid of our ambush. In fact, if we confront each other head-on, we will be defeated because we are outnumbered. The only way to win , is Yang Gong’s second choice, taking advantage of the sudden decrease in Zhongli’s army strength and the loss of naval support, to attack Zhongli with light cavalry from land. Since Zhongli is in my hands, it will cut off Zuo Xiaoyou’s retreat, and Zhongli will come to attack The navy cannot escape the fate of annihilation."

Yang Gongqing said decisively: "That's the decision."

With Shen Mu's nod, Ma Chang went out of the tent to deliver the order.

Yang Gongqing carefully observed Shen Mu's expression, and said in surprise: "Since Li Zitong has fallen into the trick, we are expected to succeed, why is the young commander still so preoccupied?"

Shen Mu sighed: "I always feel a little inappropriate. Maybe it's because of the determination shown by the enemy's navy; or why the Jiangdu navy who can't figure out Li Zitong's still standing still, or because of the nightmare I just had, at this moment I always feel a little uncomfortable.”

Yang Gongqing said with a smile: "This is human nature. Every time before an important battle, I also have this feeling of worrying about gains and losses. But we can only trust our own judgment. Hesitation is a taboo for military strategists."

Shen Mu nodded and said: "Mr. Yang taught you a good lesson. When things come to an end, half-heartedness will only make things worse." Then with a firm look in his eyes, he said slowly: "When Zuo Xiaoyou's [-] troops are struggling to attack Liang here. The time of the capital is the moment when we capture Zhongli, and the fall of Zhongli represents the rise of our young commander."

Shen Mu, his Feiyunqi, and Yang Gongqing's troops broke out of camp and left, crossing the forest along the west bank of the canal and marching day and night to Zhongli according to the route they had planned earlier.

After a day and night of rushing, the army arrived at a hill on the north bank of the Huaihe River, only half a day away from Zhongli.

Shen Mu released Wuming to scout the situation near and far.

The camp was hidden in the sparse forest. Shen Mu and Yang Gongqing walked up a nearby hill and looked towards the direction of the Huaihe River from a high distance.

The sky was drizzling, and the vision was not clear, and the grassland was not covered by the rain in the distance.

Shen Mu said: "This is really helping me! I hope this rain will continue to fall. After we have enough energy, we will set off at dusk, cross the river in the middle of the night, and attack Zhongli Nancheng before dawn. Feiyunqi and I will take the lead. At the south gate, Duke Yang can send his army into the city, and first attack the general manager's mansion, causing the enemy to lose their command center and disintegrate the enemy's resistance."

Yang Gongqing said happily: "The strategy for this battle is only eight words. It is to attack the unprepared and make a quick decision. When the enemy thinks that we are trembling behind the walls of Liangdu, we are here preparing to attack the city."

The two smiled at each other.

Under the rain in the vast night, the sky and the earth are vast, and in addition to the deep cold of the autumn night, there is a sense of chilling.

The Huai River is flowing in front, and the autumn wind is blowing.

Shen Mu and Yang Gongqing led their horses to observe the river crossing at the edge of the dense forest. This section of the river is very shallow and narrow, and the banks are surrounded by dense forests. It is not only the best place to cross the river, but also a good place for the enemy to ambush them.

About ten miles downstream, the faint lights of Zhongli City can be seen faintly, condensing a cloud of light in the rain.There are no boats on the Huai River.

Shen Mu caressed Wuming who was standing on his right shoulder with his right hand, and looked at the opposite bank with deep frown.

Yang Gongqing was surprised: "If the young commander suspects that there is an ambush on the other side, why not send Wuming to the other side to investigate?"

Shen Mu said in a deep voice: "Although there may be spies on the other side, there must not be a large number of ambushes. Now we are under the wind. If there are enemies hiding in the forest, the wind will send their breathing and breath into my ears and nose. It is the secret technique of the Turkic people to use the wind to detect the enemy."

Yang Gongqing was puzzled and said: "Since this is the case, why don't we build a bridge to cross the river? The trees for the bridge have already been felled. As long as the young marshal gives an order, the pontoon bridge can be erected within an hour."

Shen Mu asked: "It is because there are no enemies on the other side that I have doubts. Zuo Xiaoyou is not a baby on the battlefield, how could he ignore this good place to cross the river? If we let us drive straight in and attack Zhongli secretly. If my guess is right, There must be military arrangements such as forts and watchtowers on the opposite bank, but the nearest ones were dismantled so that we could cross the river and attack Zhongli. If they destroy the pontoon bridge at that time, we will never have the chance to return to the north bank of the Huai River.”

Yang Gongqing said in shock: "The young commander is saying that Zhongli's defenders are setting a trap to lure us into the trap?"

