Chapter 350 Ten Thousand Divine Soldiers, Defeating the Rebel Army (Part 1)

"Zhao Zilong, the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Guard of the Great Tang Dynasty, is here! You rebel generals, why don't you dismount and surrender immediately!"

Zhao Zilong's roar was like a thunderclap in the rebel army's ranks, causing tens of thousands of rebel soldiers to turn their gazes to him.

At this moment, on the battlefield of Jiapigou outside Juyongguan, a bizarre and shocking scene unfolded.

Zhao Zilong, clad in silver armor and wielding the Dragon Gallant Silver Spear, single-handedly charged past layers of rebel soldiers, reaching the heart of the enemy ranks and confronting the three main generals of the Youyun rebel army.

Alone on horseback, he faced tens of thousands of rebel soldiers without fear, appearing completely at ease.

Outside the rebel army were the imperial guards cavalry of the Tang Dynasty, constantly riding around on horseback, holding crossbows and steel swords, ready to strike.

Further away, on the city tower of Juyong Pass, Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an was closely watching every move on the battlefield with a monocular telescope, while Liu Ziyu, the general of the Youyun rebel army, was commanding from an even further distance.

Furthermore, there were also 20,000 Youyun rebel cavalry and 30,000 Turkic iron cavalry lying in ambush in the dense forests on both sides of Jiapigou, ready to charge into battle at any time upon receiving orders.

Of course, the focus of everyone's attention right now is still on Zhao Zilong, who is facing off against the three rebel generals single-handedly in the rebel camp.

Zhao Zilong's heroic act of shouting at the enemy commander to dismount and surrender amidst thousands of enemy troops is enough to show that he truly deserves to be called a hero with "unparalleled courage".

As expected, the rebel commanders Zhao Xiaofei, Yang Ke, and Lei Li from the three prefectures of Youyun were indeed intimidated by the imposing aura displayed by Zhao Zilong.

At the same time, we are even more amazed by Zhao Zilong's bravery and fearless courage.

Honestly, if the three of them were to switch places with Zhao Zilong at this moment, even when facing tens of thousands of enemy troops who had already raised the white flag and laid down their weapons, they would not have had the courage or boldness to charge into the enemy ranks alone like Zhao Zilong did, confront the enemy commander directly, and sternly demand that he dismount and surrender immediately!

The name of Zhao Zilong, the commander of the Imperial Guard, seems to be unknown in the Tang Dynasty, which had a multitude of famous generals.

It must be admitted that Emperor Zhaowu truly had a wealth of talented people under his command!

Let's get back to the main topic.

After a moment's hesitation, the three generals of Gui, Shun, and Tan prefectures, who were originally on horseback, exchanged a glance with each other and dismounted one after another, kneeling on one knee in front of Zhao Zilong.

Immediately, they removed the swords from their waists, presented them with both hands to Zhao Zilong, and said in unison, "The guilty general Zhao Xiaofei (Yang Ke, Lei Li), along with all the soldiers of Guizhou (Shunzhou, Tanzhou), surrender to the imperial army sent to quell the rebellion."

......

"General, something terrible has happened! Those Zhao Xiaofei, Yang Ke, and Lei Li have actually surrendered their swords and chosen to surrender to the imperial court!"

Almost simultaneously, the actions of the three main generals of the Youyun rebels were observed by Li Meng, the deputy general of the Youyun rebels, who was outside the battlefield.

When he saw the men dismount and surrender to Zhao Zilong in unison, he couldn't help but report to General Liu Ziyu, "General, what should we do?"

In fact, without Li Meng's report, the rebel commander Liu Ziyu had already seen everything that was happening on the battlefield of Jiapigou clearly and distinctly.

At that moment, Liu Ziyu felt a metallic saltiness in his throat, as if something was about to burst out, but he managed to forcefully suppress it.

Liu Ziyu's head was buzzing, as if it was about to explode.

Perhaps, at a different time and place, after this incident, he would have already coughed up blood and fainted.

However, Liu Ziyu, who had already staked his entire fortune and the lives of his entire clan on the Battle of Juyong Pass, had no choice but to force himself to remain calm.

Now that things have come to this, he has neither the time nor the energy to investigate why the commanders of Gui, Shun, and Tan prefectures defected to the enemy on the eve of battle.

The only thing he could do was to capture Juyong Pass and kill Chen Huai'an!

Liu Ziyu immediately ordered, "Deputy General Li, relay my command: the Wuzhou Iron Cavalry and the Turkic Iron Cavalry, hidden in the dense forests on both sides of Jiapi Gully, shall launch a full-scale attack!"

"While the imperial troops and the rebel forces of Youyun are still in chaos on the battlefield, we must not allow the rebels of Gui, Shun, and Tan prefectures to surrender to the imperial court so easily."

"Those who desert in the face of battle shall be executed without mercy!"

With bloodshot eyes, Liu Ziyu forced down the salty, metallic taste that was already rising in his throat as he issued the order.

