Zhao Song: My father was Emperor Taizu of Song

Chapter 95 Fire Burns Cuiping, Cavalry Charges into the Camp!

Chapter 95 Fire Burns the Emerald Screen, Hundreds of Riders Charge into the Camp!

The darkness of night can conceal many unknown truths.

Under the cover of night, the eight hundred guards quietly dispersed into smaller groups around the valley, and then took out neatly bundled firewood, pine resin balls, and dozens of earthenware jars.

The jar was filled with tung oil that had been boiled down to a thick consistency.

The Southern Tang Dynasty had a large navy, and the construction of warships was inseparable from tung oil. As an important town in Jingkou, Runzhou Prefecture naturally had no shortage of these materials.

It is more flammable and burns more intensely than ordinary grease.

The guards worked swiftly, stuffing the resin balls into bundles of dry firewood, pouring plenty of tung oil over them, and quickly distributing them to each soldier.

Suddenly, a sharp bird cry came from somewhere in the valley.

The eight hundred guards scattered across the hillside moved at the sound, each taking out a tinderbox from their bosom. With a flick of their fingertips, sparks flew, instantly igniting the bundles of dry firewood soaked in oil!

Like stars breaking through the night, tiny sparks of fire suddenly lit up all around the valley, quickly forming a network of sparks!

A northwest wind, carrying a chill, swept across the hillside, and the fire spread rapidly downwards with the help of the wind. The tung oil ignited instantly upon contact with the fire, and the pine resin fueled the flames, causing them to boil. Sparks shot up half a meter high, crackling as they touched the dry wood, and flames roared upwards.

The raging fire dragon swept rapidly down the hillside, and soon spread into a sea of ​​fire!

The earthenware pot shattered on the ground, and the remaining tung oil splattered everywhere, igniting more vegetation. Thick smoke billowed, obscuring the sky, and flames shot into the heavens, turning the night sky crimson.

"Fire! Fire!"

Inside the Tang army camp, soldiers on patrol were the first to discover the fire, and their panicked screams instantly pierced the quiet night sky!

The soldiers, who were fast asleep, were choked awake by the thick smoke. Rubbing their sleepy eyes, they rushed out of their tents and were immediately filled with panic when they saw the flames and the raging fire.

Wildfires have always been a nightmare for people in southern China during the autumn and winter seasons.

Unlike the north, the vegetation in the south is mainly evergreen broad-leaved forests, coniferous forests, and shrublands, with a thick layer of dead branches and fallen leaves that are easily flammable.

Especially in autumn and winter, when vegetation is withered and brittle, once a fire starts, it is difficult to control and will only burn more and more fiercely.

In the valley, the entire Tang army camp was thrown into chaos in an instant.

As soon as Li Congjia stepped out of the tent, he was choked by the heat and thick smoke, coughing repeatedly. Looking at the flames engulfing the mountainside, his face turned pale, his eyes filled with disbelief: "How could there be a fire?! Quick! Get people to put it out!"

However, the fire had already spread with the help of the northwest wind, and the dense forest of Cuiping Mountain had become a continuous expanse, with flames shooting up several meters high, making it impossible to put out.

Even in later generations, they would be at a loss if faced with a large-scale wildfire.

Let alone in ancient times when technology was underdeveloped?

Zhou Ehuang helped the panicked Zhou Nüying out of the tent, her brows furrowed and her expression anxious as she spoke to Li Congjia.

"Your Highness, the fire is raging and cannot be extinguished by human effort. We must evacuate quickly before the fire completely blocks the mountain path!"

"Yes—yes!"

Faced with the inevitable, Li Congjia had long lost his usual composure and elegance; his inherent cowardice had been fully unleashed, and his eyes were filled with panic: "Withdraw the troops! Quickly retreat eastward!"

Fortunately, he had not completely lost his mind at this point and knew that he should go downwind in order to escape Cuiping Mountain.

But how could Zhao Dezhao give him a chance to escape?

As the wildfire first broke out, Zhao Dezhao and his eight hundred guards, taking advantage of the thick smoke and firelight, mingled into the fleeing Tang army in twos and threes.

They were already wearing stained Tang army armor, their clothes tattered like those of routed soldiers. After wiping them with dust, at first glance, they looked no different from the panicked and fleeing Southern Tang soldiers.

"To the stables!"

