The Red Mansions

Chapter 1614 Xie Zaiyi: Gao Cheng has been executed, those who surrender will be spared!

Chapter 1614 Xie Zaiyi: ...Gao Cheng has been executed, those who surrender will be spared!

The next day, just after daybreak, the officers and soldiers of the Beijing camp started cooking and made intensive preparations for the upcoming siege.

Shu, Jianmen Pass

In early autumn, the morning breeze with a hint of moisture blows in your face, which is extremely cool. The trees on both sides of the mountain path sway in the wind, and their shadows are dim in the forest. Occasionally, one or two birds fly towards the sky with a "cackle" sound.

Tens of thousands of Han troops from the Beijing camp were rapidly approaching the towering city wall. The sound of horses' hooves and the roar of men and horses could be heard.

"Dong dong..."

The drum beats were as dense as raindrops and as loud as a sudden storm.

At this time, looking down from the misty sky, one could see teams of cavalry soldiers from the Beijing Camp carrying wooden ladders, rushing to the city like a tide.

"Rumble..."

The imperial court's red cannons rumbled as they bombarded the towering Jianmen Pass. Smoke billowed, and bricks, tiles, and wooden beams could be seen shaking, with smoke and dust rising in the air.

The Han army soldiers in the Beijing camp gathered around the city wall, holding bows and crossbows, and shot black arrows continuously towards the city wall.

"Pfft..."

As the sounds of arrows piercing flesh rang out one after another, the officers and soldiers of the Shu army let out continuous screams, and on the towering city walls, the flags were fluttering in the wind.

The intensity of the Beijing camp's siege this time was obviously more fierce than before.

Inside the city wall, after receiving Xie Zaiyi's promise, the chieftains and generals of Sichuan felt reassured and began to actively dispatch troops and secretly respond to matters outside.

Inside the city walls, the government office——

Gao Cheng was wearing a black iron armor and sitting on a small lacquered wooden table beside him. A blue and white porcelain teacup was emitting steam. His resolute and calm face was full of solemnity.

Outside the city, Gao Cheng heard the sound of drums that sounded like thunder, and at the moment he was hesitating about one thing.

That is, should we withdraw from Guancheng immediately?

It was obvious that Jianmen Pass could no longer be defended, but if they were to withdraw, where could they go? Chengdu had already fallen into the hands of the Han army, and they were homeless.

"Brother, it's bad. The Han army is attacking the city in a large scale." Gao Bo looked extremely panicked. He took a few quick steps, entered the government office, and spoke.

Chen Yuan looked solemn, with worry in his eyes. He said in a deep voice, "Brother Gao, the imperial court's attack this time is even more fierce. Can we still hold on?"

Chen Ran shook his head, but a thick layer of haze covered his heart.

Gao Cheng raised his eyebrows, turned his eyes to look at Chen Yuan, his eyes were scorching, and said in a deep voice: "We have to defend it even if we can't. There is no way out for you and me."

As he spoke, he glanced at the officers and soldiers sitting in the hall and shouted, "Come on, follow me to the top of the city wall to help defend it!"

As soon as he finished speaking, in the huge government hall, one could hear his trusted generals responding in unison. At this moment, they rushed towards the city wall to help defend the city.

Seeing this, Chen Yuan, King of Wei Chen Ran, and King of Liang Chen Wei decided not to just sit and wait in the government hall, so they went up to the city gate tower to check the defense situation under the city gate.

On the city gate tower, the officers and soldiers of the Shu army who were guarding the city, holding their shining goose-feather swords, were fighting with the officers and soldiers of the Beijing camp who had climbed up the city gate tower.

The soldiers of the Beijing camp, holding a goose-feather knife, fought with the officers and soldiers of the Shu army on the city wall. Accompanied by the sound of "clang clang", the officers and soldiers of the Shu army and the imperial Han army engaged in a fierce battle.

The officers and soldiers of the Shu army held bows and crossbows and shot continuously at the officers and soldiers of the Beijing camp below.

Gao Bo's eyes were deep and his face was as solemn as iron. He looked at Gao Cheng beside him with a look of worry in his eyes. He said loudly: "Brother, Guancheng can't hold them back anymore."

Gao Cheng pondered for a moment, a gloomy look appeared on his face, and he said in a deep voice: "Don't panic! Jianmen Pass is in a steep terrain, and our army is well-trained and well-fed. It is not that easy to break through."

Even as he was thinking this, the offensive of the Han army from the Beijing camp below became more and more rapid, as they climbed up the city walls using grappling hooks, ropes and ladders.

