Chapter 239: How could Fu be called the Governor of the door?
On September 12th, the officers and soldiers stationed in the Huoshao shop finally ate the last grain of rice.
But people are like iron rice and steel. If you don’t eat one meal, you will feel hungry!
In desperation, everyone decided to kill the mules and horses to satisfy their hunger. After all, if they continued like this, they would starve to death if they were not killed by the bandit soldiers. Keeping these mules and horses would also be a benefit to the enemy, so it was better to have a few full meals first.
.
Although these mules, horses and war horses are the most important military resources, there is no other way at this moment. There are only more than 5,000 of them, so how can they stand out from the siege of tens of thousands of bandits? Just take it one day at a time.
This lasted for several days, but by the seventeenth day, not only had the mules and horses been eaten, but the gunpowder, lead, and bows and arrows necessary for defense had all been used up.
Waves of despair enveloped the entire Huo Shao shop inside and outside!
As a last resort, the officers and soldiers had no choice but to start slaughtering war horses for food. Not only were there not many war horses, but the common people could not eat them for several days. Moreover, by doing so, they were undoubtedly digging their own graves.
Once all the war horses are slaughtered by them, even if they want to break out, they may not have a chance. After all, infantry alone cannot escape from the iron hooves of the rogue cavalry.
At this moment, Fu Zonglong also knew that it was the critical moment when he had to break out of the encirclement.
This is not because he has changed his original intention and has become greedy for life, but because he does not want the more than 5,000 people under his command to just wait for death. Instead of being captured by the bandits in vain, it is better to fight to the death, or he can lead everyone
Rush to Xiangcheng.
Sure enough, at the second watch, he summoned all the generals to come to him to make arrangements for a breakout.
The number of officers and soldiers who were initially trapped in the fire shop was about six to seven thousand, but excluding the recent casualties, there were about five thousand more troops.
However, these more than 5,000 horses were almost all foot soldiers. Whether they were war horses or mules, they had eaten them all. In fact, even if those war horses had not been eaten, they had lost the strength to run and were completely unable to ride.
.
After some intense preparations, the officers and soldiers trapped in the fire shop finally broke out in three groups at midnight!
Fu Zonglong himself led the elite battalion in the middle. After they rushed out, they encountered two trenches dug by the bandits. Only a few bandits were stationed in the first trench. During the charge, although the officers and soldiers also suffered some casualties, they were not counted.
Difficult to flush.
But when they reached the second trench, there were more rebels. They intercepted and killed them fiercely. The officers and soldiers were obviously no match for them due to hunger and fatigue, so they finally broke up here.
Some of them gave up resistance on the spot and knelt down to beg for surrender, while others were either killed on the spot or fled in all directions.
The battlefield was full of bandits shouting: "Capture Fu Zonglong alive! Don't kill the Shaanxi soldiers, just capture Fu Zonglong!"
The two thousand men and horses led by Fu Zonglong are all the elite of his standard battalion. They usually eat a lot, and they are still quite capable at this moment.
All the generals in the Qibiao camp were also his trusted confidants and were very loyal to him. At this moment, everyone was fleeing for their lives with him, fighting and leaving, but the number of men and horses was getting smaller and smaller as the battle continued.
Under the protection of a small number of servants and soldiers, Fu Zonglong, the governor of the three sides, constantly avoided the chasing and intercepting bandits, and only chose places where there were no sounds of people, no figures, and no light of fire to escape.
When the sky was getting brighter, the distance from the fire shop was getting further and further away. Not only was the sound of killing gradually becoming less and less audible, but even the firelight gradually faded out of people's sight.
Fu Zonglong was already exhausted and hungry at this time. After all, running away on two legs was not an ordinary fatigue, let alone running wildly in fear.
They simply rested for a while in the wilderness and drank some cold water from the stream. They did not dare to delay further, so they dragged their tired bodies and continued to flee north.
Sure enough, not long after, I heard the sound of horse hooves hitting the ground behind me. It was obvious that the bandit pursuers were catching up again. The soldiers protected Fu Zonglong and went into the forest next to him, supporting him from left to right.
, and continued to flee towards Xiangcheng.
At noon, Fu Zonglong and other people finally escaped to a place eight miles away from Xiangcheng. Although they only ran more than ten miles in the middle of the night, they all
I feel so relieved that I will be safe if I go eight miles further.
That night, they stumbled and stumbled through the paths and forests, not daring to take the easy road. Now that Xiangcheng was in sight, everyone seemed to have forgotten their hunger and fatigue, and seemed to suddenly have some strength again.
.
After escaping all the way, Fu Zonglong, the governor of the three sides, had less than 200 people left with him. He looked at the shadow of the Xiangcheng tower in the distance in the north. Although he could not see it very clearly, he was convinced in his heart that it must be the city of Xiangcheng.
Gatehouse.
Looking at the shadow of the city tower in the north, the hope of life was once again ignited in everyone's hearts, but can the remaining eight miles of journey be completed?