A cold glint flashed in Zhao Dezhao's eyes as he followed a stream of fleeing soldiers eastward.

The stables were located on a flat area on the east side of the valley. Although they were far from the main camp, they could not escape the fire.

The Tang soldiers responsible for guarding the warhorses were already in disarray. Some were busy untying the reins and trying to escape with their horses, while others were stunned by the towering flames and stood frozen in place. Still others simply abandoned their horses and ran wildly into the crowd.

Nearly a thousand warhorses were tied to wooden stakes with ropes. Feeling the approaching heat and thick smoke, they became restless, rearing up and neighing, struggling to break free of their restraints. They breathed heavily through their nostrils, their muscles tense.

"Attack! Seize the horse!"

Zhao Dezhao gave a low command, and the soldiers around him immediately rushed out like tigers pouncing on their prey.

The Tang soldiers guarding the stables were completely unprepared and hadn't even had time to react before their throats were slit by sharp blades, and they fell silently to the ground.

The guards moved swiftly, wielding their curved swords to quickly cut the ropes tethering the horses, while simultaneously reaching for the saddles and flipping themselves onto the horses' backs.

The warhorses, which were initially restless, gradually calmed down upon sensing the intense killing intent on their backs. However, their nostrils were still twitching rapidly, indicating their unease.

Cover your mouth and nose!

At Zhao Dezhao's command, eight hundred soldiers simultaneously pulled out strips of cloth that had been soaked in water beforehand and quickly wrapped them around their mouths and noses to block out the thick smoke.

After doing all this, they took up their spears, formed a neat charging formation, and charged toward Zhao Dezhao in unison, awaiting orders.

At this moment, the wildfire was rapidly spreading towards the Tang army camp, and the sound of retreating war drums and the shouts of officers and soldiers echoed continuously in the valley.

But Zhao Dezhao seemed oblivious to all of this, his gaze fixed on the location of the central army's command flag like that of a hawk.

"Follow me and charge towards the central army!"

"kill!"

Eight hundred cavalrymen shouted in unison, and Zhao Dezhao took the lead, spurring his horse out of the stable and charging towards the central army camp!

The routed soldiers encountered along the way, seeing this, thought it was their own cavalry coming to their aid, and instinctively gave way. It wasn't until the blade sliced ​​across their necks that they realized something was wrong, but by then it was too late to shout.

At first, no one noticed anything unusual about this cavalry unit.

The Tang army's retreating troops included many cavalrymen, and with the darkness and thick smoke, it was impossible to distinguish friend from foe.

However, as Zhao Dezhao led his troops closer to the central army camp, leaving behind a field of corpses, the Tang army finally realized that something was wrong.

"Enemy troops are attacking the camp!!!"

A piercing roar ignited the entire battlefield!

"kill!!!"

Once completely exposed, Zhao Dezhao no longer concealed himself. Instead, he spurred his horse and roared as he charged toward the Tang army that was gradually closing in!

"Li Congjia, I've come to take your head!" Zhao Dezhao laughed wildly.

Eight hundred guards followed closely behind, shouting in unison, "Li Congjia, we've come to take your head!"

The thunderous sound echoed through the valley for a long time!

They suddenly accelerated, like a thunderclap, with a roar of unwavering resolve, brandishing their spears and engaging the Tang army in fierce combat.

The Tang army was not entirely composed of mediocre men; there were also some brave warriors loyal to the Southern Tang.

Lin Renzhao immediately took the hard bow and went to the guard's side, calmly saying, "Don't panic, tell me, which one is the enemy general?"

The soldier pointed at Zhao Dezhao, who was leading the way. Lin Renzhao drew his bow and nocked an arrow. Before the soldier could even lower his hand, the arrow had already left the bowstring!

"call out!"

"Your Highness, be careful!"

The arrow was faster than Jing Si's warning. By the time Zhao Dezhao reacted, the arrow was less than three zhang away from him!

In the rush, all Zhao Dezhao could do was raise his arm.

"Pfft—!"

The arrow grazed his left arm, tearing off a chunk of flesh. The force of the arrow caused it to deflect slightly, leaving a deep gash on his left cheek before falling to the ground with its remaining force. "Your Highness—" Jing Si's heart tightened, and he spurred his horse to his side to protect him.

"It's alright!"

The injury did not deter Zhao Dezhao; instead, it fueled his ferocity. He gave Lin Renzhao a cold look, then raised his bloodied left arm and roared as he charged towards the enemy: "Tang army scoundrels! Who dares to fight me!"

