The Succession Struggle in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 287 Encirclement and Suppression Leaves No Way Out

No matter how Tu Chengyu tried to persuade her, Xiao Xuanzi refused to leave and insisted on being Tu Chengyu's substitute.

Finally, having no other choice, Tu Chengyu had to agree.

Upon hearing that Tu Chengyu had agreed, Xiao Xuanzi quickly took off her own clothes and put on the brocade robe that Tu Chengyu had just taken off.

And you know what? When Xiao Xuanzi put on Tu Chengyu's clothes and got the same hairstyle as Tu Chengyu, she looked almost exactly like Tu Chengyu from a distance.

After changing her clothes, Xiao Xuanzi happily spun around twice, then climbed onto the carriage and began to play the role of Tu Chengyu.

Seeing him sitting in the carriage, Tu Chengyu wasn't too worried, because the carriage had been specially modified, and it would be difficult for ordinary arrows to penetrate it unless it was a powerful crossbow.

With everyone ready, Tu Chengyu sent Xiao Xuanzi's two lackeys away. These two were just errand runners with no real skills. If they were taken along, and something unexpected happened, it would be too much of a waste of time to protect them.

After the two left, Tu Chengyu randomly picked a horse, mounted it, and followed behind the carriage.

The other guards were scattered around the carriage. These guards appeared to be protecting the carriage, but in reality, they were subtly protecting Tu Chengyu behind the carriage.

Once preparations were complete, the team began their journey. However, instead of heading directly towards the Xishan camp, they followed the main road towards the brick factory and cement plant, giving the impression that they were heading to the brick factory.

The reason Tu Chengyu chose this route was that he thought that if the other party had already noticed him and sent someone to follow him from a distance, then this route would be like throwing a smokescreen at them, which might disrupt their plans.

They walked southwest along the main road for about three or four miles. At a fork in the road, the whole group suddenly changed direction and went down the right fork, running directly to the foot of the mountain in the northwest.

After turning off the fork in the road, the group sped up considerably, and the two horses pulling each other started running.

Nothing happened on the stretch of road from the fork in the road to the foot of the mountain until they were almost at the woods at the foot of the mountain when trouble arose.

In the distance, a large flock of birds was circling overhead, clearly indicating that someone was hiding in the woods, which frightened the birds into not daring to land.

Moreover, judging from the birds' panicked appearance, these people must have just arrived recently.

Upon seeing this situation, Tu Chengyu's group naturally stopped.

Old Yao, who was leading the charge, saw this scene and immediately said:

"Your Highness, since there are people here, it means they have discovered us. Let's stop pretending and put on our helmets."

Just now, to make it look real, everyone wore armor but no helmets. Now that we know the truth, there's no need to pretend anymore. Let's all put on our protective gear.

The helmets were in the carriage, and everyone took turns going to get them and putting them on. During this process, Lao Yao and the others gathered around Tu Chengyu to discuss their ideas.

After a brief discussion, everyone came up with a solution.

That meant deciding not to rush into the woods, but instead turning around and pretending to run away to lure the people inside out.

The reason for doing this was that the enemy had already laid an ambush, and the number of people lying in ambush was unknown, so it would be easy to suffer losses if we went in rashly.

Secondly, their side consisted entirely of cavalry, while the enemy was very likely without horses. Therefore, being outside the forest would be advantageous for Tu Chengyu's side, as the open space would allow them to escape on horseback at any time.

Thirdly, if the opponent can be lured out, it will be more advantageous for one's side during the battle.

After they had discussed it, Lao Yao gave Tu Chengyu a few extra instructions.

"Your Highness, if a fight breaks out, please just keep your horse under control and follow behind us."

Tu Chengyu nodded, indicating that he understood.

Once everything was ready, the team set off.

This time, Tu Chengyu did not follow behind the carriage, but stood to the side.

Old Yao still led the way, walking a short distance before nodding and running towards the open space on the left.

Those who were guarding the woods naturally saw what Tu Chengyu was doing.

When they saw that the people outside were not walking in their direction, they were all dumbfounded.

