My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 249: The King of Chu Wanted to Cry
July 5th.

Under the scorching sun, the soldiers who had been marching all the way complained bitterly.

Fortunately, Fei Muping had enough prestige in the army. If it were any other general with less prestige, the soldiers would have mutinied long ago if they had been forced to march quickly in such hot weather.

"Hurry, let's cross the Yellow River today and enter Xingyang City tomorrow so we can have a proper rest!"

His mid- to low-ranking officers could only use this method to motivate their soldiers.

After Fei Mu led his army to break away from Yuan Tianmu's eastern expeditionary force, he headed west, not to return to Luoyang, but to Xingyang.

If Xingyang is not lost, the Southern Liang army will be unable to advance into Luoyang.

Soon, a messenger arrived on horseback in front of Fei Mu's horse and reported to the general, "Our vanguard has reached Zhukou."

Fei Mu squinted and looked into the distance, then continued to give orders, "Pass on my military order for the entire army to cross the river. You lead your men westward toward the river bridge and head toward Luoyang to inform His Majesty that I have already led the army to Xingyang to guard against the enemy, so that His Majesty need not worry."

"Here!!"

Fei Mu's army had already reached Zhukou on the north bank of the Yellow River, while Bancheng was on the south bank.

By the time the entire army had reached the south bank of the Yellow River, it was already dusk.

Bancheng is located northwest of Xingyang, only forty or fifty li away. Fei Mu calculated the time and then gave the order again.

"Pass on my order: the entire army shall continue marching and rest upon entering Xingyang City!"

He then dispatched dozens of his personal guards with his handwritten letter and official seal to Xingyang City to report the situation. After all, the Southern Liang army was coming on strong, and his sudden appearance outside Xingyang City with so many troops would inevitably cause misunderstandings among the city's garrison.

Although the soldiers complained, they knew that Xingyang was not far away, so they gritted their teeth and endured it.

As Fei Mu rode on his horse, he was deep in thought.

"I wonder where the rebels have reached now. Judging from their speed, their commander must be someone who understands the importance of speed in warfare."

He had previously received information that the rebels had captured Yongqiu and then swept through Chenliu City.

The rebels' next target was Daliang City, the capital of the State of Wei during the Warring States period, which later became the famous Bianliang of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Several rivers, including the Sui River and the Huan River, will converge at Daliang City. Only by capturing Daliang City can the grain supply route be ensured to remain unobstructed.

Although Daliang City is not as well-defended as Xingyang, it is still a formidable city, and it will take the rebels some time to conquer it.

"Once the Prince of Shangdang returns with his eastern expeditionary army to reinforce the capital, the momentum of the Southern Liang's northern expedition will surely be curbed. By driving them back, His Majesty can establish his prestige and check the Prime Minister..."

Fei Mu had already come up with the script for Yuan Ziyou.

Just as he was pondering this, a commotion seemed to break out in the vanguard, interrupting his train of thought. He couldn't help but frown. "What's going on?"

Before anyone could respond, he heard shouts of battle filling the air and the thunderous roar of ten thousand horses galloping!

"Kill!"

The deafening battle cries startled Fei Mu's warhorse, causing it to thrash about. He had to tighten the reins, his mind buzzing.

Who could be making such a commotion?

He never expected that the Southern Liang army would arrive so quickly.
Are all the commanders along this route incompetent?!
How did they get here so quickly?

Even if tens of thousands of pigs were rooting around along the way, it would take the Southern Liang army a long time to catch them, right?
"Do not panic! Issue my order: all soldiers, engage the enemy! Engage the enemy!!"

Fei Mu kept shouting, but to little avail. Only a few soldiers reacted and rushed to the supply wagons to get their armor. The soldiers in the vanguard were not armored at all and had no chance against the enemy who had deliberately ambushed them there.

Fei Mu took another look.

Not far away, a group of valiant cavalrymen dressed in white robes and riding white horses charged toward their direction!

The leader was extremely brave!

He wielded his lance with fierce power, each swing taking the lives of several soldiers.

This person seems to have already identified himself as a target from afar.

Fei Mu was a seasoned veteran who had seen it all, but the bravery of the young man in white robes before him far exceeded his expectations.

Before he could react, the young general in white robes had already charged to within a hundred paces of him!