Everyone has no idea about this!
Although Fu Zonglong was also exhausted to death and was very worried about whether he could escape to Xiangcheng safely, he was just like a mortal man who sees hope of life. At this moment, like everyone else, nothing could stop him from escaping.
Go to Xiangcheng.
But after running around in the middle of the night, everyone was hungry and thirsty. They found a small river, sat down to rest next to it, and drank some water to regain some strength.
Suddenly, from the direction of the road behind him, there were faint sounds of killing, and Fu Zonglong felt that his old bones were about to fall apart.
As the governor, every time he went out, he would either carry a fancy sedan chair or ride a tall horse. Never before did he run like this tonight with only two legs.
Now, although the opportunity to escape was right in front of him, he really couldn't walk anymore. He just said to everyone: "You all can escape individually, and leave me alone! Let me, with my old bones, serve for Your Majesty."
Sacrifice yourself."
His loyal servant Lu San helped Fu Zonglong and said to him: "Master, you must not die here. There are only a few miles away from Xiangcheng. Lu San will carry the master to Xiangcheng even if he carries him on his back."
Xiangcheng, we will be saved when we get to Xiangcheng!"
Fu Zonglong didn't really want to escape anymore, but he was hungry and tired and had no strength left, so how could he escape, so he made such nonsense to gain a good reputation after his death.
Now, seeing Lu San talking like this and the soldiers and servants around him trying to persuade him, he no longer insisted on staying.
Seeing that Fu Zonglong's expression had softened, Lu San hurriedly rushed forward to help him. There were also servants pushing him behind, and Fu Zonglong staggered forward as he ran forward.
The shouts of death behind them were getting closer and closer. They seemed to be behind the forest, and they seemed to be far away. However, no matter where the chasing bandits were, no one dared to stop for even a step.
Even though there were only more than eight miles away from Xiangcheng, they still did not dare to take the main road, for fear that the bandit cavalry would intercept them in front, so they just headed into the woods and mountains.
Perhaps the closer to Xiangcheng, the greater the hope of escape, and there were fewer and fewer people around Fu Zonglong. It seemed that they also had a premonition that the risk was still extremely high with Governor Fu, so they all scattered and fled.
Now, Fu Zonglong only has a few servants such as Lu San and less than ten soldiers left with him, and he lost one of his shoes while escaping, and now he even lost the other one in the woods.
!
He had lived his entire life in a dignified manner, but had he ever walked without shoes?
Fu Zonglong's two feet were bleeding. He was in unbearable pain and it was even more difficult to walk. Fortunately, his servant Lu San discovered this situation in time.
Although he himself was so hungry that he didn't have much strength, his legs were already weak and he was sweating all over, he still carried Fu Zonglong on his back. The other two servants were behind, gently supporting Fu Zonglong's body with both hands.
, to reduce Lu San’s burden.
When everyone was in distress, a group of people suddenly appeared not far ahead. Lu San couldn't help but turn pale with fright. But at this moment, it was too late to retreat back to the woods.
Everyone had no choice but to move forward. As they got closer, they could see clearly that the clothes and armor they wore seemed to be the officers and soldiers of the imperial court. On their uniforms, the word "Congratulations" could be faintly seen, and there was also a big "Congratulations" on the banner.
The word "congratulations".
"He Zhen! Master, we are saved, it's He Zhen's soldiers and horses!"
When the servant behind Fu Zonglong saw it, he was the first to cheer and shout out.
At this time, Fu Zonglong, the governor-general of the three sides, had also seen clearly that on the armor of the cavalry cavalry coming from the opposite side, there was indeed the word "congratulations" on the armor. Taking a closer look at the flag, it turned out that it was indeed the commander-in-chief congratulating Renlong.
He suddenly felt confused, as if he was in a dream. Although he was ecstatic in his heart, he was also afraid that this was his dream again, so he couldn't help blurting out: "I'm not dreaming..."
"It's not a dream, sir, it's not a dream, He Shuai is really here to save us!"
The domestic servant Lu San also saw the situation clearly and shouted with excitement. The dozen or so people in their group were all excited and felt extremely happy that they had been rescued.
But after all, Fu Zonglong was the governor appointed by the emperor. Even if he was a little less capable, he was by no means a waste. He was so excited that he couldn't help but be filled with doubts: How could He Renlong's men meet him here by chance?
He even thought in his heart: Lu San was not repaying, He Renlong is now stationed in Shenqiu, how could He Zhen soldiers and horses suddenly appear in Xiangcheng?
Although he had all kinds of doubts in his heart, when Fu Zonglong could not judge the authenticity, he still chose to believe that He Renlong suddenly changed his mind and wanted to return to the Huoshao shop, and these were the outpost horses he sent.
But in his heart, he was still wary, unable to completely trust him, and he was still full of doubts and could not really rest assured.