One of the bearded men said to the man next to him:
"Brother, they've run away, what do we do now?"

The man called "Big Brother" didn't even look at him and said, "Don't worry about him, just stay here."

The burly man with the beard suddenly became anxious. "Brother, they've already run away. What are we still doing guarding them? Let's go out and chase after them!"

The eldest brother said irritably, "With just a few of us, we might be able to put up a fight in the woods, but once we're out in the open, you think you can fight cavalry? They'll wipe us out in a single encounter. Besides, we're just here to hold them off. The others will handle the fighting. What are you worried about?"

After saying this, the man ignored the bearded man and simply stood on tiptoe, leaning against a tree, looking outside.

On Tu Chengyu's side, after running for a while without seeing anyone emerge from the woods, the group slowed down.

Tu Chengyu rode forward two steps, walked to Old Yao's side, and asked:

"What do we do now that they won't come out?"

Old Yao thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness, since they won't come out, let's play along and go up the mountain from the other side."

The Western Hills are vast, and there are naturally more than one way to climb them. Since this path is impassable, we'll have to go somewhere else.

So Tu Chengyu agreed to the proposal, and the team set off again in another direction.

Once they were far away, those hiding in the woods could see them clearly.

The leader then said to the men behind him, "Two of you go back along the main road and tell the people chasing us that they changed direction."

As soon as he finished speaking, two people came out and ran back to the main road.

After the messenger left, the bearded man repeated to his elder brother again:

"Brother, what do we do next? Should we chase after them?"

"Why chase after them? To get killed?" the eldest brother said irritably. "Our orders are to stay here and guard the place. That's all we need to do. We don't need to worry about anything else."

"But brother, if we let them escape, the higher-ups will blame us." "Hmph, it's good that they blame us. This whole thing is suspicious. Maybe there's something more involved. Even though we're just following orders, we have to keep our eyes open, or we'll become scapegoats."

Although the bearded man was eager to make a contribution, he remained silent after hearing his elder brother's words.

On the other side, Tu Chengyu and his group had bypassed the open space and reached another road. They then followed this road up the mountain.

But they hadn't walked far when one of the guards suddenly stopped by the roadside, stood up, looked back, glanced at him, and immediately said:

"Your Highness, there are people coming from behind, also on horseback, and quite a few of them."

Upon hearing this, Tu Chengyu frowned for the first time today.

Although I know that those causing trouble today are not only among the disaster victims, but also behind-the-scenes figures.

However, Tu Chengyu thought that even if they were colluding with each other, they shouldn't have such a large-scale operation.

But now, not only can they quickly get in front of me and block the road up the mountain, but they can also catch up so quickly after I randomly chose a different route. This shows that they have deployed a lot of people this time and can mobilize them to surround me at any time.

Just as Tu Chengyu was thinking about these things, Lao Yao walked over and said:
"Your Highness, now is not the time to think about these things. Since there are pursuers, we should hurry on our way. Once we reach the palace, it won't matter how many people they have."

Tu Chengyu said, "Given these people's arrangements, I'm worried that there might be people blocking our way on the road ahead."

Hearing this, Old Yao couldn't help but worry, but after thinking for a moment, he said:
"Your Highness, regardless of whether there are any obstacles ahead, we can only move forward. Let's rush through before the pursuers catch up. Otherwise, if they surround us, it will be even more difficult to escape."

Tu Chengyu thought for a moment after hearing this and said:
"Since we are blocked in front and pursued from behind, why don't we go around the middle and find another way up the mountain?"

Old Yao listened carefully and explained, "Your Highness, we have been walking for a long time. People can take it, but people can't. If we keep going like this, the horses will run out of strength and we will have to walk."

Hearing him say that, Tu Chengyu remembered this problem.

So he said:

"Then we'll do as you say. The team will move forward directly. If there are any obstacles blocking our way, we'll just charge through them."

The order was given, and the team started again, this time at a faster pace than before.

In less than fifteen minutes, they arrived at the foot of the mountain again.

