The Bodyguard King's CEO Wife-Chapter 1372: The Rebel Army’s Stronghold

Shangguan Jian led his three hundred cavalrymen straight down the mountain like wolves attacking sheep. Although the county garrison’s cavalry didn’t have heavy armor for protection, at this time, cavalry was still considered a "precious asset." Any available protective gear would be prioritized for the cavalry, as their effectiveness on the battlefield could change the entire situation.

The rebels, although known as "rebels" in name, were actually just a band of robbers. At best, they were somewhat well-equipped. In the Qin Dynasty, even farming tools, scythes, and flails had to be registered, let alone weapons. To revolt without equipment, how could one fight barehanded? All these required a large amount of funding. Compared to the county, the rebels simply couldn’t have such wealth.

Shangguan Jian, highly skilled in martial arts and exceptionally brave, charged at the forefront with the rest of the cavalry following behind, crashing into the rebel formation. A bout of slaughter ensued. The sudden "surprise troops" caught the ill-trained rebels off guard. The importance of cavalry was self-evident, so when Shangguan Jian formed his cavalry, he carefully selected brave men willing to risk their lives. Their ferocious charge was terrifying. Shangguan Jian spotted a ladder not far ahead, turned his horse, and charged at it, slicing it in half with one strike. Without balance at the bottom, the entire ladder, along with those on it, collapsed to the ground.

"Quick, retreat quickly!" Unable to withstand the assault, the leader of the rebels saw Ye Shikai closing in from behind with a vast array of two thousand soldiers. These were not ordinary garrison troops. Any delay would mean certain death.

"Chase them down for me." The rebels quickly scattered, but Shangguan Jian didn’t want to miss this opportunity. The rebels were like weeds; if not uprooted, they would return soon, and with even greater force, making them harder to deal with.

"Form ranks." Ye Shikai wasn’t one for absolute extermination. He had read history and believed that if there was fault in rebellion, only half belonged to them. The other half was due to the Qin Dynasty’s harsh laws and heavy taxes. Otherwise, why would there be so many rebels and robbers?

"Prepare the crossbowmen. Aim at their feet to intimidate them," Ye Shikai ordered. In such open terrain, if the crossbowmen were to open fire freely, there would be no need for them to break through; a rain of arrows could turn them into a bloody hole.

Whizz, whizz, whizz.

The soldiers followed the order, lowering their aim, the crossbow arrows piercing into the ground. Although not causing any casualties, it immobilized the rebels attempting to flee. They knew Ye Shikai was deliberately holding back. But if they tried to break through desperately, it would be a dead end. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Drop your weapons, and I’ll spare your lives." Ye Shikai had the soldiers shout. The rebels were terrified. Their escape routes were completely blocked by the Qin Army Formation. If they didn’t surrender, they would be slaughtered by Shangguan Jian. Thus, almost without hesitation, the rebels dropped their weapons and knelt to surrender.

"So many people," Shangguan Jian remarked from horseback, watching the ground filled with captives, numbering one to two thousand. This rebel force was indeed substantial, no wonder the governor’s mansion issued military orders.

"Men, tie them up and escort them all into the city," Ye Shikai shouted. The soldiers tied the rebels in groups of ten to prevent any escapes.

"Look, the city gates are opening," Man Cang suddenly shouted. It wasn’t surprising. The people seemed like heavenly warriors descending, quickly dispersing the rebels. Wouldn’t the county magistrate be thrilled?

"You have come from afar to save all the Gong County’s military and civilians from distress," an elder, accompanied by many townsfolk, walked out of the city quickly, visibly moved by the two thousand Qin soldiers.

"It seems the Lord Governor has received the distress letter. This is wonderful," the elder kept repeating, holding the hands of the two men while leading them into the city.

.........

"You may not know, but our Gong County is small. Our produce and taxes are nowhere near those of Heyang County. The little money we have isn’t enough to build a strong garrison. Recently, many youths have been drafted due to the frontline battles. To encounter a large-scale rebel siege, I had no choice but to let women and the elderly fight. If the city had fallen, we would not have survived," the county magistrate explained upon entering Gong County, introducing the situation. Gong County was impoverished, with insufficient manpower and funds to train troops, nearly leading to the city’s fall.

"Fortunately, you arrived in time, saving Gong County from the flames of war. Please accept this old man’s gratitude," said the county magistrate, nearly bowing to Shangguan Jian and Ye Shikai in thanks.

"Please rise, county magistrate. We are merely following military orders, not acting on some grand principle," Shangguan Jian replied, closely inspecting the city defenses, finding them only two or three stories high. With such height, a few people stacking up could reach it.

With such city defenses, they could withstand the low-combat rebels, but against the Wolf Clan, it would be no different from flat land.

"The county may be poor and lacks much grain, but we cannot be stingy with our saviors. I will immediately have food prepared to reward you."

"No need, county magistrate. We must continue our mission. According to intelligence, aside from Gong County, there are other counties and villages with rebels. We must depart immediately."

"Wait a moment. If you will trust this old man, I do have some intelligence about the rebels," the county magistrate suddenly interrupted, his tone resolute yet somewhat believable.

"Speak up, county magistrate."

Shangguan Jian was not worried about the magistrate deceiving them. After all, this was a county, and falsely reporting military information carried the death penalty. No one would dare jest about that.

"Fifty miles from Gong County is a tall mountain named Long Mountain, easy to defend and hard to attack, surrounded by steep peaks, rendering cavalry useless. It was once a bandit stronghold. Recently, I heard many people arrived there. After sending scouts, it turns out to be the rebels’ base, having gathered nearby bandits and robbers, over three thousand strong, armed with weapons. With the current military strength of each county, it’s hard to eliminate them. The county lacks great generals, especially those like you who are battle-hardened."

"Over three thousand people, equipped with weapons, with advantageous terrain. Our cavalry is useless, and without siege engines, we probably... cannot take it," Shangguan Jian, though brave, was not rash. With so many gathered at Long Mountain, a direct assault would be a pyrrhic victory: killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of their own.