Wu Yan looked anxious, his usual composure gone.
When the Yi Province Militia and the Shannan Army launched their general offensive, most of the Mount Liang defenders inside the city instinctively fled towards the undefended west gate.
If Wu Yan had spoken up at that moment and told everyone to escape to the north gate, they would have only been able to take a small number of people with them.
So he waited until everyone had gathered together and escaped the city before suggesting they flee north.
Only in this way can he take more of Mount Liang's elite troops with him!
"I don't believe the Grand Commander is dead either. Those ten thousand Shannan Army to the north must be imposters. I trust the strategist. If you all trust me, then come with me and flee north!"
Lu Yulin then spoke up.
He knew about the amnesty and had already realized that the Shannan Army had no reason to exterminate Mount Liang.
Seeing that Lu Yulin and Wu Yan had both said so, most people were willing to believe them.
Moreover, the west side is mountainous, and a group of people without much food would have little chance of survival if they plunged into the mountains.
So the Mount Liang group that had just escaped from the west gate quickly changed direction and fled north.
To the north, Guo Jiwang soon spotted the Mount Liang troops fleeing in his direction.
He put down the gourd of wine in his hand and frowned.
Under these circumstances, it would be the worst option for the Mount Liang people to simply plunge into the mountains to the west.
If they choose to flee to the east or south, taking a gamble, Guo Jiwang could understand.
In his plan, the least likely direction for the Mount Liang group to escape was the north!
But now the other side has so decisively chosen to flee north.
What did I overlook?
Guo Jiwang murmured.
Zhou Zhengqing, standing to the side, said anxiously, "Sir, if the Mount Liang Army attacks us, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold them off!"
Of the more than 10,000 people Guo Jiwang brought, only more than 2,000 were veterans; the rest were either new recruits, prisoners of war, or laborers transporting grain.
It looks impressive, but it's just a paper frame; it'll break if you poke it!
"Don't worry, Mount Liang wouldn't dare gamble."
Guo Jiwang remained calm and ordered, "Everyone, hold your positions and do not move!"
The Mount Liang troops approaching this direction were getting closer and closer, with thousands of cavalrymen kicking up clouds of dust.
A commotion broke out in Guo Jiwang's troops, with the veterans shouting orders:
"Stand still, everyone! Don't move!"
"Running around will be dealt with according to military law!"
"Maintaining formation is the only way to survive!"
"..."
After more than ten days of intensive training, the new recruits learned to obey orders and managed to maintain their formation.
When they were still more than 500 paces away from the 10,000-strong army, the Mount Liang cavalry took the lead in changing direction and circling around to the hills outside the official road.
Guo Jiwang finally loosened his grip on the wine gourd.
He made the right bet!
Even though Mount Liang saw through the true strength of their 10,000 men, they dared not risk engaging in battle.
Once they're entangled, and the Yi Province Militia and the Shannan Army arrive, the Mount Liang people will have no way to escape.
On the other side, Lu Yulin and Wu Yan led their cavalry slowly up the hill, turning their heads to look at the ten thousand Shannan Army.
Seeing that the other side did not send anyone to intercept or pursue them, they became even more certain of their suspicions.
Lin Qian, Zhigang, Liang An, and others in the group also sensed something was wrong.
If these more than 10,000 people were truly the Shannan Army that came from Ya Province, they would never have let them go so easily.
Why were Lu Yulin and Wu Yan so certain that the other was an imposter? And why were they even willing to risk their lives?
With these questions in mind, the Mount Liang men bypassed the more than 10,000 men brought by Guo Jiwang and continued their escape northward.
"Let's go, let's enter the city first."
After confirming that the Mount Liang forces had fled far away, Guo Jiwang ordered a force of more than 10,000 men to continue their journey towards Rong Province City.
For the Yi Province Militia now, the most important thing is not to pursue the fleeing Mount Liang troops, but to seize the spoils of war in Rong Province City!
Inside the city, the Mount Liang troops who had no time to escape chose to surrender. Most of them had never even thought of escaping; they were local militia, villagers, or servants from all over Rong Province. When the government army recaptured Rong Province City, they were overjoyed.
After Wu Shuangren led the Yi Province Militia into the city, he ignored those who had surrendered and simply ordered them to be kept under control.
He led his men and rushed towards the city's warehouses immediately!
Lu Yulin and his men fled in haste, and there must have been a large amount of silver, weapons, and provisions left behind in the city that they did not have time to take.
Huang Cheng, the First Battalion commander of the Rong Province Battalion, was a powerful figure in Rong Province City and was very familiar with the city's terrain.
Before entering the city, Wu Shuangren had already learned about the situation inside Rong Province City from Huang Cheng.
Inside the city was a government-built granary. After Mount Liang first captured Rong Province City, they opened this granary and took away a large amount of grain.
Later, some valuable items looted from the city and other places were stored in the Changping Granary.
There must be other places in Rong Province City where things are stored, but in Wu Shuangren's opinion, this Changping Granary should be the most valuable place!
He had the advantage in intelligence, and with Huang Cheng leading the way, he immediately led his personal guards straight to Changping Granary.
When he arrived with his men, the Shannan Army had not yet arrived.
At this moment, the warehouse door opened, and copper coins, jewelry, and precious stones were scattered all over the ground.
Some of the Mount Liang soldiers were still carrying things out of the warehouse.
At this point, still thinking about robbing money only proves that people will die for wealth.
Wu Shuangren ordered his personal guards to subdue the Mount Liang who had not yet managed to escape. Those who dared to resist were stabbed to death on the spot with spears!