Now that things have come to this, he has no choice but to take a gamble!

"Your subordinate obeys!"

Beside him, Li Meng, the deputy general, immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute and left to receive the order.

Liu Ziyu roared again, "Men! Help me put on my armor and bring me my Cold Moon Longsword!"

"Yes, General!"

At this moment, Liu Ziyu resembled a gambler who had lost everything at the gambling table, eager to bet everything on it, including himself, who was ready to take to the field himself.

call out--

Beep!

Just then, an orange-red signal flare (a modified version of fireworks and firecrackers) rose into the air and exploded, bursting into a dazzling light.

As agreed before the battle, this was an order to the 20,000 Wuzhou cavalrymen who were lying in ambush in the dense forest on the right side of the battlefield outside Juyong Pass and Jiapigou, to launch a surprise attack on the battlefield!

Whoosh, whoosh—

Beep, beep!

Immediately afterwards, two more red signal flares were launched into the sky, signaling to the 30,000 Turkic cavalrymen lying in ambush on the left side of the battlefield that it was time to join the fight.

Almost simultaneously.

In the dense forest of Jiapigou, among the Wuzhou rebel cavalry, Deputy General Dong Tianbao, who had been pacing back and forth awaiting the general's orders, suddenly heard a faint explosion.

Immediately, a messenger rushed in to report: "Report—"

"Reporting to the General, we have just received orders from the Central Army General to send the entire Wuzhou Iron Cavalry into battle at Jiapigou!"

Upon hearing this, Dong Tianbao, who had been pacing anxiously, immediately stopped and turned around, shouting, "Pass down the order: the entire army is to attack!"

"All troops, attack!"

Meanwhile, in the dense forest where the Turkic ambush was located, the newly appointed Turkic Khan, Batel, was personally feeding his horses with soybeans boiled in salt water when he received a report from his messenger: "Report—"

"Your Majesty, General Liu of the Han people has sent a signal requesting that Your Majesty send troops to the Jiapigou battlefield!"

Um?

Batel, who was feeding the horses, suddenly stopped what he was doing, then casually clapped his hands before giving the order: "Warriors of the northern grasslands, the time for revenge has come!"

"Follow me, mount your warhorses, brandish your steel swords, and catch the Han army off guard to avenge the disastrous defeat in Shuobei years ago!"

"Kill them!"

Clang, clang, clang!

In an instant, in the dense forests on both sides of the Jiapigou battlefield, the sound of countless warhorses raising their hooves and striking the ground was like rolling thunder, rising and falling continuously.

Due to obstructed visibility, the two rebel cavalry units lying in ambush in the dense forest failed to detect the unusual activity on the battlefield immediately, and were unaware that the rebel forces of the three prefectures of Youyun in the battle zone had collectively surrendered to the imperial guards sent by the court to quell the rebellion.

However, as the two rebel cavalry units rushed out of the dense forest and drew ever closer to the battlefield, they suddenly realized that the atmosphere on the Jiapigou battlefield was eerily quiet and somewhat frightening.

How can there be a battle between two armies where there are neither shouts of battle nor the neighing of warhorses?

It wasn't until these rebel cavalrymen, charging at full speed on horseback, crossed the slope outside the Jiapigou battlefield and faced the two armies directly at the center of the battle that they could clearly see the movements of the two armies on the battlefield.

The imperial guards cavalry, carrying large Tang army banners, galloped back and forth outside the rebel lines of Youyun, but did not launch an attack.

The rebel army of Youyun and the other three prefectures, which were surrounded by the imperial cavalry, did not react at all. It was as if they had been frozen by a spell cast by celestial beings, allowing the imperial cavalry on the outer perimeter to wander around in front of the formation without moving.

Those Wuzhou cavalry and Turkic iron knights who charged into the battlefield on horseback, even if they had some doubts in their hearts, were too lazy to think about it and continued to charge towards the Jiapigou battlefield in their charging formation.

However, for Dong Tianbao, the commander of these two cavalry units, and Batel, the Turkic man, these two seasoned veterans were keenly aware of the changes in the situation between the enemy and themselves on the battlefield.

Clearly, the fact that such a "harmonious" scene could appear on the battlefield of Jiapigou must mean that one of the warring parties had compromised (surrendered) to the other.

The Imperial Guards, now at the height of their power, would naturally not surrender to the Youyun rebels in the three prefectures of Gui, Shun, and Tan.

There was only one outcome—the rebel forces of Youyun in the three prefectures of Gui, Shun, and Tan surrendered and chose to lay down their arms to the imperial court!

Buzz—

After figuring this out, Dong Tianbao and Batel's minds went blank!

However, the reality was that even if these two knew the truth, they could not order their cavalry to stop charging, because once the arrow was released, there was no turning back.

No matter what happened on the battlefield of Jiapigou, they only charged forward without hesitation.

In their hearts, Dong Tianbao and Batel cursed General Liu Ziyu's ancestors for eighteen generations!

