GBP Chapter 639 A plan within a plan
Chapter 639 A plan within a plan
Together, they interrogated the few surviving spies.
At first they were all very tough, but after a few rounds of torture, some of them could not bear it anymore and just wanted to die quickly.
Unfortunately, what they knew was limited. They only knew that the main force of the army was no longer near Jizhou, but they had no idea where they had gone.
Deng Lao Er seemed to know more, but he refused to say anything. No amount of torture would help. If he were tortured again, he would probably be dead.
Zhao Renzhi thought for a moment and said, "There are still many prisoners outside the tent. Let's ask the higher-ranking generals. Maybe they can give us some clues."
"This is the only way," Liu Sanlang replied in a deep voice.
The generals who have stayed in the north for a long time and have survived countless wars, big and small, with Bai Chao are all tough guys, and torture alone is useless.
Zhao Renzhi quickly discovered this problem.
He was even more convinced that the enemy troops he had encountered before were just cannon fodder to deceive the public. The purpose was to make them relax their vigilance and lure them into the game.
The team he encountered today was just like the strength and behavior of the Baichao people that he had known during their previous battles.
Even if you can't win, you have to drag a few more people down with you.
Since torture didn't work, Zhao Renzhi turned to bribery.
Interrogate separately and defeat them one by one!
Zhao Renzhi was able to mix into the court as a son-in-law, and he was doing well, so he was naturally good at speaking. Under his instigation, it was not until the morning of the second day that one of the people finally gave in and said that most of the main forces had gone to ambush near Pingxiang.
The more detailed deployment is unclear.
At this time, the battlefield outside had been almost cleaned up.
After Zhao Renzhi and Liu Sanlang discussed it, they ordered the firemen to prepare two days' worth of dry food and then prepared to rush back to provide support.
According to the secret letter sent by Yang Zhong earlier, the army should have almost reached Handan.
Without further ado, the two men set out with their troops overnight.
Little did they know that this was actually just a beautiful misunderstanding. How could the superiors’ real decision be easily known to their subordinates?
This is just a deliberate smokescreen!
At this time, Bai Chao was leading his men through Wuqiao, entering Shandong from Dezhou, and then heading west along the Yellow River, heading straight to Kaifeng.
Kaifeng is the base camp of the front line and also a transit hub for grain and grass. Now that the main force is heading north, the rear camp is empty.
So Bai Chao prepared to use the strategy of besieging Wei to save Zhao.
As long as Kaifeng is occupied and the army's food and grass supplies are cut off, and there are Tatars in the direction of the capital, the northern army will be of no use.
If God has eyes, I'm afraid he can give me a helping hand.
He had a good idea and took into account everything possible and impossible.
Unexpectedly, it started to rain continuously as soon as we arrived in Yanggu County.
Marching in the rain is very difficult, whether it is for people, horses, or food.
One of his subordinates wondered, "Why did the rainy season arrive half a month earlier this year? What should we do? My Lord, how about we retreat to Guan County? The terrain there is high and we won't be afraid of flooding."
"Yes, if this continues, we are afraid that the Yellow River will flood. Since the founding of the previous dynasty, the river channels in Heze, Liaocheng, Jining and other places in Shandong have been fluctuating and flooding for a long time. If we are unlucky and encounter it, this..." another person continued.
The unspoken meaning is very clear. If we are unlucky, we may suffer heavy casualties and even the entire army may be wiped out.
What the two aides said was actually very pertinent, and Bai Chao knew it well.
He had hoped to reach the vicinity of Kaifeng before the rainy season. If there were continuous heavy rains and the riverbanks overflowed, he could take the opportunity to catch them all in one swoop.
Unexpectedly, I encountered this situation first.
He didn't believe in fate before, but now he believes in it more and more. He can feel that his luck is coming to an end, and he is afraid that he will not have a good ending in the end.
Thinking of this, Bai Chao wiped the rain off his face, smiled, and said, "That's right. No matter what, we can't die in such a miserable way. Let's retreat to Guan County for the time being."
The man who had not finished speaking just now couldn't help but feel relieved when he heard this. He was really afraid that Bai Chao would insist on his own way.
To be honest, he is a little regretful now. He followed Bai Chao for the past few years and wanted to do something big, and re-enact the story of "Are there any kings, princes, generals, or ministers who are born with different species?" However, he didn't expect that he would become more and more cowardly day by day.
This is very different from what he originally thought.
Moreover, Bai Chao has an unpredictable temperament, is irritable and easily angered, and uses cruel methods. He is definitely not a wise leader.
He also wanted to find a way out for himself.
If Zhang Ping'an were here, he would recognize at a glance that this aide was Li Mingxuan, his former neighbor in the county town.
The encounters in life are truly amazing. After so many twists and turns, the two of them are so close to each other now!
Although he had already thought of giving up, he still did it for the sake of his own life.
Li Mingxuan still tried his best to persuade them: "My Lord, Guan County is very close to Guangping and Daming Prefecture. We previously released some false news in order to contain their main force. I don't know if they fell into our trap.
In my opinion, once we get near Guan County, we can send out some capable spies to track their movements. If we get close, we might be able to engage them head-on. Keeping retreating isn't a good idea, and a victory would boost morale."
"I know what's going on," Bai Chao said coldly after glancing at his left and right aides.
Then he took the lead and turned the reins, heading towards Guan County.
At this time, Zhao Renzhi and Liu Sanlang had already led their troops to the vicinity of Pingxiang, but they did not find the main forces of both sides.
It was so quiet all around that one could not help but feel uneasy.
"Is this fake news?" Liu Sanlang asked doubtfully.
"Even if it's fake news, our main force should have arrived near Pingxiang," Zhao Renzhi was also a little puzzled.
Thinking of this, he immediately ordered his men to bring the captive up and shouted coldly, "Tell me, what's going on?"
The captive who gave the information was naturally even more unaware and cried out in injustice.
Zhao Renzhi didn't think twice and stabbed them to death one by one with a sword in the throat. Then he looked at Deng Laoer who was kneeling at the end. He was the first to speak out.
"This general has limited patience. Tell the truth and I might spare your life. Otherwise, he will be your fate. Speak!"
Deng Laoer trembled and was speechless. He wanted to protest his injustice, but after seeing what happened just now, he knew that it was useless to protest.
After losing his initial courage to die, he now slowly starts to want to live again.
Staring at him from all sides, Deng Lao Er pondered for a moment before looking up and replying, "Generals, I overheard one of our battalion's deputy commanders discussing matters with his subordinates. It's absolutely true! But perhaps something has suddenly changed. We can't be sure of the decisions of those above us."
"Are you serious?" Zhao Renzhi confirmed again.
"Really, it's true!" Deng Lao Er nodded repeatedly.
The response he received was the same treatment as the others just now. Looking at the long sword piercing his throat, he felt that he would die with his eyes open.
The last words I heard before closing my eyes were: "Useless people don't need to live in this world!"