"General! Run!"

"Guard General!"

His personal guards were loyal and rushed over to protect him immediately, but their shouts undoubtedly exposed Fei Mu's identity!

Yang Zhong vaguely heard the word "general".

His eyes lit up. He had previously assumed that Fei Mu was either rich or noble, but he never expected him to be such a big fish.

"kill!"

With a sweep of his lance, he deflected the weapon aimed at him, taking advantage of the opening.

Instead of taking advantage of the chaos to finish off Fei Mu, Yang Zhong, with his superior skills and daring, charged straight at Fei Mu all by himself!

"The thief will leave!"

Yang Zhong shouted and urged his horse to gallop faster.

Four of Fei Mu's personal guards immediately rode up to meet him; they were all already wearing armor.

But then Yang Zhong roared angrily!
With a steady, accurate, and ruthless thrust, he thrust out his lance, piercing the neck of a guard and killing him instantly. He then swiftly pulled the lance out, causing jets of blood to spurt out!
Seeing their comrade killed, the remaining three guards were furious. Two of them suddenly drew their swords and slashed at Yang Zhong, forcing him to parry with his lance. The remaining guard took the opportunity to slash at his arm!

Yang Zhong reacted extremely quickly. He continued to grip the spear shaft with his right hand, but suddenly drew the precious sword from his waist with his left hand to fight back!
A clang!
The guards' weapons fell from their hands, and Yang Zhong swung his sword backhand, the sharp blade slicing through the throats of two guards. Then, with a fierce flick of his right hand, he swung his lance, knocking the two lifeless guards off their horses!

He suddenly looked up, staring intently at Fei Mu like a tiger eyeing its prey!
Instead of exchanging a glance.

Fei Mu felt a chill run down his spine.

He immediately turned his horse around and tried to run away.

"The thief will leave!"

Yang Zhong wanted to give chase, but was stopped by several guards and could only watch helplessly as Fei Mu used the "Single Rider Escape" technique in front of him.

"hateful!"

Seeing a tremendous achievement slip through his fingers, Yang Zhong was furious and vented his anger on the guards who were blocking his way.

Caught completely off guard, Femu's army was utterly powerless against the enemy's attack, turning into a complete rabble.

They either seized a horse and galloped away, or crouched in fear, wanting to surrender.

On a hill not far away.

Chen Qingzhi was extremely satisfied, and beside him was Yuwen Luosheng, who had come to support him from Ge Rong's side!
"The credit for this battle should go to the Prince of Yuyang! If it weren't for the Prince of Yuyang bringing the news, how could our army have so easily ambushed the puppet Wei army!"

"General, you flatter me." Yuwen Luosheng shook his head modestly. "It is thanks to your swift and decisive action that the enemy commander was able to achieve his objective."

Don't say Fei Mu couldn't have thought of that.

When Yuwen Luosheng made contact with the Southern Liang Northern Expeditionary Army, Chen Qingzhi had already led his army to Guancheng. He never expected that the Southern Liang Northern Expeditionary Army would be so fierce.

In just two months, the battle lines were pushed forward so quickly.

Chen Qingzhi was equally humble, saying, "It is this traitor Erzhu Rong's behavior that is perverse and outrageous, arousing the wrath of both gods and men. He has completely lost the hearts of the people. As the saying goes, those who follow the righteous path receive much help, while those who stray from it receive little. Now, the hearts of the people are with our army!"

Chen Qingzhi fought his way here, and only spent some effort when facing Anfeng King Yuan Huiye in Kaocheng.

However, Yuan Huiye did not have many capable soldiers under his command. In just two days, Chen Qingzhi led his army to capture Kaocheng, completely eliminating any worries about his supply lines.

The news of Yuan Huiye's defeat spread like dominoes, and Chen Qingzhi never encountered resistance again. Even the garrison in Daliang City readily surrendered.

Yang Zhong quickly grabbed several people and brought them in front of Chen Qingzhi.

"Reporting to the general, I have already interrogated the enemy commander, and he is Fei Mu. Fei Mu had previously sent his personal guards to Xingyang to deliver a message that he would lead his troops into the city tonight."

Upon hearing this news, Chen Qingzhi's eyes lit up.

