In the early morning of July 25, Wang Shizhen and others had just found a roadside inn and were about to rest when they were suddenly awakened by an eager knock on the door.

"Something is wrong, you guys hurry up and follow me to Shangjie Town to save people, it's too late to go!"

As soon as the door was opened, a man in disarrayed clothes immediately grabbed Wang Shizhen's hand and said anxiously.

"You are the person sent by Madame Yang to pick up Li Gongzi."

Wang Shizhen recognized the other party's appearance, tried to keep his composure, and said, "I'm going to wake everyone up, don't worry, say slowly, what's going on over there?" ”

"After we met with Mr. Wang Qian the afternoon before yesterday, we found a few sneaky people on the road secretly following, Mr. Wang Qian and a few of your brothers took advantage of the night to solve three, but who knew that there was another person who escaped.

This evening, we escorted the second son to Xincuo Village, was about to hurry up, rushed to Shangjie Town at night to stay, but encountered a group of officers and soldiers ambush sneak attack at night, the number of officers and soldiers is far more than the number of escorting the son, and they are also equipped with hundreds of foreign guns, our people are not the opponent of the officers and soldiers, the leader Wang Qian and one of you surnamed Zhao's brother, can only escort the son to retreat to a small hill, with the terrain to block the attack of the officers and soldiers.

The escort only carried fourteen short guns and eight foreign guns, and there was not much ammunition prepared, and the brother surnamed Zhao asked me and the other two brothers to rush out of the encirclement of the officers and soldiers, and then after coming here to contact you, we immediately went to Xincuo Village to meet them. ”

"Zhao Zimin, there are only more than 20 people in total, plus the people you sent to pick them up, since the officers and soldiers can set up an ambush on the road, they must have been prepared for a long time."

Wang Shizhen suddenly felt the seriousness of the matter, and immediately ordered the thirty or forty men who were resting in the inn to abandon unnecessary items, and only carry short guns, muskets, ammunition, and grenades.

"Brother Wang, the Qing army has touched up from the direction of the flank, hurry up and let a few brothers block them!"

In the dark night, a bright moon hung high above the mountain forest, which not only provided a downward view for more than 20 people on the hill, but also facilitated the Qing soldiers who attacked upwards in the middle of the hill.

"Lao Tzu's soldiers have killed two and wounded four, and the remaining few are all here! If you want to send someone, you can only draw it from your side. ”

The blood and sweat on the face of Mr. Qian, surnamed Wang, were glued together, and the scar that had not yet condensed was re-bleeding because of the violent shaking of his face.

"Reckless fool! If you hadn't leaked the news, why did you attract so many Qing troops to surround you, damn it, it's really bad luck today! ”

The officer surnamed Zhao scolded the other party hatefully, raised his head, and said loudly, "Sun Rong, Ma Wei, Zhao Shi, the three of you bring ten grenades, go to the flanks and rear flanks to arm, remember to save grenades and ammunition, and throw them when they get closer, that's all our ammunition!" ”

"Lieutenant Wang Zhao, be careful, the three of us will go over."

The three men each grabbed a few grenades from their sides, turned around, and after crawling for some distance, they stood up and quickly ran in the other direction.

"Brother Zhao, there are too many officers and soldiers, if we continue to fight like this, it won't take half an hour, and our men will be lost, we must change our way of fighting, take advantage of the opportunity of the officers and soldiers to attack with all their might, and attack from the direction of the northeast steep slope, as long as we break through the officers and soldiers in front of us, our people will flee to the woods under the steep slope, and the remaining people will have a glimmer of life."

Li Rongfa, the second son of Li Xiucheng, the second son of Li Xiucheng, who was called Li Gongzi by a group of people, saw that the situation was critical.

Quickly lowered his body and moved to Lieutenant Zhao's side.

"Launching a counter-charge from the direction of a steep slope, the cost of casualties is too great, I don't agree with this!"

Although the other party was the cousin of the Han Emperor Li Mingyuan, when facing the battle, the lieutenant surnamed Zhao did not follow the other party's advice.