After taking control of the warehouse, Wu Shuangren stepped inside.
The aroma of the food was mixed with the smells of sweat and blood, creating an unpleasant odor.
There are several ventilation openings on the top of the warehouse, allowing light to shine in and providing a general view of the interior.
Inside, there were bags of grain and fodder piled up, while outside, there were boxes stacked up; at a glance, there were at least a hundred boxes.
Many boxes have already been opened, and they are filled with copper coins, silver, gold, jewelry, jade, and other valuables!
The group of guards who followed Wu Shuangren into the warehouse, except for Xu Yu who remained calm, couldn't help but swallow hard.
The Mount Liang practically ransacked the entire Rong Province, stealing a vast amount of wealth. Some of it was distributed as rewards to the Mount Liang brothers, but most of the wealth was collected and saved for later.
Wu Shuangren estimated that Mount Liang probably had more than one place to store money, but this Ever-Normal Granary must contain the most wealth.
"Seal off the warehouse and guard this place. No one is allowed to enter without my order!"
Wu Shuangren gave the order.
"Yes!"
The guards collected all the money scattered outside and closed the warehouse doors again.
Not long after the door was closed, a squad of the Shannan Army rushed out from the street corner ahead.
The Shannan Army general leading the group, along with over a hundred Shannan Army, hurried over. He first glanced at the warehouse, which had closed its doors again, and then looked at Wu Shuangren.
"Militia Commander Wu, what's in this warehouse?"
"This is what the general from the Shannan Army asked."
Wu Shuangren remained calm and did not answer the other party's question. He simply said, "This place is already occupied by us. Take your men and go elsewhere."
"You..."
Upon hearing this, the Shannan Army general almost instinctively wanted to lash out.
But seeing Wu Shuangren's calm expression and glancing at the guards around him, he ultimately held back.
Wu Shuangren alone was not someone he could handle, let alone the three hundred guards Wu Shuangren brought, one hundred of whom were already wearing heavy armor, and the remaining two hundred were also wearing lamellar armor.
This kind of equipment was also beyond the capabilities of the hundred-plus Shannan Army behind him.
"Let's go!"
The Shannan Army general decisively led his men away to find Xu Rong.
Wu Shuangren turned to his personal guards and instructed, "Go and tell each battalion to avoid conflict with the Shannan Army as much as possible. But if they are aggressive, there is no need to back down!"
Before entering the city, he had already instructed each battalion to occupy the eastern district first, then the northern district; the southern and western districts could be ignored for the time being.
This can be considered a tacit understanding between him and the Shannan Army, with both sides occupying half of the city as quickly as possible.
This granary was located in the heart of Rong Province City; it was a matter of who could act faster.
A moment later, Xu Rong, having received the news, led a large group of men toward Changpingcang, with Zhang Liao beside him.
On Wu Shuangren's side, the First Battalion of the Yi Province Militia had also arrived.
At this moment, Guo Jiwang was also leading a large group of people into Yi Prefecture City through the north gate.
"Militia Commander Wu."
Xu Rong walked over with his men and greeted Wu Shuangren.
General Xu.
Wu Shuangren took the initiative to bow with his hands clasped in greeting.
Xu Rong laughed and said, "Militia Commander Wu's deception is truly brilliant."
Wu Shuangren replied with a smile, "General Xu, you flatter me."
Xu Rong pointed to the already closed Changping Warehouse: "I wonder what's inside this warehouse that made Militia Commander Wu immediately bring his men to guard it."
Wu Shuangren remained expressionless and stepped forward. "General Xu, may I have a word with you in private?"
"Good."
Xu Rong also took a few steps forward and waved to signal the people around him to step back.
Soon, only Xu Rong and Wu Shuangren remained standing in front of the Changping Warehouse gate, while everyone else retreated thirty paces away.
"General Xu, I, Wu, said I would help the Shannan Army recapture Rong Province City, and I will take the city in ten days. Now I have done what I said I would do!"
Wu Shuangren said.
Xu Rong nodded. "That's right, Militia Commander Wu is a man of his word. But what are you doing here with your men, trying to seize from my Shannan Army?"
Wu Shuangren: "As I said before, the Yi Province Militia came here to help the Shannan Army gain military merit. I don't want any credit for recapturing Rong Province City; it will all go to the Shannan Army. But I have never said I didn't want the spoils of war in Rong Province City."
Xu Rong narrowed his eyes and said, word by word, "How much does Militia Commander Wu want to take?"
Wu Shuangren said, "Our two armies entered Yi Prefecture City at the same time, and now we have occupied all the places we needed. Why don't we divide the spoils here and each take what we need?"
Xu Rong sneered, "Does Militia Commander Wu think I'm a fool?"
"How dare I?"
"Alright, then everything in this warehouse belongs to my Shannan Army. The rest can be divided according to the plan you just proposed!"
"But I captured this warehouse first, and the Yi Province Militia contributed the most to the capture of Rong Province City this time."
"You were able to breach Rong Province City only because of the name of my Shannan Army!"
"Without my men, relying solely on the name of the Shannan Army, could General Xu have captured this city so easily without shedding a drop of blood?"
"So, you're saying you really want to take this from my Shannan Army?"
The two spoke faster and faster, and the atmosphere became tense again.
Upon seeing this, those around them all gripped their weapons tightly!
General Xu.
Wu Shuangren suddenly softened his tone, "As I said before, I came to Rong Province this time for two reasons: first, to seek revenge, and second, to make friends with the Shannan Army. Therefore, I am willing to take a step back."
"Oh?"