The sound of the carriages was murmuring and they were getting further and further away. Tan Xiao and his entourage led Emperor Longwu across the Chunshui River that night, running nearly forty miles overnight, and were about to jump out of the encirclement of King Qin's army. After receiving the urgent report from Dang Shousu, Liu Fangliang and He Zhen led the cavalry to pursue them with fast horses. One man and two horses, both men and horses, did not rest. After a day and night of pursuit, they finally caught up at the border between Chenzhou and Hengzhou Prefecture. Tan Xiao, there was a fierce battle between the two sides. Tan Xiao was fighting and running away. When he saw more and more pursuers, he ordered them to break up into pieces and break out separately. Emperor Longwu and Empress Zeng fought together, and Fu Guan and other Chu Xun officials fought together. Tang Laihe and other prisoners made their way over the Huangling Mountains via a small road, via Chenzhou, and detoured back to the hinterland of Huguang. He himself led the army to cut off the rear and try to hold off Liu Fangliang's pursuers. Liu Fangliang and He Zhen relied on their strong troops to pursue Tan Xiao fiercely. After a series of fierce battles, Tan Xiao's troops were scattered. At the most embarrassing moment, there were only a hundred or ten soldiers left. In this case, it was impossible to hide anyone. Liu Fangliang and He Zhen finally confirmed that Emperor Longwu was not with Tan Xiao. There was no point in continuing to chase Tan Xiao. Liu Fangliang and He Zhen immediately dispersed their troops and chased in all directions to search for Emperor Longwu's whereabouts. However, they came in a hurry and did not have enough troops to form a tight encirclement at the beginning. , now that it has been delayed for such a long time, sending troops to catch up is still a matter of personnel matters. I can only place my hope on Xiong Wei, the governor of Hunan, hoping that he can find the whereabouts of Emperor Longwu as soon as possible, and even directly snatch the emperor back and send him back. What Liu Fangliang didn't know was that He Zhen's men actually captured Fu Guan, Cheng Wen and others, but he kept it secret and did not tell Liu Fangliang. Instead, he tightly blocked the news and secretly hid Fu Guan and others Governor of Hunan Xiong Wei is stationed in Hengyang, the capital city of Hengzhou Prefecture. As the governor of a province, Xiong Wei should logically set up a government office in Changsha, the provincial capital. However, Changsha City is the headquarters of the Chu Xun faction, and many new institutions have been set up, each in charge of their own affairs. The powers are intertwined, which makes Xiong Wei, the governor of Hunan, completely Shortly after taking office, Xiong Wei found that he was just a decoration like the clay and wood sculptures in the temple. He had no ambition to be loyal to the emperor and serve the country, but had no room to display his hands and feet. In anger, he simply moved the governor's Yamen to Hengyang. Hengyang is still the sphere of influence of the Chu army, and Xiong Wei's situation is still difficult, but compared with Changsha, the environment is still much more relaxed. After the initial hesitation and frustration, he quickly recovered his mood and devoted himself to selfless work. For two years, he has been resolutely fighting against the powerful Chu Xun forces. He was unyielding and focused on strategies and methods. While protecting himself, he tried his best to maintain the imperial court's order. On the surface, the interests were at odds with the Chu Xun Group, but secretly they worked hard to unite those officials and gentry who were still loyal to the court. They endured the humiliation and worked hard, and finally gradually gained a firm foothold. Although they have never been able to get hold of the people, money and power at all levels, they In several remote prefectures in southern Hunan (such as Chenzhou, Hengzhou, Yongzhou, etc.), as long as he made a request, the local officials would still give him some face. Hengyang is not too far away from Yongzhou Prefecture. After receiving the urgent report from He Wuzou, Liu Fangliang and others two days ago, Xiong Wei immediately ordered all prefectures and counties to block all roads leading to the hinterland of Huguang in an effort to regain the emperor. This is a difficult task. But Xiong Wei thinks he has done his best. In order to avoid alerting the Chu army, Xiong Wei could not publicly search for the whereabouts of Emperor Longwu. He could only ask local prefectures and counties to set up checkpoints on various roads in the name of searching for spies of the Western Army, and then asked his close men to conduct careful interrogations and secretly search. . This is why a clever woman cannot make a meal without rice. Xiong Wei has been the governor of Hunan for two years and has neither money nor weapons and equipment. The governor's Biao camp is still an empty frame, with less than a hundred soldiers at full strength, even though there are not many Chu army guards around Emperor Longwu. , and they are not sure to keep him. Fortunately, Liu Fangliang and He Zhen have already brought a large number of cavalry to the vicinity. As long as they discover the emperor's whereabouts, they can notify Liu Fangliang and they will send light cavalry and fast horses to chase him. It is still very likely that he will be killed at the last moment. Intercept Emperor Longwu. "Even if you no longer serve as the governor of this Lao Shizi, I still have to rescue His Majesty. At worst, I will go to Guangdong with the Holy Emperor!" Later, he broke with the Chu army and could no longer gain a foothold in Hunan. However, he still couldn't bear to see Emperor Longwu being kidnapped and sent to Nanjing. From now on, he could only live in depression as a puppet emperor for the rest of his life. As long as there was still a chance of recovery, he would not hesitate to do so. No matter what the cost, anyway, Governor Xiong has long since given up on being a coward after suffering so much. Using all his overt and covert resources, Xiong Wei even did not hesitate to spread false news and fabricate rumors that the Western Army had invaded Hunan. Under the almost hysterical strict orders of the governor's Yamen, he finally put several state capitals in southern