Clang, clang, clang!

As the rebel cavalrymen, covering the mountains and plains, charged out of the dense forests on both sides of Jiapigou, the sound of their hooves striking the ground grew louder and louder, even causing the entire land of Jiapigou to tremble slightly.

The deafening shouts of battle echoed throughout the Juyongguan area.

Such a commotion naturally attracted the attention of Zhao Zilong, the commander of the Imperial Guard, who was accepting the surrender of the main generals of the rebel armies of Gui, Shun and Tan prefectures on the battlefield of Jiapigou.

This also attracted the attention of Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Huai'an, who was several miles away, closely observing every move on the battlefield with a monocular telescope.

"Your Majesty, it's an ambush! It's a cavalry ambush by the rebels!"

At this moment, Xiao Po, the commander of the Imperial Guard responsible for protecting the emperor and the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness, immediately reminded him: "Your Majesty, the rebel army's ambush troops have all come out;"

"Shouldn't we also lead our troops out of Juyong Pass and catch the rebel cavalry off guard?"

"Wait a little longer, there's no rush!"

Chen Huai'an smiled confidently and said, "This is only a part of the rebel army. The rebel commander Liu Ziyu has not yet shown himself. I must wait for him to show himself before launching a full-scale attack to completely quell this Youyun Rebellion!"

After speaking, Chen Huai'an raised his monocular telescope again to switch perspectives, taking this opportunity to observe Zhao Zilong's reaction in the face of battle.

At this moment, Zhao Zilong, who was accepting the surrender of the rebel general, noticed the unusual activity outside the battlefield and saw the enemy's ambush cavalry coming out in full force. A look of anger immediately appeared on his handsome face.

However, he maintained his composure as a general and did not lose his composure or panic when the enemy ambushes appeared.

However, Zhao Xiaofei, Yang Ke, and Lei Li, the three main generals of the rebel army from the three prefectures of Youyun who dismounted and knelt down to surrender, seemed a little flustered and uneasy after suddenly discovering the appearance of a large number of rebel cavalry.

The three were fully aware that the Youyun rebel cavalry were hiding in the dense forests on both sides of Jiapi Gully.

After all, General Liu Ziyu's orders from last night had already been delivered to the three men's desks, instructing them to join forces with the ambush troops to annihilate the imperial guards in one fell swoop.

However, after their consciences were awakened, these three did not choose to continue following Liu Ziyu in the rebellion and go down a dark path.

However, as generals from the Youyun faction, they also cherished the kinship of being fellow generals of the Youyun faction and did not inform Zhao Zilong, who came to accept their surrender, about the ambush in the dense forest.

Or rather, before they even had a chance to report this to Zhao Zilong, the two cavalry ambushes in the dense forest had already rushed onto the battlefield with lightning speed.

This action left Zhao Xiaofei and his two companions not only astonished, but also terrified and filled with lingering fear.

Judging from the actions of the two ambushes, General Liu Ziyu has long since abandoned the lives and property of the Youyun soldiers in the three prefectures of Gui, Shun, and Tan.

Otherwise, how could they have sent out all their ambush troops when they already knew the enemy had no intention of fighting?

Zhao Xiaofei hurriedly replied, "Reporting to General Zhao, we were unaware of the ambush in the dense forest. The soldiers of Youyun from the three prefectures of Gui, Shun, and Tan sincerely surrender to the court and the Emperor."

"I hope, I hope General Zhao will understand!"

"I hope General Zhao will understand!"

Upon seeing this, Yang Ke and Lei Li also hurriedly knelt down in front of Zhao Zilong to pledge their loyalty.

snort--

Seeing this, Zhao Zilong, mounted on horseback, snorted coldly and said with unparalleled arrogance, "I doubt you dare to mock me or disrespect the Emperor."

"Let me tell you, if you want to live, you'd better behave yourself!"

With that, Zhao Zilong pointed the tip of his Dragon Gallant Silver Spear and said sternly, "Keep your men in check. Now that you have laid down your weapons and surrendered to the court, do not pick up swords and spears again."

"Otherwise, I will order the Imperial Guards to treat anyone carrying a weapon as a traitor and kill them without mercy!"

"After I have wiped out the rebel cavalry, I will deal with you rebels!"

After saying that, Zhao Zilong rode away without looking back, alone with his horse and spear, heading straight for the thousands of enemy cavalry.

The rebel commander Zhao Xiaofei, still kneeling on the ground, ultimately did not utter the words that were already on the tip of his tongue: "General Zhao, should we atone for our crimes and join you in suppressing the rebellion?"

He just stared blankly at Zhao Zilong's departing figure, remaining speechless for a long time.

It was only after being reminded by Yang Ke and Lei Li that he came back to his senses and ordered his soldiers to stay put and watch the battle, forbidding anyone from picking up the swords and knives on the ground.

Even if we are mistakenly killed by the two armies in battle, we must never disobey General Zhao Zilong's orders before he left!