At this moment, bursts of shouting and killing sounds came from behind Gao Cheng, and they actually came from inside the city.

"General, something terrible has happened. The chieftain's people have rebelled!" A young officer with a dark face and wearing a maroon armor trotted up to the second floor of the city gate tower and reported to Gao Cheng.

When Gao Cheng heard this, his expression suddenly changed and he was frightened to the extreme.

Gao Cheng looked back and took a breath.

The Sichuan chieftains' soldiers, whose armor and clothing were obviously different from those of the Shu army, rushed over from several streets of the city and stabbed the Shu army officers and soldiers in the back.

The Shu army was attacked from both sides and fell into chaos in an instant.

The defection of the chieftains and foreign generals was undoubtedly the last straw that broke the camel's back, and at this moment, it dealt a heavy blow to the Shu army.

At this moment, the officers and soldiers of the Shu army could no longer withstand the fighting between the chieftains and the foreign generals. They shouted together and fled in all directions.

Chen Yuan's expression also did not look very good, and he felt a little anxious.

The officers and soldiers of the Beijing camp climbed up the wooden ladders towards the city wall, and soon they had a firm foothold on the wall.

Gao Cheng was wearing a black and red iron armor, holding his sword tightly, standing on the towering and high city wall. His resolute and calm face looked extremely solemn.

With Gao Cheng's many years of experience in leading troops, he naturally felt the ominous feeling of a crushing defeat.

Seeing this, Chen Yuan exchanged glances with Ruan Yongde, then stepped forward, stared at Gao Cheng, and said, "Brother Gao, I still have some soldiers under my command. We will go and suppress the chieftain and the foreign generals."

Chen Yuan clearly saw that the situation was not good and was ready to escape.

Gao Cheng pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice: "King Zhao, it is impossible to do anything now. If we withdraw our troops, we should withdraw them all at once. Otherwise, no one will be able to escape!"

In fact, even if you want to escape, it is difficult to get out of the city under such internal and external difficulties.

"Rumble..."

The artillery fire from the Imperial Army in the capital became increasingly fierce, wreaking havoc on the city wall, but because the Jianmen Pass was so steep and majestic, it did not cause major damage.

The shouts of killing resounded through the sky and echoed through the mountains and forests. The officers and soldiers of the Imperial Army rushed to the top of the city walls in a black mass and fought fiercely with the officers and soldiers of the Shu Army who were defending the city.

"Brothers, we can't work for the Gao family anymore. Brothers, open the city gates and welcome the imperial army into the city!"

At this moment, along with the roars of the generals and soldiers below, it was clear that there was an insider response among the officers and soldiers of the Shu army, who suddenly opened the tightly closed city gate.

Amidst the heavy "creaking" sounds, the Han army officers and soldiers of the Beijing camp poured into the city gate like a tide and fought against the resisting Shu army officers and soldiers.

Gao Cheng was horrified, knowing that the situation was hopeless, and shouted to the soldiers and officers around him: "Everyone, fight your way out of Jianmen Pass together!"

When Chen Yuan saw this scene, his face became as solemn as iron, and he already had a bad feeling.

it's over...

King Chen Ran of Wei and King Chen Wei of Liang looked at each other and saw the dangerous situation of a crushing defeat on each other's faces.

Chen Yuan, King of Wei Chen Ran, and King of Liang Chen Wei, accompanied by a group of personal guards, hurried down the city gate tower.

The situation was hopeless and everyone could only escape.

Once Gao Cheng, Chen Yuan and others fled, the resistance in the city wall weakened.

Looking down from a high altitude, one can see that under the entire winding and undulating city wall, the officers and soldiers of the Shu army were retreating step by step under the fighting of the imperial court’s Beijing camp.

After a short while, officers and soldiers of the Beijing camp could be seen rushing into the city walls from above and below, driving out the officers of the Shu army.

"Whoever surrenders will avoid death!"

At this time, a large number of officers and soldiers from the Beijing camp shouted in unison. For a moment, the voices were deafening and heart-stirring.

"Dang Cang..."

As the sound of weapons being thrown to the ground rang out, some Shu army soldiers who were unwilling to fight threw down their weapons and surrendered.

Xie Zaiyi led a group of officers and soldiers and charged into the city wall, shouting loudly: "Don't let Gao Cheng and Chen Yuan escape!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the officers and soldiers of the Beijing camp shouted in unison, with a huge momentum.

For a moment, an echo seemed to be heard in the lush and dense forest, startling the birds and causing them to flutter in all directions and fly towards the mountains.