Shen Mu nodded and said: "Although it's not too far away! Zhongli City not only has Zuo Xiaoyou, but also Li Zitong. Zhongli's navy may be a deceitful cover."

Yang Gongqing said in disbelief: "Is Li Zitong so clever? Why don't I send someone to investigate on the other side to see if there are any traces of watchtowers or fortresses?"

Shen Mu shook his head and said: "The enemy must do a good job of covering up, such as spreading weeds. Sending people to investigate will take time and nothing will happen. I firmly believe that I have guessed correctly. We must return to Liangdu immediately, and there is no time."

Yang Gongqing was distressed: "How did the enemy know that we would come to attack? Unless there are enemy ghosts lurking in the young commander's army."

Shen Mu sighed: "It's not an inside ghost but an outside ghost. I really hope that I guessed wrong, and this matter will be revealed immediately. We are teachers who are exhausted, while the enemy is recharging their energy, so even if we know the opportunity to retreat, the enemy will come with all their strength." Chase, that will prove that I am not wrong."

Yang Gongqing was stunned and said, "Outlaw ghost?"

Shen Mu's expression darkened, and he said dejectedly: "Do you still remember that I told you before I came here that I felt inappropriate? The problem lies with my good friends Gui Xiliang and Xing Rong. As soon as they left Liangdu, Zhongli's navy immediately went all out. I came here, the timing was so coincidental that people doubt it. Moreover, Li Zitong’s army in Jiangdu was completely silent, obviously knowing that I did not go to the East China Sea. Alas! I regret that I did not listen to Xingzhi’s advice. At the critical moment, my father could You betrayed your son, let alone just a childhood friend."

Yang Gongqing said in a deep voice: "Okay! Let's go immediately."

Shen Mu shook his head and said, "If our tired horses hurried on, at least half of them would fall down within a hundred miles. Fortunately, it was Li Zitong not Li Shimin who came after us. Humph! Damn it! I'll teach Li Zitong to look at my Shen Mu The means of animal husbandry, first send 200 people to build the bridge, and tell them to slow down."

Yang Gongqing was stunned and said, "Build a bridge?"

Shen Mu said: "This is the only way to slow down the enemy. If I can gain two hours, I can teach Li Zitong to a disastrous defeat, and we can all go back to Liangdu alive."

Shen Mu and Ma Chang stood on the north bank of the Huai River, looking at the temporary pontoon bridge that was still a short distance away from the opposite bank. Falsely responding to things is not practical, it is really a tactic to resist the enemy.

In fact, Yang Gongqing and his brothers quietly evacuated to a hilltop ten miles away from the Huai River to prepare for the safe withdrawal.Shen Mu's Five Hundred Flying Cloud Riders set up traps in the forest, such as tripping ropes and sharpened wooden stakes laid in the traps.

Shen Mu looked up at the sky, it was raining all over the sky, with his extraordinary eyesight, he could only distinguish Wuming who had turned into a blurred black spot.From the bottom of his heart, he was grateful to Tuli for giving him this human spirit eagle, which helped him on the battlefield, no less than thousands of troops.

Ma Chang asked, "Where is it?"

Shen Mu pointed to the sky facing Zhongli to the east, and said: "It is above Zhongli, and it has been discovered. The enemy's main forces are divided into two groups, and they are slowly approaching us along the north and south banks. How long is it before dawn?"

Ma Chang said: "It should be an hour, the enemy is impatient?"

Shen Mu smiled and said, "It's not because I'm impatient, but because I noticed something different. We still couldn't build a pontoon bridge after three hours, so it's strange that the other party doesn't suspect it. It's a joke to attack Zhongli in broad daylight, and build a pontoon bridge for tomorrow night." It is even more ridiculous in the wild world! It is time! Call back the brother who built the bridge."

Ma Chang issued an order, and the brothers who built the bridge rushed back to the north bank, took off the water support, put on dry clothes, and left on horseback.

At the same time, there were sounds of killing from far away on both sides of the strait, thousands of flames were ignited, and a large number of people killed along the north and south banks of the Huai River.

The enemy on the opposite bank could not cross the river and could not pose any threat. The enemy chasing from the north bank had a strength of [-]. If there was a head-on confrontation, Shen Mu and the others would not be spared.

Shen Mu winked at Ma Chang, and Ma Chang went into the forest.

Shen Mu leisurely took out the sun shooting bow, put his left hand into the quiver and skillfully took out four arrows, staring at the approaching enemy.

That's what war is like. What you want to kill is a stranger you have never met, and you will never know each other in the future, and you don't want to know anything about the other party.

