Chapter 0048: City Fall
Outside the county town of Lu County, more than a dozen carriages slowly approached. Several servants on both sides of the carriages held lanterns weakly, illuminating the distance. On the leading warhorse, Cheng Hao's face showed a complicated expression. He carefully looked at the carriage behind him. The people hidden inside were not his family members, but the leader of the Qihuo Army, Li Yu, and his subordinates. There were nearly a hundred people hidden in more than a dozen carriages. These people will form the main force to capture Lu County, but a few hundred steps away, Li Gu and others led the remaining troops to ambush in the distance, waiting for the city gate to open.
"Who are you? Tell me your name, otherwise I'll shoot you." As Cheng Hao's horse approached, the soldiers on the city wall quickly spotted Cheng Hao and his dozen or so carriages, and immediately shouted loudly.
"Little boy, it's me, your brother-in-law. Open the city gate quickly." Cheng Hao felt relieved when he heard this. The person standing on the city wall was his concubine's younger brother. This made him feel much more relaxed.
"Brother-in-law? Why are you back?" A head popped out from the top of the city wall, looked at Cheng Hao in the light of the torch, and couldn't help but said, "My sister mentioned you this afternoon?"
"Hurry up and open the city gate and let me in. It's so unlucky. Let's talk about it when I get home." Cheng Hao looked dissatisfied and even scolded like before.
"Okay, wait for me, I'll go open the city gate." The second son did not doubt his cheap brother-in-law, and ignored Ding Meng's instructions and asked people to open the city gate. No matter what, the person in front of him was from Lu County, and his family was very powerful in Lu County. Even if Fan Jin and Ding Meng joined forces, they would be afraid of this person.
"General, the city gate is about to open." Cheng Hao was very happy when he heard this, and couldn't help but say to the carriage behind him.
"Don't worry, as long as we enter the city, the magistrate of Lu County will definitely be you. This general just wants to borrow your way and will never hurt you in the slightest." Li Yu said nonchalantly in the carriage.
"Yes, yes." Cheng Hao heaved a sigh of relief, straightened his body, and looked across. The city gate opposite was gradually opening.
"Brother-in-law." A young man came up with the yamen runners and said, "Brother-in-law, didn't you say you had left the county town and went to the countryside? Why are you back now?"
"Lu County is not defensible. Staying here means waiting for death. Fan Jin and Ding Meng are trying to resist General Li with their bare hands. This is simply a way to death. I have found a way for us to survive." Cheng Hao drove the carriage and said as he walked.
"A way out? Brother-in-law, what is a way out? Didn't Ding Meng say that the beggar army has pursuers behind them and will never attack the city? The county magistrate is going to open the treasury to distribute money, food and weapons to us. He has also mobilized the big families in the city and called on everyone to defend the city together." The second son said curiously.
"Humph, you are really courting death. How many people are there in the city? How can they resist General Li's sword?" Cheng Hao saw that most of the carriages had entered the city gate, and immediately laughed: "Little Second Son, you said that Fan Jin and Ding Meng are dead, who will be the master of Lu County?"
"Ah!" The second child opened his mouth wide and didn't know how to answer for a moment.
"Bang!" A loud noise was heard, and more than a dozen carriages were destroyed by sharp blades in an instant. More than a hundred people instantly appeared in front of Xiao Erzi and others. The leader held a big knife in his hand with a fierce look.
"My dear, this is General Li, the leader of the Qihuo Army who has been invincible for thousands of miles." Upon seeing this, Cheng Hao immediately smiled and said, " General, the city gate has been opened, and you can let the brothers in."
"You are very good." Li Yu's tiger eyes flickered as he looked at the dozen or so yamen runners standing aside and said, "You can resist as long as you think you can kill us. You can save your life by hiding aside."
Xiao Erzi and others looked at Li Yu and saw that the other party was strong and murderous, and their numbers were greater than theirs. They dared not resist and quickly hid aside, while the soldiers behind them began to shake the torches in their hands.
"Kill! Cheng Hao, lead the way and rush directly into the county government office." Li Yu drew out his sword, took a deep breath, and shouted loudly.
After hearing this, Cheng Hao secretly groaned in his heart. Originally, he wanted to let Li Yu enter the city and then escape. In this way, after Fan Jin and Ding Meng died in the battle and Li Yu destroyed Lu County, Cheng Hao could occupy it and be in charge of Lu County with full justification. It was not like the current situation. If Cheng Hao brought Li Yu into the city, soon everyone in the world would know that Cheng Hao was colluding with the enemy. At that time, he would undoubtedly die and would not be able to be in charge of Lu County.
"Why, you don't want to?" Li Yu's eyes flashed fiercely. When the time came, how could Cheng Hao be allowed to regret it ?
"Second boy, follow the general, charge in, kill Fan Jin and Ding Meng, then you and I will have a good life in the future." Cheng Hao could sense the murderous intent in Li Yu and dared not refuse. He could only snatch a sword from a yamen runner on the side and shouted, "Kill." Then he rushed forward first.
"Let's go, charge in and enjoy the good life." The second son did not dare to be negligent. His wealth and honor depended on Cheng Hao. Seeing Cheng Hao taking the initiative to attack, he did not dare to be negligent and followed him in to charge.
Li Yu waited until Li Gu and others rushed up, then led more than a thousand beggar soldiers into the city, aiming directly at the county government office.
The army entered the city with shouts and screams that shook the sky, and the entire Lu County fell into chaos. These people never thought that Cheng Hao would rebel, causing Li Yu's army to enter the city in just one day.
In the county government office, Fan Jin was counting the money and grain in Lu County in preparation for Ding Meng's defense. He was so busy until now that he didn't even have time to eat dinner and had been staying in the study the entire time.
Suddenly, there was a shout of killing. Fan Jin's face suddenly changed. He sat up from his chair and shouted loudly: "Quick, go and see what's going on? Why are there shouts of killing?"
"Sir, the city has been breached, and the rebels have charged in." A servant rushed in from outside the room and shouted, "Sir, it's Cheng Hao. Cheng Hao opened the city gate, and the enemy is charging towards the county government office."
The county seat of Lu County was not big. It was just a "cross" structure, with the county government office in the middle. From the city gate to the county government office, there was just a long avenue. The news of Li Yu's entry into the city spread quickly.
"Where's Ding Meng?" Fan Jin was panicked after hearing this. His face was gloomy, his eyes were filled with anger, and his whole body was shaking. He cursed, "This damn Cheng Hao actually did such a treasonous thing. Isn't he afraid of exterminating his entire clan? Quick, find Ding Meng and let Ding Meng stop the rebels."
"Sir, let's go quickly! I'm afraid that County Lieutenant Ding can't resist the enemy. There are more and more enemies, as many as tens of thousands of people." The servant looked panicked and pulled Fan Jin to escape.
"Don't let Fan Jin run away, kill Fan Jin." At this time, roars were heard, and shouts of killing had already sounded outside the county government office.
"I can't leave, this damn Cheng Hao. Let's go and meet this Li Yu." Fan Jin's face suddenly showed despair, and soon showed a trace of determination. He pushed the servant away, drew the sword from the wall, and strode out.