At this moment, Gao Cheng fled in panic, accompanied by a group of personal guards, towards the Jinniu Road in the southwest of Guancheng. However, he did not go far before he saw a large group of soldiers blocking his way ahead.

The leader was none other than the Sichuan chieftain general.

Gao Cheng raised his eyes to look at the newcomer, his bloodstained face as if covered with frost. He said in a deep voice: "Yang Pu, are you really going to betray your loyalty and be willing to be a running dog for the imperial court?!"

Yang Pu said in a deep voice: "Brother Gao, please forgive me. Our tribe has lived in western Sichuan for generations. The lives of tens of thousands of people must not be buried with the Gao family!"

As he spoke, he waved his hand violently, and a group of local chieftains and foreign soldiers behind him, as ferocious as wolves and tigers, rushed towards the Shu army behind Gao Cheng.

Gao Cheng clenched the steel knife in his hand, the blade as sharp as water, and chopped at the chieftains and foreign soldiers who were surrounding him from all directions. The sword flashed and slashed away, and all the officers and soldiers of the Shu army became their souls under the sword.

When Yang Pu saw this scene, a cold and frosty look surged on his face. Holding a shining steel knife, he attacked Gao Cheng.

Gao Cheng snorted coldly, urged his horse to move, and rushed towards Yang Pu with a knife in hand.

Yang Pu's rough face was filled with ferocious anger. Holding two steel maces in his hands, he rushed towards Gao Cheng to kill him.

The combat power of both sides is almost the same, and it is difficult to distinguish them for a while.

Therefore, seeing that Yang Pu was unable to defeat Gao Cheng for the time being, several foreign generals and chieftains also came over with their weapons in hand to help Yang Pu.

At this moment, Gao Bo also led his soldiers to come to help and fought with the foreign generals.

At this moment, the chieftain's foreign generals intercepted and killed Gao Bo and others, and the foreign soldiers also fought against Gao's personal guards. The weapons of both sides "ping pong pong", occasionally accompanied by the soldiers' shrill screams.

……

……

On the other side, Chen Yuan's gloomy face showed worry. At this moment, under the protection of Ruan Yongde, he fought and retreated.

But the foreign generals and soldiers who gathered around him formed three layers inside and three layers outside, blocking Chen Yuan's way to escape without letting in any wind or rain.

Just at this time, as the city gates of Guancheng were wide open, Xie Zaiyi, accompanied by a group of officers and soldiers from the Beijing camp, entered Guancheng. Behind him, a large number of officers and soldiers from the Beijing camp surrounded and killed the Shu army soldiers who were still resisting, hoping to achieve meritorious service.

But in fact, there were not many officers and soldiers of the Shu army who resisted with swords along the way. Because of the crushing defeat, the officers and soldiers of the Shu army fled in all directions.

"Duke Liao, look over there." At this moment, a middle-aged officer with an eager look on his face said beside Xie Zaiyi.

Xie Zaiyi looked in the direction that the middle-aged officer pointed, and saw Chen Yuan and Ruan Yongde on a narrow mountain road, holding the reins in their hands, looking panic-stricken, and trying to escape.

"It's Chen Yuan!"

Xie Zaiyi recognized the man, snorted coldly, and shouted in a deep voice: "I will go and capture this beast!"

While Xie Zaiyi was speaking, he raised a long iron sword from his waist, pulled the reins as thick as his fingers, drove the horse, and charged towards Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan was fleeing westwards along the main road of Guancheng. He was blocked by foreign generals and soldiers on the way. He became impatient and killed a foreign soldier with his saber.

At this moment, Chen Yuan suddenly felt an indescribable chill coming from his back. When he raised his eyes, he met a pair of murderous eyes.

It seemed like a bolt of lightning. The horse under Xie Zaiyi's crotch almost became a flash of lightning at this moment, approaching Chen Yuan.

Then, he grasped a long knife in his hand and chopped it down at Chen Yuan's head. The knife light was like a sudden appearance, unparalleled elegance.

The years of war and expeditions have enabled Xie Zaiyi to hone his martial arts to the highest level.

Wherever the blade goes, it carries with it a murderous aura; facing it head on, the awe-inspiring momentum alone is almost suffocating.

When Ruan Yongde saw this, he was shocked and rushed forward to fight back.

The long sword in his hand flashed brightly and he attacked immediately.

"clang……"

The long swords clashed, and sparks could be seen flying amidst the sharp and piercing sounds. Ruan Yongde's body shook violently, and a look of fear seemed to appear on his rough face.