Hunan on full alert. The county sent a large number of government soldiers, county soldiers and government officials to block the roads and conduct strict inspections, so that not even a fly could fly across. After looking at the map carefully over and over again to confirm that there were no omissions, Xiong Wei got up and walked outside the house, standing silently in the bright moonlight, motionless like a sculpture for a long time, silently praying in his heart: "The fate of the country, in With this move, the villain dares to protect His Majesty and escape safely. "Everything that can be done is done. All that is left is to wait for the confidants sent everywhere to find the whereabouts of Emperor Longwu, and then notify Liu Fangliang in time. Between Chenzhou and Hengyang, there is an ancient road from the Qin and Han Dynasties. Because it has been in disrepair for a long time, the road is difficult to navigate. There are not many pedestrians and vehicles passing by on weekdays. However, Xiong Wei did not ignore this place. Not far from Chenzhou, A checkpoint was set up at the fork at the foot of the mountain. In addition to two to three hundred local county soldiers and government officials, Xiong Wei also sent several confidants, led by Xiong Huaien. Xiong Huai'en was not originally named Xiong, but was just a child of an ordinary family in the south of the Yangtze River. Because his family ran a small business, he could write and do calculations, and he had a good eye for dealing with people. After the Qing army went south, disaster fell from the sky, and his family was ruined overnight. He was almost killed by a defeated army, which is a very common thing in troubled times. Fortunately, he met Xiong Wei by chance, and Xiong Wei accidentally moved his compassion and saved his life. Then he changed his name Xiong Huai'en became a servant in Xiong's Mansion. Because he was literate and intelligent, he gradually came forward and was reused. Now he is a steward in Governor Xiong's Mansion. Although he has no rank or rank, he often represents Xiong Wei and all parties. The contact is sometimes even greater than the dignity of the Qipin County Magistrate. Xiong Wei sent him here because he was loyal, reliable and capable of being independent. After Xiong Huai'en learned about the important mission of this trip, he was shocked and deeply moved by Xiong Wei's trust and importance. He said with tears in his eyes on the spot that it would be fine if the emperor did not take this path. As long as he takes this path, he will be the emperor. Even if you risk your own life, you must keep the emperor. After leaving the governor's office, Xiong Huaien's mood still couldn't calm down for a long time. There is no doubt that Xiong Wei gave him an excellent opportunity to get ahead. As long as the emperor falls into his hands, he will definitely be able to flourish in the future. The only thing he can do now is Pray to heaven and send the emperor as soon as possible. Yao Qisheng and Tan Xiao broke out separately. In order to reduce the target, they only brought thirty or forty soldiers with them, as well as a carriage riding in Emperor Longwu and Empress Zeng. After many hardships, they finally crossed the remaining routes of Nanling. Huangling Mountain and entered the boundary of Chenzhou. Fortunately, he was never overtaken by King Qin's army along the way, and his whereabouts were not exposed. Chenzhou is close to Guangdong, Guangxi and Jiangxi. The Chuxun Group has relatively weak control here. There are no Chu troops stationed here, and the prefect is not a reliable Chu elected official. In order to avoid accidents, Yao Qisheng did not contact the local government and only supplemented the information in the towns. After getting some necessary supplies, we bypassed Chenzhou City through the small road and headed towards the hinterland of Hunan. Turning north, not far from Chenzhou, he entered the boundary of Hengzhou Prefecture. In order to avoid people's eyes and ears, Yao Qisheng chose a deserted ancient road to Hengyang. Although he knew that Xiong Wei, the governor of Hunan, was in Hengyang, Yao Qisheng was not worried. There was something in Hengyang. The regular troops of the Chu Army were stationed there. As long as they entered the military camp at that time, they could ensure the safety of Emperor Longwu. But just halfway through, the scouts who explored the road came back to report that there was a checkpoint blocking the road ahead. There were two to three hundred soldiers guarding the checkpoint, equipped with swords and guns, and a few good horses tied aside. Apparently they were used to report the news. . "Why is there suddenly a checkpoint in such a remote place?" Yao Qisheng smelled a hint of danger. We don¡¯t know whether the other party is a friend or an enemy, but the appearance is too weird. Most likely, they are coming for Emperor Longwu. Since they don¡¯t dare to openly signal their welcome, they probably have bad intentions. There are two to three hundred soldiers guarding the card, and their strength is nearly ten times that of Yao Qisheng. But since they were sent to escort Emperor Longwu, these soldiers are the best of the Chu army. They should be able to break through by force. The problem is that the opponent There are so many people that it is difficult to eliminate them all. As long as one or two escape, they can attract a large group of people to pursue them. It is even more undesirable to go back the way you came. Yao Qisheng pondered for a moment and decided to bite the bullet and pass the card, and then act according to the situation. In other words, he would muddle through if he could, and take action if he couldn't. A group of people protected the carriage that Emperor Longwu was riding in and came to the checkpoint. The county soldiers in front of the checkpoint had long seen this small and capable unit and the carriage with stars holding the moon. There is no doubt that the person sitting on that carriage must be a big shot in the Chu army. That's why there is such a situation. There are many murderous guards who look like battle-hardened warriors at first glance. "Is it really that person who is here?" Xiong Huaien's heart jumped a few times, and his eyes looking at the carriage were full of passion. He waved his hand to stop his eager companions, walked forward, and inspected and interrogated himself.