The Great Rebel at the End of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 073 Discussing Merits

Zhao Sheng's arrival immediately brought Wang Er's arrogant demeanor to a halt.

He never expected that Zhao Sheng would stand up for Zhou Lun.

Compared to Zhou Lun, Wang Er could disregard his feelings, but Zhao Sheng was different.

Putting aside the fact that Zhao Sheng was a leader on equal footing with him in the rebel army, in today's battle, if it weren't for Zhao Sheng's desperate rescue and interception of the border army's repeated attacks, Wang Er might not have been able to withstand Mai Danian's frenzied counterattack and would have failed at the last moment.

Although Wang Er deserves the greatest credit for this battle, without Zhao Sheng, he would never have been able to defeat Mai Danian's border troops. In fact, without Zhao Sheng, Wang Er might have even lost his head on the battlefield.

Therefore, he could be impolite and even mock Zhou Lun, but he could not ignore Zhao Sheng.

"Brother Zhao, what you're saying... hahaha... hahaha..." Wang Er was a man who could take things in stride. He glanced at Zhao Sheng standing next to Zhou Lun, his eyes darting around, and he immediately burst into laughter.

Just a moment ago, this guy was full of murderous intent, but in the blink of an eye, he became as gentle as a spring breeze.

"Since Brother Zhao has come forward to plead for them, I, Wang Er, will naturally give you face. So, let's leave these guys for now and let Brother Zhao deal with them." After saying that, Wang Er didn't say anything more, directly called his men, and without caring about the prisoners who were still tied up, he led his men away in a swagger.

"Thank you, brother!" Zhou Lun quickly thanked Zhao Sheng after Wang Er left.

Zhao Sheng waved his hand and laughed, "We're brothers, no need to be so polite. Besides, Wang Er's actions are against the natural order. If I didn't know, I wouldn't have cared, but now that I do, I can't just stand by and do nothing."

At this point, Zhao Sheng paused, then lowered his voice and said to Zhou Lun, "However, Wang Er is a petty and narrow-minded person. You embarrassed him in public today, so we should be wary of him in the future."

"I understand, thank you for your help, elder brother."

"Since you rescued these people, you can take them with you. I have things to do at my camp, so I need to go back first." Zhao Sheng raised his hand and pointed to the prisoners, then stopped talking to Zhou Lun. His troops had suffered considerable losses in this battle, and there were still many things to do, such as treating the wounded, so he couldn't rest for the time being.

After seeing Zhao Sheng off, Zhou Lun withdrew his gaze and glanced at the remaining prisoners.

The prisoners, bound hand and foot, knelt on the ground, their eyes filled with the relief of surviving a terrible ordeal. When they looked at Zhou Lun, their gaze held a hint of expectation. Zhou Lun thought for a moment, then ordered Gao Yigong to lead his men to escort the prisoners back to his camp. He then went back with them.

But no sooner had Zhou Lun arrived at the camp than he was told that Gao Yingxiang had summoned all the leaders for a meeting and that Zhou Lun should go immediately.

The battle had just ended and the troops were still resting, but Gao Yingxiang was eager to hold a meeting, which did not surprise Zhou Lun.

Having annihilated the main force of the government troops, there are now few troops remaining in Fugu. This is the best time to attack Fugu from the north. However, it is already late, and even if we break camp and head north, it won't be in time. Besides, the troops need to rest and treat the wounded. If Gao Yingxiang is discussing matters now, Zhou Lun believes he is planning a swift victory.

As expected.

When Zhou Lun arrived at Gao Yingxiang's tent, Li Wanqing and the others were already there, and even Wang Er had arrived earlier than Zhou Lun. Upon seeing Zhou Lun enter the tent, Wang Er couldn't help but snort coldly, his gaze towards Zhou Lun quite unfriendly.

"Brother, what's wrong with Wang Er? Did you offend him?" As soon as Li Wanqing sat down next to Zhou Lun, Li Wanqing couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

Zhou Lun sighed and quietly recounted what had just happened to Li Wanqing. Li Wanqing frowned upon hearing this, thought for a moment, and said to Zhou Lun, "That Wang Er is far too reckless. Killing prisoners like that is certainly inappropriate, but you yourself embarrassed him in front of everyone. I'm afraid Wang Er will…"

Li Wanqing didn't say the rest aloud, but Zhou Lun understood. He nodded slightly, indicating that Li Wanqing could rest assured, and that he had his own plans.

After Zhou Lun arrived, Zhao Sheng also rushed over a while later. Upon entering the tent, he nodded slightly to Zhou Lun and Li Wanqing, then went to his seat.

Once everyone had arrived, Gao Yingxiang, seated at the head of the table, coughed and announced the official commencement of the meeting.

First, Gao Yingxiang recounted the day's battle and rewarded those who had contributed to it.

The credit naturally goes to Wang Er.