How could this person be so brave?

Xie Zaiyi snorted coldly, and amidst bursts of hoarse roars, he swung the long sword in his hand so hard that the wind and rain could not penetrate it, and slashed towards Ruan Yongde in mid-air.

Ruan Yongde's expression paused slightly, and he attacked again and again with the long sword in his hand, but it was difficult to defend against it.

In a short while, Ruan Yongde was exhausted under Xie Zaiyi's endless sword force.

Xie Zaiyi swung his sword, the blade was as sharp as clear water, and rushed towards Ruan Yongde to fight.

How could Ruan Yongde be a match for Xie Zaiyi? He was entangled by the blade and was caught off guard for a moment. He saw the blade flash by like a startled wild goose. He was frightened and quickly dodged to the side.

The man on the horse stiffened for a moment, but he didn't dodge, and then he felt a pain in his neck.

Immediately, his consciousness fell into endless darkness, and he fell off his horse with a plop, and died on the spot.

Chen Yuan, who was wielding a knife to kill foreign soldiers, saw this scene and felt his eyes go dark and his heart was torn apart. He cried out in a lost voice: "Yongde."

Ruan Yongde had been loyal to Chen Yuan over the years and had worked hard to help him take the throne. Now that Ruan Yongde was beheaded by Xie Zaiyi, one can imagine how sad and resentful Chen Yuan felt.

When Chen Yuan raised his eyes, he stared at Xie Zaiyi with wide eyes, his heart was boiling with murderous intent, and his face was full of anger. He swung the long knife in his hand towards Xie Zaiyi and shouted angrily: "Give me your life!"

"Dangdang..."

The two sides fought with swords drawn, and a brutal fight ensued like a revolving lantern.

Chen Yuan also had some kung fu skills. After fighting with Xie Zaiyi for about a dozen rounds, he knew he was no match for him and turned his horse to escape.

Xie Zaiyi's eyes were gleaming with a fierce light. He immediately kicked the horse's belly. With a "gig" sound, the black-maned horse under his crotch snorted loudly. The long knife in his hand flashed a fierce light in the air and slashed towards Chen Yuan's neck.

Chen Yuan's mind trembled inexplicably, but he did not show any weakness and continued to attack with the long sword in his hand.

Chen Ran and Chen Wei were also in the chaos, charging back and forth. Both of them were skilled in archery and horse riding since childhood. Although they were not as good as the generals in the army, they were not much different from ordinary soldiers.

At this moment, the two were fighting back and forth on the narrow and chaotic mountain road.

At this moment, Chen Ran and Chen Wei were surrounded.

Suddenly, a foreign general, with quick eyes and hands, swung at the horse's legs with a scimitar in his hand.

"Pfft..."

With a terrible neigh from the horse, the warhorse under the crotch of King Wei Chen Ran had its front hooves chopped off and suddenly fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

Chen Ran was startled and fell off his horse. The back of his head hit a sharp stone on the ground. He felt a black screen in front of his eyes and a dizzy feeling came from all directions.

At this moment, the chestnut horse beside him suddenly raised its hooves and stepped on Chen Ran's chest again.

When Liang Wang Chen Wei saw Chen Ran being trampled on the chest by a horse, his eyes almost popped out and he shouted, "Brother Wei Wang!"

However, it was too late. King Wei Chen Ran was trampled on the chest by the horse, and with a "crack", King Wei Chen Ran's sternum was broken.

King Wei Chen Ran opened his eyes and looked straight at the boundless blue sky. The kaleidoscope of life played back before his eyes.

There was the innocence of being a prince in his childhood, the joy of playing with his brothers and sisters in his youth, and the joy of the wedding night when he opened his mansion. Finally, the scene in the Hanyuan Palace, the confrontation with Emperor Chongping and his son...

Father, I, your son, would like to apologize to you even in the depths of heaven.

On September 13, the first year of Jianxing, King Chen Ran of Wei died in the chaos of war at the age of 25.

The personal guard of Liang Wang Chen Wei said loudly: "Your Highness Liang Wang, we can't stay here for long. Let's go, leave quickly!"

At this moment, a group of foreign generals gathered forward, looking murderous, and it was clear that they also wanted to completely capture Liang Wang Chen Wei.

Chen Wei was already in tears, but he forced himself to suppress the grief in his heart and, with the desperate protection of his personal guards, he fled towards a mountain path nearby.

The fight between Xie Zaiyi and Chen Yuan was decided after more than ten rounds. The long sword in his hand was wielded with great force, almost impervious to wind and rain.