Seeing that His Highness remained valiant despite his injuries, the eight hundred cavalrymen were ignited with their own fierce spirit and roared in unison, "Tang army scoundrels! Who dares to fight us!"

The roar was like rolling thunder, crushing the minds of every Tang soldier.

Surrounded by wildfires, the Tang army was already in a state of rout and had long lost its will to fight, making it impossible for them to form a resistance.

Zhao Dezhao led his personal guards like a sharp dagger, piercing through layers of obstacles, stepping over countless Tang soldiers' corpses, and heading straight for the central army's banner.

The commander's flag was already askew, and the flagpole was blackened by sparks. Several personal guards were protecting Li Congjia, trying to escape along the mountain path on the east side.

Zhou Ehuang supported the pale-faced Zhou Nüying, following closely behind. Her skirt was covered in dust and sparks, and her hair was disheveled and stuck to her cheeks. She had long lost her former gentle appearance.

"Stop them! Stop them now!"

Li Congjia turned around and saw the Song army getting closer and closer. His face was no longer as refined as before, and his words were filled with fear and trembling.

Dozens of his followers immediately turned around, armed themselves, and stood in front of the commander's flag, trying to buy time.

But these men were like mantises trying to stop a chariot when faced with eight hundred elite cavalry!

A Tang soldier roared and charged forward with his sword, but Zhao Dezhao dodged to the side and simultaneously swung his sword backhand, the sharp blade slicing into the man's shoulder blade and reaching his internal organs.

Blood gushed out, splattering Zhao Dezhao's armor and clothes, but he became even more arrogant and spurred his horse forward.

"Li Congjia, where do you think you're going to run?!"

Seeing Zhao Dezhao, covered in blood and approaching like a god of death, Li Congjia's face drained of color. Terrified, he stumbled backward, his legs giving way, and he collapsed to the ground. His voice trembled as he inexplicably asked, "You—who are you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Dezhao suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter. His laughter was fierce and unrestrained, piercing through the sea of ​​fire and the raging wind, echoing throughout the valley.

The next moment, his eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he roared at Li Congjia, "I am Zhao Dezhao, the eldest son of the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt, causing everyone who heard them to freeze in shock, their eyes filled with disbelief, and they instinctively turned their gaze to Li Congjia, who was sprawled on the ground.

Who said that this was the place where he captured Zhao Dezhao?

Who said that they weren't afraid he wouldn't come, but rather that he wouldn't dare to come?

Now—this person has arrived, but where is the one who captured him?

Li Congjia naturally recalled his past boasts, and his face grew even paler. Looking at Zhao Dezhao rushing towards him, he was so panicked that he shrank back as if he were a stray dog, pushing off the ground with his legs.

"Your Highness, please do not panic!"

At the critical moment, it was Lin Renzhao who stepped forward.

He somehow acquired a warhorse, spurred it to Li Congjia's side, and urgently said, "Your Highness, quickly mount the horse!"

Seeing the only warhorse, Li Congjia was suddenly stunned, and subconsciously turned his head to look at the panicked face beside him.

The two sisters, Zhou Ehuang and Zhou Nüying, who were teetering on the brink of collapse, had a hint of hesitation in their eyes.

"Your Highness, what time is it? You're still worrying about romance!" Lin Renzhao roared in exasperation.

Li Congjia finally came to his senses and saw Zhao Dezhao rushing towards him. He suppressed his guilt, gritted his teeth, reached out and grabbed Lin Renzhao's arm tightly, using the force to climb onto his warhorse.

"Your Highness!!!"

"Brother Crown Prince!!!"

Two incredibly mournful sounds came simultaneously from the mouths of the Zhou Ehuang sisters.

"Don't blame me—"

Tears welled up in Li Congjia's eyes. Faced with life and death, how could he care about the warmth of the past?

He forced himself to look away and said sternly to Lin Renzhao, "Hurry up and leave!"

This sentence, like the last straw, completely broke the Zhou sisters.

Their faces turned deathly pale instantly, their legs trembled, and they collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down their faces. Their almond-shaped eyes lost all focus, staring blankly at the resolute backs of Li Congjia and Lin Renzhao as they rode away on horseback.

Suddenly, something seemed to stir within them—

It shattered inch by inch, completely collapsed!

>