At this moment, a junior high school rider rode up to meet Fu Zonglong. He rushed to Fu Zonglong, stepped in to salute, and reported loudly: "We are the men under the command of Commander He, and we have been specially ordered to welcome the Governor-General here!"
Fu Zonglong didn't have time to think about anything else and asked directly: "He Renlong, where is he now?"
The little principal immediately replied: "My commander-in-chief and Commander-in-Chief Li are leading the army and are coming from Shenqiu. Because they found out that the governor broke out from the fire shop last night, he sent me and five hundred cavalry to look for the governor first.
minister."
After saying this, he and several cavalrymen jumped off the horse and stepped forward to help Fu Zonglong onto the horse. However, Fu Zonglong was still doubtful at this moment and absolutely refused to get on the horse.
Just when he hesitated, the pursuers behind him seemed to be getting closer, and the shouts could be faintly heard: "Hurry, hurry up and chase... Fu Zonglong must not escape... Kill the officers and soldiers... We must capture Fu Zonglong alive!"
The principal seemed to have heard the cry of the bandit. There was a look of urgency on his face, and he couldn't help but help Fu Zonglong get on the horse. As he helped him, he said: "Master, hurry up and get on the horse. The bandit is nearby. Wan Wan
Don't delay any longer, lest you be surrounded by bandits, it will be difficult to stand out!"
Lu San was also advising from the side at this time: "Master, it's not too late, don't delay!"
At this time, another bearded general came riding towards him. He cupped his hands to Fu Zonglong and said: "Master Governor, my commander He will be arriving in Xiangcheng soon. Please go to Xiangcheng to rest quickly and don't delay here."
!」
After he finished speaking, he gave an order to the small school just now: "You lead two hundred people to cut off the rear. Once we and other escort governors have crossed the river, we will remove the bridge plank immediately. Don't let a wandering thief cross the river to pursue him!"
"yes."
Only then did Fu Zonglong dare to believe that the people who came to greet him were indeed the officers and soldiers of Hezhen.
Because, he heard that the accents of these people were very similar to the accents of He Renlong's hometown, Yan'an Prefecture, and seeing that they kept urging him to go to Xiangcheng, it didn't seem like there was any conspiracy.
His heart, which had been hanging ever since he broke out from the fire shop, calmed down at this moment, and he ran straight towards the south gate of Xiangcheng under the escort of all the cavalry.
However, when he was still about three miles away from the south pass of Xiangcheng, Fu Zonglong saw some clues, which made him once again have a suspicion about this Hezhen cavalry.
Although it had only been a few months since he was promoted to governor of Shaanxi, since he led his troops out of Tongguan, He Renlong and Li Guoqi had known most of the generals in the camp, and many of them had even spoken to them.
But why was there no familiar face among the people from Hezhen sent to greet him?
Logically speaking, He Renlong and Li Guoqi both have many side generals and side generals in their camps. No matter what, he shouldn't send a strange general who has never met him face to face to greet him?
Although Fu Zonglong was secretly suspicious in his heart, his face remained calm and he just replied quietly.
He looked for Lu San, but saw that Lu San was also winking at him.
At this moment, he suddenly understood completely.
It turned out that he was not the only one who was suspicious of this group of people. Lu San had also gone to Shen Qiu a few days ago, and now that he was even giving him a wink, it was all self-evident.
But Fu Zonglong was still wondering, if this group of troops were government troops, why did they pretend to be Hezhen troops?
If they weren't officers and soldiers, they were really protecting me and rushing to Xiangcheng, but why?
At that moment, he spoke to the general who came to greet him and asked, "Who are you? Why have I never seen you in the Hezhen camp before?"
Hearing this, the general cupped his hands and replied: "Please don't be suspicious, Commander-in-Chief. There are many generals under Commander He's command. I am just a small commander. The Governor has never seen him before, so it is normal. There is no need to ask any more questions now. Just follow me and escape for your life."
When I entered Xiangcheng and saw He Shuai, I naturally understood."
When Fu Zonglong heard this, he became even more suspicious. He couldn't help but glared angrily and asked, "Who are you? What's the purpose of kidnapping me to go to Xiangcheng!"
The general suddenly slowed down his horse, showed his yellow teeth, and said, "To tell you the truth, I am Liu Tichun, the general under King Chuang."
After Liu Tichun finished speaking, he raised his whip, pointed at the bearded thief general just now, and said to Fu Zonglong: "That's General Tong Shoushan under King Chuang over there."
Although Fu Zonglong had doubts in his mind, he was surprised when he confirmed it himself, but immediately shouted majestically: "Since you are a thief, why don't you kill me?"
"Hahaha……"
But Liu Tichun laughed and said, "King Chuang has an order. As long as you open the south gate of Xiangcheng, I will spare your life."
Fu Zonglong instantly understood that the bandits did not want to kill him for the time being because they wanted him to become the "Governor of the Gate"!
He stopped talking, but secretly thought about how to deal with it when he arrived at the South Pass of Xiangcheng. This chapter has been completed!