Chen Yuan was not careful, and suddenly saw a big knife flashing in front of him. The blade was shining brightly, and then, he was so frightened that he fell to the ground from his horse with a "thump".

"Come here, tie him up! Take him to the capital to be executed." Xie Zaiyi said loudly while sitting on his horse.

At this moment, several officers and soldiers from the Beijing camp rushed forward and pinned the pale-faced Chen Yuan to the ground.

Chen Yuan was in a state of dismay, struggling violently, his eyes filled with fear, but after a while, he calmed himself down.

In other words, Chen Yuan became disheartened after years of unsuccessful planning, and after Jianmen Pass was breached, his last glimmer of hope was completely extinguished.

At this moment, Xie Zaiyi cast his sharp eyes towards the Gao brothers who were fighting with the foreign generals fifty steps away.

At this moment, the chieftains and foreign soldiers filled the entire Jinniu Road, blocking the escape route of the brothers Gao Cheng and Gao Bo to the west. In addition to the officers of the Shu army who had already surrendered, the Gao brothers did not have many loyal confidants left.

At this moment, Xie Zaiyi took off the crossbow on his back, nocked the arrow, and aimed the bow like a full moon at Gao Cheng who was being besieged by foreign generals.

"Whoosh..."

The arrow flew like a meteor, and the sound of it breaking through the air echoed throughout the world.

At this moment, Gao Cheng, who was fighting desperately with Yang Pu with a weapon in hand, suddenly felt a strong murderous intent locking onto him. He felt a chill on his back and subconsciously dodged to the side.

"Pfft..."

The arrow broke through the air and hit Gao Cheng's shoulder blade. The huge kinetic energy of the arrow caused Gao Cheng's body to shake violently, and he almost fell off his horse.

When Yang Pu saw this scene, a hint of ruthlessness appeared under his thick eyebrows, and he hit Gao Cheng's head hard with the two maces in his hands.

Gao Cheng was startled and felt a sharp pain, and then his eyes went dark.

On the other side, Gao Bo, who was under siege by the foreign generals, was horrified when he saw Gao Cheng dead. He shouted loudly, "Brother!"

At this moment, three or four foreign generals around came towards Gao Bo with swords and spears.

Gao Bo was in a state of mental uncertainty, so how could he care about anything else? Although he tried his best to block, it didn't take long before he felt a pain under his ribs. It was clearly a gun inserted into it.

"Pfft..."

The foreign general with triangular eyes and upturned nostrils suddenly pulled out his spear, bringing out a fountain of blood, and his face was filled with ferocious murderous intent.

Gao Bo's grip on the spear became increasingly difficult, and the aura of swords and weapons from all directions came upon him, with killing intent coming from all sides.

"Pfft!!!"

Gao Bo fell off his horse and died.

At this point, the eldest and second sons of the Gao family, who had participated in the rebellion in Shu, all died in the chaos!

Seeing this, Xie Zaiyi shouted in a voice as loud as thunder, almost deafening at this moment, "Listen, everyone! Gao Cheng has been executed. Those who surrender will be spared!"

Following Xie Zaiyi's solemn shout, some officers and soldiers of the Shu army threw away their swords and guns and surrendered to the court.

A hint of coldness could not help but appear on Xie Zaiyi's resolute and calm face.

At this moment, looking down from the sky, the resistance of the Shu army officers and soldiers was getting less and less, while a large number of Han troops from the Beijing camp poured into the city.

By the evening, the sounds of killing inside the city had ceased, and the troops from the Beijing camp had completely taken over the city.

At this moment, a lieutenant came running over and said to Xie Zaiyi, "Duke Liao, the remaining enemies in the city have been cleared out."

Xie Zaiyi immediately put away the long sword in his hand and asked loudly, "Where are the King of Wei and the King of Liang?"

A middle-aged officer with untidy beard, with a stern face and aggressive eyes, said: "Duke Liao, the King of Wei died in the chaos of the army, and the King of Liang escaped along the mountain road, and his officers are chasing him."

Upon hearing that the King of Wei had died in battle, Xie Zaiyi was stunned and said in a deep voice, "Embroider the King of Wei's body and head, send them to the capital, and send people to hunt down the King of Liang immediately!"

After the order was completed, Xie Zaiyi's face became serious and he said in a deep voice: "Come here, quickly enter the customs office."

Afterwards, a large number of officers and soldiers from the Beijing camp rushed into the city and took over the defense of the city.

At this point, we have reached Jianmen Pass!