Chapter 190 Entering the City
The Khitan army was driven out, and Pingzhou City was temporarily out of danger.

Zhao Ji then heaved a sigh of relief and ordered Shen Tao to gather his troops with all his strength. He himself led the troops that had gathered around him into the city.

However, when entering the city, they encountered some unexpected trouble. After the Khitan army was driven out of the city, the Pingzhou defenders spontaneously closed the city gates.

For some unknown reason, the defenders in the city were unwilling to open the gate to let Zhao Ji's troops in.

"Listen, defenders on the city. We are General Zhao's troops. Open the city gates quickly and let us in." Xiao Bao shouted to the people on the city wall at the gate.

Someone on the city wall immediately answered, "No, who knows if you are trying to trick the city gate into opening. Our general said that the gate cannot be opened now no matter who calls! If you want to enter the city, wait until dawn!"

"Another group of people clearly went in just now. Why were they able to go in but we couldn't?" Xiao Bao asked again.

"When they entered the city, the Khitans had not yet left the city. They helped drive the Khitans out. And they are acquaintances!" Another reply came from the city.

Hearing this, Xiao Bao turned to look at Zhao Ji, not knowing what to do: "General, look at this..."

Zhao Ji shouted loudly: "I am Zhao Ji, the governor of Yingzhou. Where is General Wang? Ask him to come out and see me!"

When people on the city wall heard the name Wang Xiaojie, they suddenly fell silent and no longer responded.

After a long time, there was a reply from upstairs, but the voice was much weaker: "Wang Xiaojie and Deputy General Sun colluded with the Khitans and tried to give Pingzhou City to the Khitans. Now that the matter has been exposed, he and Deputy General Sun have fled the city and defected to the Khitans!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the soldiers outside the city were in an uproar.

Zhao Ji sneered. He immediately stopped the soldiers from talking and said in a louder voice, "Wang Xiaojie has defected. Where is Zong Huaichang? Let him come out to see me!"

"General Zong led his troops out of the city to fight earlier. Since the Khitans besieged the city, there has been no news. I heard that he was attacked by the Khitans and his life or death is in danger!" The people on the city wall answered again.

Zhao Ji's heart sank when he heard this, realizing that Zong Huaichang might have also fallen into some danger.

"Pingzhou City is so big, who is in charge now? Tell him to come out and give an answer!" Zhao Ji was already in a bad mood because he was blocked outside the city. Now after hearing so much bad news, he was on the verge of exploding.

"Please wait a moment, Governor! I will invite Deputy General Sha here immediately!" Another voice came from the city.

Zhao Ji stood at the foot of the city, his face livid, his heart already surging. How could he not understand that they were deliberately preventing him from entering the city and delaying time with various excuses.

"Which army just entered the city?" Zhao Ji suddenly thought of something, looked up abruptly and asked.

The voice of the man on the city wall weakened again: "Yes, it is General Su Honghui's troops."

Zhao Ji laughed in anger when he heard this, and shouted, "Ridiculous! Su Honghui led his troops to mutiny, but his rebels can enter the city, but I can't?! Did you all mutiny with him? What's your name?"

There was dead silence on the city wall, and no one answered.

Zhao Ji became even more furious and announced loudly: "Listen, all the soldiers on the city wall. I am Zhao Ji, the governor of Yingzhou. If you don't open the city gates, it will be regarded as mutiny! The same crime as Su Honghui!"

The people on the city wall immediately became chaotic upon hearing this. The small leader guarding the gate was infiltrated by the snake spirit, but most of the soldiers guarding the city were not actually taken in.

"Open the door! Open the door! Open the door!" The soldiers behind Zhao Ji shouted in unison, shaking the sky.

Before he could even breathe, the so-called Deputy General Sha arrived immediately and ordered his men to open the city gate and welcome Zhao Ji into the city.

Deputy General Sha stepped forward quickly, knelt in front of Zhao Ji's horse, and apologized, "General Zhao, there was a big change in the army. I was afraid that the city would be lost, so I resorted to this bad strategy. The soldiers were ignorant and offended the general's majesty. I hope the general will forgive us."

Zhao Ji didn't say anything and asked coldly, "Where is Su Honghui now?"

Deputy General Sha was slightly startled when he heard this, then he clasped his hands and replied: "Although Su Honghui led his troops to mutine, he took the initiative to lead his troops to help after hearing that the Khitans were besieging the city..."

"I just asked where he is now, no need to say anything else!" Zhao Ji interrupted impatiently, his eyes as sharp as a knife.

"Su Honghui is in the governor's mansion." Deputy General Sha bowed his head and answered. As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Ji whipped his horse and sped away, followed by a large group of knights including Shen Tao and Xiao Bao, leaving Deputy General Sha in the cold.
-
In front of the Pingzhou Governor's Mansion, Zhao Ji dismounted and rushed in at great speed. Shen Tao and Xiao Bao each led a team of soldiers to rush into the mansion first and take over the defense of the Governor's Mansion.