As the main attacker, Wang Er not only launched the ambush first but also fought bravely, holding off the most elite border troops and creating an opportunity to annihilate the government forces. He deserves the greatest credit. Hearing Gao Yingxiang's evaluation of him, Wang Er couldn't hide his pride; his smile stretched almost to his ears.

The second-highest credit goes to Zhao Sheng and Li Wanqing.

Zhao Sheng assisted Wang Er in withstanding Mai Danian's repeated fierce attacks, buying time for the rebel army to win this war. Meanwhile, Li Wanqing launched a surprise attack on Lu Jinchun's troops, not only wounding Lu Jinchun with an arrow but also preventing him from reinforcing Mai Danian. Ultimately, the rebel army cut off Lu Jinchun's troops and drove them into the ambush circle to the north, where they cooperated with Huang Long, Zhou Lun, and other troops to annihilate the government army.

Next, Zhou Lun, Huang Long, and Liu Zhe, among others, each contributed to the success of the event. Gao Yingxiang praised everyone and promised them generous rewards.

The atmosphere was electric, everyone beaming with joy. Such a resounding victory not only eliminated the previous threat from the government troops but also cleared the way for their northward advance. Even though the rebel army suffered considerable losses, the overall benefits were numerous. Furthermore, this victory boosted their morale and demonstrated their strength.

"Gentlemen!" As the laughter and chatter subsided, Gao Yingxiang addressed the crowd in a loud voice, "The victory at Gaohanling was entirely due to the united efforts of all of you brothers. But this victory is not enough! The main force of the government troops in the north has been completely annihilated at Gaohanling, and there are few defenders left in places like Fugu. As the saying goes, we must press our advantage and seize the opportunity. In my opinion, we should press on with our momentum, march north, and take Fugu directly!"

"What the rebel leader said is very true!"

As soon as Gao Yingxiang finished speaking, Li Wanqing clasped his hands and said, "With today's battle, there is no longer any threat from the north. We should take advantage of this great victory and advance swiftly. As long as our troops act quickly enough, we can launch an attack before Fugu can react, and taking Fugu will not be difficult."

"Brother Li is right, that's exactly what I was thinking." Gao Yingxiang nodded and said to everyone, "Gaohan Ridge isn't far from Fugu; a normal march takes two days. If we speed things up, we can reach Fugu in a day. The government troops have just been defeated, and the news hasn't leaked yet. Fugu has no idea what's happening here. After much thought, I've decided this matter should be handled quickly, to prevent any escaped soldiers from returning to Fugu first. Taking them down before Fugu can react is the safest approach!"

Upon hearing this, everyone agreed that Gao Yingxiang's words made sense.

Although the government troops were almost completely annihilated in this battle, some managed to escape. If they lingered here too long, news of the government troops' annihilation at Gaohanling would reach Fugu, and the local authorities would certainly be on guard. Even if the rebel army was powerful, it wouldn't be easy to take the city by force. The best course of action was for the rebel army to launch an immediate attack on Fugu, catching the enemy off guard, while the battle was still fresh and the news hadn't reached back.

"King Chuang! I have a plan!" At this moment, Zhao Sheng stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and said to Gao Yingxiang.

"Brother Zhao, please speak."

Zhao Sheng glanced around and then said, "Since the King of Chuang has decided to launch a swift attack on Fugu, in my opinion, we don't need to attack Fugu head-on; we can take it by strategy."

"Oh? Tell me more!"

Zhao Sheng said, "This battle has just ended, and I have questioned the captured government troops. In Fugu, besides the local 300 garrison soldiers, there are only the city's yamen runners and able-bodied men. The latter are not a threat at all. When Fugu was in Chief Wang's hands, the government only took it back in a month or two. The yamen runners and able-bodied men who were reassembled have almost no fighting power. Once my troops are at the city gates, they will definitely flee at the first sign of trouble."

"As for those three hundred garrison troops, they are a bit troublesome. I believe the King of Chuang has witnessed their fighting strength in today's battle. If they hold firm in Fugu and lead the city to defend it to the death, even if our troops can take Fugu, the casualties will probably be considerable."

"Although our troops achieved a great victory in today's battle, we also suffered heavy losses. If we launch another strong attack on Fugu, even if we capture it, we will likely be crippled. Therefore, it is better to take it by strategy than by force. We do not need a large force to take Fugu. We can select the elite troops from our army, change their clothes, disguise them as government troops, and launch a night raid on Fugu. We can then use the orders of Mai Danian or Lu Jinchun to trick them into opening the city gates. Once we are inside the city, taking Fugu will be much easier."

Zhao Sheng finished speaking.

As soon as he finished speaking, Gao Yingxiang couldn't help but smile.

Zhao Sheng's suggestion struck a chord with him. Gao Yingxiang had also considered this method before, but he hadn't expected Zhao Sheng to have thought of it as well. If this strategy were used, Fugu would be as easy as taking candy from a baby for the rebel army.