The enemy approached within a thousand paces, the flags were flying, the army was very strong, and the torches were shining brightly on both sides of the Huai River. The enemy's cavalry all bent their bows and set up arrows. As soon as Shen Mu came within the range, the opponent would not hesitate to shoot a strong arrow.Either you die, or I die.

"Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!" Four powerful arrows were fired from Shen Mu's hand, not hitting the enemy's vitals, not getting off his mount, but the banner held by the opponent's vanguard.

The flagpole was broken, and the banner was blown backwards by the wind, and the hoods were thrown at the knights who came behind, and they were turned on their backs and turned into a mess.

Shen Mu laughed, and flew back, Qian Limeng rushed out from the forest, he flew swiftly on his horse, and fled to the forest.

The enemy army swarmed into the forest like a tide, and the five hundred soldiers of Feiyunqi who were ready to wait, under Machang's order, shot arrows like rain at the enemy whose target was clearly illuminated by the torch.

The screams and neighing of horses resounded in the forest. Those who were not injured by the arrows could not escape the fate of being tripped by the horseshoe or stepping into the traps filled with sharp logs. At that moment, people turned their backs and horses into a mess, and those who were lucky enough to be uninjured or fell off their horses came one after another. step back.

Shen Mu returned to his own position in the forest along the safe route, and shouted: "It's not suitable to love fighting! Brothers follow me."

Ma Chang and others quickly mounted their horses, and 500 people fled with him from the other side of the dense forest to the long grass plain.

There was a sound of killing, and another group of light cavalry with over [-] people galloped out from the dense forest on the right rear, chasing them at full speed, making it clear that they would never let them go.

Shen Mu secretly wiped off his cold sweat, thinking to himself that if he hadn't discovered the opponent's conspiracy earlier this time, even if he wanted to escape, he would be powerless.The enemy is well aware of the mountains and rivers in this area, but they have just arrived, so it is easy for the enemy to chase them, but it is difficult for them to escape.

Ma Chang rushed to his side and sighed: "Young Marshal guessed right, it really is Li Zitong who came, I saw his banner."

Shen Mu glanced back, and as Ma Chang said, he couldn't help secretly praising Ma Chang for his calmness in the face of danger, but he didn't pay attention to everything like him, and shouted: "You take the lead! I will postpone it!"

Although their horses rested for three hours, they still hadn't fully recovered from their fatigue. It would be very bad if they were caught up by the enemy when they arrived at Yang Gongqing's ambush, so he had to postpone to protect the safety of his own army.

Under the leadership of Ma Chang, five hundred flying clouds rode across the rainy and foggy grassland like a cloud, and entered the hilly and undulating sparse forest area.

The enemies behind were getting closer and closer, and the sound of hooves made the ground shake uncontrollably.

Shen Mu fell to the last, with a long whistle, the sun-shooting bow stretched out in his hand, he took the arrow and bent the bow, four powerful arrows were shot out amidst the rapid sound of the strings, all the arrows were fired, and the four horses immediately fell to the ground in response to the arrows , rolling on the ground, causing the chasing knights to collide and stumble one after another, causing great chaos.

When the enemy's horn sounded, the enemy's formation immediately changed and spread out to both sides, chasing and killing them like two giant pincers.

Shen Mu deliberately fell behind, but kept a distance of [-] steps from the enemy cavalry all the time. Just outside the range of the enemy's bow, he became the only one to shoot, but the enemy returned fire.

The enemy cavalry continued to fall, and when Shen Mu realized that the four quiveres on the left and right were empty, he used the technique of unity of man and horse, overtook his team, and rushed towards a hill.

With the sound of war drums, Yang Gongqing and the ambush soldiers appeared on the top of the mountain immediately, and rained powerful arrows on the enemy horses rushing up the hillside.

Unexpectedly, the enemy would encounter an ambush, and they would be killed immediately. They were defeated and retreated down the hillside.

Shen Mu was hesitating whether to take advantage of the situation to fight back, but when he saw the dust rising in the distance, he knew that the enemy army was coming to help him, so he hurriedly ordered to withdraw.

It turned out that after half a day of fleeing, Shen Mu and Yang Gongqing couldn't hold on anymore and took a rest in a dangerous place.Unexpectedly, not half of the enemy came after him, Shen Mu knew something was wrong, he guessed that Li Zitong would seize this opportunity to attack Liangdu ahead of him from the waterway, after discussing with Yang Gongqing and Ma Chang, he left Qianlimeng alone with the nameless On the road, crossing mountains and mountains, rushing back along the canals, Wuming flew up to the sky from time to time to observe the way ahead for him, and finally ran into Xu Ziling and others.

(End of this chapter)

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