This time, there were no birds circling in the sky above the forest, but Tu Chengyu and the others frowned even more deeply.

This time, the enemy was no longer hiding in the woods; they were standing directly outside the woods, arrayed and waiting.

From Tu Chengyu's perspective, the enemies arrayed opposite him were all clad in armor and wielding swords, waiting silently.

Their numbers far exceeded those of Tu Chengyu's side, estimated to be four or five times more.

The presence of so many armored soldiers here is tantamount to a rebellion.

It seems that this time the enemy has really gone all out; they're determined to fight the Royal Family to the death.

No wonder they sent so many people to surround and intercept me; it turns out they're openly proclaiming a rebellion.

Seeing so many people, Lao Yao had lost his composure. He said to Tu Chengyu:
"Your Highness, it looks like today will be a tough battle. Wait a moment, you will follow behind me. Once we have broken through the enemy lines, you will rush out and run up the mountain. Don't worry about the enemies behind you, just keep running."

Upon hearing this, Tu Chengyu knew that Lao Yao and the others were planning to risk their lives to carve out a way to survive.

Knowing their plans, Tu Chengyu couldn't say a word, because judging from the current situation, even if Lao Yao and his men risked their lives, they might not be able to penetrate the enemy's defenses.

Just then, Xiao Xuanzi, who had been sitting in the carriage, suddenly stuck her head out and said:

"Your Highness, how about I take a few people and run away to the other side? Maybe we can lure the enemy away and give Your Highness a way out."

He intends to continue using his role as bait, luring away most of the enemy by posing as the fake Prince Su.

Tu Chengyu listened to his words, glanced at the enemy opposite him, shook his head, and said:

“If there weren’t many enemies, your method might work. Look at how many people they have. Since you’ve sent half of them away, it won’t make any difference.”

After speaking to Xiao Xuanzi, Tu Chengyu then addressed everyone:

"This time, the enemy is blocking our way from the front and chasing us from the rear, outnumbering us by dozens of times. No matter what we do, we are all facing a nine-out-of-ten chance of death. So, when we charge into the enemy lines, don't worry about me. Whoever has a chance to break through should do their best to break through and find a way to tell Father about the situation here. I estimate that since they can deploy so many people here, they might also be making moves elsewhere. So we must report the situation here so that Father can be prepared."

Upon hearing Tu Chengyu's words, the guards all became excited, especially Old Yao, who shouted loudly:

“Your Highness, why say that? With me here, no one can do anything to you. With so many of us here, we can certainly protect you.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the others echoed his words.

"Your Highness, rest assured, even if I die, I will not allow anyone to harm you in the slightest."

"Yes, Your Highness, just follow behind me, we will definitely be able to break through."

Tu Chengyu was deeply moved as he watched the guards speak like this, and he waved his hand to quiet everyone down.

Then he said, "Everyone, stop for a moment and listen to what I have to say. I have your words in mind, but you should all know the situation today. With so many of us, the chances of breaking through are slim. If you focus your energy on me, none of us will have a chance. Only by making a decision on the spot, whoever has the opportunity to rush out, can we have a sliver of hope for survival."

Tu Chengyu reiterated his idea once again, and Lao Yao and the others wanted to say something more.

Tu Chengyu waved his hand, interrupting them.

"Alright, let me decide this matter. If we keep dawdling, the pursuers will catch up, and we'll have even less of a chance."

After saying that, he turned to Xiao Xuanzi in the carriage and said, "You should come out too. There's no use in disguising yourself now. Untie the carriage, pick a horse to ride. When you're escaping, a horse is more convenient than a carriage."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xuanzi silently got out of the carriage, untied it, picked a horse and rode it casually. Then she turned the horse around and rode close to Tu Chengyu, clearly intending to take the damage for him.

Seeing this, Tu Chengyu smiled, patted Xiao Xuanzi on the shoulder, and then said to everyone:

"Alright, time is running out, everyone prepare to charge. If you all have a chance to survive this time, I will treat you all to a grand feast in the garden. If you do not have a chance to survive, we will meet again in the next life."

(End of this chapter)