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Chapter 691: Multi-pronged Attack

At the very moment Bai Mao led his troops to attack Qinzhou and Wuxiang, other forces were also on the move.

Shi Jian's unit, guarding the Dragon Gate Yellow River Bridge, received notification from the Heavenly Lord. Shi Jian immediately mustered a thousand men and began their eastward march.

Old Nanfeng and the veterans of the Guyuan border army, stationed in Puzhou, commenced their northward journey.

Xing Honglang's forces, positioned in Hedong City, constituted Gao Family Village's main contingent. They left a thousand men to guard the Hedong Circuit, while dispatching another three thousand. Xing Honglang and Cheng Xu each commanded fifteen hundred, setting off on two separate routes. Xing Honglang’s division headed north, while Cheng Xu's contingent first moved east to Jincheng, then turned north to rendezvous with Li Daoxuan.

The various strongholds Gao Family Village had cultivated over the years simultaneously sent out their armies, casting a wide net.

The Sichuan White Pole Soldiers were marching with remarkable speed.

They pressed forward rapidly, traversing several prefectures and counties, until they reached Lu'an Prefecture.

Lu'an Prefecture, now known as Changzhi City, boasted formidable walls and an imposing structure. A thousand garrison soldiers, along with tens of thousands of citizens, held fast behind the sturdy defenses, managing to repel the bandits. However, the counties, towns, and villages outside Lu'an Prefecture had already been ravaged and left desolate by the marauding rebels.

When Zhang Fengyi led her army to the city gates, she did not enter. Instead, she looked up at the defenders on the wall and inquired, "Where are the rebel forces now?"

The garrison soldiers on the wall were at a loss for words, merely shaking their heads vigorously. "The rebels attacked Lu'an Prefecture once but failed to breach it. They then turned north towards Qinzhou and Wuxiang. We haven't dared to send out scouts beyond the city, so we have no idea where they've gone, nor do we know the situation outside the walls."

Zhang Fengyi was furious. "You dare not even send out scouts? How cowardly!"

The garrison soldiers, feeling wronged, replied, "We have no warhorses. Ordinary carts and mounts are of no use!"

Zhang Fengyi was left speechless.

Li Daoxuan sighed softly. "These garrison soldiers are essentially just peasants conscripted by the court. We shouldn't expect too much from them."

Zhang Fengyi considered this carefully. He had a point, she thought, and let out a sigh.

Qinzhou was still over a hundred li away, and she had no desire to waste time here. She spurred her horse and continued north.

However, from this point on, Li Daoxuan knew: the path ahead was no longer safe.

Who knew where Houjia Village might appear?

Li Daoxuan had been invited by Zhang Fengyi to act as her military advisor, so he naturally needed to offer advice befitting that role. "General Zhang, from here northwards lies territory rampant with rebels. We should send out our scouts, and let them range as far as possible."

Zhang Fengyi nodded. "Yes, that is only proper."

She immediately dispatched several scouts, sending them far ahead.

Li Daoxuan mused to himself: The White Pole Soldiers were renowned elite troops in the late Ming Dynasty, and Zhang Fengyi was a general recorded in history. Basic operations like deploying scouts to reconnoiter enemy movements should be well within her capabilities, even without my reminder. Therefore, the battle at Houjia Village shouldn't have been a simple ambush due to undiscovered enemy forces. How could a general like her, commanding such a formidable force as the White Pole Soldiers, be surrounded by rebels? It seemed utterly baffling. I must pay close attention to every detail.

He shifted his perspective, checking on the Gao Family Village forces. Bai Mao's army was the fastest, now just over a hundred li away. Shi Jian's unit was next, about one hundred fifty li distant. Xing Honglang, Cheng Xu, and Old Nanfeng's three divisions were still more than two hundred li away.

Support would still take time to arrive.

Li Daoxuan longed to tell Zhang Fengyi to slow her advance, but seeing her eager, almost frantic, desire to aid Qinzhou and Wuxi, he knew anyone would be future. He decided against it.

The main army continued north, covering over forty li that day.

Whenever they encountered local villagers along the way, Li Daoxuan would stop them, give them a small piece of silver, and ask if there was a place called Houjia Village nearby.

Fortunately, after asking around, he heard no mention of Houjia Village.

That evening, a scout suddenly returned, reporting that a rebel force was plundering Tunliu County ahead. Zhang Fengyi, without a word, led her troops to attack. The rebels flew a large banner bearing three characters: "The Diamond." It was a name Li Daoxuan had never heard before. As soon as the White Pole Soldiers charged, the rebel force immediately crumbled, scattering in all directions.

After the White Pole Soldiers captured the county town, they discovered countless civilian corpses and burned-out houses everywhere. This scene, though witnessed innumerable times, still brought a deep sorrow.

Zhang Fengyi was even more unwilling to delay. She simply wanted to eliminate the rebels as quickly as possible. After resting for a night in the desolate Tunliu County, she led her army further north early the next morning—

Qinzhou City had already fallen.

Wang Ziyong's army, led by Zijing Liang, was now encamped in Qinzhou City, while another rebel faction, the West Camp Eight Great Kings (Zhang Xianzhong), was plundering in nearby Wuxiang.

After the battle at Huaiqing Prefecture, the rebels realized that gathering two hundred thousand men in one place led to food shortages. They had, therefore, followed Li Zicheng's advice to disperse once more, each plundering their own territories.

Wang Ziyong had just extracted the grain from Qinzhou City's official granary, making a substantial profit. He was feeling quite pleased.

Suddenly, a subordinate reported, "Boss, 'The Diamond' was plundering Tunliu County when he was attacked by the Sichuan White Pole Soldiers. They suffered heavy casualties and just barely escaped back here."

Wang Ziyong grumbled, "Tsk, the White Pole Soldiers again. These White Pole Soldiers are truly annoying. Puxian, Daning... they're chasing us all over Shanxi; it's utterly exasperating."

Unexpectedly, not long after, another subordinate rushed in. "Boss, 'Azure Wolf' was plundering Guojia Village north of Tunliu when he was ambushed by the Sichuan White Pole Soldiers. He suffered heavy losses. 'Azure Wolf' just barely escaped back, with two arrow wounds."

Wang Ziyong exclaimed, "What? The White Pole Soldiers again?"

Before he could even get angry, yet another subordinate ran in. "Boss, 'Cloud Hand' was attacked by the White Pole Soldiers in Zhenggou Village and was thoroughly defeated. 'Cloud Hand' only managed to escape with eighty or so brothers; all the other subordinates vanished without a trace."

Wang Ziyong hissed in surprise. "The White Pole Soldiers are that formidable?"

A rather shrewd chieftain named Leaping Ravine emerged from the side and whispered, "Boss, while the Sichuan White Pole Soldiers are formidable, their numbers are not large. They've also split into two divisions. One, led by Ma Xianglin, has already returned to Sichuan. The unit still in Shanxi should just be a detachment led by Zhang Fengyi, with a total strength of only a thousand men."

Wang Ziyong furrowed his brow. "So, they are easy to deal with?"

Leaping Ravine affirmed, "Precisely! No matter how strong the White Pole Soldiers are, they are only a thousand strong. If we gather more of our brothers, set up a formation, and confront them head-on, they are no match for us."

"Good," Wang Ziyong declared loudly. "Summon my main force. We will march south to meet the Sichuan White Pole Soldiers. I want to see what tricks General Zhang Fengyi can play with a mere thousand men!"