strictlysupreme Chapter 122 Are you planning a rebellion?
Chapter 122 Are you planning a rebellion?
"You dare stop me?" Shen Li's incredulous gaze shifted from the commander to Zhang Bingzhong's face as she questioned, "Governor Zhang, what do you mean by this?"
"Didn't Madam Gu guess that you were going to leave just now?" Zhang Bingzhong smiled with a glint in his eyes. "Then stop acting with me. Just wait and see what happens."
"Zhang Bingzhong, you're plotting a rebellion! Do you know the consequences of rebellion?" Shen Li became even more anxious after hearing his words.
Zhang Bingzhong's smile grew even more smug: "I didn't expect you to find out so soon. It was you who insisted on coming along, so let's see how your grandfather and the Three Great Battalions were destroyed by us."
"Zhang Bingzhong!"
"Tie him up! Gag him." Zhang Bingzhong waved his hand. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk anymore, but he had already seen a large force approaching from afar.
Immediately, his personal guards tied him up.
Even the Commander-in-Chief didn't intend to kill her. She was the daughter of the Shen family, the granddaughter of the Duke of Zhenguo, and the wife of the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review—she was a valuable asset.
Having such a bargaining chip in hand would provide an extra way to survive at any time. Moreover, Zhang Bingzhong did have his own selfish motives, namely, if he could bring this woman to Daliang and present her to His Majesty, His Majesty would surely be fond of such a beautiful painter.
If she could be brought into the harem, it would be a great blow to the scholars of the Great Zhao Dynasty.
Shen Li and Shaoyao struggled a few times, but the soldiers still tied their hands behind their backs and stuffed their mouths with a handkerchief.
The two men escorted them to a spot outside the city wall where they couldn't be seen; from outside the city, only Zhang Bingzhong and the Commander could be seen.
At the forefront of the army in the distance were cavalry from the Three Thousand Battalion, followed by infantry, namely the Fifth Army Battalion in the middle and the Divine Machine Battalion at the rear.
What puzzled Zhang Bingzhong was that there were only the banners of the Great Zhao Dynasty ahead, but no banners of Xiao Zhan's generals, and no supply troops were in sight.
"What's going on?" the commander asked, somewhat puzzled. "Where's the old man?"
Zhang Bingzhong shook his head slightly: "Let me ask."
"I am the governor of Cangzhou. Which troops are below the city?" Zhang Bingzhong shouted.
Although the city gates were wide open, the drawbridge over the moat was not lowered and there was still some distance between them.
"I am Yuan Lang, deputy commander of the 3,000-strong battalion. I am here on the orders of the Duke to lead 30,000 men to support Yuebei Pass. I request the governor to grant me passage." The army commander said, holding up a pass.
Zhang Bingzhong glanced at it through his binoculars and then handed it to the commander.
The commander nodded, but seemed unsure: "Sir, what should we do?"
They were hoping to catch a big fish, but a problem arose at the last minute. If they closed the city gates now, the other side would become suspicious, and their efforts might be in vain.
Besides, Shen Li and the others have been arrested, so this matter can't be kept secret for long.
"Thirty thousand it is, let's eat it first." Zhang Bingzhong made his decision in a moment.
It seems that these 30,000 men in front of us are the main force of the 50,000 men on this mission. After we take them out, we can quickly attack Xiao Zhan's supply train.
After all, they also had the Rong and Di people, who were born on horseback, as their helpers.
The commander-in-chief had a similar idea, and upon hearing this, he waved his hand to signal the lowering of the drawbridge.
Shen Li's heart was also on edge. She only knew the basics of strategy and tactics, so she simply passed on the information and didn't know the specifics of the battle.
Moreover, she had never seen such a scene in her previous life, so it was inevitable that she would be nervous.
After the army crossed the moat and slowly approached the city gate, Zhang Bingzhong asked, "General Yuan, why haven't we seen the Duke?"
“The northern border is cold, and the Duke suddenly caught a cold yesterday. Knowing that the front lines were in dire need, he sent us to provide support first. He then set off with the supplies,” Yuan Lang replied.
"So that's how it is." Zhang Bingzhong's voice was tinged with regret, and he felt even more regret in his heart.
What a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! How could such a mishap have happened? The old man is truly lucky to be alive.
He had considered the possibility of a leak, but quickly dismissed the idea. Three days prior, only his confidants and the Rongdi people knew of his impending rebellion.
After the Rongdi people entered the city, he even sealed the city gates to prevent the news from leaking out. Even though there were many spies from the Great Zhao in the city who discovered the abnormality, they could not send out the news.
Moreover, he had no choice but to close the city gates now, as his chances of winning were even lower, since he could already see the artillery carts being pushed by the Shenji Battalion behind him.
So when Yuan Lang arrived at the city gate, he wasn't in a hurry to enter the city. He waved his hand, and the infantry of the Fifth Army behind him bypassed the cavalry and entered the city first.
The commander frowned and asked, "General Yuan, what is the meaning of this? Why not enter the city?"
“This commander is quite ignorant. Everyone knows that among the three major camps in the capital, the Fifth Army Camp is the most important. The other two camps combined do not even have as many people as the Fifth Army Camp, so naturally we always prioritize the Fifth Army Camp,” Yuan Lang explained.
This was an unwritten rule, and the commander's vigilance lessened somewhat.
Yuan Lang was an outgoing person. Since there was no rush to enter the city, he asked again, "I wonder which army the Commander served in before?"
"I was a martial arts champion, and later served in various places. Seven years ago, I was transferred to Cangzhou as a commander thanks to His Majesty's trust," the man replied.
"To think he's the top martial arts scholar! I also took the exam, but I didn't even pass the imperial examination." Yuan Lang said, shaking his head. "I'm truly ashamed."
A hint of arrogance flashed in the commander's eyes, while Yuan Lang watched the last batch of the five armies enter the city.
The Five Armies Battalion had a total of 20,000 men, followed by the Three Thousand Battalion and the Divine Machine Battalion, each with 5,000 men.
Now most of them have gone inside, and only about 30% of them remain outside.
At that moment, he put his finger to his lips and let out a sharp whistle.
The commander immediately realized something was wrong.
Most of the infantry had already entered the city gate. Upon hearing the order, they drew their swords and those closest to the stairs inside the city gate rushed upwards.
Once the city walls are captured, the troops in this area will be far from sufficient.
Upon hearing the unusual movements, Governor Zhang and the Commander-in-Chief immediately realized they had fallen into a trap, and their only option now was to fight head-on.
So the commander drew his sword and was about to give the order, but before he could utter a sound, his throat was grabbed.
Zhang Bingzhong was also grabbed at the same time.
The two turned around and saw Shen Li and the girl beside her. They never expected that it was these two young girls who would subdue them at the crucial moment.
"You..." Only now did Zhang Bingzhong see Shen Li's true colors. She was not arrogant and ignorant, but frighteningly calm.
Shen Li grabbed the commander's throat with one hand and pulled the handkerchief out of his mouth with the other before speaking: "Governor Zhang, what do you think I came up here with you for? Just to put on an act?"
Even an iron chain couldn't bind her, let alone a broken hemp rope.