"The person who answered is thirteen or fourteen miles away from Xincuo Village, and it will take two or three quarters of an hour to arrive at the fastest speed, do you think that with these people on the hill, you can hold out until they arrive?"

After all, Li Rongfa had the experience of leading troops to fight a war alone, and he had a certain understanding of the current comparison of forces between the enemy and us and the changes in the combat situation.

"Holding on to and waiting for reinforcements seems to be safe, but there is no life, and only by attacking from the weak direction of the enemy's encirclement can there be any hope of success!"

Li Rongfa raised his voice and said firmly, "Don't interfere with your normal judgment because of me, I, Li Rongfa, have been hiding in Tibet and living for more than ten years, that is, I have not inherited my father's ambitions, I have tried my courage and accumulated strength in an attempt to oppose the great cause of the Qing Dynasty, nor have I risen up in adversity like Mingyuan's cousin and made a great career overseas!"

Rong Fa is just a mediocre and unfilial son, and it is already a gift to look up to the Heavenly Father to live until now, even if he dies in today's battle, he will not implicate others who are wrongly blamed.

Brother Zhao, make a decision immediately, gather all the brothers who can hold guns, break through from the southwest, and open up a way down the mountain for the brothers who survived and their wives and daughters below. ”

"Li Gongzi really decided to do this?"

"We have no other choice but to choose to do this, Brother Zhao, the gunfire is ruthless, if you are unfortunately killed, please also look at the love of Yu Xi is your emperor's niece, and try to protect her and her mother's safety."

"Your Excellency, rest assured, even if Zhao dies in battle, he will not let your lady and young lady fall into the hands of the Qing army."

If Li Rongfa and others were killed in battle, and the surviving wives and daughters fell into the hands of the Qing army, it would be indescribable how brutal the abuse they would face.

Li Rongfa understood the meaning of the other party's words, as the surviving descendant of the loyal king Li Xiucheng, he, his wife, and daughter might face the fate that he and his wife and daughter might face, and he had already predicted it in his mind hundreds of times.

The fate of the family and history cannot be reversed, and all he can do is pray to the so-called Heavenly Father to bless his wife and daughter to be safe and escaped. …………

"Your Excellency, Your Excellency!"

The officer of the Green Battalion, who was the first to report to Ma Ronghe, shouted and ran to the center of the Qing army, and said excitedly, "I heard from the two soldiers of Jianning Town who were caught, that gang of thieves on the hill is the long-haired remnants, and they escorted Li Rongfa, the second son of the pseudo-loyal king Li Xiucheng, and are ready to join the wife of Cai Yuanji, the chief soldier of Jianning Town, and then go to sea to South America!" ”

"Cai Yuanji is so daring, he surrendered to the imperial court, and then secretly colluded with the long-haired thief! It's impressive. ”

Ma Ronghe touched his beard with one hand, held the handle of the knife at his waist with the other, and said in high spirits, "Someone is coming, pass on the official generals, all the muskets are loaded, attack the hills, and whoever captures the long-haired remnant Li Rongfa alive will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver and promoted to the first level!" ”

"Kill, kill, capture Li Rongfa alive!" Ma Ronghe's words fell, and the Qing officers and soldiers who had already paid more than 20 casualties were like animals smelling fish, forgetting the fierce battle just now, regaining their fighting spirit and launching an attack on the top of the hill.

When Li Rongfa and Lieutenant Zhao led people to break through the siege, they encountered the Qing army attacking head-on, and the two sides experienced a vicious battle with a huge disparity in power, and the battle lasted until 11 o'clock at midnight, and the Lieutenant surnamed Zhao paid the price of a total of 24 people killed including Li Rongfa and Wang Qianzong, and only four wounded intelligence officers from the Han Army were left, escorting Li Rongfa's wife and daughter to flee in the direction of the woods.

At 1:27 a.m., Wang Shizhen arrived with people to save the surviving Li Rongfa's wife and daughter and four intelligence officers, and in the first round of battles with the Qing army, he killed Ma Ronghe, the commander of the Fujian Left Battalion, who led the troops, and routed the remaining Qing pursuers.