"Go! Order all soldiers to change into the armor of the puppet Wei army and raise their banners."

"Here!!"

"General, you are indeed wise! If we succeed this time, our army may be able to take Xingyang without bloodshed."

"With our army's momentum so fierce, Zhu Shilong, that incompetent fool, will certainly not hold onto Hulao Pass. If we seize Hulao Pass while the momentum is strong, our army can march straight towards Luoyang!"

The two smiled at each other.

In their eyes, Luoyang was within easy reach!

The next day, Chenshi.

Yuan Hao stood on the city wall of the west gate of Xingyang, looking as if in a dream.

The city beneath our feet is the formidable city that gave Xiang Yu, the King of Chu, a headache and which he had been unable to conquer for several years!

Can……

Chen Qingzhi and his team actually only took two days.

He's still leading the army forward.

Chen Qingzhi had already sent word that Xingyang had been captured.

Touching the city wall with my palm, the various scratches and holes left on it tell the story of how cruel the wars this city once endured were.

An indescribable emotion welled up in my heart!

"Once Xingyang is captured, Luoyang will be within my grasp! After entering Luoyang, I will ascend the throne and become emperor!"

"Your Majesty!"

Just as Yuan Hao was immersed in his beautiful dream.

A series of untimely sounds startled him awake.

He turned around and saw Chen Qingzhi and several of his generals, all wearing armor stained with blood, kneeling before him.

"Your Majesty, Yang Yu, the garrison commander of Xingyang, is utterly despicable. If it weren't for his stubborn resistance, would our army have lost five hundred soldiers in vain?"

"Your Majesty, I beg you to execute him to appease the spirits of our fallen soldiers!"

"This……"

Yuan Hao was in a difficult position.

He looked at Chen Qingzhi, only to find that Chen Qingzhi also had a murderous expression on his face. "Your Majesty, please execute Yang Yu!"

Having conquered so many cities along the way, when has Chen Qingzhi ever volunteered to kill a single person?
Yuan Hao was not stupid; he quickly understood what Chen Qingzhi meant.

Xiao Yan has already replied, granting him permission to ascend the throne after capturing Luoyang.

but……

Yuan Hao had no idea what reply Xiao Yan gave Chen Qingzhi.

Killing Yang Yu would offend everyone, wouldn't it?

Yuan Hao had no choice but to speak up, “When I was in Jiangdong, I often heard His Majesty say that when His Majesty led his troops to attack Xiadu, the defending general Yuan Ang fought bravely and refused to surrender. His Majesty always praised him as a loyal and righteous man.”

“Now, Yang Yu and we each serve our own masters. How can such loyal and righteous men be easily killed? This is not appropriate. Let us find another way to commemorate our fallen soldiers.”

Chen Qingzhi gave his deputy a signal, and the deputy immediately understood and said loudly.

"Yang Yu did not personally kill our comrades, but the hands of his men are stained with the blood of our comrades. This humble general requests that his commander be executed!"

Yuan Hao had no choice but to nod and say, "Then it shall be as you say."

Killing all of Yang Yu's personal guards and loyal generals was essentially no different from killing Yang Yu himself.

There's no way Yang Yu would side with me.

But for Yuan Hao, the only thing to do was not to offend the Yang family of Hongnong behind him.

This is also a helpless move.

Chen Qingzhi and his men deliberately wore blood-stained armor, which was actually meant to carry a threatening connotation.

really……

Not a moment.

Yuan Hao's personal guards then brought the news.

Yang Yu had thirty-seven commanders under his command. Their hearts and internal organs were cut out and boiled in boiling water, and the soldiers then divided and ate them.

Even in death, they cannot leave behind a complete corpse.

Yang Yu will definitely hold a grudge against me.

"Damn it... That old bastard Xiao Yan has started to be wary of me too. Once I enter Luoyang, I'll find some help to get rid of Chen Qingzhi!"

"I'll just have to endure him for a few more days!"

PS: Hao led over three hundred men, including Chen Qingzhi and Hu Guang, to kneel before Hao's tent and plead... Thereupon, he beheaded thirty-seven of Yu's commanders, ordering the Shu soldiers to cut open their bellies and eat their hearts. (From the Biography of Yang Yu in the Book of Wei)

(End of this chapter)