The unusual situation in the governor's mansion naturally alarmed Su Honghui and Song Wuji, and they came out to investigate the situation: "Hey, Governor Zhao, you... why are you here?"

As soon as Zhao Ji saw the two men, he gave the order without hesitation: "Capture them!"

Su Honghui, Song Wuji and the guards around them did not even have time to react before Xiao Bao and his men disarmed them and captured them on the spot.

"Commander Zhao, what are you doing?" Su Honghui and Song Wuji's faces suddenly changed and they struggled hard, trying to break free from the restraints.

Zhao Ji sneered, "What? You fled without fighting last time, causing the army to be defeated, and then you led the army to mutiny and resist the authority of heaven. Now you have fallen into my hands, and you still have the nerve to ask me what to do? Of course you must be punished according to the law!"

Su Honghui hurriedly defended himself, "General Zhao, listen to my explanation. The so-called fleeing without fighting is purely a slander by Wang Xiaojie. Later, I fled Pingzhou in order to protect myself, to show my grievances to the court, and to expose Wang Xiaojie's true face."

"Now that Wang Xiaojie's true colors have been exposed and he has surrendered to the Khitan, General Song and I have made meritorious contributions by defeating the Khitan and protecting Pingzhou. We are both meritorious and innocent!"

Zhao Ji heard this and shouted, "What nonsense! General Wang is deeply favored by the emperor, how could he surrender to the Khitan? I think the two of you have said anything you want to avoid the crime. Drag him away and chop him off!"

Su Honghui was filled with grief and indignation, shouting that he was wronged: "Zhao Ji! You are clearly abusing your power for personal gain and seeking revenge! What you did is no different from Wang Xiaojie! I don't accept it, I don't accept it! I want to see Marshal Di!"

At this moment, another group of soldiers rushed in and confronted Zhao Ji's cavalry.

Su Honghui was immediately confident when he saw his own people rushing in: "Zhao Ji, don't think you can cover the sky with one hand. If you want to silence us, it depends on whether the soldiers of Youwei agree."

Deputy General Sha arrived late with a group of officers. When he saw the current situation, he quickly intervened and said, "General Zhao, you can't do this. General Su is at least a third-rank official of the court. If you kill him like this, it will be difficult to explain to His Majesty."

Zhao Ji said indifferently, "He has long been demoted to a commoner by His Majesty and has been ordered to be executed. He is no longer a third-rank official. Killing him is in accordance with His Majesty's will."

Deputy General Sha advised again: "General, this is a different time. Now General Su has made meritorious contributions despite his crime. How should we deal with him? Should we wait until the new Hebei Road Chief of Staff Di Gong arrives before dealing with him? It's not right for you to interfere, right?"

Seeing this, Su Honghui instigated, "Zhao Ji, you are in a hurry to kill me and silence me now. Could it be that you are in cahoots with Wang Xiaojie and are in collusion with him and are anxious to cover up his crimes?"

Zhao Ji laughed out loud when he heard this: "What a sharp tongue you have!"

After hearing Su Honghui's argument, Deputy General Sha advised: "General Zhao, Su Honghui has some truth in what he said. Even if he is guilty, it involves General Wang. We should wait for Judge Di to arrive before making a decision."

Zhao Ji shook his head and laughed, looking around at the officers of the Right Guard, and asked, "Do you all mean this?"

Some generals remained silent, while others had their eyes flickering and exchanged cryptic glances with each other: "Please think twice, Governor."

Zhao Ji memorized the appearance of these people and said, "Since you want to see Di Gong, I will grant your wish. Come, arrest the person who just spoke, as well as Su Honghui, and take them to the prison to await trial."

Upon hearing this, Deputy General Sha's face was filled with astonishment: "Commander-in-chief, what is the meaning of this move?"

Ignoring everyone's resistance, Xiao Bao acted decisively and took away Su Honghui, Song Wuji and those who supported him.

Zhao Ji's tone was firm, not allowing for any doubt: "No matter what the reason is, leading the army to mutiny is a capital crime. Those who speak for Su Honghui are also at risk of mutiny again. This governor will not kill people, but just arrest them and hand them over to Di Gong for disposal. Is there anything wrong with that?"

Deputy General Sha shook his head helplessly to show his understanding.

Zhao Ji smiled and said, "Su Honghui's troops are now under the command of this governor. All the former officers are dismissed and awaiting punishment. You were also suspected of speaking for Su Honghui just now. Considering your public spirit, this governor will show mercy and not punish you."

"However, the troops of the former Right Guard are temporarily under the command of this governor. If you take Xiao Bao with you to arrest someone and one of them escapes, or if there is any other change in the army, this governor will hold you accountable!"

Deputy General Sha sighed and said, "As you command."

(End of this chapter)